• Management & Information Systems Review
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• v.17
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• pp.107-133
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to analyze a trend of profitability classified by characteristics of hospitals and to analyze related factors. The data for this study were derived from survey material conducted by the Korean Hospital Association on 33 hospitals in Korea between 1993 and 2002. Profitability was measured in the aspect of investment profit rate and operation profit rate with net profit to total assets, normal profit to total assets and operating margin to gross revenue as dependent variables. Independent variables were classified by general factors (ownership, number of beds, period of establishment, region), financial factors (total asset turnover, liabilities to total assets, current ratio, fixed ratio, inventories turnover, personnel costs per operation profit, material costs per operation profits), composition of manpower and facilities(personnel and area per beds), productivity index(the number of daily patients per medical doctor, the number of daily patients per nurse), the score of quality assurance activities. First, Concerning the specialists per beds or area per beds and profitability of hospitals there was not statistically significant. Second, Those hospitals having the most daily patients per nurse had significantly higher profitability than the others, but the number of daily patients per medical doctor had little effect on the profitability. Thirds, Those hospitals having a higher proportion total asset turnover tended to show significantly higher profitability compared to other hospitals, but the liabilities to total assets and liquidity ratio had a little difference to the profitability. Those hospitals having a higher proportion personnel costs per operation profit and material costs per operation profits tended to show significantly lower hospital profitability compared to other hospitals. Fourth, In regression analysis, hospital profitability had negative relationship with personnel costs per operation profit or material costs per operation profits. While it had positive relationship with total asset turnover, the number of daily patients per nurse. In conclusion, private hospitals had higher profitability than that of public hospitals. Though factors related to profitability of hospital were different according to ownership, it is important for securing appropriate profitability by operating appropriate number of nurse, raising total asset turnover, and reducing personnel costs, material costs per operation profits. This study can be used as a baseline data for planning of hospital management. But the study may be limited in that the results cannot be generalized due to its small sample size. However, this longitudinal observation of 33 hospitals over ten year period has significant merit alone.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.3-23
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• 2016

In this study, we used actual proof analysis, based on SVAR model according to economy theory, to observe the impact of actual and financial market of Korea, Japan, and China that have adopted quantitative easing export based strategy of growth, an unconventional monetary policy of the U.S. As a result of estimation, it appears that real effective exchange rate rise shock of Korea, Japan, and China against U.S. dollar has a negative influence on current account and index of industrial product, which are real economy. It can be implied that the result is driven from the fact that strong home currency of Korea, Japan, and China decreases price competitiveness of exports, causing negative influence on real economy. The real effective exchange rate shock against U.S. dollar appeared to decrease national bond rate of Korea and Japan, while increasing that of China. In instances of Korea and Japan, it is implied that national bond rate decreases as foreigner investment funds flow in, considering foreign-exchange profit through advanced financial market with high opening extent. On the other hand, because there are strong regulation on opening extent of Chinese financial markets, the influence seems to be greater for domestic policy, rather than a foreign influence. Lastly, Korea showed a more dramatic variable reaction to exchange rate shock compared to Japan or China. It is implied from the result that Korea is relatively more susceptible and fragile in regards of international status of economic size and currency.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.576-586
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• 2019

Airlines need to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions because of the Paris Climate Agreement and ICAO CORSIA. This examined the degree of the strategic responses to which the airlines have made and the problems in the emission trading system (ETS). According to the analysis, the total amount of emission all the airlines made in the last three years was 116% more than the emission allowance imposed by the central government resulting in 10.7 billion KRW additional emission expense. Airlines would also face an increased carbon cost due to the implementation of ICAO CORSIA by purchasing an additional paid-in emission allowance in international routes. Although it is effective to retire the old aircraft early and induce the brand-new fuel-efficient aircraft to reduce GHG emissions, it is impractical in the short-term due to the tremendous amount of investment. To reduce the emission, airlines are washing engines, using ultra-light ULD and carts in the cabin, increasing the use of flaps and preventing the use of APU. On the other hand, these are very limited measures for reducing emissions according to the ICAO's mandatory emission target.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.113-118
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• 2021

