• International Journal of Knowledge Content Development & Technology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.59-74
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• 2023

Third places are those that offer a space outside of work and home for people to escape the stress associated with the primary spaces of their lives. Through social interactivity these help in acquiring some emotional support provided by a close and intimate attachment. Such social support can turn into social resources for individuals and can lead to forming communities that may become incubators for social capital through regular visits to shared socializing places. This paper focuses on social interaction that takes place through the third place and the communities that are being created as a contributing factor to knowledge management. The study being reported in this paper investigated the role of coffee shops as third places in building communities and social capital in Kuwait. A mixed-method approach was used to conduct the study. These methods included qualitative methods such as extended conversations in the form of semi-structured interviews and quantitative methods of using questionnaires distributed to coffee shop staff and visitors. Results indicated that importance attached to providing facilities by coffee shops reflected that the owners perceived these as third places. The facilities attracted customers to coffee houses where interactions took place that helped to build communities. The pattern of visits by customers showed that mostly they come in groups and have meetings and gatherings that facilitated and encouraged interactions. The communities that are being built in the coffee shops are indicative of these being perceived as third places by owners, customers, and staff. This study shows the potential of coffee shops as a major sector of the food industry promising a valuable contribution in transformation and transition to a knowl- edge-based economy in Kuwait.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.4885-4891
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• 2014

Background: Successful implementation of pain management procedures and guidelines in an institution depends very much on the acceptance of many levels of healthcare providers. Aim: The main purpose of this study was to determine the level of knowledge and attitudes regarding pain among nurses working in tertiary care in a local setting and the factors that may be associated with this. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional research study used a modified version of the Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Survey (NKAS) regarding pain. Basic demographic data were obtained for further correlation with the level of pain knowledge. Results: A total of 566 nurses, 34 male and 532 female, volunteered to participate in this study. The response rate (RR) was 76%, with an overall mean percentage score of $42.7{\pm}10.9$ (range: 5-92.5). The majority of participants were younger nurses below 40 years of age and more than 70% had worked for less than 10 years ($6.6{\pm}4.45$). Up to 92% had never had any formal education in pain management in general. The total mean score of correct answers was $58.6{\pm}9.58$, with oncology nursing staff scoring a higher percentage when compared with nurses from other general and critical care wards ($63.52{\pm}9.27$, p<0.045). Only 2.5% out of all participants obtained a score of 80% or greater. The majority of the oncology nurses achieved the expected competency level (p<0.03). Conclusions: The present findings give further support for the universal concern about poor knowledge and attitudes among nurses' related to the optimal management of pain. The results reflected that neither number of years working nor age influenced the level of knowledge or attitudes of the practising nurses. Oncology nursing staff consistently scored better than the rest of the cohort. This reflects that clinical experience helped to improve attitudes and knowledge concerning better pain management.

• Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.49-63
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• 2016

The emergence of the World Wide Web (WWW) has changed the scholarly publishing system. Today, Open Access (OA) scholarly publishing offers free access and wide dissemination for research findings anytime and anywhere as an additional value for scholarly content. Despite the potentials of OA publishing, its adoption and use is still low.This paper determines factors influencing the adoption and use of OA publishing by academic staff in universities in Nigeria using an adapted Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use Technology (UTAUT). The study applies methodological triangulation by combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. The empirical data were collected from 317 academic staff in universities in southwest Nigeria. The questionnaire forms were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM-SPSS) 19.0 version to generate descriptive statistics, Analysis of Variance, and Hierarchical Multiple Regression. Thematically, analysis also applies to the interviews. The results show that awareness, attitude, performance expectancy, Internet self-efficacy, and facilitating conditions significantly influenced the adoption and use of OA publishing. The study also reveals that due to lack of OA policy, most of the respondents did not know about OA. The findings further establish that all predictors and moderating variables jointly contributed 64.4% total variance towards the adoption and use of OA publishing. One of the implications of this study is that there is a need for adequate facilities to support adoption and use of OA publishing. The findings inform the proposed framework for improving and evaluating the adoption and use of OA publishing. The findings also have theoretical, societal, and methodological significance to all stakeholders.

• Perspectives in Nursing Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.87-96
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships of activity status, anxiety, depression, social support, symptom experience, and functional status in patients with lung cancer based on the theory of unpleasant symptoms. Methods: The participants for this study were 101 lung cancer patients who visited the out-patient department for treatment or follow-up at one hospital in Seoul. Data were collected from January 1 to February 8, 2013 using self-reported questionnaires and clinical records. To measure variables, the functional scale and symptom scale of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30, EORTC QLQ-Lung Cancer 13, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support were used in this study. The data were analyzed using SPSS 19.0 software for Windows. Results: The symptom experience showed more severity in patients with lower activity status, higher anxiety and depression. With lower activity status and social support, functional status was lower. When anxiety, depression, and symptom experience were higher, functional status was also lower. The significant factors predicting symptom experience were depression, anxiety, activity status, and social support, which explained 57.8% of the variance. Conclusion: These results suggest that psychological factors such as anxiety and depression had a negative influence on the symptom experience of lung cancer patients. Therefore, providing emotional support based on the patients' needs prior to providing symptom management could be a useful strategy for improving symptom experience and functional status.

