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If This Brand Were a Person, or Anthropomorphism of Brands Through Packaging Stories (가설품패시인(假设品牌是人), 혹통과고사포장장품패의인화(或通过故事包装将品牌拟人化))

  • Kniazeva, Maria;Belk, Russell W.
    • Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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    • v.20 no.3
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    • pp.231-238
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    • 2010
  • The anthropomorphism of brands, defined as seeing human beings in brands (Puzakova, Kwak, and Rosereto, 2008) is the focus of this study. Specifically, the research objective is to understand the ways in which brands are rendered humanlike. By analyzing consumer readings of stories found on food product packages we intend to show how marketers and consumers humanize a spectrum of brands and create meanings. Our research question considers the possibility that a single brand may host multiple or single meanings, associations, and personalities for different consumers. We start by highlighting the theoretical and practical significance of our research, explain why we turn our attention to packages as vehicles of brand meaning transfer, then describe our qualitative methodology, discuss findings, and conclude with a discussion of managerial implications and directions for future studies. The study was designed to directly expose consumers to potential vehicles of brand meaning transfer and then engage these consumers in free verbal reflections on their perceived meanings. Specifically, we asked participants to read non-nutritional stories on selected branded food packages, in order to elicit data about received meanings. Packaging has yet to receive due attention in consumer research (Hine, 1995). Until now, attention has focused solely on its utilitarian function and has generated a body of research that has explored the impact of nutritional information and claims on consumer perceptions of products (e.g., Loureiro, McCluskey and Mittelhammer, 2002; Mazis and Raymond, 1997; Nayga, Lipinski and Savur, 1998; Wansik, 2003). An exception is a recent study that turns its attention to non-nutritional packaging narratives and treats them as cultural productions and vehicles for mythologizing the brand (Kniazeva and Belk, 2007). The next step in this stream of research is to explore how such mythologizing activity affects brand personality perception and how these perceptions relate to consumers. These are the questions that our study aimed to address. We used in-depth interviews to help overcome the limitations of quantitative studies. Our convenience sample was formed with the objective of providing demographic and psychographic diversity in order to elicit variations in consumer reflections to food packaging stories. Our informants represent middle-class residents of the US and do not exhibit extreme alternative lifestyles described by Thompson as "cultural creatives" (2004). Nine people were individually interviewed on their food consumption preferences and behavior. Participants were asked to have a look at the twelve displayed food product packages and read all the textual information on the package, after which we continued with questions that focused on the consumer interpretations of the reading material (Scott and Batra, 2003). On average, each participant reflected on 4-5 packages. Our in-depth interviews lasted one to one and a half hours each. The interviews were tape recorded and transcribed, providing 140 pages of text. The products came from local grocery stores on the West Coast of the US and represented a basic range of food product categories, including snacks, canned foods, cereals, baby foods, and tea. The data were analyzed using procedures for developing grounded theory delineated by Strauss and Corbin (1998). As a result, our study does not support the notion of one brand/one personality as assumed by prior work. Thus, we reveal multiple brand personalities peacefully cohabiting in the same brand as seen by different consumers, despite marketer attempts to create more singular brand personalities. We extend Fournier's (1998) proposition, that one's life projects shape the intensity and nature of brand relationships. We find that these life projects also affect perceived brand personifications and meanings. While Fournier provides a conceptual framework that links together consumers’ life themes (Mick and Buhl, 1992) and relational roles assigned to anthropomorphized brands, we find that consumer life projects mold both the ways in which brands are rendered humanlike and the ways in which brands connect to consumers' existential concerns. We find two modes through which brands are anthropomorphized by our participants. First, brand personalities are created by seeing them through perceived demographic, psychographic, and social characteristics that are to some degree shared by consumers. Second, brands in our study further relate to consumers' existential concerns by either being blended with consumer personalities in order to connect to them (the brand as a friend, a family member, a next door neighbor) or by distancing themselves from the brand personalities and estranging them (the brand as a used car salesman, a "bunch of executives.") By focusing on food product packages, we illuminate a very specific, widely-used, but little-researched vehicle of marketing communication: brand storytelling. Recent work that has approached packages as mythmakers, finds it increasingly challenging for marketers to produce textual stories that link the personalities of products to the personalities of those consuming them, and suggests that "a multiplicity of building material for creating desired consumer myths is what a postmodern consumer arguably needs" (Kniazeva and Belk, 2007). Used as vehicles for storytelling, food packages can exploit both rational and emotional approaches, offering consumers either a "lecture" or "drama" (Randazzo, 2006), myths (Kniazeva and Belk, 2007; Holt, 2004; Thompson, 2004), or meanings (McCracken, 2005) as necessary building blocks for anthropomorphizing their brands. The craft of giving birth to brand personalities is in the hands of writers/marketers and in the minds of readers/consumers who individually and sometimes idiosyncratically put a meaningful human face on a brand.

