Purpose - The third place plays an important role in complex society. The more customers participate in the third place, the higher they have loyalty. It is necessary to identify the mediator between customer participation and loyalty. Thus, the purpose of the study is to analyze the relationship between customer participation and loyalty and a mediating role of psychological ownership. Research design, data, and methodology - A structural equation model representing the relationships between customer participation, psychological ownership, and customer loyalty was proposed and four hypotheses were tested using data collected from visitors of Starbucks as the third place. Results - Three hypotheses regarding relationships between customer participation, psychological ownership, and customer loyalty were supported at the significance level of 0.001. The hypothesis regarding a mediating role of psychological ownership between customer participation and customer loyalty was supported by Sobel test. Conclusions - Customer participation positively affects psychological ownership and customer loyalty. Psychological ownership positively affects customer loyalty. Psychological ownership plays a mediating role in the relationship between customer ownership and loyalty. This study contributes to finding the missing link between customer participation and customer loyalty. The research model can be applied to various retail services. Some implications for academics and practitioners were suggested.

Purpose - This study examined the effect of the importance of selective attribute of HMR(Home Meal Replacement) on customers' satisfaction and repurchase intention which is rapidly increasing with the changes of demographic, social and cultural trends as well as the influence of on and offline shopping channel moderating role. Research design, data, and methodology - Based on the research of previous studies, it assumed the selection attributes of HMR products were price, convenience, menu, freshness. With 231 surveyed questionnaires, this study was conducted by AMOS 21.0 and the SEM(structural equation model) was used as statistical method for examining the hypotheses in this study. Results - The analysis showed that price, convenience, and freshness had a significant effect on satisfaction, whereas menu did not affect satisfaction and the effect of satisfaction on repurchase intention was statistically significant. However, the results were different depending on the on and offline shopping channel for customers to buy HMR products. Price, menu and freshness are affected by online shopping, meanwhile convenience is more influenced by offline. Conclusions - This study analyzed the effect of selection attribute of HMR products on the satisfaction, repurchase intention, and the influence of each shopping channel, and provided practical implications.

Purpose - This study aims to investigate whether the buyer's participation in CSR activities can affect the informal cooperation and relationship beyond formal cooperation and relationship. Research design, data, and methodology - We defined the research model and selected variables(monitoring and contracts by the buyer, formal cooperation & relationship, and informal cooperation & relationship). After completing the questionnaire, we analyzed 319 manufacturing companies. Prior to the hypothesis testing, Exploratory factor analysis(EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis(CFA) were conducted to check for discriminant validity and convergent validity. Results - The stronger the buyer monitoring on the company's CSR activities, the more positive it affects the formal business cooperation. On the other hand, strong buyer monitoring did not affect formal business relationships. Therefore, even if buyers' monitoring of CSR activities is strong, it does not mean that the formal business relationship is improved, but it means that it is possible to improve the formal business cooperation. Conclusions - This study shows that the stronger the buyer monitoring on the supplier's CSR activities, the more positive it affects formal cooperation. It also demonstrates that formal business cooperation between the supplier and the buyer, that is, sharing goals and works for CSR activities, has a positive effect on relationships based on emotional exchange and commitment.

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to derive the performance improvement factors of courier corporations that operate global franchise systems as business strategies through their brands and to determine. Research design, data, and methodology - In the first study, 129 valid questionnaire sheets were analyzed. In the second study intended to determine whether the four performance improvement factors derived in the first study have positive effects on franchisees' business performance, 781 valid questionnaire sheets secured from six GDFFs were analyzed using AMOS analysis. Results - In the first study, four performance improvement factors were derived. In the second study, hypotheses regarding whether the performance improvement factors: leadership, communication, education and training, and brand, have positive effects on franchisees' business performance were tested, and as a result, one hypothesis was rejected and three hypotheses were adopted. Conclusions - The first and largest contribution of this study is that it derived performance improvement factors from GDFFs. The second contribution is that it determined whether the performance improvement factors that were derived have positive effects on franchisees' business performance with tests. The third contribution is that it created significant implications in terms of other studies, research value, and applications in industry fields.

Purpose - This paper explores the perceptions held by native grocery shop-owners of their foreign counterparts to ascertain if there are lessons to be shared especially regarding operational/survival strategies. Research design, data and methodology - A questionnaire was used to collect data from 121 subjects who were purposively selected. The data was processed and analysed with the aid of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences(SPSS) software. Results - The study found that native South Africans hold the perception that immigrants have operational advantage over them. The study also found that with bulk buying, immigrants' stores stock a larger variety of groceries while their items are sold cheaper. It is also arguable from the standpoint of the findings that immigrant grocery store owners avoid expensive lifestyles which often is common among natives who own informal grocery shops. Conclusions - It is the position of this paper that adopting the strategies utilized by immigrant entrepreneurs, informal grocery shops owned by native South Africans are likely to see an improvement in their township-based grocery stores. A major merit of this study beyond its novelty is its potential to advance learnership and collaboration between immigrant entrepreneurs and their native counterparts.

