• Journal of Distribution Science
• /
• v.12 no.12
• /
• pp.83-92
• /
• 2014

Purpose - A business ecosystem refers to mutually dependent systems interconnected by a loose foundation of various ecosystem members such as customers, suppliers, partners, and other stakeholders. The ecosystem-based strategy attempts to achieve competitive advantage for firms by enriching a business ecosystem or building a sustainable business ecosystem through the collaboration and co-evolution of its members. A sustainable business ecosystem is a source of competitiveness for firms anda manageable resource for gaining a competitive advantage. Customers represent the core membership of the business ecosystem and play a pivotal role in building a sustainable business ecosystem. This study examines the effects of customer participation on economic and social value in the business ecosystem and suggests a course of action for building a sustainable business ecosystem. Research design, data, and methodology - Two business cases of South Korea are selected from two different business types: business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C) firms. Business ecosystems for B2B and B2C firms reflect contrasting characteristics. Data was collected from in-depth interviews with four representatives of four firms. Results - The study suggested seven propositions for the relationships between customer participation and a sustainable business ecosystem through multiple case studies based on in-depth interviews. The results reveal the following four strategic actions for building sustainable business ecosystems based on the suggested propositions: alignment, systemization, socialization, and co-evolution. Alignment refers to achieving a harmonic balance or virtuous circle among the firm's mission, investment, and value creation. Systemization refers to building and implementing management and infrastructure systems rooted in the corporate culture. Socialization of customers in the business ecosystem reinforces the harmony or virtuous cycle. Finally, co-evolution is associated with the relationship between firms and customers as buyer firms in a restricted business ecosystem. Conclusions - This study considers multiple cases for the execution of a sustainable business ecosystem in collaboration with customers and suggests seven propositions and four strategic actions. The results are based on qualitative data from interviews with business associates from two firms in an open business ecosystem and two firms in a restricted business ecosystem, both in South Korea. Our research results regarding two contrasting business ecosystems shed light on business issues and policy making in Asian business environments, which are in the transition stages from a traditional conglomerate-driven to an inclusive growth-driven economy. The business ecosystem itself should be considered a manageable resource for firms' competitive positions in the market. A customer is a member of the business ecosystem and should thus be viewed not only as a purchasing entity and an object of relationship management but also as a co-creator of value. Therefore, firms should collaborate with customers to build sustainable business ecosystems. For this, firms must create social value, which cannot be created by customers alone, within the business ecosystem. Then, customers participate in a business ecosystem and build it to be favorable to them. Implications for academics and practitioners were suggested.

• Journal of Distribution Science
• /
• v.10 no.11
• /
• pp.79-88
• /
• 2012

Purpose - The objective of this paper is to suggest that a company's CRM activities have an effect on customer loyalty in the Korean retail industry. Typically, Korean customers use large local marts with convenience in the absence of any other choice. Therefore, this study aims to shed light on the fact that customers do not break away from their preferred retail stores, either owing to their stringent loyalty (the lie loyalty) or difficulty in turning to alternative choices. Research design, data, methodology - By surveying a sample of 200 hyper-markets through a questionnaire, and excluding dubious and missing responses, I obtained 181 samples to be included in the empirical analysis. The survey was conducted for two weeks during October 2011. AMOS and SPSS18 statistical packages were used for conducting statistical analysis for this study. This paper was developed using the concept of customer equity on CRM, which is known to have a positive impact on customer loyalty through the satisfaction and switching-barrier parameters. The hypothesis of this paper is that customer equity is composed of relationship equity, value equity and brand equity, and that the relationship equity variable has positive effects on the value equity and brand equity amongst other types of customer equity. Moreover, customer equity influences customer loyalty through parameters including customer satisfaction and switching costs in the Korean retail industry. Results - According to the results of the analysis, it was confirmed that relationship value had a positive effect (+) on all variables, including the perceived QoS (Quality of Service), store brand images, economic value, and store convenience. It was also confirmed that the assumption that the perceived QoS (Quality of Service), economic value, and store convenience had a positive effect on customer satisfaction was shown to be statistically significant, with a p-value below 0.05. Only the store brand value variable had an effect on the switching-cost variable with respect to the causal sequence of the variables, including the perceived QoS, store brand value, economic value, and store convenience. The remaining variables did not seem to influence the switching-cost variable. On the other hand, another effect showed that customer satisfaction had a statistically significant influence on the switching-costs variable. Moreover, the customer satisfaction and switching-cost variables also had a statistical influence on customer loyalty. Conclusions - The CRM activities had an influence on various variables (including perceived QoS, perceived economic value, store brand value, and store convenience) pertaining to customer values. Customer satisfaction and switching-cost had some effects on customer loyalty as a parameter. This confirms that stringent loyalty exists with respect to customer loyalty in the retail industry. The fact that the variable had such a statistically significant influence on the switching-cost and store brand equity variables means that consumers react to the reputation of a brand, confidence about the store, and quality confidence. The implications of this study in the retail industry should be further extended to devise strategies for customer retention.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
• /
• v.6 no.5
• /
• pp.315-328
• /
• 2015

