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Flexible Specialization: A New Paradigm for Modern Industrial Society ? (柔軟的 專門化(Flexible Specialization) : 현대 産業社會의 새로운 패러다임 ?)

  • Lee, Deog-An
    • Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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    • v.28 no.2
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    • pp.148-162
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    • 1993
  • There is much speculation that modern capi-talist society is undergoing fundamental and qualitative chnge towards flexible specialization. The purpose of this study is to examine this hypothesis. This paper focusses on: the idea of flexible specialization; the significance of this transition; industrial district; and the implicati-ons of this new production system for Korean industrial space. Main arguments of this study are as follows: First, as all different groups of researchers apply the idea of flexible specialization according to their own specifications, the current debate on this topic is not much fruitful. Not surpri-singly, the concept of flexible specialization has overlapped with subocontracting. This intergration of subcontracting into flexible specialization systems, however, is inappropriate because the two concepts have different historical contexts. The other cause of this controversy is its inherent weekness, conceptual ambiguity. Thus, today's flexibility becomes tomorrow's rigidity. Secondly, transition towards flexible speciali-zation has only been partially achieved even in advanced capitalist countries. The application of dualistic explanatory framework, such as rigidity versus flexibiity, mass production versus small-lot multi-product production, and de-skilling versus re-skilling, has resulted in great exaggeration of the transformation, from Fordism to post-Fordism. There is no intermediary part between two places. Considering that the workers allocated to the Fordist mass production assembly line are not as large as one might imagine, the shift from mass to flexible production has only limited implications for the transformation of capitalist economy. Thirdly, 'industrial district' contorversy has contributed to highlighting the importance of small firms and areas as production space. The agglomeration of small firms in specific areas is common in Korea, but it is quite different from the industrial district based on flexible specialization. The Korean phenomenon stems from close interactions with its major parent firm rather than interactions between flexible, specialized, autonomous and technology-intensive smll firms. Most Korean subcontractors are still low-skilled, labour-intensive, and heavily dependent on their mojor parent firms. Thus, the assertion that the Seoul Metropolitan Area adopts flexible specialization has no base. Fourthly, the main concern of flexible speciali zation is small firms. However, the corporate organization that needs product diversification and technological specialization is oligopolistic large corporations typified by multinational corporations. It is because of this that most of these organizations are adoptiong Fordist mass production methods. The problem of product diversification will be resolved naturally if economic internationalization progresses further. What is more important for business success is the quality and price competitiveness of firms rather than product diversification. Lastly, in order to dispel further misunderst-anding on this issue, it is imparative that the conceptual ambiguity is resolved most urgently. This study recommends adoption of more speci-fied and direct terminology (such as, factory automation, computer design, out-sourcing, the exploitation of part-time labor, job redesign) rather than that of ideological ones (such as, Taylorism, Fordism, neo-Taylorism, neo-Fordism, post-fordism, flexible specialization, peripheral post-Fordism). As the debates on this topic just started, we still have long way to go until consensus is reached.

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An Overview of Readjustment Measures Against the Banking Industry's Non-Performing Loans (은행부실채권(銀行不實債權) 정리방안(整理方案)에 대한 고찰(考察))