Predicting Regional Soybean Yield using Crop Growth Simulation Model (작물 생육 모델을 이용한 지역단위 콩 수량 예측)

  • Ban, Ho-Young;Choi, Doug-Hwan;Ahn, Joong-Bae;Lee, Byun-Woo
    • Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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    • v.33 no.5_2
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    • pp.699-708
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    • 2017
  • The present study was to develop an approach for predicting soybean yield using a crop growth simulation model at the regional level where the detailed and site-specific information on cultivation management practices is not easily accessible for model input. CROPGRO-Soybean model included in Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) was employed for this study, and Illinois which is a major soybean production region of USA was selected as a study region. As a first step to predict soybean yield of Illinois using CROPGRO-Soybean model, genetic coefficients representative for each soybean maturity group (MG I~VI) were estimated through sowing date experiments using domestic and foreign cultivars with diverse maturity in Seoul National University Farm ($37.27^{\circ}N$, $126.99^{\circ}E$) for two years. The model using the representative genetic coefficients simulated the developmental stages of cultivars within each maturity group fairly well. Soybean yields for the grids of $10km{\times}10km$ in Illinois state were simulated from 2,000 to 2,011 with weather data under 18 simulation conditions including the combinations of three maturity groups, three seeding dates and two irrigation regimes. Planting dates and maturity groups were assigned differently to the three sub-regions divided longitudinally. The yearly state yields that were estimated by averaging all the grid yields simulated under non-irrigated and fully-Irrigated conditions showed a big difference from the statistical yields and did not explain the annual trend of yield increase due to the improved cultivation technologies. Using the grain yield data of 9 agricultural districts in Illinois observed and estimated from the simulated grid yield under 18 simulation conditions, a multiple regression model was constructed to estimate soybean yield at agricultural district level. In this model a year variable was also added to reflect the yearly yield trend. This model explained the yearly and district yield variation fairly well with a determination coefficients of $R^2=0.61$ (n = 108). Yearly state yields which were calculated by weighting the model-estimated yearly average agricultural district yield by the cultivation area of each agricultural district showed very close correspondence ($R^2=0.80$) to the yearly statistical state yields. Furthermore, the model predicted state yield fairly well in 2012 in which data were not used for the model construction and severe yield reduction was recorded due to drought.

A case study of verifying a suicide by carbon monoxide intoxication committed by burning an ignition charcoal briquette (착화탄 연소에 의한 일산화탄소 중독사에서 자살입증에 관한 사례연구)

