• Title/Summary/Keyword: Consumer's demand

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Impact of National Culture on Service Quality Evaluations : Comparison of Korea and Anglo-Saxon Countries (국가문화가 서비스품질의 평가에 미치는 영향 : 한국과 영·미권 국가의 비교)

  • Nam, Sung-Jip
    • Journal of Distribution Science
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    • v.13 no.11
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    • pp.93-100
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    • 2015
  • Purpose - The objective of this research is to investigate whether national culture influences consumers' service evaluations. The services industry is receiving increasing attention from academia and practitioners as its position grows in global markets. Standardization or localization is a traditional managerial decision in global business. As the boundaries of services expand across national borders, firms are required to decide whether to standardize services or adjust to local needs. Though it is imperative to reflect global perspectives in marketing theories, these perspectives are mostly based on Western conceptualization of the world. Through a comparison of consumer groups from two culturally remote countries, service quality evaluation mechanisms are examined based on similar stimuli. The study tries to expand service marketing perspectives across national borders. Research design, data, and methodology - Eastern and Western countries are known to be culturally distinct. One Eastern and one Western country were chosen: an Anglo-Saxon country (the U.S., England, and Australia) and South Korea. In Hofstede's cultural dimensions, the differences between the two are pronounced. The Anglo-Saxon based countries share many similarities. Samples of the same sites are targeted. Questionnaires using a service quality scale (SERVQUAL) and a customer satisfaction scale were distributed. Utilizing Hofstede's typology of culture, the service evaluation mechanisms of the respondents from the two groups are evaluated. Three hypotheses are proposed from the review of the literature. These are service evaluation habits, importance of service quality dimensions for the individualistic/collectivistic countries, and strong/weak uncertainty avoidance cultures. Consumers from the individualistic countries are considered to care about themselves and demand a higher level of responsiveness and assurance. On the other hand, consumers from high uncertainty avoidance cultures are assumed to rely more on tangible questions of service quality, as these are the only predictable service quality indicators. A t-test and regression analysis are applied to validate the constructs. Results - The respondents from the Anglo-Saxon countries are more generous on service evaluations than Koreans. Researchers have indicated that Americans tend to give higher service evolution scores than European, Mexican, and Korean counterparts. The tendency is the same here. The sample from Anglo-Saxon countries demonstrated higher service evaluation scores on every dimension of SERVQUAL. For the second hypothesis, the respondents from the collectivistic culture rely less on core service dimensions (assurance and responsiveness) due to their tendency to place more value on group harmony than individual interest. However, the third hypothesis was not validated. Conclusions - The study attempted to expand the scope of service marketing to reflect cross-national perspectives. Service quality is known to have a strong influence on customer satisfaction and loyalty behavior. However, this research demonstrated that individuals from different cultural territories respond heterogeneously to the same stimuli. Scholars argue that national cultures are main factors in such deviated behavior. Scholars and global managers should be aware of differences in consumer value judgment mechanisms such as satisfaction, expectations, and perceptions.

전력시장 소매가격의 규제가 사회후생에 미치는 영향

  • Kim, Hyeon-Suk;Lee, Su-Jin;Lee, Jeong-In
    • Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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    • v.21 no.1
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    • pp.93-127
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    • 2012
  • We estimate how much KEPCO can save their loss and how much social welfare can be increased by applying the real-time pricing instead of current regulated retail price in the electricity market in order to analyze the problem of the regulated retail price which is fixed below the marginal cost. We estimate the demand functions of peak time and off-peak time in summer (June to August) and winter (December to February). We construct the supply function based on hourly step-wise linear marginal cost functions, too. We find that the increase of social welfare will be 67 billion won in summer if the fixed retail price is changed into the real-time pricing scheme. The total 705 billion won will be transferred from consumer surplus to producer surplus and the rest (67 billion won) will be saved from the reduction of deadweight loss among KEPCO's loss. In winter, the increase of social surplus will be 225 billion won and 1,174 billion won of KEPCO's loss will be transferred from consumer surplus. As a result, we conclude that the regulation of the retail price in the electricity market induces the social welfare loss and KEPCO suffers a huge loss.

