• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.83-92
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• 2022

Religions and beliefs can affect the shopping behaviors of its followers and practitioners. However, the knowledge about the factors that motivate, facilitate and even constrain customers' purchase of spiritual goods, such as feng shui items, is limited. Therefore, in this study, I examined the reasons, facilitators, and constraints of purchasing spiritual goods from the buyers' perspective. Two research questions directed the examination process, including (1) why users buy spiritual goods? And (2) what factors may facilitate or constrain the purchase and use of spiritual goods? Using Vietnam's feng shui market as the context, I applied the autoethnographic and ethnographic methods to collect and analyze the data. I found that the two main reasons to purchase the feng shui items were the products' meaning and beauty. In addition, I observed three groups of factors that could facilitate or constrain the purchase and use of feng shui items, including information about the products and their sellers, disposable income and life stage of the buyers, and price and authenticity of the products. Finally, based on these findings, I discussed the practical implications for managing the spiritual goods market in Vietnam.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.8
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• pp.333-344
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• 2020

This research has four specific objectives: (1) identifying factors that affect customer satisfaction with less than container load (LCL) cargo services of logistics companies in HoChiMinh City (HCMC), (2) measuring the level of impact of the factors, (3) testing the difference in satisfaction among groups of customers with different characteristics in terms of type of business and time of using LCL cargo services, and (4) proposing some management implications to improve the quality of LCL cargo services. Researchers interviewed 210 customers who enjoyed the LCL cargo service in HCMC for at least the last six months, using the convenient sampling method. SPSS 20 was used to analyze the reliability of the scale through the Cronbach's alpha coefficient, then exploratory factor analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were used. The results identified the six factors that influence positively customer satisfaction of LCL cargo services of logistics companies in HCMC, by decreasing importance: service process, image, resource, price, management, and outcomes. The results show that there is no difference in customer satisfaction with LCL cargo services by types of business as well as time of using services. The research suggests some implications for the management of logistics companies in HCMC to enhance customer satisfaction.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.389-402
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• 2022

The purpose of the study is to analyze the significant impacts of expectations, performance, complaints, and fairness that affect consumer satisfaction. The methodology involves reviewing and referencing relevant literature carefully, then proposing a model for customer satisfaction. This study is empirically based on a survey with 50 respondents who work in the field of import and export in the region stretching from the north to the south of Vietnam. The sampling method used in this study is the in-depth interview method. The results show that: (1) expectation has a specific impact on customer satisfaction, (2) performance has a positive impact on customer satisfaction, and (3) complaint which is an intermediary factor between expectation, performance, and fairness has an impact on satisfaction, (4) fairness has a positive effect on satisfaction, in addition, fairness is an extremely important feature when customers choose an import-export service. Research implies that increasing expectations, performance, and fairness results in an improved customer experience and satisfaction when they use the service. It is suggested that the complaint factor continue to be studied and looked into because it still has some effect on satisfaction and is an intermediate variable that changes how the other factors relate to each other.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.9 no.7
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• pp.239-247
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• 2022

Maintaining and expanding brand equity is regarded as an essential component of brand development. Effective management of brand equity leads to more opportunities for brand extension and the ability to draw in more customers. Brand equity, in particular, has a positive impact on consumer purchase intention. The purpose of this study is to look into the relationships between brand equity and consumption intention from the perspective of Vietnamese customers of India's COVID-19 vaccine products. Primary data is aggregated from 475 Vietnamese citizens with different occupations and backgrounds 18 years of age or older. The findings of the study show that consumption intention is positively inspired by brand equity, including brand association and brand quality. If consumers perceive high brand equity, it will have a higher impact on promoting consumption intention to the brand. India's COVID-19 vaccine needs to invest more in building brand equity in the Vietnamese market if it wants to increase the consumption choices of Vietnamese people. To create a good brand association and brand quality for India's COVID-19 vaccine, it is necessary to focus on communicating the good properties of the Indian-made vaccine such as safe, high protective effect, high immunity and protection, and long duration of immunity of vaccines.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.547-553
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• 2008