  • Sung, Tae-myung;Jo, Ju-ik;Ahn, Phil-sang
    • Analytical Science and Technology
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    • v.28 no.6
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    • pp.398-408
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    • 2015
  • Carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication, arising from CO from an ignited charcoal briquette (ICB), is a popular means of committing suicide in Korea. Most CO intoxications are related to suicide attempts; however, the possibility of a homicide disguised as a suicide cannot be ruled out. Therefore, forensic investigation of the deceased and the crime scene is crucial to confirm that the deceased committed suicide. Detection of the components of an ICB on the objects suspected of being contacted by the deceased, such as the hands, nostrils, and doorknobs, is essential for linking the crime scene to the victim in the case of suicides by ignited ICBs. The traces from an ICB were analyzed by investigating the morphological characteristics and obtaining elemental compositions. The ICBs were completely different from blackened wood, as detected by discriminant analysis with the elements of carbon and oxygen. We analyzed one case of CO intoxication to demonstrate an excellent procedure for verifying whether a suicide occurred with an ICB. We employed SEM-EDX for the analysis of an ICB, microscope-FT/IR and pyrolysis-GC/MS for a partly burnt resin-type substance, GC/MS for diphenhydramine (a sleeping drug), and GC/TCD for the CO-Hb level. We detected traces of an ICB on the hands, nostrils, and doorknobs, which were all discriminated into an ICB group. Detection of ICB traces from the nostrils could indicate that the deceased started the fire themselves to commit suicide. The partially burnt black material was analyzed as an acrylronitrilestyrene polymer, which is normally used to make bags for carrying or wrapping and could be assumed to have been used to transport the ICB. Diphenhydramine, a sleeping drug, was detected at a level of 2.3 mg/L in the blood, which was lower than that in fatal cases (8-31 mg/L; mean 16 mg/L). A CO-Hb level of 79% was found in the blood, which means that the cause of death was CO intoxication. The steps shown here could represent an ideal method for reaching a verdict of suicide by CO intoxication produced by burning an ICB in a sealed room or a car.

The Evaluation of Midwifery Program Through the Midwifery Leadership Training Program (조산수습과정 지도자 강습회를 통한 조산교육 평가조사연구)

  • 이경혜
    • Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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    • v.11 no.2
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    • pp.23-32
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    • 1981
  • The purpose of the study was to evaluate the educational content which had been given by midwifery training program. It was hoped that this result would help. It was sponsored by com-munity health worker plan effective health education. College of Nursing Ewha Womans University and The Korean Nurses Academic Society during the November 19 thru 24, 1979. It was carried out on July through on September 1980, and involved 22 community health workers. The results were as follows: 1. Most of the community health workers came from Seoul & Pusan areas and have been working at the hospitals. There were 31.82% of Head Nurses, 27.2% of Staff Nurses, 22.73% Nurse Supervisons, 13.6% of Nurse Directors and 4.5% of educational coordinator for Nurses. These participant had nurse-midwifery lincences by 63.64%. None of there had just midwifery lincences. 2, Age structures of the study population shows 31.82% of whom are.26-30 years and 22.73% of whom are 36. 40 years of age. This shown that seniority proportion is higher than the younger. There are 31.82% of 1-5 years, 27.27% of 6-10 year and 11-15 years, respectively by work career. 3. There are 54.55% of the institutions have opened their own midwifery training course for their nursing staff members. Because of lack of the facilities, shortage of instructors, and problems of administrative process. 4. According to the institution which opened for midwifery training courses, the participant was responsible for “midwifery”“Infant care”“MCH”“practice of midwifery”“Nursing adjustment”and“F. P.”5. During the midwifery couse, there were 8 institution who used the textbook and 4 institution who did not. Least of there referned to content matinals which was given by the sponsored. 6. There are 7 insititues who kept their training courses with other professional helps such as physicians., professiors and nurses. Some problems are pointed out by respondents such as“conflict with residents”“poor suportive administration”and“lake of manpower”. 8. The participant showed that they learned new knowledge as trends during this programs for there quality work so it need (one or twice times) a year. But they suggested that it needed more emphasis on the“maternal health care”and“role of the nurse-midwifery”. 9. The analysis of the results are as follows within the 6 areas which are given by the sponsored: There are highest ranks between“basic theory & family planning”“role of midwifery & nursing practice”. In the prenatal care the highest rank ware related to“health risk”on“idenify of risk symtoms”. In the health care areas which related to delivery, the responsers were related to“general conditions”or“high risk criteria”. In the health care area which related to high risk maternity care. In the neonatal health care, the highest rank was related to”health assessment of normal infant”. In the infant health care the responses was related to“abnormal symptoms”and“risk symptoms”. Actually, the participants show that they are more interested in“role of midwifery”“health assessment”and “high risk maternity care”are which emphasised on health promotion, health maintenance & disease preventive. 1) The midwifery training program need higher education for midwifery on a regular basis. 2) Within the open institution of midwifery training program, the nurses must be supported by their own institution and administry of social welfare must give systematic support. Also non-open institution must be open very soon. 3) All health workers including the residents & other workers, must cooperate for their phased common good of impovement of the maternity health. 4) Administration agonies & education institutions must provide the curriculum facilitis and administration systems which are needed for training of nurse-midwifery.