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Examining the Relationships among Attitude toward Luxury Brands, Customer Equity, and Customer Lifetime Value in a Korean Context (측시이한국위배경적사치품패태도(测试以韩国为背景的奢侈品牌态度), 고객자산화고객종신개치지간적관계(顾客资产和顾客终身价值之间的关系))

  • Kim, Kyung-Hoon;Park, Seong-Yeon;Lee, Seung-Hee;Knight, Dee K.;Xu, Bing;Jeon, Byung-Joo;Moon, Hak-Il
    • Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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    • v.20 no.1
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    • pp.27-34
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    • 2010
  • During the past 10 years, sales of luxury goods increased significantly to more than US$ 130 billion in 2007. In this industry, more than half of the revenue comes from Asia where the average income has risen significantly, and the demand for luxury products is forecast to grow rapidly. Purchasing luxury brands appears to be an intriguing social phenomenon that is profitable for companies in this region. As a newly developed country, Korea is one of the most attractive luxury markets in Asia. Currently, a total of 120 luxury fashion brands have entered the Korean market, primarily in luxury districts in Seoul where the competition is fierce. The purposes of this study are to: (1) identify antecedents of attitude toward luxury brands, (2) examine the effect of attitudes toward luxury brands on customer equity, (3) determine the impact of attitudes toward luxury brands on customer lifetime value, and (4) investigate the influence of customer equity on customer life time value. Previous studies have examined materialism, social need, experiential need, need for uniqueness, conformity, and fashion involvement as antecedents of attitude toward luxury brands. Richins and Dowson (1992) suggested that that materialism influences consumption behavior relative to quantity of goods purchased. Nueno and Quelch (1998) reported that the ownership of luxury brands conveys information related to the owner's social status, communicates an image of success and prestige, and is a determinant of purchase behavior. Experiential need is recognized as an important aspect of consumption, especially for new products developed to meet consumer demand. Since luxury goods, by definition are relatively scarce, ownership of these types of products may fulfill consumers' need for uniqueness. In this study, value equity, relationship equity, and brand equity are examined as drivers of customer equity. The sample (n = 114) was undergraduate and graduate students at two private women's universities in Seoul, Korea. Data collection was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire survey in March, 2009. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, factor analysis, reliability analysis, and regression analysis using SPSS 15.0 software. Data analysis resulted in a number of conclusions. First, experiential need and fashion involvement positively influence participants' attitude toward luxury brands. Second, attitude toward luxury brands positively influences brand equity, followed by value equity and relationship equity. However, there is no significant relationship between attitude toward luxury brand and customer lifetime value. Finally, relationship equity positively influences customer lifetime value. In conclusion, young consumers are an important potential consumer group that tries different brands to discover the ones most suitable for them. Luxury marketers that use effective marketing strategies to attract and engender loyalty among this potentially lucrative consumer group may increase customer equity and lifetime value.

A Study on Apparel Product Design Elements Applied to Quality Function Deployment -Focused on Middle-Aged and Aged Women's Formal Wear- (품질기능전개(QFD)를 이용한 의류제품 디자인 설계요소 연구 -중.노년층여성정장의 의류제품품질을 중심으로-)

  • Row, Young;Park, Jae-Ok
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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    • v.32 no.10
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    • pp.1509-1521
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    • 2008
  • The subjects of this study were middle-aged women in their 40s$\sim$50s and older women aged 60 and over who were living in Seoul and Kyonggi-do, Korea. Through studying the participants' responses to the questions regarding the attributes of apparel quality in terms of the levels of satisfaction and importance, the target consumers' demand has been studied. And, they are applied to a QFD Matrix, to find out the relationship between the attributes of product quality and the guidelines of clothing design. For this study, apparel product quality is composed of five parameters: practicality, aesthetics, brand image, ease of care and fit. For the parameters of apparel product quality, the result of this study show that product improvements are needed in fit, aesthetics and practicality(in order of importance). The level of satisfaction(how satisfied consumer feels) was marked higher in brand image than that of importance(how important it is). To review demands for the apparel product attributes of formal suits for middle-aged and older women, the priority of these attributes through QFD Matrix that shows the relationship between the attributes and dress elements emphasized by designers has been examined. Material was the most important design element in designing formal suits. The shape of the pants was the second because the harmony between the jacket and the pants is important in formal suits. These were followed by trim and color tone of the jacket.