  • Kim, Joon-kyung
    • KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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    • v.13 no.1
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    • pp.35-63
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    • 1991
  • Currently, Korea's banking industry holds a sizable amount of non-performing loans which stem from the government-led bailout of many troubled firms in the 1980s. Although this burden was somewhat relieved with the aid of banks' recapitalization in the booming securities market between 1986-88, the insolvent credits still resulted in low profitability in the banking sector and have been detrimental to the progress of financial liberalization and internationalization. This paper surveys the corporate bailout experiences of major advanced countries and Korea in the past and derives a rationale for readjustment measures against non-performing loans, in which rescue plans depend on the nature of the financial system. Considering the features of Korea's financial system and the banking sector's recent performance, it discusses possible means of liquidation in keeping with the rationale. The conflict of interests among parties involved in non-performing loans is widely known as one of the major constraints in writing off the loans. Specifically, in the case of Korea, the government's excessive intervention in allocating credits has preempted the legitimate role of the banking sector, which now only passively manages its past loans, and has implicitly confused private with public risk. This paper argues that to minimize the incidence of insolvent loan readjustment, the government's role should be reduced and that the correspondent banks should be more active in the liquidation process, through the market mechanism, reflecting their access to detailed information on the troubled firms. One solution is that banks, after classifying the insolvent loans by the lateness or possibility of repayment, would swap the relatively sound loans for preferred stock and gradually write off the bad ones by expanding the banks' retained earnings and revaluing the banks' assets. Specifically, the debt-equity swap can benefit both creditors and debtors in the sense that it raises the liquidity and profitability of bank assets and strengthens the debtor's financial structure by easing the debt service burden. Such a creditor-led or market-led solution improves the financial strength and autonomy of the banking sector, thereby fostering more efficient resource allocation and risk sharing.

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The Effects of Global Entrepreneurship and Social Capital Within Supply Chain on the Export Performance (글로벌 기업가정신과 공급사슬 내 사회적 자본이 수출성과에 미치는 영향)

  • Yoon, Heon-Deok;Kwak, Ki-Young;Seo, Ri-Bin
    • Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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    • v.7 no.3
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    • pp.1-16
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    • 2012
  • Under the international business circumstance, global supply chain management is considered a vital strategic challenge to small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs) suffering from deficient resources and capabilities to exploit overseas markets comparing with large corporations. That is because they can expand their business domains into overseas markets by establishing strategic alliances with global supply chain partners. Although a wide range of previous researches have emphasized the cooperative networks in the chain, most are ignoring the importance of developing relational characteristics such as trust and reciprocity with the partners. Besides, verifying the relational factors influencing firms' export performances, some studies proposed different and inconsistent factors. According to the social capital theory, which is the social quality and networks facilitating close cooperation of inter-individual and inter-organization, provides the integrated view to identify the relational characteristics in the aspects of network, trust and reciprocal norm. Meanwhile, a number of researchers shows that global entrepreneurship is the internal and intangible resource necessary to promote SMEs' internationalization. Upon closer examination, however, they cannot explain clearly its influencing mechanism in the inter-firm cooperative relationships. This study is to verify the effect of social capital accumulated within global supply chain on SMEs' qualitative and quantitative export performance. In addition, we shed new light on global entrepreneurship expected to be concerned with the formation of social capital and the enhancement of export performances. For this purpose, the questionnaires, developed through literature review, were collected from 192 Korean SMEs affiliated in Korean Medium Industries Association and Global Chief Executive Officer's Club focusing on their memberships' international business. As a result of multi-regression analysis, the social capital - network, trust and reciprocal norm shared with global supply chain partner - as well as global entrepreneurship - innovativeness, proactiveness and risk-taking - have positive effect on SMEs' export performances. Also global entrepreneurship affects positively social capital which has mediating effect partially in the relationship between global entrepreneurship and performances. These results means that there is a structural process - global entrepreneurship(input), social capital(output), and export performances(outcome). In other words, a firm should consistently invest in and develop the social capital with global supply chain partners in order to achieve common goals, establish strategic collaborations and obtain long-term export performances. Furthermore, it is required to foster the global entrepreneurship in an organization so as to build up the social capital. More detailed practical issues and discussion are made in the conclusion.

