• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.45-64
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• 2022

Due to the recent and rapid globalization, logistics outsourcing has expanded globally and is seen as a means of creating a robust logistics system. However, many businesses continue to have difficulties with their logistics outsourcing contracts, which compels them to reinstate the logistics function for internal management. This study aims to investigate how organizational capabilities of logistics service providers (LSPs), notably flexibility, integration, innovation, and technological capabilities, impact on the logistics outsourcing success in Ugandan food processing firms. Using a structured questionnaire survey, cross-sectional data collected from 211 food processing firms in Kampala - Uganda were analyzed by partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS 3.3.7 software to examine the theorized relationships. The study findings revealed that whereas the technological and innovation capabilities positively and significantly influence logistics outsourcing success, the effects of flexibility and integration capabilities were insignificant. Additionally, the importance-performance map analysis (IPMA) reveals that the technological capability is a priority capability, followed by the innovation capability if logistics outsourcing success is to be achieved. Conversely, flexibility and integration capabilities are of low priority.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.76-89
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• 2023

One of the technologies in urban agriculture, hydroponics cultivation, has primarily focused on technological development, resulting in a lack of research on urban agriculture's cultural utilization aspects, encompassing cultural values associated with urban residents' leisure activities. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the participation constraints perceived by school community members when implementing urban farming activities using hydroponics and understand the structural relationships between the variables that influence decision-making from the perspective of leisure activities in urban farming. As a result, participation constraints in urban farming activities utilizing hydroponics were first categorized into intrinsic, interpersonal, and structural factors. Second, the results of hypothesis model verification showed that interpersonal constraints significantly influenced the participants' willingness to participate and their expected behavior. This study found the multidimensional perceptions of school community members regarding hydroponic urban farming conducted in urban spaces, particularly rooftops, and revealed the influence of decision-making factors on participation when conducting urban farming activities using hydroponic cultivation.

• KIPS Transactions on Software and Data Engineering
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.141-148
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• 2023

Accurate overlay metrology is essential to achieve high yields of semiconductor products. Overlay metrology performance is greatly affected by overlay target design and measurement method. Therefore, in order to improve the performance of the overlay target, measurement methods applicable to various targets are required. In this study, we propose a new algorithm that can measure image-based overlay. The proposed measurement algorithm can estimate the sub-pixel position by using a motion vector. The motion vector may estimate the position of the sub-pixel unit by applying a quadratic equation model through polynomial expansion using pixels in the selected region. The measurement method using the motion vector can calculate the stacking error in all directions at once, unlike the existing correlation coefficient-based measurement method that calculates the stacking error on the X-axis and the Y-axis, respectively. Therefore, more accurate overlay measurement is possible by reflecting the relationship between the X-axis and the Y-axis. However, since the amount of computation is increased compared to the existing correlation coefficient-based algorithm, more computation time may be required. The purpose of this study is not to present an algorithm improved over the existing method, but to suggest a direction for a new measurement method. Through the experimental results, it was confirmed that measurement results similar to those of the existing method could be obtained.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.35-69
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• 2014

