• Title/Summary/Keyword: Asian customers

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Effects of Technological, Organizational, and Environmental Factors on Social Media Adoption

  • QALATI, Sikandar Ali;LI, Wenyuan;VELA, Esthela Galvan;BUX, Ali;BARBOSA, Belem;HERZALLAH, Ahmed Muhammad
    • The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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    • v.7 no.10
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    • pp.989-998
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    • 2020
  • Electronic commerce is becoming a significant hub for sourcing products/services which helps organizations to connect with potential customers and gain competitive advantages, though little empirical work focuses on small businesses operating in developing countries to date. Increasingly, companies are looking to utilize social media to connect with stakeholders and pursue several benefits. This study aims to investigate the technological, organizational, and environmental (TOE) factors that influence small- and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs) social media (SM) adoption in developing countries. This study used a closed-ended questionnaire to collect data from randomly-selected respondents (owners, executives, and managers) from SMEs in Pakistan. SMART PLS version 3.2.8 was used for path analysis of 316 responses and for structural equation modeling. The research findings include the direct influence of TOE factors (relative advantage, interactivity, visibility, top management support, and institutional pressure) on SMEs' SM adoption, and in turn SM adoption also has a positive influence on SMEs performance. Moreover, the coefficient of determination of the study showed that 77.7% of the variation in SM adoption occurs because of TOE factors and 29.8% variation in SMEs occurred because of SM adoption. This paper has implications for practitioners and scholars interested in exploring the SM adoption and usage by SMEs.

A study of Koreans and Mexicans opinion's of Korean society's perception of Mexico (한국인과 멕시코인의 관점에서 한국사회가 가지는 멕시코에 대한 인식에 관한연구)

  • Coutino Lopez, Gloriana;Kim, Boyeun
    • Journal of Digital Convergence
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    • v.16 no.7
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    • pp.401-408
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    • 2018
  • In the past years, the influx of Korean tourists to international destinations has seen a significant rise, especially in non-Asian countries. However, Mexico is still far from a popular destination to the average Korean tourist. Using Keller's brand equity model, this paper researches Koreans' opinions and general brand image of Mexico in an attempt to identify both the positive and negative perceptions they have of this country. Keller's brand model analyses four different levels of engagement between the customers and the brand. We want to know the degree to which Koreans have been engaged in Mexico as a brand nation and as a tourist destination. Research findings through this study will reveal the needs and insights that offer opportunities relevant for the planning, creation, design and development of new approaches for Mexico's nation brand promotion.

Consumer Perceptions and Consumer Behavior Toward Bio-Based Products: An Empirical Study in Vietnam

  • NGUYEN, Trong Luan;TRAN, Ngoc Phu;NGUYEN, Thi Kieu Thu;HUYNH, Thi Cam Tien;NGUYEN, Thi Kim Loi;THACH, Le Phuong Nghi;THAI, Gia Nhu;TRAN, Thi Thanh Sang
    • The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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    • v.8 no.12
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    • pp.211-222
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    • 2021
  • Green economy, also known as sustainable economy, is a current development trend in which consumers prefer products that are wholly or partly derived from materials of biological origin since they have become more concerned about their health and the environment in which they live. This study aims to examine consumer behavior toward bio-based products with three key goals in mind. First, it helps to understand the perception of consumers toward Bio-based products. Second, it properly helps consumers be aware of products derived from materials of biological origin so that the consumer can make purchasing decisions to protect their health and contribute to the protection of the environment. Third, the study on consumer behavior towards bio-based products will provide a more accurate view and assessment to companies looking to develop Bio-based products. Based on that, the research is carried out through surveying, collecting data from consumers, and then using the deductive approach, descriptive statistics, and quantitative method analysis. The results demonstrated that a positive relationship and a direct impact are established between the variables of Attitude and Social Norms and the Purchase Intention toward Bio-based products. Furthermore, the findings reveal that customers have positive feelings towards bio-based products in terms of trust, knowledge, and the environment.

