• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.5-16
• /
• 2009

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities have been shown to be potential factors that can improve corporate image and increase the ability of corporations to compete. However, most previous studies related to CSR activities investigated how these activities influence product and corporate evaluation, as well as corporate image. In addition, some researchers treated consumers' perceptions of corporate motives as moderator variables in evaluating the relationship between corporate social responsibilities and consumer response. However, motive-based theories have some weaknesses. Corporate social responsibility activities cause two motives(egoistic vs. altruistic) for consumers, but recently, Vlachos et al. (2008) argued that these motives should be segmented. Thus, it is possible to transform the original theory into a modified theory model (persuasion knowledge model, PKM). Vlachos et al. (2008) segmented corporate social responsibility motives into four types and compared the effects of these motives on customer loyalty. Prior studies have proved that CSR activities with positive motives have positive influences on customer loyalty. However, the psychological reasons underlying this finding have not been determined empirically. Thus, the objectives of this research are twofold. First, we attempt to determine why most customers favor companies that they feel have positive motives for their corporate social responsibility activities. Second, we attempt to measure the effects of consumers' reciprocity when society benefits from corporate social responsibility activities. The following research hypotheses are constructed. H1: Values-driven motives for corporate social responsibility activities have a positive influence on the perceived reciprocity. H2: Stakeholder-driven motives for corporate social responsibility activities have a negative influence on the perceived reciprocity. H3: Egoistic-driven motives for corporate social responsibility activities have a negative influence on perceived reciprocity. H4: Strategic-driven motives for corporate social responsibility activities have a negative influence on perceived reciprocity. H5: Perceived reciprocity for corporate social responsibility activities has a positive influence on consumer loyalty. A single company is selected as a research subject to understand how the motives behind corporate social responsibility influence consumers' perceived reciprocity and customer loyalty. A total sample of 200 respondents was selected for a pilot test. In addition, to ensure a consistent response, we ensured that the respondents were older than 20 years of age. The surveys of 172 respondents (males-82, females-90) were analyzed after 28 invalid questionnaires were excluded. Based on our cutoff criteria, the model fit the data reasonably well. Values-driven motives for corporate social responsibility activities had a positive effect on perceived reciprocity (t = 6.75, p < .001), supporting H1. Morales (2005) also found that consumers appreciate a company's social responsibility efforts and the benefits provided by these efforts to society. Stakeholder-driven motives for corporate social responsibility activities did not affect perceived reciprocity (t = -.049, p > .05). Thus, H2 was rejected. Egoistic-driven motives (t = .3.11, p < .05) and strategic-driven (t = -4.65, p < .05) motives had a negative influence on perceived reciprocity, supporting H3 and H4, respectively. Furthermore, perceived reciprocity had a positive influence on consumer loyalty (t = 4.24, p < .05), supporting H5. Thus, compared with the general public, undergraduate students appear to be more influenced by egoistic-driven motives. We draw the following conclusions from our research findings. First, value-driven attributions have a positive influence on perceived reciprocity. However, stakeholder-driven attributions have no significant effects on perceived reciprocity. Moreover, both egoistic-driven attributions and strategic-driven attributions have a negative influence on perceived reciprocity. Second, when corporate social responsibility activities align with consumers' reciprocity, the efforts directed towards social responsibility activities have a positive influence on customer loyalty. In this study, we examine whether the type of motivation affects consumer responses to CSR, and in particular, we evaluate how CSR motives can influence a key internal factor (perceived reciprocity) and behavioral consumer outcome (customer loyalty). We demonstrate that perceived reciprocity plays a mediating role in the relationship between CSR motivation and customer loyalty. Our study extends the research on consumer CSR-inferred motivations, positing them as a direct indicator of consumer responses. Furthermore, we convincingly identify perceived reciprocity as a sub-process mediating the effect of CSR attributions on customer loyalty. Future research investigating the ultimate behavior and financial impact of CSR should consider that the impacts of CSR also stem from perceived reciprocity. The results of this study also have important managerial implications. First, the central role that reciprocity plays indicates that managers should routinely measure how much their socially responsible actions create perceived reciprocity. Second, understanding how consumers' perceptions of CSR corporate motives relate to perceived reciprocity and customer loyalty can help managers to monitor and enhance these consumer outcomes through marketing initiatives and management of CSR-induced attribution processes. The results of this study will help corporations to understand the relative importance of the four different motivations types in influencing perceived reciprocity.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.66-94
• /
• 2004