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has confirmed a global limit of 0.5 % for sulfur in fuel oil used on board ships with effect from January 1, 2020. Among various alternatives to respond to these regulations on sulfur content in fuel oil, such as LNG ships, SOx scrubbers, and very-low-sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO). VLSFO is preferred owing to its low investment costs. As more ships are expected to use VLSFO, VLSFO spills are expected to increase. In particular, when the seawater temperature is below the pour point of VLSFO, VLSFO solidifies when it is spilled, which makes controlling spills difficult. In this study, six types of VLSFO produced in Korea and one type of high-sulfur fuel oil (MF380) were compared in terms of the dispersibility of dispersants according to the seawater temperature conditions. The results confirmed that the six type of VLSFO did not satisfy the domestic standards for dispersant rate (60 % or more for 0.5 min, 20 % or more for 10 min). Morever, the dispersant rate of the six types of VLSFO was low compared with that of the high-sulfur fuel oil. The results of this study are expected to be used to set the direction of dispersant control in the case of VLSFO spills.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.507-517
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• 2018

The probability of T/S cargo volume to decrease is the most notable problem associated with inappropriate mix of terminal operators in Busan port. Other problems include, the deterioration of the national carriers' competitiveness from non-operation of own terminal, excessively high proportion of financial operators in the engagement of operation which may result in their passiveness in timely investment, additional cost burden to carriers' in the handling inter-terminal T/S cargo transportation and inefficiency in terminal operation by the multiplicity of operators proved to be same recognized as so through the analysis. Therefore, in order to provide solutions for the problems and to strengthen Busan port's competitiveness, this research suggests the restructuring of operators mix as follows. To achieve sustainable growth of T/S cargo, global carriers' participation in terminal operation should be of utmost priority. To enhance the operational efficiency, the operators should be integrated. Similarly, the integration of operators will play a key role in verifying that national carriers' own terminal operation is an important factor in raising its competence. Finally, BPA's active engagement in the entire operation of port is also critical in public-oriented operation of the port. Whereas in the interactive analysis by taking the merits of Busan port into consideraion, global carrier's participation in operation, integration of operators and BPA's engagement in operation proved to contribute to the increase of T/S cargo and strengthening of operational efficiencies of Busan port.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.3203-3210
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• 2013

Amid the importance of design is being emphasized as a new barometer for boosting enterprise competitiveness, high expectations are being placed on design consulting that evaluate design from a comprehensive perspective. SMEs, however, are not easy to gain access to design services compare to their counterparts - large companies. This will eventually cause them to ignore the importance of design, not to mention lack of financial resources for investing in design. With this regard, the paper analyzed the design status and design consulting performance of SMEs in industrial complex through the 2012 Design Innovation Project in Industrial Complex of Busan Design Center; also analyzed the effect of design consulting on improving competitiveness of SMEs as well as design awareness. As a result, the study found that a majority of companies do not invest in design or postponed investment, despite they are not satisfied with their design performance. However, 65.6 percent of SMEs that realized the importance of design after consulting have carried out design development, which brought about sales increase through their improved corporate images and product images. We believe design consulting played an important role for boosting awareness and competitiveness of SMEs. Eventually, we need to provide an intensified design analysis process that can facilitate SMEs. Design consulting support projects should offer practical design development programs through continuous follow-up, including interaction with state projects and design-specialized companies.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.31-61
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to calculate the economic value of transport demand forecasting risks in the road PPP project. Under the assumption that volatility of the road PPP project value occurs only in regard with uncertainty of traffic volume forecasting, this study calculates the economic value of the traffic forecasting risks in the case of the road PPP project. To that end, forecasted traffic volume is assumed to be a stochastic variable and to follow the Geometric Brownian motion as time passes. In particular, this study attempts to differentiate itself from existing studies that simply use an arbitrary assumption by presenting the application of different traffic volume growth volatility and the rates before and after the ramp-up period. Analysis of the case projects reveals that the risk premium related to traffic volume forecast of the project turns out as 7.39~8.30%, without considering option value-such as minimum revenue guarantee-while the project value volatility caused by transport demand forecasting risks is 17.11%. As the discount rate grows higher, the project value volatility tends to decrease and volatility in project value is always suggested to be larger than that in transport volume influenced by leverage effect due to fixed expenditure. The market value of transport demand forecasting risk-calculated using the project value volatility and risk premium-is analyzed to be between 0.42~0.50, implying that a 1% increase or decrease in the transport amount volatility would lead to a 0.42~0.50% increase or decrease in risk premium of the project.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.9
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• pp.486-491
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• 2017

