• Title/Summary/Keyword: area measurement strategies

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The Effects of Environmentally-friendly Agricultural Product Brand Value on Brand Satisfaction, Trust and Loyalty (친환경 브랜드 농산물 상품의 브랜드 가치 요인이 브랜드 만족, 신뢰, 충성도에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Tae-Hoon;Kim, Bo-Young
    • Journal of Distribution Science
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    • v.14 no.5
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    • pp.59-70
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    • 2016
  • Purpose - The objectives of this study are described as following. First, the study will establish the concept of Brand Values of Environmentally-friendly agricultural product through theoretical discussion. Second, it shows the effects of Environmentally-Friendly Agricultural Products brand value on Brand Satisfaction, Brand Trust and Brand Loyalty by empirical investigation. Third, in order to provide the methodology of brand development, literature regarding and questionnaire survey were used such as Environmentally-Friendly Agricultural Products Brand Value, Brand Satisfaction, Brand Trust and Brand Loyalty. Based up on the results, the research estimates consumers' relative priorities of Environmentally-Friendly Agricultural Products Brand Value factors in purchase. This research also suggests the consumer oriented new brand development and the progressive direction for the successful launching of Korean Environmentally-Friendly Agricultural Products Brand. Research design, data, and methodology - Because the relative literatures reviewed regarding not only each factor but also the relationships among them, Brand Value was categorized into 4 dimensions: Emotional, Social, Functional, and Epistemic Value. Then, Brand Loyalty was added as an outcome variable and Brand Satisfaction, Brand Trust were also added as mediators. The proposed research model and 13 hypotheses were created and 23 measurement items were developed. A face-to-face questionnaire survey with items concerning the Brand Value of Environmentally-Friendly Agricultural Products is conducted to housewives in metropolitan area in May 2016. Respondent answered about Brand Value, Brand Satisfaction, Brand Trust and Brand Loyalty in preferred Environmentally-Friendly Agricultural Products. 333 copies of the questionnaire were collected and analyzed using SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 20.0 to determine the reliability and validity of the measurements. Results - From the confirmatory factor analysis and a structural equation modeling, the outcomes of these studies were as follows; (1) Three Brand value dimensions, i.e. Emotional Value, Social Value, and Epistemic Value had a significant and positive impact on Brand Satisfaction, but Functional Value did not. (2) Social Value also had an impact on Brand Trust, (3) Brand Satisfaction significantly affected Brand Trust, and Brand Trust influenced on Brand Loyalty, and (4) Brand Satisfaction were perfectly effective in mediation between Emotional Value, Epistemic Value and Brand Trust, and it also partially mediated between Social Value and Brand Trust. Conclusions - According to the result of consumer research on Environmentally-Friendly Agricultural Product brand, 3 dimensions of brand value affected brand satisfaction, and especially Social Value was a significant positive dimension. So, marketers should concern about value proposition of Environmentally-Friendly Agricultural Product to consumers by using premium package design, store identity, and distinctive product. Consumers wanted to get self-esteem, self-regard, and high social position by purchasing it. This study has academic and practical significance, so the findings can be applied to a wide range of brand management strategies. However, there are some limitations; 1) limitation about development of new brand value dimensions, 2) limitation about gender in the area of respondents. Future research should be done with wide range of respondents.

Evaluation of Radiation Exposure Dose for Examination Purposes other than the Critical Organ from Computed Tomography: A base on the Dose Reference Level (DRL) (전산화단층촬영에서 촬영 목적 부위와 주변 결정장기에 대한 피폭선량 평가: 선량 권고량 중심으로)

