• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.581-589
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• 2013

Generally, Sewage Treatment Plants(STPs) are complexes systems in which a range of physical, chemical and biological processes occur. However, their performance strongly depends on the know-how acquired by the field-engineer. Recently, in order to solve this situations, various operation and management technologies based on the Instrumentation, Control and Automation(ICA) have been developed. As a economies-environmental affect point of view, this study was for the performance evaluation and assessment of results from the Smart Operation System(SOS) in full-scale STP. The SOS in STP consisted of the process monitoring module, including real-time influent prediction and effluent simulation, and the Smart Air Control(SAC) module. According to the results from field test for 2 years, the results of economical evaluation, amount of benefits and cost saving by the SOS have shown to be much higher than that of traditional operation. Nevertheless, the removal load(kg/yr) of BOD 13.3 %, COD 28.2 %, TN 44.4 % and TP 20.8 % were increased, respectively. Remarkable improvement of removal load could be achieved after the SOS was adapted. It was concerned that the SOS offer a user friendly functionalities and cost saving needed by the field-engineers. In addition, it was expected that the results of this study would supply helpful information for design and cost saving for the SOS in full-scale STP.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.7-15
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• 2012

The paper deals with the impact of information and communications technology on carbon emissions and economic growth in South Korea. The quarterly time series data from the first quarter of 1970 to the third quarter of 2010 (163 observations) are collected and retrieved from the Bank of Korea database. The paper examines long-run equilibrium relationships using cointegration techniques and Granger causality with vector error correction models. In directional causality tests, information and communications technology shows highly significant positive effects on economic growth and marginal effect on carbon emissions. Carbon emissions and economic growth exhibit an inverse relationship with each other; that is, carbon emissions have an inverse relation to economic growth and economic growth does not significantly affect carbon emissions in South Korea. We also note possible implications regarding growth policies and the information communications technology and "green" technology sectors for economies in the range represented by Korea's 1970 - 2010 data.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.9
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• pp.561-572
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• 2020

Sustainable development - including tourism development - is the general trend of all economies. With the orientation to build and develop the tourism industry into a key economic sector and become a tourist center of the Southeast region, Vietnam, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province is demanding a proper, rational, development policy, while ensuring the development and exploitation of immediate natural advantages, and ensuring long-term sustainable development. The objective of this study is to examine the factors and their trends in sustainable tourism development in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, Vietnam. Methods used include descriptive statistical analysis, exploratory factor analysis and regression analysis. Data was collected from the results of a survey of 550 domestic and foreign tourists visiting Ba Ria-Vung Tau. With the help of SPSS statistical software, 12 groups of factors affecting sustainable development were identified including: economy, society, environment, humanistic tourism resources, natural tourism resources, tourism human resources, tourism products and service, tourism quality, infrastructure, technical facilities, governmental management and group of criteria to evaluate sustainable tourism development. The research results show that there are four groups of factors that significantly affect sustainable tourism development in Ba Ria-Vung Tau. These are groups of factors: Society, Environment, Tourism products and service, and Technical facilities.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.61-67
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• 2015

