• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.47-58
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• 2009

The marketing environment has become competitive to an extent that requires firms to target their products at markets that span national boundaries. However, competitive clout cannot be achieved in global consumer markets unless firms thoroughly understand and adequately respond to the core values and needs of those consumers. Brand equity is one of the most important assets to a company. Especially in sportswear markets, brand equity is the crucial value added to a product by its brand name. Factors such as country of origin also influence customer's attitude towards brand equity. Therefore, this paper discusses the relationship between country of origin effect and brand equity, and how they influence consumers' loyalty for respective brands. This paper focused on the sports shoes market, because it is an increasing area of opportunity for world manufacturers. The objectives of this study were the following. (1) Test the effect of country of origin on brand equity. (2) Test how brand equity influences consumers' brand loyalty. (3) Find whether there are differences in the effects of country of origin and brand equity among the three countries. (4) Find whether there are differences in the effects of country of origin and brand equity among the different lifestyles. Based on the review of literature results, the hypotheses are concluded as the following: H1-a: Country image has positive influence on country of origin. H1-b: Product perception has positive influence on country of origin. H2-a: Perceived quality has positive effect on brand equity. H2-b: Perceived price has positive effect on brand equity. H3: Country of origin has positive effect on brand equity. H4: Brand equity has a positive impact on brand loyalty. Research model was constructed (see Fig. 1). After data analysis, the following results were concluded: sports shoes purchase behavior showed significant differences among Korean, Chinese, and American consumers for favorite brand, purchased brand, purchased place, information usage, and favorite sports games. The results of this study also extend the research of the relationship among country of origin, brand equity and brand loyalty to the sports shoes market. Brand equity was proven to have a significant relationship with brand loyalty for all countries. The factors which can influence brand equity are different for different countries. The third finding of this paper is that we identified different three lifestyles, adventurer, follower, and laggard, for Korean, Chinese and American consumers. Without the nationality boundary, seeing the emergence of a new group of consumers who have similar preferences and buy similar brands is more important. All of the consumers consider brand equity to keep their brand loyalty. Perceived price is the only factor which can influence brand equity for adventurers; brand is more important for them. The laggards were not influenced by any factor. All of the factors expect perceived price are important for the followers. Marketing managers should consider brand equity when introducing their brand into a new market. Also localization is the basic strategy that all the sports shoes companies should understand. But as a global brand, understanding the same characteristics for each country is more important to build global strategy.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.43-62
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• 2010

The notion of customer orientation is now importantly considered in the context of banking industries. Despite customer-oriented organizational cultures, there are few studies addressing the relationship between customer orientation and its outcomes. In particular, this study aims at testing the effect of customer orientation as a key marketing effort designed by a bank. This is because interest rate sensitivity is critical for evaluating banking services after raising the base rate. In so doing, first, this study investigates the relationships among customer orientation, interest rate sensitivity, and customer loyalty. Second, this paper examines how the moderating effects of both deposit interest and loan interest rates influence the linkages of customer orientation-interest rate sensitivity and customer orientation-customer loyalty. To test the proposed model, research data are collected from 304 subjects who use banking services(e.g., Shin-Han, Kookmin, the First Bank, Hana, and Woori banks). Each construct was measured by published items and the psychometric properties of the three constructs, excluding two constructs of the moderators, were evaluated by employing the method of confirmatory factor analysis via the use of AMOS. The model fit was also evaluated using the CFI, TLI, and RMSEA fit indices that are recommended based on their relative stability and insensitivity to sample size. The findings show that the relationship between customer orientation and customer loyalty is significant, whereas the relationships between customer orientation and interest rate sensitivity and between interest rate sensitivity and customer loyalty are not supported. Although customer orientation is highly evaluated, customers' interest rate sensitivity that results in the comparison of interest rates plays an important role in reducing the effect of customer orientation. As a consequence, interest rate sensitivity does not influence customer loyalty. First of all, one of interesting results in this study is that the moderating effect of loan interest rate is quite different from deposit interest rate. In the case of deposit interest rate, the linkages both customer orientation-interest rate sensitivity and customer orientation-customer loyalty are insignificant. In the case of loan interest rate, however, the two proposed linkages are supported. As our proposed relationships are still in its infancy in the context of banking industry, our study contributes to enhance scholars' knowledge of bank services and provides insights for practitioners when their marketing strategies, particularly both deposit and interest rates, have to be established. Finally, this research also illuminates the need for further research that considers the influence of customer orientation on consumer's decision-making and bank profits. More specifically, the results are encouraging and will lead us to further investigate this key outcome of the banking deposit/interest rates.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.39-48
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• 2011

