• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.65-88
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• 2008

Since the implementation of economic reforms in 1978, the Chinese economy grows rapidly at an average annul growth rate of 9% over the post two decades. Franchising has been widely recognized as an important source of entrepreneurial activity. Trust is important in that it facilitates relational exchanges by permits partners to transcend short-run inequities or risks to concentrate on long-term profits or gains. In the relationship between the franchisors and franchisees, trust has been described as an important source of competitive advantage. However, little research has been done on the factors affecting trust in Chinese franchisor-franchisee relationships. The purpose of this study is to investigate what factors affect the trust in the franchise system in China, and to provide guidelines and insights to franchisors which enter Chinese market. In this study, according to Morgan and Hunt (1994), trust is defined as the extending when one party has confidence in an exchange partner's reliability and integrity. We offered a conceptual model of the empirical study. The model shows that the factors affecting the trust include franchisor's supports, communication, satisfaction with previous outcome and conflict. We also suggested the franchisor's supports and communication like to enhance the franchisee's satisfaction with previous outcome, and the franchisor's supports, communication and he franchisee's satisfaction with previous outcome tend to decrease conflict. Before the formal study, a pretest involving exploratory interviews with owners from three franchisees was conducted to make sure the questionnaire was relevant and clear to the respondents. The data were collected using trained interviewers to carry out personal interviews with the aid of an unidentified, muti-page, structured questionnaire. The respondents comprised of owners, managers, and owner managers of franchisee-owned food service franchises located in Beijing, China. Even though a total of 256 potential franchises were initially contacted, the finally usable sample consisted of 125 respondents. As expected, the sampling method was successful in soliciting respondents with waried personal and firm characteristics. Self-administrated questionnaires were used for all measures. And established scales were used to measure the latent constructs in this study. The measures tapped the franchisees' perceptions of the relationship with the referent franchisor. Five-point Likert-type scales ranging from "strongly disagree" (=1) to "strongly agree" (=7) were used throughout the constructs (trust, eight items; support, five items; communication, four items; satisfaction, six items; conflict, three items). The reliability measurements traditionally employed, such as the Cronbach's alpha, were used. All the reliabilities were greater than.80. The proposed measurement model was estimated using SPSS 12.0 and AMOS 5.0 analysis package. We conducted A series of exploratory factor analyses and confirmatory factor analyses to assess the convergent validity, discriminant validity, and reliability. The results indicate reasonable overall fits between the model and the observed data. The overall fit of measurement model were $X^2$= 159.699, p=0.004, d.f. = 116, GFI =.879, NFI =.898, CFI =.969, IFI =.970, TLI =.959, RMR =.058. The results demonstrated that the data reasonably fitted the model. We also examined construct reliability and reliability and average variance extracted (AVE). The construct reliability of each construct was greater than.80 and the AVE of each construct was greater than.50. According to the analysis of Structure Equation Modeling (SEM), the results of path model indicated an adequate fit of the model: $X^2$= 142.126, p = 0.044, d.f. = 115, GFI =.892, NFI =.909, CFI =.981, IFI =.981, TLI =.974, RMR =.057. As hypothesized, the results showed that it is strategically important to establish trust in a franchise system, and the franchisor's supports, communication and satisfaction with previous outcome tend to reinforce franchisee's trust. The results also showed trust seems to decrease as the experience of conflict episodes increases. And we also noticed that franchisor's supports and communication tend to enhance the franchisee's satisfaction with previous outcome, and communication tend to decrease conflict. If the trust between the franchisor and franchisee can be established in a franchise system, franchising offers many benefits and reduces many costs. To manage a mutual trust of relationship with their franchisees, franchisor's should provide support effectively to their franchisees. Effective assistant services have direct effect on franchisees' satisfaction with previous outcome and trust in franchisor. Especially, franchise sales process, orientation, and training in the start-up period are key elements for success of the franchise system. Franchisor's support is an accumulated separate satisfaction evaluation with different kind of service provided by the franchisor. And providing support definitely can improve the trustworthy image of the franchisor. In the franchise system, conflicts of interests and exertions of different power sources are very common. The experience of conflict episodes seems to negatively relate to trust. Therefore, it is important to reduce the negative side of the relationship conflicts. Communication actually plays a broader role in reducing conflict and establish mutual trust in franchisor-franchisee relationship. And effective communication between franchisors and franchisees can improve franchisees' satisfaction toward the franchise system. As the diversification of Chinese markets, both franchisors and franchisees must keep the relevant, timely, and reliable communication. And it is very important to improve the quality of communication. Satisfaction with precious outcomes seems to positively relate to trust. Franchisors and franchisees that are highly satisfied with the previous outcomes that flow from their relationship will perceive their partner as advancing their goal achievement. Therefore, it is necessary for both franchisor and their franchisees to make the welfare of partner with effort. Little literature has focused on what factors affect the trust between franchisors and their franchisees in China. This study developed the hypotheses regarding the factors affecting trust in the transaction relationship. The results of data analysis supported the hypotheses strongly. There are certain limitations in this study. First, we may point out that some other factors missed in this study could be significantly important. Second, the context of this study, food service industry, limits its potential generalizability for all franchise systems. More studies in different categories of franchise system are needed to broaden its generalizability. Third, the model was tested empirically in a sample in Beijing, more empirical tests of the proposed model in other Chinese areas are needed. Finally, the analysis in this study was solely based on the perception of franchisees and the opinions of franchisors were not included.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.45-51
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• 2005

