• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.76-91
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• 1998

Background : The purpose of this study was to understand general attitudes of physicians toward hospital quality improvement activities who have been members of QA committee in 32 Korean university hospitals. Methods : A postal survey about opinions of hospital quality improvement activities and desirable policy directions was sent to 328 QA committee member physicians. The questionnaires were composed of 48 items. In total 152 physicians responded to this survey(response rate: 49.3%). This study was carried out from January to February 1996. Results : Most physicians(97.5%) recognized the necessity of hospital QA activities. The most dominant supporting reason for quality activities was to improve clinical outcome. Two thirds of physicians regarded their own hospital activities for quality improvement as inactive. They considered that the obstacles were too little concern(33.6%), unclear objectives(28.9%), lack of human resources(14.3%), and insufficient education and training for quality improvement(10.1%). The most favoring policy among respondents was to give health care providers economic incentives. Provision of education and training for implementing quality improvement was the next to it. Physicians revealed their preferences for professional society, government, health insurance societies, consumer groups, hospital labor unions, and mass media in sequence as sponsoring agencies for hospital accreditation program. Conclusion : These study suggested that the concrete means for motivating physicians and promoting constructive partnership among related parties should be developed in order to activate current hospital quality activities in Korea.

• Fashion, Industry and Education
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.30-39
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• 2018

This study investigates the importance of brand and retailer associations when consumers evaluate a product category extension in the context of brand and retailer collaborations. Although brand extensions are considered to reduce costs for introducing a new product category, limited study has focused on the role of brand and retailer associations in the context of brand and retailer collaborations. Using a total of 440 participants, a hypothesized model was tested using a structural equation modeling (SEM). The results show that brand and retailer associations influence the perceived fit between a brand and a retailer. In addition, the image fit and quality fit are significantly related to brand and retailer attitudes as well as brand extension evaluation. Since consumers may use their associations with brands or retailers when they perceive product differentiation, market position, and brand extensions, the role of brand or retailer associations is important to marketers, retailers, and consumers. Given the importance of brand and retailer collaborations as a brand positioning strategy in the global branding and retail setting, the findings of this study contribute to brand and retail management by providing empirical evidence on how consumers perceive new products from extended brands in the marketplace when a brand collaborates with a retailer.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.47-68
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• 2004

The term "social marketing" was first introduced in 1971 to describe the use of marketing principles and techniques to advance a social cause, idea, or behavior. Social Marketing is a strategy for changing behavior. It utilizes concepts of market segmentation, consumer research, product concept development and testing, directed communication, facilitation, incentives, and exchange theory to maximize the target adopters' response. Social marketing requires knowledge of each target-adopter group, including its 1. social demographic characteristics, 2. psychological profile and 3. behavioral characteristics. To know the target adopters in these three related ways enables social marketer to make more accurate predictions. In addition to differentiating among and selecting target adopter groups, the social marketer will identify influence-holding groups, or influentials, who can affect a program's success. Great changes and opportunities exist to produce changes in the ways that individuals and groups think and behave and in meeting human needs. The balance of the scales of social change, we hope, will shift away from the use of force and violence to the use of persuasion and voluntary action. I trust that this dissertation will be useful highlighting the strategies and means of peaceful, planned social change designed to elevate the quality of life.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.201-221
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between association of a company's CSV activity and association of corporative competence and consumers' self-brand connection. The study examine how consumer self-brand connection affect self-identification and corporate identification as well as how these factors influenced on brand loyalty. The paper attempts to examine authenticity of CSV activity and product plays a moderating role when association of CSV and authenticity of product affects self-brand connection. a total of 700 consumers who have experience with the target company and products. A target company was selected by investigates. The company is one manufactures as well as implements CSV activities as a means of ethical management. The results indicated that CSV association and corporative competence are closely related to the self-brand connection. Such attitude in turn affected the consumers' formation of self-and corporate-identification and brand loyalty. Authenticity of CSV activity and product was proven to play a moderating variables for brand loyalty and perception of company.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.159-167
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to provide basic information to improve understanding of contemporary kimchi culture in Korea. Many Koreans are now purchasing kimchi at markets, while the proportion of self-preparation is gradually decreasing. This commodification tendency of kimchi is considered to be associated with changes in consumer's behavior and attitude. In this study, a linear regression and a logistic regression model were used to identify relationships between kimchi consumption behavior and household characteristics. The results showed that the probability of kimjang activity was positively related with family size, possession of a kimchi refrigerator, self-preparation practice, and the intensity of sharing behavior. I also found that kimchi consumption volume per capita of 'purchasing' household was greater than that of 'self-preparing ' or 'sharing-dependent' households, and that the number of family members was inversely related with kimchi consumption volume per capita. The inverse relationship between family size and kimchi consumption volume per capita is considered to be contrary to the widespread thoughts in Korea, which have been developed while experiencing kimchi preparation and consumption in traditional extended families. I think that the relationship comes from differences in menu varieties, which appear to vary with family size. This issue will be investigated in subsequent studies.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.87-100
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• 2021

