• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.99-124
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• 2009

Many firms in Korea have adopted and used advanced information technology in an effort to boost efficiency. The process of adapting to the new technology, at the same time, can vary from one firm to another. As such, this research focuses on several relevant factors, especially the roles of social interaction as a key variable that influences the technology adaptation process and the outcomes. Thus far, how a firm goes through the adaptation process to the new technology has not been yet fully explored. Previous studies on changes undergone by a firm or an organization due to information technology have been pursued from various theoretical points of views, evolved from technological and institutional views to an integrated social technology views. The technology adaptation process has been understood to be something that evolves over time and has been regarded as cycles between misalignments and alignments, gradually approaching the stable aligned state. The adaptation process of the new technology was defined as "appropriation" process according to Poole and DeSanctis (1994). They suggested that this process is not automatically determined by the technology design itself. Rather, people actively select how technology structures should be used; accordingly, adoption practices vary. But concepts of the appropriation process in these studies are not accurate while suggested propositions are not clear enough to apply in practice. Furthermore, these studies do not substantially suggest which factors are changed during the appropriation process and what should be done to bring about effective outcomes. Therefore, research objectives of this study lie in finding causes for the difference in ways in which advanced information technology has been used and adopted among organizations. The study also aims to explore how a firm's interaction with social as well as technological factors affects differently in resulting organizational changes. Detail objectives of this study are as follows. First, this paper primarily focuses on the appropriation process of advanced information technology in the long run, and we look into reasons for the diverse types of the usage. Second, this study is to categorize each phases in the appropriation process and make clear what changes occur and how they are evolved during each phase. Third, this study is to suggest the guidelines to determine which strategies are needed in an individual, group and organizational level. For this, a substantially grounded theory that can be applied to organizational practice has been developed from a longitudinal comparative case study. For these objectives, the technology appropriation process was explored based on Structuration Theory by Giddens (1984), Orlikoski and Robey (1991) and Adaptive Structuration Theory by Poole and DeSanctis (1994), which are examples of social technology views on organizational change by technology. Data have been obtained from interviews, observations of medical treatment task, and questionnaires administered to group members who use the technology. Data coding was executed in three steps following the grounded theory approach. First of all, concepts and categories were developed from interviews and observation data in open coding. Next, in axial coding, we related categories to subcategorize along the lines of their properties and dimensions through the paradigm model. Finally, the grounded theory about the appropriation process was developed through the conditional/consequential matrix in selective coding. In this study eight hypotheses about the adaptation process have been clearly articulated. Also, we found that the appropriation process involves through three phases, namely, "direct appropriation," "cooperate with related structures," and "interpret and make judgments." The higher phases of appropriation move, the more users represent various types of instrumental use and attitude. Moreover, the previous structures like "knowledge and experience," "belief that other members know and accept the use of technology," "horizontal communication," and "embodiment of opinion collection process" are evolved to higher degrees in their dimensions of property. Furthermore, users continuously create new spirits and structures, while removing some of the previous ones at the same time. Thus, from longitudinal view, faithful and unfaithful appropriation methods appear recursively, but gradually faithful appropriation takes over the other. In other words, the concept of spirits and structures has been changed in the adaptation process over time for the purpose of alignment between the task and other structures. These findings call for a revised or extended model of structural adaptation in IS (Information Systems) literature now that the vague adaptation process in previous studies has been clarified through the in-depth qualitative study, identifying each phrase with accuracy. In addition, based on these results some guidelines can be set up to help determine which strategies are needed in an individual, group, and organizational level for the purpose of effective technology appropriation. In practice, managers can focus on the changes of spirits and elevation of the structural dimension to achieve effective technology use.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.49-57
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to analyze the school biology curriculum of the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) for school biology education in the United Kingdom (UK), and to examine the implications for Korean school biology education. The RSB school biology curriculum consists of three dimensions (the practices of biology, the concepts of biology, and the application of biology) and seven big questions. The contents of RSB school biology curriculum are structured according to age, 5-11, 11-16, and 16-19. The practices of biology of the UK RSB school biology curriculum emphasize biology activities should be linked to other communities and communicated and shared through evidence-based discussions. The concepts of biology dimension of the UK RSB school biology curriculum systematized the contents to be detailed considering school-level and ages with 5-7, 7-11, 11-14, 14-16, and 16-19 years old. The UK RSB biology curriculum is composed of human health, biological structure and function, biological growth and reproduction, and biological coexistence, showing a significant difference from Korean national curriculum when comparing the content elements with the core concepts of biology. In terms of the application of biology of the RSB school biology curriculum, three themes were commonly applied to all students, regardless of school level or age, such as development of application methods to promote health and environmental welfare, evaluation of the impact and application of biology knowledge. However, the content elements of the three themes were systematized according to the ages of 5-11, 11-16, and 16-19 years old. It is necessary to reorganize the contents of biology curriculum in Korea by referring to the content system of the UK RSB biology curriculum and to research ways to strengthen connectivity according to age or school level as well as dimensions and big questions.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.147-165
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• 2008