  • Lee, Seoyoung;Kim, Kyunglee;Ha, Hyekyoung;Im, Inchul;Lee, Jaeseung;Park, Hyonghu;Kwak, Byungjoon;Yu, Yunsik
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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    • v.7 no.2
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    • pp.121-129
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    • 2013
  • In this study measured patient exposure dose for purpose exposure area and peripheral critical organs by using optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters (OSLDs) from computed tomography (CT), based on the measurement results, we predicted the radiobiological effects, and would like to advised ways of reduction strategies. In order to experiment, OSLDs received calibration factor were attached at left and right lens, thyroid, field center, and sexual gland in human body standard phantom that is recommended in ICRP, and we simulated exposure dose of patients in same condition that equal exposure condition according to examination area. Average calibration factor of OSLDs were $1.0058{\pm}0.0074$. In case of left and right lens, equivalent dose was measure in 50.49 mGy in skull examination, 0.24 mGy in chest, under standard value in abdomen, lumbar spine and pelvis. In case of thyroid, equivalent dose was measured in 10.89 mGy in skull examination, 7.75 mGy in chest, 0.06 mGy in abdomen, under standard value in lumber spine and pelvis. In case of sexual gland, equivalent dose was measured in 21.98 mGy, 2.37 mGy in lumber spine, 6.29 mGy in abdomen, under standard value in skull examination. Reduction strategies about diagnosis reference level (DRL) in CT examination needed fair interpretation and institutional support recommending international organization. So, we met validity for minimize exposure of patients, systematize influence about exposure dose of patients and minimize unnecessary exposure of tissue.

Relationship between Urban Environment and Local Temperature for Managing Urban Heat Island Effect in Neighborhood (근린단위의 도시열섬관리를 위한 국지온도와 도시환경의 관계)

  • Lee, Gunwon
    • Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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    • v.18 no.10
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    • pp.806-816
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    • 2017
  • This study aims to offer effective policies for managing local temperatures and reducing the heat island effect by identifying elements that affect local temperatures. The three elements of natural environment, land use, and land coverage were first selected, and then control factors were applied, including season, weather, and measurement units for wind speed. In order to analyze these factors' relations to summer temperatures, an integrated model was developed, and an analysis was conducted of the urban heat island reduction effect of elements impacting local temperatures. The analysis used nationwide weather system (AWS) data from July and August 2007 and 2011-2016, land coverage data provided by the Ministry of Environment, and land use area data from local governments after rearranging them based upon their falling within a 500-meter radius ($0.79km^2$) of AWS measuring points. The study results show that the natural environment, land use, and land coverage all have a relation to changes in local temperatures. Natural elements have the greatest impact, and land use has the lowest. The results could provide basic data for establishing more effective policies to mitigate the heat island effect and strategies for enhancing the sustainability of cities.

Study on the Effect of Product Line Pricing on Loading Efficiency and Logistics Cost (상품라인별 가격결정이 적재효율 및 물류비에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구)

  • Jung, Sung-Tae;Yoon, Nam-Soo;Han, Kyu-Chul
    • Journal of Distribution Science
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    • v.12 no.8
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    • pp.55-69
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    • 2014
  • Purpose - Despite the importance of price, many companies do not implement pricing policies smoothly, because typical price management strategies insufficiently consider logistics efficiency and an increase in logistics costs due to logistics waste. This study attempts to examine the effect of product line pricing, which corresponds to product mix pricing, on logistics efficiency in the case of manufacturer A, and analyzes how logistics performance changes in response to these variables. Research design, data, and methodology - This study, based on the case of manufacturer A, involved research through understanding the current status, analyses, and then proposing improvement measures. Among all the products of manufacturer A, product group B was selected as the research object, and its distribution channel and line pricing were examined. As a result of simulation, for products with low loading efficiency, improvement measures such as changing the number of bags in the box were suggested, and a quantitative analysis was conducted on how these measures influence logistics costs. The TOPS program was used for the Pallet loading efficiency simulation tool in this study. To prevent products from protruding out of the pallet, the maximum measurement was set as 0.0mm, and loading efficiency was based on the pallet area, and not volume. In other words, its size (length x width) was focused upon, following the purpose of this study and, then, the results were obtained. Results - As a result of the loading efficiency simulation, when the number of bags in the box was changed for 36 products with low average loading efficiency of 73.7%, as shown in

