• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.101-124
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• 2009

According to Wikipedia, virtual reality (VR) is defined as a technology that allows a user to interact with a computer-simulated environment. Due to a rapid growth in information technology (IT), the cost of virtual reality has been decreasing while the utility of virtual reality advertisements has dramatically increased. Nevertheless, only a few studies have investigated the effects of virtual reality advertisement on consumer behaviors. Therefore, the objective of this study is to empirically examine the effects of virtual reality advertisement. Compared to traditional online advertisements, virtual reality advertisement enables consumers to experience products realistically over the Internet by providing high media richness, interactivity, and telepresence (Suh and Lee, 2005). Advertisements with high media richness facilitate consumers' understanding of advertised products by providing them with a large amount and a high variety of information on the products. Interactivity also provides consumers with a high level of control over the computer-simulated environment in terms of their abilities to adjust the information according to their individual interests and concerns and to be active rather than passive in their engagement with the information (Pimentel and Teixera, 1994). Through high media richness and interactivity, virtual reality advertisements can generate compelling feelings of "telepresence" (Suh and Lee, 2005). Telepresence is a sense of being there in an environment by means of a communication medium (Steuer, 1992). Virtual reality advertisements enable consumers to create a perceptual illusion of being present and highly engaged in a simulated environment, while they are in reality physically present in another place (Biocca, 1997). Based on the characteristics of virtual reality advertisements, a research model has been proposed to explain consumer responses to the virtual reality advertisements. The proposed model includes two dimensions of consumer responses. One dimension is consumers' rational response, which is based on the Information Processing Theory. Based on the Information Processing Theory, product knowledge and perceived risk are selected as antecedents of intention to purchase. The other dimension is emotional response of consumers, which is based on the Attitude-Structure Theory. Based on the Attitude-Structure Theory, arousal, flow, and positive affect are selected as antecedents of intention to purchase. Because it has been criticized to have investigated only one of the two dimensions of consumer response in prior studies, our research model has been built so as to incorporate both dimensions. Based on the Attitude-Structure Theory, we hypothesized the path of consumers' emotional responses to a virtual reality advertisement: (H1) Arousal by the virtual reality advertisement increases flow; (H2) Flow increases positive affect; and (H3) Positive affect increases intension to purchase. In addition, we hypothesized the path of consumers' rational responses to the virtual reality advertisement based on the Information Processing Theory: (H4) Increased product knowledge through the virtual reality advertisement decreases perceived risk; and (H5) Perceived risk decreases intension to purchase. Based on literature of flow, we additionally hypothesized the relationship between flow and product knowledge: (H6) Flow increases product knowledge. To test the hypotheses, we conducted a free simulation experiment [Fromkin and Streufert, 1976] with 300 people. Subjects were asked to use the virtual reality advertisement of a cellular phone on the Internet and then answer questions about the variables. To check whether subjects fully experienced the virtual reality advertisement, they were asked to answer a quiz about the virtual reality advertisement itself. Responses of 26 subjects were dropped because of their incomplete answers. Responses of 274 subjects were used to test the hypotheses. It was found that all of six hypotheses are accepted. In addition, we found that consumers' emotional response has stronger impact on their intention to purchase than their rational response does. This study sheds much light into practical implications for both IS researchers and managers. First of all, while most of previous research has analyzed only one of the customers' rational and emotional responses, we theoretically incorporated and empirically examined both of the two sides. Second, we empirically showed that mediators such as arousal, flow, positive affect, product knowledge, and perceived risk play an important role between virtual reality advertisement and customer's intention to purchase. In addition, the findings of this study can provide a basis of practical strategies for managers. It was found that consumers' emotional response is stronger than their rational response. This result indicates that advertisements using virtual reality should focus on the emotional side, and that virtual reality can be served as an appropriate advertisement tool for fancy products that require their online advertisements to give an impetus to customers' emotion. Finally, even if this study examined the effects of virtual reality advertisement of cellular phone, its findings could be applied to other products that are suited for virtual experience. However, this research has some limitations. We were unable to control different kinds of consumers and different attributes of products on consumers' intention to purchase. It is, therefore, deemed important for future research to control the consumer and product types for more reliable results. In addition to the consumer and product attributes, other variables could affect consumers' intention to purchase. Thus, the future research needs to find ways t control other variables.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.662-685
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• 2015

