• Title/Summary/Keyword: Causal Relation

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Structural Relationships Among Factors to Adoption of Telehealth Service (원격의료서비스 수용요인의 구조적 관계 실증연구)

  • Kim, Sung-Soo;Ryu, See-Won
    • Asia pacific journal of information systems
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    • v.21 no.3
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    • pp.71-96
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    • 2011
  • Within the traditional medical delivery system, patients residing in medically vulnerable areas, those with body movement difficulties, and nursing facility residents have had limited access to good healthcare services. However, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) provides us with a convenient and useful means of overcoming distance and time constraints. ICT is integrated with biomedical science and technology in a way that offers a new high-quality medical service. As a result, rapid technological advancement is expected to play a pivotal role bringing about innovation in a wide range of medical service areas, such as medical management, testing, diagnosis, and treatment; offering new and improved healthcare services; and effecting dramatic changes in current medical services. The increase in aging population and chronic diseases has caused an increase in medical expenses. In response to the increasing demand for efficient healthcare services, a telehealth service based on ICT is being emphasized on a global level. Telehealth services have been implemented especially in pilot projects and system development and technological research. With the service about to be implemented in earnest, it is necessary to study its overall acceptance by consumers, which is expected to contribute to the development and activation of a variety of services. In this sense, the study aims at positively examining the structural relationship among the acceptance factors for telehealth services based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Data were collected by showing audiovisual material on telehealth services to online panels and requesting them to respond to a structured questionnaire sheet, which is known as the information acceleration method. Among the 1,165 adult respondents, 608 valid samples were finally chosen, while the remaining were excluded because of incomplete answers or allotted time overrun. In order to test the reliability and validity of the assessment scale items, we carried out reliability and factor analyses, and in order to explore the causal relation among potential variables, we conducted a structural equation modeling analysis using AMOS 7.0 and SPSS 17.0. The research outcomes are as follows. First, service quality, innovativeness of medical technology, and social influence were shown to affect perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of the telehealth service, which was statistically significant, and the two factors had a positive impact on willingness to accept the telehealth service. In addition, social influence had a direct, significant effect on intention to use, which is paralleled by the TAM used in previous research on technology acceptance. This shows that the research model proposed in the study effectively explains the acceptance of the telehealth service. Second, the research model reveals that information privacy concerns had a insignificant impact on perceived ease of use of the telehealth service. From this, it can be gathered that the concerns over information protection and security are reduced further due to advancements in information technology compared to the initial period in the information technology industry, and thus the improvement in quality of medical services appeared to ensure that information privacy concerns did not act as a prohibiting factor in the acceptance of the telehealth service. Thus, if other factors have an enormous impact on ease of use and usefulness, concerns over these results in the initial period of technology acceptance may become irrelevant. However, it is clear that users' information privacy concerns, as other studies have revealed, is a major factor affecting technology acceptance. Thus, caution must be exercised while interpreting the result, and further study is required on the issue. Numerous information technologies with outstanding performance and innovativeness often attract few consumers. A revised bill for those urgently in need of telehealth services is about to be approved in the national assembly. As telemedicine is implemented between doctors and patients, a wide range of systems that will improve the quality of healthcare services will be designed. In this sense, the study on the consumer acceptance of telehealth services is meaningful and offers strong academic evidence. Based on the implications, it can be expected to contribute to the activation of telehealth services. Further study is needed to assess the acceptance factors for telehealth services, such as motivation to remain healthy, health care involvement, knowledge on health, and control of health-related behavior, in order to develop unique services according to the categorization of customers based on health factors. In addition, further study may focus on various theoretical cognitive behavior models other than the TAM, such as the health belief model.

