• Journal of Distribution Research
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.1-24
• /
• 2012

Franchises have recently emerged as the most rapidly expanding industry positioned to create a large impact in the domestic economic. The Chinese franchise industry developed rapidly in the period prior and subsequent to WTO accession with more than 50% of new franchises brands emerging since 2000. M&A transactions in the Chinese franchise industry have progressed actively. In the period from 2005-2007, due to the wholesale and retail market opening in accordance with the guidelines laid forth within the MOU by the WTO the Chinese franchise market is now the largest market in the world all despite a short history of only 20 years. The amount of franchise market research on China is disproportional to its current size and development potential. Beginning in the 1990s, market research conducted by the International Franchise Association focused on emerging markets in Eastern Europe and China. While the research dealt with the Chinese investment environment, it insufficiently explained the market region and cultural environment. The purpose of this research is (i) to investigate the determinants of the performance of franchise systems in China and (ii) new contract renewals based on performance factors. This study will complement existing research in terms of the franchisee perspective. This study may also prove of the benefit to the franchise companies entering the Chinese franchise market enabling them to develop an effective strategy. This study shows that support, incentives, and system standardization by franchisor yielded a positive effect on management performance. This is consistent with previous studies by Shin (2000) and Kim (2008) targeting Korean franchises. Therefore, in the Chinese market, the franchisor must focus on support, incentives, and system standardization rather than concentrate only on the recruitment of franchisees in order to improve revenue. Hypotheses regarding franchisor control have been dismissed in existing research, in the opinion of this study, due to their complexity and inability to control the merchant as a one-kind-assessment-standard. Our findings show that the franchisees' financial condition, management ability and entrepreneurial spirit, among franchisee's characteristics, have a positive effect on franchisor's business performance and satisfaction for the franchisee. This is consistent with previous studies on headquarters' management performance of Lussier (1996), Heo and Jang (2008), and franchisees' financial condition, management ability and entrepreneurial spirit effect on franchisor's satisfaction of Weaven and Franzer (2007), Kim (2009), Han (2009), and Yoon etc. (2008). Therefore, when permitting a franchisee, financial condition, management ability, entrepreneurship of the franchisee should be carefully considered. Among relational factors between franchisor and franchisee, trust has the positive influence on the management performance of the franchisor while conflict has a negative effect. However, trust, commitment and conflict factors have been shown not to have any impact on the satisfaction of the franchise headquarters. This result is consistent with the previous studies of Pavlou and Ba (2000), Morrison (1999), Weaven and Frazer (2007), Kim and Park (1994), Sohn (2007) which show that trust between franchisor and the franchisees have a positive effect and that conflict has a negative impact on franchisor's management performance. Other factors causing a negative effective on the franchisor's management performance are a rapid environmental changes and uncertainty in the business. This is consistent with Campbell et al (2007), Kim and Kim (2009), Han and Baek (2008). Finally, the high management performance and satisfaction of the franchise headquarters has a positive effect on the intention of franchise renewal. In the case of large markets such as China, the franchisor's strategy and the role is very important. In this study, we also investigated the characteristics of franchisor and franchisee, relationship, and environmental uncertainty affecting on the management performance and satisfaction of franchisor. Recently, Korean franchises are attempting to enter foreign markets through the rise in popularity of Korean culture and entertainment commonly referred to as the Korean wave. This study provides recommendations for Korean franchises intending on entering the Chinese market. First, in order to achieve stable profits, the franchise corporation needs to support the operation of the individual franchisee through incentives and standardization of services. Second, because trust between the franchisor and franchisee has a positive effect on management performance, on-going discussion and cooperation is necessary to reduce the level of conflict.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.106 no.4
• /
• pp.509-517
• /
• 2017

This study was conducted to assess effect of thiacloprid fogging on non-target insect communities in Korean white pine forests. In addition, we assessed effect of thiacloprid fogging on mortality of Monochamus saltuarius as a vector of pine wood nematodes, and Apis mellifera as a non-target species. We compared abundance, species richness, and compostion of insects, and mortality of two insects among four treatment groups (control and thiacloprid-fogged groups with 3 different doses) located in the Kangwon National University Forest. For sampling of insects, 6 pitfall and 2 multi-funnel traps and 3 waterproof cloth sheets were placed in each study plot. In addition, M. saltuarius and A. mellifera were put into each meshed cage which installed at 7 m and 15 m heights in center of each study plot. Thiacloprid was fogged only once (middle May) in each plot using a fogging machine. Overall, thiacloprid fogging was appeared to be low toxicity to the abundance, species richness, and compostion of insects and mortality of A. mellifera, while it seems effectively impact on the mortality of M. saltuarius. However, thiacloprid fogging seems more influenced by microclimates in forests because the mortality of M. saltuarius in mesh cages was different according to heights and spatial locations. To control the population density and dispersal of M. saltuarius using by fogging techniques, therefore, it may be necessary to minimize the uncertainty about the effectiveness of thiacloprid fogging by improving the fogging techniques.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.53 no.3
• /
• pp.241-254
• /
• 2020

