• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.83-105
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• 2013

During recent decades, the number of mixed attribute products (henceforth mixed products), which have both utilitarian and hedonic benefits, has increased dramatically. Despite these products' growing popularity, academic research has paid little attention to them, and there remains a gap between theory and the real world. Hence, our study was undertaken to understand consumers' perceptions about and behaviors toward mixed products, as well as factors affecting the evaluation and choice of these products. We divided mixed attribute products into two categories: mixed utilitarian products (utilitarian products adding hedonic attributes) and mixed hedonic products (hedonic products adding utilitarian attributes). We then showed how adding different attributes affects consumers' perception, willingness to pay (WTP), and the choice of mixed attribute products compared to pure utilitarian or pure hedonic products. We conducted an experiment using a within-subject design. A total of 160 office workers and college students participated in the study. The pure utilitarian product used in the study was orange juice, and the mixed utilitarian product was carbonated orange juice. The pure hedonic product was chocolate, and the mixed hedonic product was polyphenol enriched chocolate. Results showed that consumers perceived a mixed utilitarian product to be less utilitarian, less pleasurable and more guilty than a pure utilitarian product. On the other hand, a mixed hedonic product was perceived to be more utilitarian, less pleasurable and less guilty than a pure hedonic product. Also, WTP for a mixed hedonic product was higher than WTP for a pure hedonic product, but WTP was lower for a mixed utilitarian product than for a pure utilitarian product. Furthermore, mixed hedonic products were likely to be evaluated more favorably when they were presented together with pure hedonic products, more so than when they were presented alone. Finally, when compared to low self-control participants, high self-control participants chose mixed hedonic products more frequently. The present study contributes to the existing literature on utilitarian and hedonic consumption by adding to the sparse literature on the consumption of products that have both utilitarian and hedonic purposes. Also, our research findings provide several useful implications for practitioners in related fields. First, the current study provides marketers with a useful guide for understanding consumers' perceptions of these types of products, and helps to predict how adding different attributes influences these products. Second, this study has examined the conditions that may moderate the evaluation and choice of hedonic base products and this finding will serve as a good reference for marketers of mixed hedonic products in marketing communication strategy, in-store marketing and targeting. Specifically, comparative advertising with a pure hedonic product will be beneficial for a mixed hedonic product. Also, displaying mixed hedonic products near pure hedonic products may enhance the effectiveness of in-store marketing of mixed hedonic products.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.57-76
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• 2017

Recently, consumer needs are diversifying as information technologies are evolving rapidly. A lot of IT devices such as smart phones and tablet PCs are launching following the trend of information technology. While IT devices focused on the technical advance and improvement a few years ago, the situation is changed now. There is no difference in functional aspects, so companies are trying to differentiate IT devices in terms of appearance design. Consumers also consider design as being a more important factor in the decision-making of smart phones. Smart phones have become a fashion items, revealing consumers' own characteristics and personality. As the design and appearance of the smartphone become important things, it is necessary to examine consumer values from the design and appearance of IT devices. Furthermore, it is crucial to clarify the mechanisms of consumers' design evaluation and develop the design evaluation model based on the mechanism. Since the influence of design gets continuously strong, various and many studies related to design were carried out. These studies can classify three main streams. The first stream focuses on the role of design from the perspective of marketing and communication. The second one is the studies to find out an effective and appealing design from the perspective of industrial design. The last one is to examine the consumer values created by a product design, which means consumers' perception or feeling when they look and feel it. These numerous studies somewhat have dealt with consumer values, but they do not include product attributes, or do not cover the whole process and mechanism from product attributes to consumer values. In this study, we try to develop the holistic design evaluation model based on consumer values based on three-step approach from product attributes, perceived attributes, to consumer values. Product attributes means the real and physical characteristics each smart phone has. They consist of bezel, length, width, thickness, weight and curvature. Perceived attributes are derived from consumers' perception on product attributes. We consider perceived size of device, perceived size of display, perceived thickness, perceived weight, perceived bezel (top - bottom / left - right side), perceived curvature of edge, perceived curvature of back side, gap of each part, perceived gloss and perceived screen ratio. They are factorized into six clusters named as 'Size,' 'Slimness,' 'No-Frame,' 'Roundness,' 'Screen Ratio,' and 'Looseness.' We conducted qualitative research to find out consumer values, which are categorized into two: look and feel values. We identified the values named as 'Silhouette,' 'Neatness,' 'Attractiveness,' 'Polishing,' 'Innovativeness,' 'Professionalism,' 'Intellectualness,' 'Individuality,' and 'Distinctiveness' in terms of look values. Also, we identifies 'Stability,' 'Comfortableness,' 'Grip,' 'Solidity,' 'Non-fragility,' and 'Smoothness' in terms of feel values. They are factorized into five key values: 'Sleek Value,' 'Professional Value,' 'Unique Value,' 'Comfortable Value,' and 'Solid Value.' Finally, we developed the holistic design evaluation model by analyzing each relationship from product attributes, perceived attributes, to consumer values. This study has several theoretical and practical contributions. First, we found consumer values in terms of design evaluation and implicit chain relationship from the objective and physical characteristics to the subjective and mental evaluation. That is, the model explains the mechanism of design evaluation in consumer minds. Second, we suggest a general design evaluation process from product attributes, perceived attributes to consumer values. It is an adaptable methodology not only smart phone but also other IT products. Practically, this model can support the decision-making when companies initiative new product development. It can help product designers focus on their capacities with limited resources. Moreover, if its model combined with machine learning collecting consumers' purchasing data, most preferred values, sales data, etc., it will be able to evolve intelligent design decision support system.