A Study on the Clauses of the Work-Related Disease due to Overwork in the Workmen's Compensation Law (과로로 인한 업무상 질병의 산재보상 인정기준에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Eun Hee
    • Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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    • v.6 no.1
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    • pp.23-43
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    • 1997
  • The work-related diseases due to continuous overwork are mainly cerebro- and cardio-vascular ones, which is commonly called 'Karoshi', death from overwork. Many factors are capable for Karoshi : occupational stress in relation to technological renovation and industrial rationalization, competitive social structure, and accumulated fatigue accured to long time or irregular working. And its occurence is on the rise. The World Labor Report 1993 released by ILO, pointed out the diseases related to overwork and stress as one of the most important occupational health problem. In Korea, social awareness of Karoshi is at an infant stage, and reliable statistics for its occurence are not compiled in a convenient manner. Despite the rising Karoshi, there are no reliable clauses in workmen's compensation enough to settle down the disputes. Therefore, it is not uncommon that the Labour Ministry and Civil Court find difficulties in reaching an agreement. This study was intended to provide proper compensation and prevention program for workers by suggesting reasonable compensation clauses for the death from overwork. This study consists of two comparative reviews on the compensaton clauses for the death from overwork. One is to review legal standards of Karoshi among three countries, such as Korea, Japan and Taiwan. The other is to investigate the cases of Karoshi in Korea, 121 cases identified at the Labor Welfare Corperation and the Labour Ministrial process of examination and reexamination, and 73 leading cases at the High Court of Justice. The main findings of the study are as follows : 1. Comparisons of comperative review on compensation clauses for the death from overwork among three countries. 1) All of three countries have the same kinds of disease for compensation, which were cerebro-and cardiao-vascular diseases, while for cardiac disease group, Korea has the smaller number of diseases for compensation than Japan. 2) As for the definition of overwork, the three countries share equally that overload for one week prior to collapse is considered as an important factor, but accumulated chronic fatigue is disregarded. 3) As the basis of overwork, in Japan, there is a tendency to move from the conditions of an ordinary healthy adult to those of the individual concerned in Japan, whereas there is no such concern yet in Korea. 4) All the three countries use a common standard of medical judgement in demonstrating causal relationship between a job and a disease. However, Korea is progressive in the sense that in the case of CVA at worksite, the worker himself has no obligation to prove the cause. 2. The results of a comparative review on excutive decisions by Labor Ministry and judicial decisions by the Court in Korea : A judicial decision is based on the legalistic probability, but a excutive decision is not. Therefore, excutive decisions have such restrictions that : 1) TIA (transitory ischemic cerebral attack) and myocarditis are excluded from compensation, and there is little consistency of decision in the case of cause-unknown death. 2) There is a tendency not to compensate for the death from overwork since the work terms such as repeated long-time working, shift work or night-shift work are not considered as overloading. 3) There is a tendency to regard the conditions of a ordinary healthy adult rather than those of the individual concerned(age, existing diseases, health state, etc.) as the comparative basis of overload. 4) There remains a tendency not to compensate for the death from overwork in the case of collapse occuring out of workplace, on the ground of 'on the course of working' and 'in the cause of accident'. Through the study, the fact manifests itself that Korea's compensation clauses for work-related diseases due to overwork are very restrictive. So, it is necessary to extend the Labor Ministry's clauses of compensation for the death from overwork following to the recent changes of other countries and internal judicial decisions. This is very important in the perspective of occupational health that aims at health promotion of workers including prevention of the Karoshi.

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Life Experiences of Middle School Students from Broken Homes (결손가정 중학생의 생활경험)

  • Choe, Gee-Hyun;Chung, Yeon-Kang;Yeoum, Soon-Gyo
    • Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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    • v.10 no.2
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    • pp.271-283
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    • 1997
  • This study is designed for the school health education, contributing experience of life from middle school students from broken homes by describing specifically what they go through. And on this basis this study works out a grounded theory on the experience of life for middle school students from broken homes. The data was collected through a series of interviews with nine subjects singled out at each stage of research. With the permission of the subjects, the interviews were recorded and transcribed. The interviews lasted from 30 minutes up to one hour and 20 minutes. The in-depth interviewing methods and observations was used for data collection. The data was analyzed in the framework of grounded theory as mapped out by Strauss & Corbin (1990). By analyzing the materials eighty-three concepts were extracted, and they were united into 21 subordinate categories through the course of analysis. These were classified into nine precedence categories. The core category was found to be the adaptation of 'Wichookdem" or "Shrinkage". "Shrinkage" widows experienced was showed as the results "Self-reliance" and "Overcoming" through the course of generation and reaction, confrontation, and adaptation. According to the analysis findings of materials, the central phenomenon was showed as "shrinkage", the causal condition as "surprise", "Darkness", "Grudge", "Desolate", "Empty". The veins as presence of those around people and existence of support, and the meditate situation as self-support. For the strategy in solving "shrinkage", preparations of countermeasure and self-reinforcement were showed. And self-reliance and overcoming were the results. Through the contrast to the cases of ground materials, relation statements as follows were induced; (1) The weaker the suffering is, the weaker the "shrinkage" tends to be. (2) The stronger the suffering is, the stronger the "shrinkage" tends to be. (3) The more frequent and serious the suffering, the stronger the "shrinkage" tend to be. (4) The more infrequent and not serious the suffering is, the weaker the "shrinkage" tends to be. (5) The weaker the "shrinkage" is, the more self-control1ed the responses tends to be. (6) The stronger the "shrinkage" is, the more impulsive the responses tends to be. (7) The more satisfying the support is, the more self-controlled the responses to the "shrinkage" tends to be. (8) The more dissatisfying the support is, the more impulsive the responses to the "shrinkage" tends to be. (9) The more concrete the type of support is, the more self-controlled the responses to the "shrinkage" tends to be. (10) The more superficial the type of support is, the more impulsive the responses to the "shrinkage" tends to be. (11) The more self-controlled the responses are, the more self-reliant the subjects tends to be. (12) The more impulsive the responses are, the more conflict and wandering the subjects tends to be. (13) Whether the responses to the "shrinkage" express themselves in self-control or an impulse, it will be resulted in the form of either tension or pain. The following two were confirmed on the basis of repetitive relations; (1) If a subject's suffering is weak, infrequent and not serious, the "shrinkage" is weak. Also the subject's support is highly satisfying, and the support type is concrete. The responses to the "shrinkage" result in self-control which consequence is self-reliance with part. of it resulting in tension and pain. (2) If a subject's suffering is strong, frequent and serious, the "shrinkage" is strong. Also the subject's support is dissatisfying, and the support type is superficial. The responses to the "shrinkage" result in an impulsion whose consequence is wandering with part of it resulting in tension and pain. Through the results in this study, the following is to be suggested; O This research is basically aimed at analyzing the experience of the middle school students living in broken homes, for the more inclusive approach, the study for them is made systematically according to the type of their problems.