Three introduced fish species, Japanese white crucian carp (Carassius cuvieri Temminck and Schlegel, 1846), bass (Micropterus salmoides Lacepède, 1802) and bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque, 1819), are dominant fishes in Korean freshwater ecosystem. In this study, we analyzed habitat environment conditions of these three species and their impacts to fish communities in streams across South Korea. Fish community data were obtained from the database of the Stream/River Ecosystem Survey and Health Assessment program maintained by the Ministry of Environment and the National Institute of Environmental Research, Korea. Our results showed that species richness and Shannon diversity of fish were higher at the presence sites of introduced fish than at the absence sites. However, when the abundance of these introduced fish species was increased, the species richness and abundance of fish were decreased. An association analysis showed that the introduced fish species had a low similarity in their appearance with some indigenous fishes such as Siniperca scherzeri and Channa argus and some endemic fishes of Korea such as Zacco koreanus, Sarcocheilichthys variegatus wakiyae, and Acheilognathus yamatsutae. In addition, the introduced fish species had a low appearance similarity with a large number of fishes in their association networks. Finally, our results presented that these introduced fish species influenced the negative impacts to the stream fish communities, and they were potential risk factors for fish community in Korean freshwater ecosystem. Therefore, it is necessary that continuous monitoring and establishment of management strategy for introduced fish species to preserve fish resource and biodiversity in the Korean streams.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.246-262
• /
• 2024

The survey conducted from 2018 to 2020 aimed to investigate the changes in fish fauna and community characteristics in the upper reaches of the Seomgang River, Korea. During the survey period, 35 sites were selected, resulting in the collection of 7,817 fish belonging to 12 families and 40 species. The dominant species was Zacco koreanus, with a relative abundance of 34.5%, followed by Z. platypus at 28.7%. Other significant species included Rhynchocypris oxycephalus (10.2%), Pungtungia herzi (5.3%), and Squalidus gracilis majimae (4.3%). Notably, four protected species - Acheilognathus signifer, Gobiobotia brevibarba, and Cottus koreanus, designated as class II endangered wildlife by the Ministry of Environment- were identified. These species predominantly inhabit the middle and lower reaches, except for Gobiobotia brevibarba, which is found in the upper reaches. Nineteen species, accounting for a 47.5% endemism rate, were endemic to Korea. The study also noted the presence of one climate-sensitive species, Cottus koreanus, and two exotic species, Carassius cuvieri and Micropterus salmoides. Community analysis indicated a trend of decreasing dominance and increasing diversity and richness from upstream to downstream, with a distinct division into uppermost reaches, upper reaches, middle and lower reaches, and lakes. The construction of the Hwaseong Dam has had a significant direct and indirect impact on the fish community. The habitat and abundance of endangered species such as R. pseudosericeus, A. signifer, and G. brevibarba decreased dramatically immediately after the dam's construction, transforming the submerged area from lotic to lentic environments. Approximately 20 years later, the habitats have stabilized, leading to an increase in the fish population and a recovery of the previously diminished endangered species. The river health (FAI) was also evaluated, with 27 sites rated as very good (A), seven as good (B), and one as fair (C). However, endangered species such as A. signifer continue to face threats from dam and river construction, while C. Koreanus has experienced a severe population decline due to river works. Additionally, the presence of the ecosystem-disrupting species M. salmoides in Hwaseong Lake raises concerns. To ensure a stable habitat for fish in the upper reaches of the Seomgang River, it is crucial to avoid indiscriminate river construction, urgently implement restoration policies for endangered species such as A. signifer, and develop management strategies to control the spread of invasive species such as bass.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.38 no.11
• /
• pp.611-617
• /
• 2016

Remanufacturing that is the rebuilding of a product to specifications of the original manufactured product by collecting used-product, completely disassembling, cleaning and repairing or replacing with a new part and reassembling has been received attention in aspects of resource, recycling because it is a great environmental improvement. Remanufacturing is the rebuilding of a product to specifications of the original manufactured product by collecting used-product, completely disassembling, cleaning and repairing or replacing with a new part and reassembling. With a great environmental improvement and resource recycling and conservation, many studies were conducted. Up to date, remanufacturing activities are mainly applied to automobile parts and printer toner cartridge in South Korea. However, remanufacturing of rental product is not well conducted although rental products are collected in good condition and could be remanufactured in the same condition as a new product. Therefore, in this study, we conducted life cycle assessment (LCA) to an air cleaner product that is one of rental products. This study attempts to identify the processes in new products and remanufacturing life cycles that contribute the most environmental impacts. The results show that air cleaner remanufacturing could reduce about 20% of environmental impacts compared to new product. The greatest benefit related to environmental impact is with regard to ozone layer depletion potential (ODP), which is reduced by 94%. In the life cycle of air cleaner, raw material extraction stage had the most environmental impacts, especially with regard to abiotic depletion potential (ADP) and global warming potential (GWP). In the environmental impacts in each part, the ABS power had the highest environmental impacts.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.69-93
• /
• 2014

