• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.177-187
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• 2021

Objectives: This study investigated the different perceptions of customers toward traditional and non-traditional fast-food restaurants regarding restaurant healthfulness, corporate reputation, and the impact of corporate reputation on loyalty intentions through corporate social responsibility (CSR) motive. Methods: An online survey was conducted on U.S. residents who were aware of fast food restaurants' CSR activities. Participants selected one fast food restaurant participating in CSR activities, coded as either traditional (n = 117) or non-traditional (n = 48), and answered questions about the selected restaurant's healthfulness, reputation, CSR motives, and loyalty intentions. The participants' perceptions of healthfulness and corporate reputation of the two types of fast-food restaurants were compared. A mediation path of corporate reputation - CSR motive - loyalty intention was analyzed. Results: Non-traditional fast-food restaurants (5.02 ± 1.26) were perceived to be more healthful than traditional ones (3.93 ± 1.72). The participants perceived that compared to traditional fast-food restaurants, non-traditional ones had a better overall corporate reputation (P = 0.037), were more concerned about their customers (P = 0.029), better workplaces (P = 0.007), more environmentally and socially responsible (P < 0.001), and offered higher quality products and services (P = 0.042). Significant positive correlations were shown between restaurant healthfulness and corporate reputation (P < 0.001 for all reputation items). The suggested mediation path was supported with 95% CIs excluding zero, implying that when fast-food restaurants had a better reputation overall, were customer oriented, good employers, strong companies with a good product and service quality, social and environmental responsibility, the participants were more likely to perceive their CSR activities to be sincere and were hence loyal to that restaurant. Conclusions: Overall, participants were more favorable towards non-traditional fast-food restaurants which had a healthier image and better reputation than traditional ones. Therefore, fast food restaurants need to consider offering healthy food and enhance their image, which would maximize the return on their investment in CSR.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.10
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• pp.575-585
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• 2022

Negative perceptions about corporate social responsibility (CSR) crises and repeated crises are increasing. It is necessary to examine the effects of a proactive strategy of disclosing crisis information against the negative perceptions. The research is intended to analyze ability-based trust, and benevolence-based trust by crisis type, crisis history, and timing of crisis disclosure. In this regard, a 2 (crisis history: present vs. absent) x 2 (crisis type: corporate ability crisis vs CSR crisis) x 2 (timing of crisis disclosure: stealing thunder vs thunder) between-groups design experiment was conducted. Research results show crisis type and crisis history have significant interaction effects on ability-based trust. In the CSR crisis, the case with crisis history shows lower ability-based trust than the case without crisis history. Timing of crisis disclosure showed significant interactions with crisis history and crisis type. The stealing thunder strategy heigntened ability-based trust and benevolence-based trust against the CSR crises and the cases without crisis history more than the corporate ability crises and the cases with crisis history. Considering that the stealing thunder strategy is more effective with the CSR crises than the corporate ability crises, the research results suggest that future CSR crisis responses should prepare active disclosure of crisis information before news media disclosure of such information.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.91-103
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• 2024

This study conducted surveys and in-depth interviews to explore the perception of sports psychology counseling among athletes. The participants included a total of 8 individuals: 307 athletes surveyed, 4 athletes who had received counseling, and 4 who had not. The survey investigated athletes' perceptions and management of psychological training, the perceived necessity of seeking advice for everyday concerns, willingness to use and perceived need for sports psychology counseling, prior experiences, and pre-engagement considerations. According to the survey results, 69.1% of athletes recognized the importance of mental training, but only 33.2% actually underwent psychological training. Furthermore, while 67.8% expressed a desire to receive education on psychological training from professionals, only 19.9% reported having searched for related information. When asked about their willingness to pay for sports psychology counseling services, 55.7% expressed willingness. Reasons for wanting to receive counseling, reasons for not wanting to receive counseling, and preferences or considerations for counseling sessions were listed as well. In the in-depth interviews, participants were classified into those who had received counseling and those who had not, delving deeply into motivations for seeking counseling or reasons for not doing so, perceptions during counseling sessions, considerations, preferred types of counselors, and program preferences. Based on this research, discussions and recommendations were provided with the perspective of utilizing sports psychology counseling as foundational data for providing high-quality services to users.

