• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.45-63
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• 2013

The purpose of this research is on the identification of the effects of perceived interactivity formed by the electronic collaborative referral system on the organizational loyalty. Two channels through which the effects proceeded were investigated. One is the "system channel" which consists of "interactivity of the inter-organizational system ${\rightarrow}$ intention of using the system ${\rightarrow}$ organization loyalty" (hypothesis 1, 2), that is the channel which anticipates that a better understanding on the interactivity of the inter-organizational system makes the intention of the using the system strong, and this strong intention results the higher organization loyalty. The other is "organization channel" which consists of "interactivity of the inter-organizational system ${\rightarrow}$ perceived interactivity on the counterpart ${\rightarrow}$ perceived relation benefits with the counterpart ${\rightarrow}$ organization loyalty" (hypothesis 3, 4, 5). The channel means that as the perceived interactivity of users on the inter-organizational system becomes greater, the perceived interactivity with the counterpart is increasing. And this makes the users feel that more benefits can be obtained by the relationship with system providing organization, and finally makes the organization loyalty that is the intention to maintain the relationship greater. The corroborative evidence data confirm the two channels are obtained by questing on the electronic referral system of Samsung Medical Center to the doctors of the first and second collaborated hospitals or clinics, and by analyzing statistically. The verification result for the "system channel" showed that as the perception on the interactivity of inter-organizational system was increasing, the intention for consistent using increased(support hypothesis 1), and then the organization loyalty that is the relationship maintaining indication by using the referral system also increased(support hypothesis 2). And the confirmation result for the "organization channel" indicated that the perceptive interactivity on the counterpart increased as the understanding on the interactivity of inter-organizational system increased(support hypothesis 3), consecutively, with the intuitive relation benefits increase with the counterpart(support hypothesis 4) the organization loyalty means the intention to maintain the relationship was confirmed to increase(support hypothesis 5). These results demonstrate that when the perceived interactivity in using many systems at the collaboration between organizations is increasing, the positive image on the systems creates the consistent system using intention, and the positive image increases the wants for preserving the relationship with counter organization. In addition, the perceived interactivity of inter-organizational system users affects directly on the perceived interactivity of the counter organization, so the important role of inter-organizational system in promoting the interactivity between cooperative counterparts was recognized. And the perceived interactivity on the counter organization become greater, the influence on the perceived benefits from cooperation is positive. Therefore, the perceived interactivity by using inter-organizational system was confirmed as a prerequisite for the continuous relationship.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.474-488
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• 2015

Conflicts in the construction of large public facilities carried out as national projects are crucial issues we have to deal with. There are growing concerns for and oppositions to large construction projects in terms of environmental deterioration and the dissolution of local communities. In the case of projects that promise the creation of jobs and investment, the competition and disputes are increasing and being intensified. Therefore, there is a considerable amount of study on the competitions and conflicts between regions. Previous studies have focused on the procedures of public policy, governance structure, the role of local media. Contrary to the previous studies, this study investigates the spatial ways of constructing conflicts. Based on the analysis of the project of "Southeastern New International Airport", there is a mismatch between the spatial boundary of cost/benefit and agents (regions) of disputes. The agents of conflicts also show the politics of multiple scales by constructing alliances and breaking the network in the process of the airport project. The findings suggest that the conflicts on regional development should be understood as the construction of dynamic regional politics on regional development rather than as the by-product in the practice of policies.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.327-338
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• 2014

The objective of this study is to enhance the effectiveness of Korean Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) program. Three main tasks are: to measure pollutant emissions of in-use light-duty diesel vehicles (LDVs); to evaluate the validity of existing smoke control scheme for low-smoke-emitting vehicles, which have diesel particulate filters, DPF, to meet stringent Euro-5 emission limits; and to assess the necessity and the benefit of $NO_x$ inspection, which is not involved in current I/M program. We measured second-by-second smoke, particulate and gaseous emissions of 27 LDVs using opacity smoke meter, photo-acoustic soot sensor, and portable emissions measurement system, respectively, under the Korean I/M test driving cycle, KD-147. We find that the DPF plays a key role in controlling soot, which can be considered as black carbon contained in particulate matter. Thus, from an I/M perspective, we believe smoke inspection strategies for Euro-5 diesel vehicles should be more focused on the capability of detecting DPF malfunctions or failures, in order to keep DPF properly functional. Fleet averaged distance-specific $NO_x$ emissions are consistently higher than corresponding emission limits, and the values are similar among pre-Euro-3, Euro-3, and Euro-4 vehicle fleets. These findings indicate that the $NO_x$ inspection should be incorporated into current I/M program in order to manage urban $NO_x$ emissions. This research allows the Korean I/M program keep pace with developments in vehicle technologies, as well as the increased emphasis on $NO_x$ with respect to air quality and human health.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.31-39
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• 2014

