• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 2009

The Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced in May 2008 that U.S. retail e-commerce sales for 2006 reached $ 107 billion, up from $ 87 billion in 2005 - an increase of 22 percent. From 2001 to 2006, retail e-sales increased at an average annual growth rate of 25.4 percent. The explosive growth of E-Commerce has caused profound changes in marketing channel relationships and structures in many industries. Despite the great potential implications for both academicians and practitioners, there still exists a great deal of uncertainty about the impact of the Internet channel introduction on distribution channel management. The purpose of this study is to investigate how the ownership of the new Internet channel affects the existing channel members and consumers. To explore the above research questions, this study conducts well-controlled mathematical experiments to isolate the impact of the Internet channel by comparing before and after the Internet channel entry. The model consists of a monopolist manufacturer selling its product through a channel system including one independent physical store before the entry of an Internet store. The addition of the Internet store to this channel system results in a mixed channel comprised of two different types of channels. The new Internet store can be launched by the independent physical store such as Bestbuy. In this case, the physical retailer coordinates the two types of stores to maximize the joint profits from the two stores. The Internet store also can be introduced by an independent Internet retailer such as Amazon. In this case, a retail level competition occurs between the two types of stores. Although the manufacturer sells only one product, consumers view each product-outlet pair as a unique offering. Thus, the introduction of the Internet channel provides two product offerings for consumers. The channel structures analyzed in this study are illustrated in Fig.1. It is assumed that the manufacturer plays as a Stackelberg leader maximizing its own profits with the foresight of the independent retailer's optimal responses as typically assumed in previous analytical channel studies. As a Stackelberg follower, the independent physical retailer or independent Internet retailer maximizes its own profits, conditional on the manufacturer's wholesale price. The price competition between two the independent retailers is assumed to be a Bertrand Nash game. For simplicity, the marginal cost is set at zero, as typically assumed in this type of study. In order to explore the research questions above, this study develops a game theoretic model that possesses the following three key characteristics. First, the model explicitly captures the fact that an Internet channel and a physical store exist in two independent dimensions (one in physical space and the other in cyber space). This enables this model to demonstrate that the effect of adding an Internet store is different from that of adding another physical store. Second, the model reflects the fact that consumers are heterogeneous in their preferences for using a physical store and for using an Internet channel. Third, the model captures the vertical strategic interactions between an upstream manufacturer and a downstream retailer, making it possible to analyze the channel structure issues discussed in this paper. Although numerous previous models capture this vertical dimension of marketing channels, none simultaneously incorporates the three characteristics reflected in this model. The analysis results are summarized in Table 1. When the new Internet channel is introduced by the existing physical retailer and the retailer coordinates both types of stores to maximize the joint profits from the both stores, retail prices increase due to a combination of the coordination of the retail prices and the wider market coverage. The quantity sold does not significantly increase despite the wider market coverage, because the excessively high retail prices alleviate the market coverage effect to a degree. Interestingly, the coordinated total retail profits are lower than the combined retail profits of two competing independent retailers. This implies that when a physical retailer opens an Internet channel, the retailers could be better off managing the two channels separately rather than coordinating them, unless they have the foresight of the manufacturer's pricing behavior. It is also found that the introduction of an Internet channel affects the power balance of the channel. The retail competition is strong when an independent Internet store joins a channel with an independent physical retailer. This implies that each retailer in this structure has weak channel power. Due to intense retail competition, the manufacturer uses its channel power to increase its wholesale price to extract more profits from the total channel profit. However, the retailers cannot increase retail prices accordingly because of the intense retail level competition, leading to lower channel power. In this case, consumer welfare increases due to the wider market coverage and lower retail prices caused by the retail competition. The model employed for this study is not designed to capture all the characteristics of the Internet channel. The theoretical model in this study can also be applied for any stores that are not geographically constrained such as TV home shopping or catalog sales via mail. The reasons the model in this study is names as "Internet" are as follows: first, the most representative example of the stores that are not geographically constrained is the Internet. Second, catalog sales usually determine the target markets using the pre-specified mailing lists. In this aspect, the model used in this study is closer to the Internet than catalog sales. However, it would be a desirable future research direction to mathematically and theoretically distinguish the core differences among the stores that are not geographically constrained. The model is simplified by a set of assumptions to obtain mathematical traceability. First, this study assumes the price is the only strategic tool for competition. In the real world, however, various marketing variables can be used for competition. Therefore, a more realistic model can be designed if a model incorporates other various marketing variables such as service levels or operation costs. Second, this study assumes the market with one monopoly manufacturer. Therefore, the results from this study should be carefully interpreted considering this limitation. Future research could extend this limitation by introducing manufacturer level competition. Finally, some of the results are drawn from the assumption that the monopoly manufacturer is the Stackelberg leader. Although this is a standard assumption among game theoretic studies of this kind, we could gain deeper understanding and generalize our findings beyond this assumption if the model is analyzed by different game rules.

