• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.305-316
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• 2011

Recommender system is the system which, by using automated information filtering technology, recommends products or services to the customers who are likely to be interested in. Those systems are widely used in many different Web retailers such as Amazon.com, Netfix.com, and CDNow.com. Various recommender systems have been developed. Among them, Collaborative Filtering (CF) has been known as the most successful and commonly used approach. CF identifies customers whose tastes are similar to those of a given customer, and recommends items those customers have liked in the past. Numerous CF algorithms have been developed to increase the performance of recommender systems. However, the relative performances of CF algorithms are known to be domain and data dependent. It is very time-consuming and expensive to implement and launce a CF recommender system, and also the system unsuited for the given domain provides customers with poor quality recommendations that make them easily annoyed. Therefore, predicting in advance whether the performance of CF recommender system is acceptable or not is practically important and needed. In this study, we propose a decision making guideline which helps decide whether CF is adoptable for a given application with certain transaction data characteristics. Several previous studies reported that sparsity, gray sheep, cold-start, coverage, and serendipity could affect the performance of CF, but the theoretical and empirical justification of such factors is lacking. Recently there are many studies paying attention to Social Network Analysis (SNA) as a method to analyze social relationships among people. SNA is a method to measure and visualize the linkage structure and status focusing on interaction among objects within communication group. CF analyzes the similarity among previous ratings or purchases of each customer, finds the relationships among the customers who have similarities, and then uses the relationships for recommendations. Thus CF can be modeled as a social network in which customers are nodes and purchase relationships between customers are links. Under the assumption that SNA could facilitate an exploration of the topological properties of the network structure that are implicit in transaction data for CF recommendations, we focus on density, clustering coefficient, and centralization which are ones of the most commonly used measures to capture topological properties of the social network structure. While network density, expressed as a proportion of the maximum possible number of links, captures the density of the whole network, the clustering coefficient captures the degree to which the overall network contains localized pockets of dense connectivity. Centralization reflects the extent to which connections are concentrated in a small number of nodes rather than distributed equally among all nodes. We explore how these SNA measures affect the performance of CF performance and how they interact to each other. Our experiments used sales transaction data from H department store, one of the well?known department stores in Korea. Total 396 data set were sampled to construct various types of social networks. The dependant variable measuring process consists of three steps; analysis of customer similarities, construction of a social network, and analysis of social network patterns. We used UCINET 6.0 for SNA. The experiments conducted the 3-way ANOVA which employs three SNA measures as dependant variables, and the recommendation accuracy measured by F1-measure as an independent variable. The experiments report that 1) each of three SNA measures affects the recommendation accuracy, 2) the density's effect to the performance overrides those of clustering coefficient and centralization (i.e., CF adoption is not a good decision if the density is low), and 3) however though the density is low, the performance of CF is comparatively good when the clustering coefficient is low. We expect that these experiment results help firms decide whether CF recommender system is adoptable for their business domain with certain transaction data characteristics.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.839-850
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• 2008

This study describes the demographic and diet-related psychosocial correlates of nutrition label use, and examines the relationship between label use and diet. Self-reported dada from a population-based cross-sectional survey of 2073 Korean women aged 20 to 60 years were collected to identify demographic and health-related characteristics, belief on diet-disease relationship, awareness on importance of healthy eating practice and diet quality associated with label use. Label users, who are in the stage of action and maintenance (31.6%), were more likely to have belief on nutrient-disease relationship (in sodium, cholesterol, sugar and trans fat) and were more likely to have higher awareness of the importance of healthy eating practice compared with label nonusers, who are in the stage of precontemplation, contemplation and preparation. Label users were more likely to have higher dietary quality compared with label nonusers [odds ratio (OR) = 2.01; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.66, 2.44](P < 0.001). Also, label use appeared to be associated with the consumption of diets that were higher vegetables and fruits, and lower in cholesterol. The findings of this study suggests that reading nutrition labels on food packages may improve food choices and enable healthful dietary practices.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.263-272
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• 1994

The purpose of this study was to identify factors that might distinguish those who have a high level of Intention to purchase each of domestic, foreign designer and national brand jeans from those who have a low intention in terms of evaluative criteria belief, ideal jeans image and clothing altitude. The sample consisted of 198 male and 197 female students from five universities in Seoul. The questionnnaire consisted of 50 seven-point semantic differential scales dealing with evaluative criteria and ideal jeans image, beliefs about and intention to purchase domestic, foreign designer and foreign national brand jeans and 25 Likert type clothing attitude scales. Based on a series of t-tests the results showed that color and design were the most influencing factor among the evaluative criteria belief, regardless of brand type, while durability, accessory, sewing were the least. Sexy image, brand consciousnees and fashion interest were the important factor that distinguish high intention to purchase group fro)m low intention to purchase group.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.10
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• pp.1243-1252
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• 2017