    , loading efficiency improved to 89.9%. Further, from calculating logistics cost based on the cost calculation standard of manufacturer A, the amount of annual logistics cost reduction amounted to 101,458,084 KRW. Given that the sum of the logistics cost of the product group B of manufacturing enterprises A is 400,340,850 KRW, it can be reduced by 25%, to 298,882,766 KRW. Although many methods improve loading efficiency, this study proved that logistics cost could be reduced by changing the number of bags within boxes. If this measure is applied to other items, visible logistics cost reduction effects will be realized through improvements in loading efficiency. Conclusions - Future pricing policies should consider their correlation with quality, loading efficiency, product specifications, and logistics standardization to prevent logistics waste, enabling management to improve earnings for companies. Thus, when companies decide pricing policies for new products, the aspects of merchandising and marketing should take priority; however, the aspect of logistics also needs to be considered as significant. Measures revealed by the study results are not only the responsibilities of manufacturing enterprises. Pricing policy agreements between manufacturing enterprises and distribution companies, and logistics factors related to price determination should be considered; further, governments should also support them for their collaborations. This will enable consumers to purchase quality products with low prices.

  • Enabling Environment for Participation in Information Storage Media Export and Digital Evidence Search Process using IPA (정보저장매체 반출 및 디지털 증거탐색 과정에서의 참여권 보장 환경에 대한 중요도-이행도 분석)

    • Yang, Sang Hee;Lee, Choong C.;Yun, Haejung
      • The Journal of Society for e-Business Studies
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      • v.23 no.3
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      • pp.129-143
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      • 2018
    • Recently, the use of digital media such as computers and smart devices has been rapidly increasing, The vast and diverse information contained in the warrant of the investigating agency also includes the one irrelevant to the crime. Therefore, when confiscating the information, the basic rights, defense rights and privacy invasion of the person to be seized have been the center of criticism. Although the investigation agency guarantees the right to participate, it does not have specific guidelines, so they are various by the contexts and environments. In this process, the abuse of the participation right is detrimental to the speed and integrity of the investigation, and there is a side effect that the digital evidence might be destroyed by remote initialization. In this study, we conducted surveys of digital evidence analysts across the country based on four domains and thirty measurement items for enabling environment for participation in information storage media export and digital evidence search process. The difference between the level of importance and the performance was analyzed by the IPA matrix based on process, location, people, and technology dimensions. Seven items belonging to "concentrate here" area are one process-related, three location-related, and three people-related items. This study is meaningful to be a basis for establishing the proper policies and strategies for ensuring participation right, as well as for minimizing the side effects.

    Assessment Study on Educational Programs for the Gifted Students in Mathematics (영재학급에서의 수학영재프로그램 평가에 관한 연구)

