Purpose - Nowadays customers have become empowered by information communication technologies. This state of customers has brought enormous pressure to bear on organizations, thus, organizations have to stay relevant, market-oriented and profitable. The insurance sector is one that is constantly challenged by its exposure to ICT and the associated need for e-services by myriad customers. With increasing competition in the health insurance environment, it is necessary for the sector to understand customer expectations and how they perceive the services offered. This study seeks to determine the role played by e-services in relation to customer satisfaction in health insurance industry in Botswana where a substantial investment has been made in the sector. Research design, data, and methodology - This study is conducted using two prominent medical aid schemes in Botswana namely BPOMAS and PULA. Subscribers of these medical schemes were the respondents whose views were sourced using both closed and open ended questionnaires. Systemic sampling technique was used to select the participants, while descriptive statistical techniques were mainly used to analyze socio-demographic data of the samples. Results - The results reveal that the level of usage of the medical insurance firm's website and email service is higher for PULA participants than for BPOMAS participants. Conclusions - The findings of this study have practical implications for managers who should understand customers' value perceptions regarding e-service quality in Botswana.

Purpose - This study analyzed the success strategy of Korean small & medium cosmetics exporting companies to enter the Southeast Asian market. Research design, data, and methodology - The independent factors are classified into firm capacity, financial factor, institutional factor, and operational factor. The results of the selection of distributor partners of cosmetics related export companies as a were classified as financial performance and non - financial performance. In order to analyze this, 65 Korean small and medium export companies were recruited through structured online questionnaire for 44 days from September 18, 2017 to October 31, 2017. These data were analyzed by frequency analysis, correlation analysis, factor analysis and regression analysis using SPSS. Results - The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was found to be 0.846. Factor analysis between variables revealed that the eigen value exceeded 1 and was considered valid. As a result of the correlation analysis between the variables, the financial factor and the corporate's competence showed the highest correlation with 0.774. Conclusions - Among the factors influencing the financial performance of the exporting firms, the factors influencing the financial performance of the exporting companies are the factors that influence the non - financial performance rather than the financial performance.

Purpose - We examine how a Korean retail firm's social responsibility is related to its financial performances. The traditional view of corporation expects a negative relationship, while the stakeholder theory expects a positive one. Research design, data, and methodology - We adopt the ESG score, published by Korean Corporate Governance Service to measure the level of socially responsible activity for the Korean retail firms. The ordinary least square method is adopted to investigate this relationship. The publicly traded retail firms are examined from 2011 to 2016. Results - We find that the total ESG score is negatively related to ROE but shows no statistically significant relationship with ROA and Tobin's Q value. However, a firm's environmental score is negatively related with both of ROE and ROA. Its social score is no conclusive relationship with the performance measures. The governance score is negatively related to the value of Tobin's Q. Conclusions - This paper generally supports the traditional view of corporate theory, especially in terms of ROE. This evidence is not well aligned with the existing study for Korean corporations generally documenting positive relationships. We find almost no empirical evidence supporting the stakeholder theory of corporation in the Korean retail industry.

Purpose - This paper aims to analyze the distinct pattern of clustering of imported automobile distributors and provide evidence for the phenomenon using Korean data. Research design, data, and methodology - In this paper, we use data from Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association of 23 foreign automobile brands to evaluate the degree of concentration of showrooms using locational Gini index. We identify possible causes for the high level of clustering from two perspectives; 1) on the distributors' side and 2) on the customers' side. Results - We find a very strong locational concentration of imported automobile showrooms within close vicinity in the major cities and districts in Korea. Locational Gini coefficients are 0.1024 at the national level, 0.1836~0.3763 at city level, and 0.3941~0.4311 at district level on a [0,0.5] scale. Conclusions - Luxury foreign automobile customers tend to shop extensively around multiple brands prior to their ideal model selection. Accordingly, the imported automobile distributors cluster together close to their direct competitors in order to give a good comparison opportunity for the potential customers. This will maximize the probability of the visits of potential customers and lead to successful sales performance.

Purpose - These days, an individual user, private entity, hears everyday news of hacking and personal information leakage in the era of a most-connected society. This study investigates cyber attack, cyber insurance and distribution channels for insurance goods in South Korea by analyzing various cases of cyber attacks in domestic and overseas case. Research design, data and methodology - This study adopted various study cases instead of the one large case for deep quality analysis, and focused on various cases of domestic and overseas cyber attacks with insurance. Result - As a result of analyzing the cases that were hacked, types of massive losses and damages arising out of internet blackout due to cyber risks are paralyzation of public and private website and portal, electronic administrative system, public infrastructure, and consequently a normal operation of nation is impossible. These losses and damages however can be coverable under cyber insurance. Conclusions - This paper suggests insurance carriers, as suppliers, should provide multiple channels to sell to the customer and should expand the strategy of advertisement and promotion in order for them to change their mind and compare the price and value of the information of individual users and private entity in view of cost savings.

