Purpose: This research investigates the cost behavior of the distribution industry. Specifically, we investigate if the ratio of the increase in costs with an increase in sales is consistent with the ratio of the decrease in costs when sales decrease. Traditionally, cost is assumed to be symmetrical. In the case of the distribution industry, it was expected that the downward rigidity of the cost would be shown because it would be very difficult to decide to adjust resources when sales temporarily decrease. Therefore, studies have looked at Korean capital markets based on manufacturing and steel industries. However, no research has been done on the distribution industry. Research design, data, and methodology: To verify the hypothesis of this study, the asymmetry of cost was measured by Anderson et al. (2003). The sample used 28,695 firm-year data from 2002 to 2019 for the KOSPI and KOSDAQ stock markets. Results: The empirical analysis results are as follows. First, asymmetry of cost was observed in the case of the distribution industry. We confirm cost rigidity when sales decreased. Conclusions. This is the first study to look at cost behavior in the distribution industry, and the downward rigidity of cost in the distribution industry is observed.

Purpose: A marketing strategy for private institutions requires marketers to leverage consumer behaviors and educational psychologies when advertising and promoting product portfolios. Indeed, understanding consumers can make marketers more effective, and the purpose of this research is to tackle private institutions' education marketing by combining marketing theories and learning theories. Research design, data and methodology: The content analysis used in this study will be suitable because there exists numerous prior studies regarding marketing strategy and educational theories. Therefore, the current author could obtain and collect adequate textual facts from much of the literature review. Results: Marketing strategies that are mixed with educational theories increase consumer enrolment due to perceived usefulness, and this implies that an adequate marketing model could help improve sustainability and income as a result of enrollment in private educational institutions. The research also identified that marketing is connected to psychology and that marketers can exploit educational and psychological theories to increase successful enrolment in private educational institutions. Conclusions: Most importantly, the target market for private educational institutions is diverse, and institutions can use direct marketing to appeal to specific audiences. Also, the research implies that diversification strategies can increase enrolment if marketers exploit behavioral learning theories in the marketing process.

Purpose: Increased awareness of the environment is essential, since the general health of people and the global economy is largely dependent on the health of the environment. The purpose of this study is to increase customer awareness and also to ensure that businesses enlighten their customers on how to act in an environmentally friendly manner, which can be done, for instance, through associations. Research design, data and methodology: Scant research is available regarding what elements of marketing strategy should be applied in an environmental plan to increase customer awareness. For this reason, this study suggests a specific marketing policy that conveys several strategies for practitioners who focus on successful environmental plans for their organizations. Results: The prior literature suggests that public education, mass media, campaign publications, and electronic networking, which are becoming more common today, can be used as platforms for conveying environmental messages that will increase environmental awareness among customers. Conclusions: Organizations can use health and safety training to ensure that customers are aware of the environment. Training programs by companies that point more to the environment can make customers aware of the environment and help them adopt activities that show respect to the environment.

Purpose: This study attempts to explain why online luxury shopping malls have implemented a difficult registration process and membership fees. These features weaken online shopping convenience, one of the major reasons why people shop online instead of offline. Therefore, this study scrutinizes the effects of membership features on trust, focusing on the moderating effects of registration difficulty and membership fees. Research design, data and methodology: A survey method with a total of 296 survey data was used. A 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design was employed. The three independent variables are price discount rate (20% vs. 70%), registration difficulty (low vs. high), and membership fees (yes vs. no). Results: The results reveal that a price discount rate has a negative effect on trust, whereas membership fees and registration difficulty moderate its negative effect on trust. Conclusions: A high price discount rate lowers trust for online luxury shopping malls. Meanwhile, registration difficulty and membership fees can be used to prevent consumers from losing trust caused by the high price discount rate. Therefore, registration difficulty and membership fees are signals implying that not everyone can use these private online shopping malls, which provide low prices for luxury items.

Purpose: This article aims to explore the new town development paradigm against infectious diseases. The distribution of COVID-19 constricts economic activity. The high frequency of outbreaks of COVID-19 nationwide is due to neither malnutrition nor unhygienic environment. Research design, data and methodology: The research question starts with the idea that understanding the features of the outbreak of pandemic diseases could help public health authorities to better cope with upcoming risks in the future. We have employed a big data-based methodology to explore the outbreak of pandemic diseases. Also, an idiographic approach is used to describe the distribution of new towns against COVID-19. Results: The results demonstrate that the rapid spread of COVID-19 has had a strong impact on regional economies and urban development. It was found that there is a close relationship between infectious diseases outbreaks and new town development. Conclusions: The findings could be used to deal with new town development against infectious diseases better in other cities or countries as well. The distribution of COVID-19 may become an unexpected opportunity for a paradigm shift in the distribution of new town development to prevent not only an excessive concentration in Seoul, but also an imbalance between national and local development.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the distribution of ancient Korean books around the world, and to study the process and impact of Myongsimbogam's distribution to East Asia and Europe. Research design, data and methodology: This study conducted literature research as its research method. The scope of research covers Korea, China, Japan, Vietnam, Spain, Germany and Russia. Results: Ancient Korean books were distributed through the Kwanpan and Banggakbon, and leaked overseas in historical circumstances. Myongsimbogam was distributed to Korea, China, Japan, Vietnam, Spain, France, Germany, and Russia. Myongsimbogam was the first ancient book to be translated into Western languages. Conclusions: The distribution of Myongsimbogam promoted the exchange of spiritual civilizations in the East and West, and became the basis for maintaining an individual philosophy, as well as social order. Therefore, the distribution of Myongsimbogam needs to be further expanded. For this, it is necessary to translate Myongsimbogam into English and popularize it through e-books, audio books and various lectures. While previous studies on Myongsimbogam have mainly focused on personality and moral education, this study is significant in that it examines the distribution and dissemination process of Myongsimbogam, its influence and significance.

