Recently, researches on Management Information Systems (MIS) have laid out theoretical foundation and academic paradigms by introducing diverse theories, themes, and methodologies. Especially, academic paradigms of MIS encourage a user-friendly approach by developing the technologies from the users' perspectives, which reflects the existence of strong causal relationships between information systems and user's behavior. As in other areas in social science the use of structural equation modeling (SEM) has rapidly increased in recent years especially in the MIS area. The SEM technique is important because it provides powerful ways to address key IS research problems. It also has a unique ability to simultaneously examine a series of casual relationships while analyzing multiple independent and dependent variables all at the same time. In spite of providing many benefits to the MIS researchers, there are some potential pitfalls with the analytical technique. The research objective of this study is to provide some guidelines for an appropriate use of SEM based on the assessment of current practice of using SEM in the MIS research. This study focuses on several statistical issues related to the use of SEM in the MIS research. Selected articles are assessed in three parts through the meta analysis. The first part is related to the initial specification of theoretical model of interest. The second is about data screening prior to model estimation and testing. And the last part concerns estimation and testing of theoretical models based on empirical data. This study reviewed the use of SEM in 164 empirical research articles published in four major MIS journals in Korea (APJIS, ISR, JIS and JITAM) from 1991 to 2007. APJIS, ISR, JIS and JITAM accounted for 73, 17, 58, and 16 of the total number of applications, respectively. The number of published applications has been increased over time. LISREL was the most frequently used SEM software among MIS researchers (97 studies (59.15%)), followed by AMOS (45 studies (27.44%)). In the first part, regarding issues related to the initial specification of theoretical model of interest, all of the studies have used cross-sectional data. The studies that use cross-sectional data may be able to better explain their structural model as a set of relationships. Most of SEM studies, meanwhile, have employed. confirmatory-type analysis (146 articles (89%)). For the model specification issue about model formulation, 159 (96.9%) of the studies were the full structural equation model. For only 5 researches, SEM was used for the measurement model with a set of observed variables. The average sample size for all models was 365.41, with some models retaining a sample as small as 50 and as large as 500. The second part of the issue is related to data screening prior to model estimation and testing. Data screening is important for researchers particularly in defining how they deal with missing values. Overall, discussion of data screening was reported in 118 (71.95%) of the studies while there was no study discussing evidence of multivariate normality for the models. On the third part, issues related to the estimation and testing of theoretical models on empirical data, assessing model fit is one of most important issues because it provides adequate statistical power for research models. There were multiple fit indices used in the SEM applications. The test was reported in the most of studies (146 (89%)), whereas normed-test was reported less frequently (65 studies (39.64%)). It is important that normed- of 3 or lower is required for adequate model fit. The most popular model fit indices were GFI (109 (66.46%)), AGFI (84 (51.22%)), NFI (44 (47.56%)), RMR (42 (25.61%)), CFI (59 (35.98%)), RMSEA (62 (37.80)), and NNFI (48 (29.27%)). Regarding the test of construct validity, convergent validity has been examined in 109 studies (66.46%) and discriminant validity in 98 (59.76%). 81 studies (49.39%) have reported the average variance extracted (AVE). However, there was little discussion of direct (47 (28.66%)), indirect, and total effect in the SEM models. Based on these findings, we suggest general guidelines for the use of SEM and propose some recommendations on concerning issues of latent variables models, raw data, sample size, data screening, reporting parameter estimated, model fit statistics, multivariate normality, confirmatory factor analysis, reliabilities and the decomposition of effects.
The current smart lighting is shaped to offer the lighting environment suitable for current context, after identifying user's action and location through a sensor. The sensor-based context awareness technology just considers a single user, and the studies to interpret many users' various context occurrences and conflicts lack. In existing studies, a fuzzy theory and algorithm including ReBa have been used as the methodology to solve context conflict. The fuzzy theory and algorithm including ReBa just avoid an opportunity of context conflict that may occur by providing services by each area, after the spaces where users are located are classified into many areas. Therefore, they actually cannot be regarded as customized service type that can offer personal preference-based context conflict. This paper proposes a priority-based LED lighting control system interpreting multiple context conflicts, which decides services, based on the granted priority according to context type, when service conflict is faced with, due to simultaneous occurrence of various contexts to many users. This study classifies the residential environment into such five areas as living room, 'bed room, study room, kitchen and bath room, and the contexts that may occur within each area are defined as 20 contexts such as exercising, doing makeup, reading, dining and entering, targeting several users. The proposed system defines various contexts of users using an ontology-based model and gives service of user oriented lighting environment through rule based on standard and context reasoning engine. To solve the issue of various context conflicts among users in the same space and at the same time point, the context in which user concentration is required is set in the highest priority. Also, visual comfort is offered as the best alternative priority in the case of the same priority. In this manner, they are utilized as the criteria for service selection upon conflict occurrence.