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Legislative Study on the Mitigation of the Burden of Proof in Hospital Infection Cases - Focusing on the revised Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch - (병원감염 사건에서 증명책임 완화에 관한 입법적 고찰 - 개정 독일민법을 중심으로 -)

  • Yoo, Hyun Jung
    • The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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    • v.16 no.2
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    • pp.159-193
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    • 2015
  • Owing to causes such as population aging, increased use of various medical devices, long-term hospitalization of various patients with reduced immune function such as cancer, diabetes, and organ transplant patients, and the growing size of hospitals, hospital infections are continuing to increase. As seen in the MERS crisis of 2015, hospital infections have become a social and national problem. In order to prevent damage due to such hospital infections, it is necessary to first strictly implement measures to prevent hospital infections, while, on the other hand, providing proper relief of damage suffered due to hospital infections. However, the mainstream attitude of judicial precedents relating to hospital infection cases has been judged to in fact shift responsibility over damages due to hospital infections on the patient. In light of the philosophy of the damage compensation system, whose guiding principle if the fair and proper apportionment of damages, there is a need to seek means of drastically relaxing the burden of proof on the patient's side relative to conventional legal principles for relaxing the burden of proof, or the theory of de facto estimation. In relation to such need, the German civil code (Burgerliches Gesetzbuch), which defines contracts of medical treatment as typical contracts under the civil code, and has presumption of negligence provisions stipulating that, in cases such as hospital infections which were completely under the control of the medical care providers, if risks in general medical treatment have been realized which cause violations of the life, body, or health of patients, error on the part of the person providing medical care is presumed, was examined. Contracts of medical treatment are entered into very frequently and broadly in the everyday lives of the general public, with various disputes owing thereto arising. Therefore, it is necessary to, by defining contracts of medical treatment as typical contracts under the civil code, regulate the content of said contracts, as well as the proof of burden when disputes arise. If stipulations in the civil code are premature as of yet, an option may be to regulate through a special act, as is the case with France. In the case of hospital infection cases, it is thought that 'legal presumption of negligence' relating to 'negligence in the occurrence of hospital infections,' which will create a state close to equality of arms, will aid the resolution of the realistic issue of the de facto impossibility of remedying damages occurring due to negligence in the process of occurrence of hospital infections. Also, even if negligence is presumed by law, as the patient side is burdened with proving the causal relationships, such drastic confusion as would occur if the medical care provider side is found fully liable if a hospital infection occurs may be avoided. It is thought that, alongside such efforts, social insurance policy must be improved so as to cover the expenses of medical institutions having strictly implemented efforts to prevent hospital infections in the event that they have suffered damages due to a hospital infection accident, and that close future research and examination into this matter will be required.

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Neurotechnologies and civil law issues (뇌신경과학 연구 및 기술에 대한 민사법적 대응)

