• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.29-42
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• 2011

With the many advantages of the internet, online shopping has become one of the fastest growing types of retail businesses. However, internet-based firms are much more firmly required to retain existing customers rather than secure new ones, and to make them revisit the site by strengthening trust and loyalty, thereby improving profits and outrivaling competitors. Commitment is an essential part of successful long-term relationships between buyers and sellers. Although commitments by both parties in an exchange can provide the foundation for the development of relational social norms, disproportionate commitments can lead to opportunism by the less committed partner. Moreover, flow, which is characterized by intense concentration and enjoyment, was found to be significantly linked with exploratory use behavior, which in turn was linked to the extent of computer use. The level of flow was, itself, determined by the individual's sense of being in control, and the level of challenge perceived in maneuvering a website. Website attractiveness goes hand in hand with the attractiveness of an internet shopping mall, and it can be conceptualized as the persuasive effectiveness of a message by the use of familiarity, favor, similarity, etc. It occurs when information receivers try to achieve self-satisfaction when they actually or emotionally identify themselves with an information source. This study investigates the relationship between the perceived system characteristics of an internet shopping mall and the loyalty of online consumers, and it examines how perceived website attractiveness and flow play mediating roles between the perceived system characteristics of an internet shopping mall and the affective commitment in the context of a clothes internet shopping mall. For these purposes, a structural model comprising several variables was developed. That model was tested with an analysis of moment structure (AMOS) using data from respondents who had purchased clothing through the internet during the past three months. In this model, the perceived system characteristics of an internet shopping mall, such as familiarity, reputation, uniqueness, positive emotions, self-efficacy, and interactivity, were proposed to affect the website's attractiveness and flow, and lead to a higher affective commitment over time. Thus, the perceived website attractiveness and flow were proposed as core mediating variables between perceived system characteristics and affective commitment. The results of a reliability test using Cronbach's Alpha, and a confirmatory factor analysis warranted using unidimensionality for the measures for each construct. In addition, the nomological validity of the measures was warranted from the results of a correlation analysis. The results of empirical analyses indicated that systematic attributes resulting in website attractiveness and user's characteristics, thereby triggering customers' flow, play a crucial role in inducing customers' affective commitment, and a user's characteristics are twice as important as systematic attributes in this study. Moreover, familiarity, reputation, and uniqueness all have a significant effect on website attractiveness, and the research showed that uniqueness took the first place, and that familiarity and reputation followed in order of magnitude. The fact that reputation was not the most important factor that affects the attractiveness of an internet shopping mall, with uniqueness or familiarity having a greater impact, suggests much deeper implications. Finally, positive emotion, self-efficacy, and interactivity all have a significant effect on customers' flow. In particular, the fact that positive emotion, compared to self-efficacy or interactivity, has much more impact on flow is very suggestive.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.145-156
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• 2018

Unlike the past, when distributors distributed games through retail stores, they are now selling digital content, which is based on online distribution channels. This study analyzes the effects of eWOM (electronic Word of Mouth) on sales volume of game sold on Steam, an online digital content distribution channel. Recently, data mining techniques based on Big Data have been studied. In this study, emotion index of eWOM is derived by emotional analysis which is a text mining technique that can analyze the emotion of each review among factors of eWOM. Emotional analysis utilizes Naive Bayes and SVM classifier and calculates the emotion index through the SVM classifier with high accuracy. Regression analysis is performed on the dependent variable, sales variation, using the emotion index, the number of reviews of each game, the size of eWOM, and the user score of each game, which is a rating of eWOM. Regression analysis revealed that the size of the independent variable eWOM and the emotion index of the eWOM were influential on the dependent variable, sales variation. This study suggests the factors of eWOM that affect the sales volume when Korean game companies enter overseas markets based on steam.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.71-76
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• 2014