The impact of competition on pricing has been studied in the context of counterfactual merger analyses where expected optimal prices in a hypothetical monopoly are compared with observed prices in an oligopolistic market. Such analyses would typically assume static decision making by consumers and firms and thus have been applied mostly to data obtained from consumer packed goods such as cereal and soft drinks. However such static modeling approach is not suitable when decision makers are forward looking. When it comes to the markets for durable products with indirect network effects, consumer purchase decisions and firm pricing decisions are inherently dynamic as they take into account future states when making purchase and pricing decisions. Researchers need to take into account the dynamic aspects of decision making both in the consumer side and in the supplier side for such markets. Firms in a two-sided market typically subsidize one side of the market to exploit the indirect network effect. Such pricing behaviors would be more prevalent in competitive markets where firms would try to win over the battle for standard. While such qualitative expectation on the relationship between pricing behaviors and competitive structures could be easily formed, little empirical studies have measured the extent to which the distinct pricing structure in two-sided markets depends on the competitive structure of the market. This paper develops an empirical model to measure the impact of competition on optimal pricing of durable products under indirect network effects. In order to measure the impact of exogenously determined competition among firms on pricing, we compare the equilibrium prices in the observed oligopoly market to those in a hypothetical monopoly market. In computing the equilibrium prices, we account for the forward looking behaviors of consumers and supplier. We first estimate a demand function that accounts for consumers' forward-looking behaviors and indirect network effects. And then, for the supply side, the pricing equation is obtained as an outcome of the Markov Perfect Nash Equilibrium in pricing. In doing so, we utilize numerical dynamic programming techniques. We apply our model to a data set obtained from the U.S. video game console market. The video game console market is considered a prototypical case of two-sided markets in which the platform typically subsidizes one side of market to expand the installed base anticipating larger revenues in the other side of market resulting from the expanded installed base. The data consist of monthly observations of price, hardware unit sales and the number of compatible software titles for Sony PlayStation and Nintendo 64 from September 1996 to August 2002. Sony PlayStation was released to the market a year before Nintendo 64 was launched. We compute the expected equilibrium price path for Nintendo 64 and Playstation for both oligopoly and for monopoly. Our analysis reveals that the price level differs significantly between two competition structures. The merged monopoly is expected to set prices higher by 14.8% for Sony PlayStation and 21.8% for Nintendo 64 on average than the independent firms in an oligopoly would do. And such removal of competition would result in a reduction in consumer value by 43.1%. Higher prices are expected for the hypothetical monopoly because the merged firm does not need to engage in the battle for industry standard. This result is attributed to the distinct property of a two-sided market that competing firms tend to set low prices particularly at the initial period to attract consumers at the introductory stage and to reinforce their own networks and eventually finally to dominate the market.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.97-109
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• 2023

Objective : This study aimed to investigate the mediating effect of play on the relationship between toddlers' sleep habits and problem-solving. Methods : In total, 1,734 participants were selected from the 3rd wave of the Panel Study on Korean Children. A structural equation modeling approach was utilized to examine the relationship among toddlers' play, sleep habits, and problem-solving, as well as to investigate the mediating effect of play. Results : The monthly age of the study participants ranged from 23 to 32 months, with 885 (51.0%) boys and 849 (49.0%) girls. The indirect effects of play on problem-solving skills (β = 0.137, p = .006) were statistically significant, but the direct effects of sleep habits on problem-solving skills (β = -.015, p = .871) and the total effect (β = 0.122, p = .057) were not significant. Conclusion : This study indicated that sleep habits did not have a direct effect on problem-solving ability, but that the indirect effects were significant and fully mediated by play. Incorrect sleep habits can negatively affect lifelong development. Therefore, parents would need to be aware of whether their child is developing good sleep habits during the toddler age.

• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.143-163
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• 2023

This study aims to analyze the impact of ESG activities on the corporate performance of logistics companies in Korea. To achieve this, the study examines the factors influencing the adoption and implementation of ESG activities, assesses the extent to which ESG activities enhance corporate trust and image, and empirically analyzes the effect of ESG implementation on the corporate performance of logistics companies. An online survey was conducted using Google Forms for Korean logistics companies, and a total of 463 data sets were utilized for PLS structural equation analysis using the SmartPLS 4.0 software tools. The findings of the study are as follows: Firstly, external pressure, specifically government pressure, significantly influences environmental responsibility activities, while investor pressure significantly affects social responsibility activities and governance responsibility activities. Additionally, internal management pressures significantly impact environmental responsibility activities, and employees have a significant influence on all ESG responsibility activities. Secondly, environmental responsibility activities positively affect corporate image, whereas social and governance responsibility activities influence trust and corporate image. Thirdly, trust and corporate image demonstrate significant effects on both financial and non-financial performance. Fourthly, trust significantly mediates the relationship between social responsibility, governance responsibility, and non-financial performance, while image mediates the connection between ESG responsibility and both financial and non-financial performance. The contribution of this study lies in providing practical insights for logistics companies to actively promote ESG activities, thereby establishing a reputation for being environmentally, socially, and governance responsible and gaining customer trust. By doing so, this study aims to raise awareness of the importance of ESG activities in the logistics industry and help companies recognize their significance for sustainable management

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.79-90
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• 2024