  • SooJeong Kim
    • The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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    • v.24 no.2
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    • pp.147-196
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    • 2023
  • Advances in brain science have made it possible to stimulate the brain to treat brain disorder or to connect directly between the neuron activity and an external devices. Non-invasive neurotechnologies already exist, but invasive neurotechnologies can provide more precise stimulation or measure brainwaves more precisely. Nowadays deep brain stimulation (DBS) is recognized as an accepted treatment for Parkinson's disease and essential tremor. In addition DBS has shown a certain positive effect in patients with Alzheimer's disease and depression. Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) are in the clinical stage but help patients in vegetative state can communicate or support rehabilitation for nerve-damaged people. The issue is that the people who need these invasive neurotechnologies are those whose capacity to consent is impaired or who are unable to communicate due to disease or nerve damage, while DBS and BCI operations are highly invasive and require informed consent of patients. Especially in areas where neurotechnology is still in clinical trials, the risks are greater and the benefits are uncertain, so more explanation should be provided to let patients make an informed decision. If the patient is under guardianship, the guardian is able to substitute for the patient's consent, if necessary with the authorization of court. If the patient is not under guardianship and the patient's capacity to consent is impaired or he is unable to express the consent, korean healthcare institution tend to rely on the patient's near relative guardian(de facto guardian) to give consent. But the concept of a de facto guardian is not provided by our civil law system. In the long run, it would be more appropriate to provide that a patient's spouse or next of kin may be authorized to give consent for the patient, if he or she is neither under guardianship nor appointed enduring power of attorney. If the patient was not properly informed of the risks involved in the neurosurgery, he or she may be entitled to compensation of intangible damages. If there is a causal relation between the malpractice and the side effects, the patient may also be able to recover damages for those side effects. In addition, both BCI and DBS involve the implantation of electrodes or microchips in the brain, which are controlled by an external devices. Since implantable medical devices are subject to product liability laws, the patient may be able to sue the manufacturer for damages if the defect caused the adverse effects. Recently, Korea's medical device regulation mandated liability insurance system for implantable medical devices to strengthen consumer protection.

Causal Relation Analysis of Foreigners' Perceptions of Korean Ginseng Products and the Purchase Intentions (한국 인삼제품에 대한 외국인의 인식도와 구매의도의 관계 분석)

  • Choi, N.Y.;Han, S.J.;Chang, K.J.
    • Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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    • v.20 no.1
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    • pp.19-34
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    • 2018
  • This study was initiated because many studies would be necessary to promote Korean ginseng products when the sales of Korean ginseng are declining and many Korean ginseng farmers are facing economic difficulties. The increase in domestic sales is important, but this study is targeting for foreigner's perceptions of Korean ginseng and how to improve the products. The goal of this study is to analyze how to increase their purchase intentions of Korean ginseng products. Questionnaire survey research methods were used to learn more about making certain improvements to ginseng products, consumers are hoping, how affect their perceptions and purchase intentions of Korean ginseng, as well as how foreigners' perceptions of Korean ginseng products affects purchase intentions. Because it's difficult to find any studies about foreigner's Korean ginseng purchase intentions, the survey was expanded to include how people take care of their health, the accessibility of purchasing ginseng products, psychological factors as well as consumer characteristics, satisfaction with Korean ginseng, and intentions of buying Korean ginseng products. The result of the analysis on how making certain desired improvements to and perceptions of Korean ginseng products affect purchase intentions indicated that Korean ginseng perceptions highly affected the purchase intentions; however making certain improvements to ginseng products showed a low impact on the purchase intentions. In other words, making certain improvements, such as convenience of the ginseng products, doesn't affected Korean ginseng purchase intentions directly. On the other hand, it showed that the usefulness, its high quality, and safety trust of Korean ginseng have a big impact on purchasing intentions. If the ginseng that is grown and processed in Korea is better promoted for its high value, the Korean ginseng farmers who are facing many economic difficulties will be able to raise their income.

Distributors' Preference for the Flextime System (유통업체 종사자의 유동근무제에 대한 선호성향에 대한 연구)