Master packaging system is a technology combining primary and secondary packaging to preserve the fresh produce in the supply chain. Master packaging system with tailor-designed gas transfer and $CO_2$ absorber of $Ca(OH)_2$ was applied to fresh shiitake mushroom in its supply from farm to retail store. The temperature, humidity and package atmosphere were monitored through the distribution and/or storage until the packages were opened to measure the mushroom quality. Conventional perforated individual packages without secondary master pack were prepared and travelled the same path for comparison purpose. While high temperature history was observed in some initial period of actual practice of the mushroom transportation and storage unexpectedly, the package atmosphere around the produce in the master packaging system was maintained at modified atmosphere consisting of $O_2$ concentration of 0.4 to 4.2% and $CO_2$ concentration of 0.7 to 1.7%, which is known to be beneficial for the mushroom preservation. While curing the mushrooms with precooled drying was effective for quality preservation, positive effect of master packaging system could be apparent for the uncured mushroom. Harmonized combination of curing treatment, master packaging system and temperature management was suggested for the best quality preservation of the fresh shiitake mushroom.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.35-43
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• 2015

Purpose - This study aims to seek various plans to maintain the advancement of the overseas and domestic employment scenario through a case analysis of the Japanese industry, which maintains domestic employment while promoting the overseas advancement of companies despite having a similar industrial structure as Korea. The study further intends to derive insightful implications for Japanese manufacturing companies and government policies. Research design, data, and methodology - We selected four companies from the Japanese manufacturing industry. Being companies that were successful in increasing the domestic employment scenario while advancing in overseas markets. We utilized several secondary data sources including Japanese newspapers and report literature. Results - Previous studies have shown a negative relationship between Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) or offshoring and domestic employment. However, our results showed this relationship with respect to the Japanese manufacturing industry as follows: 1. FDI for developing overseas markets does not decrease domestic production. If Japanese companies change their strategy from exports to overseas production, there will be a consequent decrease in domestic employment of Multinational Enterprises (MNEs). However, the local production that plans the sales expansion of a foreign market does not substitute domestic production. 2. Several case studies illustrate that, as the production of final goods is expanded in foreign countries, there is a corresponding increase in the export of intermediary goods from Japan. In this case, if the production process of Japanese companies is promoted in foreign markets, the amount of exported material and parts from Japan will consequently increase. 3. It is difficult to consider that the establishment of subsidiary companies in foreign countries by manufacturing companies for wholesale, retail, and services decreases domestic employment. This is because the international development of these industries needs expatriates, expatriate training organizations, and research and development (R&D) activities. 4. When there is overseas demand, the growth of local management activities is expected to increase the work of the overseas business department in the head office in Japan, if competitiveness can be secured for better localization and management speed. 5. The conversion of the domestic manufacturing industry into high value-added production is necessary. The relocation of domestic production to foreign markets decreases domestic employment. To prevent this, the upgradation of domestic production bases, including high value-added production, and R&D capability need to be strengthened. Technology-based companies must develop new technology, patents, processes, and so forth, which require extensive human resources for R&D. Conclusions - Domestic medium-sized companies that are capable of consistently supplying high value-added products should be actively encouraged to deploy into and develop overseas markets. Further, this paper considers the necessity of a guidance policy that provides suggestions for overseas deployment, by the initiation of the government, to companies that cannot do so due to the lack of foreign experience or decisions by the CEO, despite having the relevant capability and technologies to supply high value-added products.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.107-118
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• 2019

Purpose - The present study examines the effect of service employees' experienced customer incivility through their emotional exhaustion. We identified service employees' emotion regulation ability as a boundary condition (i.e., moderating variable) that decreased the positive relationship between service employees' experienced customer incivility and their emotional exhaustion. Furthermore, we also investigated the negative relationship between service employees' experienced customer incivility and their service performance via emotional exhaustion. Research design, data, and methodology - Drawing on AET (affective event theory) and COR (conservation of resources) theory, we developed three research hypotheses (i.e., mediation, moderation, and moderated mediation). Online panel survey data from 552 frontline employees at several service organizations (e.g., department stores, retail stores, hotels, restaurants, airlines, banking, insurance company, and etc) in South Korea were examined. To assess two types of validity (i.e., convergent and discriminant validity) and reliability of measurement model, we employed the CFA (confirmatory factor analysis) using M-plus 8.2 software. Internal consistency also was tested by Cronbach' α. In addition, we employed the SPSS PROCESS MACRO 2.16, which was recommended by Hayes (2013, 2015), to estimate mediation, moderation, and moderated mediation effects. Results - As predicted, the negative relationship between service employees' experienced customer incivility and their service performance was mediated by emotional exhaustion. Furthermore, service employees' emotion regulation ability also played a significant moderating role of the relationship between service employees' experienced customer incivility and emotional exhaustion, such that this relationship was less pronounced when service employees had a high level of their emotion regulation ability than when thir emotion regulation ability was low. Service employees' emotion regulation ability further moderated this mediation effect of service employees' experienced customer incivility on service performance through emotional exhaustion. These findings have theoretical implications for employees' experienced customer incivility and emotion regulation ability research and provide managerial implications for practitioners. Conclusions - This study empirically elaborated the previous model of service employees' experienced customer incivility and personal resource (e.g., emotion regulation ability) literature by presenting the findings that service employees' experienced customer incivility influences their service performance via emotional exhaustion and that emotion regulation ability effectively reduces this negative effect.