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the interaction effect of customers relationship management (CRM) on the competitive advantage (CA) of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) in Yemen. Research design, data and methodology: This study applied a quantitative approach in dealing with the interaction effect of CRM dimensions and SMEs' competitive advantage in Yemen. The research uses a sample of 247 manufacturing SMEs surveyed in Yemen. Results: The results indicate that only three dimensions of CRM, namely (TCM), (KM) and (CRMO), have a significant effect on SMEs' competitive advantage, but not that between (KCF) and SMEs' competitive advantage. Conclusions: The findings of this study offer important insights for owners and managers of SMEs, researchers and policymakers to further understand the effects of CRM on SMEs' competitive advantage. SMEs should also be encouraged to develop their CRM to improve their competitive advantage. Lastly, this study makes several contributions to the literature, the first of which is the provision of evidence concerning the major role of CRM as a dependent variable and competitive advantage as an independent variable. The second contribution pertains to its pioneering status in examining the direct relationship between CRM dimensions and the competitive advantage of SMEs in a Middle Eastern country.

Purpose: This research aims to verify the role of mobile shopping attributes, trustworthiness, and cultural dimensions on mobile shopping intentions in Saudi Arabia. The originality of the model stems from the verification of the moderating impact of cultural variables, namely collectivism and masculinity, and from the integration of trustworthiness as a variable depending on mobile shopping attributes. Research design, data and methodology: A survey was distributed to 233 consumers with different nationalities living in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis were carried out to verify the conceptual model and the moderating variables. Results: The findings support the influence of several innovation attributes, namely complexity and trialability on behavioral intentions, while relative advantage has a direct impact on trustworthiness. A few paths are moderated by masculinity and collectivism. Conclusions: Culture and mobile commerce attributes need to be thought out by managers as factors influencing mobile commerce segmentation for expatriates and locals. Trustworthiness is also a key factor of mobile shopping adoption. Limitations and future research ideas are presented to enrich the proposed model and improve its predictive validity.

Purpose: This study analyzed the policies on and changes of elite training through overseas study and their impact on China's national development when entrepreneurs return home. In particular, it analyzed returnee entrepreneurs in the distribution industry. Research design, data and methodology: This study largely analyzed the Chinese government's policy of attracting foreign talent and the results of the policy. The research method utilized the Chinese Statistical Yearbook and various literature. This study also used case analysis methods for start-ups by haigui in the distribution industry. Results: According to the analysis, the Chinese government is implementing various policies to attract talent. Representatively, the government actively attracts talent through the Hundred Talents Plan, Thousand Talents Plan, Chunhui Program and Chizi Program. In addition, the Changjiang Scholars Program is attracting foreign talent. As a result, many talented people are leading development of the Chinese economy. Conclusions: The Chinese government is actively pursuing policies to attract talents from overseas. In addition, it has established a system in which government ministries and research institutes can work closely together to secure effectiveness in attracting overseas talents. Through this, overseas talents are playing an important role in China's economic development through new start-up activities including the distribution industry.

The recent Covid-19 outbreak has caused severe disruption of the global supply chain, which tests firms' ability to survive and build resilience. The concept of adaptive supply chain management (A-SCM) has never been tested against a severe supply chain disruption, such as a pandemic. Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine how firms in Indonesia develop resilience through the implementation of components of adaptive supply chain management, namely risk management, resource reconfiguration and supply chain flexibility, in order to survive severe supply chain disruption. Research design, data and methodology: A qualitative method and PLS-SEM were used to analyze 120 data collected from Indonesian manufacturing firms in various industries. Results: The findings show that risk management, resource reconfiguration, and supply chain flexibility are important components that make up A-SCM. However, only risk management contributes to help build firm resilience in the presence of severe supply chain disruption. Conclusions: The components of A-SCM have been empirically tested. The implication is that managers should carefully use RM to prepare firms for different scenarios to develop contingency strategies. This research contributes to the supply chain management body of knowledge in the context of pandemic-level disruption and broadens the dynamic capabilities perspective.