• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.43-57
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• 2022

Purpose: This study discusses the phenomenon of the uncertain sustainability of SMEs in developing countries. SMEs face various challenges in the dynamics of a competitive environment, which threaten their growth and sustainability. This study aims to address a research gap between company's internal resources, in the form of absorptive capacity, and its business performance. By using product quality as a mediator, which has never been studied before, this research presents a novelty to answer the existing research gap using the Resource Based Theory (RBT) perspective. Research design, data and methodology: Using quantitative method, data are collected from 164 respondents, who are owners or managers of furniture manufacturing SMEs in Gerbangkertosusila Area, East Java, Indonesia. The data are analyzed using Partial Least Square (PLS) - Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Results: The findings show that absorptive capacity has a direct and significant effect on business performance and indirectly through product quality. Conclusion: Furniture manufacturing SMEs are advised to focus on developing absorptive capacity reflected in good product quality, in order to improve their business performance. This is especially important to survive the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Thus, the results of this study contribute to the development of RBT, and there are several suggestions for further research.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.419-426
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• 2022

This study aimed to identify new routes for transporting automobiles from Korea to Mongolia by comparing them with the existing route. At present, a route from the Incheon Port through the Tianjin Port to Zamiin-Uud is commonly used to transport containerized cargo from Korea to Mongolia. This study examined five possible logistics routes from Korea to Mongolia using a time/cost-distance methodology based on real data. Through consecutive discussions with importers and freight forwarders in Mongolia, the potential routes were selected and costs, distance, and lead time were evaluated to provide additional route options for automobile logistics from Korea to Mongolia. The results indicated that each route could be ranked in terms of the total cost while the lead time for all options in the present COVID-19 period is 2 - 4 months, with no difference among the routes. In addition, although the confidence index of all routes was not impressive, route 3 was the most preferred option, followed by route 1. However, the study results cannot provide the answer to the question of "which route is more attractive for transporting automobiles from Korea to Mongolia." This limitation notwithstanding, this study provides real information on the critical factors of distance, cost, and lead time in terms of the selected transportation routes so that importers and exporters can compare the routes in terms of the priority of each factor in uncertain logistics environment.

• Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.432-452
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• 2020

This study explored the representation of risks from the controversial Lynas rare earth refining as a risk event by five Malaysian online mainstream and alternative newspapers using qualitative content analysis. The aim is to uncover the role of the news media in the social amplification and attenuation of risks within the literature evidence as those roles are still uncertain. Content analysis is used to explore the online newspapers' roles guided by the Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF). The representations typified environmental, financial, health, occupational, property, radioactive, and technological risks and established connections between four risk types (environmental, financial, radioactive, and health risks). Radioactive risk was repeatedly associated with other risks, suggesting that the volume and information flow focused on radioactive risk as a key ingredient for amplification. This connection shows that the nature of the relationship between risks is multidimensional, contradicting the unidirectional type found in previous studies. Alternative online newspapers amplified and attenuated more risks, thus, providing more diverse coverage than mainstream sources. Consequently, this study provides evidence that risk representation from rare earth refining in a digital news environment is multidimensional and intensified or weakened in a multi-layered pattern. The stakeholders are engaged in a contestation by positioning their narratives to oppose or support their interests, which are amplified or attenuated by the online newspapers as social amplification stations.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.296-309
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• 2022

Timer options are one of the contingent claims that, for given the variance budget, its payoff depends on a random maturity in terms of the realized variance unlike the standard European vanilla option with a fixed time maturity. Since it was first launched by Société Générale Corporate and Investment Banking in 2007, the valuation of the timer options under several stochastic environment for the volatility has been conducted by many researches. In this study, we propose the pricing of timer power options combined with standard timer options and the index of the power to the underlying asset for the investors to actualize lower risks and higher returns at the same time under the uncertain markets. By using the asymptotic analysis, we obtain the first-order approximation of timer power options. Moreover, we demonstrate that our solution has been derived accurately by comparing it with the solution from the Monte-Carlo method. Finally, we analyze the impact of the stochastic volatility with regards to various parameters on the timer power options numerically.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.511-525
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• 2021

Aluminium outfitting is widely used in offshore platforms owing to its anti-corrosion ability and its light weight. However, various standards exist (ISO, NORSOK and EN) for the design of handrails used in offshore platforms, and different suppliers have different criteria. This causes great confusion for designers. Moreover, the design load required by the standards is not clearly defined or is uncertain. Thus, many offshore projects reference previous project details or are conservatively designed without additional clarification. In this study, all of the codes and standards were reviewed and analysed through prior studies, and data on variable factors that directly and indirectly affect the handrails applied to offshore platforms were analysed. A total of 50 handrail design load scenarios were proposed through deterministic and probabilistic approaches. To verify the proposed new handrail design load selection scenario, structural analysis was performed using SACS (offshore structural analysis software). This new proposal through deterministic and probabilistic approaches is expected to improve safety by clarifying the purpose of the handrails. Furthermore, the acceptance criteria for probabilistic scenarios for handrails suggest considering the frequency of handrail use and the design life of offshore platforms to prevent excessive design. This study is expected to prevent trial and error in handrail design while maintaining overall worker safety by applying a loading scenario suitable for the project environment to enable optimal handrail design.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.363-372
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• 2022

