• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.33-49
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• 2014

Environmental concern has been an important issue for a few decades, and the extent of consumer demand for eco-friendly consumption has been increased. This study seeks to investigate consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) a premium for eco-friendly cosmetics. This study evaluates how much more a consumer is willing to pay for eco-friendly cosmetics and examines significant factors influencing consumers' WTP for eco-friendly cosmetics. Consumers' WTP is measured using four different ecofriendly cosmetics: low-priced skin care cosmetics, low-priced makeup cosmetics, high-priced skin care cosmetics, and high-priced makeup cosmetics. This study uses the contingent valuation method (CVM) to estimate consumer's WTP for eco-friendly cosmetics. Survey questions were designed using both dichotomous choice and payment card method of CVM. Through face to face interviews and on-line surveys, the data were collected from women between 20 and 49 years old residing in Seoul and Kyeonggi area, Korea, in May 2010. A total of 226 questionnaires (132 from interviews and 94 from on-line) were included for the analytical sample in this study. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, T-test and Log-Logit analysis. The findings are as follows: First, the WTP measured by dichotomous choice method was estimated using the Log-Logit analysis. The results showed that the estimated WTP for low-priced skin care cosmetics was 19,152 won, which was 27.7% higher than the reference price, 15,000 won. For low-priced makeup cosmetics, the estimated WTP was 18,524 won, and its green premium was 21.0%. The estimated WTP for high-priced skin care cosmetics was 59,128 won, which was 18.3% higher than the reference price, 50,000 won. For high-priced makeup cosmetics was 57,666 won, and its green premium was 15.3%. Second, the WTP measure by payment card method was estimated using descriptive analysis. The results showed that the respondents were willing to pay 17,955 won for low-priced skin care cosmetics, which was 19.7% higher than the reference price, 15,000 won and 17,595 won for low-priced makeup cosmetics, which was 17.3% higher than the reference price. For high-priced skin care cosmetics, the average WTP was 56,950 won which was 13.9% higher than the reference price, 50,000 won. For high-priced makeup cosmetics, the average WTP was 55,650 won, which was 11.3% higher than the reference price. Overall, the WTP was higher in order of low-priced skin care, low-priced makeup, high-priced skin care, and high-priced makeup. It means that consumers decide degree of premium based on the price and the attributes of eco-friendly products. Third, the findings showed that age, monthly income, and having children or not were statistically significant factors that influenced consumers' willingness to pay for eco-friendly cosmetics. Other explanatory variables such as education, marital status, job, purchase experience of eco-friendly products, and environmental concerns did not show any statistical significance. The major contribution of this study is the investigation of the value of green attributes of the products by using CVM. Unlike most previous researches, this research used two methods of CVM, the dichotomous choice and the payment card, so it enhanced the reliability of research. According to this study, consumers showed price sensitivity when they pay green premium. These findings can be used as useful information to establish marketing strategies for green cosmetics.

• Management & Information Systems Review
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.161-184
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• 2011

It has been widely spread that the acquisition and retention of the core personnel is very important for improving firms' competitiveness. Many companies have made a lot of efforts to keep these core personnel, job embeddedness and work satisfaction are important factors which make effects on workers turnover. Prior research applying for many different industries do not show the consistent research results. There is no empirical research applying for construction IT industry which information technology has been playing more important role because of u-city etc. Therefore, in this research job embeddedness and work satisfaction are to be measured and the relationship with turnover intentions are to be investigated focusing on small and medium construction IT workers. The sub-constructs of job embeddedness are fit, links and sacrifice, and the sub-constructs of work satisfaction are career satisfaction and job satisfaction. It is empirically tested how these factors can have effects on the turnover intentions. Field surveys targeted to construction IT workers were done and finally 177 survey questionnaires were used to analyze. Research results show that if the sacrifice, career satisfaction and job satisfaction of small and medium construction IT workers are higher, turnover intentions will be lower. On the other hand, 2 hypotheses are rejected that if the fit and links of these workers are higher, turnover intentions will be lower. These research results clarified the factors affecting the turnover intentions of small and medium construction IT workers and can be utilized how turnover intentions can be decreased practically.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.669-684
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• 2016