The principal objective of this study was to prepare watermelon wine with watermelon juice. For the manufacture of watermelon wine, we determined the contents of starting sugar content ($20^{\circ}Brix$, $25^{\circ}Brix$, $30^{\circ}Brix$, $35^{\circ}Brix$) and three different kinds of yeasts (EC-1118, K1-V1116, D-47). The main additives of the watermelon wine included $K_2S_2O_5$, $NH_4H_2PO_4$, bentonite, yeasts, sugar, mixed acid, and $C_6H_8O_2$. The watermelon wine was fermented at $15^{\circ}C$ until the remaining alcohol content was 5%. We assessed customers' preference regarding the manufactured watermelon wine via sensory evaluation. Three yeasts were shown to result in significantly different alcohol fermentation, among which K2-V1116 was selected for the preparation of the watermelon wine. In our sensory evaluation, the preference of the starting sugar contents was highest in the watermelon wine with $25^{\circ}Brix$ of sugar content. The preference of alcohol content was found to be higher in the watermelon wines prepared with sugar contents of 5% and 7%. The preference test between watermelon wines and purchased white wines demonstrated that the watermelon wine with an alcohol content of 5% was the most preferred wine, and the Chilean Late Harvest wine was the second most preferred.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.501-513
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• 2003

This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between general characteristics and the eating-out behaviors of 643 male/female industrial workers. The results of the study was summarized as follows. 1. The frequency rate of eating-out was higher for male than female, college graduates than high school graduates, high income earner than low income earner, and unmarried than married(p<0.05). 2. Average cost for eating-out was higher for male than female, for high educated and high income earner than low educated person. Age, married or not, personal health conditions and BMI, however, didn't make any difference in the average cost for eating-out. 3. Reasons fur eating-out was very different due to gender, age, degree of education income rate, married or not, BMI(p<0.05) but basically eating-out was due to get together with friends or colleagues. Also, people who thought they were not in good health answered that they did not eat-out in any conditions. Overweighted people ate out more often than normal or under-weighted people. 4. The method in gathering information about eating-out was different according to the level of education and whether married or not. On the other hand, gender, age, income rate, personal health condition and BMI did not make a big difference in its method. However, most People who Participated in the survey gathered information from people around them, such as friends/colleagues. 5. Taste was the most important factor in deciding the actual eating-out restaurant among the respondents and gender, age, level of education, married or not also made significant differences (p<0.05). 6. Besides personal health conditions and BMI, all the general characteristics including age made significant differences in selecting the most frequently visited restaurant. 7. Besides the personal health conditions, the transportation vehicle was different due to gender, age, level of education, income rate, married or not and BMI. As seen from the results, the eating-out behaviors mostly differed due to general characteristics. In order to searching for a new eating-out market, the general characteristics and the trend of the target customers has to be analyzed to activate the eating-out industry. In addition the need for highly nutritional food with low calorific value has to be emphasized along with the taste.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.387-395
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• 2015

This study analyzed the Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) of purchase behaviors and attributes for Hangwa. The data for this study were collected over 10 days from April 10 through April 19, 2013. For empirical research, married women over the age of 20 in Gwangju with buying experience of Hangwa were surveyed. A total of 172 questionnaires were completed and statistically analyzed by SPSS 18.0 package. Analysis rate was 96.6%. To review Hangwa purchase behaviors, most respondents bought Hangwa four or five times per year for memorial services or ancestral rites. Respondents bought Hangwa at big supermarkets and the types of Hangwa bought were Yukwa and Yakgwa. Their average expenses were 20,000 to 30,000 won per purchase. Among purchase attributes of Hangwa, respondents considered the importance of 'sanitation' (4.76 points) a top priority, followed by 'origin' (4.75 points), 'quality' (4.74 points), 'taste' (4.57 points) and 'appearance' (3.82 points). However in the case of satisfaction, 'sanitation' (3.85 points) was the most satisfying aspect, followed by 'package' (3.82 points), 'amount' (3.80 points), 'appearance' (3.51 points) and 'taste' (3.41 points). According to the IPA results, 'quality' and 'origin' purchase attributes, should be quickly improved. 'Sanitation' and 'taste' should be maintained. This survey found that satisfaction levels for Hangwa purchase attributes had a significant influence on overall satisfaction (F=29.11, p<.001), and especially 'taste' ($\beta$=.42, t=6.69, p<.001) had a meaningful effect on overall satisfaction. In addition, satisfaction levels for Hangwa purchase attributes affected repurchase intention (F=20.05, p<.001). From these results, Hangwa manufacturers should make efforts in product development to induce customers satisfaction and repurchase intention.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.23
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• pp.10057-10059
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• 2015

