• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.65-88
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• 2008

Since the implementation of economic reforms in 1978, the Chinese economy grows rapidly at an average annul growth rate of 9% over the post two decades. Franchising has been widely recognized as an important source of entrepreneurial activity. Trust is important in that it facilitates relational exchanges by permits partners to transcend short-run inequities or risks to concentrate on long-term profits or gains. In the relationship between the franchisors and franchisees, trust has been described as an important source of competitive advantage. However, little research has been done on the factors affecting trust in Chinese franchisor-franchisee relationships. The purpose of this study is to investigate what factors affect the trust in the franchise system in China, and to provide guidelines and insights to franchisors which enter Chinese market. In this study, according to Morgan and Hunt (1994), trust is defined as the extending when one party has confidence in an exchange partner's reliability and integrity. We offered a conceptual model of the empirical study. The model shows that the factors affecting the trust include franchisor's supports, communication, satisfaction with previous outcome and conflict. We also suggested the franchisor's supports and communication like to enhance the franchisee's satisfaction with previous outcome, and the franchisor's supports, communication and he franchisee's satisfaction with previous outcome tend to decrease conflict. Before the formal study, a pretest involving exploratory interviews with owners from three franchisees was conducted to make sure the questionnaire was relevant and clear to the respondents. The data were collected using trained interviewers to carry out personal interviews with the aid of an unidentified, muti-page, structured questionnaire. The respondents comprised of owners, managers, and owner managers of franchisee-owned food service franchises located in Beijing, China. Even though a total of 256 potential franchises were initially contacted, the finally usable sample consisted of 125 respondents. As expected, the sampling method was successful in soliciting respondents with waried personal and firm characteristics. Self-administrated questionnaires were used for all measures. And established scales were used to measure the latent constructs in this study. The measures tapped the franchisees' perceptions of the relationship with the referent franchisor. Five-point Likert-type scales ranging from "strongly disagree" (=1) to "strongly agree" (=7) were used throughout the constructs (trust, eight items; support, five items; communication, four items; satisfaction, six items; conflict, three items). The reliability measurements traditionally employed, such as the Cronbach's alpha, were used. All the reliabilities were greater than.80. The proposed measurement model was estimated using SPSS 12.0 and AMOS 5.0 analysis package. We conducted A series of exploratory factor analyses and confirmatory factor analyses to assess the convergent validity, discriminant validity, and reliability. The results indicate reasonable overall fits between the model and the observed data. The overall fit of measurement model were $X^2$= 159.699, p=0.004, d.f. = 116, GFI =.879, NFI =.898, CFI =.969, IFI =.970, TLI =.959, RMR =.058. The results demonstrated that the data reasonably fitted the model. We also examined construct reliability and reliability and average variance extracted (AVE). The construct reliability of each construct was greater than.80 and the AVE of each construct was greater than.50. According to the analysis of Structure Equation Modeling (SEM), the results of path model indicated an adequate fit of the model: $X^2$= 142.126, p = 0.044, d.f. = 115, GFI =.892, NFI =.909, CFI =.981, IFI =.981, TLI =.974, RMR =.057. As hypothesized, the results showed that it is strategically important to establish trust in a franchise system, and the franchisor's supports, communication and satisfaction with previous outcome tend to reinforce franchisee's trust. The results also showed trust seems to decrease as the experience of conflict episodes increases. And we also noticed that franchisor's supports and communication tend to enhance the franchisee's satisfaction with previous outcome, and communication tend to decrease conflict. If the trust between the franchisor and franchisee can be established in a franchise system, franchising offers many benefits and reduces many costs. To manage a mutual trust of relationship with their franchisees, franchisor's should provide support effectively to their franchisees. Effective assistant services have direct effect on franchisees' satisfaction with previous outcome and trust in franchisor. Especially, franchise sales process, orientation, and training in the start-up period are key elements for success of the franchise system. Franchisor's support is an accumulated separate satisfaction evaluation with different kind of service provided by the franchisor. And providing support definitely can improve the trustworthy image of the franchisor. In the franchise system, conflicts of interests and exertions of different power sources are very common. The experience of conflict episodes seems to negatively relate to trust. Therefore, it is important to reduce the negative side of the relationship conflicts. Communication actually plays a broader role in reducing conflict and establish mutual trust in franchisor-franchisee relationship. And effective communication between franchisors and franchisees can improve franchisees' satisfaction toward the franchise system. As the diversification of Chinese markets, both franchisors and franchisees must keep the relevant, timely, and reliable communication. And it is very important to improve the quality of communication. Satisfaction with precious outcomes seems to positively relate to trust. Franchisors and franchisees that are highly satisfied with the previous outcomes that flow from their relationship will perceive their partner as advancing their goal achievement. Therefore, it is necessary for both franchisor and their franchisees to make the welfare of partner with effort. Little literature has focused on what factors affect the trust between franchisors and their franchisees in China. This study developed the hypotheses regarding the factors affecting trust in the transaction relationship. The results of data analysis supported the hypotheses strongly. There are certain limitations in this study. First, we may point out that some other factors missed in this study could be significantly important. Second, the context of this study, food service industry, limits its potential generalizability for all franchise systems. More studies in different categories of franchise system are needed to broaden its generalizability. Third, the model was tested empirically in a sample in Beijing, more empirical tests of the proposed model in other Chinese areas are needed. Finally, the analysis in this study was solely based on the perception of franchisees and the opinions of franchisors were not included.