There are limited programs for low sodium intake based on the nutrition education model for housewives who cook family meals. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of model-based nutrition programs for low sodium intake among housewives residing in Seoul by incorporating social cognitive theory. A questionnaire survey before and after education was conducted on 140 housewives who participated in the 'Low Sodium Nutritional Education Program' delivered by a district public health center for 12 weeks from November 2015 to January 2016. The contents of the nutrition education program and program evaluation items were based on the action plans for 'Less Sodium Healthy Practice' suggested by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. The results show that program participants showed a lower preference for sodium, higher selection of low sodium dishes from restaurants or cafeteria if available, and increased awareness of the need of restaurants to serve low sodium dishes compared to before. In terms of behavioral changes, there were significant improvements in checking nutrition labeling and selection of foods with low sodium, use of low sodium food products, use of natural seasonings to reduce salt intake, and consumption of fast foods and processed foods. On the other hand, requesting less salty meals when ordering and introducing restaurants or cafeterias with healthy and low sodium menus turned out to be difficult to put into practice. In conclusion, the nutrition education program for sodium intake reduction for housewives was effective in increasing knowledge, environment recognition, and behaviors related to low sodium intake but not behaviors related to physical environmental factors. Therefore, further nutrition education programs and practices for sodium intake reduction should be comprehensively implemented with improvement of physical environments for low sodium intake.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2014

With continued economic growth, Korea has seen an increase in the nighttime activities of its citizens as hours of activity have extended into night. There is an increasing trend in energy consumption related to citizens' nighttime activities. In order to analyze ideas for an efficient replacement of the power consumption of streetlights and for profit generation by applying grid-type solar systems, this study used an RETScreen model. Through energy analysis and cost analysis, the application benefit and viability of grid-type solar street light systems were analyzed. With analysis result of a total weekly power generation of 114 kWh via a grid-connected solar streetlight system, it was shown that the net present value of a grid-connected solar street light system is 155,362 KRW, which would mean a payback period of about 5.2 years, and as such, it was shown that profit could be generated after about 6 years. In addition, if the grid-connected solar power generation system proposed by this study is to be applied, it was shown that 401,935 KRW in profit could be generated after the 20-year useful life set for the solar system. In addition, the sensitivity analysis was performed taking into account the price fluctuations of SMP, maintenance. As a result, a payback period has increased by 1~2 years, and there were no significant differences. Because the most important factor that affect the economic analysis is the cost of supply certification of renewable energy, a stable sales and acquisition of this certification are very important. the Seoul-type Feed in Tariff(FIT) connected to other institutions will enable steady sales by confirming to purchase the certification for 12 years. Therefore, if those issues mentioned above are properly reflected, Central-grid PV system project will be able to perform well in the face of unfavorable condition of solar PV installation.

• Land and Housing Review
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.55-71
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• 2022

Recently, the domestic department store industry is growing into a complex shopping cultural space, which is advanced and differentiated by changes in consumption patterns. In addition, competition is intensifying across 70 places operated by five large companies. This study investigates the determinants of the visits to department stores using the big data concept's automatic vehicle access system (pos) and proposes how to strengthen the competitiveness of the department store industry. We use a negative binomial regression test to predict the frequency of visits to 67 branches, except for three branches whose annual sales were incomplete due to the new opening in 2021. The results show that the demand for visiting department stores is positively associated with airport, terminal, and train stations, land areas, parking lots, VIP lounge numbers, luxury store ratio, F&B store numbers, non-commercial areas, and hotels. We suggest four strategies to enhance the competitiveness of domestic department stores. First, department store consumers have a high preference for luxury brands. Therefore, department stores need to form their own overseas buyer teams to discover and attract new luxury brands and attract customers who have a high demand for luxury brands. In addition, to attract consumers with high purchasing power and loyalty, it is necessary to provide more differentiated products and services for VIP customers than before. Second, it is desirable to focus on transportation hub areas such as train stations, airports, and terminals in Gyeonggi and Incheon. Third, department stores should attract tenants who can satisfy customers, given that key tenants are an important component of advanced shopping centers for department stores. Finally, the department store, a top-end shopping center, should be developed as a space with differentiated shopping, culture, dining out, and leisure services, such as "The Hyundai", which opened in 2021, to ensure future growth potential.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-31
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• 2008

