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A Method for Evaluating News Value based on Supply and Demand of Information Using Text Analysis (텍스트 분석을 활용한 정보의 수요 공급 기반 뉴스 가치 평가 방안)

  • Lee, Donghoon;Choi, Hochang;Kim, Namgyu
    • Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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    • v.22 no.4
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    • pp.45-67
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    • 2016
  • Given the recent development of smart devices, users are producing, sharing, and acquiring a variety of information via the Internet and social network services (SNSs). Because users tend to use multiple media simultaneously according to their goals and preferences, domestic SNS users use around 2.09 media concurrently on average. Since the information provided by such media is usually textually represented, recent studies have been actively conducting textual analysis in order to understand users more deeply. Earlier studies using textual analysis focused on analyzing a document's contents without substantive consideration of the diverse characteristics of the source medium. However, current studies argue that analytical and interpretive approaches should be applied differently according to the characteristics of a document's source. Documents can be classified into the following types: informative documents for delivering information, expressive documents for expressing emotions and aesthetics, operational documents for inducing the recipient's behavior, and audiovisual media documents for supplementing the above three functions through images and music. Further, documents can be classified according to their contents, which comprise facts, concepts, procedures, principles, rules, stories, opinions, and descriptions. Documents have unique characteristics according to the source media by which they are distributed. In terms of newspapers, only highly trained people tend to write articles for public dissemination. In contrast, with SNSs, various types of users can freely write any message and such messages are distributed in an unpredictable way. Again, in the case of newspapers, each article exists independently and does not tend to have any relation to other articles. However, messages (original tweets) on Twitter, for example, are highly organized and regularly duplicated and repeated through replies and retweets. There have been many studies focusing on the different characteristics between newspapers and SNSs. However, it is difficult to find a study that focuses on the difference between the two media from the perspective of supply and demand. We can regard the articles of newspapers as a kind of information supply, whereas messages on various SNSs represent a demand for information. By investigating traditional newspapers and SNSs from the perspective of supply and demand of information, we can explore and explain the information dilemma more clearly. For example, there may be superfluous issues that are heavily reported in newspaper articles despite the fact that users seldom have much interest in these issues. Such overproduced information is not only a waste of media resources but also makes it difficult to find valuable, in-demand information. Further, some issues that are covered by only a few newspapers may be of high interest to SNS users. To alleviate the deleterious effects of information asymmetries, it is necessary to analyze the supply and demand of each information source and, accordingly, provide information flexibly. Such an approach would allow the value of information to be explored and approximated on the basis of the supply-demand balance. Conceptually, this is very similar to the price of goods or services being determined by the supply-demand relationship. Adopting this concept, media companies could focus on the production of highly in-demand issues that are in short supply. In this study, we selected Internet news sites and Twitter as representative media for investigating information supply and demand, respectively. We present the notion of News Value Index (NVI), which evaluates the value of news information in terms of the magnitude of Twitter messages associated with it. In addition, we visualize the change of information value over time using the NVI. We conducted an analysis using 387,014 news articles and 31,674,795 Twitter messages. The analysis results revealed interesting patterns: most issues show lower NVI than average of the whole issue, whereas a few issues show steadily higher NVI than the average.

Empirical Study of Key Factors in Satisfaction with Subway Services (지하철 이용만족도 결정요인에 관한 실증적 연구 -서울지역을 중심으로-)

  • Shim, Jong-Seop;Jeon, Ki-Heung
    • Korean Business Review
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    • v.13
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    • pp.49-66
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    • 2000
  • Despite the fact that understanding customers satisfaction with transportation services is a subject of great importance, authors, so far, found no systematic researches referred to that issue. From this point, studying the satisfaction with subways services can be extremely useful. Empirical study of key factors in the satisfaction with subway services is the departure point, which holds as objectives, and we believe, will contribute to overall increasing in the number of subways services used and in the amount of public benefits derived from that usage. In order to achieve these goals: First, several items referred to some key factors in the satisfaction of subway usage were systemized. Second, a research of specific weights attached to those key factors by subway passengers was conducted. Knowledge of the satisfaction variables system can provide deep insights into ones perceptual experience when using a subway. The results were as follows: Various interrelated factors compose a passengers satisfaction with subway services. People do not just use subway passively; a number of key factors, like physical and personal services, exact timing, easiness to access etc. determine the passengers satisfaction with subway. In order to find out specific weights of these key factors multiple regression analysis was employed. Results showed that satisfaction with subway is determined by (in order of importance) easiness to access, quality of physical services, friendliness of working stuff and timing exactness. According to the findings, passengers do not use subway as a simple mean of transportation, rather they perceive it as a complex combination of environmental elements and overall satisfaction depends on these various factors. Therefore, to learn passengers satisfaction with subways services, passengers subway experience must be thoroughly studied and analyzed, and this is where papers value resides.