The purpose of this study is to explore undergraduate students' self-growth experiences in a counseling skills training course. Participants of this study were seven students who completed the counseling skills course in a university. The analysis was done on the weekly reflective journals they had written during the course using Colaizzi's phenomenological qualitative method. As a result, 26 themes and 11 theme clusters which emerged: projecting oneself onto client, exploring interpersonal dynamics, approaching one's emotions, discovering oneself that he was not conscious of, examining connection between the present and the past, experiencing difficulties due to facing self, feeling concerned about performing a role as counselor, increasing growth motive, finding value of self-awareness, trying new actions, expanding acceptance of oneself and others. Likewise, undergraduate students were experiencing self-growth in a variety of aspects. This study has implications in that it shed a rich light on the self-growth of a counselor that has not received much attention so far. In the future, this study can be utilized in the development of holistic counseling training programs that would systematically facilitate counselors' self-growth.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.36 no.2
• /
• pp.91-98
• /
• 1998

The present study was performed to observe characteristics of the lifE history of Echinoparvphium recunpatum under both natural and laboratory conditions in Korea. A batch of Rcnix aunculnria corecna was collected from Sunamchon, one of the stream of West Naktonggang (River), in Kangso-gu, Pusan during August and September 1992. Out of 106 snails examined by crushing,52 (49.0%) were infected with larval E. recurvaum i.e. rediae, cercariae and metacercariae. Cercariae naturally shed from snails encysted in the snails of same species and loaches, but not in mud-snails. Adult worms were detected from chicks and ducks experimentally infected with metacercariae, but not from rats and mice. The average recovery rate of adults from chicks was 13.1%. Rediae were sac-like, $2.437{\;}{\times}{\;}0.317{\;}mm$ in average size, with a muscular pharynx and a brownish cecum which reached the anterior half of the body. Cercariae consisted of a spindle-shaped body ($0.262{\;}{\times}{\;}0.129{\;}mm$ in average) and a rod-like tail ($0.528{\;}{\times}{\;}0.056{\;}mm$ in average). In the cercarial body, 45 collar spines were observed on the head crown, and double rows of excretory ducts with fine granules were laterally arranged between the pharynnx and the ventral sucker. Metacercariae were spherical, $0.144{\;}{\times}{\;}0.142{\;}mm in average size, with thick hyaline outer and thin elastic inner walls, and many excretory granules. Adults were slender and more attenuated in the anterior end, $0.2760{\;}{\times}{\;}0.550{\;}mm$ in average size, and had 45 collar spines including four end group spines on both ventral corners. From the above results, it was confirmed that R. auriculnna corennc plays a pivotal role in the life cycle of 5. recuwatum as the first and/or second intermediate hosts in Korea.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.31-41
• /
• 1997