    • Kim, Jung-Hyun;Whang, Woo-Hyung
      • Communications of Mathematical Education
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      • v.24 no.1
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      • pp.235-257
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      • 2010
    • Contemporary belief is that the creative talented can create new knowledge and lead national development, so lots of countries in the world have interest in Gifted Education. As we well know, U.S.A., England, Russia, Germany, Australia, Israel, and Singapore enforce related laws in Gifted Education to offer Gifted Classes, and our government has also created an Improvement Act in January, 2000 and Enforcement Ordinance for Gifted Improvement Act was also announced in April, 2002. Through this initiation Gifted Education can be possible. Enforcement Ordinance was revised in October, 2008. The main purpose of this revision was to expand the opportunity of Gifted Education to students with special education needs. One of these programs is, the opportunity of Gifted Education to be offered to lots of the Gifted by establishing Special Classes at each school. Also, it is important that the quality of Gifted Education should be combined with the expansion of opportunity for the Gifted. Social opinion is that it will be reckless only to expand the opportunity for the Gifted Education, therefore, assessment on the Teaching and Learning Program for the Gifted is indispensible. In this study, 3 middle schools were selected for the Teaching and Learning Programs in mathematics. Each 1st Grade was reviewed and analyzed through comparative tables between Regular and Gifted Education Programs. Also reviewed was the content of what should be taught, and programs were evaluated on assessment standards which were revised and modified from the present teaching and learning programs in mathematics. Below, research issues were set up to assess the formation of content areas and appropriateness for Teaching and Learning Programs for the Gifted in mathematics. A. Is the formation of special class content areas complying with the 7th national curriculum? 1. Which content areas of regular curriculum is applied in this program? 2. Among Enrichment and Selection in Curriculum for the Gifted, which one is applied in this programs? 3. Are the content areas organized and performed properly? B. Are the Programs for the Gifted appropriate? 1. Are the Educational goals of the Programs aligned with that of Gifted Education in mathematics? 2. Does the content of each program reflect characteristics of mathematical Gifted students and express their mathematical talents? 3. Are Teaching and Learning models and methods diverse enough to express their talents? 4. Can the assessment on each program reflect the Learning goals and content, and enhance Gifted students' thinking ability? The conclusions are as follows: First, the best contents to be taught to the mathematical Gifted were found to be the Numeration, Arithmetic, Geometry, Measurement, Probability, Statistics, Letter and Expression. Also, Enrichment area and Selection area within the curriculum for the Gifted were offered in many ways so that their Giftedness could be fully enhanced. Second, the educational goals of Teaching and Learning Programs for the mathematical Gifted students were in accordance with the directions of mathematical education and philosophy. Also, it reflected that their research ability was successful in reaching the educational goals of improving creativity, thinking ability, problem-solving ability, all of which are required in the set curriculum. In order to accomplish the goals, visualization, symbolization, phasing and exploring strategies were used effectively. Many different of lecturing types, cooperative learning, discovery learning were applied to accomplish the Teaching and Learning model goals. For Teaching and Learning activities, various strategies and models were used to express the students' talents. These activities included experiments, exploration, application, estimation, guess, discussion (conjecture and refutation) reconsideration and so on. There were no mention to the students about evaluation and paper exams. While the program activities were being performed, educational goals and assessment methods were reflected, that is, products, performance assessment, and portfolio were mainly used rather than just paper assessment.

    Opportunity Tree Framework Design For Optimization of Software Development Project Performance (소프트웨어 개발 프로젝트 성능의 최적화를 위한 Opportunity Tree 모델 설계)

    • Song Ki-Won;Lee Kyung-Whan
      • The KIPS Transactions:PartD
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      • v.12D no.3 s.99
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      • pp.417-428
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      • 2005
    • Today, IT organizations perform projects with vision related to marketing and financial profit. The objective of realizing the vision is to improve the project performing ability in terms of QCD. Organizations have made a lot of efforts to achieve this objective through process improvement. Large companies such as IBM, Ford, and GE have made over $80\%$ of success through business process re-engineering using information technology instead of business improvement effect by computers. It is important to collect, analyze and manage the data on performed projects to achieve the objective, but quantitative measurement is difficult as software is invisible and the effect and efficiency caused by process change are not visibly identified. Therefore, it is not easy to extract the strategy of improvement. This paper measures and analyzes the project performance, focusing on organizations' external effectiveness and internal efficiency (Qualify, Delivery, Cycle time, and Waste). Based on the measured project performance scores, an OT (Opportunity Tree) model was designed for optimizing the project performance. The process of design is as follows. First, meta data are derived from projects and analyzed by quantitative GQM(Goal-Question-Metric) questionnaire. Then, the project performance model is designed with the data obtained from the quantitative GQM questionnaire and organization's performance score for each area is calculated. The value is revised by integrating the measured scores by area vision weights from all stakeholders (CEO, middle-class managers, developer, investor, and custom). Through this, routes for improvement are presented and an optimized improvement method is suggested. Existing methods to improve software process have been highly effective in division of processes' but somewhat unsatisfactory in structural function to develop and systemically manage strategies by applying the processes to Projects. The proposed OT model provides a solution to this problem. The OT model is useful to provide an optimal improvement method in line with organization's goals and can reduce risks which may occur in the course of improving process if it is applied with proposed methods. In addition, satisfaction about the improvement strategy can be improved by obtaining input about vision weight from all stakeholders through the qualitative questionnaire and by reflecting it to the calculation. The OT is also useful to optimize the expansion of market and financial performance by controlling the ability of Quality, Delivery, Cycle time, and Waste.

