• Title/Summary/Keyword: Channel Environment

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A Qualitative Study on Facilitating Factors of User-Created Contents: Based on Theories of Folklore (사용자 제작 콘텐츠의 활성화 요인에 대한 정성적 연구: 구비문학 이론을 중심으로)

  • Jung, Seung-Ki;Lee, Ki-Ho;Lee, In-Seong;Kim, Jin-Woo
    • Asia pacific journal of information systems
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    • v.19 no.2
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    • pp.43-72
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    • 2009
  • Recently, user-created content (UCC) have emerged as popular medium of on-line participation among users. The Internet environment has been constantly evolving, attracting active participation and information sharing among common users. This tendency is a significant deviation from the earlier Internet use as an one-way information channel through which users passively received information or contents from contents providers. Thanks to UCCs online users can now more freely generate and exchange contents; therefore, identifying the critical factors that affect content-generating activities has increasingly become an important issue. This paper proposes a set of critical factors for stimulating contents generation and sharing activities by Internet users. These factors were derived from the theories of folklores such as tales and songs. Based on some shared traits of folklores and UCC content, we found four critical elements which should be heeded in constructing UCC contents, which are: context of culture, context of situation, skill of generator, and response of audience. In addition, we selected three major UCC websites: a specialized contents portal, a general internet portal, and an official contents service site, They have different use environments, user interfaces, and service policies, To identify critical factors for generating, sharing and transferring UCC, we traced user activities, interactions and flows of content in the three UCC websites. Moreover, we conducted extensive interviews with users and operators as well as policy makers in each site. Based on qualitative and quantitative analyses of the data, this research identifies nine critical factors that facilitate contents generation and sharing activities among users. In the context of culture, we suggest voluntary community norms, proactive use of copyrights, strong user relationships, and a fair monetary reward system as critical elements in facilitating the process of contents generation and sharing activities. Norms which were established by users themselves regulate user behavior and influence content format. Strong relationships of users stimulate content generation activities by enhancing collaborative content generation. Particularly, users generate contents through collaboration with others, based on their enhanced relationship and specialized skills. They send and receive contents by leaving messages on website or blogs, using instant messenger or SMS. It is an interesting and important phenomenon, because the quality of contents can be constantly improved and revised, depending on the specialized abilities of those engaged in a particular content. In this process, the reward system is an essential driving factor. Yet, monetary reward should be considered only after some fair criterion is established. In terms of the context of the situation, the quality of contents uploading system was proposed to have strong influence on the content generating activities. Among other influential factors on contents generation activities are generators' specialized skills and involvement of the users were proposed. In addition, the audience response, especially effective development of shared interests as well as feedback, was suggested to have significant influence on contents generation activities. Content generators usually reflect the shared interest of others. Shared interest is a distinct characteristic of UCC and observed in all the three websites, in which common interest is formed by the "threads" embedded with content. Through such threads of information and contents users discuss and share ideas while continuously extending and updating shared contents in the process. Evidently, UCC is a new paradigm representing the next generation of the Internet. In order to fully utilize this innovative paradigm, we need to understand how users take advantage of this medium in generating contents, and what affects their content generation activities. Based on these findings, UCC service providers should design their websites as common playground where users freely interact and share their common interests. As such this paper makes an important first step to gaining better understand about this new communication paradigm created by UCC.

A Study on the Installation of Groyne using Critical Movement Velocity and Limiting Tractive Force (이동한계유속과 한계소류력을 활용한 수제 설치에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Yeong Sik;Park, Shang Ho;An, Ik Tae;Choo, Yeon Moon
    • Journal of Wetlands Research
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    • v.22 no.3
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    • pp.194-199
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    • 2020
  • Unlike in the past, the world is facing water shortages due to climate change and difficulties in simultaneously managing the risks of flooding. The Four Major Rivers project was carried out with the aim of realizing a powerful nation of water by managing water resources and fostering the water industry, and the construction period was relatively short compared to the unprecedented scale. Therefore, the prediction and analysis of how the river environment changes after the Four Major Rivers Project is insufficient. Currently, part of the construction section of the Four Major Rivers Project is caused by repeated erosion and sedimentation due to the effects of sandification caused by large dredging and flood-time reservoirs, and the head erosion of the tributaries occurs. In order to solve these problems, the riverbed maintenance work was installed, but it resulted in erosion of both sides of the river and the development of new approaches and techniques to keep the river bed stable, such as erosion and excessive sedimentation, is required. The water agent plays a role of securing a certain depth of water for the main stream by concentrating the flow so much in the center and preventing levee erosion by controlling the flow direction and flow velocity. In addition, Groyne products provide various ecological environments by forming a natural form of riverbeds by inducing local erosion and deposition in addition to the protection functions of the river bank and embankment. Therefore, after reviewing the method of determining the shape of the Groyne structure currently in use by utilizing the mobile limit flow rate and marginal reflux force, a new Critical Movement Velocity(${\bar{U}}_d$) and a new resistance coefficient formula considering the mathematical factors applicable to the actual domestic stream were developed and the measures applicable to Groyne installation were proposed.