Purpose - Exports have long been regarded as significant drivers of sustainable competitive advantage and growth among small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The export activities of SMEs are particularly important in the context of export-oriented economies such as Korea. Although many studies have examined the determinants of exports, it is difficult to find empirical studies about the determinants of the export performance of regional SMEs. This study investigates the determinants of export performance in the regional SME context based on an integrated approach that combines the environment factor of industrial organization theory, competitive strategy theory, and the competences of the resource-based view. Research design, data, and methodology - To empirically analyze the determinants of export performance in the regional SMEs, data were collected from firms in the Daegu metropolitan area. Data were collected directly through questionnaire surveys; in addition, secondary financial data were also taken from the KIS-VALUE database. Out of the 175 responses that were received, 143 were considered to be worth examining. After testing the reliability and validity of the variables through multiple items such as environmental turbulence and competitive strategy, hypotheses were verified by using five multi-regression models. These models were: a control model with organizational size and age, an environmental model with technology and market turbulence, a competency model with R&D and foreign distribution channels, a strategy model with product and market differentiation, and an integrated model including all of these variables. Results - First, as a control variable, the organization size has significant positive effects on export performance. Second, technology turbulence based on industrial organization theory has significant positive effects on export performance, but market turbulence does not affect export performance. Third, the foreign market distribution competency of the resource-based view has strong positive effects on export performance, but the R&D competency does not affect export performance. Fourth, the product differentiation strategy from competitive strategy theory positively impacts export performance, but market differentiation does not affect export performance. Finally, in the integrated model, only the foreign distribution competency of the resource-based view has a significant effect on export performance. Conclusions - The empirical results of this study verified the usefulness of the rationales behind the three theories to explain the export performance of the regional SMEs, especially the importance of the foreign market distribution competency from the resource-based view. With regard to practical considerations, this study's implications suggest that the use of technological environmental changes by industries is better than the use of market changes. Further, the use of the product differentiation strategy is more effective than the use of the market-driving strategy, and the distribution channel competency plays a stronger role than the technology-oriented competency with regard to the export performance position of regional SMEs. Future studies should examine relational perspectives, such as trust among channel partners. Therefore, the configuration approach is more useful in enhancing pragmatism by comparing high- and low-export companies.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.287-300
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• 2005

The globalization of services is closely related to other economic problems facing the world today. These are: 1) the globalization of economic activities, 2) the servicization of economic activities. The world economy is now move interconnected than at any time in its history. Investment decisions, production processes, labor market regulations and even environmental legislation made by one country or company affect other economies, other companies and the lives of individuals. In fact, it is nearly impossible to think of a country that is not connected to the world economy in some form or another and it is no exaggeration to state that globalization is already an unassailable fact. The fabric of our economy and the way we do business are changing. This change is the transformation from a marketplace on goods to one focused on services. That is to say, we live and work in a service-centered, service-sensitive economy. As a result of the globalization an servicization of economic activities, services require the globalization, and services are increasing their international trade, foreign investment, agreements, alliances, mergers and collaboration networks. It is quite obvious that services are affected by globalization ; but raising the question by how much leads us to the paradox of service globalization, services represent 70% of the most advances economies but only account for less than 25% of international trade and almost half of direct investment; mergers and takeovers. These figures create a paradox that can be explained by two reasons. First; the natural(the service relationship) and artificial difficulties(barriers to trade) faced by the service sector that inhibits globalization. Second, the non-inclusion in official statistics of the share of internationalized goods that are due to services, for example intra-firm trade or the service value incorporated into exported goods. If these were taken into account the service trade figures would be extremely different. The first explanation can be subdivided into a number of elements. The OECD identifies six reasons:services cannot be stored; client-supplies interaction requires local presence; most service firms are SEMs; products are highly differentiated; cultural differences are especially important in this field; and, finally, trade barriers and restrictions on local operations exist. However, despite all of this, globalization produces clear advantages to suppliers. Therefore, the objective of this study is to explore the main forms of service globalization and differences between that of goods, and is to identify distinctive aspects of service globalization within the framework of the global economy.

• Proceedings of the Korea Port Economic Association Conference
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• 2006.08a
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• pp.1-12
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• 2006