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A Strategy for Environmental Improvement and Internationalization of the IEODO Ocean Research Station's Radiation Observatory (이어도 종합해양과학기지의 복사관측소 환경 개선 및 국제화 추진 전략)

  • LEE, SANG-HO;Zo, Il-SUNG;LEE, KYU-TAE;KIM, BU-YO;JUNG, HYUN-SEOK;RIM, SE-HUN;BYUN, DO-SEONG;LEE, JU-YEONG
    • The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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    • v.22 no.3
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    • pp.118-134
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    • 2017
  • The radiation observation data will be used importantly in research field such as climatology, weather, architecture, agro-livestock and marine science. The Ieodo Ocean Research Station (IORS) is regarded as an ideal observatory because its location can minimize the solar radiation reflection from the surrounding background and also the data produced here can serve as a reference data for radiation observation. This station has the potential to emerge as a significant observatory and join a global radiation observation group such as the Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN), if the surrounding of observatory is improved and be equipped with the essential radiation measuring instruments (pyaranometer and pyrheliometer). IORS has observed the solar radiation using a pyranometer since November 2004 and the data from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2015 were analyzed in this study. During the period of this study, the daily mean solar radiation observed from IORS decreased to $-3.80W/m^2/year$ due to the variation of the sensor response in addition to the natural environment. Since the yellow sand and fine dust from China are of great interest to scientists around the world, it is necessary to establish a basis of global joint response through the radiation data obtained at the Ieodo as well as at Sinan Gageocho and Ongjin Socheongcho Ocean Research Station. So it is an urgent need to improve the observatory surrounding and the accuracy of the observed data.

Multinational Enforcement of the Capital Markets Act - Focusing on the Anti-Fraud Regulation by the Public Regulators - (다국적 차원의 자본시장법규 집행 - 공적기관에 의한 불공정거래 규제를 중심으로 -)

  • Chang, Kun-Young
    • Journal of Legislation Research
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    • no.53
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    • pp.419-454
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    • 2017
  • Faced with the internationalization of capital markets, Korea needs to protect its investors and markets by applying the relevant laws extraterritorially. The Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act ("Capital Markets Act") explicitly introduced a new provision recognizing the extraterritoriality of the Act. While Article 2 of the Capital Markets Act comprehensively provides for prescriptive extraterritorial jurisdiction, the enactment of extraterritoriality alone does not guarantee that the Act will apply to cross-border transactions effectively. The effective extraterritorial application of an act is inseparable from the adjudicative and enforcement jurisdiction of the act. Specifically, active investigations and detections by the public regulators might be the first step for enforcing the Capital Markets Act. Unlike domestic regulations, however, multinational enforcement actions outside a regulator's home country becomes more problematic because of various obstacles. This Article examines difficulties which domestic regulators may confront in enforcing the Capital Markets Act extraterritorially and makes several recommendations for more effective multinational enforcement as follows. First, the Korean regulators should continue to foster cooperation through the IOSCO and provide international markets with the information and tools necessary for successful regulation of cross-border transactions. Second, the principle of dual criminality should be applied in a modified form for the effective mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. Third, there should be a legal device for the domestic regulator to freeze foreign wrongdoer's assets located outside Korea to repatriate those assets for distribution to defrauded investors in Korea.

A Study on Documentation Strategy for Archiving Locality (지역 아카이빙을 위한 기록화방안 연구)

  • Kwon, Soon-Myung;Lee, Seung-Hwi
    • The Korean Journal of Archival Studies
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    • no.21
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    • pp.41-84
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    • 2009
  • Lots of cultures, memories, histories of the local life have disappeared. Some sectors of universities and religion have keep their records in manuscript archive only. On the other hand records of public sectors were at least able to be managed by the records management law. Citizen's groups and academic bounds were also roles to get public records strong. However can we just describe whole body with only public records? As records management law a record of private sector which has value of preserving can be managed under national protection. Yet establishment of local archive is not obligate. Only stressing on public records is like what dictatorial government acted in past years. It is what we ignore diversity and request of community. We need to move our view that we have focused on public and central sectors to private and local sectors. Local records management based on locality could help to complete the entire puzzle. The way complete the puzzle is various and wide spheres including from cultural space to being extinct village. Locality is defined as the property in certain area or distinctiveness of locals. Establishing production strategies is as important as collecting records produced over the past years for local archiving. Local archiving has to be regionally conducted in phase. Moreover common wealth and recognition of communities are reflected in the acquisition process. In next to archiving local organizations and private records according to collection policy, methodology on local archiving needs for archive management and use in various public and private fields. This methodology could be possible by building a local archive networking tool. It is true that Local archiving is not familiar and clear yet. If we can turn the effort for public records we have made to endeavor for private sectors, we might expect big fruits in private sectors. We easily emphasis on globalization or internationalization, our daily lives start on our villages. Setting aside our small communities, such a puzzle of the whole would never be completed. This is good time to begin finding lost puzzle for future. The key that can find lost puzzles be held in archiving localities.