Purpose - This study investigates the following two issues. First, we attempt to find the important determinants of housing investment and to identify their significance rank using survey panel data. Recently, the expansion of global uncertainty in the real estate market has directly and indirectly influenced the Korean housing market; households demonstrate a sensitive reaction to changes in that market. Therefore, this study aims to draw conclusions from understanding how the impact of financial strength of the household is related to house investment. Second, we attempt to verify the effectiveness of diverse indices of financial strength such as DTI, LTV, and PIR as measures to monitor the housing market. In the continuous housing market recession after the global crisis, the government places top priority on residence stability. However, the government still imposes forceful restraints on indices of financial strength. We believe this study verifies the utility of these regulations when used in the housing market. Research design, data, and methodology - The data source for this study is the "National Survey of Tax and Benefit" from 2007 (1st) to 2011 (5th) by the Korea Institute of Public Finance. Based on this survey data, we use panel data of 3,838 households that have been surveyed continuously for 5 years. We sort the base variables according to relevance of house investment criteria using the decision tree model (DTM), which is the standard decision-making model for data-mining techniques. The DTM method is known as a powerful methodology to identify contributory variables for predictive power. In addition, we analyze how important explanatory variables and the financial strength index of households affect housing investment with the binary logistic multi-regressive model. Based on the analyses, we conclude that the financial strength index has a significant role in house investment demand. Results - The results of this research are as follows: 1) The determinants of housing investment are age, consumption expenditures, income, total assets, rent deposit, housing price, habits satisfaction, housing scale, number of household members, and debt related to housing. 2) The impact power of these determinants has changed more or less annually due to economic situations and housing market conditions. The level of consumption expenditure and income are the main determinants before 2009; however, the determinants of housing investment changed to indices of the financial strength of households, i.e., DTI, LTV, and PIR, after 2009. 3) Most of all, since 2009, housing loans has been a more important variable than the level of consumption in making housing market decisions. Conclusions - The results of this research show that sound financing of households has a stronger effect on housing investment than reduced consumption expenditures. At the same time, the key indices that must be monitored by the government under economic emergency conditions differ from those requiring monitoring under normal market conditions; therefore, political indices to encourage and promote the housing market must be divided based on market conditions.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.47-54
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• 2014

Purpose - The postponement strategy, which delays the form, place, and production of products as late as possible, has been widely considered as a competitive supply chain management scheme in an era of mass customization and modular manufacturing. An interesting business phenomenon is that not all manufacturing/logistics firms choose the postponement strategy. Given that postponement is a counter-measure to speculation, which has some advantages under certain environments, the current imprudent inclination toward the postponement strategy may cause firms to lose the potential of the speculation strategy, an alternative strategy in supply chain management. Building on the logistics and manufacturing literature, this study examines characteristics of two contrasting strategies, postponement and speculation, and major factors favoring each strategy. Research design, data, and methodology - We apply the profiling approach to two business cases, HP printer and LG mobile phone. The profiling approach is a method of choosing a particular strategy aligned with environmental factors. While various approaches have been used to check the fit between a business strategy and environmental factors, the literature on manufacturing strategy and logistics has commonly adopted the profiling approach. Major factors used in profiling variables are derived from the literature. Two samples, HP printer and LG mobile phone, are selected, because they represent major characteristics appropriate for each strategy. The profiling is based on data from semi-organized interviews with managers. Results - The profiling approach shows that the postponement strategy is a suitable one for HP printers. Most factors, such as product life cycle, large production volume, low-price, product value, and monetary density, support delaying end products until as late as possible. Despite some exceptions, such as delivery time and economy of scale, our analysis states that the overall profile of HP printer is favorable for the postponement strategy. On the other hand, LG mobile phone may adapt the speculation strategy. Although it has large production volume and low delivery frequency, most characteristics support the speculation strategy for this product. An interesting finding is that, despite common perception that advanced technology products such as mobile telephones favor the postponement strategy, profiling proposes the speculation strategy for this product. Conclusions - Our analysis shows that speculation is not the universal option for supply chain management, and that, when choosing a specific strategy, one should consider many factors simultaneously. A major implication of our work is to emphasize the role of environmental factors such as supply chain variables in choosing an inventory strategy, and the importance of fit rather than solely strategic orientation. A theoretical contribution is to demonstrate the benefit of the simultaneous consideration of business variables in choosing specific strategies. For practitioners, our work leads us to consider the existence and the potential of speculation as a counter-measure to postponement. In addition, the comprehensive framework in this research may be instantly used in examining a practical strategy.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.313-327
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• 2020