The Grazing Rates and Community Dynamics of Zooplankton in the Continuous River Stretch Ecosystem Include with Brackish Zone (기수 지역을 포함한 연속적인 강 구획 생태계 내에서의 동물플랑크톤의 군집 동태와 섭식율)

  • Kim, Hyun-Woo
    • Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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    • v.39 no.4 s.118
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    • pp.462-470
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    • 2006
  • The zooplankton community dynamics and grazing experiments was evaluated along a 40 km section of the lower Seomjin river system. Zooplankton was sampled twice a month from January 2005 to June 2006 at three sites (River mouth; RKO, Seomjin bridge: RK12 and Gurae bridge: RK36) in the main river channel. During the study period, the values of most limnological parameters in the three sites were fairly similar, except for conductivity. Annual variation of conductivity in River mouth and Seomjin bridge was more dramatic than which of the other site. There were statistically significant spatial and seasonal differences in zooplankton abundance (ANOVA, P<0.01). Total abundance of major zooplankton groups at both stations was much higher than in Gurae bridge. Among the macrozooplankton, cladocerans abundance was negligible in study sites during study periods. Community filtering rates (CFRs) for phytoplankton and bacteria varied from 0 to 50 mL $L^{-1}\;D^{-1}$ and from 0 to 45 mL $L^{-1}\;D^{-1}$, respectively. The spatial variation of CFRs for phytoplankton was significant (ANOVA, P<0.05). The CFRs of copepods for phytoplankton and bacteria was much higher than that of cladocerans at study sites. Total zooplankton filtering rates on bacteria were slightly lower than filtering rates on phytoplankton. The CFRs of microzooplankton (MICZ) for bacteria were much higher than for macrozooplankton (MACZ) at all sites. Considering the total zooplankton community, MICZ generally were more important than MACZ as grazers of bacteria and phytoplankton in freshwater zone, while MACZ were more important than MICZ as grazers of phytoplankton in brackish zone.

Toward a Social Sciences Methodology for Electronic Survey Research on the Internet or Personal Computer check (사회과학 연구에 있어 인터넷 및 상업용 통신망을 이용한 전자설문 조사방법의 활용)

