• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.23-45
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• 2020

The rapid economic growth has brought tremendous pressure on the environment and caused severe air pollution in China. This study empirically examines causes of air pollution in China. Panel-corrected standard errors procedure (PCSE) was used to analyze major determinants of increasing or reducing emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NO_X) in 30 Chinese provinces. The estimation results show that SO₂ emission is mitigated as per capita regional GDP increases, but the relation between emission of NO_X and per capita regional GDP is found to have an inverse N-shaped curve, which implies that emission of NO_X is ultimately expected to decline with economic growth. As for increasing factors of air pollutants, electricity consumption is a significant common source of SO₂ and NO_X emissions. Moreover, the results show that increment of coal consumption significantly affects emission of SO₂ while increase of natural gas consumption reduce emission of SO₂. On the other side, investment in energy industry, and investment on treatment of waste gases are determinants of mitigating emissions of SO₂, but have no impact on NO_X. Consumption of diesel, truck ratio and number of vehicles increase emission of NO_X. Meanwhile, higher precipitation rate is a common determinant of mitigating emissions of SO₂ and NO_X. Policy implications are suggested in the conclusion.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.93-100
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• 2015

Purpose - The objective of this research is to investigate whether national culture influences consumers' service evaluations. The services industry is receiving increasing attention from academia and practitioners as its position grows in global markets. Standardization or localization is a traditional managerial decision in global business. As the boundaries of services expand across national borders, firms are required to decide whether to standardize services or adjust to local needs. Though it is imperative to reflect global perspectives in marketing theories, these perspectives are mostly based on Western conceptualization of the world. Through a comparison of consumer groups from two culturally remote countries, service quality evaluation mechanisms are examined based on similar stimuli. The study tries to expand service marketing perspectives across national borders. Research design, data, and methodology - Eastern and Western countries are known to be culturally distinct. One Eastern and one Western country were chosen: an Anglo-Saxon country (the U.S., England, and Australia) and South Korea. In Hofstede's cultural dimensions, the differences between the two are pronounced. The Anglo-Saxon based countries share many similarities. Samples of the same sites are targeted. Questionnaires using a service quality scale (SERVQUAL) and a customer satisfaction scale were distributed. Utilizing Hofstede's typology of culture, the service evaluation mechanisms of the respondents from the two groups are evaluated. Three hypotheses are proposed from the review of the literature. These are service evaluation habits, importance of service quality dimensions for the individualistic/collectivistic countries, and strong/weak uncertainty avoidance cultures. Consumers from the individualistic countries are considered to care about themselves and demand a higher level of responsiveness and assurance. On the other hand, consumers from high uncertainty avoidance cultures are assumed to rely more on tangible questions of service quality, as these are the only predictable service quality indicators. A t-test and regression analysis are applied to validate the constructs. Results - The respondents from the Anglo-Saxon countries are more generous on service evaluations than Koreans. Researchers have indicated that Americans tend to give higher service evolution scores than European, Mexican, and Korean counterparts. The tendency is the same here. The sample from Anglo-Saxon countries demonstrated higher service evaluation scores on every dimension of SERVQUAL. For the second hypothesis, the respondents from the collectivistic culture rely less on core service dimensions (assurance and responsiveness) due to their tendency to place more value on group harmony than individual interest. However, the third hypothesis was not validated. Conclusions - The study attempted to expand the scope of service marketing to reflect cross-national perspectives. Service quality is known to have a strong influence on customer satisfaction and loyalty behavior. However, this research demonstrated that individuals from different cultural territories respond heterogeneously to the same stimuli. Scholars argue that national cultures are main factors in such deviated behavior. Scholars and global managers should be aware of differences in consumer value judgment mechanisms such as satisfaction, expectations, and perceptions.

• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.35-70
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• 2010

In this study, we examined distribution channel relationship by using the idea of Cheong, which is a unique feeling an positive role in Korean society. Companies make great efforts to maintain long-term relationship with buyers. Understanding distinctive relationship system of each culture should precede these efforts to bring effective results. So we considered how Cheong, a meaningful factor in Korean distribution channel, affects relationship quality and performance. As a result of research analysis from 272 survey questionnaires of retailers, engaging in Crops Protected Material industry in Korea, supplier's idiosyncratic investment, retailer's Cheong, and dependence of retailers on suppliers have positive effects on relationship quality. Supplier's idiosyncratic investment and cognitive factors have the highest influence and Cheong, an emotional factor, follows. Dependence, a motivational factor has the least influence. We confirmed that retailer's cooperation and long-term orientation are directly influenced by retailer's commitment. Active cooperation of the retailer, a partner of a distribution channel, is regarded as an essential factor for supplier's effective business. Retailer's commitment increased that cooperation. Retailer's trust and commitment also decreased relationship conflicts. The results of this study imply that companies should increase idiosyncratic investment to improve relationship quality. But increasing idiosyncratic investment is limited because it requires monetary investment. Therefore companies need to recognize the importance of Cheong, revealed as a new factor, improving relationship quality and to make the best use of it. In this study, we contributed theoretically by examining the role of Cheong, and introducing its distribution discipline. We also make practical suggestions about supplier's relationship management.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.11 no.12
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• pp.71-81
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• 2013

Purpose - This study investigated the effects of consumers' selection criteria for environment-friendly agricultural products on purchase intention and the effects of consumers' attitudes and the reliability of environment-friendly agricultural products on purchase intention by using the theory of planned behavior. Subjective norms of variables of behavioral intention, attitudes toward behavior and control of the behavior were used to create selection criteria, consumers' attitudes and reliability of environment-friendly agricultural products. The study investigated the effects of consumers' selection criteria, attitudes, and reliability of environment-friendly agricultural products on purchase intention constructing models and hypotheses of mediation and moderation between selection criteria for agricultural products and purchase intention by consumers' attitudes and reliability. Research design, data, and methodology - The findings were as follows: first, consumers' selection criteria for environment-friendly agricultural products had a significantly affirmative influence upon purchase intention. Health was the most important factor of selection criteria convenience was more important than quality and familiarity was next. Consumers' attitudes and trust had a significant influence on purchase intention. Second, testing showed that consumers' attitude and trust partially mediated selection criteria: sub-factors and purchase intention were important in selection criteria. Third, testing showed that consumers' attitude and trust had a significant moderation effect between selection criteria and purchase intention. In the test of the moderation effect between sub-factors of selection criteria and purchase intention, consumers' attitude had a significantly positive influence upon health, convenience, and familiarity, and had no significant influence upon quality and purchase intention. Consumers' trust had no significant influence upon health, convenience, and quality. Results - The study provided several theoretical implications: first, an empirical analysis was undertaken with selection criteria for environmental-friendly agricultural products, consumers' attitude, and trust to investigate subjective norms, attitude toward behavior and control of behavior based on the theory of planned behavior. Second, this study investigated both the mediation effect and moderation effect of consumers' subjective norms on attitudes toward behavior, the mediating effects of perceived behavior control and changes of behavioral intention depending upon size and direction of the variables. This study also provided several practical implications. Conclusions - First, consumption of environment-friendly agricultural products did not increase despite rapid increase of production therefore, promotion of consumption and distribution was needed considering the supply and demand of the products. Second, definite standards for selection criteria were suggested to build up consumers' attitude and trust. Consumers' attitude could be improved by factors including the brand of environment-friendly agricultural products, consistent quality, solving physiological problems caused by adverse effects of environmental problems, supplementary approaches, treatment of adverse effects by eating food, and the development and supply of products in accordance with changes of lifestyle. Finally, consumers' demand for sub-factors of selection criteria could be much higher than health, convenience, and quality of the products. Therefore, a process was needed that could continuously check consumers' needs for the products. Limitations were described at the end of the study.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.11 no.12
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• pp.13-23
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• 2013