Purpose - Our research aims to investigate the mediating effect of employee creativity on the relationship between intrinsic motivation and job performance using relationship using Chinese department salespeople samples. Another objective of this study is to be clear boundary conditions that strengthen or weaken the effects of intrinsic motivation on work outcomes (i.e., employee creativity and job performance). Drawing on JD-R theory, we suggest that the two types of coworker support play differential moderating roles in the intrinsic motivation, employee creativity relationship by increasing or decreasing job resources and demands in different ways. Research design, data, and methodology - This empirical study data were collected from gathered from a sample of full time salespeople in China. A total of 550 questionnaires were distributed and 300 responses were collected, indicating a response rate of 84.0%. Working with a sample of 300 salespeople working in a department store in China. SPSS 18.0, Process 2.16 Macro, and M-Plus 8.0 software were used in the data analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate the distribution of the employee profiles and correlations between variables. M-Plus 8.0 software was used to test the model fit, validity and reliability of the variables. Finally, all research hypotheses was estimated by SPSS Macro 2.16. Results - To test our research hypotheses, we employed an analytical strategy suggested by Hayes (2013; 2015) and Shrout and Bolger (2002). In this study, we tested the relationship between intrinsic motivation and job performance throughout employee creativity. Results showed intrinsic motivation and job performance was partially mediated by employee creativity. The positive relationship between intrinsic motivation and employee creativity when coworker emotional support was high than when it was low. In contrast, the positive association between intrinsic motivation and employee creativity was stronger when coworker instrumental support was low than when it was high. Coworker emotional and instrumental support further moderated the indirect effect of intrinsic motivation on job performance through employee creativity. Conclusions - This study extends the conceptual model and empirical researches in coworker supports literature by representing a fundamental mechanism of how salespeople's intrinsic motivation and job performance throughout employee creativity.

Purpose - Journals of Korea Distribution Science Association (KODISA) made great efforts in responding to the constant shifts in academic paradigms and in producing synergetic effects among KODISA journals to achieve the goal of maintaining their status in the world's reputable scholarly journals. The aim of this study is to analyze the current practice and performance of KODISA journals and develop strategies that will continuously meet and respond to the changes and success in the future. Research design, data, and methodology - This is a case study, an analytical approach, which focuses on analyzing current and previous strategies, practices, and performances of the four major journals of KODISA and the association. The organizational structure, including election and terms of KODISA officers, new membership, and members of editorial board, is discussed and analyzed. The citation, submission, publication, and rejection rates of all four journals are examined, and the progress, including the status of indexing of each journal, is discussed. Results - The analysis indicates that KODISA has significantly invested its resources into improving its journals and attracting new members. The analysis also shows the strategy of the organizational structure, which includes election and terms of officers and editorial board members that implemented over the years, was successful. Both Journal of Distribution Science (JDS) and Journal of Finance, Economics, and Business (JAFEB) are indexed in SCOPUS, with East Asian Journal of Business Management (EAJBM) in the final stage of the SCOPUS indexing evaluation, and International Journal of Industrial Distribution and Business (IJIDB) will complete and submit their indexing evaluation materials to SCOPUS this summer. Conclusions - The success and progress of KODISA and its journals clearly support the need for continuous development, analysis, revision, and implementation of strategies. Based on the analysis, conducting the annual performance reviews of the association and its journals and planning and strategizing based on the reviews since 2011 have greatly contributed to the overall success. In terms of meeting the short term strategy, KODISA has to continue developing relationships with relevant and appropriate scholarly/academic associations to expand the scope of its business, establishing independence of each journal and its respective procedures and practices and improving the quality of the journals and their publications through KODISA's international conferences.

Purpose - This study compares the management efficiency of retailers in China, Korea and other global countries. China's retail industry is experiencing a recession. In order to strengthen the competitiveness of retailers, it is necessary to manage the efficiency. Therefore, we analyzed the management efficiency of Chinese retailers as well as Korea and global retailers who are competing with Chinese retailers. Research design, data, and methodology - The DEA(Data Envelopment Analysis) carried out for evaluating the relative efficiency of multiple DMUs (decision making units) with homogeneity. Data were collected from the American Retail Trade Association (2017). In those distributors' data, 5 of China and 5 of Korea and 10 of other global countries' analyzed. CCR and BCC analysis were performed to determine the cause of the inefficiency of DMUs by measuring the technical efficiency, pure technology efficiency and scale efficiency. Result - Among the 20 retail distributors, Costco, Kroger (Global), Eland World, BGF(Korea) are operating efficiently. Chinese retailers are operating inefficiently. Retailers' CRS status means the growth rate of input is equal to the growth rate of output. In the case of DRS status, the ratio of output to input variable is much smaller. In order to improve inefficiency, reducing input variables can be a solution. For the firms in IRS status, the rate of increase in output is relative greater than the input. That means efficiency is good condition. The analysis result shows that most retailers are showing DRS status especially Chinese retailers. Scale efficiency is a major cause of inefficiency rather than pure technology efficiency. It is recommended for ineffective retailers to reduce inputs to become efficient retailers. Otherwise, retrain existing employees or introducing advanced technologies to increase the output. Conclusions - Most of Chinese retailers are operating inefficiently which caused by the excessive investment in the inputs. On the other hand, Other global retailers are analyzed to be efficient by DEA. In this study, benchmarking targets of some retailers' suggested to improve the management efficiency especially in inputs.