  • Hong Yong-Gee;Lee Hong-Gee;Chae Su-Kyung
    • Management & Information Systems Review
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    • v.3
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    • pp.287-316
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    • 1999
  • Cyberspace permits us to more beyond traditional face-to-face, mail and telephone surveys, yet still to examine basic issues regarding the quality of data collection: sampling, questionnaire design, survey distribution, means of response, and database creation. This article address each of these issues by contrasting and comparing traditional survey methods(Paper-and-Pencil) with Internet or Personal Computer networks-mediated (Screen-and-Keyboard) survey methods also introduces researchers to this revolutionary and innovative tool and outlines a variety of practical methods for using the Internet or Personal Computer Networks. The revolution in telecommunications technology has fostered the rapid growth of the Internet all over the world. The Internet is a massive global network and comprising many national and international networks of interconnected computers. The Internet or Personal Computer Networks could be the comprehensive interactive tool that will facilitate the development of the skills. The Internet or Personal Computer Networks provides a virtual frontier to expand our access to information and to increase our knowledge and understanding of public opinion, political behavior, social trends and lifestyles through survey research. Comparable to other technological advancements, the Internet or Personal Computer Networks presents opportunities that will impact significantly on the process and quality of survey research now and in the twenty-first century. There are trade-offs between traditional and the Internet or Personal Computer Networks survey. The Internet or Personal Computer Networks is an important channel for obtaining information for target participants. The cost savings in time, efforts, and material were substantial. The use of the Internet or Personal Computer Networks survey tool will increase the quality of research environment. There are several limitations to the Internet or Personal Computer Network survey approach. It requires the researcher to be familiar with Internet navigation and E-mail, it is essential for this process. The use of Listserv and Newsgroup result in a biased sample of the population of corporate trainers. However, it is this group that participates in technology and is in the fore front of shaping the new organizations of interest, and therefore it consists of appropriate participants. If this survey method becomes popular and is too frequently used, potential respondents may become as annoyed with E-mail as the sometimes are with mail survey and junk mail. Being a member of the Listserv of Newsgroup may moderate that reaction. There is a need to determine efficient, effective ways for the researcher to strip identifiers from E-mail, so that respondents remain anonymous, while simultaneously blocking a respondent from responding to a particular survey instrument more than once. The optimum process would be on that is initiated by the researcher : simple, fast and inexpensive to administer and has credibility with respondents. This would protect the legitimacy of the sample and anonymity. Creating attractive Internet or Personal Computer Networks survey formats that build on the strengths of standardized structures but also capitalize on the dynamic and interactive capability of the medium. Without such innovations in survey design, it is difficult to imagine why potential survey respondents would use their time to answer questions. More must be done to create diverse and exciting ways of building an credibility between respondents and researchers on the Internet or Personal Computer Networks. We believe that the future of much exciting research is based in the Electronic survey research. The ability to communicate across distance, time, and national boundaries offers great possibilities for studying the ways in which technology and technological discourse are shaped. used, and disseminated ; the many recent doctoral dissertations that treat some aspect of electronic survey research testify to the increase focus on the Internet or Personal Computer Networks. Thus, scholars should begin a serious conversation about the methodological issues of conducting research In cyberspace. Of all the disciplines, Internet or Personal Computer Networks, emphasis on the relationship between technology and human communication, should take the lead in considering research in the cyberspace.

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Recent Progress in Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Research: A Review of Papers Published in the Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering in 2008 (설비공학 분야의 최근 연구 동향: 2008년 학회지 논문에 대한 종합적 고찰)

  • Han, Hwa-Taik;Choi, Chang-Ho;Lee, Dae-Young;Kim, Seo-Young;Kwon, Yong-Il;Choi, Jong-Min
    • Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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    • v.21 no.12
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    • pp.715-732
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    • 2009
  • This article reviews the papers published in the Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering during 2008. It is intended to understand the status of current research in the areas of heating, cooling, ventilation, sanitation, and indoor environments of buildings and plant facilities. Conclusions are as follows. (1) Research trends in thermal and fluid engineering have been surveyed in the categories of general fluid flow, fluid machinery and piping, new and renewable energy, and fire. Well-developed CFD technologies were widely applied in developing facilities and their systems. New research topics include fire, fuel cell, and solar energy. Research was mainly focused on flow distribution and optimization in the fields of fluid machinery and piping. Topics related to the development of fans and compressors had been popular, but were no longer investigated widely. Research papers on micro heat exchangers using nanofluids and micro pumps were also not presented during this period. There were some studies on thermal reliability and performance in the fields of new and renewable energy. Numerical simulations of smoke ventilation and the spread of fire were the main topics in the field of fire. (2) Research works on heat transfer presented in 2008 have been reviewed in the categories of heat transfer characteristics, industrial heat exchangers, and ground heat exchangers. Research on heat transfer characteristics included thermal transport in cryogenic vessels, dish solar collectors, radiative thermal reflectors, variable conductance heat pipes, and flow condensation and evaporation of refrigerants. In the area of industrial heat exchangers, examined are research on micro-channel plate heat exchangers, liquid cooled cold plates, fin-tube heat exchangers, and frost behavior of heat exchanger fins. Measurements on ground thermal conductivity and on the thermal diffusion characteristics of ground heat exchangers were reported. (3) In the field of refrigeration, many studies were presented on simultaneous heating and cooling heat pump systems. Switching between various operation modes and optimizing the refrigerant charge were considered in this research. Studies of heat pump systems using unutilized energy sources such as sewage water and river water were reported. Evaporative cooling was studied both theoretically and experimentally as a potential alternative to the conventional methods. (4) Research papers on building facilities have been reviewed and divided into studies on heat and cold sources, air conditioning and air cleaning, ventilation, automatic control of heat sources with piping systems, and sound reduction in hydraulic turbine dynamo rooms. In particular, considered were efficient and effective uses of energy resulting in reduced environmental pollution and operating costs. (5) In the field of building environments, many studies focused on health and comfort. Ventilation. system performance was considered to be important in improving indoor air conditions. Due to high oil prices, various tests were planned to examine building energy consumption and to cut life cycle costs.