Investigating Green Marketing Orientation Practices among Green Small and Medium Enterprises

  • RAJADURAI, Jegatheesan;ZAHARI, Abdul Rahman;ESA, Elinda;BATHMANATHAN, Vathana;ISHAK, Nur Afiqah Mohammad
    • The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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    • v.8 no.1
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    • pp.407-417
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    • 2021
  • This study aims to establish the relationship between the Green Marketing Orientation (GMO) variables and the performance of Green Small and Medium Enterprises (GSMEs) across the building and energy sectors in Malaysia, using customer satisfaction as a means of performance measurement. The GMO variables examined include Greening the Process (GTP), Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM), Green Strategic Policy Initiatives (GSPI), Proactive Energy Conservation (PEC) and Green Promotion (GP). The items used to measure these variables were extracted from literature and adapted to the context of the variables based on feedback from Focus Group Discussions and Expert Opinion sessions. This study employs a survey sample of 300 respondents but only 238 completed questionnaires were returned. The results reveal that GTP, GSCM and PEC have a positive impact on Customer Satisfaction but not GSPI and GP. The findings suggest that owners or managers of GSMEs should focus on maintaining and improving GTP, GSCM and PEC in order to create greater satisfaction among their customers. The significance of this study is that it enables the creation of a framework that enables GSMEs to design a pathway towards achieving a cleaner production of goods and services in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Impacts of Corporate Social Responsibility and Authenticity on Brand Loyalty: Evidence from the Chain Coffee Shop Industry in Vietnam

  • MAI, Thi Cam Tu;NGUYEN, Hong Son;PHAN, Nguyen Ngoc Diem;LE, Minh Hang;LUU, Phuong Khanh;NGUYEN, Thi Thu Thao;NGUYEN, Thi Thu Trang
    • The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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    • v.9 no.6
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    • pp.159-173
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    • 2022
  • This study examines the impact of CSR and its authenticity on customer loyalty through the brand image in the chain coffee shop industry. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, 601 survey questionnaires were distributed, of which 491 were analyzed. The results show that CSR has a positive impact on brand image and customer loyalty. In addition, authenticity does not moderate the impact of CSR on brand image and loyalty, as it is difficult for customers to verify the authenticity of CSR action programs. This study emphasizes the importance of CSR action programs and authenticity for businesses to sustainably enhance their distinctive brand image and customer loyalty. Therefore, for sustainable development in the future, managers of coffee shop chains need to focus on the following issues. First, the most important thing is the right awareness of businesses regarding CSR and CSR authenticity. Third, businesses should strengthen the transparency of CSR action programs in various media so that consumers can easily verify authenticity, to increase brand image and improve customer loyalty.

The Cross-Cultural Study about Effects of Service Quality Dimensions on CS in Korea and China (할인점 서비스품질의 각 차원이 CS에 미치는 영향에 대한 한(韓).중(中)간 비교 문화적 연구)

