• Journal of Information Technology Applications and Management
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.111-128
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• 2005

This paper examines the validity of the newly developed IT consulting SERVQUAL measurement tool. In an attempt to measure Ire IS customers' expectations and perceived quality of the services they received, the researchers developed a diagnostic tool of SERVQUAL based on the solid theoretical background, which can specifically be applied to the IT consulting service sector. This on-going research so far, has been applied to six (6) different organizations that have received IT consulting services over the past years. From the preliminary data collected, the correlation and the factor analyses were conducted to understand the underlying concept and refinement of the measurement tool. Although the correlation analysis showed a little tendency of collinearity among some of the variables, all showed sound relationship of the proposed hypotheses. The exploratory factor analytic approach was chosen because it does not set any priori constraints on the estimation of components or the number of components to be extracted. The number of different factor solutions was extracted and tested to see which solution represents better grouping of the variables. The Crombach's Alpha was computed on different combinations of the factor solutions to ensure validity. The results show 8-dimensional IT consulting SERVQUAL measures which they are, assurance, knowledge & skill, customer relationship, support, empathy, process management, expertise, and education, seem more appropriate than the originally proposed 6 dimensions. The study approach was non-experimental cross-sectional research design. The longitudinal design of follow-up studies to periodically revise and refine current measure is strongly recommended for fine tuning of the tool.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.13-19
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• 2023

Purpose: Rural tourism, as a green and sustainable new development method, has become a new economic growth point in China's rural revitalization. The current research on rural tourism has not formed a complete and mature theoretical system, especially the study of tourist satisfaction. This paper is based on the perspective of tourist satisfaction and takes rural tourism in southern Jiangsu, China as the research object. Starting from the current situation of rural tourism development in southern Jiangsu, it elaborates on the current situation of rural tourism development in southern Jiangsu. Research design, data and methodology: Through literature analysis, it is concluded that the factors that affect tourist satisfaction are divided into four major aspects: personal factors, perceived effect factors, destination experience factors, and social factors. Design a survey questionnaire from four aspects: diversity, safety, convenience, agreeableness, and draw conclusions through data analysis. Results: From the four dimensions of the survey, tourists pay more attention to the diversity, agreeableness, and convenience of rural tourism products. This requires increasing the development of tourism products and improving the richness and diversity of rural tourism products. Conclusions: Therefore, optimization measures such as continuously implementing local rural cultural construction, establishing brand effects, and increasing policy support have been proposed.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.95-105
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• 2013

Recently, SME's Collaboration activities have become one of a vital factor for sustaining competitive edge. This is because of the rapidly changing and competitive market environment, and also to leverage performance by overcoming obstacles of having limited internal resources. Discussing about the effects and relationships of the firm's collaboration activities and its outputs are not new. However, as ICT and various technologies have been diffused into the traditional industries, boundaries and practice capabilities within the industries are becoming ambiguous. Thus contents of the products/services and their development methods are also go and come over the industries. Although many researchers suggested the relations of SME's collaboration activities and innovation performances, most of the previous literatures are focusing on broad perspectives of firm's environmental factors rather than considering various SME's idiosyncrasy factors such as their major product and customer types at once. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to analyze how SME(Small Medium Enterprise)'s external collaboration activities by their idiosyncrasy act as an input to types of innovation performance. In order to analyze collaboration effects in detail, we defined factors that can represent the SME's business environment - Perceived importance of using external resources, Perceived importance of external partnership, Collaboration and Collaboration levels of Major Product types, Customer types and lastly the Firm Sizes. We have also specifically divided the performance of innovation types as product innovation and process innovation based on existing research. In this study, the empirical analysis is based on Probit Regression Model to observe the correlations with the impact of each SME's business environment and their activities. For the empirical data, 497 samples were collected which, this sample data was extracted from the 'Korean Open Innovation Survey' performed by ETRI(Korean Electronics Telecommunications Research Institute) in 2010. As a result, empirical test results indicated that the impact of collaboration varies depend on the innovation types (Product and Process Innovation). The Impact of the collaboration level for the product innovation tend to be more effective when SMEs are developing for a final product, targeting on for individual customers (B2C). But on the other hand, the analysis result of the Process innovation tend to be higher than the product innovation, when SMEs are developing raw materials for their partners or to other firms targeting on for manufacturing industries(B2B). Also perceived importance of using external resources has effected to both product and process innovation performance. But Perceived importance of external partnership was statistically insignificant. Interesting finding was that the service product has negative effects on for the process innovation performance. And Relationship between size of the firms and their external collaboration activities with their performance of the innovations indicated that the bigger firms(over 100 of employees) tend to have better for both product and process innovations. Finally, implications of the results can be suggested as performance of innovation can be varied depends on firm's unique business idiosyncrasy as well as levels of external collaboration activities. The Implication of this research can be considered for firms in selecting an appropriate strategy as well as for policy makers.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.359-368
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• 2013