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Study on the Optimum Range of Weight-Age Data for Estimation of Growth Curve Parameters of Hanwoo (한우의 체중 성장곡선 모수 추정을 위한 체중 측정 자료의 최적 범위에 관한 연구)

  • Cho, Y.M.;Yoon, H.B.;Park, B.H.;Ahn, B.S.;Jeon, B.S.;Park, Y.I.
    • Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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    • v.44 no.2
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    • pp.165-170
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    • 2002
  • Mature weight (A) and rate of maturing (k) estimated by nonlinear regression were studied to determine the optimum age range over which the estimate of growth curve parameters can be estimated. The weight-age data from 1,133 Hanwoo bulls at Hanwoo Improvement Center of N.A.C.F. were used to fit the growth curve using Gompertz model. All available weight data from birth to the specific age of months were used for the estimation of parameters: the six specific ages used were 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 22 and 24 months of age. The mean estimates of mature weight (A) were 966.5, 1,255.9, 1,126.2, 916.5, 842.2, 780.9 and 767.0kg for ages 12 through 24 months, respectively. The mean estimates of mature weight (A) to 22 and 24 months of age were not different from each other. However, they were different from the estimates based on the data to other ages. Mean estimates of rate of maturing (k) were 3.362, 3.595, 3.536, 3.421, 3.403, 3.409 and 3.411 for ages 12 through 24 months, respectively. The mean estimates of maturing rate (k) for ages 18 through 24 months of age were not significantly different from each other. However, they were different from the estimates based on the data to other ages. Correlations among estimates of A at various ages showed the highest value of 0.93 between 22 and 24 months. Correlations among estimates of k at various ages were highest ranging from 0.91 to 0.99 among 18 to 24 months. The correlations between A and k were positive and tended to decrease with the increase of the age from 0.84 for the age of 12 months to 0.10 for the age of 24 months. Thus, the estimates of growth curve parameters, A and k, suitable for genetic studies can be derived from accumulated Hanwoo bulls after 22 months of age.

Effect of Breathable Film for Modified Atmosphere Packaging Material on the Quality and Storability of Tomato in Long Distance Export Condition (MAP 포장재인 숨쉬는 필름이 장거리 수출 조건에서 토마토의 품질과 저장성 향상에 미치는 영향)