  • Noh, Eun-Jeong;Seo, Yong-Goo
    • Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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    • v.19 no.1
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    • pp.23-35
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    • 2009
  • A hypermarket as the one of the most globally standardized retailing format is also the type of store among various types of stores that the most active in expanding into other foreign markets. Recently, as several Korean retailing companies start to penetrate into Chinese market they differentiate themselves with modern facilities and customers service oriented high-end concept. China and Korea as Far East Asian countries share many common values, however precise and careful analysis should be carried out since there may also be critical differences in socio-economic aspects as well as in consumption patterns due to the level of development stages of retail industry among two countries. Even though precise and careful study is crucial on Chinese retailing market and consumers, none of researches and studies on 'how the quality of service dimensional structure is different between Korea and China', and 'what will be the most important and influential service dimensional factors for Chinese consuers compared to the hypermarkets customers in Korea' in order to improve the level of Chinese consumers satisfaction' have been fulfilled At this point of view, this study uses KD-SQS (Rho Eun Jung & Sir Yong Gu, 2008) which is a measure of Korean hypermarkets service quality to set up a hypothesis on Korean and Chinese consumers, and an empirical analysis is conducted. We try to get the answers about how the comparative importance of Service quality dimensions which decides the level of customer satisfaction is different depending on the cultural dimensions and socio-economic factors among two countries, Korea and China. Based upon the results, we try to give a valuable suggestion of what service dimensional factors should be reinforced to improve the level of CS in Chinese retailing market. Hypotheses for this study are as follows : H1. Each dimension of Service Quality significantly affects the level of CS H2. The effect of 'Basic Benefit' in service quality dimensions on the level of CS is greater in China than in Korea H3. The effect of 'Promotion' in service quality dimensions on the level of CS is greater in China than in Korea H4. The effect of 'Physical Aspects'in service quality dimensions on the level of CS is greater in Korea than in China. H5. The effect of 'Personal Interaction' in service quality dimensions on the level of CS is greater in China than in Korea H6. The effect of 'Policy' in service quality dimensions on the level of CS will be greater in Korean than in China H7. The effect of additional convenience in service quality dimensions on the level of CS will be greater in Korean than in China. More than 1,100 data were collected directly from the surveys of Chinese and Korean consumers in order to verify the hypotheses above. In Korea, stores which have floor space of over $9,000m^2$and opened later than year 2000 were selected for the samples, and thus Gayang, Wolgye, Sangbong, Eunpyeong, Suh-Suwon, Gojan stores and their customers were surveyed. In China, notable differences in the income levels and consumer behaviors between cities and regions were considered, and thus the research area was limited to the stores only in Shanghai. 6 stores which have the size of over $6,000m^2$ and opened later than 2000, such as Ruihong, Intu, Mudanjang, Sanrin, Raosimon, and Ranchao stores were selected for the survey. SPSS 12.0 and AMOS 7.0 were used as statistical tools, and exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and multi-group analysis were conducted. In order to carry out a multi group analysis that decides whether the structure variables which shows the different effects of 6 service dimensions in Korean and Chinese groups is statistically valid, configural invariance, metric invariance, and structural invariance are tested in order. At the results of the tests, 3 out of 7 hypotheses were supported and other 4 hypotheses were denied. According to the study, 4 dimensions (Basic Benefit, Physical Environment, Policy, and additional convenience) were positively correlated with CS in Korea, and 3 dimensions (i.e. basic benefit, policy, additional convenience) were significant in China. However, the significance of the service-dimensions was turned out to be partially different in Korea and China. The Basic Benefit is more influential in deciding the level of CS in china than Korea, however Physical Aspect is more important factor in Korea. 'Policy dimension' did not make significant difference between two countries. In the 'additional convenience dimension', the differences in 'socio-economic factors' than in'cultural background' were considered as more important in Chinese consumers than Korean. Overall, the improvement of Service quality will be crucial factors to increase the level of CS in Chinese market same as Korean market. In addition, more emphases need to be placed on the service qualities of 'Basic Benefit' and 'additional convenience' dimensions in China. In particular, 'low price' and 'product diversity' that constitute 'Basic Benefit' are proved to be comparatively disadvantageous and weak points of Korean companies compared to global players, and thus the prompt strengthening those dimensions would be urgent for Korean retailers. Moreover, additional conveniences such as various tenants and complex service and entertaining area will be more important in China than in Korea. Besides, Applying advanced Korean Hypermaret`s customer policy to Chinese consumers will help to get higher reliability and to differentiate themselves to other competitors. However, as personal interaction, physical aspect, promotions were proved as not significant for the level of CS in China, Korean companies need to reconsider the priority order of resource allocations when they tap into Chinese market.

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Brand Equity and Purchase Intention in Fashion Products: A Cross-Cultural Study in Asia and Europe (상표자산과 구매의도와의 관계에 관한 국제비교연구 - 아시아와 유럽의 의류시장을 중심으로 -)