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A Study on The Consumer Expectation - Performance according to the Types of Internet Shopping Malls (인터넷 쇼핑몰 유형에 따른 소비자 기대-성과에 관한 연구)

  • Lee, In-Ku;Ryoo, Hak-Soo
    • Korean Business Review
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    • v.17 no.2
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    • pp.63-87
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    • 2004
  • To create and maintain comparative supremacy as a strategic tool of business, many organizations have introduced informational technology and system. By using this system, Some companies got a beneficial value for achieving organizational goals but others could not obtain their effectiveness and efficiency. In particular, a lot of organizations that tried to make strategic supremacy with e-commercial trade are under hard condition because of poor profit. It implies that it is essential to identify and analyse the consumer who uses e-commercial trade. This paper, therefore, focusing on internet shopping malls between business and consumer as one of areas of e-commercial trades, shows the difference between consumer expectation and performance. The results of this study are as follows: First, as for the significant difference of influencing factors to consumer satisfactions according to the types of internet shopping malls, there is a meaningful difference in consumer anxiety and internet usefulness, but not in consumer service. Prior to verify the differences in detail on consumer's anxiety and internet usefulness, we examined that there is any difference between expectation and performance. T-test was used for the variants of consumer anxiety and internet usefulness, and its meaningful probability was 0.000, which means that both showed statistically significant difference. Based on the results, we also found that regardless of the types of internet shopping malls, consumer expectation was greater than performance. although the difference between expectation and performance was not equal according to the internet shopping malls. Second, a regression analysis was performed to understand the relation between consumer service, internet usefulness, consumer anxiety, and consumer satisfaction, it was found that consumer service, internet usefulness, consumer anxiety had significantly effected on consumer satisfaction. Third, To verify the relation between consumer satisfaction and repurchase-intentions, intentions to spread out, Pearson correlation analysis was used. it was found that consumer satisfaction had positive effect on both intentions. This study has some limitations because of the shorts of money and time. since the sample of this study was consumers who have ever bought one or more products via internet shopping mall, this sample was appropriate. but the major parts of sample were college students, and the sample size was so small. therefore this results should carefully be generalized. For further study, it is required to select more precise samples and to include more variables.

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The Phenomenological Study on School Dropout of Specialized Vocational High School Students (특성화고등학교 학생의 학업중단에 대한 현상학적 연구)

  • Lee, Myung-Hun
    • 대한공업교육학회지
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    • v.44 no.1
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    • pp.23-51
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    • 2019
  • The purpose of this study was to analysis school dropout of specialized vocational high school students using phenomenological research method. The interview for the research was carried out with 10 adolescents who dropped out specialized vocational high school from December 8 to 23, 2018. According to the result of the research, 31 themes were extracted from interviews with 10 research participants. And 10 theme clusters were categorized from these. And these clusters were divided into 3 domains : 'before school dropout', 'causes & process of school dropout, feeling about school dropout', 'after school dropout' Based on the finding of the study, major conclusions of this study were as follow: First, adolescents who dropped out specialized vocational high school suffered from hard school life, disappointing lead from teachers, stereotypical lesson. And they committed misdeeds, and had psychological difficulties. Some of them kept up the good relationship with their friends, teachers, parents, some of them did not. Some of them kept up the good relationship with their friends, teachers and parents, while some of them did not. Second, they chose dropout due to various different causes. The procedures of school dropout proceeded with comparative ease. The effect of dropout prevention program is very limited. The feeling they felt at the time of school dropout varied individually. Some adolescents who dropped out specialized vocational high school were satisfied while others were stressed out, regretting their decision. Third, they lived diligently working part-time jobs or preparing General Equivalency Diploma (GED) test after dropout. They experienced positive changes in their daily lives after dropout. But sometimes they experienced various difficulties and negative changes. Most of them had their goals, and they were preparing for them. Their expectation was low that their life will succeed if they returned to school. They wanted people to understand their decision about dropout. And multiple institutions are supporting adolescents who dropped out specialized vocational high school. They need practical support : Various information, activity for career experience, counseling etc.