  • Islam, Mohammad Zahirul;Kim, Young-Shik;Kang, Ho-Min
    • Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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    • v.20 no.3
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    • pp.221-226
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    • 2011
  • The study was carried out to investigate the effect of MA packaging materials on quality and storability of tomato in long distance export condition. We found that the fresh weight loss in perforated film was higher than other breathable films. The fresh weight of tomato (cv 'Madison') packaged with breathable films, such as 5,000 cc, 10,000 cc, $20,000cc/m^2{\cdot}day{\cdot}atm$ oxygen permeable films, reduced less than 0.6%, but perforated film that already being used for packaging horticultural crops showed 1.4% fresh weight loss during $5^{\circ}C$ storage for 20 days and then $20^{\circ}C$ storage for last 5 days with 85% relative humidity. The carbon dioxide and oxygen concentration in tomato packages showed proper level for MA storage in $20,000cc/m^2{\cdot}day{\cdot}atm$ $O_2$ breathable film treatment at $5^{\circ}C$ storage. Although at $20^{\circ}C$ storage, the carbon dioxide concentration increased sharply, the oxygen concentration decreased remarkably, the change of these gases concentration was the lowest in 20,000 cc film treatment. The ethylene concentration was sharply increased at $20^{\circ}C$ from $21^{st}$ day to $25^{th}$ day after $5^{\circ}C$ storage for 20 day, and the concentration was lower in 20,000 cc film treatment among the breathable film treatments. Until 20 days, at $5^{\circ}C$ storage all treatments did not exceed the marketability. However, the last 5 days during at $20^{\circ}C$, the fruit appeared fungal rots and the quality rapidly decreased. The $20,000cc/m^2{\cdot}day{\cdot}atm$ $O_2$ permeability treated tomato performed higher firmness (9.56 N), vitamin C (16.31 mg/100 gFW), and soluble solids ($7^{\circ}Brix$) than other breathable films at final storage day. The results suggest that the $20,000cc/m^2{\cdot}day{\cdot}atm$ $O_2$ permeable film treatment of tomato (cv 'Madison') performed the highest quality and storability of tomato for long distance exporting.

MATHEMATICS AND SOCIETY IN KORYO AND CHOSUN (고려.조선시대의 수학과 사회)

  • 정지호
    • Journal for History of Mathematics
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    • v.2 no.1
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    • pp.91-105
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    • 1985
  • Though the tradition of Korean mathematics since the ancient time up to the "Enlightenment Period" in the late 19th century had been under the influence of the Chinese mathematics, it strove to develop its own independent of Chinese. However, the fact that it couldn't succeed to form the independent Korean mathematics in spite of many chances under the reign of Kings Sejong, Youngjo, and Joungjo was mainly due to the use of Chinese characters by Koreans. Han-gul (Korean characters) invented by King Sejong had not been used widely as it was called and despised Un-mun and Koreans still used Chinese characters as the only "true letters" (Jin-suh). The correlation between characters and culture was such that , if Koreans used Han-gul as their official letters, we may have different picture of Korean mathematics. It is quite interesting to note that the mathematics in the "Enlightenment Period" changed rather smoothly into the Western mathematics at the time when Han-gul was used officially with Chinese characters. In Koryo, the mathematics existed only as a part of the Confucian refinement, not as the object of sincere study. The mathematics in Koryo inherited that of the Unified Shilla without any remarkable development of its own, and the mathematicians were the Inner Officials isolated from the outside world who maintained their positions as specialists amid the turbulence of political changes. They formed a kind of Guild, their posts becoming patrimony. The mathematics in Koryo is significant in that they paved the way for that of Chosun through a few books of mathematics such as "Sanhak-Kyemong, "Yanghwi - Sanpup" and "Sangmyung-Sanpup." King Sejong was quite phenomenal in his policy of promotion of mathematics. King himself was deeply interested in the study, createing an atmosphere in which all the high ranking officials and scholars highly valued mathematics. The sudden development of mathematic culture was mainly due to the personality and capacity of King who took any one with the mathematic talent onto government service regardless of his birth and against the strong opposition of the conservative officials. However, King's view of mathematics never resulted in the true development of mathematics per se and he used it only as an official technique in the tradition way. Korean mathematics in King Sejong's reign was based upon both the natural philosophy in China and the unique geo-political reality of Korean peninsula. The reason why the mathematic culture failed to develop continually against those social background was that the mathematicians were not allowed to play the vital role in that culture, they being only the instrument for the personality or politics of the King. While the learned scholar class sometimes played the important role for the development of the mathematic culture, they often as not became an adamant barrier to it. As the society in Chosun needed the function of mathematics acutely, the mathematicians formed the settled class called Jung-in (Middle-Man). Jung-in was a unique class in Chosun and we can't find its equivalent in China of Japan. These Jung-in mathematician officials lacked tendency to publish their study, since their society was strictly exclusive and their knowledge was very limited. Though they were relatively low class, these mathematicians played very important role in Chosun society. In "Sil-Hak (the Practical Learning) period" which began in the late 16th century, especially in the reigns of King Youngjo and Jungjo, which was called the Renaissance of Chosun, the ambitious policy for the development of science and technology called for the rapid increase of the number of such technocrats as mathematicians inevitably became quite ambitious and proud. They tried to explore deeply into mathematics per se beyond the narrow limit of knowledge required for their office. Thus, in this period the mathematics developed rapidly, undergoing very important changes. The characteristic features of the mathematics in this period were: Jung-in mathematicians' active study an publication, the mathematic studies by the renowned scholars of Sil-Hak, joint works by these two classes, their approach to the Western mathematics and their effort to develop Korean mathematics. Toward the "Enlightenment Period" in the late 19th century, the Western mathematics experienced great difficulty to take its roots in the Peninsula which had been under the strong influence of Confucian ideology and traditional Korean mathematic system. However, with King Kojong's ordinance in 1895, the traditonal Korean mathematics influenced by Chinese disappeared from the history of Korean mathematics, as the school system was changed into the Western style and the Western matehmatics was adopted as the only mathematics to be taught at the schools of various levels. Thus the "Enlightenment Period" is the period in which Korean mathematics sifted from Chinese into European.od" is the period in which Korean mathematics sifted from Chinese into European.pean.