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the factors surrounding burnout of nurses caring for cancer patients. Methods: The sample of this study was conveniently selected among nurses who had hospice care experiences working in General Hospitals located in Seoul. This study was conducted by a self-administered questionnaire. Two hundred forty four questionnaires were retrieved and the response rate was 81.3%. The period of data collection was from February 25th to March 5th in 1994. Mean, standard deviation, T-test ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis were performed for statistical analysis. Results: The data showed that respondents reported to have burnout as many as 2.71 out of a 5.0 score. Bivariate analyses indicated that those who had hospice education reported to have a lower burnout than those without hospice education. Multivariate regression analyses revealed factors associated with burnout the nurses have had. They include being a Christian, higher job satisfaction, and experiences of hospice education. Hospice education reducing burnout for the nurses was observed by hierarchial multiple regression analyses, after controlling out the effect of coping methods, sociodemographic characteristics, job satisfaction, and job-related stresses on experience of burnout. This observation was not hue for physical and psychological burnout but for burnout in general and emotional one. But this was not confirmed among the nurses with type A personality. Conclusion: The findings of this study have a weakness in generalizability due to the sampling methodology used in this study. However, for the better hospice care further research with a probability sampling method are necessary.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.177-185
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• 2024

The socio-cultural notion that appearance is something that can be created and managed, as opposed to something that is innate, has led to increased demands and expectations for appearance management. As the perception of appearance affects not only the oneself but also interpersonal relationships, increased satisfaction with one's appearance has the positive aspect of psychological stability, which leads to more active social participation. This study examined the effects of makeup and clothing adopted as appearance management behaviors and appearance satisfaction on interpersonal relationships, and analyzed the mediating effect of appearance management behaviors on interpersonal satisfaction through appearance satisfaction. The research method was a questionnaire, and 85 questionnaires were used in the final analysis. SPSS 28.0 and SmartPLS 4 were used to analyze the data. As a result of the analysis, it was found that among the women's appearance management behaviors, makeup has a defining effect on appearance satisfaction, and appearance satisfaction has a defining effect on interpersonal relationships. In addition, it was found that appearance satisfaction mediates the relationship between makeup and interpersonal relationships among appearance management behaviors. Although this study is limited in its generalizability to members of society as a whole because it was conducted on a sample of female college students in their 20s, it is significant in that it confirmed that practicing appearance management behaviors, reflecting the socio-cultural notion that appearance is created and managed, positively affects the formation of interpersonal relationships with psychologically stable members of society by making them confident in their appearance.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.67-90
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• 2008