• Journal of Applied Tourism Food and Beverage Management and Research
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• v.7
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• pp.181-205
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• 1997

It is expected that Korean restaurant business will become one of the most important contributors to the notion's economy by the year 2000. As the many visible and invisible trade barriers are tumbled down and market opening to foreign competition expedites, a strategy to solidify the competitiveness of the restaurant industry is urgently needed. Some of the strateges that need to sharpen the competity edge are as follows: 1. Development of restaurant business management knowhow and enhancement of information gathering capability. 2. Development of its own unique brand of food and service tailored to many different tastes of clientele. 3. Promotion of the industry's globalization efforts with the development of local restaurant brand & Korean traditional foods and with the expansion of foreign investment. 4. Reinforcement of staff training and provision of a compensation package to attract qualified personnel. 5. deregulation of many anachronistic laws and restrictions with government's full support for the industry to realize what it's supposed to be in the 21st century.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Information Management Conference
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• 1994.12a
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• pp.161-164
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• 1994

Efficient use of scientific and technical information is indispensable for research and development. This study is aimed at new system design of Agricultural Information for RDA Library operation by an expeditious system for appropriate support of research activities through information service. Current Library management factors such as organization, budget, collections, staff. space, and information service was surveyed and user's requirements was also evaluated. In order of optimize the information system performance the new designed system was suggested as follows : 1) Existing dispersed library functions have to be unified as a whole 2) Library could be reorganize as a independent unit 3) Construction of inter-library network between libraries engaged in the same field highly recommand for the exchange of information.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.10 no.11
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• pp.55-60
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• 2012

Purpose - This study aims to suggest policy directions for small retail markets in Korea by statistical analysis, which would help small retailers who are facing various difficulties. Research design, data, methodology - This study diagnoses the problems faced by small retail industries in Korea based on government statistics. In addition, this study identifies three areas for successful collaboration between the SSMs and traditional markets-information distribution, products, and fair trade. Results - This study makes three recommendations-information distribution, products, and fair trade. This includes activation of the existing mutual collaboration efforts, channels, CSR report writing and publicity, ethical management cooperation seminars, contract systems of no return, establishment of staff outsourcing standards, and support for suppliers' organizations. Conclusions - Our suggestions for a collaborative system (based on the three suggestions) show that collaboration rather than confrontation between large and small markets can lead to a sales increase of 2,258.2 billion Won, which is equivalent to the sales loss in 11 traditional markets in one year in Busan.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.809-824
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to examine the contents and concept of program for healthy family and provide job opportunity and competency of healthy family supporter. For this research, participants are 51 healthy family supporters as a middle manager. Data were obtained through the survey using a questionnaire developed by the ministry of women and family and headquarter of healthy family support centers in 2007. The research process consists of two parts. One is to suggest their jobs and requirements, the other is to offer their core competency and area for improvement. First, the jobs of healthy family supporters as a middle manager are the generalization of team's work including the planning, management and coordination, training for the staff, and network of social resources. They recognized the planning and management of healthy family support center's goal and course as a strategic job. The requirements for the performance of their duties are having a bachelor's or a master's degree, career more than for 3 years, and a certificate of qualification of healthy family supporters, social worker and family counselor. Second, their competencies are the understanding of education of family life, theory of family counselling, the planning and valuation of program for healthy family, understanding for the variegated family, management of organization, networking with resources, ability of documentation, ability of persuasion and negotiation, management of time, sociality, communication skill, solving the problem, positiveness, cooperative spirit and so on.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.19-28
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• 2017

Background: Conservation of resources theory assumes loss of resources as a cause of job strain. In hospital work, conflicts with supervisors are tested to predict lower resources, that is, supervisory social support, participation possibilities, and appreciation. All three resources are expected to predict, in turn, experienced stress (job strain) and lower job satisfaction, lower affective commitment, and a higher resigned attitude towards the job (job attitudes). Methods: The sample included 1,073 employees from 14 Swiss hospitals (n = 604 nurses, n = 81 physicians, n = 135 medical therapists, and n = 253 technical and administrative staff). Of the total sample, 83.1% were female and 38.9% worked full-time. The median tenure was between 7 years and 10 years. Constructs were assessed by online questionnaires. Structural equation modeling was used to test mediation. Results: Structural equation modeling confirmed the negative association of conflict with supervisors and job resources. Tests of indirect paths to resources as a link between conflicts with supervisors and job attitudes were significant. For nurses, social support, participation and appreciation showed a significant indirect path, while among medical technicians the indirect paths included social support and appreciation, and among physicians only appreciation showed a significant indirect path. In medical therapists no indirect path was significant. Job resources did not mediate the link between conflict with supervisors and stress in any occupational group. Conclusion: Conflicts with supervisors are likely to reduce job resources and in turn to lower job attitudes. Work design in hospitals should, therefore, address interpersonal working conditions and conflict management in leadership development.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.79-105
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• 2011

In-depth interview research and qualitative methodology were used to find changes in the experiences of family volunteer activities through the use of the Health Family Support Center. Ultimately, 143 items as sub-concepts, 42 items as sub-categories, and 10 items as subjects were found. I will also suggest alternative basic and primary data. First, using 10 subjects, the following points were evaluated in detail. I looked at what kind of changes in the volunteer activities these subjects experienced after working at the Health Family Support Center, and what the specific underlying reasons were for the changes in their family volunteer experience. These included 'community solidarity', 'family community', 'leisure and culture for the family', 'communication', 'personal relations', 'coping skills', 'growth', 'sympathy', 'positive thinking', 'future plans'. Second, families experienced a feeling of belonging as community members and the family realized the importance of their life, learned communication methods and coping skills. Third, families came to have new opportunities to grow as humans and learned a feeling of sympathy for others. Fourth, families found new paradigms to think positively about their daily life and to establish future plans. We will need more effort to empower family experiences of family volunteer activities that use the Health Family Support Center as well as supporting its staff. The following specific factors were the main mediating factors for using such a facility: family volunteer education, family volunteer service agency consulting, program planning, and managing family volunteers and other services.