This study aimed to evaluate conditions and performance of quality improvement (QI) activity in Korean dental hospitals. Twenty one representative dental hospitals in Korea were selected by the selection criteria. A questionnaire was implemented to measure awareness, perceived needs, educations, conferences, works, activating/obstructive factors and satisfaction related to QI activities. Satisfaction score range from 0 (lowest) to 5 (highest) among 329 dental hygienists who worked in the selected 21 dental hospitals. Implementation rate of programs on external customer satisfaction was the highest 59.9% in QI activities, and reduction of expenses (59.4%), Improvement in health care quality (58.7), risk management (52.8) were followed, while improvement in work efficiency (46.5) showed the lowest implementation rate. The most influencing factor accelerating QI activities was 'active participation of hospital workers' (54.7%), and 'effort to improve customer satisfaction' (44.7%) followed. The most influencing QI related obstructive factor was 'lack of QI-related manpower and support' (47.1%). A balanced development including QI programs with lower implementation rates is necessary. Encouraging participation of workers may be the most important in developing dental QI activities further.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.163-174
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• 2020

The market for electric vehicles is growing due to the public's interest in the environment and the expansion of electric vehicle support projects in terms of government policy. This study surveyed 2,332 people in Jeju, one of the nation's representative areas of electric vehicles, and the higher the perceived value in terms of the total cost of automobile ownership for electric vehicles, the higher the intention to purchase electric vehicles. The higher the level of knowledge and attachment, the higher the intention to purchase electric vehicles. While many previous studies considered economic value mainly as price, the study was conducted to approach economic value in terms of total cost of ownership. Marketing practitioners also look for practical contributions in that they can propose price framing so that customers can judge the economic value of the electric vehicle as a strategic way to increase the intention to purchase the electric vehicle, rather than just the purchase price. can see. In addition, the same research should be conducted in various regions besides Jeju, so that the research results can be generalized.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.61-101
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• 2014