The objective of this study is to examine how to maximize the efficiency of hospital management by minimizing the unit cost of hospital operation. For this purpose, this paper proposes to develop a model of the profit maximization based on the cost minimization dictum using the statistical tools of arriving at the maximum likelihood values. The preliminary survey data are collected from the annual statistics and their analyses published by Korea Health Industry Development Institute and Korean Hospital Association. The maximum likelihood value statistical analyses are conducted from the information on the cost (function) of each of 36 hospitals selected by the random stratified sampling method according to the size and location (urban or rural) of hospitals. We believe that, although the size of sample is relatively small, because of the sampling method used and the high response rate, the power of estimation of the results of the statistical analyses of the sample hospitals is acceptable. The conceptual framework of analyses is adopted from the various models of the determinants of hospital costs used by the previous studies. According to this framework, the study postulates that the unit cost of hospital operation is determined by the size, scope of service, technology (production function) as measured by capacity utilization, labor capital ratio and labor input-mix variables, and by exogeneous variables. The variables to represent the above cost determinants are selected by using the step-wise regression so that only the statistically significant variables may be utilized in analyzing how these variables impact on the hospital unit cost. The results of the analyses show that the models of hospital cost determinants adopted are well chosen. The various models analyzed have the (goodness of fit) overall determination (R2) which all turned out to be significant, regardless of the variables put in to represent the cost determinants. Specifically, the size and scope of service, no matter how it is measured, i. e., number of admissions per bed, number of ambulatory visits per bed, adjusted inpatient days and adjusted outpatients, have overall effects of reducing the hospital unit costs as measured by the cost per admission, per inpatient day, or office visit implying the existence of the economy of scale in the hospital operation. Thirdly, the technology used in operating a hospital has turned out to have its ramifications on the hospital unit cost similar to those postulated in the static theory of the firm. For example, the capacity utilization as represented by the inpatient days per employee tuned out to have statistically significant negative impacts on the unit cost of hospital operation, while payroll expenses per inpatient cost has a positive effect. The input-mix of hospital operation, as represented by the ratio of the number of doctor, nurse or medical staff per general employee, supports the known thesis that the specialized manpower costs more than the general employees. The labor/capital ratio as represented by the employees per 100 beds is shown to have a positive effect on the cost as expected. As for the exogeneous variable's impacts on the cost, when this variable is represented by the percent of urban 100 population at the location where the hospital is located, the regression analysis shows that the hospitals located in the urban area have a higher cost than those in the rural area. Finally, the case study of the sample hospitals offers a specific information to hospital administrators about how they share in terms of the cost they are incurring in comparison to other hospitals. For example, if his/her hospital is of small size and located in a city, he/she can compare the various costs of his/her hospital operation with those of other similar hospitals. Therefore, he/she may be able to find the reasons why the cost of his/her hospital operation has a higher or lower cost than other similar hospitals in what factors of the hospital cost determinants.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.44 no.2
• /
• pp.165-170
• /
• 2002