This study investigates Korean fighter pilot's usage and satisfaction of a flight duty uniform (FDU). The survey was conducted from October 2014 to March 2015 using Focus Group Interview (FGI) and questionnaires. FGI collected qualitative data about duty and requirements; subsequently, surveys were performed to collect quantitative data about wearing conditions and satisfaction with FDU. The results of the FGI and the questionnaire were as follows. Type of pilot duty was divided into two parts, flight duty and ground duty. It is important to consider duties as well as factors related to survival when developing FDU. According to anthropometric data and wearing size, the basic size for apparel grading should be changed from actual size, 'M95XL' to 'M100L'. It is also necessary to improve the whole sizing system. Further studies about body form changes in pilot's movement are needed to improve mobility because the respondents perceived some restrictions at several body parts in movement with the coverall uniform. Summer FDU had a low satisfaction level in vent hole function and appearance. Furthermore, protection problems in the vent hole were also an issue. Making a seasonal classification of FDU fabric will be more effective than a vent hole to increase a pilot's thermal satisfaction. Respondents had a passive stance towards FDU reform (including pocket change); therefore, a new FDU design strategy should concentrate on improving current FDU functions like mobility (or comfort) rather than dramatic changes. Pilots complained about the quality stability of FDU; therefore, quality control by military administration as well as concrete and clear design instructions by the developer should be attained together. The results obtained in this study are expected to be used as an important basis for the further development of FDU.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.41-52
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• 2015

Purpose - Given globalization, the new niche market of medical tourism is likely to experience sustainable growth for various reasons, such as aging populations and a shift in the medical consumerism paradigm toward prevention. Importantly, understanding medical customers' behavior is necessary to benefit from a competitive advantage in this industry. The existing research primarily accessed the key factors of medical quality and costs to explain health customers' behavior but is limited in terms of enabling an understanding of the decision process. This limitation exists because, given the intangibility and greater associated risks in the highly professional industry of international medical tourism, most customers lack the knowledge and experience needed to evaluate the central factors-such as the medical competence of health care countries-before purchases. Therefore, they actively search for useful information through various distributions to reduce uncertainty and to make better choices. Interestingly, most of these information channels are associated with word-of-mouth (WOM). However, no evidence is found in the literature to estimate the effect of WOM in the medical tourism field. Thus, this study focuses on WOM to explore its interaction with key medical characteristic factors and the attractiveness of destinations referred to by sources. This study also affects customers' evaluations and, in turn, influences their intention to seek health care services abroad. Research design, data, and methodology - The literature review addressed an interesting research model for estimating the relations among WOM, medical characteristics, attractiveness, and customers' choice intention regarding international health care. In the key economic regions in China, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Shandong, and Guangdong, 2,500 survey questionnaires were distributed to potential customers of different ages, education, and income levels. A resulting 1,717 (68.68 percent of the original 2,500) usable surveys were obtained for analysis. Moderated regression analysis was used to determine the effects of WOM in the decision process regarding international health care destinations. Results - The results indicate that WOM is a good moderator of the relationships between the factors evaluated by sources and customers. More importantly, the WOM effects reflect the factors of tie strength, credibility, and vividness. The results also reveal that, given the moderating role of WOM, the intention of potential Chinese customers to seek the referred health care country varies according to the medical characteristics of medical competency and reputation as evaluated by customers. In contrast, the travel attractiveness of the attractions, facilities, accessibility, and social environment are critical determinants of destination choice intention. Conclusions - The moderating role of WOM has been confirmed through the international healthcare destination selection process. Medical tourism managers should user WOM as an effective marketing tool for industry development. Specially, marketers should consider the effects of WOM determinants, such as tie strength, credibility, and vividness, to develop an effective strategy. Furthermore, this study estimates the factors that affect customers' selection of medical tourism destinations. Health care managers or policy makers should consider a broad variety of variables that may attract more Chinese customers to international health care.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.172-178
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• 2016

Background: This study was designed to assess serum vitamin D status (25-OHD) in the fibromyalgia (FM) patients and to compare it with a healthy control group. It also aimed to investigate the correlation of serum vitamin D level with FM symptom severity and invalidation experiences. Methods: A total of 74 consecutive patients with FM and 68 healthy control participants were enrolled. The eligible FM patients completed the Illness Invalidation Inventory (3*I), the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR) and a short-form health survey (SF-12). Venous blood samples were drawn from all participants to evaluate serum 25-OHD levels. Mann-Whitney tests and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed and Spearman's correlations were calculated. Results: 88.4% of FM patients had low levels of serum 25-OHD. FM patients had significantly higher level of serum 25-OHD than the control group ($17.24{\pm}13.50$ and $9.91{\pm}6.47$ respectively, P = 0.0001). There were no significant correlations between serum 25-OHD levels and the clinical measures of disease impact, invalidation dimensions, and health status. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that an increased discounting of the disease by the patient's spouse was associated with a 4-fold increased risk for vitamin D deficiency (OR = 4.36; 95% CI, 0.95-19.87, P = 0.05). Conclusions: This study showed that although high rates of vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency were seen among FM patients and healthy non-FM participants, but it seems there was no intrinsic association between FM and vitamin D deficiency. Addressing of invalidation experience especially by the patient's spouse is important in management of FM.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.82-98
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• 2020