This study investigates when and how disagreements in online customer ratings prompt more favorable product evaluations. Among the three metrics of volume, valence, and variance that feature in the research on online customer ratings, volume and valence have exhibited consistently positive patterns in their effects on product sales or evaluations (e.g., Dellarocas, Zhang, and Awad 2007; Liu 2006). Ratings variance, or the degree of disagreement among reviewers, however, has shown rather mixed results, with some studies reporting positive effects on product sales (e.g., Clement, Proppe, and Rott 2007) while others finding negative effects on product evaluations (e.g., Zhu and Zhang 2010). This study aims to resolve these contradictory findings by introducing preference heterogeneity as a possible moderator and causal attribution as a mediator to account for the moderating effect. The main proposition of this study is that when preference heterogeneity is perceived as high, a disagreement in ratings is attributed more to reviewers' different preferences than to unreliable product quality, which in turn prompts better quality evaluations of a product. Because disagreements mostly result from differences in reviewers' tastes or the low reliability of a product's quality (Mizerski 1982; Sen and Lerman 2007), a greater level of attribution to reviewer tastes can mitigate the negative effect of disagreement on product evaluations. Specifically, if consumers infer that reviewers' heterogeneous preferences result in subjectively different experiences and thereby highly diverse ratings, they would not disregard the overall quality of a product. However, if consumers infer that reviewers' preferences are quite homogeneous and thus the low reliability of the product quality contributes to such disagreements, they would discount the overall product quality. Therefore, consumers would respond more favorably to disagreements in ratings when preference heterogeneity is perceived as high rather than low. This study furthermore extends this prediction to the various levels of average ratings. The heuristicsystematic processing model so far indicates that the engagement in effortful systematic processing occurs only when sufficient motivation is present (Hann et al. 2007; Maheswaran and Chaiken 1991; Martin and Davies 1998). One of the key factors affecting this motivation is the aspiration level of the decision maker. Only under conditions that meet or exceed his aspiration level does he tend to engage in systematic processing (Patzelt and Shepherd 2008; Stephanous and Sage 1987). Therefore, systematic causal attribution processing regarding ratings variance is likely more activated when the average rating is high enough to meet the aspiration level than when it is too low to meet it. Considering that the interaction between ratings variance and preference heterogeneity occurs through the mediation of causal attribution, this greater activation of causal attribution in high versus low average ratings would lead to more pronounced interaction between ratings variance and preference heterogeneity in high versus low average ratings. Overall, this study proposes that the interaction between ratings variance and preference heterogeneity is more pronounced when the average rating is high as compared to when it is low. Two laboratory studies lend support to these predictions. Study 1 reveals that participants exposed to a high-preference heterogeneity book title (i.e., a novel) attributed disagreement in ratings more to reviewers' tastes, and thereby more favorably evaluated books with such ratings, compared to those exposed to a low-preference heterogeneity title (i.e., an English listening practice book). Study 2 then extended these findings to the various levels of average ratings and found that this greater preference for disagreement options under high preference heterogeneity is more pronounced when the average rating is high compared to when it is low. This study makes an important theoretical contribution to the online customer ratings literature by showing that preference heterogeneity serves as a key moderator of the effect of ratings variance on product evaluations and that causal attribution acts as a mediator of this moderation effect. A more comprehensive picture of the interplay among ratings variance, preference heterogeneity, and average ratings is also provided by revealing that the interaction between ratings variance and preference heterogeneity varies as a function of the average rating. In addition, this work provides some significant managerial implications for marketers in terms of how they manage word of mouth. Because a lack of consensus creates some uncertainty and anxiety over the given information, consumers experience a psychological burden regarding their choice of a product when ratings show disagreement. The results of this study offer a way to address this problem. By explicitly clarifying that there are many more differences in tastes among reviewers than expected, marketers can allow consumers to speculate that differing tastes of reviewers rather than an uncertain or poor product quality contribute to such conflicts in ratings. Thus, when fierce disagreements are observed in the WOM arena, marketers are advised to communicate to consumers that diverse, rather than uniform, tastes govern reviews and evaluations of products.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.54-69
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• 2001

This study was conducted to assess factors associated with the degree of performance of qualify improvement(QI) activities. A mailed questionnaire survey was conducted between September 15 and October 30, 2000, with the staffs being charge of QI at each of the hospitals with 400 beds or greater. Of the 108 hospitals eligible for inclusion in our study, 79 participated, yielding a response rate of 73.1%. After excluding 12 hospitals that did not perform any QI activities, 117 responses from 67 hospitals were used for the analysis. Using the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Criteria(MBNQAC), perceived performance of QI was measured in terms of the improvement of the quality of clinical practice, clinical supporting department, administrative procedure of receiving care, customer satisfaction, efficiency and standardization of work process. Factors evaluated for the association were the extent of QI implementation, compliance to 5 QI principles, participation of hospital CEOs, budget allocation, history of QI, and bed size. Path analysis was performed to assess the relationship between QI performance and these factors. Major findings of this study are as follows. Hospitals showing higher degree of QI implementation (path coefficient=0.5967, p<0.001)) and better compliance with the basic principes of QI(0.5736, p<0.05) tended to achieve better performance. Path analysis results showed that interest and participation of hospital CEOs(0.1954, p<0.05) and compliance with the basic principes of QI(0.4028, p<0.0001) indirectly affected the outcomes of QI by influencing the intermediate variable of the level of QI implementation. This study results suggest that having employees have a good orientation of the basic concept and principes of QI through relevant training be the most important requirement to achieve better outcomes from QI activities. In addition, to educate leaders of hospitals the need of active implementation of QI is important to encourage their participation and draw strong support for QI programs.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.149-172
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• 2024

