• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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• v.32 no.11B
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• pp.709-717
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• 2007

Pricing a network service aims for congestion control of the network as well as economic efficiency. A monopolistic supplier providing users with a network service on a shared link needs a pricing schedule that maximizes revenue under the link's bandwidth constraint and guarantees the bandwidth purchased by the users. In that case, nonlinear pricing is an efficient scheme which meets both requirements. This study reviews how nonlinear pricing can be applied to the network service under the constraint and shows that the nonlinear pricing may result in a fixed unit price of bandwidth as linear pricing when demand characteristics of the users follow a power law. Also, the way how the provider with incomplete information on the demand distribution seeks for the optimal pricing from the degree of the network congestion is introduced and the relationship between the development direction of the Internet and internet pricing is considered based on the results of the study.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.902-912
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• 2010

This study compares and contrasts the consumer decision-making styles (CDMS) of South Korean and American Generation Y females. A total of 117 American female and 206 Korean female consumers completed self-report survey questionnaires to assess their consumer decision making styles. Exploratory principal components factor analysis using varimax rotation was used to categorize the items into an underlying set of American and Korean decision-making characteristics. Two-tailed independent t-tests were conducted to examine the differences between the two groups when items appeared to have common factors. Factor analysis identified five common factors between the two samples (i.e., enjoyment, shopping aversion, price consciousness, brand consciousness, and quality consciousness). The t-test results report significant differences in the items reported in each factor between American and Korean females. Some of the factors are more indicative of American female Generation Y consumers than Korean female Generation Y consumers. For example, the American female sample seemed to enjoy shopping and prefer brand names more than the female Korean sample. Koreans females seem to have a higher aversion to shopping than Americans; in addition, Koreans females seem to be more accepting of discount and outlet stores, will wait until the price is low before buying a product, and prefer sales when shopping. Based on the findings, the instrument identified varying CDMS between the two samples used. Previous studies using the Sproles and Kendall (1986) instrument experienced the same issue (Bakewell & Mitchell, 2004, 2006; Bauer et al., 2006; Durvasula et al., 1996; Fan & Xiao, 1998; Hanzaee & Aghasibeig, 2008; Mitchell & Walsh, 2004; Siu et al., 2001; Walsh et al., 2001). The results support the idea that no single instrument can be used to examine CDMS in different cultures. This suggests that each country has a CDMS with internal characteristics. Limitations and research for future studies are also discusse.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.73-83
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• 2015

Purpose - Recently, many large retailers have been frequently purchasing commercial brands. Not only the quality of products purchased but also the brand images are of concern in this process. Based on this rising trend, commercial brands have become an important issue in the retail business world, along with increasing general interest as well. Thus, this study focuses on the factors affecting commercial brand images and clarifies the impact of the resulting factors as well. First, store images and familiarity, price sensitiveness, and knowledge are presented as the effect factors for commercial brands. Second, the study tries to clarify the effect of commercial brand image on the reliability and loyalty of customers. Research design, data, and methodology - To conduct the study methodology, 250 questionnaires were distributed to retailers who have used large discount stores located in Busan to purchase a commercial brand a total of 234 valid questionnaires were used in the final analysis. To verify the hypotheses, a structure equation formula using Amos 20.0 was calculated. First, prior to the verification of hypotheses, the reliability and feasibility of the questions were tested, and as a result, the value of Cronbach's alpha was higher than 0.7, thereby showing reliability. Additionally, for the verification of the feasibility of the questions, a confirmation factor analysis was implemented. Results - First, variances such as store images, familiarity, price sensitivity, and knowledge were presented as the factors of effect on commercial brands. As a result of the hypotheses verification, all the effect factors presented in this study were confirmed as important variables of commercial brand images. The hypotheses were drawn based on the studies relating to existing commercial brands, and thereby, a result similar to previous studies was produced. However, the effect factors of the commercial brand image presented in this study shaped a new study model based on the previous studies. Second, it was found that commercial brand images had positive effects on the reliability and loyalty of customers. This study presented reliability and loyalty as the resulting factors of commercial brand image because they are the most important factors in relation to customer behavior and variables that can suggest marketing points for distribution businesses. Conclusions - This study focused on clarifying the factors that are important effect factors for commercial brand images. As a result, all the hypotheses were confirmed in this study, indicating a meaningful result, and thereby suggesting many points that can be presented to distribution businesses. First, the proper strategies should be developed based on the hypothesis that a store image, the familiarity of customers with brands, and the price sensitiveness and knowledge level of customers have an important effect on the choice of commercial brands. Additionally, the formation of such favorable images will have positive effects not only in terms of customer trust in the commercial brands but also in terms of their loyalty.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.577-582
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• 2022

Credit transactions are used as a means of price discrimination from competitors in order for suppliers to increase customer demand. In particular, in the case of a two-stage supply chain consisting of a supplier, a retailer, and a customer, the deferral of payment for goods allowed by the supplier is a means of reducing the inventory investment cost of the retailer. Retailers have the opportunity to discount the selling price while anticipating an increase in end-customer demand through the reduction of the inventory investment cost. In view of the fact that such trade credit is provided for the purpose of increasing demand as a means of discrimination from competitors, it may be more general that the credit transaction period is allowed flexibly according to the transaction volume. In particular, in the case of deteriorating products, the credit transaction period given according to the order volume is a factor that increases the order volume of the retailer, but product deterioration can be a limiting factor in the increase in the order volume. The deterioration rate actually plays an important role in determining the inventory policy of the retailer. Therefore, in this paper, the effect of such deterioration rate on the inventory policy of retailer is analyzed.