• 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.

• Korean System Dynamics Review
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.25-49
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• 2013

As global competition for green car, that is environmentally friendly car, is getting tougher, the governments and the related industries are putting their core efforts in its diffusion. However, the green car sales are disappointing so far. To overcome the gridlock, it is necessary to develop concrete analytical framework to understand the diffusion process. Based on causal loop analysis from the previous work, we have identified main variables and relationships of them in the diffusion process and developed a stock-flow diagram and mathematical formula for the main components. The model would be applied for further quantitative simulation on the diffusion process of green car and other innovative goods as well. Also, we have suggested constructive insights for the policy makers and for the related industries. First, it is important to increase consumers' willingness to consider through marketing and word of mouth to accelerate the diffusion process. Second, in the perspective of the industry, the market share of green car should be increased at the earliest possible stage and this could be done by enhancing each components of green car attractiveness(e.g. price, driving range, social infra). Third, companies should develop a balanced investment between consumer and technology sector through a flexible financial policy. Fourth, the government continuously has the role of investing in the related R&D and social infra building. We expect the green car diffusion model and related formula from the research can provide meaningful tools to analyze the diffusion process of other new and innovative goods based on its deep researched literature review.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.67-80
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• 2022

In this study, I analyzed the inducing and hindering factors of online shopping malls on browsers in the process of browsing fashion products in online shopping malls. In-depth interviews were conducted by presenting browsing-related questions to women in their 20s and 50s who are interested in browsing fashion products online. Based on the answers of the interviewees, using grounded theory, we analyzed and presented six factors such as price factor, promotion factor, purchase review factor, visual information factor, product information factor, and service factor. Based on inducing and hindering factors to browsing analyzed in this study, a strategy to design a browsing environment in terms of shopping malls was suggested, which will be helpful for practical strategies and marketing in related industries. Basic data will be presented in a thesis on a new type of shopping mall browsing environment related to the rapidly developing information and communication technology. In addition, the negative emotions experienced in relation to the detrimental factors of shopping malls in the browsing process are expected to be helpful in researching fashion product browsing related to consumer psychology.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.249-261
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• 2010