  • Kim, Kyung-Hoon;Ko, Eun-Ju;Graham, Hooley;Lee, Nick;Lee, Dong-Hae;Jung, Hong-Seob;Jeon, Byung-Joo;Moon, Hak-Il
    • Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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    • v.18 no.4
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    • pp.245-276
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    • 2008
  • Brand equity is one of the most important concepts in business practice as well as in academic research. Successful brands can allow marketers to gain competitive advantage (Lassar et al.,1995), including the opportunity for successful extensions, resilience against competitors' promotional pressures, and the ability to create barriers to competitive entry (Farquhar, 1989). Branding plays a special role in service firms because strong brands increase trust in intangible products (Berry, 2000), enabling customers to better visualize and understand them. They reduce customers' perceived monetary, social, and safety risks in buying services, which are obstacles to evaluating a service correctly before purchase. Also, a high level of brand equity increases consumer satisfaction, repurchasing intent, and degree of loyalty. Brand equity can be considered as a mixture that includes both financial assets and relationships. Actually, brand equity can be viewed as the value added to the product (Keller, 1993), or the perceived value of the product in consumers' minds. Mahajan et al. (1990) claim that customer-based brand equity can be measured by the level of consumers' perceptions. Several researchers discuss brand equity based on two dimensions: consumer perception and consumer behavior. Aaker (1991) suggests measuring brand equity through price premium, loyalty, perceived quality, and brand associations. Viewing brand equity as the consumer's behavior toward a brand, Keller (1993) proposes similar dimensions: brand awareness and brand knowledge. Thus, past studies tend to identify brand equity as a multidimensional construct consisted of brand loyalty, brand awareness, brand knowledge, customer satisfaction, perceived equity, brand associations, and other proprietary assets (Aaker, 1991, 1996; Blackston, 1995; Cobb-Walgren et al., 1995; Na, 1995). Other studies tend to regard brand equity and other brand assets, such as brand knowledge, brand awareness, brand image, brand loyalty, perceived quality, and so on, as independent but related constructs (Keller, 1993; Kirmani and Zeithaml, 1993). Walters(1978) defined information search as, "A psychological or physical action a consumer takes in order to acquire information about a product or store." But, each consumer has different methods for informationsearch. There are two methods of information search, internal and external search. Internal search is, "Search of information already saved in the memory of the individual consumer"(Engel, Blackwell, 1982) which is, "memory of a previous purchase experience or information from a previous search."(Beales, Mazis, Salop, and Staelin, 1981). External search is "A completely voluntary decision made in order to obtain new information"(Engel & Blackwell, 1982) which is, "Actions of a consumer to acquire necessary information by such methods as intentionally exposing oneself to advertisements, taking to friends or family or visiting a store."(Beales, Mazis, Salop, and Staelin, 1981). There are many sources for consumers' information search including advertisement sources such as the internet, radio, television, newspapers and magazines, information supplied by businesses such as sales people, packaging and in-store information, consumer sources such as family, friends and colleagues, and mass media sources such as consumer protection agencies, government agencies and mass media sources. Understanding consumers' purchasing behavior is a key factor of a firm to attract and retain customers and improving the firm's prospects for survival and growth, and enhancing shareholder's value. Therefore, marketers should understand consumer as individual and market segment. One theory of consumer behavior supports the belief that individuals are rational. Individuals think and move through stages when making a purchase decision. This means that rational thinkers have led to the identification of a consumer buying decision process. This decision process with its different levels of involvement and influencing factors has been widely accepted and is fundamental to the understanding purchase intention represent to what consumers think they will buy. Brand equity is not only companies but also very important asset more than product itself. This paper studies brand equity model and influencing factors including information process such as information searching and information resources in the fashion market in Asia and Europe. Information searching and information resources are influencing brand knowledge that influences consumers purchase decision. Nine research hypotheses are drawn to test the relationships among antecedents of brand equity and purchase intention and relationships among brand knowledge, brand value, brand attitude, and brand loyalty. H1. Information searching influences brand knowledge positively. H2. Information sources influence brand knowledge positively. H3. Brand knowledge influences brand attitude. H4. Brand knowledge influences brand value. H5. Brand attitude influences brand loyalty. H6. Brand attitude influences brand value. H7. Brand loyalty influences purchase intention. H8. Brand value influence purchase intention. H9. There will be the same research model in Asia and Europe. We performed structural equation model analysis in order to test hypotheses suggested in this study. The model fitting index of the research model in Asia was $X^2$=195.19(p=0.0), NFI=0.90, NNFI=0.87, CFI=0.90, GFI=0.90, RMR=0.083, AGFI=0.85, which means the model fitting of the model is good enough. In Europe, it was $X^2$=133.25(p=0.0), NFI=0.81, NNFI=0.85, CFI=0.89, GFI=0.90, RMR=0.073, AGFI=0.85, which means the model fitting of the model is good enough. From the test results, hypotheses were accepted. All of these hypotheses except one are supported. In Europe, information search is not an antecedent of brand knowledge. This means that sales of global fashion brands like jeans in Europe are not expanding as rapidly as in Asian markets such as China, Japan, and South Korea. Young consumers in European countries are not more brand and fashion conscious than their counter partners in Asia. The results have theoretical, practical meaning and contributions. In the fashion jeans industry, relatively few studies examining the viability of cross-national brand equity has been studied. This study provides insight on building global brand equity and suggests information process elements like information search and information resources are working differently in Asia and Europe for fashion jean market.

