• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.65-93
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• 2011

As relationship between buyer and seller has been brought closer and long-term relationship has been more important in B2B markets, the importance of service and service convenience increases as well as product. In homogeneous markets, where service offerings are similar and therefore not key competitive differentiator, providing greater convenience may enable a competitive advantage. Service convenience, as conceptualized by Berry et al. (2002), is defined as the consumers' time and effort perceptions related to buying or using a service. For this reason, B2B customers are interested in how fast the service is provided and how much save non-monetary cost like time or effort by the service convenience along with service quality. Therefore, this study attempts to investigate the impact of service convenience on relationship factors such as relationship satisfaction, relationship commitment, and relationship performance. The purpose of this study is to find out whether service convenience can be a new antecedent of relationship quality and relationship performance. In addition, this study tries to examine how five-dimensional service convenience constructs (decision convenience, access convenience, transaction convenience, benefit convenience, post-benefit convenience) affect customers' relationship satisfaction, relationship commitment, and relationship performance. The service convenience comprises five fundamental components - decision convenience (the perceived time and effort costs associated with service purchase or use decisions), access convenience(the perceived time and effort costs associated with initiating service delivery), transaction convenience(the perceived time and effort costs associated with finalizing the transaction), benefit convenience(the perceived time and effort costs associated with experiencing the core benefits of the offering) and post-benefit convenience (the perceived time and effort costs associated with reestablishing subsequent contact with the firm). Earlier studies of perceived service convenience in the industrial market are none. The conventional studies that have dealt with service convenience have usually been made in the consumer market, or they have dealt with convenience aspects in the service process. This service convenience measure for consumer market can be useful tool to estimate service quality in B2B market. The conceptualization developed by Berry et al. (2002) reflects a multistage, experiential consumption process in which evaluations of convenience vary at each stage. For this reason, the service convenience measure is good for B2B service environment which has complex processes and various types. Especially when categorizing B2B service as sequential stage of service delivery like Kumar and Kumar (2004), the Berry's service convenience measure which reflect sequential flow of service deliveries suitable to establish B2B service convenience. For this study, data were gathered from respondents who often buy business service and analyzed by structural equation modeling. The sample size in the present study is 119. Composite reliability values and average variance extracted values were examined for each variable to have reliability. We determine whether the measurement model supports the convergent validity by CFA, and discriminant validity was assessed by examining the correlation matrix of the constructs. For each pair of constructs, the square root of the average variance extracted exceeded their correlations, thus supporting the discriminant validity of the constructs. Hypotheses were tested using the Smart PLS 2.0 and we calculated the PLS path values and followed with a bootstrap re-sampling method to test the hypotheses. Among the five dimensional service convenience constructs, four constructs (decision convenience, transaction convenience, benefit convenience, post-benefit convenience) affected customers' positive relationship satisfaction, relationship commitment, and relationship performance. This result means that service convenience is important cue to improve relationship between buyer and seller. One of the five service convenience dimensions, access convenience, does not affect relationship quality and performance, which implies that the dimension of service convenience is not important factor of cumulative satisfaction. The Cumulative satisfaction can be distinguished from transaction-specific customer satisfaction, which is an immediate post-purchase evaluative judgment or an affective reaction to the most recent transactional experience with the firm. Because access convenience minimizes the physical effort associated with initiating an exchange, the effect on relationship satisfaction similar to cumulative satisfaction may be relatively low in terms of importance than transaction-specific customer satisfaction. Also, B2B firms focus on service quality, price, benefit, follow-up service and so on than convenience of time or place in service because it is relatively difficult to change existing transaction partners in B2B market compared to consumer market. In addition, this study using partial least squares methods reveals that customers' satisfaction and commitment toward relationship has mediating role between the service convenience and relationship performance. The result shows that management and investment to improve service convenience make customers' positive relationship satisfaction, and then the positive relationship satisfaction can enhance the relationship commitment and relationship performance. And to conclude, service convenience management is an important part of successful relationship performance management, and the service convenience is an important antecedent of relationship between buyer and seller such as the relationship commitment and relationship performance. Therefore, it has more important to improve relationship performance that service providers enhance service convenience although competitive service development or service quality improvement is important. Given the pressure to provide increased convenience, it is not surprising that organizations have made significant investments in enhancing the convenience aspect of their product and service offering.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.336-346
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• 2021