The use of global mobile technology has increased exponentially. In particular, a survey of consumers in the Philippines showed that 83% "could not live" without their mobile phones. We investigated factors, such as ease of use and personal innovativeness, to elucidate the consumer adoption of mobile technologies in the Philippines, to integrate existing adoption theories for academics and provide recommendations to practitioners based on our findings. Our research questions are as follows: (1) What key factors drive adoption of mobile technologies by Filipino consumers?; (2) Are Filipino consumers innovative in their use of mobile technologies?; And (3) How can telecom companies retain their customers? A structural equation model, which was built from a survey of 528 mobile Filipino consumers, showed support for repurchase intention to use mobile technologies. The hypotheses were generally supported by variables related to mobile phone usage with the Philippine consumer sample. Results support all of the hypothesized relationships for consumers using mobile technologies. Personal innovativeness did load on both attitude and repurchase intention for mobile applications as originally hypothesized but was strongly loaded for attitude toward using. This research is a first step in understanding the adoption of mobile applications by Filipino consumers. We initially hypothesized that consumer behavior toward mobile applications would involve constructs of innovativeness, ease of use, and satisfaction; however, we found that ease of use was less significant in understanding repurchase intention to use mobile technologies. Personal innovativeness was more important in explaining satisfaction with mobile application attitudes and repurchase intention. The Filipino context of this study also provides other interesting implications. As the Philippines transitions into a more international market, western products start to guide market behavior, particularly consumer adoption.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.362-377
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• 2017

This study examined the relationship between country-of-brand-origin perception and brand equity elements among Korean and Chinese male consumers. It also examined if there were differences between the two national consumers in the effect of country-of-brand-origin on brand evaluation. We analyzed survey responses from 414 Korean men and 393 Chinese men in their 20s-30s. Country-of-brand-origin perception was found positively related to brand awareness and brand image for both Korean and Chinese men in each group that selected domestic or foreign country-of-brand-origin. The results revealed a positive relationship between brand attitude and brand awareness as well as brand image for the two national consumers in each country-of-brand-origin selection group. The results indicated differences in the influence of brand image on brand attitude between these two male consumers in the group that selected the domestic country-of-brand-origin. The results also support the hypothesis on differences in the effect of country-of-brand-origin as well as brand evaluation between male consumers in the group that selected foreign country-of-brand-origin. This study has significant implications for fashion marketers, particularly when building brand equity by revealing country-of-brand-origin.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.13-26
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• 2014

The theory of planned behavior proposed by Ajzen predicts that certain behaviors are determined by behavioral intentions which are affected by an attitudinal belief toward the behavior, the subject norms, and the individual's perception of their control over the behavior. This study's aim is to examine consumers' inappropriate complaint behaviors, using the theory of planned behavior. Consumers' inappropriate complaint behaviors are defined by two types, which are low -and high-intensity inappropriate complaint behavior based on the primary data collected from a group of consumer affairs professionals in the business field. The survey questionnaire was administered to 1,000 consumers via an on-line survey. The two models were assessed with path analysis in order to predict consumers' inappropriate complaint behaviors, using the theory of planned behavior. The results are as follows: First, two types of inappropriate compliant behaviors were identified according to the results of an exploratory study conducted by professionals who had been employed at the department of consumer affairs. Second, the theory of planned behavior is adequately fitted to examine the factors related to consumers' inappropriate complaint behaviors. Also, all three variables based on the theory of planned behavior, -perceived behavior control, subjective norm, and attitude-had a significant effect on inappropriate complaint behavior intention. Third, consumers' inappropriate complaint behavior intention played the most significant role in low-intensity inappropriate complaint behavior, whereas attitude was found to play a significant role in high-intensity inappropriate complaint behavior. The significance and implication were discussed in terms of effective customer management strategies.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.31 no.3 s.62
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• pp.516-539
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• 1998

The objective of this study is to identify the difference in attitude toward medical care between patients who visited a university hospital or an oriental medical hospital of oriental medical college, and physicians who engaged in the same hospitals. The subjects of this study were 397 cases who agreed to respond the prepared questionnaire, including 288 patients(146 university hospital utilizers and 142 utilzers for an oriental medical hospital) and 109 physicians(76 physicians and 33 oriental medical doctors). The attitude toward medical care was measured by the structured questionnaire developed for this study, which had high validity and reliability according to factor analysis, item discriminant validity, and Cronbach's $\alpha$ coefficients. On the criteria of mean value of care and cure score, the attitude toward medical care was classified into 4 groups encompassing a group with dependent attitude on medical care, a group with skeptical attitude toward it, a group with cure-oriented attitude, and a group with care-preferred attitude. The results of chi-square test, discriminant analysis, and logistic regression analysis were as follows; patients who visited a univisity hospital, patients who visited an oriental hospital, physicians, and oriental medical doctors included in the group with dependent attitude, the group with cure-oriented attitude, the group with skeptical attitude, and the group with care-preferred attitude, retrospectively. Among the subdomains of care and cure domains, which classified in reference to the result of factor analysis on pilot study, those that patients ranked more importantly than physicians were 'the importance of medical equipment for diagnosis and treatment', 'authority of physician, 'aggressiveness of treatment', 'information giving', 'personal interest' in the case of western medicine. In the case of oriental medicine, those were 'the importance of equipment for diagnosis and treatment', 'aggressiveness of treatment', 'amenities and accessibility', 'coordination of medical staff'. Both physicans and patients put the subdomain, 'physicians' medical knowledge and skillfulness' on the highest rank. The differences in ranking the important attributes of medical care between patients and physicians were apparent in the area of an 'importance of medical equipment for diagnosis and treatment' and so on. It meant that patient had over-expectation on medical care and suggested that the policy on demanad side such as the developement and dissemination of an evidence-based recommendation protocol for health care consumers might be important in Korea. In addition, regarding the attitude of physicians, during the medical education and training it may be neccessary to emphasize the aspect of 'care' of medical care rather than 'cure'. In planning on heath care delivery system, it should be considered that there is a difference in the attitude toward medical care between western medicine and oriental medicine as well as between health care providers and consumers. We expect that more valid measurement tool be developed in this area, which may be major limitation of this study and that this kind of research be expanded into the non-academic settings.

• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2011

This study was motivated by consideration of advertising effects on purchase intention of hotel customers in the situation that people can experience in web advertisements more easily and quickly through four main media. We intends to propose strategic web advertising marketing plans by investigating the relation among hotel web advertising attributions, advertising attitude, brand attitude and purchase intention of customers. In conclusion, in the situation that hotel service industry endeavors a lot to attract young customers, according to gentrified consumption culture and changes in an environmental trend, these results are expected to be used as data to establish web advertising marketing strategies to show trendy brand images to hotel customers, especially consumers of N Generation using official websites of hotels.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.45 no.7
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• pp.119-129
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• 2007

The purposes of this study were to explain consumer attitude and purchasing behavior, and coping strategy considering consumption emotions of technology and individual characteristics associated with high-tech products. The results of this study were as follows: consumer attitude was found to be somewhat favorable and a half of the respondents had some purchasing experience of high-tech products. Many consumers were more likely to perceive consumption emotion and some of coping strategies were found to be preferred to others. Then consumer attitude was found to be significantly influenced by some of the consumption emotion, while other individual characteristics were found to be insignificant. In addition, the purchasing experience was found to be significantly influenced by consumer attitude, marital status and education. Finally, each kind of consumption emotion might have a relation to several coping strategies.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.29-44
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• 1999

The objectives of this study are (1) to identify sub-areas of the pro-environmental behavior, (2) to examine the level of the pro-environmental attitude and behavior, (3) to examine the degree of inconsistency between attitude and behavior, and (4) to investigate the reasons of the inconsistency. Data was collected from the questionnares with 299 married men and 378 married women and the deep interviews with 10 married women. The major findings are follows : (1) The pro-environmental behavior can be classified into 2 sub-areas : social-oriented area and individual-oriented area. (2) The level of pro-environmental attitude and behavior in the social-oriented area is lower than those in individual-oriented area. (3) The attitude-behavior inconsistency in the social-oriented sub-area is stronger than that in the individual-oriented sub-area. (4) The reasons of the pro-environmental attitude-behavior inconsistency are the lack of the sincere environmental consciousness and the existence of the pro-environmental behavior restriction factors.

• Journal of Korea Society of Digital Industry and Information Management
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.135-143
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to investigate the user's attitude and usage of smart banking application in terms of user's benefits and personalization. While the prior researches on mobile banking adoption focus on the characteristics of service itself, this paper intends to investigate the smart banking application in terms of user's benefits, which are personal value consumers attach to the product or service attributes. Based on prior studies functional benefits, social benefits, experiential benefits, and personalization are identified as affecting factors of the user's attitude and usage of smart banking application. According to the results of multiple regression analysis, all benefit factors(functional benefit, experimental benefit, social benefit) and personalization were found to be significantly related to the user's attitude. Users' attitude on smart banking was found to be significantly related to the real usage as well. This paper has value in that it investigates the attitude and usage of smart banking in terms of benefits.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.15 no.9
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• pp.87-97
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• 2017

This paper examined how consumers' attitude toward the telecommunication expense was affected by news reports through the experiment. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four group (control group, high-expense-claimed-media group, low-expense-claimed-media group, and both-exposed-media group), and asked to indicate credibility & neutrality toward media report, similarity between media report, and their own thought, their attitude toward the telecommunication expense. The result of ANOVA showed that the high-expense-claimed-media was perceived more credible and neutral than the low-expense-claimed-media. ANCOVA was conducted to eliminate the impact of similarity between media report and their own thought on the evaluation of credibility & neutrality toward media report, and the result showed that there was no difference. Also, participants evaluated the telecommunication service so expensive, regardless of what kind of media reports they were exposed. We found that consumers' prior belief, which telecommunication service was expensive, might interrupt consumers' learning process for new information from media. To resolve the social pressure about mobile service rate-cutting, it is necessary to investigate how to dampen consumers' stereotype about the telecommunication expense. The future research using the framing effect could be considerable.