  • Lee, Won-Haeng
    • Journal of Distribution Science
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    • v.10 no.4
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    • pp.13-20
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    • 2012
  • The "flextime" system, which was initially designed to maintain a balance between work and personal life, has recently received much attention as an alternative form of work, enabling employees to fully exert their creativity. Most studies show that the effects of flextime on performance, productivity, attitude toward the organization, absenteeism, and turnover differ between managerial and non-managerial workers. This suggests that workers' personal characteristics affect their preference for flextime by directly or indirectly influencing its result variables. As most Korean companies have not adopted the flextime system, little research has been conducted on it in Korea. Recently, Korean companies have been discussing flextime as one of several measures for enhancing international competitiveness. Therefore, this study aims to offer a theoretical framework for the introduction of the system by analyzing the effects of the precedent factors on the preference for flextime. Though not statistically significant, a higher preference for flextime is noted among workers over the age of 36. Older workers usually are more conservative and less adaptable to change but here the older Korean workers may be anxious and resistant. Additional research on workers in different types of businesses using improved research methods will lead to more meaningful results. Married workers display a lower preference to flextime than single workers. In Korea, the current atmosphere focused on a happy home encourages married workers to prefer regular work hours, enabling them to go to and from work on a regular schedule. This means that normal working hours, from morning to evening, are preferred as it is the most suitable system for families. However, this is not so in the case of single workers. Unmarried singles tend to prefer flextime for investing in self-development toward future prosperity, over the benefits of regular working-hours. Flextime is designed to meet their needs to some extent as it is helpful in maintaining a balance between work life and self-development. If flextime is selected, workers can spend mornings on self-development and work in the afternoons. Therefore, when flextime is introduced in Korea, it would be desirable to start with unmarried workers, to increase corporate creativity and productivity and develop individual potential. In particular, when the five-day workweek, the main concern for companies and labor unions, is adopted, synergy with flextime could be expected and a gradual implementation of flextime will be effective. Gender difference shows similar results to marital status with male workers displaying a higher preference for flextime. It is inferred that male workers' attitudes toward flextime are more favorable than female workers' because flextime enables self-development and work life to coexist. A relatively weak, though statistically significant, correlation exists between control position and flextime preference with inner-control-oriented workers displaying favorable attitudes toward flextime. Generally, inner-control-oriented workers tend to attribute the consequences caused by any person or partner relationship to themselves. Thus, when a new system is introduced they are likely to have less reluctance and fear than outer-control-oriented workers, because they think it is important to deal with the new system. A weak but slight correlation exists between the desire for achievement and flextime preference. People who have a higher desire for achievement are willing to consider the new system, especially if significant success is reasonably expected. This result is derived from a reasonable judgment that flextime offers an individual the time for self-development while the organization benefits from the resulting creativity and performance enhancements. Although not the primary analysis, a high correlation is found between control position and the desire for achievement, which is consistent with the results of previous research. The regression analysis not only supports the preceding ANOVA and correlation analysis but also shows the existence of a causal relationship. Married workers have a weak preference for flextime, which is consistent with the results of the preceding ANOVA. Relative to men, women have a weak preference for flextime. No statistically significant correlation was noticed for age. Inner-control-oriented workers prefer flextime more than outer-control-oriented workers as the former view the consequences of change to be their own responsibility. However, the preference for flextime seems to be weak. As expected, people with a higher desire for achievement have a stronger preference for flextime, presumably because the greater the desire for achievement, the stronger the spirit of challenging an uncertain future. No significant correlation exists between job satisfaction and flextime preference.

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A Study on the Improvement Plans of Police Fire Investigation (경찰화재조사의 개선방안에 관한 연구)

  • SeoMoon, Su-Cheol
    • Journal of Korean Institute of Fire Investigation
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    • v.9 no.1
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    • pp.103-121
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    • 2006
  • We are living in more comfortable circumstances with the social developments and the improvement of the standard of living, but, on the other hand, we are exposed to an increase of the occurrences of tires on account of large-sized, higher stories, deeper underground building and the use of various energy resources. The materials of the floor in a residence modern society have been going through various alterations in accordance with the uses of a residence and are now used as final goods in interioring the bottom of apartments, houses and shops. There are so many kinds of materials you usually come in contact with, but in the first place, we need to make an experiment on the spread of the fire with the hypocaust used as the floors of apartments, etc. and the floor covers you usually can get easily. We, scientific investigators, can get in contact with the accidents caused by incendiarism or an accidental fire closely connected with petroleum stuffs on the floor materials that give rise to lots of problems. on this account, I'd like to propose that we conduct an experiment on fire shapes by each petroleum stuff and that discriminate an accidental tire from incendiarism. In an investigation, it seems that finding a live coal could be an essential part of clearing up the cause of a tire but it could not be the cause of a fire itself. And besides, all sorts of tire cases or fire accidents have some kind of legislation and standard to minimize and at an early stage cope with the damage by tires. That is to say, we are supposed to install each kind of electric apparatus, automatic alarm equipment, automatic fire extinguisher in order to protect ourselves from the danger of fires and check them at any time and also escape urgently in case of fire-outbreaking or build a tire-proof construction to prevent flames from proliferating to the neighboring areas. Namely, you should take several factors into consideration to investigate a cause of a case or an accident related to fire. That means it's not in reason for one investigator or one investigative team to make clear of the starting part and the cause of a tire. accordingly, in this thesis, explanations would be given set limits to the judgement and verification on the cause of a fire and the concrete tire-spreading part through investigation on the very spot that a fire broke out. The fire-discernment would also be focused on the early stage fire-spreading part fire-outbreaking resources, and I think the realities of police tire investigations and the problems are still a matter of debate. The cause of a fire must be examined into by logical judgement on the basis of abundant scientific knowledge and experience covering the whole of fire phenomena. The judgement of the cause should be made with fire-spreading situation at the spot as the central figure and in case of verifying, you are supposed to prove by the situational proof from the traces of the tire-spreading to the fire-outbreaking sources. The causal relation on a fire-outbreak should not be proved by arbitrary opinion far from concrete facts, and also there is much chance of making mistakes if you draw deduction from a coincidence. It is absolutely necessary you observe in an objective attitude and grasp the situation of a tire in the investigation of the cause. Having a look at the spot with a prejudice is not allowed. The source of tire-outbreak itself is likely to be considered as the cause of a tire and that makes us doubt about the results according to interests of the independent investigators. So to speak, they set about investigations, the police investigation in the hope of it not being incendiarism, the fire department in the hope of it not being problems in installments or equipments, insurance companies in the hope of it being any incendiarism, electric fields in the hope of it not being electric defects, the gas-related in the hope of it not being gas problems. You could not look forward to more fair investigation and break off their misgivings. It is because the firing source itself is known as the cause of a fire and civil or criminal responsibilities are respected to the firing source itself. On this occasion, investigating the cause of a fire should be conducted with research, investigation, emotion independent, and finally you should clear up the cause with the results put together.