Clinical Practice Guideline for Cardiac Rehabilitation in Korea

  • Kim, Chul;Sung, Jidong;Lee, Jong Hwa;Kim, Won-Seok;Lee, Goo Joo;Jee, Sungju;Jung, Il-Young;Rah, Ueon Woo;Kim, Byung Ok;Choi, Kyoung Hyo;Kwon, Bum Sun;Yoo, Seung Don;Bang, Heui Je;Shin, Hyung-Ik;Kim, Yong Wook;Jung, Heeyoune;Kim, Eung Ju;Lee, Jung Hwan;Jung, In Hyun;Jung, Jae-Seung;Lee, Jong-Young;Han, Jae-Young;Han, Eun Young;Won, Yu Hui;Han, Woosik;Baek, Sora;Joa, Kyung-Lim;Lee, Sook Joung;Kim, Ae Ryoung;Lee, So Young;Kim, Jihee;Choi, Hee Eun;Lee, Byeong-Ju;Kim, Soon
    • Journal of Chest Surgery
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    • v.52 no.4
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    • pp.248-329
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    • 2019
  • Background: Though clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for cardiac rehabilitation (CR) are an effective and widely used treatment method worldwide, they are as yet not widely accepted in Korea. Given that cardiovascular disease is the second leading cause of death in Korea, it is urgent that CR programs be developed. In 2008, the Government of Korea implemented CR programs at 11 university hospitals as part of its Regional Cardio-Cerebrovascular Center Project, and 3 additional medical facilities will be added in 2019. In addition, owing to the promotion of CR nationwide and the introduction of CR insurance benefits, 40 medical institutions nationwide have begun CR programs even as a growing number of medical institutions are preparing to offer CR. The purpose of this research was to develop evidence-based CPGs to support CR implementation in Korea. Methods: This study is based on an analysis of CPGs elsewhere in the world, an extensive literature search, a systematic analysis of multiple randomized control trials, and a CPG management, development, and assessment committee comprised of 33 authors-primarily rehabilitation specialists, cardiologists, and thoracic surgeons in 21 university hospitals and 2 general hospitals. Twelve consultants, primarily rehabilitation, sports medicine, and preventive medicine specialists, CPG experts, nurses, physical therapists, clinical nutritionists, and library and information experts participated in the research and development of these CPGs. After the draft guidelines were developed, 3 rounds of public hearings were held with staff members from relevant academic societies and stakeholders, after which the guidelines were further reviewed and modified. Results: CR involves a more cost-effective use of healthcare resources relative to that of general treatments, and the exercise component of CR lowers cardiovascular mortality and readmission rates, regardless of the type of coronary heart disease and type and setting of CR. Conclusion: Individualized CR programs should be considered together with various factors, including differences in heart function and lifestyle, and doing so will boost participation and adherence with the CR program, ultimately meeting the final goals of the program, namely reducing the recurrence of myocardial infarction and mortality rates.