As consumers' concern for the environment has continued to increase, many firms have actively engaged in environmental marketing to achieve their objectives. However, consumers' high concerns about the environment are not always reflected in their purchasing behavior. This indicates the need for an in-depth understanding of the development of green consumption within the individual's belief system. In consideration of psychological approaches, a large body of research has examined the factors underlying ecologically conscious "green" consumer behavior and the interrelationships of these factors. However, most previous studies have concentrated on Western countries. Using a sample of Korean consumers, this study attempts to understand the basis of Korean green consumerism and find universal values that are cross-culturally important in guiding consumers' environmental attitudes and behaviors. To this end, this study relates Schwartz's 10 universal values (Schwartz 1992) to environmental behaviors in a hierarchical model of value-attitude-behavior. With reference to the value-attitude-behavior framework, the conceptual model developed for the study explains what motivations can be manifested in Korean consumers' environmental attitudes, and subsequently how the attitudes affect their green choices. Using the pattern of relationships among values that can be related to environmentalism, the first hypothesis holds that there would be particular relationships between motivational value types and environmental attitudes. Hypothesis 2 assumes that environmental attitudes predict environmental behaviors. On the basis of the claim that favorable attitudes toward the environment may be expressed in many different behaviors, the assumption is that consumers' favorable attitudes toward the environment would be linked to a variety of environmental behaviors because people with high environmental attitudes can be more interested in and knowledgeable about environmental actions. Consistent with H2, H3 hypothesizes that there would be a positive relationship between different types of environmental behavior. A total of 564 university students participated in the study. The sample included 308 men, 254 women, and two participants who did not indicate their gender. The average age of the participants was 22.5 years, with a range of 19 to 39. Regarding majors, special efforts were made to draw the participants from different departments of the university. Data were collected by a survey administered via self-completion questionnaires., which assessed the participants' value priorities, environmental attitudes, and behaviors. Path analysis conducted to test the proposed model found the overall fit to be ${\chi}^2$=72.01 (p=0.00), GFI=0.983, CFI=0.982, NFI=0.970, RMR=0.070, and REMSEA=0.050. Thus, most of the fit measures indicated a good fit of the model with the data, and a hierarchical relationship from values to environmental attitudes to environmental non-purchasing behavior to environmental purchasing behavior was confirmed. An assessment of all the predicted paths by path coefficients led to several major hypothesized effects being confirmed. Out of the ten value types, universalism and power were significantly but conversely related to environmental attitudes. In line with the other studies, these findings confirm that environmental attitudes are an important factor in leading to a variety of green behaviors. Finally, significant relationships were found between environmental purchasing and non-purchasing behaviors. The path analysis supported the idea that universalism values provide a motivation for Korean consumers' greenness and indirectly promote environmental acts through favorable attitudes toward the environment. Participants with high environmental attitudes were found to actively engage in diverse forms of green consumer behavior. This research provides an opportunity to examine cross-cultural differences with respect to values leading to environmentalism, and, further, to verify previous findings. The study also examined the attitude-behavior relationship with respect to three distinct types of environmental behaviors. The different strengths of paths between green attitudes and behaviors suggest that researchers should consider the specificity of behavior explained as an effort to improve the low attitude-behavior correlation. Finally, the findings here illustrate that with increased environmental concerns among people, they come to include more such behaviors in their green portfolios.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.9 no.9
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• pp.53-62
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• 2018

Purpose - The focus of this study is to investigate the structural influences such as brand value, relationship value, market orientation, long-term orientation, and performance. The effects of brand value and relationship value on the differences on transaction performance in b2b was investigated. Research design, data, and methodology - The subject of this study was a liquor and beverage distribution company that deals in b2b. The research hypothesis is based on literature of the preceding research analysis of brand value, relationship value, market orientation and long-term orientation. This study has constructs that was defined operationally by referencing previous studies. Operational questionnaire was used to investigate the target key staff who work in the liquor and beverage distribution company. 178 survey data were used for empirical analysis to prove the hypothesis. This study used structural equation techniques(AMOS) to prove the research hypothesis. Results - The main results of this empirical study were as follows. First, supplier's brand awareness has a positive effect on market orientation, but did not affect long-term orientation. Brand awareness of suppliers indicates that they are not directly related to long-term orientation. Second, supplier's brand image has a positive effect on market orientation and long-term orientation in b2b transaction. So, the brand image and reputation of the supplier suggest that it is important for the b2b transaction to have a market orientation tendency or a long-term orientation. Third, supplier's relationship value has a positive effect on long-term orientation, but does not affect market orientation. Relationship value indicates that they are not directly related to market orientations of the buyer. Fourth, Market orientation has a positive effect on long-term orientation and marketing performance and long-term orientation has a positive effect on marketing performance in b2b. Additionally, the buyers market and long term orientation are important factors in marketing performance in b2b. ' Conclusions - Based on empirical results, this study confirmed that brand image rather than brand awareness positively influenced long-term orientation as well as market orientation in b2b. Relationship value can be found in transactions, which is important for long-term orientation. Especially, these findings are suggestive in the consumer goods distribution market.