Lodging is a serious issue in rice production, because it drastically decreases the biomass production and grain yield. Since the Green Revolution, the lodging resistance has been increased by lowering the moment of above-ground parts due to the short culm by the semi-dwarf gene sd1. However, it has been pointed out that sd1 alone has suppressive effects for biomass production and yield. To increase rice yield, the long-culm and large panicle type varieties with a superior lodging resistance need to be developed. To improve the lodging resistance and yield of these type varieties, it would be effective to identify novel alleles for these traits underlying natural variations in rice and to pyramid these alleles to a single rice variety. In order to perform this strategy, we have developed new rice lines derived from crosses among varieties with superior alleles. At first, TULT-gh-5-5 was selected from a cross between strong culm and high biomass variety Leaf Star and high-yielding variety Takanari, and TUAT-32HB was selected from a cross between high-yielding variety Akenohoshi and Takanari. Then, we developed the super thick-culm and super grain-bearing line, LTAT-29 derived from a cross between TULT-gh-5-5 and TUAT-32HB. In the current study, to identify the QTLs and genes relating to the strong culm and the high yield of LTAT-29, we performed QTL analysis using SNPs markers with
Private consulting firms that are currently participating in rural area development projects with a bottom-up approach are involved in nearly all areas of rural area development, and the policy environment that emphasizes the bottom-up approach will further expand their participation. Reviews of private consulting firms, which started out with high expectations in the beginning, are now becoming rather negative. Expertise is the key issue in the controversy over private consulting firms, and the analysis tends to limit the causes of the problems within firms. This study was conducted on the premise that the fixation on cause and structure results in policy issues in the promotion process. That is because the government authorities are responsible for managing and supervising the implementation of policies, not developing the policies. The current issues with consulting firms emerged because of the hasty implementation of private consulting through the government policy trend without sufficient consideration, as well as the policy environment that demanded short-term outcomes even though the purpose of bottom-up rural area development lies in the ideology of endogenous development focused on the changes in residents' perceptions. Research was conducted to determine how the problems of private consulting firms that emerged and were addressed in this context influenced the consulting market, using current data and based on the firms' business performance. In analyzing the types, firms were divided into three groups: top performers including market leaders (9), excellent performers (36), and average performers (34). An analysis of the correlation between the business performance of each type and managerial resources such as each firm's expertise revealed that there was only a correlation between human resources and regional development in excellent performers, and none was found with the other types. These results imply that external factors other than a firm's capabilities (e.g., expertise) play a significant role in the standards of selecting private consulting firms. Thus, government authorities must reflect on their error of hastily adopting private consulting firms without sufficient consideration and must urgently establish response measures.
Although more priority is given to politicians from the aspect that they represent people and decide the future of country, the current situation is that politicians are not free from terrorism because of insufficient guard-concerned law, negative social recognition and increased crime and terrorism. The measure for politician terrorism shall be handled from the aspect of national security rather than public peace. For the purpose, basic legal foundation shall be prepared and specialized guard technique considering specialty of politician shall be established. Basic solution shall be established by reinforcing law against politician terrorism and establishing new law from the national viewpoint. The guard for politician has two faces that both of safety of guard target and voting intention of voter shall be met at the same time. Although special guard technique is required for guarding politician, current situation is that it is not researched professionally. In relation to the measure to develop the system of protection for politician, First, the study suggested legal foundation for politician guard. Although the 17th National Assembly proposed revised legal plan to protect politician from terrorism, it is suspended, expired and abolished now. The legal plan presented by members of the National Assembly was simply restricted to the scope of public guard. The study divided establishment of legal foundation into two things. The first one is the dispatch type of effective public guard and the second one is the transfer to private guard. Second, the study suggested environmental development method of politician guard. in the environment of politician guard, the study suggested improvement and development method by analyzing social recognition, politician's mind and voter's mind psychologically. After the beginning of human society, if human race is continued, political activity won't disappear. It is obvious that the safety of political leader is very important issue for human race because he plays the role to decide the future of human. In the future, more specialized, effective law shall be prepared and deeper study of scholar shall be performed.