The water discharged from sewage treatment plants has been considered to be useless, due to itslack of economic utility for small hydro power generation. Considering that most sewage treatment facilities have a water head of less than 2 meters and their flow rate is constant, it is necessary to develop a small hydro power generation device capable of maintaining stable power generation and efficiency. This paper presents the development of anintegrated small hydro power generation system and presents its performance evaluation and results. Then, the economics and use of the system for practical applications are suggested. As a result, it is foundthat the generator efficiency is 92%, the electric energy produced is 10kWh and the economic efficiency, as described by the B/C ratio,is 1.0 or more. Particularly, if the operating level of the generation device is maintained at 80% or more of the rated power, it is possible to secure its economic efficiency and, after 23 years, the investment cost will bereturned. The integrated hydro power generation device is expected to have a positive effect not only in terms of the water discharged from the sewage treatment plant, but also in terms of facilities capable of securing similar flow characteristics.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.8 no.1 s.35
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• pp.132-140
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• 2007

There is an increase in interest and investment in high-rise housing as it is perceived to be a new value-added market in the construction industry. In constructing a high-rise housing, the finishing works are executed in accompaniment with many other activities that are progressed repeatedly and spontaneously on each floor. It was reported that the duration of finishing works differs according to the management ability of the executing company and has a significant effect on the entire project duration. We suggest a need to concentrate on important management factors by analyzing the factors affecting the productivity of finishing works based on the site characteristics in high-rise housing. There are various complex productivity-affecting factors including the technical factors involved in planning and managing the processes of finishing works. From the viewpoint of planning and management factors, the importance of productivity-affecting factors was analyzed using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). A continuous examination of the management of high-importance factors will make it possible to improve productivity by enhancing the understanding of productivity-affecting factors of finishing works and suggesting a practical management direction.

• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.431-457
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• 2007

The main purpose of this study is to analyze the determinants of innovation in the medium core firms that belong to components and materials industry. For this purpose, we introduce the Schumpeterian hypothesis as a theoretical background at first. According to the Schumpeterian hypothesis, large firms in concentrated markets are likely to have more innovative activities. That means, firm site and market structure are the main determinant of innovation. Then, we propose other economic factors that have been considered to have effects on firms' innovative activities in previous studies. Those factors are export, profit, growth rate, R&D expenditure and capital intensity. In order to analyze the determinants of innovation, we estimate whether firm size, market structure, export, profit, growth rate, R&D expenditure and capital intensity affect to the possibility of creating innovation in medium core firms. In order to do this, our study uses survey data from 'Korean Innovation Survey(2005)' conducted by STEPI as well as utilizes the probit model as an analytical method. According to the empirical results, firm size has a positive relationship with innovative activities of medium core firms but market concentration does not. We find the negative correlation between market concentration and innovative activities in this study. Thus, was have to say that we do not fully support the Schumpeterian hypothesis in this case. Among other variables, profit and R&D expenditure are estimated to have positive relationship with innovative activities, while export and capital intensity are estimated to have negative relationship with innovative activities. In case of growth rate, we do not find any significant relationship with innovative activities. In conclusion, larger firm size, higher market competition, more access to the financial market and additional R&D investment would facilitate innovative activities of medium core firms. However, we have to review the relationship between export and innovative activities that has been estimated in this study. While the estimated effect of export on innovative activities can be explained by the own characteristics of medium core firms that produce and supply capital goods to final manufacturer, we have address this issue in the future.