Companies In Korea Research Articles

The mediation effects of knowledge hiding motivations between knowledge requester’s psychological entitlement and knowledge hiding and the moderated mediation effect of supervisor monitoring

The purpose of this study is to examine the mediation effects of knowledge hiding motivations(personal ownership, fear of loss, concern for negative evaluation, and negative relation) between the knowledge requester’s psychological entitlement and knowledge hiding. Also, the purpose of this study is to examine the moderated mediation effect of supervisor monitoring on the mediating effects of knowledge hiding motivations. For the study, the survey was conducted on 400 employees working at various companies in Korea. According to the data analysis, knowledge hiding motivations(personal ownership, fear of loss, and concern for negative evaluation) had mediating effects between the knowledge requester’s psychological entitlement and knowledge hiding. But, negative relation motivation had no significant mediating effect. The supervisor monitoring moderated the mediating effects of knowledge hiding motivations(personal ownership, fear of loss motivation) between the knowledge requester’s psychological entitlement and knowledge hiding. But, concern for negative evaluation motivation and negative relation motivation had no significant moderated mediation effects. This study is expected to provide important implications for practitioners about the mediating effects of knowledge hiding motivation and the moderated mediating effects of supervisor monitoring.

Re-globalisation and Supply Chain Reshoring: Motivation and Performance of Global Companies in Korea

Re-globalisation and Supply Chain Reshoring: Motivation and Performance of Global Companies in Korea

Analyzing the Efficiency and Multi-period Productivity of the Logistics Companies in Korea

4차 산업혁명시대가 도래하고 있는 상황에서 물류기업들은 시대의 요구에 대응하기 위한 노력과 혁신을 할 수밖에 없게 되었고 어느 때보다 효율적으로 경영 및 운영을 해야 하는 시기에 봉착하게 되었다. 이에 따라 물류기업들은 현재 얼마나 효율적으로사업을 수행하고 있는지 측정하고 효율성을 높일 수 있는 전략 및 방향을 제시할 필요가 있다. 본 연구의 주요 목적은 우리나라소재 대표적인 물류기업들의 효율성과 생산성을 DEA 모델을 이용하여 비교⋅분석하고 시사점을 도출하는 데 있다. 또한Malmquist 생산성지수를 이용하여 물류기업들의 다기간 생산성의 변화 추이를 분석하고, 어떤 영향으로 생산성이 변화하였는지파악한다. 즉, 다기간에 걸친 시간의 흐름에 따른 생산성 변화를 내부요인인 기술적 효율성 변화와 외부요인인 기술 변화로 구분해서 분석한다. 본 연구의 분석대상은 우리나라에 소재하여 사업을 하고 있는 매출액 기준 상위 150개 국내외 물류기업들이며, 분석의 대상 기간을 2015년부터 2019년까지 5년간을 다루는 시계열분석이라는 의의가 있다.

Employee Perspectives on Onsite Health Clinics in Semiconductor Company in South Korea.

(1) Background: Onsite clinics are increasingly common features of corporate health promotion programs. These clinics allow employers to offer convenient care to employees at their workplaces, which can lead to reduced healthcare expenditure and improved productivity. The objective of this study was to build basic data by qualitatively exploring employees’ experiences and perspectives on onsite clinics in a semiconductor company, as one part of the project to examine and improve the health management system of a large semiconductor company in Korea. (2) Methods: This study adopted the methodology of “Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research” (COREQ-32 checklist). Semi-structured interviews were conducted for this study over a two-month period. For data analysis, a codebook was developed and the constant comparative method was used. (3) Results: Most employees perceived convenience and a sense of belonging as the benefits of onsite clinics, while barriers to the use of onsite clinics included a lack of communication, concerns about confidentiality, and a provider-centered system. Promotion of onsite clinic services and affiliated physicians, employee-centered service provisions, and trust-building in healthcare information privacy were considered necessary to strengthen the role of onsite clinics as a primary care provider in the workplace. (4) Conclusions: The results of this qualitative study help us to gain a better understanding of employees’ perspectives on the onsite clinic’s service and roles.