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Sales Commission of Department Store and Policy Implications (백화점의 판매수수료 현황 및 정책대응 방안)

  • Lee, Jung-Hee;Hwang, Seong-Huyk;Kim, Sung-Min
    • Journal of Distribution Research
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    • v.15 no.5
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    • pp.37-60
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    • 2010
  • Department Stores have been in place as typical large-scale retailer in Korean retail market. After Asian financial crisis in 1997, the market share of major three department stores has been increased and they have had a dominant position in relationship with vendors or manufacturers. Thus, they are able to control sales commission. Sales commission is defined as things that department stores which contribute to products sales instead of manufacturers take some portion of price as their revenue. In other words, vendors or manufacturers pay some amount of money from their sales by contracted ratio to department stores. The problem is that vendors or manufacturers think that sales commission is high. However, department stores have a different opinion that sales commission is not high because they generate new value from gathering customers and doing marketing activity on behalf of vendors or manufacturers. Because department stores have operated with business model of renting sales space to vendors or manufacturers instead of buying goods directly from them, this situation has been taken place. The revenue of department stores depend on sales commission. Thus, they want to get a dominant power to control sales commission in relationship with vendors or manufacturers. So, they have tried to increase their size and brand power. The considered policies related in sales commission of department stores are as following: preventing monopoly or oligopoly of department store, being strength of monitoring for department stores' unfair trade, strict enforcement of law for large-scale retailer's unfair trade, and inducing win-win strategy doing voluntarily by department stores.

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The Research of Improvement and Development Process for protection in Korea Private Security (한국 신변보호업의 발전과정과 개선방안 연구)

  • Park, Jang Gyu;Kim, Nam Joong
    • Convergence Security Journal
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    • v.13 no.2
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    • pp.33-43
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    • 2013
  • The Private Security Industry of Korea began after served security service for the United States army of 8 division. The industry grew up after establish private security regulation on December 31th of 1976. Early 1980's the industry was accelerated from bringing technical knowledge of developed nations rapidly. Also, private security was gotten into the spotlight by one of futurity industry instead public security after companies performed 86 Asian game and 88 Seoul Olympic successfully. Therefore, the industry became to increase qualitatively and quantitatively. From late 1990's the private security regulations were revised fifteen times and created about education system, bodyguard, and leader of security. 3,836 private companies and 150,030 private guards had operated until 2012. However, some of companies received administrative measure, because of the companies ran immorally. The minor companies are continuously closed down from the leader's inefficient operation. Approval standard of establishment has imperfect law. Solutions of problems are to provide high quality service, to expand company affairs, to attract specific customers through efficiency expert, to change standard of leader of security guards, to establish security education institution through the government and to intensify requirements to establish the company.

The Post-IMF firm strategy and the corporate restructuring in the heavy & chemical industrial district: the case of Ulsan, Korea (울산 중화학공업의 재구조화 특성 - IMF 체제 이후의 기업전략을 중심으로 -)

  • Park, Yang-Choon
    • Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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    • v.7 no.2
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    • pp.17-34
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    • 2001
  • This paper is to analyze how firms in a large firm-led industrial city have carried out the restructuring in the face of radical shifts, with focus on the strategy and the restructuring of firms in Ulsan, a typical industrial district in Korea that is specialized in heavy & chemical industry. It has been well known that the local economy has been led by a small number of large firms, including affiliates of chaebol, and its industrial structure has also been characterised as a clear dichotomy between large firms as a customer and small and medium-size firms as a supplier, which can be called not horizontal but vertical relations. It can identify some tendencies, however, that local companies have been rather dynamically changing in response to increasingly turbulent environment since the Asian crisis. Some are radical, but some incremental. These can be summarized in four distinctive but interlinked ways. First, more than half of local companies surveyed have attempted to change their production systems, mainly from the fordist mass production towards the flexible mass production, seeking both economies of scale and scope. Second, local firms have vigorously continued to reorganize the boundary of the production and the organization, by specializing products and focusing on the core competence in order to save costs and cope with radically changing customer demands in a flexible way. Third, there have been various strategies for the organizational innovation such as the introduction of team organization, the boundary blurring between the managerial and production workers and the intra-firm spin-offs, so as to improve managerial efficiency and competence in the use of internal labour market. Finally, they have tried to be more sensitive to the market and customers. These tendencies seem to be increasingly critical to sustain their competitiveness. To do so, they tend to focus increasingly not only on the competing via the product quality rather than through price, but also to seek to diversify the market and customer firms beyond national boundary.

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