A study on multidisciplinary and convergent research using the case of 3D bioprinting (3D 바이오프린팅 사례로 본 다학제간 융복합 연구에 대한 소고)

  • Park, Ju An;Jung, Sungjune;Ma, Eunjeong
    • Korea Science and Art Forum
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    • v.30
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    • pp.151-161
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    • 2017
  • In the fields of science and engineering, multidisciplinary research is common, and researchers with a diverse range of expertise collaborate to achieve common goals. As the 4th industrial revolution gains currency in society, there is growing demand on talented personnel both with technical knowledge and skills and with communicative skills. That is, future engineers are expected to possess competence in social and artistic skills in addition to specialized knowledge and skills in engineering. In this paper we introduce an emerging field of 3D bioprinting as an exemplary case of interdisciplinary research. We have chosen the case to demonstrate the possibility of cultivating engineers with π-shaped expertise. Building on the concept of T-shaped talent, we define π-shaped expertise as having both technical skills in more than one specialized field and interpersonal/communicative skills. Wtih references to such concepts as trading zones and interactional expertise, we suggest that π-shaped expertise can be cultivated via the creation of multi-level trading zones. Trading zones are referred to as the physical, conceptual, or metaphorical spaces in which experts with different world views trade ideas, objects, and the like. Interactional expertise is cultivated, as interactions between researches are under way, with growing understanding of each other's expertise. Under the support of the university and the government, two researchers with expertise in printing technology and life sciences cooperate to develop a 3D bioprinting system. And the primary investigator of the research laboratory under study has aimed to create multiple dimensions of trading zones where researchers with different educational and cultural backgrounds can exchange ideas and interact with each other. As 3D bioprinting has taken shape, we have found that a new form of expertise, namely π-shaped expertise is formed.

A Study on Startups' Dependence on Business Incubation Centers (창업보육서비스에 따른 입주기업의 창업보육센터 의존도에 관한 연구)

