• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.57-81
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• 2008

Knowledge is an essential strategic weapon for sustaining competitive advantage and is the key determinant for organizational growth. When knowledge is shared and disseminated throughout the organization, it increases an organization's value by providing the ability to respond to new and unusual situations. The growing importance of knowledge as a critical resource has forced executives to pay attention to their organizational knowledge. Organizations are increasingly undertaking knowledge management initiatives and making significant investments. Knowledge sourcing is considered as the first important step in effective knowledge management. Most firms continue to make an effort to realize the benefits of knowledge management by using various knowledge sources effectively. Appropriate knowledge sourcing strategies enable organizations to create, acquire, and access knowledge in a timely manner by reducing search and transfer costs, which result in better firm performance. In response, the knowledge management literature has devoted substantial attention to the analysis of knowledge sourcing strategies. Many studies have categorized knowledge sourcing strategies into intemal- and external-oriented. Internal-oriented sourcing strategy attempts to increase firm performance by integrating knowledge within the boundary of the firm. On the contrary, external-oriented strategy attempts to bring knowledge in from outside sources via either acquisition or imitation, and then to transfer that knowledge across to the organization. However, the extant literature on knowledge sourcing strategies focuses primarily on large organizations. Although many studies have clearly highlighted major differences between large and small firms and the need to adopt different strategies for different firm sizes, scant attention has been given to analyzing how knowledge sourcing strategies affect firm performance in small firms and what are the differences between small and large firms in the patterns of knowledge sourcing strategies adoption. This study attempts to advance the current literature by examining the impact of knowledge sourcing strategies on small firm performance from a holistic perspective. By drawing on knowledge based theory from organization science and complementarity theory from the economics literature, this paper is motivated by the following questions: (1) what are the adoption patterns of different knowledge sourcing strategies in small firms (i,e., what sourcing strategies should be adopted and which sourcing strategies work well together in small firms)?; and (2) what are the performance implications of these adoption patterns? In order to answer the questions, this study developed three hypotheses. First hypothesis based on knowledge based theory is that internal-oriented knowledge sourcing is positively associated with small firm performance. Second hypothesis developed on the basis of knowledge based theory is that external-oriented knowledge sourcing is positively associated with small firm performance. The third one based on complementarity theory is that pursuing both internal- and external-oriented knowledge sourcing simultaneously is negatively or less positively associated with small firm performance. As a sampling frame, 700 firms were identified from the Annual Corporation Report in Korea. Survey questionnaires were mailed to owners or executives who were most erudite about the firm s knowledge sourcing strategies and performance. A total of 188 companies replied, yielding a response rate of 26.8%. Due to incomplete data, 12 responses were eliminated, leaving 176 responses for the final analysis. Since all independent variables were measured using continuous variables, supermodularity function was used to test the hypotheses based on the cross partial derivative of payoff function. The results indicated no significant impact of internal-oriented sourcing strategies while positive impact of external-oriented sourcing strategy on small firm performance. This intriguing result could be explained on the basis of various resource and capital constraints of small firms. Small firms typically have restricted financial and human resources. They do not have enough assets to always develop knowledge internally. Another possible explanation is competency traps or core rigidities. Building up a knowledge base based on internal knowledge creates core competences, but at the same time, excessive internal focused knowledge exploration leads to behaviors blind to other knowledge. Interestingly, this study found that Internal- and external-oriented knowledge sourcing strategies had a substitutive relationship, which was inconsistent with previous studies that suggested complementary relationship between them. This result might be explained using organizational identification theory. Internal organizational members may perceive external knowledge as a threat, and tend to ignore knowledge from external sources because they prefer to maintain their own knowledge, legitimacy, and homogeneous attitudes. Therefore, integrating knowledge from internal and external sources might not be effective, resulting in failure of improvements of firm performance. Another possible explanation is small firms resource and capital constraints and lack of management expertise and absorptive capacity. Although the integration of different knowledge sources is critical, high levels of knowledge sourcing in many areas are quite expensive and so are often unrealistic for small enterprises. This study provides several implications for research as well as practice. First this study extends the existing knowledge by examining the substitutability (and complementarity) of knowledge sourcing strategies. Most prior studies have tended to investigate the independent effects of these strategies on performance without considering their combined impacts. Furthermore, this study tests complementarity based on the productivity approach that has been considered as a definitive test method for complementarity. Second, this study sheds new light on knowledge management research by identifying the relationship between knowledge sourcing strategies and small firm performance. Most current literature has insisted complementary relationship between knowledge sourcing strategies on the basis of data from large firms. Contrary to the conventional wisdom, this study identifies substitutive relationship between knowledge sourcing strategies using data from small firms. Third, implications for practice highlight that managers of small firms should focus on knowledge sourcing from external-oriented strategies. Moreover, adoption of both sourcing strategies simultaneousiy impedes small firm performance.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.493-498
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• 2024