• Proceedings of the Korean DIstribution Association Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.35-56
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• 2006

The objective of this research is to identify the factors affecting the quality perception of consumer about the private brand and to investigate how the monetary utility of the private brand affects the consumer's preference. The main finding can be summarized in three points. The consumer's usage experience with PB have a positive but store image has no significant effect on the quality perception of PB. The perceived quality and monetary utility of PB has a significant effect on the quality perception while the perceived quality has stronger effect. The competitiveness of the national brand in the same store, post-usage attitude, the perceived quality, and perceived value have significant effect on the preference toward PB but monetary utility does not. The perceived effect has the strongest effect. This result suggests that even the value-seeking consumers prefer PB only when the perceived quality exceeds a certain limits. This study provides the strategic implications for retail managers and theoretical implication for the researcher studying PB.

• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.1-21
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• 2007

This study introduces 'Free Market' that was recently developed in front of Hongik university. 'Free market', as a place for transactions for art products produced by artists or prospective artists, is held regularly every Saturday in front of Hongik university. This study collected data through in-depth interviews with participants and participant observations at the market to analyze the success factors of 'Free Market'. We described development process, unique characteristics of 'Free Market' and new experiential values that the market provide to the participants. This free market was introduced as roadside stand in the middle of 1990s when some artists started selling their works. It passed through the growth stage after it staged the event that had mixed characteristics of 'flee market' and 'art market' at local festivals in 2001. In 2002 Sin-Chon culture forum directedculture-oriented market and the market has been developed as a current 'Free Market'. Recently 'Free Market' is comprised of steps, artists, and customers who voluntarily participated in the market. The market is held regularly every Saturday and provide various types of programs for the participants. Major characteristics of this free market were summarized as 'complex space' and 'role transition', and these characteristics provided the participants new experiential values such as 'freedom', 'emergent experiences', 'social interaction' and 'hero of festivals' through the participant role. We interpret that 'Free Market' has been successfully settled down as a new type of retail store based on these new experiential values. Therefore, this case provides very useful implications that unique experiential values that a store provides to the customers can be major sources of store competitive advantages.

• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.37-60
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• 2010

Department Stores have been in place as typical large-scale retailer in Korean retail market. After Asian financial crisis in 1997, the market share of major three department stores has been increased and they have had a dominant position in relationship with vendors or manufacturers. Thus, they are able to control sales commission. Sales commission is defined as things that department stores which contribute to products sales instead of manufacturers take some portion of price as their revenue. In other words, vendors or manufacturers pay some amount of money from their sales by contracted ratio to department stores. The problem is that vendors or manufacturers think that sales commission is high. However, department stores have a different opinion that sales commission is not high because they generate new value from gathering customers and doing marketing activity on behalf of vendors or manufacturers. Because department stores have operated with business model of renting sales space to vendors or manufacturers instead of buying goods directly from them, this situation has been taken place. The revenue of department stores depend on sales commission. Thus, they want to get a dominant power to control sales commission in relationship with vendors or manufacturers. So, they have tried to increase their size and brand power. The considered policies related in sales commission of department stores are as following: preventing monopoly or oligopoly of department store, being strength of monitoring for department stores' unfair trade, strict enforcement of law for large-scale retailer's unfair trade, and inducing win-win strategy doing voluntarily by department stores.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.93-99
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• 2015