Trust is central to human relationships, at all times and places. The importance of trust is fundamental in all areas of human life, not only in the area of business administration. 2,500 years ago in China, Confucius taught that the foundation of politics was the trust of the people, more important even than military strength or the supply of food. Shakespeare's play, "Much Ado about Nothing' is about trust and deception. These days, trust and transparency in a commercial organization's business culture form the basis of the 'social capital' by which that organization increases its productivity. A successful company raises productivity by the accumulation of social capital, derived from a trust relationship between business partners, and between the company and consumers. Trust is the crucial factor. At the national level, building trust determines a nation's competitiveness. For a company, long term trust relationships with customers are essential for its survival in a business environment of rapid change. Such relationships, based on trust, are important assets to ensure a company's competitive advantage, and need to be organic to that company's business culture. Because of this importance, trust relationships have been studied in diverse areas within business administration, and especially within marketing, where they form the basis of a successful relationship between producer and consumer. However, what has been lacking is a unified definition of trust. Research has been conducted on the basis of various definitions and models. The majority of researchers have not considered the multidimensional character of the concept of trust until now. Approaches based on a one dimensional model have undermined the value of research results. Furthermore, researchers have only considered trust and trustworthiness as a single component. The majority of research has explored the consequences of perceived trust for outcomes such as loyalty or cooperation, but has neglected the effects of trustworthiness upon the mechanisms of consumer trust. This study focuses on the dimension of trust from such a perspective. It seeks to verify the effect of trust on customer intentions by breaking it down into three separate components: 1) the salesperson, 2) the product/service, and 3) the company. The purposes of this paper are as follows: Firstly, we review the multidimensional nature of trust objects: the salesperson, the product/service, and the company. Secondly, we analyze the relationship between multidimensional trust and trustworthiness. Thirdly, we analyze the connection between trust and repeat purchase intentions for the maintenance of long term relationships. For these purposes the author has developed several hypotheses as follows: H1-1: The competence of a salesperson is positively associated with the trust given by the consumer to the salesperson. H1-2: The benevolence of a salesperson is positively associated with the trust given by the consumer to the salesperson. H2-1: The competence of product/service is positively associated with the trust given by the consumer to the product/service. H2-2: The benevolence of product/service is positively associated with the trust given by the consumer to the product/service. H3-1: The reputation of a company is positively associated with the trust given by the consumer to the company. H3-2: The physical environment of a company is positively associated with the trust given by the consumer to the company. H4-1: Trust in a salesperson is positively associated with repeat purchase intentions. H4-2: Trust in a product/service is positively associated with repeat purchase intentions. H4-3: Trust in a company is positively associated with repeat purchase intentions. The data was compiled from 366 questionnaires. 500 questionnaires were collected, but some of the data was considered unsuitable and inappropriate. The subjects of the survey were male and female customers purchasing products at department stores in Seoul, Daegu and Gyeongbuk. It was carried out between Oct. 25 and 29, 2007. The data was analyzed by frequency analysis using SPSS 12.0 and structural equation modeling using LISREL 8.7. The result of the overall model analysis is as follows: Chi-Square=445.497, d.f.=185, p-value=0.0, GFI=.901, RMSEA=.0617, NNFI=.986, NFI=.981, CFI=.989, AGFI=.864, RMR=.0872. The results of the overall model analysis were coherent. It was found that trust is a multi-dimensional construct, that each of the dimensions of trust are meaningful influences on customer's repurchase intention. Trust in a company may be the most relevant, while trust in a product/service and a salesperson may be less relevant to repurchase intentions. The effective factors in determining trust in a salesperson and a company's product/service were found to be competence and benevolence. Factors in determining trust in a company were its reputation and physical environment, and the relationship of each effective trust factor has been verified in this research. As a result, it was found that competence and benevolence have a meaningful influence on trust in a salesperson and in product/service. It was also found that a company's reputation influences the overall trust in the company significantly but a company's physical environment does not have much effect.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.65-82
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• 2008