Purpose: Nodal downstaging after preoperative therapy for gastric cancer has been shown to impart excellent prognosis, but this has not been validated in a national cohort. The role of neoadjuvant chemoradiation (NACR) in nodal downstaging remains unclear when compared with that of neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone (NAC). Furthermore, it is unknown whether the prognostic implications of nodal downstaging differ by preoperative regimen. Materials and Methods: Using the National Cancer Database, overall survival (OS) duration was compared among natural N0 (cN0/ypN0), downstaged N0 (cN+/ypN0), and nodepositive (ypN+) gastric cancer patients treated with NACR or NAC. Factors associated with nodal downstaging were examined in a propensity score-matched cohort of cN+ patients, matched 1:1 by receipt of NACR or NAC. Results: Of 7,426 patients (natural N0 [n=1,858, 25.4%], downstaged N0 [n=1,813, 24.4%], node-positive [n=3,755, 50.4%]), 58.2% received NACR, and 41.9% received NAC. The median OS durations of downstaged N0 (5.1 years) and natural N0 (5.6 years) patients were similar to one another and longer than that of node-positive patients (2.1 years) (P<0.001). In the matched cohort of cN+ patients, more recent diagnosis (2010-2015 vs. 2004-2009) (odds ratio [OR], 2.57; P<0.001) and NACR (OR, 2.02; P<0.001) were independently associated with nodal downstaging. The 5-year OS rate of downstaged N0 patients was significantly lower after NACR (46.4%) than after NAC (57.7%) (P=0.003). Conclusions: Downstaged N0 patients have the same prognosis as natural N0 patients. Nodal downstaging occurred more frequently after NACR; however, the survival benefit of nodal downstaging after NACR may be less than that when such is achieved by NAC.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.259-265
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• 2018

Since Korean housewives are responsible for the dietary practices of family at home, it is important to know what information will make them to buy safe food. This study was designed to determine the role of perceived threats, behavioral assessments, and self-efficacy factors known to promote healthy behavior in health belief models (HBM) based on food safety awareness and behavior of housewives. This study involved 191 housewives, based on key variables such as perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, and purchase behavior. The results showed that higher levels of education and urbanization increased the threat perception and the likelihood of buying safe food. The correlation analysis showed that increased awareness and knowledge of safe foods and interest in health contributed to higher relative benefit or self-efficiency of food, and thus, ensured food safety. The conceptual model of food safety behavior based on the HBM was verified via structural equation analysis. The findings suggest that a suitable model showcasing knowledge levels and relative benefits resulted in a greater impact on purchasing behavior than perceived threats. This study suggests that it is more effective for housewives to provide more preventive information than risk information to purchase safe food.

• Strategy21
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• s.33
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• pp.5-36
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• 2014

This article aims to analyze the diplomatic challenges currently facing China as well as the foreign policy the Xi Jinping administration is adopting to address them. With these purposes in mind, it will look into three areas: first, diplomatic tasks confronting the Xi leadership; second, foreign policy that the Xi administration has implemented since the 18th Party Congress in 2012; and third, the prospects for China's foreign policy under the Xi leadership. As the Xi Jinping administration entered into office, it has encountered two major diplomatic challenges. One is the searching for a new foreign policy, and the other the restructuring of the existing foreign affairs and national security systems. The Xi administration, during its first year in office, has responded actively to tackle these issues. To begin with, it has attempted to make some adjustments on foreign policy while maintaining the Deng Xiaoping line of foreign policy. One of these modifications is placing emphasis on national "core interest," as illustrated by changes in guideline for maritime conflicts, pushing for building maritime power, and proclamation of Air Defense Identification Zone in the East China Sea. Second is the decision on the new guideline for peripheral diplomacy. That is, the administration regarded creating peaceful and stable environments to realize "Chinese Dream" as an important goal of foreign policy, and proposed such new guiding ideology as "familiarity, integrity, benefit, and accommodation." In additoin, the Xi administration restructured the existing foreign affairs and national security systems. Establishing the Central State Security Committee and the Internet Leading Small Group (LSG) are cases in point. As comprehensive organizations for policy coordination that encompass party, government, and military, the two LSGs are in charge of enacting related policies and fine-tuning policy implementation, based upon leadership consisting of chiefs of each relevant organs. Moreover, since Xi himself became the chief of these two newly-found organs, the conditions under which these LSGs could demonstrate unified leadership and adjusting role in its implementation of military, diplomatic, and security policies were developed. The future Chinese diplomacy will be characterized with three main trends. First, peripheral diplomacy will be reinforced. The peripheral diplomacy has become far more important since the Work Conference on Peripheral Diplomacy in October 2013. Second, economic diplomacy will be strengthened with an eye on reducing the "China Threat Theory," which still exists in Asia. Third, the policies to isolate the Philippines and Japan will continue in regard to maritime disputes. All in all, Chinese diplomacy in the Xi Jinping era is likely to feature practical diplomacy which combines both hard and soft approaches to best realize Chinese national interest.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.103-111
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• 2016