Characterization of Virulence Factors in Enterotoxin-Producing Staphylococcus aureus from Bulk Tank Milk.

Simple SummaryStaphylococcus aureus, apathogen that causes bovine mastitis, produces various virulence factors, and human consumption of milk contaminated with the S. aureus enterotoxin may pose a public health risk. This study analyzed the genetic characteristics of bovine-mastitis-related virulence factors to evaluate the potential pathogenesis of S. aureus isolated from bulk tank milk. The results show that S. aureus isolated from bulk tank milk, not from mastitis, had a high prevalence of virulence factors and that the high presence of enterotoxins may be due to poor hygiene. Therefore, developing a strong monitoring and sanitation program for dairy factories is important to ensure hygienic milk production.Staphylococcus aureus, a persistent mastitis-causing pathogen, produces various virulence factors, including enterotoxins. This study analyzed the genetic characteristics of bovine-mastitis-related virulence factors to evaluate the potential pathogenesis of S. aureus isolated from bulk tank milk. Among 93 S. aureus isolates from 396 dairy farms operated by 3 dairy companies in Korea, 40 (43.0%) isolates carried one or more enterotoxin genes. Moreover, S. aureus carrying enterotoxin genes showed a higher prevalence in all virulence genes tested in this study except for pvl and lukM, which were not detected in any isolate, than in the isolates without enterotoxin genes. In particular, the prevalence of six genes (hla, hlb, lukED, fnbA, clfA, and clfB) was significantly higher in S. aureus carrying the enterotoxin genes than in the isolates without the enterotoxin genes (p < 0.05). The most common multilocus sequence type of enterotoxin-producing isolates was ST188, and all isolates of ST188 harbored the see gene. S. aureus isolated from bulk tank milk, not from mastitis, had a high prevalence of virulence factors, posing a public health threat. Moreover, a high presence of enterotoxins in bulk tank milk is probably because of poor hygiene; therefore, it is important to develop strong monitoring and sanitation programs for dairy factories.

What Makes Companies to Survive over a Century? The Case of Dongwha Pharmaceutical in the Republic of Korea

Considering their significant impacts on national economy, local communities, employees, suppliers, and other stakeholders, firm survival is an important goal for most companies. However, firm longevity is not an easy result to achieve, and it becomes more difficult as business environments shift dramatically. The average life span of companies listed in Standard and Poor’s 500 was 61 years in 1958, but it fell to less than 18 years in 2016. Nevertheless, more than 3000 companies over 200 years old still operate in Japan, mostly family inherited small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and Germany has many centenarian companies, especially in the manufacturing industry. However, in the Republic of Korea, with over 4000 years of history, there are no companies older than 200 years and only seven companies with over 100 years of history. Centenarian companies in Korea are very limited, and even after surviving over 100 years, they continue to face severe challenges they need to overcome in order to survive. However, it is not clearly proven what factors affect the survival of companies for over a century. Since SMEs contribute to the economic development and survival of a country, it is important to investigate the secrets of their longevity, which has become even more difficult than ever. However, as there is very limited research on firm longevity, the findings from this case study of Dongwha Pharmaceutical, balancing the continuity of tradition and innovation, provide significant implications and practical guidelines for Korean SMEs for their survival and sustainable management, which is an economic and business aspect of sustainability.

Witnessing Risky Behaviors in Workplaces and Predictors of Sexual Violence Awareness.