  • Park, JaeSung;Lee, Chul;Kim, JaeJon
    • Korean small business review
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    • v.31 no.2
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    • pp.103-120
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    • 2009
  • As business incubation centers (BICs) have been operating for more than 10 years in Korea, many early stage startups tend to use the services provided by the incubating centers. BICs in Korea have accumulated the knowledge and experience in the past ten years and their services have been considerably improved. The business incubating service has three facets : (1) business infrastructure service, (2) direct service, and (3) indirect service. The mission of BICs is to provide the early stage entrepreneurs with the incubating service in a limited period time to help them grow strong enough to survive the fierce competition after graduating from the incubation. However, the incubating services sometimes fail to foster the independence of new startup companies, and raise the dependence of many companies on BICs. Thus, the dependence on BICs is a very important factor to understand the survival of the incubated startup companies after graduation from BICs. The purpose of this study is to identify the main factors that influence the firm's dependence on BICs and to characterize the relationships among the identified factors. The business incubating service is a core construct of this study. It includes various activities and resources, such as offering the physical facilities, legal service, and connecting them with outside organizations. These services are extensive and take various forms. They are provided by BICs directly or indirectly. Past studies have identified various incubating services and classify them in different ways. Based on the past studies, we classify the business incubating service into three categories as mentioned above : (1) business infrastructure support, (2) direct support, and (3) networking support. The business infrastructure support is to provide the essential resources to start the business, such as physical facilities. The direct support is to offer the business resources available in the BICs, such as human, technical, and administrational resources. Finally, the indirect service was to support the resource in the outside of business incubation center. Dependence is generally defined as the degree to which a client firm needs the resources provided by the service provider in order to achieve its goals. Dependence is generated when a firm recognizes the benefits of interacting with its counterpart. Hence, the more positive outcomes a firm derives from its relationship with the partner, the more dependent on the partner the firm must inevitably become. In business incubating, as a resident firm is incubated in longer period, we can predict that her dependence on BICs would be stronger. In order to foster the independence of the incubated firms, BICs have to be able to manipulate the provision of their services to control the firms' dependence on BICs. Based on the above discussion, the research model for relationships between dependence and its affecting factors was developed. We surveyed the companies residing in BICs to test our research model. The instrument of our study was modified, in part, on the basis of previous relevant studies. For the purposes of testing reliability and validity, preliminary testing was conducted with firms that were residing in BICs and incubated by the BICs in the region of Gwangju and Jeonnam. The questionnaire was modified in accordance with the pre-test feedback. We mailed to all of the firms that had been incubated by the BICs with the help of business incubating managers of each BIC. The survey was conducted over a three week period. Gifts (of approximately ₩10,000 value) were offered to all actively participating respondents. The incubating period was reported by the business incubating managers, and it was transformed using natural logarithms. A total of 180 firms participated in the survey. However, we excluded 4 cases due to a lack of consistency using reversed items in the answers of the companies, and 176 cases were used for the analysis. We acknowledge that 176 samples may not be sufficient to conduct regression analyses with 5 research variables in our study. Each variable was measured through multiple items. We conducted an exploratory factor analysis to assess their unidimensionality. In an effort to test the construct validity of the instruments, a principal component factor analysis was conducted with Varimax rotation. The items correspond well to each singular factor, demonstrating a high degree of convergent validity. As the factor loadings for a variable (or factor) are higher than the factor loadings for the other variables, the instrument's discriminant validity is shown to be clear. Each factor was extracted as expected, which explained 70.97, 66.321, and 52.97 percent, respectively, of the total variance each with eigen values greater than 1.000. The internal consistency reliability of the variables was evaluated by computing Cronbach's alphas. The Cronbach's alpha values of the variables, which ranged from 0.717 to 0.950, were all securely over 0.700, which is satisfactory. The reliability and validity of the research variables are all, therefore, considered acceptable. The effects of dependence were assessed using a regression analysis. The Pearson correlations were calculated for the variables, measured by interval or ratio scales. Potential multicollinearity among the antecedents was evaluated prior to the multiple regression analysis, as some of the variables were significantly correlated with others (e.g., direct service and indirect service). Although several variables show the evidence of significant correlations, their tolerance values range between 0.334 and 0.613, thereby demonstrating that multicollinearity is not a likely threat to the parameter estimates. Checking some basic assumptions for the regression analyses, we decided to conduct multiple regression analyses and moderated regression analyses to test the given hypotheses. The results of the regression analyses indicate that the regression model is significant at p < 0.001 (F = 44.260), and that the predictors of the research model explain 42.6 percent of the total variance. Hypotheses 1, 2, and 3 address the relationships between the dependence of the incubated firms and the business incubating services. Business infrastructure service, direct service, and indirect service are all significantly related with dependence (β = 0.300, p < 0.001; β = 0.230, p < 0.001; β = 0.226, p < 0.001), thus supporting Hypotheses 1, 2, and 3. When the incubating period is the moderator and dependence is the dependent variable, the addition of the interaction terms with the antecedents to the regression equation yielded a significant increase in R2 (F change = 2.789, p < 0.05). In particular, direct service and indirect service exert different effects on dependence. Hence, the results support Hypotheses 5 and 6. This study provides several strategies and specific calls to action for BICs, based on our empirical findings. Business infrastructure service has more effect on the firm's dependence than the other two services. The introduction of an additional high charge rate for a graduated but allowed to stay in the BIC is a basic and legitimate condition for the BIC to control the firm's dependence. We detected the differential effects of direct and indirect services on the firm's dependence. The firms with long incubating period are more sensitive to indirect service positively, and more sensitive to direct service negatively, when assessing their levels of dependence. This implies that BICs must develop a strategy on the basis of a firm's incubating period. Last but not least, it would be valuable to discover other important variables that influence the firm's dependence in the future studies. Moreover, future studies to explain the independence of startup companies in BICs would also be valuable.

The Effects on CRM Performance and Relationship Quality of Successful Elements in the Establishment of Customer Relationship Management: Focused on Marketing Approach (CRM구축과정에서 마케팅요인이 관계품질과 CRM성과에 미치는 영향)