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Availability of Fish Processing By-Procucts Substituted for Frozen Round Fish in Moist Pellet Diets for Flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus (넙치 Moist Pellet용 생사료 대체원으로서 어류가공부산물의 효과)

  • KANG Young Jin;LEE Jong Yun;LEE Sang Min;HUR Sung Bum
    • Journal of Aquaculture
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    • v.5 no.2
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    • pp.127-142
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    • 1992
  • A feeding experiment was carried out to investigate the availability and feasibility of fish processing by-products as a substitute for frozen round fish in moist pellet diets for flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus. A control diet was prepared by incorporating $50{\%}$ frozen horse mackerel and $50{\%}$ commercial binder feed. In test diets the frozen horse mackerel of the control diet was replaced with either tuna scrap, tuna viscera, flatfish offal, deskinned hagfish, or tuna viscera ($20{\%}$) with frozen horse mackerel ($30{\%}$). Eighty flounders, 13.4 g in mean body weight, were stocked in 12 aquaria ($250\;{\ell}$ each) and fed six experimental diets for the first 28-day experiment. For the second 23-day experiment, forty flounders,44.8 g in mean body weight, were stocked and fed the same experimental diets. All treatments were duplicated. There were no significant differences in growth, feed efficiency and nutrient utilization among fish fed experimental diets containing either frozen horse mackerel, deskinned hagfigh, flatfish offal or tuna viscera with frozen horse mackerel. However, the feeding performances of fish fed experimental diets containing tuna scrap or tuna viscera were significantly lower than those of the control diet (P<0.05). There were no significant differences among the treatments on the proximate analysis values of the whole body. However, the crude lipid content of liver of the fish fed the experimental diet containing tuna scrap was significantly lower than that of the others. The results indicate that deskinned hagfish, and flatfish offal could be successfully substituted for frozen fish portion of moist pellet diets for flounder, but tuna viscera could only be partially substituted.

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An Examination of Knowledge Sourcing Strategies Effects on Corporate Performance in Small Enterprises (소규모 기업에 있어서 지식소싱 전략이 기업성과에 미치는 영향 고찰)

  • Choi, Byoung-Gu
    • 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.