Purpose - There is a dominant opinion that medium and small enterprises in the Korean economy have not developed qualitatively but only towards quantitative growth and, therefore, the unbalanced structure between large enterprises and those that are medium and small has worsened. In particular, this rapid industrialization causes after-effects such as polarization as well as anti-business sentiment, the collapse of the middle class, and hostility against the establishment. The consensus contends that it is difficult for Korea to be an advanced nation without resolving these problems. This paper attempts to suggest a co-prosperity model by limiting the focus to business relations with medium and small manufacturers (with regard to investment among the various co-prosperity institutions of POSCO). These co-prosperity institutions have been established in POSCO; however, it is thought that the development of a co-prosperity model regarding investment in medium and small manufacturers will help many needy investment manufacturers. Research design, data, and methodology - This study analyzes research on the co-prosperity model, using it to examine Korean cases and foreign cases. The co-prosperity model has been continuously extended but is determined to be seriously insufficient. The purpose of this study is to develop the Korean co-prosperity model by reinterpreting it in various aspects. In order to develop the Korean co-prosperity model, this study suggests the case of the establishment of the co-prosperity model by POSCO with medium and small manufacturers with regard to investment. This model is expected to be presented to many enterprises as the future co-prosperity model. Results - To date, analysis of the co-prosperity model itself and the co-prosperity model through the case of POSCO have been suggested. As empirical studies on co-prosperity in Korea are not sufficient, successful models of co-prosperity should be developed in various aspects in future. It is expected that through this study, medium and small manufacturers would have an opportunity to find various growth engines by actively using the cooperation platform and establishing optimized competitiveness of steel material through a steel business model. The ecosystem of enterprises may evolve and be healthier by making more joint products through productive business relationships between large enterprises and those that are medium and small. From the enterprises' ecosystem viewpoint, cooperation between such businesses rather than one-way support is identified as an essential element for the security of inter-competitiveness. Conclusions - Infrastructure should be established to form a dynamic industry ecosystem not by transient efforts in co-prosperity, but by an entire culture of co-prosperity across industries. In this respect, the leading role of public institutions needs to be intensified initially. In addition, the effects of co-prosperity should be extended to blind spots of policies such as third party companies and regions. A precise co-prosperity monitoring system should be established to continuously conduct and extend these efforts.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.10 no.8
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• pp.45-53
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• 2019

Purpose - The purpose of this study was to clarify the factors to make an exclusive importation contract between foreign fashion brands and local retailers for successful business in Korea. Even though imported fashion brand market shows stead increasing in terms of sales amount, the number of store related study was very rare in fact. Meanwhile, as long as this business is glowing a lot of brands are suffering from bad business performance or getting in ruins thus these problems result in foreign currency loss. The local marketers therefore, strongly expect to know the solution for this matter. Research design, data, and methodology - For the qualitative research, 10 experts who are operating foreign brands with an exclusive contract at a department store or at duty free shop now and who had at least over 10 years of related working experience were included. The factors for the exclusive importation contract with foreign brands were drawn up through the one-to-one in-depth interview method from September 3, 2017 to January 15, 2018. The expert group for the validity analysis includes 2 professors and 5 postgraduate students. Results - As a result of qualitative study on the factors for imported fashion brand's launching with the exclusive importation contract, it turned out that there were 5 factors - safety, profitability, reliability, speed and global retailing. Safety, profitability, and reliability have been mentioned in most related surveys but some details are added and speed and global retailing have been newly highlighted and many unknown legal issues that it was not easy to get form common academic research are included. Speed simply means quick lead time and global retailing means stores where located in other countries. Conclusions - The reason that qualitative research should be done before the quantitative research is due to the scant theoretical background for this matter. Because the market of an imported fashion brand is steadily increasing, determining the factors to make exclusive importation contract is very meaningful from the point of academic and business. After this study, many marketers may get basic conditions to apply for real business and I hope the following quantitative research will give more effective results. The next study also will have extended range concerning industry area, product and distribution channel.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.44
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• pp.59-83
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• 2015

This study is made for the purpose of analyzing the influencing factors evidently to the private security guards' job resourcefulness. Consequently this study will offer effective ways to develop the private security guards job resourcefulness. Throughout the previous study of job resourcefulness, we selected the influencing factors to the job resourcefulness, as follows : system of reward, staff development opportunity, participation in decision making, self-control and other-control for locus of control, need for achievement, self-esteem. To prove this subject, we distributed the questionnaire to the private security guards of Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi. So we used 248 answers sheets for the final analysis. As the result above study, system of reward, participation in decision making, self-control and other-control for locus of control, need for achievement, self-esteem influenced the job resourcefulness positively. Accordingly it is essential that various educational programs and objective evaluations are designed to improve the organizational and individual characteristics of private security guards. However the staff development opportunity don't have an influence on the job resourcefulness. On the basis of above study result, this study suggested some necessary ideas on managing and administrating the organization of private security effectively in the future.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.57-65
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• 2013

