• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.64-76
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• 2006

Korea's overseas construction industry has been rather depressed by the weakened profitability as well as the sharp decrease of the market shares due to the lack of international competitiveness and the declined international market. There exist a lot of various risks in performing the overseas construction, and especially EPC projects, which entail complicated process from different parts, also require a sophisticated procurement and management skill. Subsequently, to survive in the competitive international market, we need to establish strategies to select potentially profitable projects at the initial stage of bidding process and to mitigate the high degree of risk exposure through contract negotiation and its adjustment. This research discusses the trend of environment in international construction markets. Then, it identifies the key factors that affect the profitability significantly through the structured surveys from 59 actual overseas projects, and it analyzes the key factors by using statistical methods. This research provides the profitability evaluation bases, with which overseas construction participants can forecast and analyze the risk more systematically, by eliciting profit-influencing factors using the result of statistical analysis, literature review and structuring their cause-and-effect relationships. The profitability casual hierarchy structure describes the profitability factors' hierarchy in details and their interrelationships. It also enables us to find out critical factors directly related to profitability aggravation through a qualitative and quantitative analysis. Ultimately, with this hierarchy structure as the base, the research will suggest how to develop the quantitative profitability forecasting model.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.87-96
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• 2020

The purpose of this paper is to develop a fire HRA (Human Reliability Analysis) procedure for full power operation of domestic NPPs (Nuclear Power Plants). For the development of fire HRA procedure, the recent research results of NUREG-1921 in an effort to meet the requirements of the ASME/ANS PRA Standard were reviewed. The K-HRA method, a standard method for HRA of a domestic level 1 PSA (Probabilistic Safety Assessment) and fire related procedures in domestic NPPs were reviewed. Based on the review, a procedure for the fire HRA required for a domestic fire PSA based on the K-HRA method was developed. To this end, HRA issues such as new operator actions required in the event of a fire and complexity of fire situations were considered. Based on the four kinds of HFE (Human Failure Event) developed for a fire HRA in this research, a qualitative analysis such as feasibility evaluation was suggested. And also a quantitative analysis process which consists of screening analysis and detailed analysis was proposed. For the qualitative analysis, a screening analysis by NUREG-1921 was used. In this research, the screening criteria for the screening analysis was modified to reduce vague description and to reflect recent experimental results. For a detailed analysis, the K-HRA method and scoping analysis by NUREG-1921 were adopted. To apply K-HRA to fire HRA for quantification, efforts to modify PSFs (Performance Shaping Factors) of K-HRA to reflect fire situation and effects were made. For example, an absence of STA (Shift Technical Advisor) to command a fire brigade at a fire area is considered and the absence time should be reflected for a HEP (Human Error Probability) quantification. Based on the fire HRA procedure developed in this paper, a case study for HEP quantification such as a screening analysis and detailed analysis with the modified K-HRA was performed. It is expected that the HRA procedure suggested in this paper will be utilized for fire PSA for domestic NPPs as it is the first attempt to establish an HRA process considering fire effects.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.348-355
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• 2017

Human activities have resulted in soil pollution problems to us. Human and ecological risk assessment have been suggested as an efficient environmental management strategy for protecting human and ecosystems from soil pollution. However, Korean environmental policy is currently focused on human protection, and fundamental researches for ecology protection are required for institutional frameworks. In this study, we developed a schematic frame of Korean soil ecological risk assessment, and suggested the basic information for its application. This study suggested a soil ecological risk assessment scheme consisting of 4 steps for derivation of Predicted-No-Effect-Concentration (PNEC): 1) ecotoxicity data collection and reliability determination, 2) data standardization, 3) evaluation of data completeness for PNEC calculation, and 4) determination of ecological-risk. The reliability determination of ecotoxicity data was performed using Reliability Index (RI), and the classification of domestic species, acute/chronic, toxicity endpoint, and soil properties was used for data cataloging. The PNEC calculation methodology was determined as low-reliability, middle-reliability, and high-reliability according to their quantitative and qualitative levels of ecotoxicity data. This study would be the introductory plan research for establishment of Korean soil ecological risk assessment, and it can be a fundamental framework to further develop guidelines of Korean environmental regulation.

