• Health Policy and Management
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.65-88
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• 2004

In general, empowerment is defined as the motivational concept of autonomy and self-efficacy. Recently, the concept of empowerment is applied to improve organizational staff's job satisfaction and organizational commitment in many organizations. Empower-ment in service organizations, i.e., hospitals, has certainly generated more publicity than any other organizations. The objectives of this study are, first, to measure the degree of hospital employees' empowerment using Spreitzer(1995)'s empowerment theory, second, to analyze the causal relationship of organizational and job characteristics, a degree of empowerment, and organizational performance(job satisfaction and organizational commitment), and third, to offer the strategy for the improvement of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Spreitzer insists that the empowerment is composed of 4 dimensions(meaning, competence, self-determination, and impact). And he argues that various work-related characteristics is a direct cause of empowerment and the indirect cause of job satisfaction and organizational commitment, mediated by the empowerment latent variable. In order to perform this study, data were collected by self-administered questionnaires from hospital employees working in administrative department of 3 university hospitals in Inchon and Kyunggi-Do region. The number of cases is 181(response rate; 86%). The Collected data were analyzed with SPSS Ver. 10.0 and AMOSV Ver. 4.0. First, to test validity of variables, the factor analysis was used. Second, to test reliability, Cronbach's alpha coefficients was calculated. Cronbach's alpha of empowerment variable is 0.8323 showing that there's no problem in regard to the internal consistency. Also the Cronbach's alpha of other variables are 0.8301 of the degree of perceived control, 0.6705 of job characteristics, O.8787 of compensation, 0.9254 of job satisfaction, and 0.8389 of organizational commitment, respectively. Among the questions of job characteristics, two survey questions are deleted due to lowering the reliability. Third, to test multicollinearity and correlation of variables, the correlation analysis was performed. There was no problem of multicollinearity. Finally structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis was conducted to find the causal relationship of organizational and job Characteristics, empowerment, job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The 16 variables are included for the SEM analysis. The major results of this study are as follows: First, in the case of model fitness, the condition of x$^2$ statistic(92.187) is not fully satisfied, but the indices of GFI(0.912), AGFI(0.863), NFI(0.917) and CFI(0.928) are partially satisfied, which needs to upper 0.90. Second, in the result of hypotheses testing, all hypotheses are accepted and have a positive effect in 95% or 99% confidence interval(P<0.05 or P<0.001) except the effect of compensation variable on empowerment(P=0.082). Third, in regard to the direct, indirect, and total effect of variables, the direct effect of perceived control, task characteristics, and compensation on job satisfaction are 0.728, 2.264, 0.328 and on organizational commitment are 0.094, 1.411, 0.418, respectively. Also the indirect effect of perceived control, task characteristics, and compensation on job satisfaction are 0.311, 0.196, 0.028 and on organizational commitment are 0.210, 0.132, 0.019, respectively. Thus, these findings imply that various work-related factors are direct effect of empowerment and indirect effect of result variables, job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Also These results showed that the workplace empowerment is significant mediating factor of employee's job satisfaction and organizational commitment.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.28 no.2 s.50
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• pp.334-346
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• 1995

To investigate the factors influencing workers' perception and attitude toward special periodic health screening test for workers, a survey with self-administered questionnaires was performed on 779 workers who had special periodic health screening test from September 1 to October 15, 1994. A study model was developed by modifying the health belief model. The end and intermediate response variables of the model were the voluntary participation and necessity perception on the special screening for workers. The result of analysis was consistent with the study model. Rates for the necessity perception and voluntary participation on the special screening for workers were 77.2%, 79.2%, respectively. Factors influencing on the voluntary participation were necessity perception, benefit of special screening for workers, and cue to action. And on the necessity perception were susceptibility and severity to occupational disease, knowledge to special screening for workers, and support of company. General and occupational characteristics influencing on the susceptibility and severity to occupational disease were sex, age, educational level, work duration, and health education. On the knowledge to special screening for workers were age, educational level, work duration, and locus-of-control. On the benefit of special screening for workers were age, locus-of-control, pride on health, and health education. Therefore, to increase the voluntary participation and necessity perception on the special periodic health screening for workers, 1) if a worker is judged as occupational disease, the judgment should be widely known in his workplace, 2) the screening result forms should be directly sent to the workers themselves, 3) for the positivity of employers, the campaign and education program subjected to them should be planned, 4) health education should give the first consideration to the younger, lower educational level, and newly employed women, and its frequency should be increased and it should be more frequently dealt with occupation-related subjects, and 5) the employers should have a careful concern in not being disadvantageous to workers due to result of screening.