Purpose - This study aims to overcome the limitations of existing studies, which linearly determine the precedence factors of competency in overseas subsidiaries. The research objectives are as follows. First, what kind of nonlinear effects does the level of control held by Korean headquarters over foreign subsidiaries have in terms of competency in the subsidiaries? Second, what kind of nonlinear effects do the local experiences of overseas subsidiaries have on their competency? Design/methodology - With data on Korean multinational corporations (MNCs), this paper analyzes the effects of control levels of headquarters (HQs) and host-country experiences of foreign subsidiaries regarding competency in overseas subsidiaries. In particular, this study focuses on nonlinear models, differentiating it from previous studies. In order to examine research hypotheses, this study conducted a survey of overseas subsidiaries of Korean corporations. Surveys were conducted through various methods including e-mail, online questionnaires, fax, and telephone calls. Copies of the questionnaire were distributed to a total of 2,246 overseas subsidiaries, and 409 completed responses were collected. Excluding 15 copies that were insufficiently answered, responses from a total of 394 copies were used for analysis. Findings - This study presents the following results. First, there is a U-shaped relationship between levels of HQ control and competency in foreign subsidiaries. This means that higher levels of HQ control negatively impact the competency levels of subsidiaries because strict control undermines autonomy in subsidiaries. However, if the level of HQ control exceeds a certain point, then the transfer of knowledge between HQs and subsidiaries is facilitated. Knowledge transferred from HQs can be used as prior knowledge by foreign subsidiaries to the benefit of all parties. Accordingly, knowledge transfer negates the negative effects of excessive HQ control and positively affects competency in subsidiaries. Second, there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between the local (host-country) experiences of subsidiaries and competency in foreign subsidiaries. This means that foreign subsidiaries can overcome the liabilities of foreignness and contribute to capability building by accumulating unique knowledge about their host countries. However, if local experiences accumulate excessively beyond a certain point, then the host country-specific experiences of foreign subsidiaries will offset the benefits discussed above. Excessive local experiences not only increase organizational inertia, but also create a problem of goal incongruence due to information asymmetry between HQs and subsidiaries. Therefore, excessive local experiences have negative effects on competency in foreign subsidiaries. Originality/value - This study suggests the following implications. First, unlike existing studies based mainly on linear models, this study presents important theoretical implications in its focus on nonlinear models and its analysis of the effects of HQ control and local experiences on competency in foreign subsidiaries from perspectives of organizational learning theory and agency theory. Second, in terms of practical implications, the results of this study suggest that optimally raising levels of HQ control and managing the local experiences of subsidiaries without increasing organizational inertia is important for enhancing competency in foreign subsidiaries.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.208-217
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to provide information on the treatment and management of diabetic patients using all the available data of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES, 2013-2015) on the serological and complication patterns of cardiovascular disease (CVD) according to the duration of diabetes mellitus (DM). KNHANES consists of health questionnaires, screenings, and nutrition surveys. The study subjects were 1,316 persons who were aged between 18 and 80 years and who answered the duration of DM. DM was classified as 0-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20, and over 20 years according to duration of DM. The longer the duration of DM, the older the BMI, the lower the smoker, the higher the HbA1c and the lower the glomerular filtration rate. Total cholesterol, LDL-C and triglyceride levels were low and HDL-C levels were similar. The proportion of patients receiving insulin and oral hypoglycemic agents increased. The longer the duration of DM, the worse blood glucose control and the increased risk of microvascular and macrovascular complications. To prevent these complications, intensive care and monitoring should be used to control the risk factors.