The enforcement of the Nagoya Protocol, which regulates the acquisition and use of genetic sources, an essential material for biotechnology R&D, has imposed a burden for additional documentation works to researchers. In the past, countries regarded genetic resources as a common human heritage and thus allowed researchers to use them freely. However, they can no longer afford the luxury of such freedom now since many countries are introducing new laws and regulations on the acquisition and use of the resources as the Nagoya Protocol recognizes the exclusive ownership of genetic resources. Therefore, Korea, which is highly dependent on foreign genetic resources, needs a more systematic response. This paper aims to review the key contents of the Nagoya Protocol to raise awareness among domestic and foreign genetic resource users, including researchers of environment and ecology and present the overall structure, and flow of acquisition, access, and benefit sharing (ABS) for the use of foreign genetic resources to help them respond appropriately to the new landscape. The researchers' efforts and support at the national level are necessary at the same time to appropriately respond to the Nagoya Protocol. First, the researchers must understand the overall framework and the specific response in each stage under the Nagoya Protocol scheme. It is necessary to respond to the ABS procedure of the resource provider country from accessing genetic resources to sharing benefits resulting from it. In that regard, the Nagoya Protocol has imposed more restrictions on research activities and raised the burden outside of research. The current trend of recognizing the country's sovereign rights over genetic resources is likely to continue and widespread worldwide as resource-rich countries are expected to continue protecting their resources. Therefore, our study will help environmental ecology researchers understand ABS and conduct research under the Nagoya Protocol and legal obligations of resource provider countries step by step, from access to benefit sharing.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.1-26
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• 2010

We achieved both industrialization and democratization during the shortest period in the world. We also achieved good performance in national health insurance: universal coverage, solidarity in financing, equitable access of health care. However, national health insurance system has faced the problem of sustainability: various expenditure and financing problems. The problem of sustainablity has two facets of economic sustainability and fiscal sustainability. Economic sustainability refers to growth in health spending as a proportion of gross domestic product(GDP). Rapid increasing rate of health spending exceeds the growth rate of domestic product. Growth in health spending is more likely to threaten other areas of economic activity. Concern on fiscal sustainability relates to revenue and expenditure on health care. Health care financing face demographic and technical obstacles. Democratic obstacle is aging problem. Technical obstacle is collection of contribution. Expenditure of health care has various problems in benefit structure and efficiency of health care system. In this article, I suggest several policy reforms to enhance sustainability: generating additional revenue from value added tax, changing method of levying contribution, increasing efficiency of health care system by introducing the competition principle. restructuring of benefit scheme of health insurance. contracting with health care institutions to provide health care services.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2021

The Internet of Things (IoT) has gained enormous popularity in various fields of industry. An IoT shopping environment is considered an effective tool for convenient use by consumers. Perceived values (including convenience and privacy risks) of IoT shopping can be the main factors that influence consumers' shopping intentions. The current study proposed a research model based on a value-based adoption model, which integrated perceived benefit and sacrifice, shopping attitude, and shopping intention in an IoT shopping environment. As potential customers, participants in their 20s and 30s were recruited through a marketing research firm. Responses collected via an online questionnaire validated the proposed research model and hypothesis. The results confirmed significant, positive relationships between perceived benefit, including both remote control and access convenience, and consumers' positive attitudes toward IoT shopping. The association between perceived privacy risk and consumers' shopping attitudes was not significant. The indirect effects of two benefits of IoT shopping on shopping intention were also significant and positive. From a practical perspective, this study can help marketers and service providers manage their IoT shopping platforms or applications more effectively to attract consumers. The implications and limitations of this study are discussed. Directions for future research and development of IoT shopping environment are suggested.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.41-60
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• 2007