Prior to making choices among online products and services, consumers often search online product reviews written by other consumers. Online product reviews have great influences on consumer behavior because they are believed to be more reliable than information provided by sellers. However, ever-increasing lists of product reviews make it difficult for consumers to find the right information efficiently. A customized search mechanism is a method to provide personalized information which fits the user's requirements. This study examines effects of a customized search mechanism and perceived similarity between consumers and product reviewers on consumer behaviors. More specifically, we address the following research questions: (1) Can a customized search mechanism increase perceived similarity between product review authors and readers? (2) Are product reviews perceived as more credible when product reviews were written by the authors perceived similar to them? (3) Does credibility of product reviews have a positive impact on acceptance of product reviews? (4) Does acceptance of product reviews have an influence on purchase intention of the readers? To examine these research questions, a lab experiment with a between-subject factor (whether a customized search mechanism is provided or not) design was employed. In order to enhance mundane realism and increase generalizability of the findings, the experiment sites were built based on a real online store, cherrya.com (http://www.cherrya.com/). Sixty participants were drawn from a pool that consisted of undergraduate and graduate students in a large university. Participation was voluntary; all the participants received 5,000 won to encourage their motivation and involvement in the experiment tasks. In addition, 15 participants, who selected by a random draw, received 30,000 won to actually purchase the product that he or she decided to buy during the experiment. Of the 60 participants, 25 were male and 35 were female. In examining the homogeneity between the two groups, the results of t-tests revealed no significant difference in gender, age, academic years, online shopping experience, and Internet usage. To test our research model, we completed tests of the measurement models and the structural models using PLS Graph version 3.00. The analysis confirmed individual item reliability, internal consistency, and discriminant validity of measurements. The results show that participants feel more credible when product reviews were written by the authors perceived similar to them, credibility of product reviews have a positive impact on acceptance of product reviews, and acceptance of product reviews have an influence on purchase intention of the readers. However, a customized search mechanism did not increase perceived similarity between product review authors and readers. The results imply that there is an urgent need to develop a better customized search tool in order to increase perceived similarity between product review authors and readers.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.29
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• pp.14.1-14.8
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• 2014

Objectives Some plants were placed in indoor locations frequented by asthmatics in order to evaluate the quality of indoor air and examine the health benefits to asthmatics. Methods The present study classified the participants into two groups: households of continuation and households of withdrawal by a quasi-experimental design. The households of continuation spent the two observation terms with indoor plants, whereas the households of withdrawal passed the former observation terms with indoor plants and went through the latter observation term without any indoor plants. Results The household of continuation showed a continual decrease in the indoor concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during the entire observation period, but the household of withdrawal performed an increase in the indoor concentrations of VOCs, except formaldehyde and toluene during the latter observation term after the decrease during the former observation term. Peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) increased in the households of continuation with the value of 13.9 L/min in the morning and 20.6 L/min in the evening, but decreased in the households of withdrawal with the value of -24.7 L/min in the morning and -30.2 L/min in the evening in the first experimental season. All of the households exhibited a decrease in the value of PEFR in the second experimental season. Conclusions Limitations to the generalizability of findings regarding the presence of plants indoors can be seen as a more general expression of such a benefit of human-environment relations.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.475-482
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• 2018

This study analyzed whether differences in individual characteristics and parental attachment affect the career maturity of middle school students in grades 1-3 in Asan, South Korea. Individual characteristics included gender, grade, grades, parental education, and economic level, while parental attachment included mutual trust, alienation, and communication. Career maturity included determinism, objectivity, readiness, independence, and assurance. Results showed there were significant differences in gender, grades, and economic level. Only gender differences affected attachment to mothers, with female students exhibiting stronger effects than male students. Grades that both the father and the mother showed differences. The economic level differed only in father's attachment. The effects of parental attachment on career maturity were found to be higher in career maturity with lower father's alienation and higher mother's mutual trust. Career maturity did not affect the assurance variable. Mother's communication affected determinism and mutual trust affected objectivity. Father's mutual trust and mother's communication affected readiness, and father's alienation showed a negative relationship. Mother's mutual trust positively affected independence. These results may be a valuable reference for understanding the behavioral psychology of adolescents and their parents. However, there is a limit to the generalizability of this study.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.239-254
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• 2006

The 3rd Japan-Korea Workshop on Acupuncture and EBM was held at Kanazawa on June $16^{th}$. From Korea team, 4 papers were presented. Dr. Hahn introduced a new approach of data analysis on series of n-of-1 trials using the Bayesian statistics. It offered important information for the future n-of-1 trials. Dr. Park clearly demonstrated the significance of various sham devices proposed and stressed the importance of research questions when we choose the control intervention in RCT. Dr. Lee reported the results of survey in Korean Medical Doctors (KMD) for their point selection and techniques to the distal and local points. Dr. Kim presented the results of face to face survey on the KMD with 28 items for acupuncture treatment on the knee OA. Finally, a draft of protocol was introduced by Dr. Kim. The title was "multi-center, a randomized, single blinded, two arms, parallel-group study to compare the effectiveness and safety of 'individualized acupuncture' and 'standardized minimal acupuncture' in Korean and Japanese patients with knee osteoarthritis (Phase IV)". From Japan team, 7 speakers presented their comments and proposals on the protocol. Dr. Takahashi introduced several issues regarding n-of-1 trials and pointed out the importance of obtaining generalizability from n-of-1 trials. Dr. Shichidou pointed the importance of research design, selection of outcome measures and reduction of biases. Dr. Itoh presented the results of point selection for the knee OA based on the literature survey. Dr. Sumiya introduced several differences between KMD and Japanese acupuncturists based on the questionnaire used in KMD survey. Dr. Furuya demonstrated a result of press tack needle and its sham device on shoulder stiffness. Dr. Yamashita introduced the results of literature survey regarding adverse events occurred by acupuncture on knee OA. Dr.Tsukayama stressed the importance of responsibility of Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the conduction of clinical trials. After several issues were discussed, the need of continued meeting for final protocol development was agreed, then the workshop was closed.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• no.39
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• pp.395-423
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• 2008

