• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.421-432
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• 2022

Regarding the high significance of correct pan evaporation modeling, this study introduces two novel neuro-metaheuristic approaches to improve the accuracy of prediction for this parameter. Vortex search algorithms (VSA), sunflower optimization (SFO), and stochastic fractal search (SFS) are integrated with a multilayer perceptron neural network to create the VSA-MLPNN, SFO-MLPNN, and SFS-MLPNN hybrids. The climate data of Arcata-Eureka station (operated by the US environmental protection agency) belonging to the years 1986-1989 and the year 1990 are used for training and testing the models, respectively. Trying different configurations revealed that the best performance of the VSA, SFO, and SFS is obtained for the population size of 400, 300, and 100, respectively. The results were compared with a conventionally trained MLPNN to examine the effect of the metaheuristic algorithms. Overall, all four models presented a very reliable simulation. However, the SFS-MLPNN (mean absolute error, MAE = 0.0997 and Pearson correlation coefficient, R_P = 0.9957) was the most accurate model, followed by the VSA-MLPNN (MAE = 0.1058 and R_P = 0.9945), conventional MLPNN (MAE = 0.1062 and R_P = 0.9944), and SFO-MLPNN (MAE = 0.1305 and R_P = 0.9914). The findings indicated that employing the VSA and SFS results in improving the accuracy of the neural network in the prediction of pan evaporation. Hence, the suggested models are recommended for future practical applications.

• International journal of advanced smart convergence
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.108-119
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• 2023

Instatoon is a type of webtoons distributed through Instagram, but in the process of advancement of the webtoon industry, it shows the possibility of diversifying into a new genre that meets creativity, and diversity beyond uniform commercial webtoons. Since it does not go through a large platform, the content is freely composed. In addition, it is differentiated from other types of webtoons because in many cases artists create instatoon by adding entertaining elements into their real-life stories rather than drawing fictional ones. Furthermore, instatoons are free to enjoy, satisfaction level is high, but in most cases, even if there is a complaint, readers just enjoy webtoons without expressing it. We aimed to find out how the service quality characteristics of these instatoons affect behavioral intentions through the coexistence of satisfaction and dissatisfaction of readers, and meaninful results were found through empirical analysis. We discusses factors affecting the spread of Instatoons, including readers' satisfaction and dissatisfaction, the importance of relatability, good directing, and informativeness. The study emphasizes the need to approach maintaining existing readers and attracting new ones separately, and to manage readers effectively in the future.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.47-55
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• 2023

Purpose: Online meeting is chosen instead of face-to-face conferences as a solution that ensures both effectiveness and legality during times of strong epidemic outbreaks. In the current period, managers can have different types of meeting options for information distribution. This study has examined the effect of past behavior on the managers' intention of organizing online meetings. Research design, data and methodology: Data were collected from a survey with 475 managers and put into SmartPLS 4.0 for analysis. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test relationships in the research model. Results: The findings indicated that past behavior plays the most critical role in explaining the organizing online meeting intention of managers, followed by attitude and subjective norms. Meanwhile, the perceived behavioral control factor has absolutely no effect on intention in the context of this study. Notably, attitude and subjective norms also remarkably mediated the impact of past behavior on managers' intention. Conclusions: This study has added to the understanding of the meeting organization behavior of managers. Even if the epidemic is under control, the administrators should still organize some meetings in the form of online because it will affect the social perceptions of future behavior and behavioral intention.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.329-341
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• 2016

With the introduction of smart phones in the late 2000's, the audio guides of museums have been gradually replaced by the mobile apps of smart phones. Although many studies have been already conducted about the mobile apps in the fields of tourism or finance, it is hard to find empirical research on the mobile docent apps. This study aimed to investigate the influence of the various factors of mobile docent apps on user satisfaction and intention to reuse. For this goal, based on the review of literature and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), a research model was constructed that consists of information timeliness, information service quality, ubiquitous access, and interactivity, along with the variables of TAM such as perceived ease of use, and perceived usefulness. A survey was conducted at Rodin museum in the United States where all the information about exhibitions is provided over a smart docent app. 210 surveys were collected, and 204 valid ones were used for analysis. The analysis using structural equation modeling revealed that information timeliness, information service quality, and interactivity have significant influence on perceived ease of use; ubiquitous access and interactivity showed significant impact on perceived usefulness. The perceived ease of use and usefulness then had significant impact on satisfaction and intention to re-use.