Mature weight (A) and rate of maturing (k) estimated by nonlinear regression were studied to determine the optimum age range over which the estimate of growth curve parameters can be estimated. The weight-age data from 1,133 Hanwoo bulls at Hanwoo Improvement Center of N.A.C.F. were used to fit the growth curve using Gompertz model. All available weight data from birth to the specific age of months were used for the estimation of parameters: the six specific ages used were 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 22 and 24 months of age. The mean estimates of mature weight (A) were 966.5, 1,255.9, 1,126.2, 916.5, 842.2, 780.9 and 767.0kg for ages 12 through 24 months, respectively. The mean estimates of mature weight (A) to 22 and 24 months of age were not different from each other. However, they were different from the estimates based on the data to other ages. Mean estimates of rate of maturing (k) were 3.362, 3.595, 3.536, 3.421, 3.403, 3.409 and 3.411 for ages 12 through 24 months, respectively. The mean estimates of maturing rate (k) for ages 18 through 24 months of age were not significantly different from each other. However, they were different from the estimates based on the data to other ages. Correlations among estimates of A at various ages showed the highest value of 0.93 between 22 and 24 months. Correlations among estimates of k at various ages were highest ranging from 0.91 to 0.99 among 18 to 24 months. The correlations between A and k were positive and tended to decrease with the increase of the age from 0.84 for the age of 12 months to 0.10 for the age of 24 months. Thus, the estimates of growth curve parameters, A and k, suitable for genetic studies can be derived from accumulated Hanwoo bulls after 22 months of age.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.49-56
• /
• 2012

Purpose: For determining the prognosis of critically injured patients, transporting patients to medical facilities capable of providing proper assessment and management, running rapid assessment and making rapid decisions, and providing aggressive resuscitation is vital. Considering the high mortality and morbidity rates in critically injured patients, various studies have been conducted in efforts to reduce those rates. However, studies related to diagnostic factors for predicting severity in critically injured patients are still lacking. Furthermore, patients showing stable vital signs and alert mental status, who are injured via a severe trauma mechanism, may be at a risk of not receiving rapid assessment and management. Thus, this study investigates diagnostic factors, including physical examination and laboratory results, that may help predict severity in trauma patients injured via a severe trauma mechanism, but showing stable vital signs. Methods: From March 2010 to December 2011, all trauma patients who fit into a diagnostic category that activated a major trauma team in CHA Bundang Medical Center were analyzed retrospectively. The retrospective analysis was based on prospective medical records completed at the time of arrival in the emergency department and on sequential laboratory test results. PASW statistics 18(SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used for the statistical analysis. Patients with relatively stable vital signs and alert mental status were selected based on a revised trauma score of more than 7 points. The final diagnosis of major trauma was made based on an injury severity score of greater than 16 points. Diagnostic variables include systolic blood pressure and respiratory rate, glasgow coma scale, initial result from focused abdominal sonography for trauma, and laboratory results from blood tests and urine analyses. To confirm the true significance of the measured values, we applied the Kolmogorov-Smirnov one sample test and the Shapiro-Wilk test. When significance was confirmed, the Student's t-test was used for comparison; when significance was not confirmed, the Mann-Whitney u-test was used. The results of focused abdominal sonography for trauma (FAST) and factors of urine analysis were analyzed using the Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test. Variables with statistical significance were selected as prognostics factors, and they were analyzed using a multivariate logistics regression model. Results: A total of 269 patients activated the major trauma team. Excluding 91 patients who scored a revised trauma score of less than 7 points, 178 patients were subdivided by injury severity score to determine the final major trauma patients. Twenty-one(21) patients from 106 major trauma patients and 9 patients from 72 minor trauma patients were also excluded due to missing medical records or untested blood and urine analysis. The investigated variables with p-values less than 0.05 include the glasgow coma scale, respiratory rate, white blood cell count (WBC), serum AST and ALT, serum creatinine, blood in spot urine, and protein in spot urine. These variables could, thus, be prognostic factors in major trauma patients. A multivariate logistics regression analysis on those 8 variables showed the respiratory rate (p=0.034), WBC (p=0.005) and blood in spot urine (p=0.041) to be independent prognostic factors for predicting the clinical course of major trauma patients. Conclusion: In trauma patients injured via a severe trauma mechanism, but showing stable vital signs and alert mental status, the respiratory rate, WBC count and blood in the urine can be used as predictable factors for severity. Using those laboratory results, rapid assessment of major trauma patients may shorten the time to diagnosis and the time for management.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
• /
• v.48 no.4
• /
• pp.243-250
• /
• 2010