IT education can be summarized as persuading the educatee to accept IT. The persuasion is made by delivering the messages for how-to-use and where-to-use to the educatee, which leads formulation of a belief structure for using IT. Therefore, message based persuasion theory, as well as IT acceptance theories such as technology acceptance model(TAM), would play a very important role for explaining IT education. According to elaboration likelihood model(ELM) that has been considered as one of the most influential persuasion theories, people change attitude or perception by two routes, central route and peripheral route. In central route, people would think critically about issue-related arguments in an informational message. In peripheral route, subjects rely on cues regarding the target behavior with less cognitive efforts. Moreover, such persuasion process is not a one-shot program but continuous repetition with feedbacks, which leads to changing a belief structure for using IT. An educatee would get more knowledge and experiences of using IT as following an education program, and be more dependent on a central route than a peripheral route. Such change would reformulate a belief structure which is different from the intial one. The objectives of this study are the following two: First, an identification of the relationship between ELM and belief structures for using IT. Especially, we analyze the effects of message interpretation through both of central and peripheral routes on perceived usefulness which is an important explaining variable in TAM and perceived use control which have perceived ease of use and perceived controllability as sub-dimensions. Second, a longitudinal analysis of the above effects. In other words, change of the relationship between interpretation of message delivered by IT education and beliefs of IT using is analyzed longitudinally. For achievement of our objectives, we suggest a research model, which is constructed as three-layered. While first layer has a dependent variable, use intention, second one has perceived usefulness and perceived use control that has two sub-concepts, perceived ease of use and perceived controllability. Finally, third one is related with two routes in ELM, source credibility and argument quality which are operationalization of peripheral route and central route respectively. By these variables, we suggest five hypotheses. In addition to relationship among variables, we suggest two additional hypotheses, moderation effects of time in the relationships between perceived usefulness and two routes. That is, source credibility's influence on perceived usefulness is decreased as time flows, and argument quality's influence is increased. For validation of it, our research model is tested empirically. With measurements which have been validated in the other studies, we survey students in an Excel class two times for longitudinal analysis. Data Analysis is done by partial least square(PLS), which is known as an appropriate approach for multi-group comparison analysis with a small sized sample as like this study. In result. all hypotheses are statistically supported. One of theoretical contributions in this study is an analysis of IT education based on ELM and TAM which are considered as important theories in psychology and IS theories respectively. A longitudinal analysis by comparison between two surveys based on PLS is also considered as a methodological contribution. In practice, finding the importance of peripheral route in early stage of IT education should be notable.

• The Journal of Society for e-Business Studies
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.193-208
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• 2015

In knowledge based society, information technology (IT) has been playing a key role in economic growth. In recent years, it is surprisingly notable that the source of value creation moved from hardware to software in IT industry. Especially, among many kinds of software products, the economic potential of open source was realized by many government agencies. Open source means software codes made by voluntary and open participation of worldwide IT developers, and many policies to promote open source activities were implemented for the purpose of fast growth in IT industry. But in many cases, especially in Korea, the policies promoting open source industry and its ecosystem were not considered successful. Therefore, this study provides the practical reasons for the low performance of Korean open source industry and suggests the pragmatic requisites for effective open source policy. For this purpose, this study applies soft system model (SSM) which is frequently used in academy and industry as a methodology for problem-solving and we link the problems with corresponding policy solutions based on SSM. Given concerns which Korean open source faces now, this study suggests needs for the three different kinds of government policies promoting multiple dimensions of industry: research and development (R&D)-side, supply-side, and computing environment-side. The implications suggested by this research will contribute to implement the practical policy solutions to boost open source industry in Korea.