The aim of this research was to develop a climate change vulnerability index at the district level (Si, Gun, Gu) with respect to the health care sector in Korea. The climate change vulnerability index was esimated based on the four major causes of climate-related illnesses : vector, flood, heat waves, and air pollution/allergies. The vulnerability assessment framework consists of six layers, all of which are based on the IPCC vulnerability concepts (exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity) and the pathway of direct and indirect impacts of climate change modulators on health. We collected proxy variables based on the conceptual framework of climate change vulnerability. Data were standardized using the min-max normalization method. We applied the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) weight and aggregated the variables using the non-compensatory multi-criteria approach. To verify the index, sensitivity analysis was conducted by using another aggregation method (geometric transformation method, which was applied to the index of multiple deprivation in the UK) and weight, calculated by the Budget Allocation method. The results showed that it would be possible to identify the vulnerable areas by applying the developed climate change vulnerability assessment index. The climate change vulnerability index could then be used as a valuable tool in setting climate change adaptation policies in the health care sector.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.45 no.2
• /
• pp.218-231
• /
• 2012

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the physico-chemical water quality, trophic and tolerance guilds in the control ($C_o$) and impacted streams of the abandoned mine, along with the ecological health, using a multimetric health model and physical habitat conditions of Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI), during the period of three years, 2005~2007. Also, eco-toxicity ($EE_t$) enclosure tests were conducted to examine the toxic effects on the outflows from the mine wastewater, using the sentinel species of Rhynchocypris oxycephalus, and we compared the biological responses of the control ($C_o$) and treatment (T) to the effluents through a Necropybased Health Assessment Index ($N_b$-HAI). Tissue impact analysis of the spleen, kidney, gill, liver, eyes, and fins were conducted in the controlled enclosure experiments (10 individuals). According to the comparisons of the control ($C_o$) vs. the treatment (T) in physicochemical water quality, outflows from the abandoned mine resulted in low pH of 3.2, strong acid wastewater, high ionic concentrations, based on an electrical conductivity, and high total dissolved solid (TDS). Physical habitat assessments, based on Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) did not show any statistical differences (p>0.05) in the sampling sites, whereas, the $M_m$-EH model values in a multimetric ecological health ($M_m$-EH) model of the Index of Biological Integrity (IBI), using fish assemblages, were 16~20 (fair condition) in the control and all zero (0, poor condition) in the impacted sites of mine wastewater. In addition, in enclosure eco-toxicity ($EE_t$) tests, the model values of $N_b$-HAI ranged between 0 and 3 in the controls during the three years, indicating an excellent~good condition (Ex~G), and were >100 (range: 100~137) in the impacted sites, which indicates a poor condition (P). Under the circumstances, organ tissues, such as the liver, kidney, and gills were largely impaired, so that efficient water quality managements are required in the outflow area of the abandoned mine watershed.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.47 no.4
• /
• pp.282-291
• /
• 2014

This study was conducted to make distribution model of the Red-crowned Crane and the White-naped Crane according to the anthropogenic and natural factors affecting distribution of crane in Cheorwon, Korea. It was investigated that the impact power and its range of the indirect anthropogenic influence to feeding flock density in cranes from the road, residential area, military facilities, civilian control zone (CCZ), greenhouse and natural influence such as roosting site and available feeding area. Available feeding area is the most important factor for the crane's feeding site selection. The feeding flock density of the cranes near the residential area was lower than that of area far from the area, and tended to increase within 2.5 km distance. The increasing tendencies of feeding flock density from military facilities and high traffic volume road were similar, but the density in military facilities increased within 800 m, and the density from high traffic volume road increased within 2 km. These results suggested that residential area, military facilities and the road with high traffic volume had significant effect on foraging densities to the certain range. As the distance from the road with low traffic volume and roosting site increased, feeding flock density tended to decrease. The density of Red-crowned crane and White-naped crane inside the CCZ were respectively higher than those of outside the CCZ, especially for the Red-crowned crane. As a result, density of Red crowned cranes inside the CCZ was 5.2 times higher than that of outside, while that of white-naped cranes was 2.2 times bigger. If the density of greenhouse is lower than $40km^{-2}$, crane's feeding flock density in the low greenhouses density area was higher than that of high greenhouses density area. However, there was no difference in the feeding flock density if the density of the green houses is higher than $40km^{-2}$. The model for the Red-crowned Crane was related with available feeding area, distance from residential area, civilian control zone and distance from high traffic road. The model of the White-naped Crane was related with available feeding area, distance from roosting site and distance from lake. Finally, the estimated feeding flock density of cranes significantly correlated with density model according to the natural and anthropogenic factors.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.43-65
• /
• 2010

