• Information Systems Review
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.217-238
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• 2015

Much of the process in Social Science Research can be expedited with use of an automation systems that can lead to research efficiency and dramatic improvement of the research process. This study proposes use of a social science research automation system based on the cloud, which generates questionnaires, supports data collection, and intuitively processes statistical analyses of the data collected. The Cloud-based Social Science Research Automation System is developed with GNU/GPL-based open source software. We also integrate R for statistical computing to enable advanced statistical analyses such as PLS structural equation modeling, mediate effect analysis, compare between groups, and complete general statistics. The Cloud-based Social Science Research Automation system developed in this study is expected to play an important role in improving the social science research process and in performing the social science studies efficiently.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.75 no.2
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• pp.193-209
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• 2020

This paper presents a new hyperbolic shear deformation plate theory including the stretching effect for free vibration of the simply supported functionally graded plates in thermal environments. The theory accounts for parabolic distribution of the transverse shear strains and satisfies the zero traction boundary conditions on the surfaces of the plate without using shear correction factors. This theory has only five unknowns, which is even less than the other shear and normal deformation theories. The present one has a new displacement field which introduces undetermined integral variables. Material properties are assumed to be temperature-dependent, and graded in the thickness direction according to a simple power law distribution in terms of the volume power laws of the constituents. The equation of motion of the vibrated plate obtained via the classical Hamilton's principle and solved using Navier's steps. The accuracy of the proposed solution is checked by comparing the present results with those available in existing literature. The effects of the temperature field, volume fraction index of functionally graded material, side-to-thickness ratio on free vibration responses of the functionally graded plates are investigated. It can be concluded that the present theory is not only accurate but also simple in predicting the natural frequencies of functionally graded plates with stretching effect in thermal environments.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.9
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• pp.467-475
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• 2020

The study aims to investigate factors affecting enterprise's satisfaction and loyalty toward the Social Security's online public services, looking at the case of Thanh Hoa province, Vietnam. This study employs samples with 216 enterprises that use online public system of Thanh Hoa province's Social Security. The research model is closely linked to the SERVQUAL model developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1988). We propose 23 scales that constitute the quality of service, three scales that constitute Customer Satisfaction and three components that constitute Customer Loyalty. This study use the tool of Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Cronbach's Alpha test, Confirm Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in order to address the question of satisfaction and loyalty. The result shows that the factor with the most impact is Reliability, next is Capacity of staffs, Tangibles, Attitude of staffs, and the least impacting factor is Empathy; moreover, the results also show that Satisfaction has a strong impact on Customer Loyalty. The findings of this study suggest that Thanh Hoa province's Social Security should: (i) strengthen the reliability of online service system; (ii) build capacity for staffs; (iii) develop the responsiveness of electronic transactions systems; and (iv) improve the empathy of staffs.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.682-693
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• 2017

The purpose of the study was to compare two different MBTI personality types by evaluating the influence of perceived risk on brand and store loyalty and purchase intention. 340 questionnaires were used for the analysis. For statistical analysis, SPSS 20.0 and AMOS 20.0 were performed, and frequency tests, reliability analyses and Structural Equation Modeling were used. The results of SEM analysis, confirmed that one question of brand loyalty and one question of store loyalty were inappropriate for this study. Thus, these two questions were removed and the research model was modified. To determine the goodness of fit of the research model, convergent validity was tested. Most items fell into the goodness of fit, and the average coefficient was fulfilled. According to the results of a path coefficient analysis for the Judging type, perceived risk has a significant influence on brand loyalty and brand loyalty also affected store loyalty. Furthermore, brand loyalty and store loyalty have a significant effect on purchase intentions, but perceived risk did not affect brand loyalty for the Perceiving type. Brand loyalty influences store loyalty and purchase intentions, but store loyalty did not influence purchase intentions. As a result of this study, it is concluded that considering consumers' personality types is critical to developing strategies that enhance brand loyalty.

• The Journal of Information Systems
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.99-127
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• 2008

E-learning becomes an important part of education these days in Korea. Students had no choice but to accept the e-learning when the e-learning was used as a supplementary learning tool within a traditional class or a stand-alone distance education. This study focuses on the students' intention of e-learning acceptance for voluntary studies. In voluntary study, students have the rights to adopt the e-learning or not for their personal study. We used individual characteristics as the external variables of TAM to explain user acceptance of e-learning for voluntary studies and examined the effect of individual characteristics on user's beliefs. Research model and nine hypotheses were set up to identify the relationships among these variables based on investigations of previous researches. The theoretical model is tested with questionnaires from 420 users who accept e-learning for voluntary studies. We tested the measurement and research models by applying a structural equation modeling(SEM) approach, using the AMOS 5.0. Overall, the results provided support for the model as explaining acceptance of an e-learning system. Most path coefficients in the research model were found statistically significant. The results showed usefulness and enjoyment and subject norm were the factors affecting attitude of students using e-learning. In addition, usefulness and subject norm were the factors affecting intention of students using e-learning. The results show innovation and self-efficacy have a significant impact on user's perception of ease of use. Self-efficacy also have significant effects on user's perception of usefulness.