• Information Systems Review
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.135-164
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• 2008

This research is to offer a structured yet practical ex-ante evaluation methodology for IT investment. Benchmarking the best practices of four Korean organizations, we try to integrate core processes, relevant measures, and evaluation dimensions into a consistent and wholesome body of evaluating methodology. The best practices we considered encompass a wide range of business enterprises, including for-profit, non-profit, service-oriented, and manufacturing entities. The proposed methodology consists of three stages; the first stage checks the validity of investments by looking into comprehensiveness of planning, willingness to accomplish, justifiable grounds for the investments, overlapping investments, and obstructing risks; the second do so by putting an IT investment into economic, strategic, and technological perspectives; and the last third would produce a unified quantity that summarizes outcome of the previous stages. Incorporating the proven knowledge, guidelines, and quantifying tools, the methodology could make a valuable reference model for IT evaluation practitioners who have been bedeviled by having to going through such ex-ante evaluations.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.49-69
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• 2014

The theory of creative city can be seen as one that reflects a relationship between recent change of economic environment and socio-spatial reconstruction in the so-called 'cultural turn' to deindustrialization. This paper considers approaching methods to knowledge-based economy or cultural economy as a context of development of theory of creative city, and suggests types of conceptualization of creative city. Then it reviews creative perspectives which can be found in recent domestic and oversea research trends on creative city, especially relating its nature with neoliberalism. Finally this paper discusses critically the concept of creative class as a social constitution of creativity or creative economy, and that of creative city as its spatial constitution. The concept of creative class can be criticized in terms of ambiguity of the concept of class, class-biased and economy-privileged idea, market valorization of culture, individualization against community, normalization of flexible labor market, and uncertainty of economic success of creative city. The concept of creative city can be criticized in terms of limitation of interests to city, ignorance of national and global dimensions, decontextual normative vision, legitimation of neoliberal city, lack of proof of causality between creative class and economic success, polarization of within and between cities.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.51-58
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• 2013

Purpose - Nowadays, more than ever before, fierce competition, deep market segmentation, short product life cycles, and intensifying customer needs are putting increasing pressure on franchise's organizations to satisfy their customers by creating market-oriented relationships with and enhancing their market knowledge of them. One way that this might be achieved is by establishing deep ties (i.e., job commitment and job satisfaction) with their employees. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine how two important constructs of franchises' strategic efforts, LO (learning orientation) and RMO (relationship marketing orientation), affect job satisfaction, given the mediating role of job commitment. A franchise system comprises a set of contractual arrangements by which mutual obligations are performed. An organizational learning goal motivates employees to improve their abilities and master the tasks they perform. Relationship marketing, in addition, is to identify, establish, maintain, and enhance relationships with customers and other stakeholders to ensure that the objectives of all parties are met and this is done through the mutual exchange of promises. In a relationship marketing orientation, then, a firm creates, maintains, and enhances a strong relationship with its customers by sustaining long-term ties. This study was designed to examine the evolution of various theoretical approaches to franchise systems in order to determine whether theories about firms have significantly affected the franchise system. To this end, the authors developed a structural model consisting of several constructs. Previous studies have suggested that franchises' learning and relationship marketing orientations are important occupational immersion dimensions driving job satisfaction. Research design, data, methodology - We empirically tested a process of how the learning orientation and the relationship marketing orientation influence job commitment and job satisfaction using survey data drawn from 150 responding franchisees who were interviewed about their individual tendencies. Results - The results of this study provide empirical evidence that learning orientation, relationship marketing orientation, and job commitment all influence franchisees' job satisfaction. The results of this study indicate that, first, learning orientation had a significant effect on job satisfaction; second, relationship marketing orientation was positively related to job commitment; third, job commitment had a significant effect on job satisfaction. We also found that relationship marketing orientation and job satisfaction were mediated by job commitment. Conclusions - The findings of this study confirm the importance of learning orientation and relationship marketing orientation in maintaining a positive marketing relationship between franchiser and franchisee from to the perspective of the market. This indicates that franchiser support such as educational programs provided by the franchiser will help franchisees attain higher business management achievement and satisfaction. Moreover, a positive relationship between franchisees and consumers can be maintained through tie effects. Our findings also suggest that learning orientation plays a critical role in job satisfaction within the franchise system.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.104-117
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• 2007