To investigate the levels of witnessing risky behaviors in workplaces, such as sexual violence, and identify the factors associated with sexual violence awareness among employees. An online survey was conducted on 336 workers (aged 20-65 years), registered in an online survey company in Korea. The survey was conducted from September 15, 2021, to September 17, 2021. The participants were divided into equal quotas sampled on the basis of sex and age (participants' average age was 44 years, among whom 171 were women [50.9%] and 165 were men [49.1%]). The questionnaire contained items pertaining to demographic characteristics, gender consciousness, sexual violence awareness, witness experience, situational empathy distress, self-efficacy, and self-esteem. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation analysis, and multiple regression. Sexual violence awareness was lower among male workers than among female workers (P < .001), and sexual harassment and violence accounted for 54.8% of cases witnessed. The predictors of sexual violence awareness were age, gender consciousness, situational empathy, and self-esteem, with these factors explaining 53.9% of the variance. The findings highlight the need for strategies to improve sexual violence awareness and bystander intervention that are tailored to demographic predictors, such as sex, age, total length of employment, and position. These results could provide foundational data for developing sexual violence prevention education programs and practical bystander intervention programs focused on coworkers as well as promote relevant policymaking.

온라인 플랫폼 사업자와 이용자 간 상생협력 촉진 방안

The disruptive development of digital technology and the rapid transition to a non-face-to-face economy caused by Corona Pandemic are accelerating the growth of online platforms. However, the market dominance of online platform companies leads to various unfair trade practices such as excessive fees, and the expansion into diverse business areas to build a platform ecosystem is considered to threaten the survival of small and medium-sized enterprises and small business owners. There are voices calling for regulating the abuse of market dominance and unfair trade practices of online platform companies in Korea as well as in Europe and the United States, and strong government-led regulations are under consideration. The enactment of the Online Platform Fairness Act and the revision of the Mutually Beneficial Cooperation Act, which are currently pending in the National Assembly, reflect this trend. However, government regulations have a problem that they cannot quickly reflect the rapidly changing market conditions. Not only is it difficult to clearly define the market, which is a prerequisite for regulation, and to verify the facts and effects of unfair trade practices, but it is also difficult to ignore the fact that online platforms contribute to the improvement of transaction efficiency and consumer welfare. Even if strong legal regulations can ensure fairness in transactions between online platform companies and their users, it is questionable whether this can resolve conflicts in a desirable direction and promote the collaboration among conflicting parties. The intrinsic nature of collaboration is the pursuit of diversity and harmony. A healthy and sustainable business ecosystem can be achieved by both large companies and SMEs collaborating to develop their own capabilities and build mutual trust. To this end, this study suggests the self-governance or self-regulation for online platform companies. In particular, it is believed that platform companies, based on the principle of ‘good faith’, should seek equity and fairness in their relations with users and quickly introduce in-house dispute mediation programs for resolving conflicts. Furthermore, beyond the collaboration with users or complementors, it is believed that platform companies should develop and practice social responsibility for the interests of society at large. More specifically, the suggestions of this study are as follows. First, based on the social interdependence theory and Deutsch’s theory of competition and cooperation, this study believes that the essence of collaborative (win-win) cooperation lies in harmony or balance between heterogeneous economic actors, and in order to achieve this in a conflict situation, it is necessary to seek cooperative-constructive conflict resolution rather than competitive-destructive conflict resolution. However, it is necessary to seek harmony between competition and cooperation in that it is possible to simultaneously pursue competition and cooperation, and fair competition or restrained competition can have positive results. Second, following Gorwa (2019)’s suggestion, this study also sees the appropriate balance between the self-governance, external governance, and co-governance as a good form of platform governance. In particular, as government authorities are strongly considering legal regulations, platforms are expected to strengthen self-regulation, establish an organization performing multiple functions ranging from investigating user complaints to creating ethical frameworks, seek user participation in policy decisions, and so on. Third, if a platform company wants to practice self-regulation, it must be made in the direction of complying with the ‘principle of good faith’ as in general transactions. The principle of good faith is closely related to the duty of cooperation, the doctrine of non-degradation from grant, and the principle of unconscionability. The core concepts that make up these principles include honesty, fairness, reasonableness, exclusion of bad faith and opportunism, compliance with fiduciary duty, respect of the other party’s rational expectations, and the implementation of community standards. Fourth, it is desirable to preemptively and quickly introduce an in-house dispute mediation program to resolve conflicts. Both the enactment of the Online Platform Fairness Act and the revision of the Mutually Beneficial Cooperation Act stipulate the operation of the public dispute mediation program as a means for resolving disputes between platforms and their users. In-house dispute mediation is a ‘low risk coordinative mechanism’ compared to public dispute mediation, which contributes to improving relations between disputing parties and enhances corporate reputation and image. In addition, it is a more efficient and flexible conflict resolution method in that new measures not recognized by the parties can be sought during the mediation process. Finally, platform companies’ collaboration efforts should be made in relation to consumers and society. The concept of collaborative cooperation requires platform companies to participate in solving social and environmental problems. It is necessary to consider how to impose responsibility on the platform and its various stakeholders to realize public values such as transparency and diversity.