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The Effects of Perceived Quality Factors on the Customer Loyalty: Focused on the Analysis of Difference between PB and NB (지각된 품질요인이 고객충성도에 미치는 영향: PB와 NB간의 차이분석)

  • Ye, Jong-Suk;Jun, So-Yon
    • Journal of Distribution Research
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    • v.15 no.2
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    • pp.1-34
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    • 2010
  • Introduction As consumers' purchase behavior change into a rational and practical direction, the discount store industry came to have keen competition along with rapid external growth. Therefore as a solution, distribution businesses are concentrating on developing PB(Private Brand) which can realize differentiation and profitability at the same time. And as improvement in customer loyalty beyond customer satisfaction is effective in surviving in an environment with keen competition, PB is being used as a strategic tool to improve customer loyalty. To improve loyalty among PB users, it is necessary to develop PB by examining properties of a customer group, first of all, quality level perceived by consumers should be met to obtain customer satisfaction and customer trust and consequently induce customer loyalty. To provide results of systematic analysis on relations between antecedents influenced perceived quality and variables affecting customer loyalty, this study proposed a research model based on causal relations verified in prior researches and set 16 hypotheses about relations among 9 theoretical variables. Data was collected from 400 adult customers residing in Seoul and the Metropolitan area and using large scale discount stores, among them, 375 copies were analyzed using SPSS 15.0 and Amos 7.0. The findings of the present study followed as; We ascertained that the higher company reputation, brand reputation, product experience and brand familiarity, the higher perceived quality. The study also examined the higher perceived quality, the higher customer satisfaction, customer trust and customer loyalty. The findings showed that the higher customer satisfaction and customer trust, the higher customer loyalty. As for moderating effects between PB and NB in terms of influences of perceived quality factors on perceived quality, we can ascertain that PB was higher than NB in the influences of company reputation on perceived quality while NB was higher than PB in the influences of brand reputation and brand familiarity on perceived quality. These results of empirical analysis will be useful for those concerned to do marketing activities based on a clearer understanding of antecedents and consecutive factors influenced perceived quality. At last, discussions about academical and managerial implications in these results, we suggested the limitations of this study and the future research directions. Research Model and Hypotheses Test After analyzing if antecedent variables having influence on perceived quality shows any difference between PB and NB in terms of their influences on them, the relation between variables that have influence on customer loyalty was determined as Figure 1. We established 16 hypotheses to test and hypotheses are as follows; H1-1: Perceived price has a positive effect on perceived quality. H1-2: It is expected that PB and NB would have different influence in terms of perceived price on perceived quality. H2-1: Company reputation has a positive effect on perceived quality. H2-2: It is expected that PB and NB would have different influence in terms of company reputation on perceived quality. H3-1: Brand reputation has a positive effect on perceived quality. H3-2: It is expected that PB and NB would have different influence in terms of brand reputation on perceived quality. H4-1: Product experience has a positive effect on perceived quality. H4-2: It is expected that PB and NB would have different influence in terms of product experience on perceived quality. H5-1: Brand familiarity has a positive effect on perceived quality. H5-2: It is expected that PB and NB would have different influence in terms of brand familiarity on perceived quality. H6: Perceived quality has a positive effect on customer satisfaction. H7: Perceived quality has a positive effect on customer trust. H8: Perceived quality has a positive effect on customer loyalty. H9: Customer satisfaction has a positive effect on customer trust. H10: Customer satisfaction has a positive effect on customer loyalty. H11: Customer trust has a positive effect on customer loyalty. Results from analyzing main effects of research model is shown as