    Analysis of Consumer Consumption Status and Demand of Rice-wine (약주에 대한 소비자의 소비실태 및 요구도 분석)

    • Kim, Eun-Hae;Ahn, Byung-Hak;Lee, Min-A
      • Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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      • v.42 no.3
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      • pp.478-486
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      • 2013
    • The purpose of this study was to analyze consumer consumption and product concept demands of Korean rice-wine. An online survey, conducted from April 28, 2010 to May 6 2010, targeted 200 consumers in Seoul and the Gyeonggi-do area. More than half of the respondents (51.3%) drank rice-wine because of the taste. The common reasons for dissatisfaction with rice-wine were hangovers (35.7%) and taste (16.9%). From analyzing rice-wine preferences, the most preferred ingredient was rice (57.8%), while the most preferred aroma and taste was derived from the fruit (48.7% and 58.4%, respectively). The most common methods consumers observed for promoting rice-wine consumption were the "development and management of rice-wine brands" (59.7%), and "continuous promotion" (44.8%). The most important attributes of a rice-wine product included its taste (4.60), followed by its quality (4.41) using 5-point Likert scale. An importance-performance analysis (IPA) was performed for the 17 attributes of rice-wine and identified targets for product management strategies, including the "usage of domestic ingredients", "ease of purchase", clarity of "product information", and "external image". Therefore, developing solid concepts in marketing strategy are required and may be achieved by understanding the consumer preferences and demands of rice-wine.

    Evaluation of Water Quality Characteristics of Saemangeum Lake Using Statistical Analysis (통계분석을 이용한 새만금호의 수질특성 평가)

    • Jong Gu Kim
      • Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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      • v.29 no.4
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      • pp.297-306
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      • 2023
    • Saemangeum Lake is the largest artificial lake in Korea. The continuous deterioration of lake water quality necessitates the introduction of novel water quality management strategies. Therefore, this study aims to identify the spatiotemporal water quality characteristics of Saemangeum Lake using data from the National Water Quality Measurement Network and provide basic information for water quality management. In the water quality parameters of Saemangeum Lake, water temperature and total phosphorous content were correlated, and salt, total nitrogen content, pH, and chemical oxygen demand were significantly correlated. Other parameters showed a low correlation. The spatial principal component analysis of Saemangeum Lake showed the characteristics of its four zones. The mid-to-downstream section of the river affected by freshwater inflow showed a high nutrient salt concentration, and the deep-water section of the drainage gate and the lake affected by seawater showed a high salt concentration. Two types of water qualities were observed in the intermediate water area where river water and outer sea water were mixed: waters with relatively low salt and high chemical oxygen demand, and waters with relatively low salt and high pH concentration. In the principal component analysis by time, the water quality was divided into four groups based on the observation month. Group I occurred during May and June in late spring and early summer, Group II was in early spring (March-April) and late autumn (November-December), Group III was in winter (January-February), and Group IV was in summer (July-October) during high temperatures. The water quality characteristics of Saemangeum Lake were found to be affected by the inflow of the upper Mangyeong and Dongjin rivers, and the seawater through the Garuk and Shinshi gates installed in the Saemangeum Embankment. In order to achieve the target water quality of Saemangeum Lake, it is necessary to establish water quality management measures for Saemangeum Lake along with pollution source management measures in the upper basin.

    The Effect of Mutual Trust on Relational Performance in Supplier-Buyer Relationships for Business Services Transactions (재상업복무교역중적매매관계중상호신임대관계적효적영향(在商业服务交易中的买卖关系中相互信任对关系绩效的影响))

