FINDING CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS OF UBIQUITIOUS SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

The objective of this paper is to identify the critical success factors and to examine their relationship with the benefits of ubiquitous supply chain management (USCM) adoption. To achieve it, this research firstly selected the critical success factors and the benefit issues related to the adoption of USCM through the literature review, case analysis and interview. Second, after collecting the survey data, we empirically investigated the relationship between critical success factors and USCM adoption benefits. Data analysis showed that the adoption of USCM was significantly associated to management factors such as USCM planning, management support, relationship management, new USCM model, process management and risk management. In addition, there was significant association to technical factors such as USCM system infrastructure, USCM technology application, efficient USCM use, USCM network foundation, enacted technology acceptance and USCM development plan. On the basis of research findings, this paper proposes a model of USCM adoption, which is a guideline helping one find the academic foundation for further studies and a practical insight of USCM adoption and ubiquitous computing applications

An Integrative Behavioral Model of Information Security Policy Compliance

The authors found the behavioral factors that influence the organization members’ compliance with the information security policy in organizations on the basis of neutralization theory, Theory of planned behavior, and protection motivation theory. Depending on the theory of planned behavior, members’ attitudes towards compliance, as well as normative belief and self-efficacy, were believed to determine the intention to comply with the information security policy. Neutralization theory, a prominent theory in criminology, could be expected to provide the explanation for information system security policy violations. Based on the protection motivation theory, it was inferred that the expected efficacy could have an impact on intentions of compliance. By the above logical reasoning, the integrative behavioral model and eight hypotheses could be derived. Data were collected by conducting a survey; 194 out of 207 questionnaires were available. The test of the causal model was conducted by PLS. The reliability, validity, and model fit were found to be statistically significant. The results of the hypotheses tests showed that seven of the eight hypotheses were acceptable. The theoretical implications of this study are as follows: (1) the study is expected to play a role of the baseline for future research about organization members’ compliance with the information security policy, (2) the study attempted an interdisciplinary approach by combining psychology and information system security research, and (3) the study suggested concrete operational definitions of influencing factors for information security policy compliance through a comprehensive theoretical review. Also, the study has some practical implications. First, it can provide the guideline to support the successful execution of the strategic establishment for the implement of information system security policies in organizations. Second, it proves that the need of education and training programs suppressing members’ neutralization intention to violate information security policy should be emphasized

A Strategy for Third-Party Logistics Systems: A Case Analysis Using the Blue Ocean Strategy

One of today’s most frequently discussed topics in the business world is how to escape from the intense Red Ocean and how to create an uncontested Blue Ocean. However, because there are few practical guidelines available on this topic, we will introduce a case study of a third-party logistics (3PL) provider, CJ-Global Logistics Service (CJ-GLS), to show how it aspires to be a leader in the newly introduced 3PL industry in South Korea. CJ-GLS is a latecomer in the logistics industry, and its resources, such as the number of trucks and warehouses, are relatively small in comparison to those of established companies. But, it has achieved a distinct competitive advantage through innovative information technology (i.e., RFID— radio frequency identification), which has enabled it to create an uncontested market space, electronic logistics business. One remarkable fact about CJ-GLS is that its swift growth comes not from attracting competitors’ customers from the existing Red Ocean market but from creating a Blue Ocean market (3PL market), which previously existing incumbents ignored, and also from constructing a new business model founded on a RFID-based, ubiquitous-oriented 3PL system. Analyzed through a Four Actions Framework and characterized as Blue Ocean, this case study provides valuable information on how a company reinforces its competitive advantage from the Red Ocean while it transitions into a Blue Ocean by utilizing advanced information communication technologies

Human Decision-Making Behavior and Modeling Effects

Previous research indicates that the human decision-making process is somewhat nonlinear and that nonlinear models would be more suitable than linear models for developing advanced decision-making models. In our study, we tested this generally held hypothesis by applying linear and nonlinear models to expert\u27s decision-making behavior and measuring the predictive accuracy (predictive validity) and valid nonlinearity. As a result, we found that nonlinearity in the decision-making process is positively related to the predictive validity of the decision. Secondly, in modeling the human decision-making process, we found that valid nonlinearity is positively related to the predictive validity of nonlinear models. Thirdly, we found that the more nonlinearity is inherent in the decision-making process, the more nonlinear models are effective. Therefore, we suggest that a preliminary analysis of the characteristics of an expert’s decision-making is needed when knowledge-based models such as expert systems are being developed. We also verify that the lens model is effective in evaluating the predictive validity of human judgment and in analyzing the validity and nonlinearity of the human decision-making process

Solitary Extramedullary Plasmacytoma of the Apex of Arytenoid: Endoscopic, CT, and Pathologic Findings

Extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP) is a rare plasma cell neoplasm that occurs mainly in the soft tissues of head and neck region, with the paranasal sinuses, nasal cavity and nasopharynx being the most common sites. Solitary EMP of the larynx is very rare but increasingly reported recently. Common sites of involvement in larynx in the order of frequency are the epiglottis, ventricles, vocal folds and ventricular folds. We report an extremely rare case of solitary EMP involving in the apex of arytenoids that was successfully treated by only surgical excision. Because solitary EMP of the apex of artytenoids is extremely rare, it should be included in the differential diagnosis for laryngeal mass. Also, solitary, small, pedunculated and localized EMP of the larynx could be completely removed by laryngeal microsurgery

Heterologous gene expression using self-assembled supra-molecules with high affinity for HSP70 chaperone

Contrary to the results of direct expression, various human proteins (ferritin light-chain, epithermal growth factor, interleukin-2, prepro-ghrelin, deletion mutants of glutamate decarboxylase and arginine deiminase, and mini-proinsulin) were all soluble in Escherichia coli cytoplasm when expressed with the N-terminus fusion of ferritin heavy-chain (FTN-H). Through systematic investigations, we have found that a specific peptide motif within FTN-H has a high affinity to HSP70 chaperone DnaK, and that the peptide motif was composed of a hydrophobic core of three residues (Ile, Phe and Leu) and two flanking regions enriched with polar residues (Gly, Gln and Arg). It was also observed that all the recombinant proteins expressed with the fusion of FTN-H formed spherical nanoparticles with diameters of 10–15 nm, as confirmed by the transmission electron microscopy image. The protein nanoparticles are non-covalently cross-linked supra-molecules formed by the self-assembly function of FTN-H. Upon the formation of the supra-molecule, its size is likely to be limited by the assembly properties of FTN-H, thereby keeping the self-assembled particles soluble. This study reports on the dual function of FTN-H for fusion expression and solubility enhancement of heterologous proteins: (i) high-affinity interaction with DnaK and (ii) formation of self-assembled supra-molecules with limited and constant sizes, thereby avoiding the undesirable formation of insoluble macro-aggregates of heterologous proteins