• Information Systems Review
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.23-44
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• 2009

U-Services are inevitably essential for the realization of u-Cities. Most local governments in Korea have expressed much interest in introducing u-Cites and related u-Services. Since researchers anticipate that developing u-Cities will produce economic effects, the Korea government has support local governments to develop u-Cities and necessary u-Services. However, the technology issues have been dominiated in the field of U-City services and most of the U-City services do not reflects all the complicated and pluralistic sides of environment, which are caused by future uncertainties in developing u-Cites. For the purpose of addressing the above uncertainties, this paper attempts to develop the possible scenarios for U-City services through a scenario planning approach. A focus group interview and survey with professionals in the field of planning u-Cities was performed to identify these uncertainties. Then, in order to investigate the validity of the scenario planning methodology, the u-Service "u-Water purity monitoring" is adopted. After considering the relevant issues, we developed two possible scenarios: a mutual linkage service among u-Service related organization and a cooperating and coordinating service among local governments. On the basis of these scenarios, the strategies for potential U-City services are formulated. Various participants in developing U -City services are encouraged to use the scenarios as the foundation of predicting future features of u-Cities and developing the framework of the U-City service scenarios effectively.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.89-98
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• 2017

The dynamic entrepreneurial activities of small businesses or individual entrepreneurs seeking to enter the global market based on innovative ideas and challenging spirit in the modern society, which is trending in entrepreneurial capitalism according to the times, Leading to new growth engines. In order to promote the establishment of universities in Korea, the government has been working on 'Five-Year Plan for University Entrepreneurship Education(2013-2017)', 'Efficiency of Government Start-up Support in 2015', and 'Five-Year Basic Plan for Activation of Industry-University Cooperation(2016-2020)'. However, there are still practical limitations in spite of the efforts made by universities and research institutes to revitalize start-ups. As a way to overcome these limitations, this study aims to systematize the entrepreneurship education of the university, and examines the role of changing universities and theory of clusters and the entrepreneurship education. In addition, we will look at the factors of creative university culture centering on the representative cases of the Innovation University in US, and present a conceptual framework for cluster-based entrepreneurship education for the purpose of 'successful entrepreneurship' which is different from 'start-up success'. The conceptual framework of cluster-based entrepreneurship education is based on the establishment of 'Integrated Entrepreneurship Education Platform' to revitalize start-ups centered on university technology. At the same time, this framework focuses on the three factors of talent, technology, and culture based on the relevant theories and examples, and emphasizes the clustering of entrepreneurial resources, entrepreneurial policies and leadership that should be involved in entrepreneurship education.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.25
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• pp.41-63
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• 2011