    • Noh, Jeon-Pyo
      • Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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      • v.19 no.4
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      • pp.32-43
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      • 2009
    • Trust has been studied extensively in psychology, economics, and sociology, and its importance has been emphasized not only in marketing, but also in business disciplines in general. Unlike past relationships between suppliers and buyers, which take considerable advantage of private networks and may involve unethical business practices, partnerships between suppliers and buyers are at the core of success for industrial marketing amid intense global competition in the 21st century. A high level of mutual cooperation occurs through an exchange relationship based on trust, which brings long-term benefits, competitive enhancements, and transaction cost reductions, among other benefits, for both buyers and suppliers. In spite of the important role of trust, existing studies in buy-supply situations overlook the role of trust and do not systematically analyze the effect of trust on relational performance. Consequently, an in-depth study that determines the relation of trust to the relational performance between buyers and suppliers of business services is absolutely needed. Business services in this study, which include those supporting the manufacturing industry, are drawing attention as the economic growth engine for the next generation. The Korean government has selected business services as a strategic area for the development of manufacturing sectors. Since the demands for opening business services markets are becoming fiercer, the competitiveness of the business service industry must be promoted now more than ever. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the mutual trust between buyers and suppliers on relational performance. Specifically, this study proposed a theoretical model of trust-relational performance in the transactions of business services and empirically tested the hypotheses delineated from the framework. The study suggests strategic implications based on research findings. Empirical data were collected via multiple methods, including via telephone, mail, and in-person interviews. Sample companies were knowledge-based companies supplying and purchasing business services in Korea. The present study collected data on a dyadic basis. Each pair of sample companies includes a buying company and its corresponding supplying company. Mutual trust was traced for each pair of companies. This study proposes a model of trust-relational performance of buying-supplying for business services. The model consists of trust and its antecedents and consequences. The trust of buyers is classified into trust toward the supplying company and trust toward salespersons. Viewing trust both at the individual level and the organizational level is based on the research of Doney and Cannon (1997). Normally, buyers are the subject of trust, but this study supposes that suppliers are the subjects. Hence, it uniquely focused on the bilateral perspective of perceived risk. In other words, suppliers, like buyers, are the subject of trust since transactions are normally bilateral. From this point of view, suppliers' trust in buyers is as important as buyers' trust in suppliers. The suppliers' trust is influenced by the extent to which it trusts the buying companies and the buyers. This classification of trust using an individual level and an organization level is based on the suggestion of Doney and Cannon (1997). Trust affects the process of supplier selection, which works in a bilateral manner. Suppliers are actively involved in the supplier selection process, working very closely with buyers. In addition, the process is affected by the extent to which each party trusts its partners. The selection process consists of certain steps: recognition, information search, supplier selection, and performance evaluation. As a result of the process, both buyers and suppliers evaluate the performance and take corrective actions on the basis of such outcomes as tangible, intangible, and/or side effects. The measurement of trust used for the present study was developed on the basis of the studies of Mayer, Davis and Schoorman (1995) and Mayer and Davis (1999). Based on their recommendations, the three dimensions of trust used for the study include ability, benevolence, and integrity. The original questions were adjusted to the context of the transactions of business services. For example, a question such as "He/she has professional capabilities" has been changed to "The salesperson showed professional capabilities while we talked about our products." The measurement used for this study differs from those used in previous studies (Rotter 1967; Sullivan and Peterson 1982; Dwyer and Oh 1987). The measurements of the antecedents and consequences of trust used for this study were developed on the basis of Doney and Cannon (1997). The original questions were adjusted to the context of transactions in business services. In particular, questions were developed for both buyers and suppliers to address the following factors: reputation (integrity, customer care, good-will), market standing (company size, market share, positioning in the industry), willingness to customize (product, process, delivery), information sharing (proprietary information, private information), willingness to maintain relationships, perceived professionalism, authority empowerment, buyer-seller similarity, and contact frequency. As a consequential variable of trust, relational performance was measured. Relational performance is classified into tangible effects, intangible effects, and side effects. Tangible effects include financial performance; intangible