• Information Systems Review
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.165-188
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• 2010

Recently public and finance SI (system integration) industry is called as 4D (difficult, dangerous, dirty, dreamless) industry because of low profit, overtime works and poor motivation of employees. Even some people think at SI industry to be a labor intensive industry instead of a high technology industry. The current study considers outside environmental change of SI industry as well as inside capability enhancement of SI companies. The study adopted action research method with the author's expertise and experiences as a head of a major SI company in Korea. The current research framework suggests 5 areas of profitability enhancement that offers propositions and implications. 5 areas of profitability enhancement are (1) policy improvement, (2) business portfolio innovation (3) sales capability reinforcement, (4) delivery capability reinforcement, and (5) cost management innovation. The five areas include 11 propositional factors and 21 implementation plans which were chosen from the profitability perspectives of SI companies.In order to successfully execute propositions and implementation plans of the framework, 3 years is needed and after 3 years profitability are expected to increase 10% higher than the current level. The framework, propositions and suggestions in this study are expected to offer a real contribution for SI companies that want to enhance competitiveness and profitability. Future extension of the current study to benchmarking the competitiveness and profitability between local companies and global companieswill bring a solid attention from industry and academics.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.157-162
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• 1996

Experiments were conducted from 1994 to 1995 to understand the effects of the labor-saving seeding and planting density on growth and root yield of Astragalus membranaceus. The drilling seeder reduced seeding time than the hand seeding; It takes 3. 5hrs/l0a to seed by drilling seeder while 33. 0hrs/l0a by hand seeding, which labor reducing rate was 89. 4 %. Emergence rate in the drilling seeder was increased 17% than in the hand seeding, so the root yield were increased 23% to 136. lkg/l0a in using drilling seeder compared to 110. 3kg in hand seeding. On the effect of planting density on the growth characteristics plant height was long in dense planting and stem diameter was thick in spacious planting. Root diameter and dry root weight root per plant were decreased in dense planting and root yield was highest in optimum planting densities $(6\;row\;(15cm)\;{\times}\;10cm)$ in the harvest of 1 year old plants in Astragalus membranaceus. The gross profit were increased 23% to 1,933 thousand won per l0a in the drilling seeder compared to 1,566 thousand won in the hand seeding, also the managing costs were reduced 18% to 406 thousand won per l0a in the drilling seeder than 494 thousand won per l0a in the hand seeding.

• Archives of design research
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• v.19 no.4 s.66
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• pp.163-174
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• 2006

The purpose this study is to discuss effects of product design innovations on small and medium enterprises' business accomplishments and further on raising those enterprises' international competitiveness through reviewing previous studies that quantitatively analyzed economic and technological performance and ripple effects of products developed through design innovations. To determine how much design innovations are influential and contributing to small and medium enterprises' international competitiveness, then, the researcher took most advantage of statistical data from quantitative analyses of business accomplishments brought by design innovation development and investment, or economic effects like sales and exports increase. Results of the study can be summarized as follows. First, product design innovations by small and medium enterprises directly contribute to creating plenty of technological and economical achievements, for example, improved product quality, increased product profitability, the effect of product differentiation, improved price competitiveness and increased business sales and exports. Second, technological and economic achievements brought by product design innovations can directly lead to ripple effects like accumulating related knowledge and know-hows, strengthening the competitiveness of products, improving corporate image, increasing business sales and net profit, and meeting many different consumer requirements. Third, technological and economic achievements and ripple effects brought by product design innovations all become very important factors and sources on which small and medium enterprises strengthen their international competitiveness in world markets and maintain their sustainable competitive advantage. Fourth, business accomplishments or economic effects brought by design innovations can be quantitatively measured and analyzed with statistical data. Additional data from the moves can help understand and express the very value or nature of design in a quantitative way. This study is significant in that its results was made based on statistical data from empirical, objective measurements and quantification. The researcher hopes that the study contributes to promoting design innovations by small and medium enterprises and helps CEOs of those businesses better understand the very value and nature of design.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.151-158
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• 2011