The Utilization of Ice at Home in Seoul and Kyunggi-Do Area (서울 및 경기지역 가정에서의 얼음 사용 실태에 관한 연구)

  • 장정옥;이영미
    • Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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    • v.7 no.3
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    • pp.355-363
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    • 1997
  • This study was designed to investigate development points for automatic ice maker which met consumer's demand. Basic data about using ices in Korean's dietary life, were collected from Seoul and Kyunggi-do residences and analyzed by SPSS program. The results were as follows; 93.7% of respondents had 3 major domestic brands' refrigerator and 41.4% of them had medium-large capacity(400-519L). 65% of respondents had a refrigerator that was purchased less than five years. 15.5% of respondents had one more refrigerator. Among of them, major refrigerator was located in kitchen(67.7%) and minor was in kitchen(29.8%) and in veranda or multi-purpose room(26.3%). 66.2% of respondents always prepared ices in ice container, and 85% of them used ice only in summer. Boiling water with barley or corn was used as drinking water (45.6%) and boiled or purified tap water was used to make ice (38.6%) commonly. In cooking, ice was used especially in cold soup with cucumber and seaweed(89.9%), ice-tea or ice-coffee(81%), and fruit punch(64%). The next commonly using ice was adding in alcoholic beverage such as whiskey(57.4%), in Koreans traditional drink(Misugaru) (45.2%) and juice. The purpose of using ice was to cool in soft drink (58.6%), to cool in cooking food(19.9%), to eat ice itself(14.0%), and to enjoy more fantastic taste and mood(3.8%). In whiskey, the purpose of using ices was to control alcoholic content (52.9%). There was no significant difference between sex in the purpose of using ice, but there was significant differences between age(p<0.05). Seasonal variations in using ice, there were significant differences according to sex, age, roles in family, amount of preparation of ice, socio-economic level and brand and capacity of refrigerator in respondent's home.

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Anti-Bacterial Effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus Cell-Free Supernatant Possessing Lysozyme Activity Against Pathogenic Bacteria (라이소자임 활성을 보유한 Lactobacillus rhamnosus 배양물의 병원성 미생물에 대한 항균 효과)

  • Lee, Jiyeon;Lim, Hyeji;Kim, Misook
    • Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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    • v.24 no.4
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    • pp.330-343
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    • 2018
  • Recently, there has been a growing demand for natural preservatives because of increased consumer interest in health. In this study, we produced Lactobacillus rhamnosus cell-free supernatant (LCFS) and evaluated and compared its antimicrobial activity with existing natural preservatives against pathogenic microorganisms and in chicken breast meat contaminated with Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Lactobacillus rhamnosus cell-free supernatant possessed 30 units of lysozyme activity and contained 18,835 mg/L of lactic acid, 2,051 mg/L of citric acid and 5,060 mg/L of acetic acid. Additionally, LCFS inhibited the growth of fourteen pathogenic bacteria, S. aureus, Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Listeria innocua, S. epidermidis, L. ivanovii, E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Shigella sonnei, Shi. flexneri, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The antibacterial activity of LCFS was stronger than that of egg white lysozyme (EWL), Durafresh (DF) and grapefruit seed extract (GSE). Additionally, LCFS maintained its antimicrobial activity after heat treatment at $50^{\circ}C{\sim}95^{\circ}C$ and at pH values of 3~9. Moreover, LCFS inhibited the growth of E. coli and S. aureus in chicken breast meat. In conclusion, it is expected that LCFS, which contains both lysozyme and three organic acids, will be useful as a good natural preservative in the food industry.

A Study of an effective centralization of medical supply system. In Y University Medical Center (Y의료원의 물류 공급체계 중앙화 관리에 대한 연구)

  • Kwon, Soon-Chang;Kim, Young-Soo
    • Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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    • v.4 no.1
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    • pp.1-20
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    • 1999
  • Since the late 1980s, there have been radical changes in the managerial environment of Y University Medical Center(YUMC). Externally, the competition among hospitals has intensified due to the establishment of universal health insurance in 1939 and the entrance of large enterprises into the health care industry in the early 1990s. In addition, government regulation of medical institution is becoming stricter. Also, consumer groups have continued to demand the respect for patient rights and improvement of the quality of medical services. Internally, the financial condition of YUMC has worsened, not only because weak control and poor mediation in its large-scale structure have made its operation inefficient, but also because the rates of increase in the prices of goods and labor have grown faster than any increases in revenues. This study on materials management at YUMC presents a way for YUMC to reduce costs and increase its productivity, thereby overcoming its financial difficulties and dealing with external pressures. This study utilized the case studies of the materials purchasing and medical supply management in the United States and the comparative analysis of management to suggest short-term and long-term alternatives for innovation in YUMC. The goals of the short-term alternatives for innovation are to centralize the purchasing and supply departments and to simplify the decision-making processes. Through these attempts, it is estimated that YUMC's costs could be reduced by $600,000 per year. In the long-term, it is necessary to consider introducing a Supply Processing Distribution(SPD) system and setting up a centralized electronic system for supply and inventory management, although it is difficult to estimate the effect of cost-cutting because of the lack of analysis data. Thus, YUMC should thoroughly analyze initial investment costs and economical efficiency generated from long-term alternatives.

