The Impact of International Resources on Internationalization

학위논문 (석사)-- 서울대학교 대학원 : 의류학과, 2016. 8. Moon, Ka-leung Karen.In the information age, international business is not an option but compulsory, which causes intense global competition. Common sense would suggest that a mature large firm with abundant resources would dominate the international market, but newly launched small international firms can be easily found, especially in a value-added industry. The fashion industry is one of these value-added industries, and this research initiated from the observation of the internationalization phenomenon in the Korean fashion industry. Korean designer fashion firms currently conducting international business seem to be mostly operated by internationally experienced entrepreneurs and become international fairly soon after foundation. Along with this scenario, both stage development theory (Johanson & Vahlne, 1977) and international new venture theory (Oviatt & McDougall, 1994) argue that internationalization occurs based on international resources which are obtained from prior international experience and involvement. Based on an understanding of international resources being the antecedents of internationalization, the Resources-based view explains the process of these resources gained from experience being developed into a firms sustained competitive advantage and eventually promoting international performance. Based on a literature review, the research set three research objectives: The research 1) finds elements of international resources based on further literature review, 2) identifies the current international status of the Korean fashion industry, and 3) empirically examines the relationships between international resources and internationalization. As a result, human and organizational resources were considered important for firms at early stages due to their limited physical resources. The extent of international network, managerial attitude towards internationalization, and a firms capability to internationalize were found to be important human and organizational resources related to internationalization (Barney, 1991). Many firms were import/export start-ups that conduct a couple of activities across few countries, yet there were also a good number of global start-ups which conduct various value-chain activities regardless of borders. The results implicate a great possibility for the Korean fashion industry in the international market. The relationship between international resources and internationalization is found to be significant. Internationally experienced entrepreneurs tend to have more extensive international networks and a positive attitude towards internationalization. And, firms founded by such entrepreneurs are capable of internationalizing their business. These resources create a firms own competitive advantage which can differentiate from other competitors and eventually increase international performance. This study provides an understanding on strategic management of resources and entrepreneurs decision-making approach in internationalization. The importance of entrepreneurs backgrounds can initiate further studies on their personal motivations and a detailed process of resources management. Additionally, firms planning to internationalize should better form a top management with members who have international backgrounds, well-managed international networks, and positive attitudes towards internationalization.Chapter 1. Introduction 1 1.1. Research Background 1 1.2. Research Objectives 5 Chapter 2. Industrial Background 7 2.1. Designer Fashion 7 2.2. Korean Fashion industry 9 Chapter 3. Theoretical Background 13 3.1. Internationalization 13 3.1.1. Stage Development Theory 14 3.1.2. International New Venture 17 3.2. Resources Based View 25 3.2.1. International Performance 26 3.2.2. Sustained Competitive Advantage 27 3.2.3. International Resources 29 3.2.4. International Experience 35 3.3. Conceptual Framework 38 Chapter 4. Methodology 40 4.1. Sample Administration 40 4.2. Survey Context 41 4.2.1. International Experience 44 4.2.2. International Network 44 4.2.3. Managerial Attitude 45 4.2.4. Firms Capability 45 4.2.5. Differentiation Advantage 46 4.2.6. International Performance 47 4.3. Data Analysis 47 Chapter 5. Results and Discussion 48 5.1. Background Information 48 5.1.1. Business Profile of Responded Firms 48 5.1.2. International Background of Respondents 51 5.1.3. International Background of Responded Firms 53 5.1.4. International Status of Responded Firms 55 5.2. Reliability Analysis 58 5.3. Regression Analysis 61 5.3.1. The impact of International Network, Managerial Attitude, and Firms Capability on Differentiation Advantage 61 5.3.2. The impact of Differentiation Advantage on International Performance 63 5.3.3. The impact of International Experience on International Network, Managerial Attitude, and Firms Capability 64 5.4. Hypotheses Test 66 Chapter 6. Conclusion and Implication 68 6.1. Conclusion 68 6.1.1. International Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage 68 6.1.2. International Background of Korean Fashion Industry 69 6.1.3. The relationships between International Resources and Internationalization 71 6.2. Implication 71 6.2.1. Academic Implication 72 6.2.2. Practical Implication 73 6.3. Limitations and Future Research 74 Bibliography 76 Table of Appendix 94 국문 초록 104Maste