Attempts were made to define the elements of debates, impact of decisions of the Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit-sharing(ABS) of the Conference of the Parties(COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD) In Korea. Providing policy suggestions to cope with ABS, a cross-cutting issue of the meetings of the COP, was also undertaken. Meetings concerning ABS deal with several key matters such as an international regime, which is a legally binding implementation tool of the Bonn Guidelines, an international certificate of genetic resources' origin/source/legal provenance, and disclosure of origin of genetic resources, compliance measures with prior informed consent of the Contracting Parties providing such resources and with mutually agreed terms on which access was granted. Developing countries, rich in biodiversity and genetic resources, use the CBD as a major tool to maximize their national profits. They demand for national sovereign rights for the genetic resources and indigenous communities providing associated traditional knowledge. At the meetings of the COP, in addition, they requested that developed countries should transfer technologies and provide a financial mechanism for resource conservation to them. On the contrary, the developed countries argue that facilitating access to genetic resources is essential for scientific research and development, and that both Intellectual Property Rights and biotechnology using genetic resources should be protected to maximize their national benefits. Decisions of the COP concerning the Bonn Guidelines and compliance measures with ABS will affect on various socioeconomic fields of Korea, a country which is short of genetic resources. Especially, the importation of genetic resources and land development which might damage genetic resources will be limited seriously. Consequently, overall expenses will increase for the securing genetic resources from the foreign countries and developing biotechnology for conservation and sustainable uses of genetic resources. To minimize the adverse impacts, we endeavor to establish our clear standpoint and to lead the international trends, which are favorable for us. In order to achieve these objectives, government needs i) to proceed researches to lead the international ABS debates actively and to prepare the expected decisions of the future meetings of the COP, ii) to establish a national implementation plan to cope with the ABS and its related decisions, iii) to examine and improve the efficiencies of the national implementation plan with a proper monitoring system, and iv) cope with the other international meetings including the meetings of Trade Related Intellectual Properly Rights and International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture actively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.175-178
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• 2008

While read operation on flash memory is fast and doesn't have any constraints, flash memory can not be overwritten on updating data, new data are updated in new area. If data are frequently updated, garbage collection, which is achieved by erasing blocks, should be performed to reclaim new area. Hence, because the number of erase operations is limited due to characteristics of flash memory, every block should be evenly written and erased. However, if data with access locality are processed by cost benefit algorithm with separation of hot block and cold block, though the performance of processing is high, wear-leveling is not even. In this paper, we propose CB-MG (Cost Benefit between Multi Group) algorithm in which hot data are allocated in one group and cold data in another group, and in which role of hot group and cold group is exchanged every period. Experimental results show that performance and wear-leveling of CB-MG provide better results than those of CB-S.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.142-156
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• 2019

[Purpose] It aims to suggest the differential factors to enhance the customer satisfaction and to activate the shopping in the convenience store (CVS). [Methodology] Convenience store service convenience (CVS SERVCON) was developed at the first time and the gap of relative importance level between the owners and the consumers was assessed by AHP analysis method..[Findings] First, the importance of access convenience was assessed as the first priority in both CVS owners' group and the consumers' group, while the detailed elements showed the differences which required the improvements. Based on the consumers' assessment, the importance of location was relatively low. They assessed relatively high on 24 hours operation of CVS and personal services. Second with respect to the transaction convenience, CVS owners' group rated it as the fourth priority while the consumers' group rated as the second, which requires the improvement. Third in terms of benefit utility and value-added service of post-benefit convenience which are the sub-factors of benefit convenience, the rate on the importance from the consumers showed higher than that from the owners, which requires the improvement. [Implications] Based on this study results, CVS operating companies are anticipated to be able to satisfy the customers, moreover, to secure the loyal customers if they concentrate the resources to develop the differentiation strategy on the areas where the consumers' demands are high while performs the maintenance strategy on the areas where their demands are low. In addition, this study contributed the theoretical expansion of SERVCON upon development of CVS SERVCON to comply with its definition.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.14
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• pp.6055-6059
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• 2015