One of the major reasons for fierce competition among firms is that they strive to increase their own market shares in the same market with similar and apparently undifferentiated products in terms of quality and perceived benefit. Due to such changes in the marketing environment, differentiated after-sales service and diversified promotion strategies have become more important in the race to gain a competitive advantage. Price discount is one of the popular promotion strategies that most retailers use, especially to increase sales, but offering a price discount does not always lead to the expected result. If marketers apply an identical price-promotion strategy without considering the characteristic differences in products and consumer preferences, the discounted price itself may make people skeptical about the quality of the product. Moreover, the changes in perceived value may appear differently depending on factors such as consumer involvement. This implies that variables such as the level of consumer involvement, brand loyalty, and external reference prices, in reality, would have different effects on how consumers perceive the value of price discounts. The variables that affect consumers' perceived values and buying decisions are diverse and complicated. Several studies have examined the effects of such variables as external reference price, selling price, and brand on consumers' perceived value of products. Results have not shown consistent patterns. Therefore, we must note that the factors affecting consumers' value perceptions and buying behaviors are diverse and that the results of studies on the same dependent variable come out differently depending on what that variable is. This study focused on the level of consumer involvement as a salient variable that supposedly affects the perceived value of a product, willingness to buy, and search intentions. We tried to examine whether a price discount affects the perceived value-such as perceived acquisition value and perceived transaction value-in different ways depending on the level of consumer involvement. In addition, we proposed managerial implications that marketers need to consider as a whole, for instance, product attributes, brand loyalty, and involvement and then established a differentiated pricing strategy, case by case, in order to effectively enhance consumers' perceived values. As a result, we found that perceived transaction value positively affects perceived acquisition value and when discounting the price of a high-involvement product enhances the consumer's willingness to buy, but perceived acquisition value does not affect the search intentions significantly. In the case of discounting prices of low-involvement products, on the other hand, the perceived transaction value has a positive effect on the willingness to buy, but the negative effect of perceived acquisition value on the search intentions was not significant. We suppose that people doubt a product's quality because of a declined perceived quality derived from a price discount. Even though the price discount enhanced the transaction value, people eventually increased their level of searching for additional product information. From the results of this study, we suggest that marketers ought to establish an appropriate value-enhancing strategy based on the understanding of which perceived value consumers rely on more when they conduct purchasing behavior because consumers perceive the degree of importance of acquisition value or transaction value differently, depending on their level of involvement.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.209-237
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• 2012