Purpose: This study evaluated the effect of different screw tightening sequences and methods on detorque values in a well-fitting implant superstructure. Materials and methods: A fully edentulous mandibular master model and a metal framework directly connected to four parallel implants (Astra Tech) with a passive fit to each other were fabricated. Six stone casts were made with a splinted impression technique to represent a 'well-fitting' situation with the metal framework. Detorque values were measured twice after screw tightening using 20 Ncm. Detorque values and minimum detorque values for three screw tightening sequences (1-2-3-4, 2-4-3-1, and 2-3-1-4) and for two tightening methods (two-step and one-step) were analyzed using multi-way analysis of variance and two-way analysis of variance, respectively, at a .05 level of significance. Results: The mean detorque values for screw tightening sequences ranged from 12.8 Ncm (2-4-3-1) to 13.1 Ncm (2-3-1-4), and for screw tightening methods were 13.1 Ncm (two-step) and 11.8 Ncm (one-step). The mean of mimimum detorque values for screw tightening sequences were 11.1 Ncm (1-2-3-4) and 11.2 Ncm (2-4-3-1 and 2-3-1-4), and for screw tightening methods were 11.2 Ncm (two-step) and 9.9 Ncm (one-step). No statistically significant differences among three screw tightening sequences were found for detorque values and for mimimum detorque values. But, statistically significant differences between two screw tightening methods were found for two values. Two-step screw tightening method showed higher detorque value (P = .0003) and higher minimum detorque value (P = .0035) than one-step method. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, the screw tightening sequence was not a critical factor for the detorque values in a well-fitting implant superstructure by the splinted impression technique. But, two-step screw tightening method showed greater detorque values than one-step method.

• Journal of Distribution Science
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.37-47
• /
• 2010

CRM refers to the operating activities that always maintain and promote good relationship with customers to ultimately maximize the company's profits by understanding the value of customers to meet their demands, establishing a strategy which may maximize the Life Time Value and successfully operating the business by integrating the customer management processes. In our country, many big businesses are introducing CRM initiatively to use it in marketing strategy however, most medium and small sized companies do not understand CRM clearly or they feel difficult to introduce it due to huge investment needed. This study is intended to present CRM promotion strategy and activities plan fit for the medium and small sized companies by analyzing the success factors of the leading companies those have already executed CRM by surveying the precedents to make the distributors out of the industries have close relation with consumers to overcome their weakness in scale and strengthen their competitiveness in such a rapidly changing and fiercely competing market. There are 5 stages to build CRM such as the recognition of the needs of CRM establishment, the establishment of CRM integrated database, the establishment of customer analysis and marketing strategy through data mining, the practical use of customer analysis through data mining and the implementation of response analysis and close loop process. Through the case study of leading companies, CRM is needed in types of businesses where the companies constantly contact their customers. To meet their needs, they assertively analyze their customer information. Through this, they develop their own CRM programs personalized for their customers to provide high quality service products. For customers helping them make profits, the VIP marketing strategy is conducted to keep the customers from breaking their relationships with the companies. Through continuous management, CRM should be executed. In other words, through customer segmentation, the profitability for the customers should be maximized. The maximization of the profitability for the customers is the key to CRM. These are the success factors of the CRM of the distributors in Korea. Firstly, the top management's will power for CS management is needed. Secondly, the culture across the company should be made to respect the customers. Thirdly, specialized customer management and CRM workers should be trained. Fourthly, CRM behaviors should be developed for the whole staff members. Fifthly, CRM should be carried out through systematic cooperation between related departments. To make use of the case study for CRM, the company should understand the customer and establish customer management programs to set the optimal CRM strategy and continuously pursue it according to a long-term plan. For this, according to collected information and customer data, customers should be segmented and the responsive customer system should be designed according to the differentiated strategy according to the class of the customers. In terms of the future CRM, integrated CRM is essential where the customer information gathers together in one place. As the degree of customers' expectation increases a lot, the effective way to meet the customers' expectation should be pursued. As the IT technology improved rapidly, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) appears. On a real-time basis, information about products and customers is obtained massively in a very short time. A strategy for successful CRM promotion should be improving the organizations in charge of contacting customers, re-planning the customer management processes and establishing the integrated system with the marketing strategy to keep good relation with the customers according to a long-term plan and a proper method suitable to the market conditions and run a company-wide program. In addition, a CRM program should be continuously improved and complemented to meet the company's characteristics. Especially, a strategy for successful CRM for the medium and small sized distributors should be as follows. First, they should change their existing recognition in CRM and keep in-depth care for the customers. Second, they should benchmark the techniques of CRM from the leading companies and find out success points to use. Third, they should seek some methods best suited for their particular conditions by achieving the ideas combining their own strong points with marketing. Fourth, a CRM model should be developed that will promote relationship with individual customers just like the precedents of small sized businesses in Switzerland through small but noticeable events.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.23-32
• /
• 2003