The research on enhance the reinforcement of marine crime and accident using geographical profiling (지리적 프로파일링을 활용한 해양 범죄 및 해양사고 대응력 강화에 관한 연구)

  • Soon, Gil-Tae
    • Korean Security Journal
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    • no.48
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    • pp.147-176
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    • 2016
  • Korean Peninsula is surrounded by ocean on three sides. Because of this geographical quality over 97% of export and import volumes are exchange by sea. Foreign ship and international passenger vessels carries foreign tourist and globalization and internationalization increases this trends. Leisure population grows with national income increase and interest of ocean. And accidents and incidents rates are also increases. Korea Coast Guard's jurisdiction area is 4.5 times bigger than our country. The length of coastline is 14,963km including islands. One patrol vessel is responsible for 24,068km and one coast guard substation is responsible for 94km. Efficient patrol activities can not be provided. This research focus on this problem. Analyze the status and trends of maritime crime and suggest efficient patrol activities. To deal with increasing maritime crime rate this study suggest to use geographical profile method which developed early 1900s in USA. This geographical profile analyse the spatial characteristic and mapping this result. With this result potential crime zone can be predicted. One of the result is hot spot management which gives data about habitual crime zone. In Korea National Police Agency adopt this method in 2008 and apply on patrol and crime prevention activity by analysis of different criteria. Korea National Police Agency analyse the crime rate with crime type, crime zone and potential crime zone, and hourly, regionally criteria. Korea Coast Guard need to adopt this method and apply on maritime to make maritime crime map, which shows type of crime with regional, periodical result. With this geographical profiling we can set a Criminal Point which shows the place where the crime often occurs. The Criminal Points are set with the data of numerous rates such as homicide, robbery, burglary, missing, collision which happened in ocean. Set this crime as the major crime and manage the data more thoroughly. I expect to enhance the reinforcement of marine crime using this Criminal Points. Because this points will give us efficient way to prevent the maritime crime by placing the patrol vessel where they needed most.

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The New Conflict of Laws Act of the Republic of Korea (개정 국제사법(國際私法)의 소개 : 국제거래(國際去來)에 미치는 영향을 중심으로)