• Korean Journal of Family Social Work
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• no.58
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• pp.5-36
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• 2017

This study aims to empirically analyze whether the women's cognitive attitude toward gender role, which is formed through social norms, enforces the gender division of housework. In this study, 4,435 married women aged 18-59 years from the 5th wave dataset of Korean Longutudinal Survey of Women and Family Data were selected for analysis. Using the Structural Equation Model(SEM), we examine the direct effect of "attitude toward behavior" and "subjective norm" on the domestic working hours and whether those two independent variables, such as "attitude toward behavior" and "subjective norm," influence the mediator variable "Behavior Intention" which in turn affect the dependent variable. The study reveals that "attitude toward the gender division of housework" has a statistically significant direct effect on the domestic working hours as well as an indirect effect operating through "behavior intention." And"subjective norm "has only a statistically significant indirect effect on the domestic working hours, operating through "behavior intention." Despite the fact that many women are now aware that various work-life balance policies are avaliable to mitigate the gender inequality of domestic works, it is proven that the gender division of housework becomes worse. The reason behind this is not only because there exist some problems in implementing the institutions themselves, but also because women's deeply internalized self-perception of gender role based on the traditional patriarchal culture somehow exacerbates the gender division of housework. Hence, in order to instill a progressive change in gender division of housework, it is important for women to try to change the way they perceive the stereotypical gender roles as well as for men to treat women equally.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.161-167
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• 2020

Objectives : Although the seasonality of suicide is a well-known phenomenon, little is reported about the seasonality of non-suicidal self-injury. The purpose of this study was to identify the seasonality of wristcutting behavior and to examine its relationship with meteorological factors. Methods : To identify the presence of seasonality, we investigated whether there was a difference in the average number of visits per month to an emergency room (ER) of an urban hospital for 226 patients with wrist-cutting behavior enrolled between December 2014 and May 2019. To ascertain significant meteorological factors, we used the multiple Poisson regression using generalized additive model with time, monthly temperature, monthly sunshine hour, and atmospheric pressure in the prior month as explanatory variables. Results : In males, the average number of monthly visits to the ER for wrist cutting behavior differed by month and was the highest in September (male : p=0.048, female : p=0.21, total : p=0.28). As a result of multiple regression analysis, the average number of patients admitted to the ER for wrist cutting behavior was related to the interaction between atmospheric pressure in the prior month and temperature in males (p=0.010), and showed a positive correlation with sunlight in females [p=0.044, β=4.70×10-3, 95% CI=(1.19×10-4, 9.27×10-3)]. Conclusions : Wrist cutting behavior shows seasonality in male, which is associated with changes in meteorological variables.

• Management & Information Systems Review
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.31-66
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• 2015

The purpose of this research is to examine that internal virtue (i.e. virtue between organizational members) and external virtue (i.e. virtue between organizational members and external members) positively associate with job performance when considering organizational identification, positive work-related identity, affective commitment, emotional exhaustion, and collective self-esteem as mediators. Virtue in organization has received attention as critical attribute of positive organizational scholarship. Cameron(2003) defined the study of virtue as a study of the capacity, attributes, and reserve in organization that facilitates the expression of positive deviance among organization member. In addition, this study contributes to the qualitative investigation on how internal giving virtue (i.e. the employees' virtue for their organization), internal receiving virtue (i.e. virtue employees receive from their organization), external giving virtue (i.e. the organization's virtue for society), and external receiving virtue (i.e. virtue the organization receives from society), used as independent variables, influence job performance after creating research model for the four virtuous behaviors through qualitative research. Therefore, this research contributes to the creation of research model for virtuous behaviors within organizations and virtuous behaviors with external members through qualitative study and sheds light on how these variables influence job performance by virtue of qualitative research.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.519-533
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• 2010

Activity oefficients and solubilities of L-Alanine in aqueous solutions containing each of four electrolytes(NaCl, KCl, $NaNO_3$ and $KNO_3$) were measured at 298.15 K. The measurements of activity coefficients were carried out in the electrochemical cell coupled with two ion-selective electrodes(cation and anion), and the solubilities were measured by the gravimetric analysis of saturated solutions in equilibrium with the solid phase of L-alanine. To model the activity coefficients and solubilities of amino acid in the amino acid/electrolyte aqueous solutions, thermodynamic relations of the residual Helmholtz free energy in the amino acid/electrolyte aqueous solutions were developed based on the perturbed-chain statistical associating fluid theory(PC-SAFT) combined with the primitive mean spherical approximation(primitive-MSA). In the present model, it is assumed that the zwitterions of L-alanine are associated with each other and cross-associated with water molecules, and also cross-associated with the cation and anion dissociated from an electrolyte(inorganic salt). The activity coefficients and solubilities of L-Alanine calculated from the theoretical model proposed in this work are found to be well agreeable with experimental data.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.1609-1619
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• 2016

