Yeonbae Kim

Effects of consumer preferences on the convergence of mobile telecommunications devices

Amidst the overall trend of convergence in information technology, device convergence is noteworthy. This study looks at the possible direction of device convergence based on consumer preferences for the main attributes of the mobile terminal of the future. Conjoint analysis and a mixed logit model using a Bayesian approach with Gibbs sampling are used to learn consumer preferences. Results show that consumers generally prefer a keyboard and a medium-sized display, although at present most consumers are indifferent to whether the terminal provides high-quality Internet service and to whether it operates many kinds of application programs or programs originally designed for personal computers. Given the heterogeneity of consumer preferences, partial, rather than perfect, device convergence is anticipated. Implications for the future of device convergence and how it will affect other types of convergence are drawn.

Measuring relatedness between technological fields

Intensified technology convergence, increasing relatedness between technological fields, is a mega-trend in 21st century science and technology. However, scientometrics has been unsuccessful in identifying this techno-economic paradigm change. To address the limitations and validity problems of conventional measures of technology convergence, we introduce a multi-dimensional contingency table representation of technological field co-occurrence and a relatedness measure based on the Mantel–Haenszel common log odds ratio. We used Korean patent data to compare previous and proposed methods. Results show that the proposed method can increase understanding of the techno-economic paradigm change because it reveals significant changes in technological relatedness over time.

Competition and investment in telecommunications: Does competition have the same impact on investment by private and state-owned firms?

The liberalization of telecommunications is largely based on the premise that increasing competition will encourage investment. The hypothesis that liberalization promotes investment has received the most empirical support in recent research. However, a key question that has been largely ignored in the literature is whether competition has the same impact on investment by private and state-owned firms. We conduct an empirical study of the infrastructure investment of 20 incumbent telecommunications operators in OECD countries between 1994 and 2008, and we conclude that greater competitive pressure fosters infrastructure investment by state-owned incumbents but reduces investment by private incumbents.

Using stated-preference data to measure the inconvenience cost of spam among Korean E-mail users

E-mail is an efficient communication tool, but at the same time it is an efficient vehicle for Internet pollution in the form of spam—unsolicited, bulk e-mailings. Spam is a global phenomenon, and debate about possible means of controlling it is lively. Spammers impose a negative externality on users. The volume of spam-type e-mail sent is above the social optimum and thus produces dead-weight. To solve the spam problem and evaluate spam-control measures, one needs to measure the disutility experienced by e-mail users who receive spam. The current study employs conjoint analysis of stated-preference data to estimate e-mail users’ overall inconvenience cost attributable to spam. The results show the inconvenience cost of spam to be about 3.067 won (US

Consumer Preferences for Alternative Fuel Vehicles in South Korea

0.0026) per spam message.

The Impact of Efficiency Parameters on Firms' Innovative Activities: Evidence from Korean Firm-Level Data

The paper analyses consumer preferences for alternative fuel vehicles based on stated preference data gathered in South Korea. Five fuel type vehicles are considered in the analysis, and a mixed logit model using the Bayesian approach was used for the estimation. Estimation results show that preferences regarding fuel type and body type are heterogeneous, but preferences for cost variables and horsepower are relatively homogeneous across consumers. The results also show that an indirect network effect exists, influencing automobile demand. Simulation results show that diesel and hybrid vehicles will compete in the future for their shares of the market, with lower costs being the main source of competitiveness. Elasticity results show that fuel and maintenance costs are the most important factors influencing choice among alternative fuel vehicles and that an indirect network effect is important as well.

How to Design Public Venture Capital Funds: Empirical Evidence from South Korea

Abstract This paper extends the research on the R&D—patent relationship by distinguishing the factors affecting R&D productivity (which is defined as ‘efficiency parameters) from the factors associated with the propensity of firms to patent, and estimates the impacts of the factors on innovative output. A data set from 1255 firms with nonzero R&D expenditures in Korea was studied, and the results show that efficiency parameters such as in-depth patent searches and revenue splitting policy for employee-inventors influence firm’s innovative output through ‘R&D productivity’ effect. These results mean that we can improve firm’s innovation output by changing efficiency parameters through a firm’s investment or government support in a relatively short period.

Policy for electricity access in African countries: the case of Tanzania

This study examines the effects of several features of government‐managed, sponsored venture capital (), and private funds on overall investments in new technology‐based firms () during two developmental stages (i.e., growth and restructuring) in outh orean market and suggests hints for designing effective government programs. Our results from data on 463 funds in the period 1995–2005 indicate the factors bearing a positive effect on investments targeted to . Such factors are the fund specialization focusing on certain industrial sectors, performance‐sensitive compensation for venture capitalists in private and government funds.

Complementarity and contextuality in the adoption of information systems

Tanzania is endowed with abundant sources of natural fossil fuel that are potentials for power generation. However, in 2011, the countrys total electricity access amounted to 18.4%. On the other hand, other African countries had more than 90% of electrification rates. The low electrification rate has been barrier of public and private investments and hindered socioeconomic development in Tanzania. Therefore, appropriate electrification policies are necessary to boost the countrys socioeconomic development. The purpose of this research is to investigate the obstacles and appropriate electrification policies in Tanzania through a comparison with the African neighbouring countries. The study provides policy recommendations to the Tanzanian government in investment, grid and resource perspectives.

Estimation of discrete/continuous choice model: application of Bayesian approach using Gibbs sampling

To understand the impact of Information Systems (ISs) on actual performance, we employed 616 Korean firms to estimate the complementarities among such systems and to uncover the contextual factors influencing them. In particular, we introduced various contextual variables and analysed their effects on the complementarities of firms. Our results indicate that Information Technology (IT) stock serves as an important contextual factor for enhancing the complementarity between the adoption of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Furthermore, although IT stock has a strong positive direct and indirect IS-mediated impact on the performance of firms, other IT-related variables such as IT organization and the use of firewalls generally have a positive influence only when they are combined with the adoption of ISs.