Project to increase productivity of livestock in Honam area against UR (호남지역의 양축농가에 있어서 UR에 대처한 가축의 생산성 향상에 관한 연구)

  • Lee, Joo-mook;Kwon, Oh-deog;Chae, Joon-seok;Kim, Myeong-chul;Kim, Heung-seob;Lee, Sung-jae;Lee, Hoo-sik;Roh, Soo-il;Kim, Kil-soo
    • Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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    • v.34 no.1
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    • pp.195-212
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    • 1994
  • For the purpose to increase productivities of livestock the present investigations were undertaken in order to clarify the clinical and suclinical status of Korean native cattle, dairy cattle(holstein) and Korean native goat. Blood, feces and urine samples were collected from 247 Korean native cattle(222 adult and 25 calf), 224 dairy cattle(211 adult and 13 calf) and 142 Korean native goat rearing at Chonbuk area and analyzed for clinical, serum chemical, hematological and urinary findings. In addition, we were examined the infection rate of theileriosis, internal parasite and ring worm. The mean value for each component was calculated by statistical analysis using Excel computer program. From these investigations the following results were obtained. The mean values for RBC, PCV and etc in 433 adult cow(Korean native cattle and dairy cattle) were similar with other reports. But the mean values for MCHC of all species were lower than normal. Adult Korean native cattle and adult dairy cattle which showed hematologically normal levels were only 9.01% and 9.48%, respectively. Abnormally high values for PCV, RBC and Hb were recorded in 7.66% of adult Korean native cattle, 20% of korean native calf, 15.38% of dairy calf and 13.36% of Korean native goat. Adult Korean native cattle and adult dairy cattle which showed hematologically anemia were 4.95% and 19.43% respectively, but Korean native calf and dairy calf showed normal. Adult Korean native cattle, adult dairy cattle, Korean native calf and dairy calf which showed normal serum protein level 84.0%, 90.8%, 50% and 44.4%, respectively. In present investigations, 50% of Korean native calf and 55.6% of dairy calf were decreased serum protein values under range. These abnormally decreased serum protein values mean the shortage of antibody, and these have a possibility to occurs to pneumonia and diarrhea. From these results, the economical loss caused by pneumonia was calculated as 124,038,833 won in the KNC and 742,703,430 won in the dairy calf rearing in Chonbuk area. Calculated economical loss caused by enteritis was 56,658,690 won in Korean native cattle, 476,775,799 won in dairy calf, and the total loss amount of 533,434,488 won in Chonbuk area. Abnormally high values$(21.7{\pm}4.0mg/dl)$ for serum calcium were recorded 49.6% in dairy cattle. The mean values for serum total cholesterol were $170.8{\pm}99.8mg/dl$ in Korean native cattle, $196.0{\pm}40.6mg/dl$ in Korean native calf, $202.9{\pm}86.0mg/dl$ in adult dairy cattle and $289.4{\pm}97.5mg/dl$ in dairy calf. The infection rate of internal parsite were as follows; adult Korean native cattle: 21.2%, Korean native calf: 8.0%, adult dairy cattle: 67.8% and Korean native goat: 81.5%. The estimated economical loss caused by internal parasites infection were 1,120,855,837 won in Korean native calf, 4,994,959,405 won in adult Korean native cattle, 3,334,751,066 won in adult holstein, and the total loss amount to 9,450,566,308 won. The infection rate of theileriosis were 1.4% in Korean native cattle and 6.6% in dairy cattle. The presumed economical loss by T. sergenti infection were 154,408,482 won in Korean native cattle and 171,577,237 won in dairy cattle rearing at Chonbuk area. The infection rate of ringworm were 0.5% in Korean native cattle, 0.9% adult dairy cattle and 7.7% in dairy calf. The presumed economical loss by dermatomycophyte were 12,061,532 won in Korean native cattle, 16,895,403 won in dairy cattle, and the total estimated loss amount to 28,955,935 won a year in Chonbuk area.

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