Correlation between shift work and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease among male workers in the steel manufacturing company of Korea: a cross-sectional study

Circadian rhythm disturbance caused by shift work has adverse effects on the metabolic homeostasis of the liver. Disruption of the metabolic homeostasis of the liver causes fat accumulation in the liver. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between shift work and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among male workers in the steel manufacturing industry of Korea. Based on medical examination data collected in June 2020, 2,511 male subjects from one steel manufacturing company in Korea were selected in total. NAFLD was evaluated using abdominal ultrasound, which was performed by two experienced radiologists. The multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed by adjusting for age, physical activity, smoking history, alcohol consumption, body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, blood glucose, lipidemia, liver function test, employment duration, and hepatotoxic materials exposure status. Compared to daytime workers, the odds ratio (OR) of moderate-severe NAFLD in shift workers was 1.449 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.028-2.043). Compared to daytime workers, the ORs of moderate-severe NAFLD were significantly higher for the group that engaged in total shift work for more than 20 years (OR, 2.285; 95% CI, 1.051-4.970), the group that was not allowed to sleep during night shift work (OR, 1.463; 95% CI, 1.030-2.078), and the group that consumed food during night shift work (OR, 1.580; 95% CI, 1.093-2.284). There was a correlation between shift work and moderate-severe NAFLD in male steel manufacturing workers. There will be a need for more research related to the correlation of shift work with steatohepatitis and cirrhosis in the future.

The R&amp;D Scale and Status of Global Pharmaceutical Companies in Korea: Survey for 5 years from 2016 to 2020

While the importance of the global pharmaceutical industry is growing owing to continued new drug developments and R&D investments, the scale of global pharmaceutical companies in Korea remains unclear. We therefore investigated the R&D status of global pharmaceutical companies in Korea through an annual survey from 2016 to 2020. We assessed five factors annually and their trend over the 5-year period: costs, personnel, number of clinical trials, number of clinical trial subjects, and others. We then examined the correlation among factors and further compared the trend between each factor and the gross domestic product (GDP). Of 35 companies that responded, 25 responded for five consecutive years and showed a steady increase in the cost, personnel, and the number of clinical trials. While costs and personnel increased more than the GDP over the 5-year period, the number of clinical trials remained similar; number of clinical trial subjects highly fluctuated year-by-year. Moreover, a high correlation was found for cost and personnel (r>0.8852), and cost and the number of clinical trials (r>0.8452). In conclusion, costs, personnel, and the number of clinical trials of global pharmaceutical companies in Korea steadily increased from 2016 to 2020 and thus, have continuously contributed to the domestic economy.

A Study on the Response Strategy of Korea Companies to the U.S. - China Trade Dispute

Purpose The purpose of this study is to seek a strategy for Korean companies to respond to trade disputes between the U.S. and China. Design/Methodology/Approach Through the current status of trade retaliation between the U.S. and China, the impact of trade retaliation on the U.S. and Chinese economies was investigated. Findings As a result of the research in this paper, the U.S.-China trade conflict will intensify in the long run rather than ease, forcing it to stand on the side of the U.S. Therefore, Korean companies that have entered the U.S. should check whether Chinese companies or the Chinese government are included in the supply chain of product production. In addition, various response strategies should be prepared in preparation for China’s trade sanctions. Research Implications As the U.S.-China trade conflict continues, it is necessary to pursue a strategy centered on the Korea-U.S. alliance along with a strategy to minimize economic losses caused by China’s trade sanctions.