• The Journal of Information Technology
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.65-74
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• 2005

The central purpose of this paper is to examine impulsive buying from home shopping channels and to investigate some stimulating factors of marketing on the customers' impulsive buying. on TV. Survey questionnaires were given to 303 customers who have purchased products through TV home shopping more than once. We report the following findings. First, we find that product stimuli factors exert an effect on impulsive buying of fashion goods, but not of specialty goods. Second, of the two promotion stimuli factors a bonus pack and an extended payment period-the latter is shown to have a great effect. Third, in the case of price stimuli factors, concrete stimuli such as a discount range have a greater influence than abstract stimuli such as a reliable pricing. Finally, in the area of situational stimuli factors, speeches of show hosts have a bigger impact than buying situations such as limit selling. We believe that the current research provides a significant result, theoretically and practically, with respect to customers' behavior in TV home shopping. The methodological limitation involving samples and sampling method and the regional limitation make it difficult to generalize the findings. It should be worthy classifying and managing marketing stimuli. More practical research is in order.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.743-758
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• 2015

This paper presents an advanced life cycle cost (LCC) analysis of a ground source heat pump (GSHP) system and suggests a smart operation mode with a thermal performance test (TPT) and an energy pile system constructed on the site of the Incheon International Airport (IIA). First, an economic analysis of the GSHP system was conducted for the second passenger terminal of the IIA considering actual influencing factors such as government support and the residual value of the equipment. The analysis results showed that the economic efficiency of the GSHP system could be increased owing to several influential factors. Second, a multiple regression analysis was conducted using different independent variables in order to analyze the influence indices with regard to the LCC results. Every independent index, in this case the initial construction cost, lifespan of the equipment, discount rate and the amount of price inflation can affect the LCC results. Third, a GSHP system using an energy pile was installed on the site of the construction laboratory institute of the IIA. TPTs of W-shape and spiral-coil-type GHEs were conducted in continuous and intermittent operation modes, respectively, prior to system operation of the energy pile. A cooling GSHP system in the energy pile was operated in both the continuous and intermittent modes, and the LCC was calculated. Furthermore, the smart operation mode and LCC were analyzed considering the application of a thermal storage tank.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.138-151
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• 2012

This study determines a consumer retail store choice by applying the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method for multi-criteria decision-making in the fashion retail industry. The study provides detailed and relevant information for management, marketers of fashion retail stores, and to improve competition between suppliers. Data was collected in February 2011 from questionnaires completed by 319 university students in Busan, South Korea. One of the major findings of this study was that consumer store preference was affected by the following factors in order of importance: product, image, service quality, and purchase facilitation. Brand image was assessed to be the most important of the evaluation elements, followed by individuality, style, and price. The results of rating the relative importance and priority of fashion retailers showed that department stores ranked most highly, followed by outlet malls, Internet shopping malls, brand malls, and discount stores.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.948-956
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• 2016

Many franchise stores are in the surrounding. These stores offer many membership services. But, small traders do not provide much customer management service. For example, non-franchised cafes provide the services through paper coupons. However, most of paper coupons are available only in one store that issued the coupon. Besides, these coupons are in stamp format. Due to the absence of customers' management service, it is hard for small traders to attract customers compared to the franchise. Therefore, in this paper, We had implemented a mobile application, and applied to new customer management service in order to increase the price competitiveness of small traders. This service issues electronic coupon through a mobile app. customers can receive a relatively large amount of discount, and a deadline of coupons are short. When customers use coupons, new coupons are issued at the same time. This structure can be powerful means to lead customers' frequent visit. Small traders can gain a lot of regular customers by using this service.

• Korean Management Science Review
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2015

We estimate the option value embedded in reverse mortgages using the framework of European put option. The reverse mortgage is a very useful financial product for senior citizens who own homes but do not have a cash income while it is a high risk one from lender's perspective. One of benefits of the reverse mortgages is that the debt limit is restricted to the scope of the disposition price of the collateralized house, which is considered a put option to borrowers. The put option is evaluated using Black-Scholes model and a sensitive analysis is performed on variables such as discount rate, volatility, and time period. We confirm that the option value of reverse mortgages increases rapidly as the borrowers live longer than their life expectancy. The results of this study can be used to promote the reverse mortgage program more effectively in order to solve the problem of income shortage of the elderly homeowners.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.763-779
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• 2007

The combined heat-and-power (CHP) plant is recently suggested as an effective resolution in response to recent rising oil prices and the Kyoto Protocol. This research provides a model for economic appraisal to evaluate CHP investment. Real option model is developed to incorporate a case where the investment is irreversible and underlying revenue is stochastic. The analysis shows that power plant capacity more than 40 Gcal makes CHP investment profitable while the results may vary 10 modest level with respect to investment cost, heat sales price and discount rate.