• Information Systems Review
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.51-71
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• 2016

Tourism products are intangible goods. Given this nature, tourist experience should be recorded and visualized through media, such as pictures, videos, and souvenir. Online platforms played the role of media given the growth of information and communication technology. Tourists post their travels for real-time documentation of their experiences, but they also tend to reminisce about past experiences that they posted on social media. Social media is not only a channel of self-presentation or a means of communication with other people, but it also serves as an archive of electronic records to bring back memories. Given this finding, we investigated the impact of social media on the autobiographical memory (recollection and vividness) of tourists and their intention to revisit a certain destination. The results showed social media interface and the impact of display quality on the recollection and vivid memory. The predictor of memory recollection of tourists is intention to revisit a destination. Social media is considered an archive of travel memory that indulges people to reminisce. Theoretical and practical implications were provided based on these results.

• Information Systems Review
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.1-25
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• 2017

Despite high uncertainty on financial return, firms have continuously increased their investment on technologies because they recognize the potential value of technology investment in terms of enhancing operational efficiency and sustaining competitive advantage. Notably, an individual technology investment pattern or strategy within an industry may ultimately lead to significant differences in business performance. Hence, we first categorized technology investment into traditional research and development investment and information technology investment. Afterward, we examined the effects of each pattern with combination of the two types of technology investment on business performance according to firm size and position in the supply chain through fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. Data collected from 562 manufacturing firms in Korea were used in the analysis. Results showed that large-sized firms were slightly affected with microscopic patterns in their technology investments, whereas small firms were highly affected with their technology investment patterns and their positions in the supply chain. The findings implied that a small enterprise requires an appropriate technology investment strategy to achieve successful business outcomes.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.206-221
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• 2016

This study presented the need to research into 'emotional response' and 'willingness to use apps', perceived by consumers using food delivery apps amidst the spread of smartphones and surge in use of food delivery apps. This study was also intended to present 'service quality' of food delivery apps, along with 'arousal' and 'pleasure' which represented the 2 types of emotional dimension of Pleasure-Arousal-Dominance(PAD), as variables that could strengthen the willingness to use food delivery apps and examine their roles. On the basis of results of such analysis, we intended to provide basic data necessary for development and operation of food delivery app contents. For subjects and spatial scope of this study, we selected domestic male and female residents nationwide who were aged 20 or older and had experience of using food delivery apps over the last 3 months. Among the subjects of this study, we surveyed foodservice consumers who had experienced of ordering food via food delivery apps such as Baedal Minjok, Yogiyo, and Baedaltong. Based on results of this study, it was found that design and sympathy related to food delivery app service quality had a positive effect on arousal while design and reliability had a positive effect on pleasure. Both informativity and mobility of food delivery app service quality were found to have a positive effect on the willingness to use apps. The pleasure from PAD had a positive effect on willingness to use apps, while arousal did not have any effect on willingness to use apps. The results of this study suggested that design and reliability, informativity, mobility were very important factors in inducing foodservice consumers to use food delivery apps continuously.

• Smart Media Journal
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.43-50
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• 2018

Hanok (a traditional Korean-style house) has recently become a popular attraction for tourists all over the world. Jeonju Hanok Village, for example, attracted about 10 million visitors for 2 consecutive years. Observing Hanok's popularity, many local governments drew up plans to improve tourism dynamics by strengthening the advantages of Hanok. Emotionally rich experience is required to offer a greater satisfying experience that meets the demands of tourists. However, very few studies yet have addressed how to measure those emotions felt by users while experiencing Hanok. As an attempt to improve this situation, 182 emotional words were collected from earlier studies and classified into 33 groups with the Delphi method. Among the emotional words in each of the 33 groups, those of overlapping concepts on the characteristics of Hanok were re-grouped, and extracted the most appropriate 68 words. Additionally, a survey was conducted with 325 people who had experienced Hanok to gather 30-most representative emotions for measuring emotions felt from Hanok. The factor analysis of the 30 representative emotions resulted in classified 6 factors based on common features of emotional words: senses of aesthetics, happiness, novelty, ownership, balance and relaxation. The 30 representative emotions and six emotion categories found out by this study can help measure how much people feel certain emotions while experiencing hanoks. Further study will explore the degree of emotions hanok users feel about objects of hanok, such as roof materials and shapes, and body shapes.

