• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.343-359
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• 2014

This study investigates how cultural differences between countries affect bilateral trade volumes, using Hofstede's cultural index that reflects nations' cultural characteristics. Empirical analyses of the impacts of Hofstede's five cultural characteristics on bilateral trade volumes are conducted either in each separate equation or simultaneously. Bilateral trade data of OECD countries plus China as of year 2010 is used for regression analysis on gravity model. Regression results from individual equation for each cultural index variable show tthe smaller the index gaps of power distances and uncertainty avoidance among countries, the larger bilateral trade volumes. On the contrary, the larger the index gaps of long-term orientation among countries, the larger bilateral trade volumes. If five Hofstede cultural indexes are regressed in a single equation, however, only variables of power distance and long-term orientation are significant. The analysis largely confirms that bilateral trade among countries with similar culture have much potrential to grow. It implies that policy actions for cultural proximity are very important for furthering bilateral trade.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.45-52
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• 2018

Objectives The objective of this study was to investigate the differences in sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, temperaments, and quality of life between panic disorder (PD) patients with and without major depressive disorder (PD+MDD and PD-MDD patients, respectively). Methods We compared 411 PD-MDD and 219 PD+MDD patients. All patients who were drug-free for at least 1 month were assessed at initial outpatient visits before the administration of medication. The following instruments were used for assessment: the NEO Personality Inventory-Neuroticism (NEO-N) ; the Temperament and Character Inventory-Harm Avoidance (TCI-HA) ; the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) ; the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-Short (IUS); the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-Revised (ASI-R); the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) ; the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI); the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) ; the Generalized Anxiety Disorder for 7 item (GAD-7) ; the Albany Panic and Phobia Questionnaire (APPQ) ; the Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS) ; the Early Trauma Inventory Self Report-Short Form (ETISR-SF) ; the Scale for Suicidal Ideation (SSI) ; the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale Abbreviated Version (WHOQOL-BREF) ; the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) ; and the Short Form health survey (SF-36). Results Compared to the PD-MDD patients, the PD+MDD patients were younger and more likely to be unmarried. They showed higher rates of unemployment, lower levels of education and income, younger age of onset, more previous suicide attempts, a greater incidence of agoraphobia, and more previous treatments. The PD+MDD patients showed significantly higher scores on the NEO-N, the TCI-HA, the STAI, the IUS, the ASI-R, the BDI, the BAI, the PSWQ, the GAD-7, the APPQ, the PDSS, the ETISR-SF, and the SSI. In addition, the PD+MDD patients showed significantly lower quality of life than did the PD-MDD patients. In contrast with previous studies, we observed no significant differences between the two groups in terms of gender, duration until treatment, and psychiatric comorbidities. Conclusions This study showed that the PD+MDD patients have more early trauma experiences, higher levels of anxiety-related temperaments, more severe panic and depressive symptoms, and lower quality of life than the PD-MDD patients.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.183-208
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• 2016

The objective of the study was to find out whether the Super Bowl adverts with high Ad Meter scores had more advertising appeals related to U.S. culture in Hofstede's dimensions. The significance of the study lies in the analysis on U.S. consumer preferences on adverts in terms of culture under one of the most representative American sport event: Super Bowl. The study was based on a content analysis of top and bottom 10 Super Bowl adverts during a period of consecutive seven years 2005 through 2011. The top and bottom ten were grouped based on the Ad Meter scores by the USA Today. The number of adverts interpreted by two coders along with the author was 139. The coding results implies that adverts in the top 10 group carried more appeals connected to US culture in Hofstede dimensions, such as youth, untamed, and magic in uncertainty avoidance dimension. Meanwhile, such appeals as ornamental, vain, and status in high power distance dimension were mainly found in the bottom 10 adverts group. Grounded on the findings from the content analysis, links between the score levels and the presence of certain appeals may offer marketers a hint on what appeals they emphasize when producing adverts in a certain cultural bound, let alone Super Bowl adverts targeting TV viewers in the U. S. A.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.64-69
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• 2022

The study measured a subway construction worker's Macpa stress by Heart Rate Variability measuring instrument and conducted a survey of Korean job stress from subway construction workers. Also, the study analyzed the relationship between Macpa stress index and Korean job stress result and suggested managing stress method for each item. According to National Statistical Office data, the first line subway in Seoul was started to open in 1974. The extended total length is 996 kilometers until 2019. Many aged workers are currently working at subway construction sites due to the avoidance of young workers since the past until now. It means that the elderly has a substantial portion among subway construction workers. The productivity has been adversely affected by health problems due to the aging of workers, job stress due to heavy work, and personal health problems. So, the regulation and policies on job stress health management are being strengthened. The data were measured Macpa stress by machine measuring heart rate variability and conducted Korean job stress survey(shortened) from Sa-sang to Ha-dan line Busan subway construction workers for analyzing the relationship. Independent variable were age, job duration, job position, employment type, working type in this study. Macpa's dependent variable was stress index and Korean job stress survey(shortened)'s dependent variables were job requirements, job autonomy, relationship conflict, job instability, organizational structure, inappropriate compensation, working place culture, and total score. SPSS 12.0 K Statistics Program was used for statistical analysis. Kruskal-wallis test, a nonparametric statistical analysis, was used because the data are difficult to be assumed as normal distribution. As a result, the paper indicated the significant correlation between Macpa stress index and Korean job stress(short version). The elderly workers presented higher Macpa index and higher job stress due to aging and heavy-duty work. The majority workers were daily workers who had unstable working condition and uncertainty about the future. The study suggested a manual that could reduce job stress for subway construction workers and future study deriving management tool through analyzing job stress factor is necessary.

• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.50
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• pp.103-130
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• 2018

This research aims to explore the associated linguistic features and functions of Chinese as used for business trading purposes, and which is based on a discourse analysis through a case in which a Korean buyer and a Chinese supplier have exchanged Internet based e-mails. The research questions include first, the linguistic functions and characteristics of Chinese shown as identified in this trade case through e-mails, second, the use of Chinese trade specific terms, and third, the apparent and dynamic negotiation strategies that are identified as followed by the cultural value systems which are used for resolving interest conflicts and issues between the buyer and supplier in the course of negotiating business contracts between two parties. The participants of this research pertain to a Korean buyer, James and a Chinese supplier, Sonya. The associated data consists of 74 e-mails exchanged between the two parties, initiated in an effort to begin and complete a trade item, in this case namely the product of napkin holders. The research for the study is based on the discourse analysis and empirically analyses models of Chinese linguistic functions and features. The findings are the following. First, as identified, the specific Chinese functions used and sequenced in this trade case are of a procedure, request, informing, negotiation and persuasion. Second, the essential trade terms used in this business interaction involve the relevant issues of 1) ordering and price negotiating, 2) marking the origin of the products, 3) the arrangement of the product examination and customs declaration for the anticipated import items, 4) preparation of the necessary legal documents, and 5) the package and transport of the product in the final instance. Third, the impact of the similarities and differences in the cultural value systems between Korea and China on the negotiations and conflict resolution during a negotiated contract between two parties are speculated in terms of the use of culturally based techniques such as face-saving and the utilization of uncertainty-avoiding strategies as meant to prevent misunderstandings from developing between the parties. The concluding part of the study discusses the implications for a practical Chinese language education utilizing the linguistic functions and features of the Chinese culture and language strategies as useful in business associations for trading purposes, and the importance of intercultural communication styles based on similar of different identified cultural values as noted between two parties.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.113-145
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• 2009

Recently, due to the globalization of the IT(Information Technology) market, devices and systems designed in one country are used in other countries as well. This phenomenon is becoming the key factor for increased interest on cross-cultural, or cross-national, research within the IT area. However, as the IT market is becoming bigger and more globalized, a great number of IT practitioners are having difficulty in designing and developing devices or systems which can provide optimal experience. This is because not only tangible factors such as language and a country's economic or industrial power affect the user experience of a certain device or system but also invisible and intangible factors as well. Among such invisible and intangible factors, the cultural characteristics of users from different countries may affect the user experience of certain devices or systems because cultural characteristics affect how they understand and interpret the devices or systems. In other words, when users evaluate the quality of overall user experience, the cultural characteristics of each user act as a perceptual lens that leads the user to focus on a certain elements of experience. Therefore, there is a need within the IT field to consider cultural characteristics when designing or developing certain devices or systems and plan a strategy for localization. In such an environment, existing IS studies identify the culture with the country, emphasize the importance of culture in a national level perspective, and hypothesize that users within the same country have same cultural characteristics. Under such assumptions, these studies focus on the moderating effects of cultural characteristics on a national level within a certain theoretical framework. This has already been suggested by cross-cultural studies conducted by scholars such as Hofstede(1980) in providing numerical research results and measurement items for cultural characteristics and using such results or items as they increase the efficiency of studies. However, such national level culture has its limitations in forecasting and explaining individual-level behaviors such as voluntary device or system usage. This is because individual cultural characteristics are the outcome of not only the national culture but also the culture of a race, company, local area, family, and other groups that are formulated through interaction within the group. Therefore, national or nationally dominant cultural characteristics may have its limitations in forecasting and explaining the cultural characteristics of an individual. Moreover, past studies in psychology suggest a possibility that there exist different cultural characteristics within a single individual depending on the subject being measured or its context. For example, in relation to individual vs. collective characteristics, which is one of the major cultural characteristics, an individual may show collectivistic characteristics when he or she is with family or friends but show individualistic characteristics in his or her workplace. Therefore, this study acknowledged such limitations of past studies and conducted a research within the framework of 'theoretically integrated model of user satisfaction and emotional attachment', which was developed through a former study, on how the effects of different experience elements on emotional attachment or user satisfaction are differentiated depending on the individual cultural characteristics related to a system or device usage. In order to do this, this study hypothesized the moderating effects of four cultural dimensions (uncertainty avoidance, individualism vs, collectivism, masculinity vs. femininity, and power distance) as suggested by Hofstede(1980) within the theoretically integrated model of emotional attachment and user satisfaction. Statistical tests were then implemented on these moderating effects through conducting surveys with users of four digital devices (mobile phone, MP3 player, LCD TV, and refrigerator) in three countries (US, Germany, and Russia). In order to explain and forecast the behavior of personal device or system users, individual cultural characteristics must be measured, and depending on the target device or system, measurements must be measured independently. Through this suggestion, this study hopes to provide new and useful perspectives for future IS research.