    , and moderating effects is shown as
    . Results This study is designed with 16 research hypotheses, Results from analyzing their main effects show that 9 of 11 hypotheses were supported and other 2 hypotheses were rejected. On the other hand, results from analyzing their moderating effects show that 3 of 5 hypotheses were supported and other 2 hypotheses were rejected. H1-1: (SPC: Standardized Path Coefficient)=-0.04, t-value=-1.04, p>. 05). H1-2: (${\Delta}\chi^2$=1.10, df=1, p> 0.05). H1-1 and H1-2 are rejected, so it is prove that perceived price is not a significant decision variable having influence on perceived quality and there is no significant variable between PB and NB in terms of influence of perceived price on perceived quality. H2-1: (SPC=0.31, t-value=3.74, p<. 001). H2-2: (${\Delta}\chi^2$=3.93, df=1, p< 0.05). H2-1 and H2-2 are supported, so it is proved that company reputation is a significant decision variable having influence on perceived quality and, in terms of influence of company reputation on perceived quality, PB has relatively stronger influence than NB. H3-1: (SPC=0.26, t-value=5.30, p< .001). H3-2: (${\Delta}\chi^2$=16.81, df=1, p< 0.01). H3-1 and H3-2 are supported, so it is proved that brand reputation is a significant decision variable having influence on perceived quality and, in terms of influence of brand reputation on perceived quality, NB has relatively stronger influence than PB. H4-1: (SPC=0.31, t-value=2.65, p< .05). H4-2: (${\Delta}\chi^2$=1.26, df=1, p> 0.05). H4-1 is supported, but H4-2 is rejected, Therefore, it is proved that product experience is a significant decision variable having influence on perceived quality and, on the other hand, there is no significant different between PB and NB in terms of influence of product experience on product quality. H5-1: (SPC=0.24, t-value=3.00, p<. 05). H5-2: (${\Delta}\chi^2$=5.10, df=1, p< 0.05). H5-1 and H5-2 are supported, so it is proved that brand familiarity is a significant decision variable having influence on perceived quality and, in terms of influence of brand familiarity on perceived quality, NB has relatively stronger influence than PB. H6: (SPC=0.91, t-value=19.06, p< .001). H6 is supported, so a fact that customer satisfaction increases as perceived quality increases is proved. H7: (SPC=0.81, t-value=7.44, p<. 001). H7 is supported, so a fact that customer trust increases as perceived quality increases is proved. H8: (SPC=0.57, t-value=7.87, p< .001). H8 is supported, so a fact that customer loyalty increases as perceived quality increases is proved. H9: (SPC=0.08, t-value=0.76, p> .05). H9 is rejected, so it is proved influence of customer satisfaction on customer trust is not significant. H10: (SPC=0.21, t-value=4.34, p< .001). H10 is supported, so a fact that customer loyalty increases as customer satisfaction increases is proved. H11: (SPC=0.40, t-value=5.68, p< .001). H11 is supported, so a fact that customer loyalty increases as customer trust increases is proved. Implications Although most of existing studies have used function, price, brand, design, service, brand name, store name as antecedent variables for perceived quality, this study used different antecedent variables in order to analyze and distinguish purchase group PB and NB through preliminary research. Therefore, this study may be used as preliminary data for a empirical study that is designed to be helpful for practical jobs. Also, this study is made to be easily applied to any practical job because SEM(Structural Equation Modeling), most strongly explaining the relation between observed variable and latent variable, is used for this study. This study suggests a new strategic point that, in order to increase customer loyalty, customer's perceived quality level should satisfied for inducing customer satisfaction, customer trust, and customer loyalty. Therefore, after finding an effective differentiating factors in perceived quality in order to increase customer loyalty through increasing perceived quality, this factor was made to be applied to PB and NB. Because perceived quality factors which is recognized as being important by consumers is different between PB and NB, this study suggests how to efficiently establish marketing strategy by enhancing a factor. Companies have mostly focused on profitability in terms of analyzing customer loyalty, but this study included positive WOM(word of mouth). Hence, this study suggests that it would be helpful for establishing customer loyalty when consumers have cognitive satisfaction and emotional satisfaction together. Limitations This study used variables perceived price, company reputation, brand reputation, product experience, brand familiarity in order to determine whether each constituent factor has different influence on perceived quality between purchase group PB and NB. These characteristic variables are made up on the basis of the preliminary research, but it is expected that more precise research result would be obtained if additional various variables are included in study. This study selected a practical product that is non-durable, low-priced and bestselling product in a discount store through the preliminary research because it can be easily estimated by consumers. Therefore. generalization of study would be more easily obtained if more various product characteristics is included. Regarding a sample used in this study, it was only based on consumers who purchase products in a large-scale discount store located in Seoul and in the capital area. Accordingly, this sample has some geographical limitation, If a study is expanded by including more areas, more representative research results may be produced. Because this study is only designed to analyze consumers who purchase a product in a large-scale discount store, some difference may be found according to characteristics of each business type. In other words, there is certainly some application limitation, so research result from this study may not be applied to other business types. Future research may have fruitful results if it adjusts a variable to each business type.