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Photography conveys informative data, aesthetic value, and a conceptual message very much like graphic design. In the hands of the photographer, the viewfinder of a camera becomes an editing tool. Editing by point of view, use of color and cropping determines a great deal about the communication made by imagery. In my creative project, I will explore photography as a means to generate form, concept, and content. As a result of this exploration, I expect to find new ways of approaching graphic design problems. My goal is to develop themes that combine aspects of photography and graphic design. Themes could derive from broad issues like social statements, cultural phenomena, or mechanical effects, through the use of the capabilities of the camera, timing, lighting, or framing. Methods of editing photography such as, cropping, retouching, and splitting provide opportunities to experiment with making messages that rely on images alone. Another level of experimentation will be using typography in response to images

A novel method to identify high order gene-gene interactions in genome-wide association studies: Gene-based MDR

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Because common complex diseases are affected by multiple genes and environmental factors, it is essential to investigate gene-gene and/or gene-environment interactions to understand genetic architecture of complex diseases. After the great success of large scale genome-wide association (GWA) studies using the high density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chips, the study of gene-gene interaction becomes a next challenge. Multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) analysis has been widely used for the gene-gene interaction analysis. In practice, however, it is not easy to perform high order gene-gene interaction analyses via MDR in genome-wide level because it requires exploring a huge search space and suffers from a computational burden due to high dimensionality.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We propose dimensional reduction analysis, Gene-MDR analysis for the fast and efficient high order gene-gene interaction analysis. The proposed Gene-MDR method is composed of two-step applications of MDR: within- and between-gene MDR analyses. First, within-gene MDR analysis summarizes each gene effect via MDR analysis by combining multiple SNPs from the same gene. Second, between-gene MDR analysis then performs interaction analysis using the summarized gene effects from within-gene MDR analysis. We apply the Gene-MDR method to bipolar disorder (BD) GWA data from Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (WTCCC). The results demonstrate that Gene-MDR is capable of detecting high order gene-gene interactions associated with BD.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>By reducing the dimension of genome-wide data from SNP level to gene level, Gene-MDR efficiently identifies high order gene-gene interactions. Therefore, Gene-MDR can provide the key to understand complex disease etiology.</p

Optical Imaging of Cancer-Related Proteases Using Near-Infrared Fluorescence Matrix Metalloproteinase-Sensitive and Cathepsin B-Sensitive Probes

Cathepsin B and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) play key roles in tumor progression by controlled degradation of extracellular matrix. Consequently, these proteases have been attracted in cancer research, and many imaging probes utilizing these proteases have been developed. Our groups developed cathepsin B and MMP imaging nanoprobes based on polymer nanoparticle platform. Both cathepsin B and MMP imaging probes used near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) dye and dark-quencher to for high sensitivity, and protease-sensitive peptide sequence in each probe authorized high specificity of the probes. We compared the bioactivities of cathepsin B and MMP sensitive probes in cancer-related environments to investigate the biological property of the probes. As a result, cathepsin B probe showed fluorescence recovery after the probe entered the cytoplasm. This property could be useful to evaluate the cytoplasmic targeted delivery by using probe-conjugated nanoparticles in vivo. On the other hand, MMP probe was superior in specificity in vivo and tissue study. This comparative study will provide precise information about peptide-based optical probes, and allow their proper application to cancer diagnosis

Characterization of fiber-optic light delivery and light-induced temperature changes in a rodent brain for precise optogenetic neuromodulation

Understanding light intensity and temperature increase is of considerable importance in designing or performing in vivo optogenetic experiments. Our study describes the optimal light power at target depth in the rodent brain that would maximize activation of light-gated ion channels while minimizing temperature increase. Monte Carlo (MC) simulations of light delivery were used to provide a guideline for suitable light power at a target depth. In addition, MC simulations with the Pennes bio-heat model using data obtained from measurements with a temperature-measuring cannula having 12.3 mV/°C of thermoelectric sensitivity enabled us to predict tissue heating of 0.116 °C/mW on average at target depth of 563 μm and specifically, a maximum mean plateau temperature increase of 0.25 °C/mW at 100 μm depth for 473 nm light. Our study will help to improve the design and performance of optogenetic experiments while avoiding potential over-and underillumination. © 2016 Optical Society of America.1

