• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.9 no.10
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• pp.61-71
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• 2022

Organizations pursue innovation to improve performance and gain competitive advantage, and knowledge workers represent an integral part of creating knowledge and helping organizations in their innovation efforts. The current paper seeks to examine the impact of the work environment on knowledge workers' creativity. Building on The Investment Theory of Creativity, The Componential Theory of Creativity, the Job Demand-Resource model, and the Resource Based View, we develop and test a model suggesting a relationship between work environment-social support, sufficient resources, organizational freedom, and organizational regulations-and the quantity and quality of the creative performance of knowledge workers. Using a sample of 167 engineers in Saudi Arabia, an emerging but wealthy country with huge innovation inspirations, the results of our Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analysis indicate that all four elements of the work environment included in our study positively impact the quantity and quality of knowledge workers' creative performance. Our paper provides important contributions to the literature on the work environment, creativity, and knowledge management, with an emphasis on creativity in developing countries. Our study highlights the importance of creating a supportive and encouraging work environment for knowledge workers to foster their creativity. The study offers several theoretical and managerial implications, along with suggestions for future research.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.205-215
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• 2019

Researchers have confirmed the relationship between ambidexterity learning and innovation performance, but according to the resource-based theory, the relationship between ambidexterity learning and innovation performance is also affected by the internal resources of the organization. Internal resources are an important factor affecting the transformation of learning outcomes into performance. In addition, few scholars have pointed out whether different types of learning have different effects on different types of innovation performance. This study collects data from 170 High-tech enterprises in Shandong, china, and discusses the effects of exploitative learning and explorative learning on management innovation performance and technological innovation performance. This study further examines the moderating role of slack resource on the relationship between ambidexterity learning and innovation performance. Results show that ambidexterity learning has positive effect on innovation performance. Compared with exploitative learning, explorative learning has a greater impact on management innovation performance; compared with explorative learning, exploitative learning has a greater impact on technological innovation performances. Slack resource has positive moderating role between the relationship of exploitative learning, explorative learning and technology innovation performance. But Slack resource has no moderating role between the relationship of exploitative learning, explorative learning and management innovation performance.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.57-81
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• 2008

