• International Journal of Knowledge Content Development & Technology
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.59-74
• /
• 2023

Third places are those that offer a space outside of work and home for people to escape the stress associated with the primary spaces of their lives. Through social interactivity these help in acquiring some emotional support provided by a close and intimate attachment. Such social support can turn into social resources for individuals and can lead to forming communities that may become incubators for social capital through regular visits to shared socializing places. This paper focuses on social interaction that takes place through the third place and the communities that are being created as a contributing factor to knowledge management. The study being reported in this paper investigated the role of coffee shops as third places in building communities and social capital in Kuwait. A mixed-method approach was used to conduct the study. These methods included qualitative methods such as extended conversations in the form of semi-structured interviews and quantitative methods of using questionnaires distributed to coffee shop staff and visitors. Results indicated that importance attached to providing facilities by coffee shops reflected that the owners perceived these as third places. The facilities attracted customers to coffee houses where interactions took place that helped to build communities. The pattern of visits by customers showed that mostly they come in groups and have meetings and gatherings that facilitated and encouraged interactions. The communities that are being built in the coffee shops are indicative of these being perceived as third places by owners, customers, and staff. This study shows the potential of coffee shops as a major sector of the food industry promising a valuable contribution in transformation and transition to a knowl- edge-based economy in Kuwait.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.2 no.3
• /
• pp.281-293
• /
• 1997

Dietary fiber(DF) intake of teenagers was estimated and the major food sources of fiber were analyzed using three-day food records and data from 365 middle school students in urban, rural and fishing areas. Mean dwily DF intake of males was 9.2$\pm$3.9g in urban, 10.4$\pm$5.4g in rural, and 7.9$\pm$4.0g in fishing areas and the intake of female was 10.6$\pm$5.1g in urban, 10.6$\pm$5.2g in rural, and 7.7$\pm$3.3g in fishing areas. When related to energy intake, female consumed more DF(5.7$\pm$2.5g/1000㎉, 7.0$\pm$3.5g/1000㎉, 4.6$\pm$2.2g/1000㎉, in urban, and rural, fishing areas respectively) than males(4.2$\pm$1.3g/1000㎉, 4.6$\pm$1.5g/1000㎉, 4.4$\pm$2.0g/1000㎉ in urban, rural, fishing respectively). Mean crude fiber(CF) intake of males was 4.1$\pm$1.7g, 4.5$\pm$2.4g, 3.7$\pm$2.4g, and female's intake was 4.7$\pm$1.9g, 4.8$\pm$2.2g, 3.7$\pm$1.9g in urban, rural, and fishing areas respectively. The mean DF : CF ratio for the subjects was 2.2-2.6, indicating that the DF intake is 2-3 times that of CF intakes. The intakes of the two measures of fiber were highly correlated(r=0.7781) . The major food sources for DF were cereals, vegetables and fruits and the percentage contributions of the food groups to the DF intake were 27-37$\%$, 22-30$\%$, and 11.5-19.7$\%$ respectively. The present study indicates that the DF intake of teenagers is considerably lower than the recommended level and they need to consume more DF than that indicated by the present levels. The importance of nutrition education on health and dietary pattern should also be emphasized among teenagers.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.1-18
• /
• 1997

