• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.21-60
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• 2010

In recent retail environments, multichannel customer management increasingly has been considered a key element of successful CRM. Although customer's multichannel usage is believed to be potential cause of customer loyalty, the theoretical explanation about this causal relationship still remains unexamined and unanswered. In this paper, the authors present a systematic framework to test the postulated "multichannel usage-shopping experience-customer satisfaction" chain. To this end, we examine that the two core components of shopping experience(convenience and enjoyment) is a mediator of the direct causality of multichannel usage(based on both information search and product purchase stage) on customer satisfaction. Moreover, the authors examine that two types of customer-firm relationship characteristics(relationship age and purchase frequency) is a moderator of the multichannel usage-shopping experience relationship. Using integrating data with survey and customer database of multichannel retail company, the authors empirically test and substantiate shopping experience's mediating role in the multichannel usage-customer satisfaction relationship and customer-firm relationship characteristics' moderating role in the multichannel usage-customer experience relationship. These results suggest that multichannel retailers should deliver favorable shopping experience for building customer satisfaction and differentiate shopping experience according to customer-firm relationship characteristics.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-26
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• 2020

Firms employing hierarchical loyalty programs (HLPs) periodically demote customers from higher to lower status level to divest from unprofitable customers and boost profitability. However, existing literature lacks objective evidence on how customer demotion affects demoted customers' future purchase behaviors and ultimately profitability for the firm. Moreover, customers in the HLP's higher position may respond to customer demotion differently from those in the HLP's lower position. Drawing upon emotions and equity theories, this study quantifies how the profits that customers contribute to the firm change after customer demotion, and compares demoted customers' behavioral reactions from top-tier with those from bottom-tier based on customers' actual behavior data from a major retail bank in South Korea. The findings show that withdrawing customer status actually deteriorates customer profitability, and customers with top-tier status decrease their profitability more dramatically than those with bottom-tier status after demotion. The results contribute to previous literature on customer demotion and relationship marketing, and provide specific guidelines into how firms should design and implement customer demotion in HLPs.

• Journal of the Korean Operations Research and Management Science Society
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.169-186
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• 1994

This paper presents three mathematical programming approaches to solving transshipment problems with interval supply and demand requirements. A linear goal programming model was developed based on the data obtained from a nationwide retail firm. Three mathematical programming model results were compared and analyzed, and three separate hypotheses were examined by using the Wilcoxon signed-ranked test for the model applicability. The test results were analyzed and interpreted for decision making.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.219-243
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• 2004

Generally, electricity market has monopoly market structure because of need of enormous investment for infrastructure. However, the introduction of competition in network industry as electricity is a tendency of the world with decreasing the effects of economy of scale due to the advancement of technology. Now, electricity industry restructuring is in progress but the competition in electricity retail market is not in force yet in Korea. Whether a effective competition exist or not is very important to policy decision maker who drive restructuring, but there are small numbers of quantitative researches on that. In this study, we estimated the effectiveness of competition in the electricity retail market through switching costs. If switching costs are high, consumers actually can be locked in incumbent firm in spite of introduction of competition. Therefore switching is a critical factor to determine effectiveness of competition and to estimate the size of switching costs quantitatively can proffer the information about whether the competition in the electricity retail market is effective or not in the future. We estimated switching costs using consumer' stated-preference data by conjoint analysis. In according to estimation results, the cost of switching process is not so high, but the relative brand loyalty of an incumbent company is significantly high. And the price is considered as the most important factor choosing an electric service commodity. Based on the empirical results, it is possible to analyze the relationship between suppliers' competitiveness resulted from management efficiency and customers' switching possibilities. The paper therefore provides guidance for suppliers in deciding to enter into retail competition and for policy makers in introducing retail competition. And it has a significance of estimating the switching costs directly.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.5-21
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• 2018

Purpose - This case study reviews the development history of Lotte Shopping, which has played a key role in modernizing Korea's retail industry. Research design, data, and methodology - Lotte Shopping's expansion to various channel types has been reviewed from the perspective of the resource-based view of strategy. The opening of Lotte Department Store in 1979 signaled the beginning of the modernized distribution system in Korea. Lotte Shopping expanded its business domains to various types of retail channels, such as discount stores, online shopping malls, TV home shopping, convenience stores, supermarkets, home appliances specialty stores and health & beauty stores. Results - Lotte Shopping has been able to maintain high level of customer satisfaction with leading merchandising skills. It has developed mutually beneficial relationship with the partner firms. It has also been a leading firm in implementing corporate social responsibility activities and environment-friendly management. Lotte Shopping has applied advanced information and communication technology to provide customized goods/services. Conclusions - This study summarizes the business environment and new challenges Lotte Shopping faces currently. Lotte Shopping is trying to reinforce the omni-channel strategy, which can create synergy among various distribution channels based on its core competences.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.5-16
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• 2015

Purpose - Currently, organizations must have a plan to achieve their future objectives. In this case, an information strategy facilitates greater success when planning for the future in any organization. Research design, data, and methodology - The core objective of the project was to explore the information infrastructure of Walkbase in a discursive manner. We started the project by providing a description of the firm, which facilitates retail outlets using in-store analytical devices. Results - We conclude that the management of Walkbase revised its current information structure to implement a more structured one that might be included in a long-term investment. On such an occasion, management can prioritize the component to develop first. Conclusions - Along with our results, we also described the business, its products, its facilities, and how it can serve different industries. Finally, we left the prioritization decision within the framework's components to top management.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.155-167
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• 2008