This study was carried out in 2010 to investigate the utilization and nutritive value of native grasses, such as Phragmites communis and Miscanthus sinensis which might reduce the cost of feeding domestic cattle. The regions within the Civilian Control Line in Paju and Sihwa region in Ansan were surveyed. In Paju, the yearly silage production was 900 MT harvested from 90 ha (10 MT/ha). About 30~50% of these were sold out at the marketing price of 52,000~55,000 Won per roll (130~137.5 Won/kg). Regrown Miscanthus sinensis of 70 cm in length contained 9.6% of crude protein (CP), 82.4 of relative feed value (RFV), and 67.7% of in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD). Regrown Phragmites communis of 70 cm in length contained 13.8% of CP, 84.3 of RFV, and 67.9% of IVDMD. As harvesting was delayed, the quality was decreased dramatically. In Ansan region, Phragmites communis plantation covers 100 ha. The silage production was 550 MT from the area of 50 ha (11 MT/ha) in 2009. And the marketing price was 50,000 Won per roll. But in 2010 only a small amount of grasses could have been baled due to frequent and much rainfall from spring to summer season. However, the good forage quality was observed from regrown Phragmites communis of 80 cm in length, 12.9% CP, 99.8 RFV and 66.6% IVDMD, while that of late matured grasses was very low, 2.2% CP, 52.9 RFV and 36.4% IVDMD, greatly lower than forage quality of rice straw. The quality of grasses at bloom stage of 150 cm in length was similar to that of rice straw, showing 4.5% CP, 59.9 RFV and 42.2% IVDMD. In conclusion, the overall quality of most native grasses in this survey were very poor. Therefore, we recommend that Phragmites communis and Miscanthus sinensis should be harvested during June or July to obtain better forage quality which is richer in forage values than rice straw. Production of high quality forage crops was also desirable for self sufficiency of forage.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.55-75
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• 1992

At the outset of import liberalization, most economists expected a significant drop in the prices of domestic goods that faced foreign competition. However, it is now generally acknowledge that a significant drop in prices of those goods has not occurred. A common claim is that the prices did not drop significantly because the major importers of many imported goods were also the domestic producers of competing goods. The objective of this paper is to analyze the welfare effect of importation by domestic firms that produce competing goods, to identify the factors that facilitate such business practices, and to formulate a policy that could improve the welfare. We proved that importation by competing domestic firms definitely raises the prices of both imported and domestic goods compared to the situation where foreign goods are imported by non-producers, ceteris paribus. The intuition behind this result is that since a producer-importer is essentially a cartel, its overall profit maximization requires reduced competition between the products that it sells. On the other hand, if a producer-importer is more efficient at distrinbution than a simple importer, the comparison between the two cases is a priori indeterminate. We also find that the industries in which domestic producers are actively involved in importing competing goods are the ones in which the distribution channels are tightly controlled by importer-producers. This finding suggests that exclusive dealing contracts, which work as an entry barrier, may be the source of importing by domestic producers. We argue that in a country such as Korea, where financial market is highly incomplete, tight control of the distribution channels by oligopolistic manufacturers is likely to be an effective entry barrier that leads to importing by domestic producers of similar goods. We further argue that seemingly superior distribution costs of importer-producers is likely to be a result of market foreclosure which would disappear once the entry barrier of exclusive dealing contracts is removed. Above findings suggest that market imperfections are the source of importation by domestic competitors, which in turn constitutes a market imperfection in itself and reduces consumer welfare. As potential remedies, we considered three alternatives; direct price control by the government over the imported goods sold by major domestic producers, regulation of trade itself between major producers, and regulation of exclusive dealing contracts. For reasons both theoretical and pratical, we find that the last alternative is the most attrative. Prohibiting exclusive contracts between manufacturers and dealers in industries where exclusive dealing contracts are a significant entry barrier is expected to break up the importer-producer cartel and improve the welfare.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.7-17
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• 1974

Eighty percent of Gangweon-Do area is mountain forests, and of all others this province has the largest number of "Hwajeon-farmers" (who illegally reclaim the mountain forests to do farming as long as the soil is fertile enough to yield profit, but when it fails, move to other places to repeat the same forest burning, causing tremendous forest damages). In 1965 a 7-year plan was mapped out to exterminate this gipsy-farmers only to be suspended in 1969 to give way to the stronger urge from the national security view-point to first displace those isolated farmers set in deep mountains. In the meantime an increased number of the Hwajeon-farmers burned the forests, working new havoc. To cope with the situation, the provincial government lounched another 4-year plan in 1973 and has been enforcing the resettlement policy with renewed enthusiasm. Whether the plan will succeed depends entirely on the authority involved can solve the problems listed below with regard to the Hwajeon-farmers who are to lose their only means of survival and move down to the low-lands: 1) Their living must be taken care of until they can have definite means of self-supporting. 2) They must be provided with the opportunity to work in connection with the government-sponsored labor programs. 3) Not only the public organizations but also the private firms must give them the priority to get work. 4) The rural revitalization movement must expand the self-help reconstruction projects to absorb their labor powers. 5) The Hwajeon-farmers themselves must have the spirit of self-help and self-supporting. 6) All the citizens in the province must receive and protect them with brethren love. 7) The function of the watch-posts against the Hwajeon-farmers must be strengthened again.