Personalized Recommendation System for IPTV using Ontology and K-medoids (IPTV환경에서 온톨로지와 k-medoids기법을 이용한 개인화 시스템)

  • Yun, Byeong-Dae;Kim, Jong-Woo;Cho, Yong-Seok;Kang, Sang-Gil
    • Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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    • v.16 no.3
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    • pp.147-161
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    • 2010
  • As broadcasting and communication are converged recently, communication is jointed to TV. TV viewing has brought about many changes. The IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) provides information service, movie contents, broadcast, etc. through internet with live programs + VOD (Video on demand) jointed. Using communication network, it becomes an issue of new business. In addition, new technical issues have been created by imaging technology for the service, networking technology without video cuts, security technologies to protect copyright, etc. Through this IPTV network, users can watch their desired programs when they want. However, IPTV has difficulties in search approach, menu approach, or finding programs. Menu approach spends a lot of time in approaching programs desired. Search approach can't be found when title, genre, name of actors, etc. are not known. In addition, inserting letters through remote control have problems. However, the bigger problem is that many times users are not usually ware of the services they use. Thus, to resolve difficulties when selecting VOD service in IPTV, a personalized service is recommended, which enhance users' satisfaction and use your time, efficiently. This paper provides appropriate programs which are fit to individuals not to save time in order to solve IPTV's shortcomings through filtering and recommendation-related system. The proposed recommendation system collects TV program information, the user's preferred program genres and detailed genre, channel, watching program, and information on viewing time based on individual records of watching IPTV. To look for these kinds of similarities, similarities can be compared by using ontology for TV programs. The reason to use these is because the distance of program can be measured by the similarity comparison. TV program ontology we are using is one extracted from TV-Anytime metadata which represents semantic nature. Also, ontology expresses the contents and features in figures. Through world net, vocabulary similarity is determined. All the words described on the programs are expanded into upper and lower classes for word similarity decision. The average of described key words was measured. The criterion of distance calculated ties similar programs through K-medoids dividing method. K-medoids dividing method is a dividing way to divide classified groups into ones with similar characteristics. This K-medoids method sets K-unit representative objects. Here, distance from representative object sets temporary distance and colonize it. Through algorithm, when the initial n-unit objects are tried to be divided into K-units. The optimal object must be found through repeated trials after selecting representative object temporarily. Through this course, similar programs must be colonized. Selecting programs through group analysis, weight should be given to the recommendation. The way to provide weight with recommendation is as the follows. When each group recommends programs, similar programs near representative objects will be recommended to users. The formula to calculate the distance is same as measure similar distance. It will be a basic figure which determines the rankings of recommended programs. Weight is used to calculate the number of watching lists. As the more programs are, the higher weight will be loaded. This is defined as cluster weight. Through this, sub-TV programs which are representative of the groups must be selected. The final TV programs ranks must be determined. However, the group-representative TV programs include errors. Therefore, weights must be added to TV program viewing preference. They must determine the finalranks.Based on this, our customers prefer proposed to recommend contents. So, based on the proposed method this paper suggested, experiment was carried out in controlled environment. Through experiment, the superiority of the proposed method is shown, compared to existing ways.

Limnological Characteristics and Influences of Free-floating Plants on the Woopo Wetland during the Summer (하계우포습지의 육수학적 특성 및 부유수생식물의 영향)