With the rapid advancement of generative artificial intelligence technology, there is growing interest in how to utilize it in practical applications. Additionally, the importance of prompt engineering to generate results that meet user demands is being newly highlighted. Exploring the new possibilities of generative AI can hold significant value. This study aims to utilize ChatGPT 4.0, a leading generative AI, to propose an effective method for evaluating user experience through the analysis of online customer review data. The user experience evaluation method was based on the six-layer elements of user experience: 'functionality', 'reliability', 'usability', 'convenience', 'emotion', and 'significance'. For this study, a literature review was conducted to enhance the understanding of prompt engineering and to grasp the clear concept of the user experience hierarchy. Based on this, prompts were crafted, and experiments for the user experience evaluation method were carried out using the analysis of collected online customer review data. In this study, we reveal that when provided with accurate definitions and descriptions of the classification processes for user experience factors, ChatGPT demonstrated excellent performance in evaluating user experience. However, it was also found that due to time constraints, there were limitations in analyzing large volumes of data. By introducing and proposing a method to utilize ChatGPT 4.0 for user experience evaluation, we expect to contribute to the advancement of the UX field.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.22-31
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• 2010

Because the estimated cost at early stage has great influence on decisions of project owner, the importance of early cost estimation is increasing. However, it depends on experience and knowledge of the estimator mainly due to shortage of information. Those tendency developed into case-based reasoning(CBR) method which solves new problems by adapting previous solution to similar past problems. The performance of CBR model is affected by attribute weight, so that its accurate determination is necessary. Previous research utilizes mathematical method or subjective judgement of estimator. In order to improve the problem of previous research, this suggests CBR schematic cost estimation method using genetic algorithm to determine attribute weight. The cost model employs nearest neighbor retrieval for selecting past case. And it estimates the cost of new cases based on cost information of extracted cases. As the result of validation for 17 testing cases, 3.57% of error rate is calculated. This rate is superior to accuracy rate proposed by AACE and the method to determine attribute weight using multiple regression analysis and feature counting. The CBR cost estimation method improve the accuracy by introducing genetic algorithm for attribute weight. Moreover, this makes user understand the problem-solving process easier than other artificial intelligence method, and find solution within short time through case retrieval algorithm.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2021

The importance of high capacity energy storage devices has recently emerged for stable power supply through renewable energy generation. From this point of view, the Na-air battery (NAB), which is a next-generation secondary battery, is receiving huge attention because it can realize a high capacity through abundant and inexpensive raw materials. In this study, activated carbon-based catalysts for hybrid type Na-air batteries were prepared and their characteristics were compared and analysed. In particular, from the viewpoint of resource recycling, activated carbon (Orange-C) was prepared using discarded orange peel, and performance was compared with Vulcan carbon, which is widely used. In addition, a Pt/C catalyst (homemade-Pt/C, HM-Pt/C) was synthesized using a modified polyol method to check whether the prepared activated carbon can be used as a supported catalyst, and a commercial Pt/C catalyst (Commercial Pt/C) and electrochemical performance were compared. The prepared Orange-C exhibited a typical H3 type BET isotherm, which is evidence that micropore and mesopore exist. In addition, in the case of HM-Pt/C, it was confirmed through TEM analysis that Pt particles were evenly distributed on the activated carbon supported catalyst. In particular, the HM-Pt/C-based NAB showed the smallest voltage gap (0.224V) and good voltage efficiency (92.34%) in the 1st galvanostatic charge-discharge test. In addition, the cycle performance test conducted for 20 cycles showed the most stable performance.

• The Journal of Society for e-Business Studies
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.101-128
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• 2016

To improve competitiveness & performance for salesmen of small & medium IT company, this study aims not only to inspect how value orientation, leadership & justice make effects for Organizational Citizenship Behavior & Business Corporate Performance & but also to explore the role of adaptive selling practices as parameter. To support the study, the data collected from 314 employees in sales roles at more than 200 IT companies was processed via. regression analysis method. The research model of study lies at identification of 'the Effects of Value Orientation, Leadership, & Justice of/Posed by the Salesmen of a IT Company on Organizational Citizenship Behavior & Corporate Performance' based on the phenomena of unfair sales strategies rampantly being taken for short-term profits & survivals despite of the value of upholding business ethics to realize long-term, sustainable growth of a business of company. The hypotheses of this study are formulated as follows. First, value orientation, leadership, & justice shall have effects on organizational citizenship behavior & Corporate performance. Second, adaptive selling practices shall function as the parameters between the independent & dependent variables. The analysis results on the research, undertaken with verification of parametric effects, confirm the following: 1. Value orientation imposes positive (+) effects on adaptive selling practices which impose positive (+) impacts on organizational citizenship behavior & Corporate performance. 2. Adaptive selling practices function as a full parameter between value orientation & organizational citizenship behavior whilst functioning as a partial parameter between value orientation & Corporate performance. 3. Leadership imposes positive (+) effects on adaptive selling practices which impose positive (+) effects on organizational citizenship behavior & Corporate performance. 4. Adaptive selling practices function as a partial parameter between leadership & organizational citizenship behavior whilst functioning as a full parameter between leadership & Corporate performance. Therefore, this study is concluded that establishing & executing sales strategies in consideration of value orientation & fairness is of extreme importance for IT companies to realize & maintain their sustainable corporate management, & last but not least, it is necessary for IT companies to proactively introduce & provide educational systems for their salesmen thus to help them to uphold & sustain ethics & values of the business.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.257-266
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• 2022