• Land and Housing Review
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.51-65
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• 2021

There were strong criticisms against the joint development method: the redevelopment corporation and developers would achieve the whole development profit. The existing tenants who lost their housing in the site argued their right to reside in the site after the development was completed. There was also strong political pressure that the Roh Tae-woo governing administration should resolve the social inequality caused by the situation. In such circumstances, it was introduced that a certain proportion of public rental housing should be built in the redevelopment site; then the government took over the dwellings at a price of construction and allocated them to the existing tenants. The aims of this paper are to understand the rationale behind the inclusion of the public rental housing in the redevelopment sites; and to investigate to what extent the legislation was implemented appropriately. Although the legislation was introduced in Seoul from August 1989, it was not until May 2005 when it was implemented nationwide. At the beginning, there was an ambiguous rule that the number of public housing to be included should be limited to the number of households who would want to remain in the redeveloped site. In 2005 the Seoul metropolitan authority introduced a mandatory proportion; 17% of the total housing delivered in the site should be public rental homes. Since then the proportion. The proportion has been fluctuated by the political agenda of each ruling party: the conservative tended to reduce the proportion, whilst the opposition parties increased the proportion. Currently the proportion is 20% of the total stock to be built. Initially the size of the public housing was exceptionally small- less than 40 m² but it has increased up to 60 m² since 2010. The rental price was reasonably lower than market rent. The competition toward redevelopment rental housing that are vacant due to move or death of tenants was very high; it was given to one household out of nine eligible households in 2020.

• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.42
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• pp.505-524
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• 2016

This study examines the ways District 9, a film released in 2009, reworks the sci-fi genre to explore the human encounter with "other" alien populations. Like Avatar, released in the same year, District 9 addresses the tropes of conflict over land and human-alien hybridity and introduces non-humans and aliens, not as invaders, but as objects of human oppression and cruelty. Unlike many other science fiction films where the encounter between humans and non-humans occurs in an unidentifiable future time and location, District 9 crosses genre barriers to engage with urban realism, producing a social critique of contemporary urban population problems. The arrival of aliens in District 9 occurs as part of the recorded human past and the film's action is carried out in the present time in the specifically identified city of Johannesburg. A distinctly anti-Hollywood film that locates the action at the street level, District 9 plays out human anxieties about contact with others by referencing the divisions and conflicts historically attached to South Africa's sprawling metropolis and its current problems of urban poverty and illegal immigrants. Focusing on how this particular urban setting frames the film, the study investigates the ways Blomkamp's sci-fi film about extra-terrestrials presents a curious postcolonial mix of aliens and immigrants surviving in abject conditions in an urban slum and forces a realistic examination of the contemporary social problems faced by South Africa's largest city and by extension other major global cities. The paper also examines the film's representation of the human-alien hybrid and its potential as a force to resist human exploitation of the other. It also claims that though the setting is highly local, District 9 speaks to a wider global audience by making obvious the exploitative practices of profit-seeking multinationals. A sci-fi film that is keen on making a social commentary on urban population conflicts, District 9 resonates with the wider sense of insecurity and fear of others that form the horizon of the uncertain and potentially violent contemporary human world.

• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.261-282
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• 2021

As the MZ generation, who values work-life balance, became a member of the organization, leader-oriented leadership centered on goal achievement and company profit made it difficult to achieve good results in the organization in the mid-to long-term. The company must strengthen the leadership that can be helpful for the self-leadership where the members of the organization move on their own and the organizational culture that enhances the employees' job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Therefore, this study analyzed the effect of the team leader's servant leadership on the team member's self-leadership and organizational effectiveness. In addition, it was studied whether the executive officer's emotional leadership interacted with the team leader's servant leadership and had a moderating effect on the team member's self-leadership. Also, the difference in path coefficient between the MZ generation and the non-MZ generation was verified. To this end, the research model was statistically verified using the PLS (Partial Least Square) structural equation. A survey was collected from 357 team members among office workers online. As a result of the analysis, the team leader's servant leadership had a significant effect on organizational effectiveness and team member's self-leadership. Also, in the relationship between the team leader's servant leadership and the team member's self-leadership, the emotional leadership of the executive officer had a positive (+) moderating effect. The MZ generation differed from the non-MZ generation in the path where the team leader's servant leadership positively affected the self-leadership of the team member and the path where the team leader's self-leadership had a mediating effect between the team leader's servant leadership and organizational effectiveness. The results of this study will suggest various theoretical and practical implications so that executive officers, team leaders, and team members within the company can develop leadership that increases organizational effectiveness in their respective positions.