• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.55-80
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• 2012

I. Introduction Developing the relationships between companies is very important issue to ensure a competitive advantage in today's business environment (Bleeke & Ernst 1991; Mohr & Spekman 1994; Powell 1990). Partnerships between companies are based on having same goals, pursuing mutual understanding, and having a professional level of interdependence. By having such a partnerships and cooperative efforts between companies, they will achieve efficiency and effectiveness of their business (Mohr and Spekman, 1994). However, it is difficult to expect these ideal results only in the B2B corporate transaction. According to agency theory which is the well-accepted theory in various fields of business strategy, organization, and marketing, the two independent companies have fundamentally different corporate purposes. Also there is a higher chance of developing opportunism and conflict due to natures of human(organization), such as self-interest, bounded rationality, risk aversion, and environment factor as imbalance of information (Eisenhardt 1989). That is, especially partnerships between principal(or buyer) and agent(or supplier) of companies within supply chain, the business contract itself will not provide competitive advantage. But managing partnership between companies is the key to success. Therefore, managing partnership between manufacturer and supplier, and finding causes of conflict are essential to improve B2B performance. In conclusion, based on prior researches and Agency theory, this study will clarify how business hazards cause conflicts on supply chain and then identify how developed conflicts have been managed by two control mechanisms. II. Research model III. Method In order to validate our research model, this study gathered questionnaires from small and medium sized enterprises(SMEs). In Korea, SMEs mean the firms whose employee is under 300 and capital is under 8 billion won(about 7.2 million dollar). We asked the manufacturer's perception about the relationship with the biggest supplier, and our key informants are denied to a person responsible for buying(ex)CEO, executives, managers of purchasing department, and so on). In detail, we contact by telephone to our initial sample(about 1,200 firms) and introduce our research motivation and send our questionnaires by e-mail, mail, and direct survey. Finally we received 361 data and eliminate 32 inappropriate questionnaires. We use 329 manufactures' data on analysis. The purpose of this study is to identify the anticipant role of business hazard (environmental dynamism, asset specificity) and investigate the moderating effect of control mechanism(formal control, social control) on conflict-performance relationship. To find out moderating effect of control methods, we need to compare the regression weight between low versus. high group(about level of exercised control methods). Therefore we choose the structural equation modeling method that is proper to do multi-group analysis. The data analysis is performed by AMOS 17.0 software, and model fits are good statically (CMIN/DF=1.982, p<.000, CFI=.936, IFI=.937, RMSEA=.056). IV. Result V. Discussion Results show that the higher environmental dynamism and asset specificity(on particular supplier) buyer(manufacturer) has, the more B2B conflict exists. And this conflict affect relationship quality and financial outcomes negatively. In addition, social control and formal control could weaken the negative effect of conflict on relationship quality significantly. However, unlikely to assure conflict resolution effect of control mechanisms on relationship quality, financial outcomes are changed by neither social control nor formal control. We could explain this results with the characteristics of our sample, SMEs(Small and Medium sized Enterprises). Financial outcomes of these SMEs(manufacturer or principal) are affected by their customer(usually major company) more easily than their supplier(or agent). And, in recent few years, most of companies have suffered from financial problems because of global economic recession. It means that it is hard to evaluate the contribution of supplier(agent). Therefore we also support the suggestion of Gladstein(1984), Poppo & Zenger(2002) that relational performance variable can capture the focal outcomes of relationship(exchange) better than financial performance variable. This study has some implications that it tests the sources of conflict and investigates the effect of resolution methods of B2B conflict empirically. And, especially, it finds out the significant moderating effect of formal control which past B2B management studies have ignored in Korea.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.57-64
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• 2009

The trapping leaves of Drosera capture insects by secreting sticky mucilage from numerous glandular trichomes (GTs) that are developed on the leaf epidermis. The present study examines and compares the structural features of those trichomes in Drosera binata and D. pygmy with the use of light and electron microscopy. The study focuses primarily on the development and differentiation pattern of the GTs during growth. Upon examination, the upper and lower epidermis were readily distinguishable by the features of GTs in developing leaves. In particular, the GTs were dense in the upper epidermis and along the leaf margin. In D. binata, the capitate GTs with elongated stalk and sessile peltate GTs were found most commonly, whereas only capitate GTs with varying degrees of the stalk length were observed in D. pygmy. Up to ca. $2.2{\sim}3.4\;mm$ long capitate GTs were seen in the leaf margins of D. binata and ca. $3.7{\sim}4.2\;mm$ long GTs having racket-like head with adaxial hemispheric structures, otherwise known as tentacles, were noted in the leaf margin of D. pygmy. The peltate GTs were found to be distributed in the lower epidermis of D. binata. In both species, head cells were dense with cytoplasm containing high numbers of Golgi bodies, ER, mitochondria and small vesicles. Secretory materials accumulated within numerous small vacuoles, then fused together to form a single large vacuole, which serves as a secretory cavity. Flection movement of the marginal GTs and leaf blade GTs, and increased mucilage secretion from the head cells upon contact with prey during the capturing process are considered to be major factors in their active insectivorous mechanism. The findings of this study will be useful in comparisons to similar findings in other species that form adhesive trapping leaves, such as Drosophyllum or Pinguicula., further contributing a better understanding of the function and structure of the trapping leaves of carnivorous plants.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.97-117
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• 2017

This research highlights the process of adopting cloud computing technology from users' perspective. Concentrating on perceived mechanism from employees side that lead to job performance at work. Cloud computing, the new player in our modern business environment, authors employ diffusion of innovation theory to capture how this new technology affect employees in workplace in terms of job performance. Education for this new system and managerial support by firm were used as moderating variable to test dependent variable, job performance. Research was done through survey from total 284 people working in metropolitan area at South Korea. The result shows that cloud computing system affect positively on work efficiency, and the extent of diffusion factors that influence from the most to least are as follow: 1. Users' Skill, 2. System Quality, 3. Information Quality, 4. Group Awareness, 5. Attitude towards New System. To test diffusion factors of cloud computing and job performance, South Korean people actually felt that cloud computing help their job performance and the extent of diffusion factors that influence from the most to least are as follow: 1. Users' Skill, 2. System Quality, 3. Information Quality, 4. Attitude towards New System, 5. Group Awareness. As for diffusion factors of cloud computing and productivity, result proved that cloud computing really helps firms, and the extent of diffusion factors that influence from the most to least are as follow: 1. Information Quality, 2. Attitude towards New System, 3. Group Awareness, 4. System Quality, 5. Users' Skill. Two moderating variables, employee education and managerial support were tested to prove whether these two variables affect the job performance and the result displays positive affect for both two factors. To conclude, adopting cloud computing helps firms by increase employees' work efficiency and job performance. In order to accelerate the process employees education really matters because users' skill is the most crucial among diffusion factors.