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  • A Study on the Effect of Booth Recommendation System on Exhibition Visitors Unplanned Visit Behavior (전시장 참관객의 계획되지 않은 방문행동에 있어서 부스추천시스템의 영향에 대한 연구)

    • Chung, Nam-Ho;Kim, Jae-Kyung
      • Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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      • v.17 no.4
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      • pp.175-191
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      • 2011
    • With the MICE(Meeting, Incentive travel, Convention, Exhibition) industry coming into the spotlight, there has been a growing interest in the domestic exhibition industry. Accordingly, in Korea, various studies of the industry are being conducted to enhance exhibition performance as in the United States or Europe. Some studies are focusing particularly on analyzing visiting patterns of exhibition visitors using intelligent information technology in consideration of the variations in effects of watching exhibitions according to the exhibitory environment or technique, thereby understanding visitors and, furthermore, drawing the correlations between exhibiting businesses and improving exhibition performance. However, previous studies related to booth recommendation systems only discussed the accuracy of recommendation in the aspect of a system rather than determining changes in visitors' behavior or perception by recommendation. A booth recommendation system enables visitors to visit unplanned exhibition booths by recommending visitors suitable ones based on information about visitors' visits. Meanwhile, some visitors may be satisfied with their unplanned visits, while others may consider the recommending process to be cumbersome or obstructive to their free observation. In the latter case, the exhibition is likely to produce worse results compared to when visitors are allowed to freely observe the exhibition. Thus, in order to apply a booth recommendation system to exhibition halls, the factors affecting the performance of the system should be generally examined, and the effects of the system on visitors' unplanned visiting behavior should be carefully studied. As such, this study aims to determine the factors that affect the performance of a booth recommendation system by reviewing theories and literature and to examine the effects of visitors' perceived performance of the system on their satisfaction of unplanned behavior and intention to reuse the system. Toward this end, the unplanned behavior theory was adopted as the theoretical framework. Unplanned behavior can be defined as "behavior that is done by consumers without any prearranged plan". Thus far, consumers' unplanned behavior has been studied in various fields. The field of marketing, in particular, has focused on unplanned purchasing among various types of unplanned behavior, which has been often confused with impulsive purchasing. Nevertheless, the two are different from each other; while impulsive purchasing means strong, continuous urges to purchase things, unplanned purchasing is behavior with purchasing decisions that are made inside a store, not before going into one. In other words, all impulsive purchases are unplanned, but not all unplanned purchases are impulsive. Then why do consumers engage in unplanned behavior? Regarding this question, many scholars have made many suggestions, but there has been a consensus that it is because consumers have enough flexibility to change their plans in the middle instead of developing plans thoroughly. In other words, if unplanned behavior costs much, it will be difficult for consumers to change their prearranged plans. In the case of the exhibition hall examined in this study, visitors learn the programs of the hall and plan which booth to visit in advance. This is because it is practically impossible for visitors to visit all of the various booths that an exhibition operates due to their limited time. Therefore, if the booth recommendation system proposed in this study recommends visitors booths that they may like, they can change their plans and visit the recommended booths. Such visiting behavior can be regarded similarly to consumers' visit to a store or tourists' unplanned behavior in a tourist spot and can be understand in the same context as the recent increase in tourism consumers' unplanned behavior influenced by information devices. Thus, the following research model was established. This research model uses visitors' perceived performance of a booth recommendation system as the parameter, and the factors affecting the performance include trust in the system, exhibition visitors' knowledge levels, expected personalization of the system, and the system's threat to freedom. In addition, the causal relation between visitors' satisfaction of their perceived performance of the system and unplanned behavior and their intention to reuse the system was determined. While doing so, trust in the booth recommendation system consisted of 2nd order factors such as competence, benevolence, and integrity, while the other factors consisted of 1st order factors. In order to verify this model, a booth recommendation system was developed to be tested in 2011 DMC Culture Open, and 101 visitors were empirically studied and analyzed. The results are as follows. First, visitors' trust was the most important factor in the booth recommendation system, and the visitors who used the system perceived its performance as a success based on their trust. Second, visitors' knowledge levels also had significant effects on the performance of the system, which indicates that the performance of a recommendation system requires an advance understanding. In other words, visitors with higher levels of understanding of the exhibition hall learned better the usefulness of the booth recommendation system. Third, expected personalization did not have significant effects, which is a different result from previous studies' results. This is presumably because the booth recommendation system used in this study did not provide enough personalized services. Fourth, the recommendation information provided by the booth recommendation system was not considered to threaten or restrict one's freedom, which means it is valuable in terms of usefulness. Lastly, high performance of the booth recommendation system led to visitors' high satisfaction levels of unplanned behavior and intention to reuse the system. To sum up, in order to analyze the effects of a booth recommendation system on visitors' unplanned visits to a booth, empirical data were examined based on the unplanned behavior theory and, accordingly, useful suggestions for the establishment and design of future booth recommendation systems were made. In the future, further examination should be conducted through elaborate survey questions and survey objects.


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