1. Research Purpose Consumers rely on various clues to evaluate their decision to patronize a retail store, and store brand is one of them (Dodds 1991; Grewal et al. 1998). As consumers find ever increasing variety of contact points connecting them to specific store, the value of experiential shopping as a means of increasing store's brand equity warrants greater attention from scholars of retail management. Retail shopping values are credited for creating not only cognitive experiences like brand knowledge but also emotional experiences such as shopping pleasure and pride (Schmitt 1999). This may be because today's consumers place emphasis on emotional values associated with shopping pleasure, lifestyle brought to life, brand relationship, and store atmosphere more than utilitarian values such as product quality and price. Many previous literature found this to be true (Ahn and Lee 2011; Mathwick et al. 2001). This brings forth important research issues and questions regarding the roles of shopping experiential values and brand equity with regard to consumer's retail patronage choice. However, despite this importance, research on this area remains quite inadequate (Hwang 2010). For this reason, this study aims to verify the relationships among experiential shopping values, retail store brand equity and tries to link that with customer loyalty by surveying large-scale discount store shoppers in Korea and China. 2. Research Contents In order to carry out the research objective, this study conducted comprehensive literature survey on previous literature by discussing major findings and implications with regard to shopping values and retail brand equity and store loyalty. For data collection, researcher employed survey-based research method where data were collected in two major cities of Korea (Seoul) and China (Bejing) and sampling frame was based on patrons of large discount stores in both countries. Specific research questions raised in this study are as follows; RQ1: How do Korean and Chinese consumers differently perceive of shopping values regarding shopping at large-sclae discount stores? RQ2: Are there differences in consumers' emotional consumption propensities? RQ3: Do Korean and Chinese consumers display different perceptions of brand equity towards large-scale discount stores? RQ4: Are there differences in relationships between shopping values and brand equity for Korean and Chinese consumers? For statistical analysis, SPSS17.0, AMOS17.0 and SmartPLS were employed. 3. Research Results The data collected through face-to-face survey conducted in Seoul and Bejing revealed appropriate data validity and reliability as a result of exploratory/confirmatory factor analysis and reliability tests, andh SEM model yielding satisfactory model fitness. The result of the study may be summarized by three main points. First, as a result of testing differences in consumption dispositions, Chinese consumers showed higher scores in aesthetic and symbolic dispositions, whereas Korean consumers scored higher in hedonic disposition. Second, testing on perceptions toward brand equity of large discount stores showed that Korean consumers exhibited more positive perceptions of brand awareness and brand image than Chinese counterparts. Third, the result of exploratory factor analysis on the experiential shopping values revealed different factors for each country. On Korean side, consumer interest value, aesthetic value, and hedonic value were prominent, whereas on Chinese side, hedonic value, aesthetic value, consumer interest value, and service excellence value were found salient. 4. Research Implications While many previous studies on inter-country differences in retailing area mainly focused on cultural dispositions or orientations to explain the differences, this study sets itself apart by specifically targeting individual consumer's shopping values from an experiential viewpoint. The study result provides important theoretical as well as practical implications for large-scale discount store, especially the impotance of fully exploring the linkage between shopping values and brand equity, which has significant influence on loyalty. Therefore, the specific implications deriving from the result shed some important insights upon the consumption values based on shopping experiences and brand equity. The differences found in store shoppers between the two countries may also provide useful insights for Korean and Chinese retailers who plan to expand their operations globally. Related strategic implications derived from this study is the importance of localizing retail strategy which is based on the differences found in experiential shopping values between the two country groups. Especially the finding that Chinese consumers value consumer interest and service excellence, whereas Koreans place importance on hedonic or aesthetic values indicates the need to differentiate the consumer's psychographical profiles when it comes to expanding retail operations globally. Particularly important will be to pursue price-orienated strategy in China in consideration of the high emphasis on consumer interests and service excellence, but to emphasize the symbolic aspects of brand equity in Korea by maximizing the brand equity associated with aesthetic values and hedonic orientations. 5. Recommendations This study focused on generic retail branded discount stores in both countries, thus making it difficult to tease out store-specific strategies based on specific retail brands. Future studies may benefit fro employing actual brand names in survey questionnaire to verify relationship between shopping values and brand-based store strategy. As with other studies of this nature, this study needs to strengthen the result's generalizability by selecting respondents from a wider spectrum of respondents.