Positron emission tomography (PET) as the functional component of current hybrid imaging (like PET/CT or PET/MRI) seems to dominate the horizon of medical imaging in coming decades. $^{18}$Flourodeoxyglucose ($^{18}FDG$) is the most commonly used probe in oncology and also in cardiology and neurology around the globe. However, the major capital cost and exorbitant running expenditure of low to medium energy cyclotrons (about 20 MeV) and radiochemistry units are the seminal reasons of low number of cyclotrons but mushroom growth pattern of PET scanners. This fact and longer half-life of $^{18}F$ (110 minutes) have paved the path of a centralized model in which $^{18}FDG$ is produced by commercial PET radiopharmacies and the finished product (multi-dose vial with tungsten shielding) is dispensed to customers having only PET scanners. This indeed reduced the cost but has limitations of dependence upon timely arrival of daily shipments as delay caused by any reason results in cancellation or rescheduling of the PET procedures. In recent years, industry and academia have taken a step forward by producing low energy, table top cyclotrons with compact and automated radiochemistry units (Lab-on-Chip). This decentralized strategy enables the users to produce on-demand doses of PET probe themselves at reasonably low cost using an automated and user-friendly technology. This technological development would indeed provide a real impetus to the availability of complete set up of PET based molecular imaging at an affordable cost to the developing countries.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.827-835
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• 2009

Computing Technology implementation suggests a dramatic change in work or organizational environment. The study aims to examine how IT adoption affected employees' attitudes toward jobs and behaviors toward customers in restaurant operations. The employee attitudinal variables examined in the study included employees' perceptions on internal work motivation, general job satisfaction, and pride in organization, while positive employee behaviors were used to examine employees' behavioral changes induced by IT implementation. The study sampled employees of full-service and mid-scale restaurants. To test the relationships among the employees of full-service and variables proposed in the research model changed by the IT implementation, six hypotheses were proposed. This study is meaningful in making a progress in finding a support for a link between task perceptions and attitudes in organizational environment change. The practical contribution of this research lies in for restaurant owners or managers to obtain a better perspective of the technology adoption and implementation decisions.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.12-19
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• 2014

The purpose of this research was to study the affects of atmosphere and convenience attributes on restaurant selection of customers aged between 50 to 60, referred to as new seniors. A survey was conducted with questions including convenience and atmosphere attributes (5 factors, 24 questions), respondents' dining-out behavior (6 questions), and general characteristics. For the analysis, SPSS 20.0 was used for the frequency analysis, factor analysis and ANOVA. The findings of this research are as follows : First, new seniors considered cleanliness (4.23) as the most important factor when choosing a restaurant. Convenient facility (3.89), ease of use (3.68), atmosphere (3.33) and children amenities (3.18) followed. Second, the importance of factors were compared according to the general characteristics. Based on gender, cleanliness and convenient facility showed a significant difference (p<0.05). Depending on whether they help raise their grandchildren and household type, the difference of ease of use and children amenities showed significance (p<0.05). Third, the importance of factors were compared based on their dining-out behavior. According to the average visits made to restaurants and the average payment per person, the difference of cleanliness and ease of use factors showed a significant difference (p<0.05). In addition, there were significant differences (p<0.05) on convenient facility and atmosphere factor depending on the average payment per person. The results of this research hopes to provide useful information to marketers targeting new seniors.