Purpose - It has been argued that the regulations restricting entry and opening hours of General Super Markets and Super Super Markets have not been as effective as expected. In contrast, the win-win item scheme that appeared recently has the advantage that it could raise the effectiveness of the system in that win-win items are in principle resigned on the basis of bilateral agreements. This study analyzes the win-win item agreement made between Homeplus at Hap-jung and small traditional markets to examine the practical effectiveness of the win-win item scheme. While existing literature studying the regulatory effects have concentrated on the restrictions around store entry or opening hours of large retailers, it can be said that there have been few empirical studies on the effect of win-win items agreement with large retailers. Research design, data, and methodology - Homeplus at Hap-jung made a win-win items agreement with nearby small traditional market traders in 2013. In accordance with this voluntary agreement, Homeplus started by limiting its sales to 15 win-win items. The survey was conducted through one-on-one interviews, April 14 to May 2, 2014, by a professional public opinion research agency. The interviews were targeted at small business retailers in the nearby traditional market. We divided the traditional markets near Homeplus at Hap-jung where the win-win item agreement was achieved into two groups, win-win item agreement markets and non win-win item agreement markets, to compare the performance difference between the two groups. Results - To determine the change in sales of the 15 win-win items, we examined the performance difference between the two groups using two criteria (compared with similar items, and compared to sales volume a year ago). The results show that the individual sales of win-win items in the win-win item agreement markets are more likely to increase than in the non win-win item agreement markets. Total sales volume of individual stores in the agreement markets also showed a more significant increase compared to a year ago than those in non win-win item agreement markets. Conclusions - Contrary to the existing retail regulations that have one-sided and uniform characteristics, it can be pointed out that the win-win item scheme has the effect of increasing the success of the system itself because it is done on the basis of mutual agreement between General Super Markets and traditional markets. The empirical results of this study can be said to support this conjecture. For the successful settlement of a win-win items agreement, the following points should be reviewed. First, it requires a great effort from the selection process of win-win items in order to improve the effectiveness of the agreement. Second, the existing General Super Markets customers should be introduced to the traditional markets or small shops to increase the sales of win-win items. Therefore, voluntary effort is essentially required from the traditional markets to engage customers.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.23-35
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• 2013

Purpose - This paper attempts to identify the problems and limitations of a market maintenance project conducted according to the 「Special Act for the Development of Traditional Markets and Shopping Street」 and to present a revised direction for the special law and lay the groundwork for market maintenance projects to be promoted smoothly. Research design, data, and methodology - The revised direction for the legislation and the proposal were written based on an investigation of the problems and the legal system, and proposed measures for market maintenance operation and system improvements to derive the improvements needed for market maintenance projects. Results - A market maintenance project has been conducted as a means to reinvigorate traditional markets that are economically depressed, and to revive the local economy. It was largely conducted in the form of reconstruction and redevelopment and represents the interests of landowners and merchants. Thus, it is most likely to contribute to the gradual disappearance of traditional markets. First, as part of a market maintenance project, many companies are building multipurpose buildings or high-rise residential buildings to increase profits. In these high-rise buildings, they can raise rents, which may not be affordable for some existing small businesses. To solve such problems, the large-scale store registration requirement needs to be relaxed or abolished once the market maintenance project is completed. If the large-scale store registration requirement is to be abolished, the term 'large retail store' should be changed in the 「Special Act for the Development of Traditional Markets and Shopping Street」. After registration, the Small and Medium Business Administration should train merchants, offer consultations, and support events, to the extent that the existing traditional market management modernization project permits, and further continue to manage and support its ongoing activities. However, unless large-scale store registration is abolished, adding an exception clause in the special law to relax large-scale store registration criteria, and permitting changes to building use is another option. At the end of a market maintenance project, empty stores should be purchased by the Small and Medium Business Administration, and local government, etc., at the actual construction cost, to utilize them as public rental shopping areas, which in turn may be re-utilized as a temporary market for another market maintenance project. The second problem in market maintenance projects is merchant-protection. Currently, the special law prescribes that a temporary market be created for merchants to conduct business during the rental period of a market maintenance project. Conclusions - In reality, a market maintenance project is conducted usually in big metropolitan cities with 500,000 residents or more. The main building type created under these projects is a multipurpose building. For this reason, it is very difficult to secure a location for a temporary market in the surrounding area of such a project. To solve this problem, this study suggests 'public rental shopping areas' as mentioned above.