• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.527-536
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• 2016

This study aims to generate baseline data for vitalizing the sales of functional cosmetics through an Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) of the selection attributes of functional cosmetics. From the analysis of consumers' selection criteria, the study will assist functional cosmetics companies in reflecting consumer demands and therefore securing competitiveness. For this, general consumers aged over 20 years were surveyed for 5 weeks from Feb 23 through Mar 30, 2015, and 447 empirical data (response rate 88.9%) were processed through SPSS WIN 21.0 program for analysis. To conduct gender difference analysis on the IPA of the selection attributes of functional cosmetics, 17 selection attributes were categorized into 4 factors: functionality, labeling, popularity, and product. Cronbach's alpha for all factors was 0.5, proving the internal consistency and reliability of the survey. The survey results showed that while the entire average came out significantly higher for females (5.89/7points) than for males (5.66/7points) (p<0.001), the selection attributes 'anti-wrinkling', 'whitening function', 'functionality', 'expiration date', 'full ingredient labeling system' and 'various promotional events' showed significant gender differences. IPA results pertaining to gender showed 'price', 'functionality', 'spreadability' and 'full ingredient labeling system' as 2nd quadrant attributes, whereas female consumers selected 'price', 'whitening function', 'anti-wrinkling', 'functionality' and 'full ingredient labeling system' as attributes. Results show that businesses in the field of cosmetics and related areas need to prioritize improving the following factors that received low satisfaction from all consumers: 'price', 'functionality', and 'total labeling.' In particular, the 'price' aspects are considered to require reasonable and affordable pricing.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• no.12
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• pp.47-50
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• 1970

There are many factors affecting the development of sericultural industry in Korea. The setting of a rational pricing system for sericultural products is one of important activities of the Korean Government to improve the incentives to producers. The determination o： the prices for many years were based on the production costs including a certain level of profits. Some of cost items are in conflict both in cocoon producers and silk-reeling industries. Government officials have to evaluate these conflicting problems and estimate the consequences of their decisions. In this situation the final decision often became political decisions. This analysis is aimed at providing an alternative method of setting the prices of sericultural products. The criteria of the equilibrium employed in this analysis are based on economic principle which equilibrium condition is determined by the relationships between the marginal productivity of input factors and factor prices. In order to obtain the related information Cobb-Douglas'functions were fitted using KIST computer and data were obtained mostly from the Bank of Korea and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestru, An important assumption is that "Opportunity Costs" of factors input in both cocoon production and silk-Peeling industries are same, The major finding s obtained are as followings. 1) The sum of coefficient of production elastisity in silk-reeling industries is greater than one. Silk-reeling industries are operating under the situation of increasing return to scale and it is, therefore, expected to develop the industries as the capital-intensive large scale. 2) The cocoon producing farmers are under the situations of the decreasing return to scale and it is expected to continue their cocoon farming as the labor-intensive small scale, assuming the present level of production technology. As the development of commercial farming, the resources input in cocoon production will be shifted to the production for higher profitable crops, 3) The price elastisity of production is higher in cocoon production than in silk-reeling industries. It is expected that the price changing effects on domestic production will be resulted from cocoon producers. 4) Based on analysis results of marginal productivities and the opportunity costs of resources, cocoon price for meeting equilibrium price condition is to be increased by 8-16 percent or standard price level of silk increased by 6-8 percent. There were the possibilities of over evaluation on opportunity cost of resources input in silk-reeling industries, or income transfered from the farmers to the industries. It is recommended that the prices for meeting equilibrium price conditions are to be determined by 72 percent for cocoon and 28 percent for silk-reeling costs, based on standard level of the exporting prices.