This study was carried out to reveal the status of health examination among farmers and to attract more attention to the health care system for farmers. Ten pre-trained medical students interviewed the rural residents 18 years of age and older in eight villages which were randomly selected from a county near Taegu city in Korea, in August 1996. Finally 751 persons were interviewed of whom the percentages of male and female were 41.8%, 58.2% respectively. Among the subjects, 361(48.3%) were fully engaged in farming, 184(24.4%) were partly engaged, and the remaining 206(27.3%) were not engaged in farming at all. The overall prevalence of farmer's disease was 23.0% and there was no significant difference between the group of fully engaged in farming(23.3%) and the group of not-fully engaged(22.9%). But the prevalence of farmer's disease in female subjects(27.8%) was significantly higher than that in male(16.2%)(p<0.01). Among the 288 farmer engaged in spraying pesticide, 113(39.2%) had experienced one or more pesticide related symptoms during last one year, but only 18(15.9%) of them had visited medical facilities due to their symptoms. The experience of receiving education about pesticide was significantly correlated with the degree of wearing protectors during pesticide spraying(p<0.001). Among the 736 persons excluding non-respondents, 281(38.2%) received health examination during last one year ; 176(62.6%) of them received free health examination, and 105(37.4%) received charged one. Among the 533 persons 40 years age and older, only 124(23.3%) had received the 'health examination for the elderly' during last one year, which is provided for the 40 years age and older by Korea medical insurance corporation and medical insurance societies. Most of all beneficiaries of self-employed medical insurance thought the imposed contributions as very expensive(77.4%) or moderately expensive(13.2%). The great majority of farmers are exposed to various health risk factors including pesticide, high temperature, overwork etc. comparable to industrial workers. But farmers are excluded from the regular yearly worker's health examination because of not belonging to a company despite they pay relatively more medical insurance contributions compared with the industrial workers and the urban self-employed medical insureds. It is necessary to develop special health management program for farmers such as the special health examination for the industrial workers exposed harmful agents.

• Journal of Distribution Science
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.11-22
• /
• 2014

Purpose - The domestic franchise industry has made significant contributions to industry such as investment, employment, and community economy development, facilitating growth potential. The franchise industry provides management knowhow transfer between parent companies and franchisees as per contracts addressing use of business signs, franchisees' independent position, franchisor support, and royalties to be paid to the franchisors. However, many franchisors lack management knowhow and provide insufficient support because of poor control of franchisees and not having a systematic approach to support. This results in dissatisfied franchisees and failure to establish long-term relationships. Few studies have examined relational commitment and/or re-contract intention by support resources between franchisors and franchisees, despite a considerable output of theories and studies of the growth of the franchise industry. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to examine the effects of the ability to provide resources on relational commitments and re-contract intention, and to suggest causal relationships and implications. Research design, data, and methodology - The subject was domestic franchisors registered with the Association of Franchise with more than 50 franchisees. Franchisees under contract for 2 years and considering re-contract of their franchise 2 years later were used. The subjects totaled 300 franchisees in Seoul. A questionnaire survey was used to investigate the subject of franchisees' concessions during the 10 days from November 21, 2013 to November 30, 2013. After excluding 16 surveys with poor answers, 284 responses were finally used. Four areas and 44 questions were used. A nominal scale was used for four common characteristics questions including gender, ages, educational background, and franchise managing time. Questions regarding ability, relational commitment, and re-contract intention made use of a Likert 5-point scale. Data coding and data cleaning were used. SPSS 18.0 was used as follows. First, frequency analysis was done to investigate demographic characteristics. Second, exploratory factor analysis was done to verify validity of testing tools, and Cronbach's α coefficient was used to verify reliability. Third, correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were done. An exploratory factor analysis was done to verify validity of concepts. A correlation analysis was done to test relationships between the variables, and multiple regression analysis was done to verify franchisor's ability, franchisees' relational commitment, and re-contract intention. Results - The following were the outcomes. First, store operation management, finance operation management, and human resource management affected the calculated bond. Second, store operation management and finance operation management affected the emotional bond. Third, store operation management, finance operation management, human resource management, and marketing management affected the prescriptive bond. Fourth, calculated bond and prescriptive bond had an effect on re-contract intention. Conclusions - As stated above, in franchise management, parent companies' offer and instruction of core competence to their franchisees as an information resource could improve the relational bond by helping them grow together through the resource sharing. Consequently, core competence factors were promoting factors that could improve franchisees' re-contract intention for a long time.