  • Suk, Kwang-Hyun
    • THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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    • v.20
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    • pp.23-62
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    • 2003
  • The Law amending the Conflict of Laws Act of the Republic of Korea ("Korea"), which had taken two years to prepare, was promulgated on April 7, 2001 and finally took effect as of July 1, 2001. Accordingly, the old earlier Conflict of Laws Act which was called "Seoboesabeop" in Korean ("Prior Act"Old Act) was replaced by the new Conflict of Laws Act called "Gukjesabeop" in Korean ("New Act"). In fact the Old Act Prior Act was promulgated in 1962, but it was regarded as outdated from the moment of its promulgation. However, since the Old Act because it was modeled after the chapter of the Private International Law of the Einfuehrungsgesetz zum Buergerlichen Gesetzbuch (EGBGB) of the Federal Republic of Germany ("German PIL") and the Japanese Private International Law ("Japanese PIL") which had been promulgated toward the end of the 19th century., the Old Act was viewed as outdated from the moment of its promulgation. As a result of the drastic change of the environment for international trade of which that has taken took place in parallel with the global information technology revolution on a global basis, the scope of issues to be addressed which should be resolved by the conflict of laws principles has been remarkably expanded, and various new issues of an entirely which are quite new in its type and nature have arisen been raised. In the field of conflict of laws in its narrow sense, a revolution or crisis of the traditional conflict of laws has been brought about by the advent in the United States rise of a the new methodology for of the conflict of laws, of the United States of America and in the process of overcoming the such crisis the conflict of laws of the European continent has undergone substantial changes such as the diversification of the connecting principles, the expansion of the principle of party autonomy and the consideration of the value of the substantive law to protect socio-economically weaker parties of. The Prior Act, which was based on However, with the mechanical connecting principles and contained various outdated the inappropriate provisions, the Old Act could not cope with the issues raised by the internationalization and globalization of the Korean society. Furthermore In addition, the Old Act Prior Act was regarded as insufficient in that it lacked rules on international jurisdiction to adjudicate, or international adjudicatory jurisdiction, whereas the expectation of the public was that the Conflict of Laws a Act should function as the "Basic Law of the International Legal Relationships"encompassing rules on international jurisdiction given the increase of international disputes. Furthermore the private international law has also attracted more attention from the Korean At the beginning of the new Millennium, thanks to the promulgation of the New Act, I believe that Korea has succeeded in achieving the modest goal of reflecting in the its codification substantial parts of the major developments of the private international law which the leading advanced continental European countries had achieved during the last century. The New Act has followed the approach of the traditional conflict of laws of the European continent. It is a product of the efforts to eliminate the then existing problems of the Prior Old Act and to adapt the Korean private international law regime to the standard of international conventions and national laws of advanced countries. Unlike the Prior Old Act which was heavily dependent upon the prior Japanese PIL and the prior German PIL, the New Act has been prepared by taking into full account the Rome Convention, the Swiss PIL, the new German PIL which took effect in 1986 and various conventions adopted by the Hague Conference. Therefore, the New Act has substantially reduced dependence upon the Japanese PIL and the German PIL, and has gained relatively greater universal validity. The fact that the New Act expressly declares that the determination of international jurisdiction is a matter of conflict of laws is a clear sign that it has departed from the German tradition which confines the conflict of laws principles to choice of laws rules, and moved toward a broader and more practical approach widely accepted in the area of conflict of laws. It is hoped, and I am personally confident, that the New Act will be able to achieve its intended objectives in the 21st century as the basic law for the ever-increasing legal relationships with a foreign element.