effects include improvements in relations, network developing, and internal employee satisfaction; side effects include those not included either in the tangible or intangible effects. Three hundred fifty pairs of companies were contacted, and one hundred five pairs of companies responded. After deleting five company pairs because of incomplete responses, one hundred five pairs of companies were used for data analysis. The response ratio of the companies used for data analysis is 30% (105/350), which is above the average response ratio in industrial marketing research. As for the characteristics of the respondent companies, the majority of the companies operate service businesses for both buyers (85.4%) and suppliers (81.8%). The majority of buyers (76%) deal with consumer goods, while the majority of suppliers (70%) deal with industrial goods. This may imply that buyers process the incoming material, parts, and components to produce the finished consumer goods. As indicated by their report of the length of acquaintance with their partners, suppliers appear to have longer business relationships than do buyers. Hypothesis 1 tested the effects of buyer-supplier characteristics on trust. The salesperson's professionalism (t=2.070, p<0.05) and authority empowerment (t=2.328, p<0.05) positively affected buyers' trust toward suppliers. On the other hand, authority empowerment (t=2.192, p<0.05) positively affected supplier trust toward buyers. For both buyers and suppliers, the degree of authority empowerment plays a crucial role in the maintenance of their trust in each other. Hypothesis 2 tested the effects of buyerseller relational characteristics on trust. Buyers tend to trust suppliers, as suppliers make every effort to contact buyers (t=2.212, p<0.05). This tendency has also been shown to be much stronger for suppliers (t=2.591, p<0.01). On the other hand suppliers trust buyers because suppliers perceive buyers as being similar to themselves (t=2.702, p<0.01). This finding confirmed the results of Crosby, Evans, and Cowles (1990), which reported that suppliers and buyers build relationships through regular meetings, either for business or personal matters. Hypothesis 3 tested the effects of trust on perceived risk. It has been found that for both suppliers and buyers the lower is the trust, the higher is the perceived risk (t=-6.621, p<0.01 for buyers; t=-2.437, p<0.05). Interestingly, this tendency has been shown to be much stronger for buyers than for suppliers. One possible explanation for this higher level of perceived risk is that buyers normally perceive higher risks than do suppliers in transactions involving business services. For this reason, it is necessary for suppliers to implement risk reduction strategies for buyers. Hypothesis 4 tested the effects of trust on information searching. It has been found that for both suppliers and buyers, contrary to expectation, trust depends on their partner's reputation (t=2.929, p<0.01 for buyers; t=2.711, p<0.05 for suppliers). This finding shows that suppliers with good reputations tend to be trusted. Prior experience did not show any significant relationship with trust for either buyers or suppliers. Hypothesis 5 tested the effects of trust on supplier/buyer selection. Unlike buyers, suppliers tend to trust buyers when they think that previous transactions with buyers were important (t=2.913 p<0.01). However, this study did not show any significant relationship between source loyalty and the trust of buyers in suppliers. Hypothesis 6 tested the effects of trust on relational performances. For buyers and suppliers, financial performance reportedly improved when they trusted their partners (t=2.301, p<0.05 for buyers; t=3.692, p<0.01 for suppliers). It is interesting that this tendency was much stronger for suppliers than it was for buyers. Similarly, competitiveness was reported to improve when buyers and suppliers trusted their partners (t=3.563, p<0.01 for buyers; t=3.042, p<0.01 for suppliers). For suppliers, efficiency and productivity were reportedly improved when they trusted buyers (t=2.673, p<0.01). Other performance indices showed insignificant relationships with trust. The findings of this study have some strategic implications. First and most importantly, trust-based transactions are beneficial for both suppliers and buyers. As verified in the study, financial performance can be improved through efforts to build and maintain mutual trust. Similarly, competitiveness can be increased through the same kinds of effort. Second, trust-based transactions can facilitate the reduction of perceived risks inherent in the purchasing situation. This finding has implications for both suppliers and buyers. It is generally believed that buyers perceive higher risks in a highly involved purchasing situation. To reduce risks, previous studies have recommended that suppliers devise risk-reducing tactics. Moving beyond these recommendations, the present study uniquely focused on the bilateral perspective of perceived risk. In other words, suppliers are also susceptible to perceived risks, especially when they supply services that require very technical and sophisticated manipulations and maintenance. Consequently, buyers and suppliers must solve problems together in close collaboration. Hence, mutual trust plays a crucial role in the problem-solving process. Third, as found in this study, the more authority a salesperson has, the more he or she can be trusted. This finding is very important with regard to tactics. Building trust is a long-term assignment; however, when mutual trust has not been developed, suppliers can overcome the problems they encounter by empowering a salesperson with the authority to make certain decisions. This finding applies to suppliers as well.

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