Statement of problem : Today's market economy has been changed more and more to consumer concerned. It is owing to not only consumers ' rising standard of living and education, but also purchasers' easy accessibilities to products through various mass media. The consumer centered market system, where customer can choose items with diverse alternatives to satisfy their self esteem, is also applied to the field of medical business, and accelerated by an increasing income level of shoppers and introducing the whole nations' medical insurance system. Today, the medical industry has become competitive due to increasing number of medical institutions and medical personnel, and this offers wide choices to consumers in the medical market place. At this point of time, it is essential to survey on the primary factor of gratification for the patient in the Dental clinic, as well as on the problems and suggestions in medical service. Purpose : The analysis in this study shows essential factors and expected influential elements in satisfaction of the patient in the Dental Hopsital, and strategic suggestions for the provider of dental service, which can be of benefit to the prospective customer as well as can make improvement in the quality of dental treatment service. Material and method : This study had been researched by collecting and analyzing the organized questionnaires, which were filled in directly from 784 patients, who visit Dental Hospital, Yonsei University in Seoul, from January 23rd to April 15th. Result : It can be summarized like the followings. 1. The social and demographical peculiarities of respondents are as follows. Samples of gender and marital status are adequately extracted, but data on occupation and treatment are are under a bias toward students, undergraduates and graduate students, and orthodontics. 2. 74% of patients who answer the questionnaire were highly satisfied with the service of dental clinic in the section of overall satisfaction. 3. The survey result about specific service of dental treatment, within sections of independent variables, is like the followings; Patients are highly gratified with service system, kindness, explanation, explanation on expected waiting hours, reservation system, emergency measures, expert treatment, existence of knowledge of dentistry, size of hospital, disinfection, equipment and parking, but lowly satisfied with expense of treatment, preparatory hours for treatment, waiting hours, treatment hours and the period of subscription. 4. The correlation analysis showed that there is no significant linear relationship between the independent variables. 5. The probit regression analysis showed that 8 out of 34 independent variables explained the dependent variables at the level of 0.01. 6. It shows that 8 independent variables, which can affect customers 'satisfaction, are clearing up of inconvenience, service system, kindness, explanation, treatment hours per attendance, reservation system, existence of knowledge of dentistry, and contentment of equipment in the hospital. Conclusion : The consumer's satisfaction totally relies on subjective evaluations of customers. Providing appropriate service, which can meet the criteria for the customer who demands various wares, pursues luxury goods, and expects high quality of medical service, is essential to fulfill patients' satisfaction. Many medical institutions do their best to satisfy their customer, touch their consumer, and offer patience centered services, and it is also applied to the field of dentistry. Establishing brand new strategic managements and elevating the quality of dental service based on this survey are required to improve the satisfaction of patience in the Dental Hospital.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.318-332
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• 2015

The maize production in South-eastern Asian countries showed a continuous increase with increasing poultry-livestock from the beginning of the 1990s to early 2010. Also the need for a new variety development of each contries was increased rapidly in the same period. Single-Cross hybrid varieties have been developed and supplied from 2001 instead of multi-cross maize varieties since 1992 in Indonesia. In Cambodia, CP group is mainly manufacturing feeds with most of the forage maize from farmers who are growing its seeds from the company. Cambodian main cultivars are varieties of multinational corporations such as DK8868 from Monsanto, NK6326, NK7328 from Syngenta and CP333 from CP group including local business company. Vietnam is the main maze importing country in South-Eastern Asia which had imported 13 times scale of amount compared to exports in average from 1990 to 2011. Vietnamese government has developed a range of varieties for improving their efficiency in production, such as the LVN-10 with political investments. Their production has been reached to 80% of the total. According to the 2012 MIFAFF (Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) data in Korea, domestic edible maize cultivation area was approximately 15,000ha. It showed 74,399 tons of production, 3.8% of food self-sufficiency in maize and around 0.9% of grain self-sufficiency rate. The consumption of grain is mostly rely on imports in Korea. To overcome the limit of the domestic seed market and increase maize self-sufficiency, the need to develop maze varieties for world-class is increasing at present through analyzing the market trend and prospect of the seed industry in South-eastern Asia.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.9
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• pp.1388-1398
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• 2015

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is the most complete and comprehensive method for translating what customers need from a product. This study utilized QFD to develop sauces made from Gochujang and to determine how to fulfill international customers' requirements. A customer survey and expert opinion survey were conducted from May 13 to August 22, 2014 and targeted 220 consumers and 20 experts in the U.S. and China. Finally, a total of 208 (190 consumers and 18 experts) useable data were selected. The top three customer requirements for Gochujang sauces were identified as fresh flavor (4.40), making better flavor (3.99), and cooking availability (3.90). Thirty-three engineering characteristics were developed. The results from the calculation of relative importance of engineering characteristics identified that 'cooking availability', 'free sample and food testing', 'unique concept', and 'development of brand' were the highest. The relative importance of engineering characteristics, correlation, and technical difficulties are ranked, and this result could contribute to the development Korean sauces based on customer needs and engineering characteristics.