According to the evolution of knowledge based economy, the expansion of significance of high-tech and technical innovation, in recent, many of local government of Korea have concern on the establishment and promotion of new growth power such as technopolis, science park, and innovative clusters for regional development. This study focuses on the establishment strategy for R&D special district in Gwangju area. Gwangju area have many potentials in several dimensions; comfortable physical environment, new agglomeration of photonics and household electric industry, the existence of excellent research related manpower, the strong networking with universities, laboratories, and firms. In addition, the establishment of R&D special district in Gwangju area will be provide positive effects in the increase of competitiveness of state, balanced development between regions, revitalization and development of southwestern area, and establishment of innovative clusters for regional development. However, in order to promote and establish the R&D special district of Gwangju area, central and local governments have to concern with some improvements such as the construction of R&D related infrastructure, the strengthening of research activities of research institutes, the building of cluster of strategic industries of Gwangju area, the supporting system for the revitalization of R&D special district.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.37-50
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• 1997

The purpose of this study was to identify the gap between need-level and demonstration-level in nursing managerial competencies. In addition, the study proposes solutions to narrow this gap. The results of this study are as follows : 1) The mean score for need-level of each item was 4.0, and for demonstration-level, 3.5. This indicates that military hospital head nurses demonstrate a higher level of managerial competencies than the moderate level on all items. But items which were related to resource/ cost/ information managament, staff development management and professionalism management got relatively low ratings in the need-level. 2) The mean score for need-level of each category was 4.14, and for demonstration-level, 3.53. Categories on the individual dimension got a higher rating than categories on the group or organization dimension in both need-level and demonstration level. 3) The gap between need-level and demonstration-level appeared in all items(p<.05) and categories(p<.001). Although the gap was relatively low, it indicates that it is essential to plan a developmemt program for all nursing management competencies for military hospital head nurses. 4) There were significant differences in the gap between need-level and demonstration-level according to specific characteristics of the subjects. The gap did not appear in many categories on the individual dimension where the number of nursing staff was more than 10, a major grade, ICU head nurse or for head nurses having a long career. 5) Need-level and demonstration-level showed a difference according to specific characteristics of the subjects, because need-level and demonstration-level were higher where the number of nursing staff was more than 10, a major grade, and for ICU or Medical ward head nurses. The categories which showed need-level difference and demonstration-level differences according to specific characteristics of the subjects existed almostly completely in the group and organization dimension. Gap-level differences according to the number of hospital bed existed in only two categories. 6) The general causes of the gap were indicated to be 'Knowledge/ skill/ experience deficit', 'Limitation of rules and systems/ Inappropriate organizational environment' for most items, categories, and dimensions. The results of this study indicate that extensive competency developing strategies must be developed, because a gap was found in all items and categories. Specially, there is a need to concentrate attention on competencies in the group and organizational dimension which had a wider gap level. And it is important to take an individual approach according to the cause for each gap. In order to produce effective competency developing strategies, top managers must have sinsights into the importance of nursing staff development and nursing officer's efforts to develop themselves must be achieved. Further multi-dimensional(education, personnel-policy, nursing/ organizational environment) solutions to the gap must be developed and utilized.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.509-520
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to analyze laboratory instructions in a secondary school science with an analysis instrument on science laboratory instruction. For its purpose, we used an instrument that analyzes three dimensions of the secondary laboratory instructions. This analysis instrument was composed of 3 categories (the aim of the laboratory activity, interaction, and inquiry process) which are spread into 20 sub-categories, and its validity was checked by four science educators with factor of 0.89. For its purpose, 21 sessions of lab instructions were video-recorded and transcribed. According to the results, in the aims category, the instructions mainly focused on two aims; acquiring the declarative knowledge and increasing attitudes toward science. In the interaction category, some of the observations made were that the teachers's questions could not gather the students' divergent thinking, their directive instructions were centered around themselves rather than giving opportunities for students to be centered within laboratory activities, and students' interaction were rarely shown. Therefore, interaction was classified as level I. In the inquiry process, presenting phenomenon or questionings about the subjects were little observed, and students' hypothesizing and predicting were almost nonexistent. Most of the activity designs within lab session were given from the teachers' directions or worksheets, and students solely focused on data collecting and recording. Hence, inquiry process were classified level I.