• The Journal of Information Systems
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.1-23
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• 2014

Nowadays, smartphones have become a portable multimedia computer because of a variety of useful applications in our daily lives, which can be downloaded and installed easily in smartphones. Despite of the fact that, however in the IS literature there has been little research on smartphone applications' user interface design. Specifically, there has been little understanding about smartphone users' cognitive functions as a mediating variable in the relationship between the user interface design of smartphone applications and users' work performance with the applications. Thus, the research aims of this study are to examine 1) the effects of the user interface design attributes including simplicity, consistency, and metaphor on the compliance with or the extension of users' mental models representing users' cognitive functions, and 2) the effects of the users' cognitive functions on their work performance with the applications. A survey was conducted and Structural Equation Modeling(SEM) was employed to analyze the data. The results of this study showed that two of the user interface design attributes, simplicity and consistency, strongly affected users' cognitive functions. In addition, users' cognitive functions significantly influenced users' work performance. However, there was no relationship between the metaphors in the user interfaces of smartphone applications and the compliance with users' mental model. This study contributed theoretically not only to explore users' mental models that are rarely investigated in the IS field, but also to add some findings related to users' cognitive functions to the IS literature. This study also can help practitioners to develop more user friendly user interfaces of smartphone applications by suggesting the design attributes, such as simplicity, consistency, and metaphor.

• Journal of Information Technology Services
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.27-42
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• 2010

Recently, many organizations are actively adopting Enterprise Architecture (EA) as a methodology to manage IT assets and build IT-based business system. However, most existing studies on EA have focused on the adoption stage of EA. Now the research concerning effective management and utilization of EA after adopting EA is keenly required. This study intended to empirically examine how the role of EA operating unit and the EA utilization capability of organizational members impact on EA performance at the post-adoption stage of EA. Based on Resource Based View (RBV), this study proposed the model and the hypotheses describing that the impact of the role of EA operating unit on EA performance is mediated by the EA utilization capability of organizational members. In order to test the hypotheses, the field survey whose respondents were seventy four Korean public agencies which have adopted EA was conducted by means of questionnaire. Data analysis was done with partial least square (PLS), which is a structural equation modeling (SEM) technique that uses a component-based approach to estimation. The results of the empirical analyses showed that the organizational operation ability of EA operating unit significantly influenced EA performance via the EA utilization capability of organizational members, but that EA education and training performed by EA operating unit did not. The results of this study provided a lot of theoretical and practical implications regarding EA management activities at the post-adoption stage of EA to enhance EA performance.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.163-192
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that affect the educational service of school libraries and to seek effective ways to revitalize the services following an analysis of the influence size and the cause and effect of each factor. For this, after deciding the variables through a comprehensive investigation based on documentary research, the variables were operationalized. These variables are school members' recognition and support, teacher librarians' expertise, cooperation between teachers and teacher librarians, the school curriculum, a shortage of teacher librarians' time, the educational environment and educational services. Fourteen hypotheses on the cause and effect among the seven variables were analyzed by applying SEM (Structural Equation Modeling). The result is that the key factors of educational services are teacher librarians' expertise, cooperation between subject teachers and teacher librarians, and the school curriculum. As a result, active methods for the educational services of school libraries were sought.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.60-78
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• 2005

The main objective of this study is to define the nature of the patient service quality of Health Centers, and based on that, to examine the causal relationship of Health Center visitor's perceived service quality with overall satisfaction, intention to revisit and intention to recommend. Data are collected on the basis of the second field survey of '3rd Regional Health Care Planning' operated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare(MOHW). In this study, the 24 patient satisfaction questions are used as outcome indicators. The samples are 3,091 patients who visited 68 Health Centers. The reliability and validity of patient service quality items was evaluated. Finally, the Structural Equation Modeling(SEM) analysis was conducted to find a causal relationship of service quality, patient satisfaction, intention to revisit and intention to recommend. This study shows firstly, the dimension of patient service quality was categorized into 3 dimensions, that is, facilities and environment, staff kindness, and convenience of utilization process. Secondly, the reliability and validity of patient service quality items was satisfied. Lastly, the total effect of convenience of utilization process factor on satisfaction(path coefficients=1.721), intention to revisit(0.843) and intention to recommend(0.696) is more higher than other variables. These findings imply that the quality of various services concerning convenience of utilization process at Health Centers should be improved to satisfy the health need of community people and improve the service quality of Health Centers.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.151-176
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to see the effects of school climate on school violence and fears of attending school. The direct relationship between school climates and fears of attending school will be examined, as well as the indirect and mediated effects of school violence in that school climates influence the fears of attending school. A theoretical model of the relationships of school climates, school violence, and fears of attending school will be given. The subjects of the surveys were chosen from 12 junior high schools in the Seoul, Gyeonggi area through convenience sampling. 1,317 surveys were then analyzed. School climates directly affect the fear of going to school through the mediums of peer and teacher violence. The derived results stress the necessity of improving school climates in order to reduce violence from peers and teachers and to reduce fear of attending school.