• Journal of East Asia Management
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.29-49
• /
• 2020

In an intensively competitive global market, small-and medium-sized firms are puzzled about how to develop sustainable competitive advantages against global rivalries, thus leading satisfactory economic performance. However, despite the roles and contributions of such small-and medium-sized firms in the local community and national economies in Japan, little guidance has been offered to the practical issues related to their strategic behaviors toward global management. To fill this notable knowledge gap, this study aims to investigate the conditions in which how Japanese small-and medium-sized could dominates global market, which is one of key challenges in the literature of small business and entrepreneurship. To obtain better insights to this research area, this study undertakes an in-depth interview survey with I.S.T (Industrial Summit Technology) Corporation that shows off the highest global market share (40 per cent) with seamless polyimide tube product widely used in office automation equipment (e.g., copiers and printers). This method of survey is designed to deeply understand historical considerations about how I.S.T Corporation could dominate in the global market of such seamless polyimide tube product. Based on findings drawn from an interview, this study identifies five major factors enabling I.S.T Corporation to be a competitive global hidden company: vision sharing through founder's entrepreneurship, core competence, strategic network, risk management, and employee engagement. Specifically, to become a global hidden champion, sharing the vision motivating employees to partake in shaping company's future will be the first step on the road to global success through founder's entrepreneurship. However, in order to achieve such a vision, the importance of company's core competence cannot be overemphasized, which differentiates your customer solution with those of competitors. As such, a group of experts will be naturally formed and demonstrates your expertise in the global market, thereby building sustainable competitiveness. On the other hand, to maintain sustainable competitiveness, it is necessary to make up for the weaknesses small-and medium-sized firms suffer from competitive resources while strengthening their own strengths through strategic networks with external organizations. Here, every company has to understand the critical role of risk management, which is essential in this process of being global company so as not to lose your own strengths. Last but not least, do not forget the significant effects of employee engagement in firm performance. To enhance employees' engagement, a company has to create an ideal organization culture which fits into company's history and personality. In doing so, such organization culture can allow the vision and strategy to be implemented into detailed business tactics while facilitating employees to challenge the status quo by experimenting with creative ideas.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
• /
• v.48 no.4
• /
• pp.309-319
• /
• 2015

River characteristics in South Korea has been affected by seasonal climatic variability due to climate change and by remarkable land cover change due to rapid economic growth. In this regard, the roles of river management is getting more important to eco-system and human community in watersheds of South Korea. Understanding river characteristics including direct runoff and baseflow, the first step of river management, can give a significant contribution to sustainable river environment. Therefore, the objective of this study is to quantify the contributions of the direct runoff and baseflow to river streamflow. For this, we used the BFLOW and WHAT programs to conduct baseflow separation for 71 streamflow gauge stations in Han River system, South Korea. The results showed that baseflow index for 71 stations ranges from 0.42 to 0.78. Also, gauge stations which have baseflow index more than 0.5 occupied 76% of a total stations. However, baseflow index can be overestimated due to human impacts such as discharge from dams, reservoirs, and lakes. This study will be used as fundamental information to understand river characteristics in river management at the national level.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.25 no.10
• /
• pp.1349-1368
• /
• 2016

Concentrations of fine particulate matter ($PM_{2.5}$) and several of its particle constituents measured outside homes in Houston, Texas, and Los Angeles, California, were characterized using multiple regression analysis with proximity to point and mobile sources and meteorological factors as the independent variables. $PM_{2.5}$ mass and the concentrations of organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), benzo-[a]-pyrene (BaP), perylene (Per), benzo-[g,h,i]-perylene (BghiP), and coronene (Cor) were examined. Negative associations of wind speed with concentrations demonstrated the effect of dilution by high wind speed. Atmospheric stability increase was associated with concentration increase. Petrochemical source proximity was included in the EC model in Houston. Area source proximity was not selected for any of the $PM_{2.5}$ constituents' regression models. When the median values of the meteorological factors were used and the proximity to sources varied, the air concentrations calculated using the models for the eleven $PM_{2.5}$ constituents outside the homes closest to influential highways were 1.5-15.8 fold higher than those outside homes furthest from the highway emission sources. When the median distance to the sources was used in the models, the concentrations of the $PM_{2.5}$ constituents varied 2 to 82 fold, as the meteorological conditions varied over the observed range. We found different relationships between the two urban areas, illustrating the unique nature of urban sources and suggesting that localized sources need to be evaluated carefully to understand their potential contributions to $PM_{2.5}$ mass and its particle constituents concentrations near residences, which influence baseline indoor air concentrations and personal exposures. The results of this study could assist in the appropriate design of monitoring networks for community-level sampling and help improve the accuracy of exposure models linking emission sources with estimated pollutant concentrations at the residential level.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
• /
• v.56 no.2
• /
• pp.285-310
• /
• 2004