The aim of this study was to identify the construct validity and reliability of a Korean version of the Wellness Evaluation of Lifestyle (K-WEL). A total of 345 nursing students completed the 99-item K-WEL. Construct validity using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted using SPSS WIN 22.0 and AMOS 18.0. The final K-WEL consisted of 71 scored items, 14 subscales (self worth, work, spirituality, gender identity, love, friendship, realistic belief, leisure, exercise, nutrition, stress management, emotional responsiveness, sense of control, sense of humor) and 4 factors (essential, social, physical and coping self). Goodness of fit of the final research model was acceptable as shown by ${\chi}^2=225.12$, p<.001, CMIN/DF=3.17, RMSEA=.08, NFI=.87, IFI=.91, CFI=.91. The convergent validity and discriminant validity was evaluated by AVE (.61~.69) and C.R. (.79~.89). The Cronbach's alpha values were .55~.87 for the subscales of K-WEL. This study shows that the K-WEL is a valid and reliable measurement to assess multidimensional aspects of wellness.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.106-124
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• 1996

This paper reviews battering, sexual violence and divorce experienced among women. There three problems have negative influence on health status in women and are further developed to social problems such as family dissolution. The victims of the problems may manifest physical injury, emotional difficulties and social withdrawl, while their children may show problems caused by lack of parental caring and by resembling abusive behaviors of their parents. Hence, nurses need to pay attention to batting, sexual violence, and divorce and to develop relevant nursing interventions for them. Some strategies of dealing with those problems are presented in the following. First, we have to eliminate sexism prevailing in out society. Our society is assigning inequal and asymmetrical gender role. Mass media should inspire equality between genders and show a healthy model of family and community. Second, social system and laws should be changed through collective efforts. Those living conditions of women cannot be changed by the effort of women themselves only. We all need to work for establishing and changing the law, so that those women in suffering can obtain immediate and adequate protection. Third, social support system of consulting and referring women's problems should be established. Such support system as hot line, shelter and counseling clinics would help women in crisis. Fourth, job training and arrangement should be available to women who are divorced. Fifth, there should be self-help group for those women in suffering. Self-help group would help those women in sharing their problems and feelings and in establishing coping strategies. Nurses, as the largest group among health professionals, are sensitive and respond to health needs of clients and have an effect on managing women's health. However, we nurses have not been ready for dealing with problems of women, although most of us are women. we not need to change our perspective of women's health problems from a traditional medical perspective to feministic one. Accordingly, nurses need to develop realistic way of caring those women in suffering and to assist them in making decisions for their lives by themselves.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.31-60
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• 2005

This study was performed to analyze empowerment process of the disabled. Participants were 11 disabled college students and they were individually face-to-face in-depth interviewed until data were saturated. This study used the grounded theory approach based on Strauss and Corbin(1998). With the qualitative constant comparative analysis, 105 concepts, 22 subcategories, and 12 categories were generated. In the axial coding, a paradigm model was proposed as follows: The central phenomenon of the empowerment process of the disabled adolescents was 'Rising from the Limits'. The causal conditions were 'Just living' and 'realizing disabilities'. The contextual conditions were 'Being excluded', 'But wishing', and 'Breaking down'. The intervening conditions were 'Without giving up' and 'Taking support'. The action/interaction strategies were 'Grasping own lifestyle' and 'Being proactive'. The consequences were 'Acquiring the self-control', 'Getting generosity', and 'Participating in society'. In the selective coding, the core category was 'to live together stately with grasping own lifestyle pro-actively as the disabled'. Based on the core category, three types and 4 stages of the empowerment process of the disabled adolescents were found. The types were 'Social change oriented type', 'Self-development oriented type', and 'Passive effort oriented type' and the stages took 'Isolation stage', 'Rising stage', 'Mastering stage' and 'Stately being together stage'. In particular, this process had the circulation structure of which these 4 stages are not terminated, and developed and repeated. In conclusion, these results convey to us the understanding and knowledge about empowerment process of the disabled as their healthy -whole and unique- development process. And some implications and suggestions for the social work services and theories about the disabled focusing on the pre-adulthood period.

• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.14 no.spc
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• pp.1285-1311
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• 2011

In this research, we investigated both present and potential entrepreneurs who are over 20 years old. The theme was that how businessmen's manners toward business and danger-perception have difference and are affected according to various factors. Besides, we also worked on the influence of manners toward enterprise and risk-perception variable on intention of starting and maintaining a business by using a decision-making model of consumers. The results are the followings. First, attitude toward enterprise was positive when the entrepreneur is man or unprofessional. This phenomenon was also observed if his or her parents had business foundation experience or he or she has self-realization motive rather than economical. Meanwhile, danger-recognition was high when the entrepreneur has no job, is more than 40 years old, has business background, or has affirmative enterprise attitude. Second, people who are man, have parents with business background or have self-realization motive on business foundation were more willing to start a business. Meanwhile, people who have affirmative enterprise manners, company with sales from 11 billion to 100 billion won or no business failure experience had high intention to maintain a business. Third, businessmen who are men, work in unprofessional job or have business experience had more strong desire to establish enterprise. Meantime, people who are old, have no jobs or have enterprise experience showed high danger-recognition level. At last, people who are men or jobless had strong will to start a business. So did the people who have positive attitude toward business or have parents who have business experience. Meantime, people with affirmative business manners or no experience of enterprise failure had strong intention to keep business.