• International Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.27-37
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• 2003

Although the idea that obese people consume higher calorie diets is widely accepted, many dietary surveys have shown that obese people do NOT consume larger amounts of energy. We had an opportunity to study the relationship between calorie intake and obesity in Korea from the data contained in the '98 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of Korea. The survey was executed nationwide for two months - from Nov. 1 to Dec.30 in 1998. The survey included 10,876 (aged >10 years) subjects of whom 9,771 underwent health examinations. Surveyors visited each household and checked health status, measured anthropometry and blood pressures, collected blood and urine samples, and interviewed from the health questionnaires. Well-trained dietitians evaluated the food consumption of 11,525 subjects over the age of 1 year with the 24-hour recall method. The number of subjects from whom a complete health examination and food consumption information was obtained was 8,004. Subjects were classified by BMI (< 20, 20-22, 22-24, 24-26, 26-28, 28 $\leq$) and into newly diagnosed patients with DM (FBS $\geq$ 126 mg/㎗), hypertension (SBP $\geq$ 140 mmHg or DBP $\geq$ 90 mmHg) and hyperlipidemia (Total cholesterol $\geq$ 220 mg/㎗ or TG $\geq$ 200 mg/㎗). Our main results were as following：1) their average energy intake was 2,029.6 $\pm$ 908.5 ㎉ and BMI is 22.6 $\pm$ 3.4 kg/$m^2$；2) a comparison of nutrient intakes by BMI level did not show a significant difference of energy intake even though BMI increased (BMI, < 20： 1,999 ㎉ ∼ 28 $\leq$： 2,028 ㎉)；and 3) Even in newly diagnosed patients with diabetes, hypertension or hyperlipidemia, their energy consumption was not significantly increased as BMI increased (from BMI 20). There are several possible explanations for these results：1) Reduced physical activity caused the weight of obese people to increase even with the same energy intake；2) people underreported their energy consumption；or, people intentionally reduced their energy consumption due to self-image regarding their obesity. We might also hypothesize that there is a metabolic problem conceiving obese people, because calorie intake was not higher in obese people than in non-obese people in Korea. Further research is necessary for re-evaluating these current conclusions.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.175-182
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effects of job satisfaction on the relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of individual and creative behavior and to investigate the relationship between job satisfaction and creative behaviors. For this purpose, a total of 300 questionnaires were distributed to public officials working in three local governments (GGun, KGun and HGun) in Jeollanam-do, and 213 surveys (71%) were used. The results of the study are as follows. First, It was shown that intrinsic and extrinsic motivation has a positive effect on creative behavior. The effect of extrinsic motivation on creative behavior is the same as the recent research flow. Second, intrinsic motivation positively affects job satisfaction, but extrinsic motivation has no statistically significant effect on job satisfaction about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and job satisfaction. Third, in the relationship between job satisfaction and creative behavior, it was shown that job satisfaction has a positive effect on creative behavior. Fourth, as a result of verifying the mediating effect of job satisfaction on the relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and creative behavior, intrinsic motivation has a significant influence on creative behavior through the mediation of job satisfaction. On the other hand, there was no mediating effect of job satisfaction between extrinsic motivation and creative behavior.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.293-299
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• 2004

The purposes of this study were to : a) investigate the current status of contracted hospital food services, b) analyze and clarify various perspectives of contractors and hospitals. Thirty six hospitals and their contractors which were having more than 100 beds located in Seoul, Inchon and Kyungkido, were the subjects of this study. Data were collected through surveys. The survey was conducted during March to April in 2002. Questionnaires were mailed to the 36 directors of dietetic departments of hospitals and 36 managers of contract foodservice management company. Statistical analysis was completed using SPSS Win(11.0) for descriptive analysis, t-test and $x^2$-test. The results of the study can be summarized ; 1. The type of contract considered adequate by directors of dietetic departments and managers of contractors was fee-contract, combined type, followed by profit-and-loss contract. 2. According to the results from analysis on the contract cost per meal considered adequate by directors of dietetic departments and managers, the directors of dietetic department indicated that showing no difference with the current contract cost per meal. However, the managers of contractor indicated that showing significant differences compared with the current contract cost per meal(regular diet p<0.01, therapeutic diet p<0.001). 3. In the composition of contract cost per meal considered adequate, the managers of contracting businesses accounted labor cost (p<0.01) as a major cost, whereas the chiefs of nutrition departments accounted miscellaneous or controllable expense (p<0.001) and VAT (p<0.01) as major costs. 4. The directors of dietetic departments and managers thought that the hospital should be responsible for utility costs. On the other hand, directors of dietetic departments regarded that the contractor and managers thought that the hospital should pay for facility investment cost.