This paper describes a potential-based panel method formulated for the prediction of the steady performance of a waterjet propulsor. The method employs normal dipoles and sources distributed on the solid surfaces such as the impeller/stator blades, hub and duct, and normal dipoles in the shed wakes trailing the impeller and stator to represent the potential flow around the waterjet propulsor. To define a closed boundary surface, the inlet and outlet open boundary surfaces are introduced where the sources and dipoles are distributed. The kinematic boundary condition on the solid boundary surface is satisfied by requiring that the normal component of the total velocity should vanish. On the inlet surface, the total inflow flux into the duct is specified, and on the outlet surface the conservation of mass principle is applied to evaluate the source strength. The solid surfaces are discretized into a set of quadrilateral panel elements and the strengths of sources and dipoles are assumed constant at each panel. Applying this approximation to the boundary conditions leads to a set of simultaneous equations. Systematic numerical tests show that the present numerical method is fast and stable. In order to validate the present method, sample computations are carried out first for the case of a conventional axial flow fan which has a similar geometry as the waterjet propulsor, and then for the case of a waterjet propulsor on which experiments are carried out at KRISO(Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering).

• Journal of Technology Innovation
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.1-36
• /
• 2015

The purpose of this research is to find individual user's preference for cloud storage service such as Daum Cloud, Naver N-Drive, GoogleDrive, Dropbox, SkyDrive and iCloud. Through literature reviewed and pilot tests, 6 attributes of cloud storage service (storage capacity, perceived cost, collaboration, accessibility, social influence and perceived security) were selected and all 6 attributes had significant effects on the preference of cloud storage service by conjoint analysis. The results shows that the user's willingness to pay is estimated 10,553 won for the free storage, 4,646 won for the function for mobile accessibility, and 2,443 won for more reliable cloud computing service provider. This study has significance to apply conjoint analysis with economic, technological, and environmental factors to cloud storage service (SaaS) and shed light on policy promotion of next generation of cloud computing ecosystem by user perception with willingness to pay on the storage service.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.28-31
• /
• 1998

Homologous blood transfusion entails substantial risks, including allergic reactions, transmission diseases such as hepatitis, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Autotransfusion system is a common method of reducing the need for homologous blood transfusion during cardiac operation. Between July 1993 and July 1995, a series of 40 patients undergoing open heart surgery was selected to an autotransfusion group(n=20) or a control group(n=20). The cell saver system(AT1000, Electromedics, Englewood, CO, USA) was employed for autotransfusion. With this system, shed blood in operative field during cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB) and remained blood in cardiotomy reservior after CPB was aspirated by means of a locally heparinized collecting system. After centrifuge salvaged blood, the resulting red cell concentrate reinfused subsequently. The amounts of blood loss were 766.5$\pm$121.3 ml in cell saver group, 770.1$\pm$113.6 ml in control group, and there were no significant differences between two groups(P=NS). The amounts of blood transfused were 2.91$\pm$1.72 units in cell saver group, 4.82$\pm$1.72 units in control group. Composition of processed blood by cell saver was hemoglobin 17.4 gm%, hematocrit 56.4%, RBC 5,780,000/ul, WBC 9,900/ul, and platelet 33,000/ul. There was no complication related to cell saver. Conclusively, cell saver autotransfusion system is safe, effective method for reducing the homologous blood trasfusion in cardiac surgery.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.464-473
• /
• 2008

Winter migratory birds gather in paddy rice fields to feed shed rice grains. The Korean Ministry of Environment has practiced a policy program Contract on Paddy Field Management (CPFM) during winter fallow since 2002. This program starts with a contract between local governments and farmers, and the government pays a differential subsidy to farmers who finish spreading rice straw, cultivating barley, letting the whole rice plant without harvest, and submerging paddy fields for winter migratory birds. As more local governments have operated CPFM program, the total area on the contract and subsidy budget has increased yearly since 2002. This program could have its stable position as a successful policy by giving profits to farmers. With the program extended, the population of winter migratory birds has been greatly. For the evaluation of environmental performance of a policy, we analyzed this CPFM program by introducing some indicators in the form of Driving Force-State-Response Framework. The indicators were composed of 3 categorized indicators; the area of paddy land contracted under this program as 'driving force' indicator, population of birds, the number of bird species and the amount of feces as 'state' indicators, and the size of monetary support, the number of farmers or local governments participating, and public perception as 'response' indicators. The contract area of paddy field under CPFM could be a good biodiversity indicator reflecting potential performance of this policy measure in the light of its linkage to the population of winter migratory birds. And the share of CPFM land of the whole agricultural land might also be used as a useful indicator of policy evaluation for improvement of wildlife diversity. The 'state' indicators such as population of birds and the number of bird species could be matched to 'driving force' indicator, but the total CPFM area of each site could not reflect the effect of areas under different management practices. However, the amount of bird feces could reflect differences in environmental performance with management practices as 'state' indicators. The development of indicators indicating 'response' such as farmers' behavior, public perception, and policy makers' willingness is also needed to support a successful implementation and improvement of this policy measure with the development of 'performance' indicators integrating all these indicators.