• The Korean Journal of Franchise Management
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.19-29
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• 2019

Purpose: In beauty industry, service quality is very critical, because it impacts on the customer's positive attitude and behavior to the beauty salon or beauty brand. Thus, this research examines the effects of service attributes on customer satisfaction and loyalty in beauty salon. This research suggests the guidelines for how beauty salons should manage their physical environment, price policy, professional skills, and employees that improve management and business performance. Research design, data, and methodology: This study examines the structural relationship between service attributes, customer satisfaction, and loyalty. Service attributes divide into four sub-dimensions such as servicescape, price service, technical service, and employee service. In order to test the purposes of this research, research model and hypotheses were developed. All constructs were measured with multiple items developed and examined in previous studies. A total of 160 questionnaires were distributed and collected, and 150 were used for analysis except 10 that were unresponsive or unfaithful. The data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 and SmartPLS 3.0 statistical package program. Result: The results of this research are as follows. First, all sub-dimensions of service attributes such as servicescape, price service, technical service, and employee service have significant positive impacts on satisfaction. Second, customer satisfaction have significant impact on loyalty. Conclusions: This study suggests an integrated model of the relationship that the characteristics of beauty salon service attributes affect customer loyalty through satisfaction, and suggests how to manage and allocate limited resources in the beauty industry. The findings of this research indicate that the level of customer satisfaction is shown to be increased by servicescape, technical characteristics, value of money, and human attributes. Thus, beauty salon management should focus on the relationship with their customers how to improve customer loyalty through satisfaction. The quality of beauty service influences customer's attitudes and behaviors toward beauty salon. Considering the beauty business, where the quality and customer satisfaction of beauty services are determined by the hairdresser's beauty skills,, the beauty salons must find ways to improve their skills and new trend of hair style. If beauty salon customers perceive the high quality of beauty service, they revisit beauty salon and recommend it to others.

• The Korean Journal of Franchise Management
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.1-15
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• 2022

Purpose: In the restaurant sector, it has been known that consumers' positive perception of brands influences their positive WOM intention, and information sources play an important role in increasing credibility by enhancing consumer awareness and developing differentiated brands. This study examines the effects of information sources (e.g., advertisement, WOM, SNS) on trust (cognitive and affective) and, WOM and eWOM intention in the restaurant context. In the model, cognitive and affective trust play mediating roles in the relationships between information sources (e.g., advertisement, WOM, SNS) WOM and eWOM intention. Research design, data, and methodology: Research models and hypotheses were developed according to the research direction. The survey questionnaire items were developed and used appropriately according to the contents of this paper based on prior studies. All constructs were measured with multiple items developed and validated in prior studies. A total of 502 responses were collected from an online survey. The research model was evaluated using SmartPLS 4.0. Frequency analysis was performed to understand the demographic characteristics of the survey respondents. The reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity were assessed using measurement model analysis. The proposed model was verified using the structural equation model. Results: Advertisement, WOM, and SNS information sources all had a positive effect on affective trust, whereas only WOM had a significant effect on cognitive trust. In addition, affective trust had a positive effect on cognitive trust and eWOM intention but did not affect WOM intention. Finally, cognitive trust was found to have a positive effect on both WOM intention and eWOM intention. Conclusions: This study redefines the concept of where restaurant service companies should focus when providing consumers with information about their products and services. As a result, the conceptual framework of positive word of mouth intention to increase new customer visits to the restaurant brand has been expanded. In addition, this study not only presents an information source management strategy for restaurant brands, but also presents practical implications for resource allocation guidelines for customer management in the restaurant sector.