As national economies globalize, demand for intercontinental container shipping services is growing rapidly, providing a potential economic boon for the countries and communities that provide port services. On the promise of profits, many governments are investing heavily in port infrastructure, leading to a possible glut in port capacity, driving down prices for port services and eliminating profits as ports compete for business. Further, existing ports are making strategic investments to protect their market share, increasing the chance new ports will be overcapitalized and unprofitable. Governments and port researchers need a tool for understanding how local competition in their region will affect demand for port services at their location, and thus better assess the profitability of a prospective port. We propose to develop such a tool by extending our existing simulation model of global container traffic to incorporate demand-side shipper preferences and supply-side strategic responses by incumbent ports to changes in the global port network, including building new ports, scaling up existing ports, and unexpected port closures. We will estimate shipper preferences over routes, port attributes and port services based on US and international shipping data, and redesign the simulation model to maximize the shipper's revealed preference functions rather than simply minimize costs. As demand shifts, competing ports will adjust their pricing (short term) and infrastructure (long term) to remain competitive or defend market share, a reaction we will capture with a game theoretic model of local monopoly that will predict changes in port characteristics. The model's hypotheses will be tested in a controlled laboratory experiment tailored to local port competition in Asia, which will also serve to demonstrate the subtle game theoretic concepts of imperfect competition to a policy and industry audience. We will apply the simulation model to analyze changes in global container traffic in three scenarios: addition of a new large port in the US, extended closure of an existing large port in the US, and cooperative and competitive port infrastructure development among Korean partner countries in Asia.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.5-20
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• 1997

War and poverty depress the consumption of cosmetics, while peace and prosperity encourage their proliferation. With the end of World War II, the US, Europe and Japan witnessed rapid growth of their cosmetic industries. The ending of the Cold War has stimulated the growth of the industry in Eastern Europe. Improved economies, and mass communication are also responsible for the fast growth of the cosmetic industries in many Asian nations. The rapid development of the cosmetic industry in mainland China over the past decade proves that changing economies and political climates can deeply affect the health of our business. In addition to war, economy, political climate and mass communication, factors such as lifestyle, religion, morality and value concepts, can also affect the growth of our industry. Cosmetics are the product of the society. As society and the needs of its people change, cosmetics also evolve with respect to their contents, packaging, distribution, marketing concepts, and emphasis. In many ways, cosmetics mirror our society, reflecting social changes. Until the early 70's, cosmetics in the US were primarily developed for white women. The civil rights movement of the 60's gave birth to ethnic cosmetics, and products designed for African-Americans became popular in the 70's and 80's. The consumerism of the 70's led the FDA to tighten cosmetic regulations, forcing manufacturers to disclose ingredients on their labels. The result was the spread of safety-oriented, "hypoallergenic" cosmetics and more selective use of ingredients. The new ingredient labeling law in Europe is also likely to affect the manner in which development chemists choose ingredients for new products. Environmental pollution, too, can affect cosmetics trends. For example, the concern over ozone depletion in the stratosphere has promoted the consumption of suncare products. Similarly, the popularity of natural cosmetic ingredients, the search of non-animal testing methods, and ecology-conscious cosmetic packaging seen in recent years all reflect the profound influences of our changing world. In the 1980's, a class of efficacy-oriented skin-care products, which the New York Times dubbed "serious" cosmetics, emerged in the US. "Cosmeceuticals" refer to hybrids of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals which have gained importance in the US in the 90's and are quickly spreading world-wide. In spite of regulatory problems, consumer demand and new technologies continue to encourage their development. New classes of cosmeceuticals are emerging to meet the demands of increasingly affluent Asian consumers as we enter the 21st century. as we enter the 21st century.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.215-241
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• 2023

As competition between ports intensifies, port efficiency has always been a hot topic in the port and shipping economy. Boosting regional and national economies by improving port efficiency and promoting sustainable development of ports is also a concern for port operators and local and national governments. In this situation, this study has the following objectives. First, using panel data from 2010 to 2017, the efficiency of 14 major inland ports along the Yangtze River was analyzed, and changes in port efficiency over time were examined. Second, 14 inland ports are divided into the middle, upper, and lower Yangtze River port groups to compare and review differences in efficiency levels of ports by basin. For the study, we applied a three-step DEA analysis method, which evaluated the pure relative efficiency of the port itself by removing the effects of environmental factors and statistical noise that could affect the efficiency evaluation and presented the results. As a result, it was confirmed that there was a clear difference in the efficiency value of the port between the first-stage and the third-stage efficiency evaluation result. In addition, the downstream ports showed relatively high efficiency compared to the middle and upstream ports.