With environmental pollution becoming a serious problem, recently there has been increased interest in the environment and health. In addition, the development of materials for environmentally friendly and functional clothing has increased. Environmentally friendly products that use bark fibers of the mulberry(dak) tree are expressed in terms of dak fiber and Hanji yarn. This research analyzed consumer's perceived images of Hanji and Hanji yarn infant clothing. The research results are as follows. Based on analyzing images of Hanji and Hanji yarn, Hanji was categorized into four images that can be described as natural, pure, decorative, and functional, and Hanji yarn infant clothing was categorized into three images that can be described as natural, decorative, and functional. Based on the analysis of well-being elements in subjects' lifestyles, the following four inclinations were found: environmental friendliness, pursuit of novelty, life care, and environmental protection. On this basis, the subjects were categorized into three groups: the trend-pursuing group, the life-care group, and the social responsibility group. Subjects' perceived images of Hanji and Hanji yarn infant clothing were investigated, and these products were found to have a strong image of being Korean, traditional, and natural, while being weakly perceived as comfortable, functional, and practical. Analyzing the correlation between images of Hanji and Hanji yarn infant clothing and lifestyle groups revealed that these products were not perceived differently according to group. This study showed that Hanji and Hanji yarn are terms that are commonly associated with positive clothing material. However, both Hanji and Hanji yarn are perceived negatively in terms of functional image, which is an important factor in clothing material. In addition, even among consumers who pursue a lifestyle based on well-being, the functional image of Hanji yarn was not perceived highly. Hence, it is necessary to further examine the effect of terms such as Hanji and Hanji yarn on consumer choices. Therefore, caution is considered needed when using such terms in the marketing of related products.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.151-178
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• 2014

The objective of the present case study is to analysis how effectively Hilti, which is a former family firm owned and managed by a family in Liechtenstein as a tiny european country, a land sandwiched between Switzerland and Austria, has made a global market success. Liechtenstein has $160km^2$ land and about 36,000 residents. Despite its small size of country, however, Hilti Corporation doesn't view its location as a liability in its business strategy. Hilti is a global leading provider of professional power tools in building, mining, civil engineering etc. Also, Hilti is a firm with a clear vision to become the leading industry partner for construction professionals and building installations through customer focus, high quality equipment, and tools and systems specially designed for specific jobs. This study considered Hilti as a good case, which verifies that born-conditions, endogenous factors according to Michael Porters diamond model does not decisive role more for international competitiveness of firms. Lessons from Hilti are that in order to obtain and sustain the global competitiveness of small and medium-sized firms in Korean manufacturing sector under high production cost, they have to do actively innovative. Also they can give to customers newer and higher customer-values than competitors in abroad give. The case summarizes that the strategy of Hilti for the global market success is comprised of several factors: Technological and organizational innovation, and a clear customer-value oriented business strategy and its implementation. Innovation and its integration into marketing for the customers value creation is central to Hilti's Success. The present case study is expected to provide insights and implication for many firms in Korea that are seeking to secure global presence and market success.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.36-44
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• 2007

Objectives : There have been few studies examining the differences in health care utilization across social classes during the last year of life. Therefore, in this study we analyzed the quantitative and qualitative differences in health care utilization among cancer patients across educational classes in their last year of life, and derived from it implications for policy. Methods : To evaluate health care utilization by cancer patients in the last year of life, Death certificate data from 2004 were merged with National Health Insurance data (n=60,088). In order to use educational level as a social class index, we selected the individuals aged 40 and over as study subjects (n=57,484). We analyzed the differences in the medical expenditures, admission days, and rates of admission experience across educational classes descriptively. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the association between medical expenditures and independent variables such as sex, age, education class, site of death and type of cancer. Results : The upper educational class spent much more on medical expenditures in the last one year of life, particularly during the last month of life, than the lower educational class did. The ratio of monthly medical expenditures per capita between the college class and no education class was 2.5 in the last 6-12 months of life, but the ratio was 1.6 in the last 1 month. Also, the lower the educational class, the higher the proportion of medical expenditures during the last one month of life, compared to total medical expenditures in the last one year of life. The college educational class had a much higher rate of admission experiences in tertiary hospitals within Seoul than the other education classes did. Conclusions : This study shows that the lower educational classes had qualitative and quantitative disadvantages in utilizing health care services for cancer in the last year of life.