Purpose - Many variables are needed for brand loyalty such as brand attitude, brand attachment, brand love and brand commitment. Thus, we should manage these all variables successfully for strong and differentiated brand equity. This study aims to identify the process of how the brand value propositions affect the brand attitude and brand attachment. This study specially conceptualizes that not only utilitarian value and hedonic value influence the brand attitude but also hedonic value influences the brand attachment. This study focuses on the moderating role of consumer involvement such as cognitive involvement and affective involvement in the causal relationships among brand value propositions, brand attitude, and brand attachment. Research design, data, and methodology - The five hypotheses were proposed and tested in this study. Three hypotheses were about the relationship among the brand value propositions(utilitarian value and hedonic value), brand attitude, and brand attachment. The other two hypotheses were about the moderating effect on consumer involvement in the causal relationships among brand value propositions, brand attitude, and brand attachment. Research data were collected from the students of universities located in Daejeon-Si and Chungchungnam-Do. For the purpose of test the hypotheses empirically, the 208 responses were used. We utilized SPSS18.0 for statistical analysis such as reliability test, factor analysis, and regression analysis. Results - The results show that the utilitarian value and hedonic value have influence on the brand attitude positively. The results also show that the hedonic value has influence on the brand attachment positively. We found that there is a moderating effect on the cognitive involvement in the relationship between the utilitarian value and the brand attitude. However, there is no moderating effect on the affective involvement in the relationship between the hedonic value and brand attachment. In Summary, 4 of 5 hypotheses in this study were supported and 1 hypothesis was not supported. We should identify the reason why the hypothesis 5, the moderating effect of the affective involvement in the relationship between the hedonic value and brand attachment, was rejected in this empirical analysis. Conclusions - Both the utilitarian value and the hedonic value that propose a brand are important for brand attitude. Specially, the hedonic value is important for brand attachment. Companies should provide the consumers with both the utilitarian value and the hedonic value in a balanced way for their favorable brand attitude and strong brand attachment. In the retail industry, the balance between the utilitarian value and the hedonic value is important in that there are many product brands and store brands providing consumers with various benefit and values. Also, there are possibilities that the causal relationships among brand value propositions, brand attitude and brand attachment are moderated by consumer involvement such as cognitive involvement and affective involvement. Companies should understand and consider consumer involvement for their efficient and effective brand management decision making.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.329-348
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• 2010

Following the welfare state typology well known, the typology in terms of individual system in welfare state has been widely examined and, pension which is the biggest and most important in welfare state has been classified into Beveridge and Bismarckian types based on their pension system design. Such typology focused on benefit type or size of private pension has been recently refined to add a new type - 'Bismarckian Lite' type - in addition to traditional Beveridge and Bismarckian types. Whereas the pension reforms in the developed countries has been changes within their pension regimes, the Korean pension reform in 2007 seems to have changed the existing social insurance type into the 'Bismarckian Lite' type. However, considering the immaturity of Korean pension regime, it is difficult to conclude the existing status of the Korean pension regime and, the Korean one can be classified into a multi-pillar one. Over the last decades the developed countries have increased the size of private pension regardless of their original pension regimes, which tends to converge into multi-pillar schemes. Accordingly, there is recently a new typology focused on the degree of regulation in terms of private pensions, which seems to be the better perspective. It will be more important how to regulate the (immature) occupational pension as well as the National Pension in Korea. Considering that old age income security in countries where the public regulation regarding private pension was absent has been deteriorated, it would be necessary to strengthen the role of government to effectively regulate private pension.