Inundation damage is increasing every year due to localized heavy rain and an increase of rainfall exceeding the design frequency. Accordingly, the importance of hydraulic structures for flood control and defense is also increasing. The hydraulic structures are designed according to its purpose and performance, and the amount of flood is an important calculation factor. However, in Korea, design rainfall is used as input data for hydrological analysis for the design of hydraulic structures due to the lack of sufficient data and the lack of reliability of observation data. Accurate probability rainfall and its temporal distribution are important factors to estimate the design rainfall. In practice, the regression equation of temporal distribution for the design rainfall is calculated using the cumulative rainfall percentage of Huff's quartile method. In addition, the 6^th order polynomial regression equation which shows high overall accuracy, is uniformly used. In this study, the optimized regression equation of temporal distribution is derived using the variable selection method according to the principle of parsimony in statistical modeling. The derived regression equation of temporal distribution is verified through the significance test. As a result of this study, it is most appropriate to derive the regression equation of temporal distribution using the stepwise selection method, which has the advantages of both forward selection and backward elimination.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.78-86
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• 2014

Modular system is a construction method which installs factory-manufactured units on site. It enables to reduce the duration and improve the quality of the construction. Nevertheless, the unit modular system is restrictively applied to domestic market such as barracks, education facilities, low-rise housing. To motivate the application of unit modular system, this study figures out important attributes of the unit modular system in a domestic construction market. Finally this study suggest marketing strategies and influential factors by Importance-Performance Analysis(IPA) based on those attributes focusing on the apartment housing. As a result, Unit modular System in the domestic market has strength on constructability, but it show weakness on usability and economic aspects which are more important in apartment housing market. Thus an improved technology in usability and economic aspects are required to activate the market.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.442-450
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• 2008

In this paper, the phase diverisity in a direct-conversion receiver for a UHF RFID reader is analyzed and the optimal I/Q signal combining methods is presented with respect to tag modulation. At first, fading characteristics of a single channel receiver is shown to prove the importance of phase diversity due to the phase relationship between the backscattered signal and the local oscillator. And the optimal signal combining methods are presented in order to overcome the signal power reduction due to phase diversity. In case of ASK, the power combining method is presented for the optimal I/Q combining. And the arctangent and principal component combining methods using covariance matrix of I and Q channels are presented for the optimal I/Q combining in case of PSK. In order to analyze the performance of suggested methods, the selection diversity and the optimal combining methods are compared. According to analysis and simulation results, the optimal combining methods have a maximum 3 dB SNR enhancement than selection diversity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.41-51
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• 1997

This study examined the relationship between mothers' consciousness of diet and their infant feeding methods and weaning practices. Consciousness of diet analyzed from 17 questions concerning the attitudes and opinions of diet was classified into 6 categories using the factor analysis. These categories were the faithfulness of diet, the health-directed dietary practices, the application of health information, the application of information about food and nutrition, the sincerity to meal preparation, and dietary habits. The 400 mothers selected randomly from Wonju area were surveyed. The results obtained from the study were summarized as follows. Weaning was implemented earlier by the group with better education career and with the exact knowledge of weaning. Factors associated with infant feeding methods included some sociodemographic characteristics such as birth order, mothers' employment state and income level and mothers' effort toward faithfulness of diet. The use of health-foods and nutrient supplements were prefered by the groups used bottle-feeding method. The health condition of the infants was influenced by mother's will to carry out the health information rather than infant feeding methods and weaning foods used. Mothers who perceived the importance of diet for health and consumed more milk had healthier babies, and their dietary habits were more favorable. The subjects who self-recognized the meaning of weaning and who believed that earlier weaning was good for baby or delayed weaning was the cause of anemia and poor appetite, took advantage of the information about food and nutrition as well as prefered the health-directed dietary practices. Mothers who retried to feed the weaning food rejected by baby before, applied the dietary information to the real meal management more actively and had a more desirable dietary habits. In those cases the baby had improved health condition. Those who were interested in the meaning of weaning and the nutritious effect of weaning foods, revealed significantly higher tendency on the performance of cooking information and the more confidence to the health information from advertisement.

• The Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Ultrasound Society
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.26-30
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• 2015

There are many traumatic foot and ankle problems in orthopaedic fields. Though it is not life-threatening problems, a delay in accurate diagnosis and treatments can danger limb function and therefore correct diagnosis can prevent long-term complications. Achilles tendon rupture is relatively common injury for active sports people. Ultrasonography is cost-effective, irradiation -free, effective for evaluation of soft tissues and dynamic analysis. It has been growing importance in Achilles tendon rupture. Ultrasonography is a diagnostic tool in Achilles tendon rupture. Physical examination and patient history is needed to diagnose Achilles tendon without image, but it is missed up by 20% in private clinic. Discontinuity of normal fibrillar architecture seen on an ultrasonographic image is diagnostic for Achilles tendon rupture, and can be accentuated by the performance of dorsi-flexion and plantar flexion, while observing in real time. And ultrasonography is a reliable method for serial observation after surgical treatment or conservative treatment.