• Proceedings of the KSEE Conference
• /
• 2006.10a
• /
• pp.167-184
• /
• 2006

There is cattle shed and house structure of a country village in the vicinity of the construction site. that is why the environmental effect evaluation on blasting had been done in advance to prevent any harm to those from the work. As the result, it is impossible to apply to the blasting method, and the Super wedge method, a kind of a rock-splitting method which there is no secondary breaking by a breaker of the methods breaking &excavating rock according to the classification of the blasting method by the ministry of construction & transpotation, applied to decrease noise and vibration, and to the work classification, the extent of noise and vibration measured with the instrument only for noise(SC-310c) and with the instrument only for vibration(BLASTMATE) respectively. A drilling, splitting, collecting, loading works at the closest point(about 10m) is barely possible on the consideration of vibration to the result of measurement, but carefulness needs on moving of equipment. On the case of noise, even drilling, collecting, loading work except splitting at the comparatively close point(about 20m) is difficult. So, the method breaking &excavating rock according to the classification of the blasting method by the ministry of construction & transpotation has to apply in consideration of noise level in accordance with the work processing.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.1-14
• /
• 2007

The term, "food safety", has traditionally been viewed as a practical science aimed at assuring the prevention acute illnesses caused by biological microorganisms, and only to a minor extent, chronic diseases cause by chronic low level exposures to natural and synthetic chemicals or pollutants. "food safety" meant to prevent microbiological agents/toxins in/on foods, due to contamination any where from "farm to Fork", from causing acute health effects, especially to the young, immune-compromised, genetically-predisposed and elderly. However, today a broader view must also include the fact that diet, perse (nutrients, vitamins/minerals, calories), as well as low level toxins and pollutant or supplemented synthetic chemicals, can alter gene expressions of stem/progenitor/terminally-differentiated cells, leading to chronic inflammation and other mal-functions that could lead to diseases such as cancer, diabetes, atherogenesis and possibly reproductive and neurological disorders. Understanding of the mechanisms by which natural or synthetic chemical toxins/toxicants, in/on food, interact with the pathogenesis of acute and chronic diseases, should lead to a "systems" approach to "food safety". Clearly, the interactions of diet/food with the genetic background, gender, and developmental state of the individual, together with (a) interactions of other endogenous/exogenous chemicals/drugs; (b) the specific biology of the cells being affected; (c) the mechanisms by which the presence or absence of toxins/toxicants and nutrients work to cause toxicities; and (d) how those mechanisms affect the pathogenesis of acute and/or chronic diseases, must be integrated into a "system" approach. Mechanisms of how toxins/toxicants cause cellular toxicities, such as mutagenesis; cytotoxicity and altered gene expression, must take into account (a) irreversible or reversal changes caused by these toxins or toxicants; (b)concepts of thresholds or no-thresholds of action; and (c) concepts of differential effects on stem cells, progenitor cells and terminally differentiated cells in different organs. This brief Commentary tries to illustrate this complex interaction between what is on/in foods with one disease, namely cancer. Since the understanding of cancer, while still incomplete, can shed light on the multiple ways that toxins/toxicants, as well as dietary modulation of nutrients/vitamins/metals/ calories, can either enhance or reduce the risk to cancer. In particular, diets that alter the embryo-fetal micro-environment might dramatically alter disease formation later in life. In effect "food safety" can not be assessed without understanding how food could be 'toxic', or how that mechanism of toxicity interacts with the pathogenesis of any disease.