The executive authority of the Ministry of Public Administration and Security on the 'management of security of the government complexes' is not sufficiently secured only with the organization law, the Government Organization Act. It is needed to establish an administrative actions law, an individual law that sets detailed contents and limitations of the executive authority to be stipulated. The current regulation, Regulation on the Management of the Government Complexes which is a Presidential Decree, is a legal decree that lacks a legal basis. The decree does not match with the current constitutional framework and raises the issue of its legality. The regulation may have the characteristics as a public property management law so far as it stipulates such matters as supply and maintenance management for the complexes, acquisition and disposition of complexes, facilities management of complexes, etc. However, the regulation includes high authority actions by an administrative organization, such as facilities security and order maintenance including restriction and control of access. This makes the regulation have the characteristics of a public property policy act as well. To supplement the legal framework for this situation, it is needed to level up some of the provisions relating to protection and security management to the level of an act as they stipulate high authority actions by an administrative organization. Other matters in the Regulation on the Management of the Government Complexes such as provisions relating to supply and allocation of complexes, etc. may be maintained as they are. In addition, the protection officers (general service official) does not own legal authority and have limitations on securing the capability to deal with the situations on implementing the on-site protection duty. Therefore, it is needed for the protection officers to secure protection duty-related authority by stipulating in a law. The main contents of the law on the protection and security of the government complexes may be those matters providing reservations on the implementations of laws. These may include the limitation of rights of and charging obligations on the people such as restricting the actions of personnel in the complex, rights and obligations of protection personnels relating to their duties, use of weapons, training of protection personnel, penal provisions, etc. These legal reservations should be included in an individual act.
Franchising is one of the fastest growing types of business. It is already popular and well-known in the U.S., and has been growing in many other countries including Korea. Furthermore, many Korean franchising companies have expanded their business overseas actively. According to the data by the Ministry of Industry and Resource, 82 companies out of a sample of 500 franchising companies are already operating in many foreign countries and 48% of them have started their foreign business since 2006. This clearly indicates the fast growing current trend of foreign operation by Korean franchising companies. In spite of the fast growing trend of foreign expansion in the industry, academic research on internationalization of franchising companies is extremely difficult to find. Accordingly, academic research on the issue is necessary and urgent in Korea. Among the various research questions on internationalization of franchising business, this study intends to investigate the difference in organizational factors between the franchising companies doing foreign operation and those doing business only domestically. More specifically, this research has the following purposes. First, considering the lack of theoretical basis of previous studies, resource-based theory and agency theory are employed as the theoretical bases. Second, this study explains the difference in internationalization based on organizational factors such as company size, history and growth rate. Third, the five hypotheses regarding the difference in organizational factors are presented and tested empirically, which is the first attempt in the area of this topic. Finally, the study attempts to clarify the conflicting implications among theories regarding some organizational factos such as growth rate. As the theoretical background, resource-based theory and agency theory are discussed. According to resource-based theory, a firm can grow continuously when it has competence and resource, and also the ability to develop them. The competence and resource can include capital, human resource, management skill, market information, ability to manage risk, etc. Meanwhile, agency theory views the relationship between franchisor and franchisee as an agency relationship. In agency theory, bonding capability and monitoring capability are the two key factors which promote internationalization of franchising companies. Based on the two theories, a conceptual model is designed. The model consists of two groups of variables. One is organizational factors including size, history, growth rate, price bonding and geographic dispersion. The other is whether a franchising company is operating overseas or not. We developed the following five research hypotheses basically describing the relationship between organizational factors and internationalization of franchising companies. H1: The size of franchising companies operating overseas is larger than that of franchising companies operating domestically. H2: The history of franchising companies operating overseas is longer than that of franchising companies operating domestically. H3: The growth rate of franchising companies operating overseas is higher than that of franchising companies operating domestically. H4: The price bonding of franchising companies operating overseas is higher than that of franchising companies operating domestically. H5: The geographic dispersion of franchising companies operating overseas is wider than that of franchising companies operating domestically. Data for the analyses are obtained from 2005 Korea Franchise Survey data co-generated by Ministry of Industry and Resource, GS1 Korea, and Korea Franchise Association. Out of 2,804 population companies, 2,489 companies are excluded for various reasons and 315 companies are selected as the final sample. Prior to hypotheses tests, validity and reliability of the measures of size, history, growth rate and price bonding are examined for further analyses. Geographic dispersion is not validated since it is measured using nominal data. A series of independent sample T-tests is used to find out whether there exists any significant difference between the companies internationalized and those operating only domestically for each organizational factor. Among the five factors, size and geographic dispersion show significant difference, growth rate and price bonding do not reveal any difference and, finally, history factor shows conflicting results in the difference depending on how to measure it.