  • Joo, Gea-Jae;Kim, Gu-Yeon;Park, Sung-Bae;Lee, Chan-Woo;Choi, Sang-Ho
    • Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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    • v.35 no.4 s.100
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    • pp.273-284
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    • 2002
  • During January 1998-October 1999, the impact of free-floating plants (FFP) on limnology of the wetland ecosystem was evaluated through the investigation of physicochemical characteristics of the Woopo Wetland along with in situ manipulation experiments of aquatic plants. Flooding events occurred in the wetland during the summer period (Jun.-Aug.) and water levels rose to 2-3 m due to precipitation from the catchment and inflow from the main channel of the Nakdong River. Physicochemical parameters and plankton dynamics in the wetland during the summer were greatly influenced by floods and growth of free-floating plants. Dissolved oxygen (Jun.-Sept., 4.5${\pm}$2.5 mg/1; Oct.-May, 8,1 ${\pm}$4.0 mg/1) and pH (Jun.-Sept., 6.9${\pm}$0.4; Oct.-May,7.4${\pm}$0.8) levels were significantly lower during the summer than any other seasons. Three types of enclosure experiments (100 L, treatments with floating plants, screened and opened) were conducted under the presence and absence of sediment for 15 days in the 1999 summer. The treatments with sediment had higher levels of nutrient concentrations than those of the others. Among the treatments with sediment, nutrient concentrations in the treatments with free-floating plants were higher than the others. Zooplankton communities in each treatment showed a similar variation, although the scale of zooplankton densities differed. Rotifer community dominated the zooplankton at the initial phase of the experiment, but decreased drastically along with an increase of cladoceran and copepod communities. In conclusion, low levels of dissolved oxygen and pH in the Woopo Wetland during the summer seemed to be caused by a proliferation of free-floating plants and active decomposition process at the bottom of the sediment.

Effect of Halophilic Bacterium, Haloarcula vallismortis, Extract on UV-induced Skin Change (호염 미생물(Haloarcula vallismortis) 용해물의 자외선유발 피부변화에 대한 효과)

  • Kim, Ji Hyung;Shin, Jae Young;Hwang, Seung Jin;Kim, Yun Sun;Kim, Yoo Mi;Gil, So Yeon;Jin, Mu Hyun;Lee, Sang Hwa
    • Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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    • v.41 no.4
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    • pp.341-350
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    • 2015
  • Skin carrys out protective role against harmful outer environment assaults including ultraviolet radiation, heavy metals and oxides. Especially, ultraviolet-B (UVB) light causes inflammatory reactions in skin such as sun burn and erythma and stimulates melanin pigmentation. Furthermore, the influx of UVB into skin cells causes DNA damage in keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts, inhibition of extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis which leads to a decrease in elasticity of skin and wrinkle formation. It also damages dermal connective tissue and disrupts the skin barrier function. Prolonged exposure of human skin to UVB light is well known to trigger severe skin lesions such as cell death and carcinogenesis. Haloarcula vallismortis is a halophilic microorganism isolated from the Dead Sea, Its growth characteristics have not been studied in detail yet. It generally grows at salinity more than 10%, but the actual growth salinity usually ranges between 20 to 25%. Because H. vallismortis is found mainly in saltern or salt lakes, there could exist defense mechanisms against strong sunlight. One of them is generation of additional ATP using halorhodopsin which absorbs photons and produces energy by potential difference formed by opening the chloride ion channel. It often shows a color of pink or red because of their high content of carotenoid pigments and it is considered to act as a defense mechanism against intense UV irradiation. In this study, the anti-inflammatory effect of the halophilic microorganism, H. vallismortis, extract was investigated. It was found that H. vallismortis extract had protective effect on DNA damage induced by UV irradiation. These results suggest that the extract of halophilic bacterium, H. vallismortis could be used as a bio-sunscreen or natural sunscreen which ameliorate the harmful effects of UV light with its anti-inflammatory and DNA protective properties.

Effects of Live Commerce and Show Host Attributes on Purchase Intention: Including the Mediating Effects of Content Flow (라이브 커머스 및 쇼 호스트 특성이 구매의도에 미치는 영향: 콘텐츠 몰입의 매개효과를 포함하여)