The spectroe-ellipsometric constant $\Delta$, Ψ and the ellipsometric growth curves at the wavelength of 632.8 nm are collected. These are critically examined to find out the optimum growth condition of phase change $Ge_2Sb_2Te_5(GST)$ thin films as an optical recording medium. GST films are prepared using DC magnetron sputtering technique, under the selected experimental conditions of Ar gas pressure (5 mTorr, 7 mTorr and 10 mTorr), DC power of sputtering gun (15 W, 30 W and 45 W), and substrate temperature (from room temperature to 18$0^{\circ}C$). Based on the three film model, the density distribution of deposited GST films are obtained versus Ar gas pressure and DC power by analyzing spectro-ellipsometric data. The calculated evolution curves at the wavelength of 632.8 nm, are fit into the in situ observed ones to get information about the evolution of density distribution during film growth. The density distribution showed different evolution curves depending on deposition conditions. The GST films fabricated at DC power of 30 W or 45 W, and at Ar gas pressure of 7 mTorr turned out to be the most homogeneous one out of those prepared at room temperature, even though the maximum density difference between the dense region and the dilute region of the GST film was still significant (~50%). Finally, in order to find the optimum growth condition of homogeneous GST thin films, the substrate temperature is varied while Ar gas pressure is fixed at 7 mTorr and DC power at 30 W and 45 W respectively. A monotonic decrease of void fraction except for a slight increase at 18$0^{\circ}C$ is observed as the substrate temperature increases. Decrease of void fraction indicates an increase of film density and hence an improvement of film homogeneity. The optimum condition of the most homogeneous GST film growth turned out to be 7 mTorr of Ar gas pressure, 15$0^{\circ}C$ of substrate temperature. and 45 W of DC power. The microscopic images obtained using scanning electron microscope, of the samples prepared at the optimum growth condition, confirmed this conclusion. It is believed that the fabrication of homogeneous GST films will be quite beneficial to provide a reliable optical recording medium compatible with repeated write/erase cycles.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.197-210
• /
• 2012

Hematite has been known to be the most stable form of various iron (oxyhydr)oxides in the surface environments. In this study, its properties as an adsorbent were examined and also adsorption of arsenic onto hematite was characterized as well. The specific surface area of hematite synthesized in our laboratory appeared to be $31.8g\;m^2/g$ and its point of zero salt effect, (PZSE) determined by potentiometric titration was observed 8.5. These features of hematite may contribute to high capacity of arsenic adsorption. From several adsorption experiments undertaken at the identical solution concentrations over pH 2~12, the adsorption of As(III) (arsenite) was greater than that of As(V) (arsenate). As of pH-dependent adsorption patterns, in addition, arsenite adsorption gradually increased until pH 9.2 and then sharply decreased with pH, whereas adsorption of arsenate was greatest at pH 2.0 and steadily decreased with the increasing pH from 2 to 12. The characteristics of these pH-dependent adsorption patterns might be caused by combined effects of the variation in the chemical speciation of arsenic and the surface charge of hematite. The experimental results on adsorption kinetics show that adsorption of both arsenic species onto hematite approached equilibrium within 20 h. Additionally, the pseudo-second-order model was evaluated to be the best fit for the adsorption kinetics of arsenic onto hematite, regardless of arsenic species, and the rate constant of As(V) adsorption was investigated to be larger than that of As(III).