Exploring the Relationship between Foreign Ownership, Innovation and Firm Value: A Korean Perspective

Purpose &#8211; This paper’s purpose is to investigate how foreign ownership and innovation affect firm value. Design/methodology &#8211; Firm innovation is defined as operational efficiency, which is calculated by adopting data envelopment analysis (DEA). Additionally, R&D intensity is included as a measure of innovation in the analysis. We used firm-level data from manufacturing companies in Korea. The sample comprised 3,753 firm-year observations for every year in the period 2003&#8211;2017. Findings &#8211; We found that foreign ownership and innovation are positively related to firm value (Tobin’s Q). Foreign ownership moderates innovation’s contribution to firm value, implying that foreign ownership may enhance the value relevance of firm innovation. In addition, we found that firm innovation partially mediates the relationship between foreign ownership and firm value. Originality/value &#8211; This highlights the important role of foreign investors’ monitoring; wherein foreign investors enhance firm value by facilitating firm innovation. Our results suggest that foreign ownership can be crucial for innovation and may serve to address weak ownership structures.

Does Communication Between External Auditors And Those Charged With Governance Positively Affect Corporate Social Responsibility? Evidence From Korea

We examine the effect of communication between external auditors and those charged with governance has on corporate social responsibility (CSR), focusing on amendment of the Act on External Audit of Stock Companies of Korea which emphasizes communication. We find that higher frequency of communication increases CSR, with faceto- face meetings having a stronger positive effect than text-based. This finding emphasizes the need for auditors to actively communicate face-to-face with those charged with governance, as this will increase the auditors’ accurate grasp of the firm and improve the quality of the audit services and financial reporting, leading to improved CSR.

The motives for shipping asset securitisation: sale-leaseback transactions in the shipping industry

ABSTRACT This study investigates shipping firms’ motives for using sale-leaseback (SLBs) transactions. Given the bleak conditions in the shipping industry that have persisted since its collapse in 2008, numerous firms have sought ways to relieve short-term financial distress and secure long-term sustainable growth. This study analyses financial ratios of 123 shipping companies in Korea, 25 of which elected to use SLBs in 2019, in terms of growth, profitability, liquidity and leverage for the period of 2016–2018. Consistent with previous findings, the results show that applying for SLBs is associated with a lack of liquidity. By exploring SLBs as a new financing vehicle for shipping companies, the vast majority of which have been under financial distress and constraints in recent years, this study enriches the existing literature on shipping finance. Besides, this study’s findings on shipping companies’ motives for using SLBs can provide helpful suggestions for designing and implementing government policies for restructuring national shipping industry.

Consumer Perceptions of ESG Management by Distribution Companies in Korea and China: IPA of Coupang and Taobao

This study explores consumer perceptions of ESG management by distribution companies in Korea and China. A total of 2030 consumers completed an online survey about either Coupang in Korea or Taobao in China. The results confirmed the level of satisfaction-importance that consumers felt concerning ESG management. The survey consisted of 196 items, and the analysis was conducted using SPSS 26.0. The findings showed that both Korean and Chinese consumers were aware of the importance of ESG. For Korean consumers, the order of importance was E>S>G. For Chinese consumers, it was S>E>G, and the area that showed the biggest difference among the ESG indicators was G, which is believed to reflect the influence of China’s political system. According to the satisfaction-importance analysis, consumers in both countries showed low satisfaction with the distribution companies’ environmental management but high satisfaction with the ethical management corresponding to corporate soundness, transparency, and interest in communities, including rural communities. There was a great difference between the two companies in terms of consumer satisfaction, possibly due to the controversy over Coupang’s avoidance of responsibility related to consumer protection. This study is significant in that it explores ESG management from the consumer’s point of view. It shows that specific efforts and transparency are needed because consumers are aware of ESG management and evaluate its quality by distribution companies.