Many educational facilities have been formed due to the nation's revival policy in the animation industry since about 1995. Owed to the active financial support of the nation, the production industry rapidly vitalized, production technology rapidly advanced, and a large workforce is being passed on into society through educational institutions. The reality of many developing countries appearing to be putting emphasis on the industrialization of animation, similar to our country, is becoming a great pressure on us industrially. It is never easy to develop a certain field into a globally competitive industry in a short period of time. Our countermeasure, pursuant to these international circumstances, lies in innovation and creativity that has broken away from the existing methods of production, and mass production of high quality animation specialists. This paper is a new educational proposition for the consolidation of national competitiveness. Animating, the core of producing an animation, completely depends on the animator's artistic and technical ability. In order to supplement the existing methods of studying by theory and make up for the biggest weak point, which is the lack of "on the scene" learning contents, I propose incorporating movements based on frequently appearing characters in popular animations and acting them out slowly and including the "Slow Motion" kinetic effect, a way of enabling someone to learn and sense astrodynamic fundamental principles by oneself. It is a new method of learning movement, a plan made to achieve sensual performance gestures, and an improvement in direction for students who wish to become animators in the future.

• Journal of Information Technology Applications and Management
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.59-75
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• 2021

This study aims to establish a foundation for autonomous driving on campus and communication of abundant university information in the HCI environment in a VR environment where college freshmen can freely travel around campus facilities. The purpose of this study is to develop a three-dimensional VR-style campus tour system to establish a media environment to provide abundant university information guidance services to freshmen in non-face-to-face situations. This study designed a three-dimensional virtual reality campus tour system to solve the problem of discontinuity in which VR360 filming space does not lead to space like reality, and to solve many problems of expertise in VR technology by constructing an integrated production environment of tour system. We aim to solve the problem of inefficiency, which requires a large amount of momentum in virtual space, by constructing a GUI that utilizes the motion of the field of view focus. The campus environment was designed as a three-dimensional virtual reality using a three-dimensional graphic design. In non-face-to-face situations, college freshmen freely transformed the HMD VR device, smartphone, FPS operation mode of the gyroscope sensor. The design elements of the three-dimensional virtual reality campus tour system were classified as ①Visualization of factual experiences, ②Continuity of space movement, ③Operation, automatic operation mode, ④Natural landscape animation, ⑤Animation according to wind direction, ⑥Actual space movement mode, ⑦Informatization of spatial understanding, ⑧GUI by experience environment, ⑨Text GUI by building, ⑩VR360, 3D360 Studio Environment, ⑪Three-dimensional virtual space coupling block module, ⑫3D360-3D Virtual Space Transmedia Zone, ⑬Transformable GUI(VR Device Dual Viewer-Gyro Sensor Full Viewer-FPS Operation Viewer) and an integrated production environment was established with each element. It is launched online (http://vautu.com/u1) by constructing a GUI for free driving mode and college information screens to adapt to college life for freshmen, and designing an environment that can be used simultaneously by current media such as PCs, Android, and iPads. Therefore, it conducted user research, held a development presentation, a forum on excellence in university innovation support projects, and applied it as a system on the website of a particular university. College freshmen will be able to experience university information directly from the web and app to the virtual reality campus environment.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.212-220
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• 2021

National R&D investment has steadily increased, reaching number 5 in the world as of 2018. However, for public technology commercialization, the level of discovery of policy models through various cooperation initiatives between government ministries is insufficient, and the performance system that can spread technology commercialization is also limited. In this respect, in order to create results in public technology commercialization, it is necessary to prepare alternatives to strengthen multi-ministerial policy cooperation and increase policy execution power. In this paper, we analyzed the current state of national R&D projects by major ministries and suggested an optimized technology commercialization plan through analysis of the structure, budget, and form of each project. In particular, an alternative in terms of policy efficiency was suggested by analyzing the problems of policy discovery that have not been studied previously. This study is of great significance in that it diagnosed problems of public technology commercialization in terms of the lack of systematic research on public technology commercialization and suggested policy advancement for the spread of technology use and the strategic direction in terms of commercialization.

• Journal of Appropriate Technology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.200-207
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• 2020

The purpose of the establishment of Fab Lab is to promote the sustainable development of local communities around the world. To this end, The Fab foundation are preparing a resource-circulating society that maintains a city's self-sufficiency rate of 50% or more by 2054. In developed countries, Fab Lab is not only a manufacturing space for startup support, but an open innovation space for learning and creation. In addition, in emerging countries, Fab Lab is playing a role as a digital production center to create and share appropriate new technologies by reflecting the needs of local communities. India has 70 Fab Labs, the largest emerging country, ahead of Russia's 48. India's Fab Lab is conducting a collaboration project through regular meetings held every six months. The subject of this study, Fab Lab Vigyan Ashram, is defined as a place to transfer the concept of digital lab to alternative schools in rural India. In this study, we looked at a case in which an alternative school for an agricultural community called Vigyan Ashram, the modern version of the Gurukula system, successfully combined with the digital fabrication called Fab Lab to become a new citizen-led making community of the 4th Industrial Revolution. Based on this, we explored the development model of the Indian Fab Lab that fits the local situation.