Entrepreneurs are valuable assets for any country. Rather than being confronted with new obstacles, they should be fostered and nurtured. Entrepreneurial firms have the power to influence how we live and work, in addition to producing jobs and contributing to economic progress. Entrepreneurs have the ability to change the world by creating diversified skill sets and profitable businesses that are vital to the advancement of our economies. How does one go about being a successful business, though? More resources are believed to be needed to create entrepreneurial environments in higher education that foster progressive ideas and innovation while also providing students with the practical knowledge and skills they need to navigate the troublesome, difficult, and uncertain situations that come with owning a business. This article will outline the scales of components from which to measure variables impacting universities' ability to encourage entrepreneurial behavior among students, based on the aforementioned significance of universities. This article is based on a survey of 507 students from different universities and backgrounds in Vietnam. The research methods used are Cronbach's alpha test and Structural Equation Modeling. From the research results, it can be seen that the university's environment plays a significant role in fostering entrepreneurial behavior among students.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2011.02a
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• pp.335-339
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• 2011

The unique characteristics of the construction industry - such as the fragmentation of its processes, varied scope of works and diversity of its participants - are contributory factors to poor project performance. Several issues are unresolved due to the lack of a comprehensive technique to measure project outcomes including: inefficient decision making, insufficient communication, uncertain site conditions, a continuously changing environment, inharmonious working relationships, mismatched objectives within the project team and a blame culture. One approach to overcoming these problems appears to be to measure performance by gauging contractor satisfaction (Co-S) levels, but this has not been widely investigated as yet. Additionally, the key Co-S dimensions at the project level are still not fully identified. This paper concerns a study of satisfaction dimensions, primarily by a postal questionnaire survey of construction contractors registered by the Malaysian Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB). Eight satisfaction dimensions are identified that are significantly and substantially relate to these contractors - comprising: project cost performance, schedule performance, product performance, design satisfaction, site safety, project profitability, business performance and relationships between participants. -Each of these dimensions is accorded different priority levels of satisfaction by different contractors. The output of this study will be useful in raising the awareness and understanding of project teams regarding contractors' needs, mutual objectives and open communication to help to deliver a successful project.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.34-41
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• 2023

The purpose of this paper is to consider the expansion of non-traditional security threats and the national-level response to the emergence of emerging security threats in ultra-uncertain VUCA situations. As a major research method for better analysis, the theoretical approach was referred to papers published in books and academic journals, and technical and current affairs data were studied through the Internet and literature research. The instability and uncertainty of the international order and security environment in the 21st century brought about a change in the security paradigm. Human security emerged as the protection target of security was expanded to individual humans, and emerging security was emerging as the security area expanded. Emerging security threatsthat have different characteristicsfrom traditionalsecurity threats are expressed in various ways, such as cyber threats, new infectious disease threats, terrorist threats, and abnormal climate threats. First, the policy and strategic response to respond to emerging security threats is integrated national crisis management based on artificial intelligence applying the concept of Foresight. Second, it is to establish network-based national crisis management smart governance. Third, it is to maintain the agile resilience of the concept of Agilience. Fourth, an integrated response system that integrates national power elements and national defense elements should be established.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.419-434
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• 2023

Purpose: Measurement results obtained under non-ideal measurement environment conditions may contain uncertain factors. As a result, the reliability of measurement results may be deteriorated. In this study, we tried to find ways to improve quality by evaluating and applying measurement uncertainty based on GUM. Methods: In the flatness measurement of semiconductor parts, uncertainty factors that could occur under actual environmental conditions of workers were derived, and measurement uncertainties were calculated, and methods for minimizing the main factors affecting the measurement results were analyzed. Results: Depending on the part and the coordinate measuring machine, it was shown that the effect of dispersion caused by repeated measurements as type A uncertainty and the effect of the calibration results of equipment as type B uncertainty have the main influence. Conclusion: Depending on the uncertainty factors of type A and type B and the influence of the total expanded uncertainty, the central value and confidence interval of the initial measurement results showed fluctuations. It is considered that analysis and measures for the main uncertainty factors are needed as quality improvement in the industrial field.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.454-465
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• 2012

The Korean government decided to reduce 30% of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions BAU in 2020. Since many efforts to reduce emissions are urgently needed in Korea, the central administrative organization urges local governments to establish their own reduction schemes. Among many GHG emission categories, the emission from mobile source in Gyeonggi Province accounted for 25.3% of total emissions in 2007 and further the emission from road transport sector occupied the most dominant portion in this transportation category. The objective of this study was to compare 3 types of GHG emissions from road transport sector in 31 local cities/counties of Gyeonggi Province, which have been estimated by Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 methodologies. As results, the GHG emission rates by the Tier 1 and Tier 2 were $19,991kt-CO_2\;Eq/yr$ and $18,511kt-CO_2\;Eq/yr$, respectively. On the other hand, the emission rate by Tier 3 excluding a branch road emission portion was $18,051kt-CO_2\;Eq/yr$. In addition, the total emission rate including all the main and branch road portions in Gyeonggi Province was $24,152kt-CO_2\;Eq/yr$, which was estimated by a new Tier 3 methodology. Based on this study, we could conclude that Tier 3 is a reasonable methodology than Tier 1 or Tier 2. However, more accurate and less uncertain methodology must be developed by expanding traffic survey areas and adopting a suitable model for traffic volumes.