Knowledge is an essential strategic weapon for sustaining competitive advantage and is the key determinant for organizational growth. When knowledge is shared and disseminated throughout the organization, it increases an organization's value by providing the ability to respond to new and unusual situations. The growing importance of knowledge as a critical resource has forced executives to pay attention to their organizational knowledge. Organizations are increasingly undertaking knowledge management initiatives and making significant investments. Knowledge sourcing is considered as the first important step in effective knowledge management. Most firms continue to make an effort to realize the benefits of knowledge management by using various knowledge sources effectively. Appropriate knowledge sourcing strategies enable organizations to create, acquire, and access knowledge in a timely manner by reducing search and transfer costs, which result in better firm performance. In response, the knowledge management literature has devoted substantial attention to the analysis of knowledge sourcing strategies. Many studies have categorized knowledge sourcing strategies into intemal- and external-oriented. Internal-oriented sourcing strategy attempts to increase firm performance by integrating knowledge within the boundary of the firm. On the contrary, external-oriented strategy attempts to bring knowledge in from outside sources via either acquisition or imitation, and then to transfer that knowledge across to the organization. However, the extant literature on knowledge sourcing strategies focuses primarily on large organizations. Although many studies have clearly highlighted major differences between large and small firms and the need to adopt different strategies for different firm sizes, scant attention has been given to analyzing how knowledge sourcing strategies affect firm performance in small firms and what are the differences between small and large firms in the patterns of knowledge sourcing strategies adoption. This study attempts to advance the current literature by examining the impact of knowledge sourcing strategies on small firm performance from a holistic perspective. By drawing on knowledge based theory from organization science and complementarity theory from the economics literature, this paper is motivated by the following questions: (1) what are the adoption patterns of different knowledge sourcing strategies in small firms (i,e., what sourcing strategies should be adopted and which sourcing strategies work well together in small firms)?; and (2) what are the performance implications of these adoption patterns? In order to answer the questions, this study developed three hypotheses. First hypothesis based on knowledge based theory is that internal-oriented knowledge sourcing is positively associated with small firm performance. Second hypothesis developed on the basis of knowledge based theory is that external-oriented knowledge sourcing is positively associated with small firm performance. The third one based on complementarity theory is that pursuing both internal- and external-oriented knowledge sourcing simultaneously is negatively or less positively associated with small firm performance. As a sampling frame, 700 firms were identified from the Annual Corporation Report in Korea. Survey questionnaires were mailed to owners or executives who were most erudite about the firm s knowledge sourcing strategies and performance. A total of 188 companies replied, yielding a response rate of 26.8%. Due to incomplete data, 12 responses were eliminated, leaving 176 responses for the final analysis. Since all independent variables were measured using continuous variables, supermodularity function was used to test the hypotheses based on the cross partial derivative of payoff function. The results indicated no significant impact of internal-oriented sourcing strategies while positive impact of external-oriented sourcing strategy on small firm performance. This intriguing result could be explained on the basis of various resource and capital constraints of small firms. Small firms typically have restricted financial and human resources. They do not have enough assets to always develop knowledge internally. Another possible explanation is competency traps or core rigidities. Building up a knowledge base based on internal knowledge creates core competences, but at the same time, excessive internal focused knowledge exploration leads to behaviors blind to other knowledge. Interestingly, this study found that Internal- and external-oriented knowledge sourcing strategies had a substitutive relationship, which was inconsistent with previous studies that suggested complementary relationship between them. This result might be explained using organizational identification theory. Internal organizational members may perceive external knowledge as a threat, and tend to ignore knowledge from external sources because they prefer to maintain their own knowledge, legitimacy, and homogeneous attitudes. Therefore, integrating knowledge from internal and external sources might not be effective, resulting in failure of improvements of firm performance. Another possible explanation is small firms resource and capital constraints and lack of management expertise and absorptive capacity. Although the integration of different knowledge sources is critical, high levels of knowledge sourcing in many areas are quite expensive and so are often unrealistic for small enterprises. This study provides several implications for research as well as practice. First this study extends the existing knowledge by examining the substitutability (and complementarity) of knowledge sourcing strategies. Most prior studies have tended to investigate the independent effects of these strategies on performance without considering their combined impacts. Furthermore, this study tests complementarity based on the productivity approach that has been considered as a definitive test method for complementarity. Second, this study sheds new light on knowledge management research by identifying the relationship between knowledge sourcing strategies and small firm performance. Most current literature has insisted complementary relationship between knowledge sourcing strategies on the basis of data from large firms. Contrary to the conventional wisdom, this study identifies substitutive relationship between knowledge sourcing strategies using data from small firms. Third, implications for practice highlight that managers of small firms should focus on knowledge sourcing from external-oriented strategies. Moreover, adoption of both sourcing strategies simultaneousiy impedes small firm performance.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.37-49
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• 2023

In this study, we proposed resource allocation methodologies to improve the productivity of steel bridge manufacturing plants based on the constraint theory which is very popular in the area of manufacturing industries. To this end, after defining the painting process as a bottleneck, three resource allocation methodologies were developed: Operation Specific Resource Allocation (OSRA), Product Specific Resource Allocation (PSRA), and General Resource Allocation (GRA). As a result of experiments for performance evaluation using a simulation model of the steel bridge supply chain, GRA showed the best performance in terms of the Number of Work-In-Process (NWIP) and Waiting Time (WT), in particular, as workload itself and its variability were increased, the performance gap with the specific resource allocation became further deepened. On average, GRA reduced NWIP by 36.2% and WT by 34.6% compared to OSRA, and reduced NWIP by 71.0% and WT by 70.4% compared to PSRA. The reduction of NWIP and WT means alleviating the bottleneck of the painting process, which eventually means that the productivity of the steel bridge manufacturing plant has improved.

• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.115-129
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• 2019

This study aimed to develop methods for technical design education that can be intimately connected to the industrial field. For this, technical design jobs performed in the fields of the domestic and foreign fashion industries and their required competences were examined, and educational methods based on constructivism were proposed. Korean fashion technical designers' works were identified, and then the fashion technical designer's responsibilities and qualifications were collected and analyzed from global employment sites. On the basis of the collection and analysis, hands-on staff members and education experts were interviewed about required competences for the actual business and possible suitable methods for education. The results of research showed that in the case of the US, job systems and relevant duties for technical designers were clearly defined by clothing brands, whereas in Korea, businesses were systematized around vendors, not brands, and as a result the businesses of technical package composition and specification proposals were not performed properly. This study organized the contents of technical design education into fit development and specification, the composition of technical design packages, the evaluation and approval of samples, fit schedule management and fitting, block pattern setting and pattern correction, sewing specifications appropriate for styles and materials, grading, technical terms, and production management. As for the technical design education models, the cognitive apprenticeship model, resource-based learning, the problem-based and anchored model, and the problem-based and resource-based models were proposed.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.221-230
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• 2017

Objective: The purpose of this study is to draw the accident prevention model using the signal detection theory, and to implement accident prevention program, based on a health promotion and support activities in a shipbuilding company. Background: Workers' health management is perceived important from the human resource management perspective, as well as from the personal perspective. Method: This study developed an accident prevention model by analyzing the correlation between 704 workers' health examination variables, and reviewed the verification of the model through a follow-up survey on the control variables and status of hazards targeting 650 workers for four years from 2007 to 2010. Also, a health promotion program was implemented targeting a production division to improve alcohol habits, smoking, musculoskeletal pain complaints and hearing control indices, which are the control variables of the model. Results: As a result of four years' implementation, the following effects were obtained: the days away from work fell 87.5%, and accident rate dropped 71.5% in 2010, respectively, compared to 2006, before the activity was implemented. Conclusion: This study shows that the accident prevention activities based on workers' health promotion activities are effective to prevent industrial accidents and injuries. Application: The research findings will serve as a practical guideline for establishing preventive measures in the shipbuilding company.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.362-371
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• 2009

Shipbuilding is a typical 'build to order' industry. It has a business model that generates revenues from building various ships and offshore products in accordance with owner's requirements at each production stage. Under uncertainty in shipping market, it is very essential for the shipbuilder to prepare the fast and competitive decision for product portfolio strategy in order to maximize contribution margin by exploiting production facilities and constraints. In this study, we introduce the unique decision supporting methodology for the optimal product portfolio sets based on Theory of Constraints(TOC). This methodology is established by adopting the concept of Drum Buffer Rope(DBR) in constraints planning and Throughput Accounting (TA) in management accounting of TOC. In addition, Decision Supporting System(DSS) is implemented. This DSS system provides a throughput estimator with reflecting the cost structure of shipbuilding industry and a resource simulator built on heuristic algorithms to operate major constraint-resources in shipyard such as dock, quay and pre-erection area etc. Several examples are presented to show that the proposed methodology and system can effectively support the strategic decision-making process of a global shipbuilding company.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.1-20
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• 2000