This study investigated population characteristics that influencing treatment service use of people who are voluntarily using drug dependency treatment services by using logistic and hierarchical regression analysis. The research model of the current study was driven by the framework of the 'the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use(the Andersen model)' that has been broadly applied to study on health behavior. This study used data from a sample group of 80 adults by using purposive sampling. This study found that some predisposing factors, enabling factors and need factors have direct effects on service use. In detail, individuals who graduated from high school use drug dependency treatment utilities more than those who did not. Further, individuals who were given more support from family, peers, or others, use the treatment utilities more frequently and were more willing to use the utilities continuously. Furthermore, the greater the perceived need felt by the dependent, the greater the tendency to enter hospitals or shelters. The important implications of this study for social work practice and social policy can be summarized as follows: first, this study supports the idea that intervention for drug dependents in Korea should be focused on environment resources rather than population characteristics; and government must support drug dependent treatment systems; the present study was the first to investigate Korean drug dependents through taking a more positive view, as well as the first to apply 'the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use', and as such represents an example of how studies could be productively conducted in the future. Despite these implications, there remain some limitations in this study. These include the following: limitation in generalizability of the results; the cross-sectional nature of the study design; survey research through the questionnaire method; using foreign scales; and the difficulty of classifying treatment settings.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.7-22
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• 2022

Objectives : This study was a systematic review of tongue movements in stroke patients with dysphagia. This study aimed to provide a basis for verifying the effects of tongue movement and identifying the tendency of tongue movement. Methods : A systematic review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist and flow chart. PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, RISS, and e-articles databases were searched. A total of six documents were investigated, and the PEDro scale was used to evaluate the quality of the papers. Results : Three intervention methods were included in the six papers analyzed. Regarding the type of tongue exercise, three TPRT (Tongue to Palate Resistance Trainings) and two TSAT (Tongue Strength and Accuracy Training) were mediated through the IOPI (Iowa Oral Performance Instrument), and only one study applied TSE (Tongue Stretching Exercise). The treatment effects for each intervention implemented in the literature were confirmed to be effective. However, generalizability of findings is difficult because of the small sample size. Further, no significant difference was found between the experimental and control groups. Conclusions : This study can help occupational therapists provide efficient swallowing rehabilitation treatment by applying tongue exercises to stroke patients with dysphagia. More research should be conducted to determine the effects of tongue exercise.

• Journal of Service Research and Studies
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.77-90
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• 2024

This research aims to investigate methods of leveraging generative artificial intelligence in service sectors where consumer sentiment and experience are paramount, focusing on minimizing hallucination phenomena during usage and developing strategic services tailored to consumer sentiment and experiences. To this end, the study examined both mechanical approaches and user-generated prompts, experimenting with factors such as business item definition, provision of persona characteristics, examples and context-specific imperative verbs, and the specification of output formats and tone concepts. The research explores how generative AI can contribute to enhancing the accuracy of personalized content and user satisfaction. Moreover, these approaches play a crucial role in addressing issues related to hallucination phenomena that may arise when applying generative AI in real services, contributing to consumer service innovation through generative AI. The findings demonstrate the significant role generative AI can play in richly interpreting consumer sentiment and experiences, broadening the potential for application across various industry sectors and suggesting new directions for consumer sentiment and experience strategies beyond technological advancements. However, as this research is based on the relatively novel field of generative AI technology, there are many areas where it falls short. Future studies need to explore the generalizability of research factors and the conditional effects in more diverse industrial settings. Additionally, with the rapid advancement of AI technology, continuous research into new forms of hallucination symptoms and the development of new strategies to address them will be necessary.