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A Grounded theory Approach on the Experience of Sexual Abuse Victims (성폭력 피해여성의 경험에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Kyung-Hee;Nam, Sun-Young;Chee, Soon-Ju;Kwon, Hye-Jin;Chung, Yeon-Kang
    • Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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    • v.9 no.1
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    • pp.77-98
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    • 1996
  • This studies designed to work out a theoretical framework on the experience of sexual abuse from the perspective of grounded theory in an effort to provide more practical and efficient nursing intervention for female victims. The subcategories identified were "sexual abuse", "threatening", "absent mindness", "embarrassment", "horripilation", "dizziness", "wondrousness", "filthiness", "sexual curiosity", "violence level", "victim's age", "neighbors response", "victims personality", "common experience", "sexual abuse information", "family relations", "level of familiarity", "hiding", "suppression", "self-torture", "self-protection", "avoidance", "asking aid", "withdrawal", "hatred", "confusion", "dodging, "remmant", and "pursuing". The 29 subcategories given above were further integrated into 16 categories such as "victimizedness", "being astounded", "filthiness", "degree", "developmental stage", "response pattern", "personality", "rarity", "information availability", "family support", "cover-up", "escaping", "informing", "negative internalization", and "positive pursuit of change". The core categories linked to all the other categories turned out to be "being taken aback" and "filthiness" incorporating the relevant subcategories. A total of 23 theoretical hypothesis emerged in the process of analyzing data. 1. the grater sexual curiosity, the weaker the senses of being taken aback and filthiness. 2. The weaker sexual curiosity, the stronger the senses of being taken aback and filthiness. 3. The stronger the level of violence, The more violent the senses of being taken aback and filthiness. 4. The lower the level of violence, the weaker the senses of being taken aback and filthiness. 5. The younger the victims, the stronger the senses of being taken aback and filthiness. 6. The older the victims, The weaker the senses of being taken aback and filthiness. 7. 'Escaping' will transpire regardless of the given circumstances. 8. The weaker the senses of being taken aback and filthiness, the more probable 'informing' and 'escaping' transpire. 9. The stronger the senses of being taken aback and filthiness, the more probable 'informing' and 'escaping' transpire. 10. The more protective the response from 'informing' and 'escaping' transpire around, the more likely the response to being taken aback' and 'filthiness' will be 'informing' and 'escaping'. 11. The more repelling the response from around, the more likely the response to 'being taken aback' and 'filthiness' will be 'covering-up' and 'escaping'. 12. The more open minded the personality of the subject, the more likely the response to 'being taken aback' and 'filthiness' will be 'informing' and 'escaping'. 13. The more closed the personality of tile subject, the more likely the response to 'being taken aback' and 'filthiness' will be 'covering-up' and 'escaping'. 14. The more frequent the experience of sexual abuse, the more likely the response to 'being taken aback' and 'filthiness' will be 'informing' and 'escaping'. 15. The less frequent the experience of sexual abuse, the more lilely the response to 'being taken aback' and 'filthiness' will be 'covering-up' and 'escaping'. 16. The more available information concerning sexual abuses, the more likely response to 'being taken aback' and 'filthiness' will be 'informing' and 'escaping. 17. The less available information concerning sexual abuses, the more likely the response to 'being taken aback' and 'filthiness' will be 'covering-up' and 'escaping'. 18. The more cohesive the family of the subject, the more likely the response to 'being taken aback' and 'filthiness' will be 'informing' and 'escaping'. 19. The less cohesive the family of the subject, the more likely the response to 'being taken aback' and 'filthiness' will be 'covering-up' and 'escaping'. 20. The less familiar the subject is with the abuser, the more likely the response to 'being taken aback' and 'filthiness' will be 'informing' and 'escaping'. 21. The less familiar the subject is with the abuser, the more likely the response to 'being taken aback' and 'filthiness' will be 'covering-up' and 'escaping. 22. The more likely the response to 'being taken aback' and 'filthiness' is 'informing and 'escaping', the more positive changes the subject will pursue. 23. The more likely the response to 'being taken aback' and 'filthiness' is 'covering-up' and 'escaping', the more negative changes the subject will pursue. The following four hypotheses were conformed in the process of data analysis. 1) In case the level of violence is strong but 'being taken aback' and 'filthiness' in weak because of strong sexual curiosity and also if information concerning sexual abuse is not readily available and the frequency is low, negative internationalization marked by 'covering-up' and 'escaping' will take place despite the fact the subject is open-minded, the family is cohesive and the abuser is unfamiliar. 2) In case the level of violence is weak but 'being taken aback' and 'filthiness' is weak combined with weak sexual curiosity and also if information concerning sexual abuse is readily available and the response from around is protective and the frequency is high, the subject will pursue positive changes to 'being taken aback' and 'filthiness', further aided by the fact that the subject is open-minded, the family is cohesive and the abuser is unfamiliar. 3) In case the level of violence is strong and 'being taken abuse' and 'filthiness' is strong because of weak sexual curiosity and also if information concerning sexual abuse is reading available and the response from around is readily available and the response from around is protective and the frequency is low, the subject will persue positive changes marked by 'informing' and 'escaping' despite the fact that the family cohesion is weak and the abuser is familiar. 4) In case the level of violence is strong and 'being taken aback' and 'filthiness' is strong because of weak sexual curiosity and also if information concerning sexual abuse is not readily available and the response from around is respelling and the frequency is low negative internalization like 'covering-up' and 'escaping' will take place, further aggravated by the fact that the subject's personality is closed, family cohesion is weak, and subject is familiar. On the basis of the above finding, it is recommended that nursing intervention should focus on promoting the milieu conductive to the victims pursuing positive changes along with the adequate aids from protection facilities as well as from the people around them.