• Journal of the Korean Society for information Management
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.165-193
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• 2022

It can be said that digital technology is at the center of the change in the modern work environment. In particular, in general public institutions that prove their work with records produced by business management systems and document production systems, the record management system is also the work environment itself. Gimpo City applied for the 2021 public cloud leading project of the National Information Society Agency (NIA) to proactively respond to the 4th industrial revolution technology era and implemented a public cloud-based AI-OCR technology enhancement project with 330 million won in support of 330 million won. Through this, it was converted into data beyond the limitations of non-electronic records limited to search and image viewing that depend on standardized index values. In addition, a 98% recognition rate was realized by applying a new technology called AI-OCR. Since digital technology has been used to improve work efficiency, productivity, development cost, and record management service levels of internal and external users, we would like to share the direction of enhancing expertise in the record management and implementation of work environment innovation.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.1-10
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• 2024

This study proposes a developmental policy direction for the online platform industry, moving away from the regulatory-centered discussions that have predominated thus far. To offer policy directions, the PEST-SWOT-AHP analysis model was employed. The study first categorizes the issues of the domestic online platform industry into political, economic, social, and technological aspects, which are then further categorized into 16 strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The relative importance among these factors was measured, leading to the derivation of four final strategies. The analysis indicates that policy directions should prioritize addressing weaknesses, with 'improving regulations that hinder innovation' being the most important factor across all categories, while technological factors were consistently rated highly in importance apart from this. Accordingly, the policy direction for the domestic online platform industry suggests avoiding excessive regulation and instead emphasizing policy support centered around technological development. This study is significant in that it presents a macroscopic developmental direction for online platform policies that have not been discussed in existing academic research, and it provides professional and objective indicators through consensus among scholars and researchers. In the future, it is hoped that research will continue to propose detailed policy strategies and implementation systems based on a macroscopic perspective.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.627-637
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• 2023

Background: Damage to the healthy intestinal epithelial layer and regulation of the intestinal immune system, closely interrelated, are considered pivotal parts of the curative treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Plant-based diets and phytochemicals can support the immune microenvironment in the intestinal epithelial barrier for a balanced immune system by improving the intestinal microecological balance and may have therapeutic potential in colitis. However, there have been only a few reports on the therapeutic potential of plant-derived exosome-like nanoparticles (PENs) and the underlying mechanism in colitis. This study aimed to assess the therapeutic effect of PENs from Panax ginseng, ginseng-derived exosome-like nanoparticles (GENs), in a mouse model of IBD, with a focus on the intestinal immune microenvironment. Method: To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of GENs on acute colitis, we treated GENs in Caco2 and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) -induced RAW 264.7 macrophages and analyzed the gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 by real-time PCR (RT-PCR). Furthermore, we further examined bacterial DNA from feces and determined the alteration of gut microbiota composition in DSS-induced colitis mice after administration of GENs through 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis. Result: GENs with low toxicity showed a long-lasting intestinal retention effect for 48 h, which could lead to effective suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6 production through inhibition of NF-κB in DSS-induced colitis. As a result, it showed longer colon length and suppressed thickening of the colon wall in the mice treated with GENs. Due to the amelioration of the progression of DSS-induced colitis with GENs treatment, the prolonged survival rate was observed for 17 days compared to 9 days in the PBS-treated group. In the gut microbiota analysis, the ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidota was decreased, which means GENs have therapeutic effectiveness against IBD. Ingesting GENs would be expected to slow colitis progression, strengthen the gut microbiota, and maintain gut homeostasis by preventing bacterial dysbiosis. Conclusion: GENs have a therapeutic effect on colitis through modulation of the intestinal microbiota and immune microenvironment. GENs not only ameliorate the inflammation in the damaged intestine by downregulating pro-inflammatory cytokines but also help balance the microbiota on the intestinal barrier and thereby improve the digestive system.