The major purpose of this study is to examine effectiveness of an intervention program which aims at education/training caregivers of the dementia and/or stroke elderly. This program was conducted at group level. Participants of this program were the primary caregivers who have taken care of the elderly with dementia and/or stroke. To test the effectiveness of the caregiver education/training program, this study employed an quasi-experimental design: to compare pretest score with posttest ones for the same participants. Total forty two primary caregivers have completed the program. Seventeen caregivers were in experimental group, whereas twenty five ones belonged to control group. Our data suggest that, for the primary caregivers, subjective quality of life was more important than cargiving burden. Subjective quality of life among the caregivers significantly improved, after completing the program. This result suggests that a short-term intervention program at group level is not effective to reduce caregiving burden because an infra structure of community resources, to which the caregivers and their family access, did not remain at sufficient level. However, participants have showed improved mutual solidarity, and they have exposed to wider spectrum of a variety of information. As a result, they have perceived that the level of subjective quality of life has positively changed. Additional factors have influenced on determining the quality of life among the caregivers. The caregivers, whose demented elderly showed lower level of ADL and IADL, or who have experienced the short period of caregiving, were more likely to belong to higher level of quality of life. The quality of life among the caregivers were even more improved in the following group: being young, and highly educated, man. One of the contributions from this study is that we have found caregiver's characteristics, which need an intervention most. In addition, our study implies that specific contents of the caregivers' education/training program should be conducted based on each family's unique characteristics.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
• /
• v.45 no.2
• /
• pp.31-63
• /
• 2014

Recently interest in civic engagement and civic service is increasing. However, in Korea, few studies have focused on civic service. This might be on account of general awareness that civic service is fundamentally different from the basic spirit of voluntary work, while interest in paid volunteer work is on the rise. Thus, it is necessary to examine whether civic service is the real antipode of volunteer work. Under this kind of critical viewpoint, this study aims to analyze civic service based on the attributes of voluntary work and civic service. The major findings are as follows. Firstly, contrary to common belief, civic service has not been established to go beyond the principle of voluntary and unpaid characteristics of volunteer work. Rather, some voluntary work has broken out of principle of voluntary activities. Secondly, civic service and volunteer work might be characterized as different not due to spontaneity and unpaid service but the structural characteristics of the goal, continuity and formality. Furthermore, the reason for the soft landing of civic service in the United States is not because they have supported the reimbursement of expenses and the provision of stipends. Rather, it is because their long-term activities have promoted real community development for the purpose of finding solutions to social problems, and they have derived a sense of pride and satisfaction from social recognition and rewards for their contributions.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.129-136
• /
• 2002

Mass production system of most manufacturing companies has been supplying us with various useful needs in life for many years. It leads our life to live in comfortable and prosperous circumstances. And we can consider that the contributions of the mass production system to the reduction of different stratification in community remarkable . However, The needs of many clients in these days are various, different, and segmented. It is undesirable to consider every Product on the same basis anymore. So these new requirements of the customers let manufacturing companies be ready for the new production systems which are able to satisfy all the customers, but differently. In this aspects, the customization system could meet new needs of the customers. As we know, cost increase and flexibility matter for the production are main difficulties for the introduction to mass customization. However, to make arrangements for the mass customization systems of the firms is an indispensible factor for maintaining competitiveness and coping with new needs in the future market. We should remember that customers' needs in market will be changing, segmenting, and diversifying, continuously. For this purpose this thesis is tried for studying strategical approach methods of the mass customization.