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A Study on the Activation Plans of Chinese Animation Industry (중국 애니메이션 산업의 활성화 방안에 관한 연구)

  • Yan, Ni;Zhang, Meng-Ze;Bae, Ki-Hyung
    • The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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    • v.19 no.3
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    • pp.236-251
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    • 2019
  • The animation industry is an emerging and promising industry of the 21st century, characterized by a wide range of consumer segments, high market demand, and a long life cycle of products. The paper is aimed at examining the current situation of the animation industry of Korea, the U.S., China and Japan, analyzing the success factors and presenting measures for activation of problems in China's animation industry, and contributing to the promotion of China's animation policies in the future. To realize this goal, the study methods were adopted literature review by using Internet data, statistical data, reports, papers and academic journals which are related to the Chinese animation industry and presented methods for activation. The aviations as follows, firstly, it is suggested actively train creative men of animation for profession. Secondly, it is advised to encourage the creativity and originality of Chinese animation works through various ways. Thirdly, it is suggested to develop an industry chain of animation which is suitable for the market circumstances. Fourthly, it needs to expand its viewer and strengthen its reality in the form and content of animation works.

Factors Affecting the Choice of Banks: Do Bank's Interest Rate, Employee Image and Brand Matter?

  • DAO, Le Kieu Oanh;LOC, Huynh Huu;NGUYEN, Van Chien;HANG, Le Thi Thuy;DO, Thi Tuyet
    • The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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    • v.8 no.1
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    • pp.457-470
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    • 2021
  • The banking system provides a number of important functions for the economy and is also the lifeblood and financier of the economy in each country. Large amounts of idle money have not been exploited by banks; however, banks still depend on loans, including loans from foreign banks, to meet the growing demand, as such, for banks, the cost of capital is high, the stability and business efficiency are low and banks have not promoted their internal resources to grow steadily. To achieve the goal, this research analyzes the factors affecting the choice of bank for the deposit decisions of customers in Vietnam. The study used a sample data of 250 individuals and SPSS software was used to analyze the data. The results showed that customer policy has a positive effect on customers' deposit decisions in a bank, and this is new evidence regarding behavioral theory in the case of Vietnam. Results further demonstrated that other factors such as employee image, brand, interest rate, relative influencing, and transaction time positively impact the choice of bank for the deposit decisions of customers. However, the bank's promotion strategies had no impact on the choice of bank for the deposit decisions of customers. Besides, employee image is the most influential factor in the deposit decisions, followed by the bank's brand and interest rate.

New Product Marketing Strategy: The Case of Binggrae's 'a Café la'

  • Yeu, Minsun;Lee, Doo-Hee;Kim, Sang Yong;Yoo, Shijin
    • Asia Marketing Journal
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    • v.14 no.3
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    • pp.169-184
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    • 2012
  • All firms require new stimulus to spurt growth. Therefore it is necessary to successfully develop new products and to employ appropriate marketing practices for the new products to enter and settle in the market. Binggrae, a Korean company that specializes in dairy and processed dairy products, introduced a ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee product, 'a Café la' to expand its business into the coffee market in 2008. Binggrae was a latecomer in the RTD coffee market but a Café la has shown an impressive average sales growth rate of 115% as of 2011 since the launch. Moreover, it is a steady bestselling coffee brand among the Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)bottle category. Binggrae found potential and opportunity in the growing coffee market and made efforts to develop a new product that can be differentiated from the existing products. The result was PET bottle coffee, which was more portable and convenient to drink than coffee products offered in cups or cans. PET bottle coffee is produced through the patented Aseptic Filing System, thus the original coffee flavor stays fresh when combined with milk and has a longer shelf life than coffee products in cups. Moreover, as the taste of coffee consumers has become more sophisticated, Binggrae developed a premium product by differentiating the product processing method and by using higher-quality Arabica beans. After launching the new product, the company also employed a well-designed communication strategy. First, Binggrae was able to confirm the level of market demand and market potential for the product by employing BTL (Below the Line) marketing strategies through the consumers' word-of-mouth. Afterwards, the company invested its resources for a full-scale ATL (Above the Line) marketing campaign. Later a Café la's TV commercial effectively portrayed the product's characteristics, and succeeded in raising consumer awareness of the product. As a result, a Café la has become the bestselling brand in the PET bottle coffee market. The successful new product marketing strategy of Binggrae'sa Café la offers many valuable implications for companies planning to launch new products in the future.

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