• Journal of Construction Engineering and Project Management
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.16-32
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• 2020

Cost and time control of projects is important in preventing project failure. However, achieving effective cost and time control in practice is often challenging. The challenges of project cost and time control in practice are investigated by carrying out a questionnaire survey on the top 150 construction contractors in the UK followed by in-depth semi-structured interviews of practitioners from 15 construction companies in the country. Quantitative analysis reveals that design change is the most important factor inhibiting the ability of UK contractors from effectively controlling both the cost and time of construction projects. Four of the top five factors inhibiting effective cost control are also the top factors inhibiting effective time control albeit in a different order. These top factors-design changes, inaccurate evaluation of project time/duration, risk and uncertainty, non-performance of subcontractors and nominated suppliers were also found to be endogenous factors to the project. Additionally, qualitative analysis of the interviews reveals 16 key challenges to prevent for effective project cost and time control in practice. These are classified into four categorised based on where they stem from as follows; from the organisation (1. Lack of integration of cost and time during project control, 2. lack of management buy-in, 3. complicated project control systems and processes, 4. lack of a project control training regime); from the construction management/project management approach (5. Lapses in integration of interfaces, 6. project control not being implemented from the early stages of a project, 7. inefficient utilisation and control of labour, 8. limited time devoted to planning how a project will be controlled at the outset); from the client; (9. Excessive authorisation gates, 10. use of adversarial and non-collaborative forms of contracts, 11. communication problems within client set-up, 12. obstructive client representatives) and; from the project team (13. Lack of detailed/complete design, 14. lack of trust among the project partners, 15. limited time devoted to project control on site, 16. non-factual reporting). The study posits that knowledge of these project control inhibiting factors and challenges is the first step at ensuring they are avoided and enable the implementation of a more effective project cost and time control process in practice.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.81-89
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• 2019

This study deals with a process for recovering hydrogen isotopes from fusion exhaust gas. The goal of this process is to remove impurities, maximally recover only pure hydrogen isotopes. Experiments using hydrogen and deuterium were conducted to confirm the possibility of the recovery of hydrogen isotopes. In the exhaust gas containing H₂, impurities was removed in the membrane process, and only pure H₂ was recovered. And the H₂ in the exhaust gas of the He-GDC(Glow Discharge Cleaning) process was recovered using a cryogenic adsorption process. In addition, HAZOP analysis was performed for qualitative risk assessment. For scenario analysis, the damage prediction ALOHA program was used to calculate the range of influence. Finally measures were sought to improve safety.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.185-197
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• 1999

In the family life cycle, the most important task the families with school children should perform is ‘child education’ and ‘socialization’ However, economic stress on poor families with school children presents multiple problems through the shortage of resources necessary for child education and socialization, inappropriateness of family appraisal, and the insufficiency of the control channels for the efficient management of these confined resources and appropriate appraisal. The objectives of this article are : First, to report research on the actual conditions of the poor families in one area of Cheju and on the relevant health welfare policy, and to examine the appropriateness of the direction and the substance of this policy in terms of the intervention in economic stress on the poor families under the categories of resource management and control of appraisal. Second, to analyze qualitative data extracted from the memoirs of single-parent families living in several areas of Korea under the conceptual framework constructed by literature review in order to get a better understanding of the stress which poor families with school children have experienced. And third, to confirm the factors that can be risk factor but, at the same time, strength to these poor families from presented data and to use them as the basic data from which an intervention model can be developed, based on resource management and control of appraisal. The findings of this article are : First, while the number of absolute poor families in one area of Cheju is increasing and, as a result, the danger of the possibility that multiple problems will occur is also growing, the supporting level of the current policy is no more than a direct resource offer and there is no evidence that resource management is being professionally carried out. When it comes to control of appraisal, due to absence of the professional human resources in this matter, policy performances such as technical education training can have a negative impact. Second, a conceptual framework introduced in this article, ; Economic Pressure → Helplessness → Poor self-esteem → Marital Conflict → Parent-Child financial conflict → Inappropriate socialization → Poor child social competence : is partly verified. And third, judging from the results of the qualitative data, it is confirmed that the healing families, having overcome poverty, show several positive characteristics including : hope, strength, and social support. These findings are identified with the factors of resiliency considered above. According to these results, this article suggests the following. The anti -poverty policy in the future should focus not only on a direct resource offer but also on resource management and the control of appraisal that can magnify its effects. In particular, close attention should be paid to school children since they are in the most crucial period for socialization. Moreover, an emotional labor is such an essential resource for intervention that skilled nurses should play pivotal roles.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.667-676
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to examine the experience of practitioners who completed the counseling practice in addiction organizations and to suggest the direction of effective counseling practice for students in interdisciplinary program of addiction majors. For this purpose, we provided the counseling training to two addiction treatment institutions and conducted the interviews with 16 students who participated the counseling practice at the institute and then analyzed the data qualitatively. The results of the study showed that the counseling practitioners experienced fear and prejudice against addicts, prejudice against addicts, change of illness, severity and risk of addiction, career expectation in addiction area, and reality of addiction. Also, the significance of the counseling practice was to give an important lesson in establishing the attitude of self - reflection and the identity of addiction counselor. In the discussion, a systematic management plan of counseling practice in the addiction field was suggested based on the derived topic.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.55-65
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• 2022