With globalization and competitive market environment, companies realize how marketing channels are important in order to survive and succeed the business. The importance of information management among channels is getting increased, and is needed for SCM. Nevertheless having hard situation to implement SCM, SCM for textile fashion industry engaged in small business mostly is the way to break through the difficulty on so many channels to go through from fiber to retail. Therefore, the purpose of this case study to L firm by using questionnaire based interviewing method was to investigate how textile fashion small business can implement the SCM with their own differentiated strategy differed from a large corporation. L firm conducted SCM-ISN (Information Service Network) under the restructuring project. So they could use electronic bidding system via internet and have information sharing with their partners such as retailers. Therefore, they could expand market share to Seoul and reduce inventory and manage their customer more effectively than before.

• The Journal of Society for e-Business Studies
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.79-99
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• 2016

Supply network of automobile part is addressed with the e-invoices generated at real time. Automobile is composed of 8 modules. Firms which produce these modules are defined as the first outsourcing firm. Brake is the part of power control module and so, brake manufacturing firm is called the second outsourcing firm. In this paper, the third supply networks of brake manufacturing firms is analyzed with e-invoices and social network method. At the node-level, the third outsourcing firms are classified into 3 categories, interator, allocator and hub with respect to their role at the ego-network of each brake manufacturing firm. At the network level, A2, one of 3 brake manufacturing firms have more outsourcing firms and bigger centrality than the other brake manufacturing firms. Intre-firms trade patterns are, also, analyzed by using the degree of trade dedication with respect to the modes of business. It is shown that trade pattern of retail, commodity brokerage firm, rubber and plastic manufacturing firm are hierarchical trade because their degree of trade dedication is almost near to 1.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.33-60
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• 2007

This study alms to analyze the entrepreneur characteristics of founder on enterprise performance from the strategic viewpoint as well as features of founder of small firms such as background feature of founder, psychological features and management skill. As considered by Background features of founder include educational background of founder, his experience in business creation, consultation or course related to business creation. This study verified the effects of factor which business performance (financial, non financial) on small firms. Also, this study considered psychological features of founder include achievement desire, risk-free propensity, level of patience on vagueness and control position. And it analyzed that between such factors and performance of small firms were examined in related. In the mean time, management ability of founder, entrepreneur ability, technical and function ability were considered for management skill of founder and alalyzed effect of the factors on performance of small firm were examined. Effects of strategic intention of founder of small firm were analyzed by the strategic viewpoint. At this time, strategy of small firm was divided into product-service reform differentiation strategy, marketing differentiation strategy and cost leadership strategy. This study distributed questionnaire on CEO of small firms in Daejeon and Chungnam area for accomplish the study objective and it collected a total of 145 copies of questionnaires. As a result of analyzing collected questionnaire, this study deduced the following study results and suggestions. First, results different from those of existing studies were found Since sales, net income and profit rate of small firm were not high cause economic depression on the whole. Second, entrepreneur ability was found to be required for success of business creation. Entrepreneur ability of founder was the factor that affects both financial and non - financial performance of small firm. As such, entrepreneur ability can be regarded as the most important factor for success in business creation of small firm. Accordingly, entrepreneur ability is the most important source for success in business creation of small firm. Third, strategy of small firm was found to be the important factor that affects the non-financial performance even if it could not give significant effects on financial performance. Thus, product service reform differentiation strategy, marketing differentiation strategy and cost leadership strategy have significant effects on non - financial performance of small firm. Accordingly, it is required to operate small firm with strategic mind - set for small firm to achieve success. This study analyzed the effects of feature of founder and strategy of small firm on business performance of small firm through practical analysis on small firms in Daejeon and Chungnam area, and deduced meaningful results. However, Since this study collected data on small firms in Daejeon and Chungnam only, there is a limit in generalizing the results of this study to all small firms in Korea. Companies answering to this questionnaire process were mainly wholesale and retail service companies. In addition, there is a limit in that it failed to analyze feature of representative type of industry due to limit in number of sample, it is required to divide representative type of industry and to compare and analyze types of industry in future studies.

• The Journal of Society for e-Business Studies
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.127-148
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• 2001

As the Internet service is expanding rapidly, portal sites, a gateway tn the net, are attracting increasing attention these days. As the Internet service has expanded rapidly, so has the interest for portal sites,, which serve as a gateway to the net. Despite the tendency, however, research on a measure by which to evaluate the quality of portal sites or development of such measures has not been fully pursued. As online services, faced with profitability, are considering 'charge per view', the development of a set of quality evaluation measures for portal services will prove to become a valuable instrument in constructing competitive strategies that are vital for survival and growth of a firm. In that regard, this study aims to develop a set of evaluation measures for Internet portal sites by empirically investigating the most common offline measures for quality of services, SERVQUAL, retail SERVQUAL and other evaluation measures for IT-related online services. Moreover, the study offers the strategic implications of the defined measures.