• Management & Information Systems Review
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.123-142
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• 2010

This study suggest that firms can use online brand communities as an IMC tool to achieve high brand loyalty through marketer-controlled or loyal customer-controlled brand contacts. In this perspective, the online brand community as a marketing communication tool can help the firm in eliciting favorable responses from customers. This study finds that an online brand community, as a critical marketing promotion tool, helps a firm elicit favorable relationship with customers and build strong brand loyalty. In particular, this study suggests several important theoretical and managerial implications. First, this study confirm that "advertising usefulness" is the most powerful and important factor that affects cgerial 's positive emotionomehile "sales promotion usefulness" impacmehin "interactivity" but dies not impacmhin "cgerial iexperience"ltyevent usefulness" impacmehin "cgerial iexperience"but dies not impacmhin "interactivity." In addition, "cgerial iexperience" signifn "itly impacmehin "cgerial -to-cgerial iinteractivity." This indicates that online environment provides participapacmwith a fun and exciting environment. In that sense, enhancing the online brand community experiencemwould be a critical factor for building strong brand. Thi", mword of mouth can play a riclly important role in making many cgerial s to trust brand and to enhance online brand community loyalty. Web users are becoming web authoore owning and creating content limited only by their imaginations.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.535-550
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that customers perceive as important relationship investment in the relationship efforts provided by retailers for customer relationship purposes and to explain the mediating role of relationship quality such as trust, relationship commitment in the relationship perceived relationship investment and relationship performance. For this study, 270 respondents were surveyed and data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 20.0 statistical package. Statistical analysis tools, such as SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 20.0 were utilized for ensuring the validity and the reliability, whereas the SEM method was used for testing the research hypothesis. The results of study are as follows. Financial efforts and structural efforts have affected perceived relationship investment. Perceived relationship investment affected trust and relationship commitment but not loyalty. Trust influenced relationship commitment and loyalty whereas relationship commitment did not affect loyalty. Therefore, it is important for retail marketing managers to provide tangible rewards and special benefits at all times in order to recognize that they are doing the best service efforts for customer relations. In order to secure long-term and stable profits by establishing a relationship with them, the service marketing strategies should be promoted to enhance the relationship quality by raising the level of trust.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.117-124
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• 2017

In the face of current environment of changing markets and increasing competition, regional financial institutions are also attempting to meet the needs of customers using various methods such as offering new services that satisfy customer demands. This study seeks to determine for regional financial institutions which service products and quality factors affect customer satisfaction and loyalty, and compare service products and service quality sources with the goal of observing the comparative importance of each service factor. This sample is conducted by visiting customer survey from October 7th to October 30th, 2015 to Korea Credit Union Cooperative Association and Seoul Consumer Association. The sample is analyzed as follows. interest rate, deduction, insurance and welfare business had a significant effect on customer satisfaction level among the commodity factors of local financial institution, and accessibility, professionalism and empathy affect service satisfaction level. Second, customer satisfaction has a significant effect on customer loyalty. In addition to the interest rate and professionalism factors, it is analyzed that deductions, insurance and welfare projects and empathy are important factors in the local financial institutions contributing to the local economy while providing financial convenience to local residents. This study suggests key points that regional financial institutions can use to differentiate their image in the competitive financial markets.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.42-55
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to classify the contents of department stores and large-scale discount stores of consumer on information source, shopping orientation and store image in an effort to determine which variable gave a crucial impact on cosmetics department stores and large-scale discount stores selection behavior. The subjects of this study were 557 adult women visited department store and large-scale discount store in Busan. The data were analyzed by using Factor analysis, Frequency analysis, Correlation analysis, Cronabach $\alpha$ and Regression analysis. The results were as follows; 1. There was a difference in the demographical characteristics on department stores and large-scale discount stores of consumers. 2. Shopping Orientation of consumers were categorized into 5 types, and information source of consumers did 3 types, and store image of consumers did 5 types. 3. Leisure utilization, store & brand loyalty, store information, personal information, massmedia information, product & operate on, store atmosphere & salesperson and shopping convenience had positive correlations with cosmetics department stores selection beavior. but convenient location, rationality & economy and sales promotion had negative correlations with cosmetics department stores selection beavior. 4. Rationality & economy and sales promotion had positive correlations with cosmetics large-scale discount stores selection beavior. but convenient location, leisure utilization, store & brand loyalty, massmedia information, product & operate on, store atmosphere & salesperson and shopping convenience had negative correlations with cosmetics large-scale discount stores selection beavior. 5. Age, income, business(-), convenient location(-), rationality & economy(-), leisure utilization, store & brand loyalty, store information, personal information, massmedia information, store atmosphere & salesperson, shopping convenience and sales promotion(-) had a direct effect on cosmetics department stores selection beavior. Age, income, marriage, education had an indirect effect on department stores selection beavior through information source and store image, and information source did through store image, and shopping orientation did through store image. 6. Rationality & economy, convenient location(-), leisure utilization(-), store & brand loyalty(-), buying independence(-), personal information, massmedia information(-), product & operate on(-), shopping convenience(-) and sales promotion had a direct effect on cosmetics large-scale discount stores selection beavior. Age, income, marriage, education had an indirect effect on large-scale discount stores selection beavior through information source, shopping orientation and store image, and information source did through store image, and shopping orientation did through store image.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.51-60
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• 2014