The effect of Coaching Leadership on Organizational Trust and Innovative Behavior: Moderated Mediation by Power Distance Orientation

The purpose of this study is to reveal the effect of coaching leadership on organizational trust and innovative behavior depending on the level of power distance orientation. Specifically, the relationship between coaching leadership and innovative behavior was examined and the mediating effect of organizational trust was identified in the effect of coaching leadership on innovative behavior. In addition, this study examined a moderating effect of power distance orientation on the relationship between organizational trust and innovative behavior Finally, the relationship between coaching leadership and innovative behavior is verified by the moderated mediating effect of power distance orientation in the mediation of organizational trust. For this purpose, data from 697 Korean workers were collected through Embrain, an Internet survey company in Korea. According to the research, the relationship between coaching leadership and innovative behavior has been proven to have a partial mediating effect significantly by organizational trust. The moderating effect of the power distance orientation and the moderated mediating effect were also both significant. Employees with lower organizational turst and lower power distance orientation tended to innovate more than employees with higher power distance orientation, but the difference was found to have been decreased significantly at a higher level of organizational trust. Finally, we discussed practical implications, limitations, and future research.

The Effect of R&amp;D Expenditures on the Future Earnings of Korean and Japanese Pharmaceutical Companies

Purpose: In contrast to Korea, which introduced IFRS entirely in 2011, Japan has its own accounting standards, and in the case of IFRS, companies can arbitrarily decide to introduce IFRS from 2010. According to IFRS, R&D expenditures that satisfy the capitalization criteria are recognized as assets, but under the Japanese accounting standards, they must be treated as expenses. This paper focuses on the accounting standards for R&D expenditures, and analyzes how R&D expenditures affect future earnings. Research design, data, and methodology: The analysis subjects were selected as pharmaceutical companies with significant R&D expenditures. Accounting information of pharmaceutical companies in Korea and Japan was collected through the KIS-VALUE database and each company’s financial statements. For the analysis method, a fixed-effect model was used. Results: As a result of the analysis, different results were found in Korean companies depending on the listed market. in the case of KOSPI listed companies, capitalized R&D expenditures had a positive effect on future earnings, but in the case of non-KOSPI listed companies, it had a negative effect. Also, in a study on Japanese companies, it was confirmed that expensed R&D expenditures had a positive effect on future earnings under the Japanese accounting standards but had a negative effect when IFRS was introduced. Implications: If capitalized R&D expenditures have a positive effect on future earnings, it can consider that R&D expenditures are recognized as assets under the capitalization criteria required by IFRS. In other words, it can be said that Korean KOSPI companies met the capitalization criteria, but in the case of Non-KOSPI companies, capitalized R&D expenditures did not meet the criteria. In Japanese companies, it can be inferred that expensed R&D expenditures did not positively affect future earnings because the companies that adopted IFRS turned R&D expenditures into assets.

Analysis of Perception and Status Survey on the Introduction of QbD System by Pharmaceutical Companies in Korea

The purpose of this study was to investigate and analyze the application status and system introduction perceptions of quality-by-design (QbD) in domestic pharmaceutical companies and confirm the necessity of introducing an effective QbD system. Currently, QbD-applied drug development is an international trend, and the introduction of QbD domestically is urgent because domestic pharmaceutical companies need QbD data even when exporting overseas. Therefore, 51 domestic pharmaceutical companies were surveyed to analyze their perceptions and opinions on the current status of QbD application and the introduction of the system. The results showed that most pharmaceutical companies, except 4.7% of total respondents, recognized the need for QbD for the following reasons: to improve the quality of medicines, responding to requests from overseas regulatory authorities when exporting products, problem-solving drug development and production, and proactively responding to the introduction of the QbD system by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Although they are aware of its need, respondents are not implementing QbD due to cost and time issues and state that it is challenging to apply the QbD example in practice due to the method and amount of experimentation. Thus, the results of this study revealed that domestic pharmaceutical companies need QbD experimental and process guidelines and practical QbD examples. These results can be used as the foundation for the introduction and stable settlement of a domestic QbD system in the future.