  • Jang, Hyeong-Yu
    • Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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    • v.18 no.4
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    • pp.119-155
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    • 2008
  • Customer Relationship Management(CRM) has been a sustainable competitive edge of many companies. CRM analyzes customer data for designing and executing targeted marketing analysing customer behavior in order to make decisions relating to products and services including management information system. It is critical for companies to get and maintain profitable customers. How to manage relationships with customers effectively has become an important issue for both academicians and practitioners in recent years. However, the existing academic literature and the practical applications of customer relationship management(CRM) strategies have been focused on the technical process and organizational structure about the implementation of CRM. These limited focus on CRM lead to the result of numerous reports of failed implementations of various types of CRM projects. Many of these failures are also related to the absence of marketing approach. Identifying successful factors and outcomes focused on marketing concept before introducing a CRM project are a pre-implementation requirements. Many researchers have attempted to find the factors that contribute to the success of CRM. However, these research have some limitations in terms of marketing approach without explaining how the marketing based factors contribute to the CRM success. An understanding of how to manage relationship with crucial customers effectively based marketing approach has become an important topic for both academicians and practitioners. However, the existing papers did not provide a clear antecedent and outcomes factors focused on marketing approach. This paper attempt to validate whether or not such various marketing factors would impact on relational quality and CRM performance in terms of marketing oriented perceptivity. More specifically, marketing oriented factors involving market orientation, customer orientation, customer information orientation, and core customer orientation can influence relationship quality(satisfaction and trust) and CRM outcome(customer retention and customer share). Another major goals of this research are to identify the effect of relationship quality on CRM outcomes consisted of customer retention and share to show the relationship strength between two factors. Based on meta analysis for conventional studies, I can construct the following research model. An empirical study was undertaken to test the hypotheses with data from various companies. Multiple regression analysis and t-test were employed to test the hypotheses. The reliability and validity of our measurements were tested by using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and principal factor analysis respectively, and seven hypotheses were tested through performing correlation test and multiple regression analysis. The first key outcome is a theoretically and empirically sound CRM factors(marketing orientation, customer orientation, customer information orientation, and core customer orientation.) in the perceptive of marketing. The intensification of ${\beta}$coefficient among antecedents factors in terms of marketing was not same. In particular, The effects on customer trust of marketing based CRM antecedents were significantly confirmed excluding core customer orientation. It was notable that the direct effects of core customer orientation on customer trust were not exist. This means that customer trust which is firmly formed by long term tasks will not be directly linked to the core customer orientation. the enduring management concerned with this interactions is probably more important for the successful implementation of CRM. The second key result is that the implementation and operation of successful CRM process in terms of marketing approach have a strong positive association with both relationship quality(customer trust/customer satisfaction) and CRM performance(customer retention and customer possession). The final key fact that relationship quality has a strong positive effect on customer retention and customer share confirms that improvements in customer satisfaction and trust improve accessibility to customers, provide more consistent service and ensure value-for-money within the front office which result in growth of customer retention and customer share. Particularly, customer satisfaction and trust which is main components of relationship quality are found to be positively related to the customer retention and customer share. Interactive managements of these main variables play key roles in connecting the successful antecedent of CRM with final outcome involving customer retention and share. Based on research results, This paper suggest managerial implications concerned with constructions and executions of CRM focusing on the marketing perceptivity. I can conclude in general the CRM can be achieved by the recognition of antecedents and outcomes based on marketing concept. The implementation of marketing concept oriented CRM will be connected with finding out about customers' purchasing habits, opinions and preferences profiling individuals and groups to market more effectively and increase sales changing the way you operate to improve customer service and marketing. Benefiting from CRM is not just a question of investing the right software, but adapt CRM users to the concept of marketing including marketing orientation, customer orientation, and customer information orientation. No one deny that CRM is a process or methodology used to develop stronger relationships being composed of many technological components, but thinking about CRM in primarily technological terms is a big mistake. We can infer from this paper that the more useful way to think and implement about CRM is as a process that will help bring together lots of pieces of marketing concept about customers, marketing effectiveness, and market trends. Finally, a real situation we conducted our research may enable academics and practitioners to understand the antecedents and outcomes in the perceptive of marketing more clearly.