Previous research on loyalty program has verified the factors that influence redemption behavior and the understanding of the mechanism of redemption behavior with academic and practical implications. However, these research has not proven boundary conditions in which the phenomena can be strengthened or weakened- that is, the moderating effect remains unclear. The inclusion of moderating variables can provide a more extensive understanding of the mechanism of this behavior from academic and managerial perspectives alike. Therefore, this current research proposes regulatory focus as a moderating variable, which has received scarce attention in the study of loyalty program behavior, especially individual characteristic variables that, in turn, affect the consumers' purchasing behavior in various ways. Previous research on consumer decision making investigates the differential role of regulatory focus as a series of stages. Regulatory focus theory posits that people depend on the two types of regulatory focus when pursuing goals: promotion focus vs. prevention focus. The former induces tendencies to recognize a goal as a hope and ideal, as something that satisfies the need for accomplishment, and to be sensitive to the presence of a positive outcome of the match and to match the pursuit of goals. On the other hand, the latter tends to regard a goal as the responsibility or obligation to achieve the goal, has a tendency to avoid failure to meet a target, and is sensitive to the presence of the negative consequences that do not reach the target. The following propositions are suggested: 1) The effect of higher accumulation effort level on delaying point redemption speed will be relatively more pronounced for customers with prevention focus. 2) The effect of higher accumulation effort level on large redemption unit size will be relatively more pronounced for customers with prevention focus. 3) The effect of higher accumulation effort level on hedonic redemption ratio will be relatively more pronounced for customers with promotion focus. Therefore, this research provides a moderating variable that has the potential to be used as a reference for market segmentation and affects the relationship between point accumulation effort and three sides of point redemption behavior. On this basis, the direction for the future research on this issue is recommended. Future research could verify these propositions conducting a survey of customers' propensity of regulatory focus in conjunction with the history of the loyalty program of data. This would provide a more realistic effect on the usage behavior of loyalty program consumers by providing useful implications for both marketing practitioners and researchers.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.113-121
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• 2015

This study is to identify that the efforts of business ethics build customer loyalty, and it makes customers lead to purchase behavior in the viewpoint of grasping convergence effect. The survey has proved that ethical management influences consumers' purchase behaviors, and consumers' image perception and trust on corporate play parameter role in that process. This results imply that corporate's ethical management gives increase in revenue and reputation to corporate. So managers must recognize business goes on when the social legitimacy is approved by the public, and make efforts to arrange systems and programs to foster ethical management. In the future study, it is required that an analysis to differentiate target range and level of implementation of ethical management and research associated with ethical issue of high public interest.