Purpose - This study empirically examines the effects of environmental dynamics(dynamics of one's own company, dynamics of competitors, and dynamics of customers), within the franchise industry, on the dependence and conflict(dysfunctional conflict and functional conflicts) and the business performances(financial and non-financial). Furthermore, we empirically examined the effects of the dependence of franchise on the conflicts(dysfunctional conflict and functional conflict) and business performances(financial and non-financial). Finally, we empirically examined the effects of the conflicts of franchise (dysfunctional conflict and functional conflict) on the business performances(financial and non-financial). Research design, data, and methodology - Our study conducted a survey on the managers and owners of the franchises located in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon. The total number of valid samples was 230, and the structural equation model was analyzed by using AMOS program. Results - First, the environmental dynamics(dynamics of one's own company, dynamics of competitors, and dynamics of customers) in the franchise industry were shown to have statistically significant positive effect on the dependence of franchise. Second, among the environmental dynamics in the franchise industry, the dynamics of one's own company and the dynamics of the customers were shown to have a statistically significant positive effect on the dysfunctional conflicts of franchisees. However, in the franchise industry, the dynamics of competitors did not have a statistically significant effect on the dysfunctional conflict of the franchise. Third, in the franchise industry, the environmental dynamics(dynamics of one's own company, dynamics of competitors, and dynamics of customers) did not have a statistically significant effect on the functional conflicts of the franchises. Fourth, the dependence of franchise was shown to have a statistically significant positive effect on the conflicts(dysfunctional conflict and functional conflict). Fifth, the dysfunctional conflict of franchisees was shown to have a statistically significant negative effect on the business performances(financial and non-financial). Sixth, the functional conflicts of franchises was shown to have a statistically significant positive effect on business performances(financial and non-financial). Conclusions - From the franchise industry researches, the environmental dynamics were selected as the preceding factors and the relationship leading to dependence, conflict, and business performance were constructed into model.

Purpose - As more low cost carriers are introduced, the competition between the low cost carriers to become the nation's leading low cost carrier is also being intensified. The purpose of this study is to select various choice attributes for low cost carrier and figure out important factors that customers take into account for low cost carrier selection. The study also involves in establishing the relationship between perceived value, customer satisfaction, and customer behavior Intention, in an effort to identify choice attributes that are important to customers' low cost carrier. Research design, data, and methodology - To examine these research models, samples were collected from 247 peoples who visited In-Cheon international Airport during June, 2017. Results - The results of the study showed that, 'reservation service', 'airport service', 'in-flight service', and 'price' services have a significant effect on the perceived value of the choice attributes. While 'reservation service', 'airport service', 'in-flight service', and 'flight operation service' have a significant effect on the customer satisfaction of the choice attributes, perceived value has a significant effect on customer satisfaction. Perceived value has a significant effect on customer behavior intention. Finally, customer satisfaction has a significant effect on customer behavior intention. Conclusions - Flight operation service has no significant effect on perceived value of the choice attributes of low cost carriers, which indicates that the low cost carriers have not yet been well-established in the flight operation service sector. It seems likely that low cost carrier will be able to gain a competitive advantage over other companies if they expand their routes and improve the convenience of flight connections. In addition, the results show that the price service does not have a significant effect on customer satisfaction of the choice attributes of low cost carriers. From this, we may assume that the airline ticket prices of low cost carriers are already low, and the price cannot be a deciding factor in the competitive advantage of low cost carriers. To achieve higher customer satisfaction of the choice attributes, companies should strengthen the competitiveness of 'reservation service', 'airport service', 'in-flight service', and 'flight operation service'.

Purpose - Many retail stores tend to use scarcity-laden message in order to influence consumers, where scarcity refers to insufficiency of product supply or time of availability. For example, inside stores, the displayed products are often accompanied by scarcity message such as 'exclusive offer, limited time only.' According to past research, scarcity has a positive effect on product evaluation, since scarcity can acts as a signal of consumer demand, and thus product quality. Prior studies argue that consumers face a scarce product, they logically infer that other consumers buying the product in large numbers cause the scarcity. We propose that scarcity can be interpreted as a sales tactic artificially created by retail stores in order to increase sales of product. Research design, data, and methodology - We use a persuasion knowledge perspective framework to develop our hypotheses. In the present research, we show that product curation type is a key variable that moderates consumer response to scarcity, and thus the scarcity effect on product evaluation. Results - In this research, we showed when scarcity-laden message was used inside the store using consumer-centric curation message, scarcity had a positive effect on product evaluation. In contrast, when scarcity-laden message was used inside the store using marketer-centric curation message, the positive of scarcity message on product evaluation was diluted. Conclusions - Our study makes two important contributions to the literature on consumer response to scarcity. First, we identify a variable - namely, product curation type - that determines when either 'scarcity = good' or 'scarcity = marketing tactic' interpretation is likely to be dominant. Second, we cite persuasion knowledge perspective to explain the moderating function of product curation type in a retail store-related scarcity context. This research is relevant to practitioners, such as brand manager, retail environment manager, and advertising agencies, for the effective use for the scarcity-laden message in retail. The proposed moderator can operate in many real-life situations in retail where consumers are exposed to scarcity. And curation message related to scarcity has been facilitated by the inner-retail activities. These factors of the marketplace indicate that the boundary conditions of scarcity can have a significant effect on real-life consumer judgment.