• 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.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.137-164
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• 2011

In the past, retailers secured customer loyalty by offering convenient locations, unique assortments of goods, better services than competitors, and good credit policy. All this has changed. Goods assortments among stores have become more alike as national-brand manufacturers place their goods in more and more retail stores. Service differentiation also has eroded. Many department stores have trimmed services, and many discount stores have increased theirs. Customers have become smarter shoppers. They don't pay more for identical brands, especially when service differences have diminished. In the face of increased competition from discount storess and specialty stores, department stores are waging a comeback war. Growth of intertype competition, competition between store-based and non-store-based retailing and growing investment in technology are changing the way consumers shop and retailers sell. Different types of stores-discount stores, catalog showrooms, department stores-all compete for the same consumers by carrying the same type of merchandise. The biggest winners are retailers that have helped shoppers to be economically cautious, simplified their increasingly busy and complicated lives, and provided an emotional connection. The growth of e-retailers has forced traditional brick-and-mortar retailers to respond. Basically brick-and-mortar retailers utilize their natural advantages, such as products that shoppers can actually see, touch, and test, real-life customer service, and no delivery lag time for small-sized purchases. They also provide a shopping experience as a strong differentiator. They are adopting practices as calling each shopper a "guest". The store atmosphere should match the basic motivations of the shopper. If target consumers are more likely to be in a task-oriented and functional mindset, then a simpler, more restrained in-store environment may be better. Consistent with this reasoning, some retailers of experiential products are creating in-store entertainment to attract customers who want fun and excitement. The retail experience must deliver value to turn a one-time visitor into a loyal customer. Retailers need a tool that measures the full range of components that define experience-based value. This study uses an experiential value scale(EVS) developed by Mathwick, Malhotra and Rigdon(2001) which reflects the benefits derived from perceptions of playfulness, aesthetics, customer "return on investment" and service excellence. EVS is useful to predict differences in shopping preferences and patronage behavior of customers. EVS consists of items measuring efficiency, economic value, visual appeal, entertainment value, service excellence, escapism, and intrinsic enjoyment, which are subscales of experiencial value. Efficiency, economic value, service excellence are linked to the utilitarian shopping value. And visual appeal, entertainment value, escapism and intrinsic enjoyment are linked to hedonic shopping value. It has been found that consumers value hedonic experiences activated from escapism and attractiveness of shopping environment as much as the product quality, price, and the convenient location. As a result, many department stores, discount stores, and other retailers are introducing differential marketing strategy based on emotional/hedonic values. Many researches suggest that consumers go shopping not only for buying products but also for various shopping experiences. In other words, they seek the practical, rational value as well as social, recreational values in the shopping process(Babin et al, 1994; Bloch et al, 1994). Retailers may enhance buyer's loyalty to store by providing excellent emotional/hedonic value such as the excitement from shopping, not just the practical value of buying good products efficiently. We investigate the effect of perceived shopping values on the emotional experience and store loyalty based on the EVS(Experiential Value Scales) developed by Holbrook(1994), Mathwick, Malhotra and Rigdon(2001). This study assumes that the relative effect of shopping value dimensions on the responses of shoppers will differ according to types of stores and analyzes the moderating effect of store type(department store VS. discount store) on the causal relationship between shopping value dimensions and store loyalty. Emprical results show that utilitarian values of shopping experience and hedonic value of shipping experience give the positive effect on the emotional response of consumers and store loyalty. We also found the moderating effect of store types. The effect of utilitarian shopping values on the attitude toward discount store is higher than the effect of utilitarian shopping values on the attitude toword department store. And the effect of hedonic shopping value on the emotional response to discount store is higher than on the emotional response to department store. The empirical results reflect on the recent trend that discount stores try to fulfill the hedonic needs of consumers as well as utilitarian needs(i.e, low price) that discount stores traditionally have focused on

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.83-91
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• 2015

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to identify whether the operation of cultural centers in discount stores contributes to their profitability. Thus, this study is aimed at exploring how the lifestyles of customers who use the cultural centers influence their intention to use the discount stores. Specifically, the effect of shopping value on the correlation between the lifestyle types and usage intention of the customers were examined through a structured research model. To verify the effect, a survey on 139 customers of the Cultural Center of Nonghyup Hanaro Club's S branch was conducted and the valid questionnaires were used for analysis. Research design, data, and methodology - The findings are as follows. First, the lifestyles seeking self-realization had a positive effect on utilitarian value, and lifestyles seeking pop cultures had a positive effect on hedonic value. Second, the mediating effect of shopping value on the correlation between the lifestyle types and usage intention of the customers is as follows. Utilitarian value had a mediating effect only on the lifestyles seeking self-realization. In case of lifestyles seeking pop cultures, the use of Cultural Center had no effect on the intention to use the discount store. Third, an analysis of a revised research model revealed that the store usage intention of lifestyles seeking pop cultures can be enhanced by boosting the utilitarian value through hedonic value. Results - The findings suggest the following. Customers with lifestyles seeking self-realization, who value what is beneficial to them with little attention to the perceptions of others, are highly interested in the benefits they can gain from shopping. As for customers with lifestyles seeking pop cultures, they are highly likely to consume products popular in a particular culture such as new products and sports, based on financial stability they pursue. Thus, they prefer more subjective, personal experience, unlike consumers pursuing utilitarian value. Conclusions - As a result, the former pursues hedonic value gained in the process of shopping with fun and joy, rather than doing shopping with a particular purpose in mind. Therefore, Cultural Centers need to offer information that fits the lifestyles of the users so that they are more likely to use the discount stores. However, if the Cultural Centers offer unified, profit-driven products and information, just to increase their store sales, it can backfire, which occurred in the past. On the other hand, if they provide information that fits the lifestyles of the users, it can actually increase the sales. Also, the findings suggest that sophisticated marketing strategies that can boost the hedonic value of customers by linking the educational contents of Cultural Centers to actual shopping, which is beneficial to consumers, should be set and operated by discount stores. In particular, customers with lifestyles seeking self-realization can be encouraged to use the stores by making them recognize the utilitarian value. However, the use of Cultural Centers doesn't necessarily lead to higher sales among customers with lifestyles seeking pop cultures. As mentioned previously, unified marketing strategy is not as effective for Cultural Centers of large discount stores.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.109-130
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• 2012