CRISPR/Cas9-induced knockout and knock-in mutations in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Genome editing is crucial for genetic engineering of organisms for improved traits, particularly in microalgae due to the urgent necessity for the next generation biofuel production. The most advanced CRISPR/Cas9 system is simple, efficient and accurate in some organisms; however, it has proven extremely difficult in microalgae including the model alga Chlamydomonas. We solved this problem by delivering Cas9 ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) comprising the Cas9 protein and sgRNAs to avoid cytotoxicity and off-targeting associated with vector-driven expression of Cas9. We obtained CRISPR/Cas9-induced mutations at three loci including MAA7, CpSRP43 and ChlM, and targeted mutagenic efficiency was improved up to 100 fold compared to the first report of transgenic Cas9-induced mutagenesis. Interestingly, we found that unrelated vectors used for the selection purpose were predominantly integrated at the Cas9 cut site, indicative of NHEJ-mediated knock-in events. As expected with Cas9 RNPs, no off-targeting was found in one of the mutagenic screens. In conclusion, we improved the knockout efficiency by using Cas9 RNPs, which opens great opportunities not only for biological research but also industrial applications in Chlamydomonas and other microalgae. Findings of the NHEJ-mediated knock-in events will allow applications of the CRISPR/Cas9 system in microalgae, including safe harboring techniques shown in other organisms.

CRISPR/Cas9-induced knockout and knock-in mutations in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Genome editing is crucial for genetic engineering of organisms for improved traits, particularly in microalgae due to the urgent necessity for the next generation biofuel production. The most advanced CRISPR/Cas9 system is simple, efficient and accurate in some organisms; however, it has proven extremely difficult in microalgae including the model alga Chlamydomonas. We solved this problem by delivering Cas9 ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) comprising the Cas9 protein and sgRNAs to avoid cytotoxicity and off-targeting associated with vector-driven expression of Cas9. We obtained CRISPR/Cas9-induced mutations at three loci including MAA7, CpSRP43 and ChlM, and targeted mutagenic efficiency was improved up to 100 fold compared to the first report of transgenic Cas9-induced mutagenesis. Interestingly, we found that unrelated vectors used for the selection purpose were predominantly integrated at the Cas9 cut site, indicative of NHEJ-mediated knock-in events. As expected with Cas9 RNPs, no off-targeting was found in one of the mutagenic screens. In conclusion, we improved the knockout efficiency by using Cas9 RNPs, which opens great opportunities not only for biological research but also industrial applications in Chlamydomonas and other microalgae. Findings of the NHEJ-mediated knock-in events will allow applications of the CRISPR/Cas9 system in microalgae, including "safe harboring" techniques shown in other organisms142561sciescopu

Impulsivity and compulsivity in Internet gaming disorder: A comparison with obsessive–compulsive disorder and alcohol use disorder

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is characterized by a loss of control and a preoccupation with Internet games leading to repetitive behavior. We aimed to compare the baseline neuropsychological profiles in IGD, alcohol use disorder (AUD), and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) in the spectrum of impulsivity and compulsivity. Methods A total of 225 subjects (IGD, N = 86; AUD, N = 39; OCD, N = 23; healthy controls, N = 77) were administered traditional neuropsychological tests including Korean version of the Stroop Color–Word test and computerized neuropsychological tests, including the stop signal test (SST) and the intra–extra dimensional set shift test (IED). Results Within the domain of impulsivity, the IGD and OCD groups made significantly more direction errors in SST (p = .003, p = .001) and showed significantly delayed reaction times in the color–word reading condition of the Stroop test (p = .049, p = .001). The OCD group showed the slowest reading time in the color–word condition among the four groups. Within the domain of compulsivity, IGD patients showed the worst performance in IED total trials measuring attentional set shifting ability among the groups. Conclusions Both the IGD and OCD groups shared impairment in inhibitory control functions as well as cognitive inflexibility. Neurocognitive dysfunction in IGD is linked to feature of impulsivity and compulsivity of behavioral addiction rather than impulse dyscontrol by itself

Sociodemographic and Smoking Behavioral Predictors Associated with Smoking Cessation According to Follow-up Periods: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial of Transdermal Nicotine Patches

This study investigated sociodemographic and smoking behavioral factors associated with smoking cessation according to follow-up periods. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of transdermal nicotine patches, subjects were a total of 118 adult male smokers, who were followed up for 12 months. Univariable logistic regression analysis and stepwise multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the predictors of smoking cessation. The overall self-reported point prevalence rates of abstinence were 20% (24/118) at 12 months follow-up, and there was no significant difference in abstinence rates between placebo and nicotine patch groups. In the univariable logistic regression analysis, predictors of successful smoking cessation were the low consumption of cigarettes per day and the low Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) scores (p<0.05) at 3, 6, and 12 months follow-up. In the stepwise multiple logistic regression analyses, predictors of successful smoking cessation, which were different according to the follow-up periods, were found to be the low consumption of cigarettes per day at the short-term and midterm follow-up (≤6 months), older age, and the low consumption of cigarettes per day at the long-term follow-up (12 months)