Purpose: By empirically analyzing factors that affect the intention to introduce RPA, we aim to increase understanding of RPA introduction in small and medium-sized businesses and contribute to establishing an effective introduction strategy. The aim is to improve the company's productivity, reduce costs, and strengthen its competitiveness. It also provides policy recommendations for the introduction of RPA. Methods: A survey was conducted to examine whether the technical, organizational, and environmental factors of the TOE framework had an impact on the intention to adopt RPA. We also used stepwise regression analysis to determine whether firm size moderates this relationship. Results: Technical factors, organizational factors, and environmental factors were all found to have a significant impact on small and medium-sized enterprises' intention to adopt RPA. It was confirmed that company size has a moderating effect affecting the intention to adopt RPA. In particular, customer pressure, relative advantage, competitive pressure, age, government support, and the perceived ease of use of RPA was a key determinant of its adoption by small and medium-sized enterprises. Conclusion: This suggests that small and medium-sized businesses should comprehensively consider technical, organizational, and environmental factors when introducing RPA. It is expected to increase understanding of RPA introduction in small and medium-sized businesses, contribute to establishing effective introduction strategies, and contribute to improving company productivity, reducing costs, and strengthening competitiveness.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.101-117
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• 2013

As the number of online game user has been rapidly increased thanks to the recent vitalization of online contents market, not only new business opportunity but also the opportunity to create high profits have been provided as well. However, the increase of the number of online game user and the rapid expansion of the market evoke a cutthroat completion among online game service providers, and also high barriers to entry to online game market have been erected. Thus, what kinds of efforts need for the business success and sales increase in online game market? In lots of researches regarding online contents business, the deepening of loyalty was considered as a critical factor for the business success. According to the study on user's behavior in online environment, users would experience the Flow while using online service, and then, if they were in state of the Flow, they would use the service constantly. High customer loyalty to online game means high will to use the online game too. The purpose of this research was i) to examine what factors enable users to be naturally immersed in online game while playing it, ii) to examine what properties of online game can make game more interesting and exciting, iii) to verify that such factors are critical in deepening customer loyalty, and iv) to suggest some essential factors to be fun and exciting games, on where the focus should be put, and the directionality for the development for sales expansion of online game developer or online game service provider. The research results are as below: First, the involvement and the perceived quality which were characteristics of brand appeared to be factors most affecting Flow. This shows that once game user get interested in online game that user has played frequently, even though new games are released, user will continuously flow the game not moving to new games, and also shows that users not only get more interested but also put more trust in games in the site to where users are frequently going than games in other sites, and consequently user can increasingly flow the game. Second, the compensation and graphics which are the characteristics of contents appeared to be factors affecting Flow. Proper compensation which is given to game users triggers fun and interests in game and makes them flow more and more. And graphics make users to feel game space as if real space and let them flow in game with more reality. Third, challenges, support, and the stability which are technical characteristics appeared to be factors affecting Flow. Challenges enable users to not only experience new virtual world but also solve various difficulties and obstacles. Once users feel fun and interests through this challenge, they can naturally flow games. In addition, the stability of network provides reliability in security and hacking. By doing so, it can induce users to flow more and more. Lastly, when aforementioned characteristics including contents characteristics, technical characteristics, and brand characteristics are organically combined each other, game users feel fun and total minutes are naturally increased, so that game users experience Flow, and consequently the customer loyalty will be deepened as well.

• Journal of Convergence Society for SMB
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2011

With a sample of 147 Korean small and medium size companies, this study examined the relationships among degree of information orientation, corporate culture, degree of information management implementation and selected business performances in the process of implementing IMS(Information Management System). Information orientation is defined as company-wide understanding and implementation of the underlying philosophy, principles, approached, and tools of information improvement programs. It is assumed that successful implementation of information improvement programs requires a information-oriented mind-set of the employees. It is also assumed that successful implementation of information improvement programs require strong support from s corporate culture that emphasizes continues improvement. Adopting the competing values model of Quinn and McGrath(1985), corporate culture is classified into 'flexible' versus 'controlled culture' and 'outer-directed' versus 'inner-directed culture'. This study examined how such fitness influenced the implementation of information innovation programs and business performance. Implementation of information innovation programs was measured through various factors, such as leadership, strategic information planning, human resources focus, customer and market focus, process management, and information analysis and application. Business performance was measured through non-financial performance measuresm such as employee results, process results, information results, and customer results, and through perceived financial performance measures.