Electronic Data Interchange(EDI) has the potential to improve business operations by expediting the exchange of business documents. It will also provide substantive operational and strategic benefits to the trading firms. However, the successful implementation of EDI systems requires the mutual trust and cooperation between the trading firms. The extent of EDI diffusion and performance depends on inter-organizational, intra-organizational, as well as innovation factors. Researches based on the sociopolitical process framework in the use of IT, organizational theory, resource dependence theory, and innovation diffusion theory have identified 3 inter-organizational variables(transaction climate, dependence, external IS expert support) and 4 intra-organizational variables(strategic IS planning, infrastructure, top management support, education/training,), and 3 innovation variables(compatibility, relative advantage, cost) that affect EDI diffusion. In this study, a multi-dimensional measure on EDI diffusion has been developed to capture the external and internal integration. Then, the influence of these 10 variables on the extent to which the EDI adopting firms pursue diffusion has been examined. Whether more diffusion leads to superior performance has also been studied. International trade managers from 107 firms in the trade industry participated in a field survey. The results based on a structural equation model(SEM), developed using AMOS, provide quite a strong support for the hypothesized relations. Both education/training and IT infrastructure influenced external and internal diffusion of EDI systems. Internal diffusion of EDI enables the adopting firms to improve operational and strategic performance, whereas external diffusion contributes only to operational performance.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.4946-4960
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• 2020

In a device-to-device (D2D) underlaid cellular network, there exist two types of co-channel interference. One type is inter-layer interference caused by spectrum reuse between D2D transmitters and cellular users (CUEs). Another type is intra-layer interference caused by spectrum sharing among D2D pairs. To mitigate the inter-layer interference, we first derive the interference limited area (ILA) to protect the coverage probability of cellular users by modeling D2D users' location as a Poisson point process, where a D2D transmitter is allowed to reuse the spectrum of the CUE only if the D2D transmitter is outside the ILA of the CUE. To coordinate the intra-layer interference, the spectrum sharing criterion of D2D pairs is derived based on the (signal-to-interference ratio) SIR requirement of D2D communication. Based on this criterion, D2D pairs are allowed to share the spectrum when one D2D pair is far from another sufficiently. Furthermore, to maximize the energy efficiency of the system, a resource allocation scheme is proposed according to weighted graph coloring theory and the proposed ILA restriction. Simulation results show that our proposed scheme provides significant performance gains over the conventional scheme and the random allocation scheme.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.36
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• pp.177-200
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• 2013

As we enter a high industrial society that widens the gap between the rich and poor, demand for the security services has grown explosively. With the growth in quantitative expansion of security services, people have also placed increased requirements on more sophisticated and diversified security services. Consequently, market outlook for private security services industry is positive. However, Korea's private security services companies are experiencing difficulties in finding a direction to capture this new market opportunity due to their small sizes and lack of management-strategic thinking skills. Therefore, we intend to offer a direction of development for our private security services industry using a management-strategy theory and the Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP), a structured decision-making method. A resource-based theory is one of the important management strategy theories. It explains that a company's overall performance is primarily determined by its competitive resources. Using this theory, we could analyze a company's unique resources and core competencies and set a strategic direction for the company accordingly. The usefulness and validity of this theory has been demonstrated as it has often been subject to empirical verification since 1990s. Based on this theory, we outlined a set of basic procedures to establish a management strategy for the private security services companies. We also used the AHP method to identify competitive resources, core competencies, and strategies from private security services companies in contrast with public companies. The AHP method is a technique that can be used in the decision making process by quantifying experts' knowledge and unstructured problems. This is a verified method that has been used in the management decision making in the corporate environment as well as for the various academic studies. In order to perform this method, we gathered data from 11 experts from academic, industrial, and research sectors and drew distinctive resources, competencies, and strategic direction for private security services companies vis-a-vis public organizations. Through this process, we came to the conclusion that private security services companies generally have intangible resources as their distinctive resources compared with public organization. Among those intangible resources, relational resources, customer information, and technologies were analyzed as important. In contrast, tangible resources such as equipment, funds, distribution channels are found to be relatively scarce. We also found the competencies in sales and marketing and new product development as core competencies. We chose a concentration strategy focusing on a particular market segment as a strategic direction considering these resources and competencies of private security services companies. A concentration strategy is the right fit for smaller companies as a strategy to allow them to focus all of their efforts on target customers in a single segment. Thus, private security services companies would face the important tasks such as developing a new market and appropriate products for such market segment and continuing marketing activities to manage their customers. Additionally, continuous recruitment is required to facilitate the effective use of human resources in order to strengthen their marketing competency in a long term.