Facing a complex environment driven by a decade, many companies are adopting new strategic frameworks such as Customer Relationship Management system to achieve sustainable profitability as well as overcome serious competition for survival. In many business areas, CRM system advanced a great deal in a matter of continuous compensating the defect and overall integration. However, pharmaceutical companies in Korea were slow to accept them for usesince they still have a tendency of holding fast to traditional way of sales and marketing based on individual networks of sales representatives. In the circumstance, this article tried to empirically address current status of CRM system as well as the effects of the system on the performance of pharmaceutical companies by applying BSC method's four perspectives, from financial, customer, learning and growth and internal process. Survey by e-mail and post to employers and employees who were working in pharma firms were undergone for the purpose. Total 113 cases among collected 140 ones were used for the statistical analysis by SPSS ver. 15 package. Reliability, Factor analysis, regression were done. This study revealed that CRM system had a significant effect on improving financial and non-financial performance of pharmaceutical companies as expected. Proposed regression model fits well and among them, CRM marketing information system shed the light on substantial impact on companies' outcome given profitability, growth and investment. Useful analytical information by CRM marketing information system appears to enable pharmaceutical firms to set up effective marketing and sales strategies, these result in favorable financial performance by enhancing values for stakeholderseventually, not to mention short-term profit and/or mid-term potential to growth. CRM system depicted its influence on not only financial performance, but also non-financial fruit of pharmaceutical companies. Further analysis for each component showed that CRM marketing information system were able to demonstrate statistically significant effect on the performance like the result of financial outcome. CRM system is believed to provide the companies with efficient way of customers managing by valuable standardized business process prompt coping with specific customers' needs. It consequently induces customer satisfaction and retentionto improve performance for long period. That is, there is a virtuous circle for creating value as the cornerstone for sustainable growth. However, the research failed to put forward to evidence to support hypothesis regarding favorable influence of CRM sales representative's records assessment system and CRM customer analysis system on the management performance. The analysis is regarded to reflect the lack of understanding of sales people and respondents between actual work duties and far-sighted goal in strategic analysis framework. Ordinary salesmen seem to dedicate short-term goal for the purpose of meeting sales target, receiving incentive bonus in a manner-of-fact style, as such, they tend to avail themselves of personal network and sales and promotional expense rather than CRM system. The study finding proposed a link between CRM information system and performance. It empirically indicated that pharmaceutical companies had been implementing CRM system as an effective strategic business framework in order for more balanced achievements based on the grounded understanding of both CRM system and integrated performance. It suggests a positive impact of supportive CRM system on firm performance, especially for pharmaceutical industry through the initial empirical evidence. Also, it brings out unmet needs for more practical system design, improvement of employees' awareness, increase of system utilization in the field. On the basis of the insight from this exploratory study, confirmatory research by more appropriate measurement tool and increased sample size should be further examined.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
• /
• v.39 no.5 s.166
• /
• pp.453-466
• /
• 2006

The objective of this study was to analyze the changes in the hydrological environment in Soyanggang-dam watershed due to climate change results (in yews 2050 and 2100) which were simulated using CCCma CGCM2 based on SRES A2 and B2. The SRES A2 and B2 were used to estimate NDVI values for selected land use using the relation of NDVI-Temperature using linear regression of observed data (in years 1998$\sim$2002). Land use change based on SRES A2 and B2 was estimated every 5- and 10-year period using the CA-Markov technique based on the 1985, 1990, 1995 and 2000 land cover map classified by Landsat TM satellite images. As a result, the trend in land use change in each land class was reflected. When land use changes in years 2050 and 2100 were simulated using the CA-Markov method, the forest class area declined while the urban, bareground and grassland classes increased. When simulation was done further for future scenarios, the transition change converged and no increasing trend was reflected. The impact assessment of evapotranspiration was conducted by comparing the observed data with the computed results based on three cases supposition scenarios of meteorological data (temperature, global radiation and wind speed) using the FAO Penman-Monteith method. The results showed that the runoff was reduced by about 50% compared with the present hydrologic condition when each SRES and periods were compared. If there was no land use change, the runoff would decline further to about 3$\sim$5%.