Purpose: This paper examined the role of conditional value in the green automotive industry. The relationships of conditional value's four factors, consumers' attitudes and consumers' intention to purchase green cars were investigated. The conditional value was extended by examining the effect of fuel prices. Research design, data, and methodology: This study is quantitatively designed. All variables were measured using a 7-point Likert-scale; 425 questionnaires were collected from the respondents in Malaysia. SmartPLS was utilized to examine the proposed nine hypotheses. Result: The results demonstrate a positive relationship between attitude and intention toward green cars. Additionally, the results of the relationships were as follows: fuel prices was the most significant predictor of Malaysian consumers' attitudes and consumers' intention to purchase green cars, followed by environmental consequences and government policy. However, retail sales promotions did not show a significant effect on both consumers' attitudes and intentions. Conclusion: The study's findings suggest that the Malaysian government should implement an integrated package that includes a fuel pricing policy that restricts the purchase of non-green cars, as well as a set of financial incentives for purchasing green cars. Moreover, it is valuable to conduct public awareness campaigns about the negative consequences of current consumption patterns.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.5-17
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• 2021

Purpose: As mobile devices are commonly used and contact-free services are widespread due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the recent distribution environment, this study suggests retail strategies for consumers using high-speed railways. To this end, we analyzed how consumer perception on technologies necessary for use of mobile apps is related to the attitude that drives consumers to continue using the app services. Research design, data and methodology: Based on the extended unified theory of technology acceptance and use of technology model by Venkatesh, Morris, Davis and Davis (2003), we added variables proposed by existing theories that studied the technology acceptance model from multiple perspectives and empirically analyzed the relationship between user satisfaction and use intention with structural equation modeling. Results: As expected, factors necessary for the use of app services such as performance expectancy, social influence, price value, facilitating conditions, security, and aesthetics had positive effects on user satisfaction, whereas the effect of effort expectancy on user satisfaction was rejected. And user satisfaction was found to have a significant effect on intention to use. Conclusions: The results provide implications that strategic retail management of the above factors can motivate passengers to continuously use high-speed railways.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.43-57
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• 2022

Objective : This study aims to understand the consumer's needs for Korean medicine medical service using online review analysis of medical consumers. Methods : We analyzed the purpose and satisfaction factors of medical service use using LDA (Latent Dirichlet Allocation) topic modeling. The data used in the study was 120,727 screened reviews written by medical consumers registered on Naver. The analyzed results were compared with the "2020 Korean Medicine Utilization Survey". Results : From 2018 to 2021, the five most frequently used terms were "kindness", "treatment", "doctor", "Korean medicine", and "acupuncture". The main purpose of visiting Korean medicine medical clinic and hospital was to treat "traffic accidents" in 2018, "waist(back) pain" in 2019, "musculoskeletal pain" in 2020 & 2021. Based on the rating, reviewers were satisfied with "explanation of treatment" and "treatment attitude", and dissatisfied with "accessibility to the institution". Conclusion : We concluded that the main purpose of use of Korean medicine institution was to treat musculoskeletal disorders. Based on the results of this study, it is expected that it will be used to improve Korean medicine medical service in the future.

• The Korean Fashion and Textile Research Journal
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.686-693
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• 2022

The rapid development of the fashion industry in contemporary society has also caused various problems such as environmental pollution, material excess, and spiritual poverty. Accordingly, traditional Chinese Taoist aesthetics can solve the spiritual poverty that people are facing today, and the spiritual pursuit of returning to innocence. This study focuses on the works of first generation Chinese designer Ma Ke as an example to discuss the embodiment and application of Taoist aesthetics. The results are as follows: First, Ma Ke's works emphasize the value of handicraft through traditional handcrafting and natural fibers, which reflect the beauty of simplicity and the non-action of Taoist aesthetics. Second, the works acknowledge nature by using natural materials and retaining their original appearance, which embodies Taoist aesthetics of the beauty in non-action and living in harmony with nature. Third, the collections reflect a critical attitude toward the fashion industry and consumer culture by rethinking consumerism and advocating environmental protection, thus propagating the beauty in simplicity and the harmonious life with nature in Taoism aesthetics. In conclusion, Ma Ke's designs incorporating sustainability and handicraft exhibit the core features of Taoist aesthetics, including the beauty in simplicity, non-action, and living in harmony with nature while exploring the relationship between modernity and tradition, man and nature, and handicraft and fashion. This research can contribute to understanding Ma Ke's works in promoting critical thinking about the fashion industry through Taoist aesthetics.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.105-123
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• 2016

Do corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives lead to positive outcomes for companies? Although it is commonly accepted that CSR is a necessary component of modern marketing communication, the empirical evidence shows that that is not always the case. If CSR is sometimes not conducive to better marketing, it behooves firms to determine the right conditions that foster more effective CSR. It is in that vein that this study aims to add to the growing body of marketing and CSR literature through a series of experiments that examines the dynamics between prior attitude toward the company, the fit between the company and the CSR cause, and consumers' accessible thoughts. This study finds that the prior corporate reputation has an impact on how consumers evaluate the CSR activities of companies. Moreover, we show that the degree of accessible thoughts and their valence can change the moderating effect of the fit between the company and the CSR cause. This is because negative information is perceived as being more diagnostic than positive information in an evaluation situation. We demonstrate that companies that have lower prior public reputations can improve the evaluation of their CSR activities in two major ways: (1) by finding CSR causes that have a lower fit with their business, or (2) by providing information that allow consumers to access more positive thoughts about the CSR activity.