Comparative Analysis of Chloramphenicol-Resistant Enterococcus faecalis Isolated from Dairy Companies in Korea.

Although chloramphenicol is currently banned from use in livestock, other phenicols, such as florfenicol and thiamphenicol, have been used for the treatment of bacterial infections in domestic cattle in Korea. This study compares the characteristics of chloramphenicol-resistant Enterococcus faecalis isolated from the bulk tank milk of four major dairy companies in Korea. Although the distribution of multidrug resistance patterns showed no significant differences between the four companies, 85 chloramphenicol-resistant Enterococcus faecalis isolates showed a significantly high number of resistances against five or six antimicrobial classes (37.6%, respectively) (p < 0.05). When analyzing the distribution of phenicol resistance genes, 31 (36.5%) isolates only carried the catA gene, and two (6.3%) isolates from company A only carried the cfr gene. No isolates carried the catB or fexA genes. Regarding the distribution of other resistance genes, both the tetL and tetM (45.9%), ermB (82.4%), and both aac(6″)-Ie-aph(2″)-la and ant(6′)-Ia genes (30.6%) showed a high prevalence, and the optrA and poxtA genes were observed separately, each in only two (2.4%) isolates. Our results confirm that the dissemination of chloramphenicol-resistant Enterococcus faecalis and some antimicrobial resistance genes show significant differences between dairy companies. Therefore, our results support that each dairy company should undertake effective surveillance programs to better understand and minimize the emergence of resistance on a multidisciplinary level.

Characteristics of High-Level Aminoglycoside-Resistant Enterococcus faecalis Isolated from Bulk Tank Milk in Korea.

Simple SummaryAminoglycosides are used to treat various infections in veterinary and human medicine. However, with the emergence of high-level aminoglycoside resistance in human and food-producing animals, the synergism of aminoglycosides with beta-lactam or glycopeptide is being threatened. Moreover, the environmental mastitis-causing agent, enterococci, has emerged as a cause of nosocomial infection due to its antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of high-level aminoglycoside-resistant Enterococcus faecalis isolated from bulk tank milk in Korea. It showed that 185 (61.5%) isolates out of 301 were high-level aminoglycoside resistant, while 149 isolates were multidrug resistant.Enterococci, which are considered environmental mastitis-causing pathogens, have easily acquired aminoglycoside-resistant genes that encode various aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes (AME). Therefore, this study was conducted to compare the distribution of high-level aminoglycoside-resistant (HLAR) and multidrug-resistant (MDR) Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) bacteria isolated from bulk tank milk in four dairy companies in Korea. Moreover, it analyzed the characteristics of their antimicrobial resistance genes and virulence factors. Among the 301 E. faecalis bacteria studied, 185 (61.5%) showed HLAR with no significant differences among the dairy companies. Furthermore, 129 (69.7%) of the 185 HLAR E. faecalis showed MDR without significant differences among companies. In contrast, HLAR E. faecalis from companies A, B, and C were significantly higher in resistance to the four classes than those in company D, which had the highest MDR ability against the three antimicrobial classes (p < 0.05). In addition, in the distribution of AME genes, 72 (38.9%) and 36 (19.5%) of the isolates carried both aac(6′)Ie-aph(2″)-la and ant(6)-Ia genes, and the ant (6)-Ia gene alone, respectively, with significant differences among the companies (p < 0.05). In the distribution of virulence genes, the ace (99.5%), efa A (98.9%), and cad 1 (98.4%) genes were significantly prevalent (p < 0.05). Thus, our results support that an advanced management program by companies is required to minimize the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance and virulence factors.