Caring for patients with cancer is highly stimulating and rewarding, attracting health professionals to the field who enjoy the challenge of managing a complex illness. Health professionals often form close bonds with their patients as they confront ongoing disease or treatment impacts, which may be associated with multiple losses involving function and/or eventual loss of life. Ongoing exposure to patient loss, along with a challenging work setting, may pose significant stress and impact health professionals' well-being. The prevalence rates of burnout and compassion fatigue (CF) are significant, yet health professionals have little knowledge on these topics. A 6-week continuing education program consisting of weekly small-group video-conferencing sessions, case-based learning, and an online community of practice was delivered to health care providers providing oncology care. Program content included personal, organization and team-related risk and protective factors associated with CF, grief models, and strategies to mitigate against CF. Content analysis was completed as part of the program evaluation. In total, 189 participants (93% nurses) completed the program, which was associated with significant improvements in confidence and knowledge of CF and strategies to support self and team resilience. Qualitative themes and vignettes from experiences with the program are presented. Key themes included knowledge gaps, a lack of support related to CF and strategies to support resilience, organization-and team-based factors that can inhibit expression about the impacts of clinical work, the health professional as a "person" in caregiving, and the role of personal variables, self-skill practices, and recommendations for education and support for self and teams.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.623-636
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• 2012

Health Belief Model is a socio-psychological theory of decision making to individual health-related behaviors. This study was aimed to develop an effective education program for hypertension based on health belief model. The main factors of health belief model were investigated by focus group interview (FGI) with 23 hypertensive or prehypertensive subjects aged over fifty years. 'Perceived susceptibility' to hypertension was family history, neglect of health care, preference for salty food, broth of soup and stew. Lifelong medication, complications, and medical costs were reported as 'perceived severity' of hypertension. 'Perceived benefits' of hypertension management were decrease of medicinal dose, reduction of medical costs, and healthy eating habits of the family, while 'perceived barriers' were lack of palatability of low salt diet, convenience-oriented dietary habits, and limited choice of foods when eating out. Subjects mentioned TV health programs, public health center programs, and advice from doctors and family as 'cues to action' of hypertension management. These qualitative information provided basis for developing a nutrition education program for hypertension which could be implemented in the public health center. Eight week program was composed of understanding hypertension, risk factor management (eating habits, weight), low salt diet (principles, cooking), advanced management for healthy diet in 2 sessions, and summary. Each session was designed to alert the susceptibility and severity, to emphasize the benefits, and to reduce the barriers by providing dietary monitoring, practical advice, and action tips.

• Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.30-44
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• 2022

The primary function of an electronic records management system (ERMS) is to support organisations in providing effective records management services by enabling efficient remote access to the organisations' records. This helps the organisation to continue running during emergency events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The need to study ERMS for accessing records remotely has increased dramatically, due to the increase in daily use. The situation arising from the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for implementing proper digital systems, such as ERMS, to enable efficient work processes and enhance business continuity. An ERMS has the potential to allow organisations to create records and workflows off-site. During a pandemic, the ability to structure processes digitally helps in maintaining operations remotely. This study aims to provide a narrative review of the ERMS literature with an emphasis on explaining the primary components of ERMS that act as enablers for the implementation of the system in the oil and gas sector of developing countries. The current study proposes ERMS roles and responsibilities that could enhance business continuity. The authors use a qualitative narrative review and analyse the literature related to this study and its findings. The results show that, in cases of risk or crises, staff members need to have easy access to their records and documents to remain productive. An ERMS allows professionals to remain active and work off-site. Thus, ERMS play a significant role in protecting an organisation's content through the monitoring and control over who has authorisation to access its records.