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The Effects of Environmental Dynamism on Supply Chain Commitment in the High-tech Industry: The Roles of Flexibility and Dependence (첨단산업의 환경동태성이 공급체인의 결속에 미치는 영향: 유연성과 의존성의 역할)

  • Kim, Sang-Deok;Ji, Seong-Goo
    • Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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    • v.17 no.2
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    • pp.31-54
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    • 2007
  • The exchange between buyers and sellers in the industrial market is changing from short-term to long-term relationships. Long-term relationships are governed mainly by formal contracts or informal agreements, but many scholars are now asserting that controlling relationship by using formal contracts under environmental dynamism is inappropriate. In this case, partners will depend on each other's flexibility or interdependence. The former, flexibility, provides a general frame of reference, order, and standards against which to guide and assess appropriate behavior in dynamic and ambiguous situations, thus motivating the value-oriented performance goals shared between partners. It is based on social sacrifices, which can potentially minimize any opportunistic behaviors. The later, interdependence, means that each firm possesses a high level of dependence in an dynamic channel relationship. When interdependence is high in magnitude and symmetric, each firm enjoys a high level of power and the bonds between the firms should be reasonably strong. Strong shared power is likely to promote commitment because of the common interests, attention, and support found in such channel relationships. This study deals with environmental dynamism in high-tech industry. Firms in the high-tech industry regard it as a key success factor to successfully cope with environmental changes. However, due to the lack of studies dealing with environmental dynamism and supply chain commitment in the high-tech industry, it is very difficult to find effective strategies to cope with them. This paper presents the results of an empirical study on the relationship between environmental dynamism and supply chain commitment in the high-tech industry. We examined the effects of consumer, competitor, and technological dynamism on supply chain commitment. Additionally, we examined the moderating effects of flexibility and dependence of supply chains. This study was confined to the type of high-tech industry which has the characteristics of rapid technology change and short product lifecycle. Flexibility among the firms of this industry, having the characteristic of hard and fast growth, is more important here than among any other industry. Thus, a variety of environmental dynamism can affect a supply chain relationship. The industries targeted industries were electronic parts, metal product, computer, electric machine, automobile, and medical precision manufacturing industries. Data was collected as follows. During the survey, the researchers managed to obtain the list of parts suppliers of 2 companies, N and L, with an international competitiveness in the mobile phone manufacturing industry; and of the suppliers in a business relationship with S company, a semiconductor manufacturing company. They were asked to respond to the survey via telephone and e-mail. During the two month period of February-April 2006, we were able to collect data from 44 companies. The respondents were restricted to direct dealing authorities and subcontractor company (the supplier) staff with at least three months of dealing experience with a manufacture (an industrial material buyer). The measurement validation procedures included scale reliability; discriminant and convergent validity were used to validate measures. Also, the reliability measurements traditionally employed, such as the Cronbach's alpha, were used. All the reliabilities were greater than.70. A series of exploratory factor analyses was conducted. We conducted confirmatory factor analyses to assess the validity of our measurements. A series of chi-square difference tests were conducted so that the discriminant validity could be ensured. For each pair, we estimated two models-an unconstrained model and a constrained model-and compared the two model fits. All these tests supported discriminant validity. Also, all items loaded significantly on their respective constructs, providing support for convergent validity. We then examined composite reliability and average variance extracted (AVE). The composite reliability of each construct was greater than.70. The AVE of each construct was greater than.50. According to the multiple regression analysis, customer dynamism had a negative effect and competitor dynamism had a positive effect on a supplier's commitment. In addition, flexibility and dependence had significant moderating effects on customer and competitor dynamism. On the other hand, all hypotheses about technological dynamism had no significant effects on commitment. In other words, technological dynamism had no direct effect on supplier's commitment and was not moderated by the flexibility and dependence of the supply chain. This study makes its contribution in the point of view that this is a rare study on environmental dynamism and supply chain commitment in the field of high-tech industry. Especially, this study verified the effects of three sectors of environmental dynamism on supplier's commitment. Also, it empirically tested how the effects were moderated by flexibility and dependence. The results showed that flexibility and interdependence had a role to strengthen supplier's commitment under environmental dynamism in high-tech industry. Thus relationship managers in high-tech industry should make supply chain relationship flexible and interdependent. The limitations of the study are as follows; First, about the research setting, the study was conducted with high-tech industry, in which the direction of the change in the power balance of supply chain dyads is usually determined by manufacturers. So we have a difficulty with generalization. We need to control the power structure between partners in a future study. Secondly, about flexibility, we treated it throughout the paper as positive, but it can also be negative, i.e. violating an agreement or moving, but in the wrong direction, etc. Therefore we need to investigate the multi-dimensionality of flexibility in future research.

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