  • Kim, Sung Jong;Heo, Chul Moo
    • Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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    • v.16 no.3
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    • pp.177-191
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    • 2021
  • Due to the development of mobile devices and streaming technology, many changes in consumption patterns have appeared. In addition, social impact is becoming an era of non-face-to-face consumption due to the panthermic environment of COVID-19. Accordingly, in line with the non-face-to-face consumption trend, we focused on the importance of live commerce, which is emerging as a new distribution channel, and tried to investigate the causal relationship that the characteristics of live commerce and show hosts have on purchase intention. The respondents of this study were 235 general adults of live commerce users. Interaction, economics, entertainment as the characteristics of live commerce and attractiveness, professionality, and awareness as the characteristics of show hosts were set as independent variables. Purchase intention was set as the dependent variable, and content flow was set as the mediating variable. As a result of the study, it was found that the characteristics of live commerce such as Interaction, economics, entertainment, and the characteristics of show hosts such as attractiveness, professionality, and awareness all had a positive (+) significant effect on purchase intention. The impact was shown in the following order: entertainment of live commerce, awareness, attractiveness, professionality of show hosts, economics, interaction of live commerce. In addition, the results of the mediating effect of content flow on purchase intention are as follows. Content flow was found to play a mediating role between interaction, entertainment, attractiveness, professionality, awareness and purchase intention. On the other hand, economics was analyzed to have no mediating effect. The implications of this study are as follows. Companies and show hosts that sell products in live commerce should sell products that can inspire consumers rather than simply sell products. In addition, it is considered that content that provides entertainment and attractions gives pleasure to consumers. If not only a well-recognized show host, but also people with high recognition in various fields such as influencers and creators, become show hosts, consumers' content flow and purchase intentions will increase. And vendors must offer interesting content development and reasonable prices. Show hosts need to focus on active communication with consumers.

The Effect of Retailer-Self Image Congruence on Retailer Equity and Repatronage Intention (자아이미지 일치성이 소매점자산과 고객의 재이용의도에 미치는 영향)

  • Han, Sang-Lin;Hong, Sung-Tai;Lee, Seong-Ho
    • Journal of Distribution Research
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    • v.17 no.2
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    • pp.29-62
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    • 2012
  • As distribution environment is changing rapidly and competition is more intensive in the channel of distribution, the importance of retailer image and retailer equity is increasing as a different competitive advantages. Also, consumers are not functionally oriented and that their behavior is significantly affected by the symbols such as retailer image which identify retailer in the market place. That is, consumers do not choose products or retailers for their material utilities but consume the symbolic meaning of those products or retailers as expressed in their self images. The concept of self-image congruence has been utilized by marketers and researchers as an aid in better understanding how consumers identify themselves with the brands they buy and the retailer they patronize. Although self-image congruity theory has been tested across many product categories, the theory has not been tested extensively in the retailing. Therefore, this study attempts to investigate the impact of self image congruence between retailer image and self image of consumer on retailer equity such as retailer awareness, retailer association, perceived retailer quality, and retailer loyalty. The purpose of this study is to find out whether retailer-self image congruence can be a new antecedent of retailer equity. In addition, this study tries to examine how four-dimensional retailer equity constructs (retailer awareness, retailer association, perceived retailer quality, and retailer loyalty) affect customers' repatronage intention. For this study, data were gathered by survey and analyzed by structural equation modeling. The sample size in the present study was 254. The reliability of the all seven dimensions was estimated with Cronbach's alpha, composite reliability values and average variance extracted values. We determined whether the measurement model supports the convergent validity and discriminant validity by Exploratory factor analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis. For each pair of constructs, the square root of the average variance extracted values exceeded their correlations, thus supporting the discriminant validity of the constructs. Hypotheses were tested using the AMOS 18.0. As expected, the image congruence hypotheses were supported. The greater the degree of congruence between retailer image and self-image, the more favorable were consumers' retailer evaluations. The all two retailer-self image congruence (actual self-image congruence and ideal self-image congruence) affected customer based retailer equity. This result means that retailer-self image congruence is important cue for customers to estimate retailer equity. In other words, consumers are often more likely to prefer products and retail stores that have images similar to their own self-image. Especially, it appeared that effect for the ideal self-image congruence was consistently larger than the actual self-image congruence on the retailer equity. The results mean that consumers prefer or search for stores that have images compatible with consumer's perception of ideal-self. In addition, this study revealed that customers' estimations toward customer based retailer equity affected the repatronage intention. The results showed that all four dimensions (retailer awareness, retailer association, perceived retailer quality, and retailer loyalty) had positive effect on the repatronage intention. That is, management and investment to improve image congruence between retailer and consumers' self make customers' positive evaluation of retailer equity, and then the positive customer based retailer equity can enhance the repatonage intention. And to conclude, retailer's image management is an important part of successful retailer performance management, and the retailer-self image congruence is an important antecedent of retailer equity. Therefore, it is more important to develop and improve retailer's image similar to consumers' image. Given the pressure to provide increased image congruence, it is not surprising that retailers have made significant investments in enhancing the fit between retailer image and self image of consumer. The enhancing such self-image congruence may allow marketers to target customers who may be influenced by image appeals in advertising.

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