• The Korean Journal of Franchise Management
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.15-25
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• 2016

Purpose - This study examined the effect of perceived corporate social responsibility (CSR) on cognitive trust, emotional trust, and loyalty among using Korean food buffet franchises. The result of this study is expected to provide practical implication to industry practitioners in expanding their understanding of the CSR effect in the marketing perspective. Research design, data, and methodology - The data was collected from a panel of online research companies who are over 20 years old and dined in at Korean style buffet franchise outlets more than five times. A total of 370 samples were used after eliminating outliers and missing data. the data were analyzed SEM with SPSS and AMOS. Result - The result of this study showed that: 1) social CSR activities have an effect only on emotional trust; 2) food-related CSR activities influence both cognitive trust and emotional trust; and 3) both cognitive trust and emotional trust have a significant impact on customer loyalty in Korean style buffet franchises. However, it is important to note that this study found no significant causal impact from environmental CSR activities. Furthermore, this study found that food-related CSR activities have the greater influence on the cognitive trust, and cognitive trust is more influential on the customer loyalty than the emotional trust. Conclusions - Based on the findings, this study provides practical implications to industry practitioners. First, that CSR has a significant impact on customer trust suggests that Korean style buffet franchises should focus on CSR activities to improve customer trust. Second, that food-related CSR activities have the greater influence on the cognitive trust implies that industry practitioners should reinforce food-related CSR activities as a marketing tool to enhance emotional trust and the overall credibility of their franchise. Third, we need to find CSR measures at the social level that can secure emotional trust so that customer loyalty can be formed. Fourth, Korean food buffet franchise food service companies should concentrate their efforts on CSR activities at food and social level among the three dimensions suggested by researchers in order to form customer loyalty. For next study, perceived concept of CSR on individual customer should be examined.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.99-122
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• 2005

This study intends to divide consumer's psychological attachment of pro-sport into the identification of attitudinal dimension and the identification of behavioral dimension. And then intends to examine the relationship effect between motivation variables associated with pro-sport team(concern with the team's ranking, ability of players, attraction of players) and inspection intention, sponsorship effect(sponsor brand attitude). Almost all previous studies measured such relationship at the fragmented level, then there were no previous studies on the complicated relationship between sport team and sponsorship. Because of mentioned facts, this study used structure equation model to verify such relationship. Briefly, verifying hypothesis is as follows. First, almost all motivations related to the team are connected behavioral identification through attitudinal identification. Second, when examining the relationship between psychological attachment and inspection intention, sponsorship brand attitude, psychological attachment had positive effect on inspection intention and sponsor brand attitude in the case of attitudinal identification, but it had positive effect on only inspection intention in the case of behavioral identification. Findings and corresponding implications are discussed & future research directions.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.484-495
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• 2004

In this paper appears that in this extremely attractive and growing services segment, academics, as well as practitioners, would benefit from investigating the relationships among the players' loyalty, word of mouth and flow, and the impacts of several other key game-related constructs on consumer behavioral intentions. A conceptual framework is proposed and a structural equation model is developed. This paper develops the exploratory LISREL model for identifying the factors affecting the players' loyalty for some specific brand of online games. The concept of flow, feedback, challenge, etc, are all introduced into the model, as the independent variables affecting the loyalty directly and indirectly. Statistical results show that depending upon the types of games, the configuration of structural equation model is a little different from each other, but overall results are very much intuitive in that challenge positively enforces flow, and flow strengthens loyalty. Other interesting results concerning game development strategy are also provided. It is hoped that this result might provide the useful guidelines for developing the successful online game contents. With a better understanding of the players' behavioral intentions, online game developers should be able to make adjustments in their development and marketing plans, providing them with a sustainable advantage over their competition.