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.77-84
• /
• 2019

Objectives : The Illness Intrusiveness Rating Scale (IIRS) is a well-validated self-report instrument for assessing negative impact of chronic illness and/or adverse effects of its treatment on everyday life domains. Although extensive literature probed its psychometric properties in medical illness, little attention was paid for its validity for psychiatric population. This study aimed to test factorial structure of the Korean Version of the IIRS (IIRS-K) in a consecutive sample of psychiatric outpatients. Methods : Data set of 307 first-visit patients of psychiatric clinic at Guri Hanyang univ. Hospital were used. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency were tested in IIRS-K. We also checked Spearman's correlation analysis between IIRS-K, Zung's self-report anxiety scale and Zung's self-report depression scale. Results : 76.9% of the patients were with anxiety disorder and depressive disorder. The principal component factor analysis of the IIRS-K extracted three-factor structure accounted for 63.2% of total variance that was contextually similar to the original English version. This three-factor solution showed the best fit when tested confirmatory factor analysis compared to the original IIRS, two-factor model of IIRS-K suggested from medical outpatients, and one-factor solution. The IIRS-K also showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α=0.90) and good convergent validity with anxiety and depression scales. Conclusions : The IIRS-K showed the three-factor structure that was similar but not identical to original version. Overall, this study proved factorial validity of the IIRS-K and it can be used for Korean clinical population.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.573-605
• /
• 2015

This study proposed scenarios of tax reform regarding taxation on bituminous coal for power generation since July 2015 and July 2014, estimated its impact on SMP, settlement price, tax revenue from year 2015 to year 2029. These scenarios are compared with those of the standard scenario. To estimate them, the power system simulation was performed based on the government plan, such as demand supply program and the customized model to fit Korea's power system and operation. Imposing a tax on bituminous coal for power generation while maintaining tax neutrality reducing tax rate on LNG, the short-term SMP is lowered than the one of the standard scenario. Because the cost of nuclear power generation is still smaller than costs of other power generation, and the nuclear power generation rarely determines SMPs, the taxation impact on SMP is almost nonexistent. Thus it is difficult to slow down the electrification of energy consumption due to taxation of power plant bituminous coal in the short term, if SMP and settlement price is closely related. However, in the mid or long term, if the capacity of coal power plant is to be big enough, the taxation of power plant bituminous coal will increase SMP. Therefore, if the tax reform is made to impose on power plant bituminous coal in the short term, and if the tax rate on LNG is to be revised after implementing big enough new power plants using bituminous coal, the energy demand would be reduced by increasing electric charges through energy tax reform. Both imposing a tax on power plant bituminous coal and reducing tax rate on LNG increase settlement price, higher than the one of the standard scenario. In the mid or long term, the utilization of LNG complex power plants would be lower due to an expansion of generating plants, and thus, the tax rate on LNG would not affect on settlement price. Unlike to the impact on SMP, the taxation on nuclear power plants has increased settlement price due to the impact of settlement adjustment factor. The net impact of energy taxation will depend upon the level of offset between settlement price decrease by the expansion of energy supply and settlement price increase by imposing a tax on energy. Among taxable items, the tax on nuclear power plants will increase the most of additional tax revenue. Considering tax revenues in accordance with energy tax scenarios, the higher the tax rate on bituminous coal and nuclear power, the bigger the tax revenues.