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Structural Adjustment of Domestic Firms in the Era of Market Liberalization (시장개방(市場開放)과 국내기업(國內企業)의 구조조정(構造調整))

  • Seong, So-mi
    • KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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    • v.13 no.4
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    • pp.91-116
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    • 1991
  • Market liberalization progressing simultaneously with high and rapidly rising domestic wages has created an adverse business environment for domestic firms. Korean firms are losing their international competitiveness in comparison to firms from LDC(Less Developed Countries) in low-tech industries. In high-tech industries, domestic firms without government protection (which is impossible due to the liberalization policy and the current international status of the Korean economy) are in a disadvantaged position relative to firms from advanced countries. This paper examines the division of roles between the private sector and the government in order to achieve a successful structural adjustment, which has become the impending industrial policy issue caused by high domestic wages, on the one hand, and the opening of domestic markets, on the other. The micro foundation of the economy-wide structural adjustment is actually the restructuring of business portfolios at the firm level. The firm-level business restructuring means that firms in low-value-added businesses or with declining market niches establish new major businesses in higher value-added segments or growing market niches. The adjustment of the business structure at the firm level can only be accomplished by accumulating firm-specific managerial assets necessary to establish a new business structure. This can be done through learning-by-doing in the whole system of management, including research and development, manufacturing, and marketing. Therefore, the voluntary cooperation among the people in the company is essential for making the cost of the learning process lower than that at the competing companies. Hence, firms that attempt to restructure their major businesses need to induce corporate-wide participation through innovations in organization and management, encourage innovative corporate culture, and maintain cooperative labor unions. Policy discussions on structural adjustments usually regard firms as a black box behind a few macro variables. But in reality, firm activities are not flows of materials but relationships among human resources. The growth potential of companies are embodied in the human resources of the firm; the balance of interest among stockholders, managers, and workers of the company' brings the accumulation of the company's core competencies. Therefore, policymakers and economists shoud change their old concept of the firm as a technological black box which produces a marketable commodities. Firms should be regarded as coalitions of interest groups such as stockholders, managers, and workers. Consequently the discussion on the structural adjustment both at the macroeconomic level and the firm level should be based on this new paradigm of understanding firms. The government's role in reducing the cost of structural adjustment and supporting should the creation of new industries emphasize the following: First, government must promote the competition in domestic markets by revising laws related to antitrust policy, bankruptcy, and the promotion of small and medium-sized companies. General consensus on the limitations of government intervention and the merit of deregulation should be sought among policymakers and people in the business world. In the age of internationalization, nation-specific competitive advantages cannot be exclusively in favor of domestic firms. The international competitiveness of a domestic firm derives from the firm-specific core competencies which can be accumulated by internal investment and organization of the firm. Second, government must build up a solid infrastructure of production factors including capital, technology, manpower, and information. Structural adjustment often entails bankruptcies and partial waste of resources. However, it is desirable for the government not to try to sustain marginal businesses, but to support the diversification or restructuring of businesses by assisting in factor creation. Institutional support for venture businesses needs to be improved, especially in the financing system since many investment projects in venture businesses are highly risky, even though they are very promising. The proportion of low-value added production processes and declining industries should be reduced by promoting foreign direct investment and factory automation. Moreover, one cannot over-emphasize the importance of future-oriented labor policies to be based on the new paradigm of understanding firm activities. The old laws and instititutions related to labor unions need to be reformed. Third, government must improve the regimes related to money, banking, and the tax system to change business practices dependent on government protection or undesirable in view of the evolution of the Korean economy as a whole. To prevent rational business decisions from contradicting to the interest of the economy as a whole, government should influence the business environment, not the business itself.

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