This study focused on user trust in ChatGPT, a generative AI technology, and explored the factors that affect usage status and intention to continue using, and whether the influence of trust varies depending on the purpose. For this purpose, the survey was conducted targeting people in their 20s and 30s who use ChatGPT the most. The statistical analysis deploying IBM SPSS 27 and SmartPLS 4.0. A structural equation model was formulated on the foundation of Bhattacherjee's Expectation-Confirmation Model (ECM), employing path analysis and Multi-Group Analysis (MGA) for hypothesis validation. The main findings are as follows: Firstly, ChatGPT is mainly used for specific needs or objectives rather than as a daily tool. The majority of users are cognizant of its hallucination effects; however, this did not hinder its use. Secondly, the hypothesis testing indicated that independent variables such as expectation- confirmation, perceived usefulness, and user satisfaction all exert a positive influence on the dependent variable, the intention for continuance intention. Thirdly, the influence of trust varied depending on the user's purpose in utilizing ChatGPT. trust was significant when ChatGPT is used for information retrieval but not for creative purposes. This study will be used to solve reliability problems in the process of introducing generative AI in society and companies in the future and to establish policies and derive improvement measures for successful employment.

• Information Systems Review
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.101-120
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• 2020

This study investigates the effects of privacy psychological characteristics of B2C logistics services users on their willingness to comply with their logistics companies' information protection policy. Using cognitive valence theory as a theoretical framework, this study proposes a research model to examine the relationships between users' logistics security knowledge, privacy trust, privacy risk, privacy concern, and their willingness of information protection policy compliance. To test the proposed model, we conducted a survey from actual users of logistics services and collected valid 151 samples. We analyzed the data using a structural equation modeling software. The empirical results show that logistics security knowledge positively affects privacy trust; privacy concern positively influences privacy risk; privacy trust, privacy risk, and privacy concern positively influence behavioral willingness of compliance. However, logistics security knowledge does not affect behavioral willingness of compliance. The results of the study provide several contributions to the literature of B2C logistics services domain and managerial implications to logistics services companies.

• Information Systems Review
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.99-120
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• 2023

Courier services users' experience of violating privacy affects psychology and behavior of protecting personal privacy. Depending on what privacy infringement experience (PIE) of courier services users, learning about perceived privacy infringement incidents is made, recognition is formed, affection is formed, and behavior is appeared. This paradigm of changing in privacy psychologies of courier services users has an important impact on predicting responses of privacy protective action (PPA). In this study, a theoretical research framework are developed to explain the privacy protective action (PPA) of courier services users by applying attitude theory. Based on this framework, the relationships among past privacy infringement experience (PIE), perceived privacy risk (PPR), privacy concerns (i.e., concerns in unlicensed secondary use (CIUSU), concerns in information error (CIE), concerns in improper access (CIA), and concern in information collection (CIC), and privacy protective action (PPA) are analyzed. In this study, the proposed research model was surveyed by people with experience in using courier services and was analyzed for finding relationships among research variables using structured an equation modeling software, SMART-PLS. The empirical results show the causal relationships among PIE, PPR, privacy concerns (CIUSU, CIE, CIA, and CIC), and PPA. The results of this study provide useful theoretical implications for privacy management research in courier services, and practical implications for the development of courier services business model.

• Information Systems Review
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.135-156
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• 2017

An intelligent personal assistant (IPA) is a software agent that assists people to perform basic tasks or services for an individual by commonly providing information via natural language. In spite of the versatile capabilities of the IPA to answer a user's simple information-based queries, such as the weather and driving directions, the actual usage rates for IPA services are limited to date. In this research, to evaluate the factors affecting the intention to use IPA, we develop an empirical model based on technology acceptance model, innovation diffusion theory, and IS success model. Afterward, we collect 203 questionnaires from actual users of IPAs. Finally, the structural equation model validates the causal relationship between the constructs of the model. Consequently, the innovation characteristics of IPA drawn from innovation diffusion theory, namely, relative advantage, compatibility, observability, all exerted a positive influence on perceived usefulness. Furthermore, information quality, a quality characteristic of IPA obtained from DeLone and McLean's IS success model, presented a positive effect on perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Finally, the perceived intelligence of IPA displayed a positive influence on perceived usefulness and ease of use. This characteristic was also a major factor that can increase the intention to use the IPA. Given these research findings, this study is significant for identifying factors that may influence the intention to use the IPA by providing strategic guidelines to relevant business operators and establishing an integrated model.