Background: Medication policy development in Thailand is continually promoting rational drug use. Letrozole, an endocrine therapy drug, is usually prescribed for post-menopausal status early and advanced stage breast cancer. After Ministry of Public Health announced Letrozole as compulsory licensed drug in 2009, more breast cancer patients can access to this drug at low cost especially those within universal coverage schemes. To ensure that Letrozole is rationally prescribed, the drug utilization study was conducted. Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the appropriate use of Letrozole in breast cancer and the relationship between appropriate use and health benefit schemes. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study to evaluate use of Letrozole in breast cancer patients was performed for six months between January - June 2010 in seven regional cancer hospitals, Thailand. All prescriptions of Letrozole were identified from pharmacy dispensing databases and prescription papers. A medical record review was also performed to evaluate appropriate use referring to the drug use evaluation criteria. The approved criterion of this study was referred from the guideline of Thai National Formulary version 2010. Results: There were 681 prescriptions of Letrozole for 254 breast cancer patients with an average age of $58.6{\pm}10.0years$. The patients in universal coverage scheme (UCS), civil servant medication benefit scheme (CSMBS) and social security scheme (SSS) were 77.7%, 18.5% and 8.7% respectively. 10.6% were prescribed Letrozole for the first time. Letrozole were prescribed by oncologists (82.8%). The average number of tablets per prescription was $58{\pm}10$. Calcium supplements were prescribed concomitant with Letrozole for 19.4%. To assess drug use evaluation criteria, 45 prescriptions were excluded because of uncompleted clinical data, 636 prescriptions were evaluated. The study showed 86 prescriptions (13.5%) with inappropriate use including 6 (0.9%) not prescribed for estrogen receptor (ER) and/or progesterone receptor (PR) positive, 31 (4.9%) not prescribed for post-menopausal and 49 (7.7%) not prescribed for an appropriate duration. Appropriate use percentages in different health benefit schemes were similar, 85.7% of CSMBS, 86.4% of SSS and 86.7% of UCS. The relationship between health benefit scheme and appropriate use of Letrozole was not significantly different, ${\chi}^2$ (2, N = 636) = 0.081, p > 0.05. Conclusions: The study showed inappropriate use in breast cancer patients because of non-compliance with duration, menopausal status and hormone receptor requirements. To prescribe appropriate indication did not referred to the appropriate practice along the treatment. Drug use evaluation proved very useful for detecting the sign of inappropriate use and allows immediate feedback to the stakeholder for developing medication policy in the future. Importantly, there was no significantly difference in appropriate use of Letrozole across health benefit schemes.

• 한국HCI학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.02a
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• pp.679-682
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• 2008

High interest for the wireless network is going on the research to apply the related technologies in one's real life. Among these wireless network technologies, local area wireless network, Binary CDMA(Code Division Multiple Access), is the method transferring the data by using RF band based on 2.4Ghz. Binary CDMA has longer transmission distance than Bluetooth. Also, it is of benefit to an inexpensive price because the circuit is simple as compared with being similar to the performance of the existing CDMA. Though Binary CDMA has these benefits, one problem is a frequency overlap, and anther problem is to generate the sections with the shorter distance. To solve these problems, We propose the clustering method that can cover wide area.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.281-286
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• 2019

The study aims to analyze the adaptation strategies and resilience of tobacco farmers to face unfavorable trading system. The research method refers to a qualitative approach with phenomenological models and case studies. The findings revealed tobacco farmers in Jember developed various adaptation strategies and resilience through farmer group organizations, partnerships, self-capacity building and access to financial institutions based on economic, social, cultural, and experience values from various sources and interactions among fellow tobacco farmers. The tobacco trading system, which is left to the market mechanism, results in low bargaining power of farmers, this encourages tobacco farmers to develop various adaptation and survival strategies, namely through collective activities of farmer groups, partnerships and self-development and access to financial institutions. Dealing with the unfavorable tobacco trading system, tobacco farmers do not switch to other commodity farming but adapt and make Jember a center for tobacco production in East Java and Indonesia. From this findings, it suggests to the government as the regulator does not only provide subsidies for tobacco farmers, but also must provide various technical assistance to increase the ability of tobacco farmers. More importantly, regulations must be made benefit tobacco farmers other than corporations so that equality can be enjoyed by tobacco economy players.