In recent years, the volume of global fair trade has been increased rapidly. As the quality of life improves, consumers are increasingly concerned about fairness and environment and show positive attitudes toward ethical products. Fair trade is a social movement that aims to set fair prices for products, alleviate poverty, and assist producers marginalized by the traditional economic model. The study attempt to investigate empirically fair trade products purchase intention, so consumers attitude toward fair trade product purchase, normative belief, fairness restoration expectation, ethical responsibility are defined and their impacts on the purchase intention were analyzed. The statistical method used to test the hypotheses was multi-regression using SPSS 18 for window. The results of this study are follows. Purchase attitudes toward fair trade products and ethical responsibility had a significant effect on the purchase intention. The Effectiveness of the ethical responsibility had greater than that of the purchase attitudes. The result of the empirical study provides important implications for the fair trade related organizations and businesses.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.109-128
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• 2010

The purpose of our research is to figure out the 'non-financial value' of consumers applying networks amongst consumer groups, the data-based marketing strategy to the analysis and delve into the ways for enhancing effectives in marketing activities by adapting the value to the marketing. To verify the authenticity of the points, we did the empirical test on the consumer group using 'the Essence Cosmetics Products' of high involvement that is deeply affected by consumer perceptions and the word-of-mouth activities. 1) The empirical analysis reveals the following features. First, the segmented market for 'Essence Consumer' is composed of several independent networks, each network shows to have the consumers that is high degree centrality and closeness centrality. Second, the result proves the authenticity of the non-financial value for boosting corporate profits by the high degree centrality and closeness centrality consumer's word-of-mouth activities. Lastly, we verify that there lies a difference in the network structure of 'Essence Cosmetics Market'per each product origin(domestic, foreign) and demographic characteristics. It does, therefore, indicate the need to consider the features applying mutually complementary for the network targeting.

• Journal of Service Research and Studies
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.161-180
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• 2023

This study empirically analyzed the effect of perceived injustice on service recovery measures proposed by online food delivery service (OFDS) companies on consumer disappointment. This study adopted interaction justice, information justice, procedural justice, and distributive justice as sub-variables of justice perception based on the justice theory. In addition, the differences by generation (MZ generation and other generations) were examined in the relationship between negative word-of-mouth behavior and switching intentions due to service recovery failure. An online survey was conducted targeting 250 adult consumers in the U.S for the empirical analysis of this research model. The results of the data analysis demonstrated that negative perceptions about the procedural justice and distributive justice among the service recovery strategies had a positive effect upon the consumer's disappointment. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the consumer's disappointment due to the perceived injustice of the service recovery strategy had a positive effect on the consumer's negative word-of-mouth behavior and switching intentions. The verification results of the moderation effect in the relationship between negative word-of-mouth behavior and switching intention, it was found that the younger the age(MZ generation), the higher the possibility of causing dysfunctional behavior. This study expands the scope of related research by presenting a new perspective on the justice perception in the service recovery process by verifying dysfunctional behavior of consumers caused due to the failure of the service recovery strategy. It is believed that the results of this study will be used as basic data for the establishment of practical strategies for OFDS companies to prevent double defection of their customers.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.1-25
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• 2005

Unlike the traditional bricks-and-mortar marketplace, the online environment includes several distinct factors that influence Web site trust. As consumers become more savvy about the Internet, the author contends they will insist on doing business with web companies they trust. This study examines 1) how Web site trust is affected by the following web purchase-related factors: security, privacy, brand name, word-of-mouth, good online experience, and quality of information, and 2) how it influences outcomes. Unlike Urban and colleagues' study (2000), the author argues that not all e-trust bUilding programs guarantee success in building Web site trust. In addition to the mechanism depending on a program, building e-brand trust requires a systematic relationship between a consumer and a particular web site. The findings show that Web site trust does not build one or two components but are established by the interrelationships of complex components. By carefully investigating these variables in formulating marketing strategies, marketers can cultivate brand loyalty and gain a formidable competitive edge.