Although many studies have emphasized the importance of a saleperson's effort in the area of service marketing, no one has studied the variables which may influence, or may be influenced by salesperson's effort by customers. This study investigates the effects of percieved salesperson's effort on some performance variables and the effects of some selected variables on perceived salesperson's effort. Two sets of data were collected - one on the service of beauty hair shops and the other on that in fast food restaurants. The results indicate that empathy of employees is positively related to perceived effort, and perceived effort has the positive effects on satisfaction, trust, and long term relationship. However, the relationships between store image and perceived effort, and that between trust and long term relationship are only partly supported and the effects of perceived effort on long term relationship are not supported in our empirical tests.

We investigated the consumer behavior of store choice using consumer panel data. The NBD-Dirichlet model known to be predictive of the consumer's brand choice was also found to be well fitted for the store choice behavior. Understanding the regularity in the store choice will provide both manufacturers and sistributors with the necessary guidelines for their competitive strategies.

The present paper discusses the current status of outsourcing of service encounter in department stores. We attempt to find if there is any significant relationship between outsourcing motive and business performance. The 30 department stores under analysis show that they vary in the degree to which they appreciate the necessity of outsourcing and also the which they employ outsourcing. It is also found that firm size influences the portion of outsourcing. The two main motives of outsourcing seem to be (i) cost saving and (ⅱ) better customer satisfaction. We find that the latter plays a more important role. However, there seems to be no significant connection between outsourcing and performance and between motives of outsourcing and performance.

This study investigates a theoretical background to find the effects of antecedents on postpurchase dissatisfaction behavior. To test hypotheses empirically, 209 questionnaires were collected from customers of Korean retailers in Pusan. The results can be summarized as follows. First, the perceived likelihood of successful complaint, the perceived value of complaint, attitude toward complaining has a direct influence on voice. However, controllability has no significant effect on voice. Second, the controllability has a direct effect on exit but perceived value of complaint has no significant effect. Third, no variables have direct effects on negative word-of-mouth. These findings may reflect the fact that negative word-of-mouth is different from voice and exit in terms of dimensions of postpurchase dissatisfaction behavior.

The basic purpose of this study is to investigate how the traits of the buyer-seller transaction-relationship relate to relationship performance, including relationship performance explicitly in the proposed model. The traits examined include relational norm, formalization, market uncertainty, and relationship investment. It is hypothesized that relational norm and formalization have positive impacts on relationships performance while market uncertainty has a minus impact. In addition, it is hypothesized that relational norm has a positive moderating impact on the effect of relationship investment--the investment and efforts for maintaining a relationship to relationship performance. A mail-survey to the manufacturers of machinery and equipment about their relationships with the parts suppliers was performed. Data provided a strong support for the hypotheses. As hypothesized, relationship performance and formalization generally had positive impacts on relationship performance and formalization generally had positive impacts on relationship performance while market uncertainty showed negative impacts. Also, there is a good evidence for the positive moderating effect of relational norm to the impact of relationship investment on relationship performance.

Long-term relationship in distribution channels has been emphasized in the former researches. But many researches and literatures have not focused on how to achieve and maintain long-term relationship. To achieve and maintain long-term relationship, this study pays attention to the role of trust and commitment. The purpose of this study is explaining the relation between trust and commitment with the mutual perspectives of retailer and supplier. Research results indicate that trust has an effect on commitment, trust has two levels of firm and a responsible person, and perception of partners commitment has an effect on trust in two levels. And it shows that to increase perception of commitment, increasing commitment, quality of communication, satisfaction, reputation, and decreasing opportunistic behavior should be considered.

For more than a decade, trust and commitment have received much attention in marketing channels literature. This study investigates the effects of these two core relational dimensions on the performance of EDI-supported marketing channels. A survey of the 92 suppliers of large department stores in Korea indicates that commitment to EDI increases significantly the organizational and economic performance of EDI-supported marketing channels. Trust was found to increase EDI performance indirectly by enhancing commitment to EDI. Based on the Social Information Processing(SIP) theory the present study also explored the effects of time on trust and commitment to EDI and their impacts on EDI performance. Analyses supported the hypothesized time effects that trust and commitment to EDI develop positively as EDI moves from initial stage to application stage. However, the impacts of these two dimensions on EDI performance did not change significantly over time.

The establishment of EDI system significantly transforms the relationship among channel members. This study investigates the relationship between buying and selling companies who use the EDI system. The results of this study are summarized as follows. First, the establishment of the EDI system has a positive effect on the task effectiveness, cost and competitiveness regardless of buying and selling companies. Second, the establishment of EDI system does not affects direct and indirect trust in both companies. Third, the effects of task effectiveness and cost are not related with the perceived or behavioral trust.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the fastfood franchise distribution channel in the Pusan area. To achieve the research objectives, hypotheses were developed through a literature review and an experimental methods wee employed. The major findings of this study are as follow; (1) franchiser's control and autonomy positively affected the affective commitment of franchisee. (2) franchisee's affective commitment positively affected the performance. (3) franchiser's control positively affected the performance of franchisee. Therefore, the efficient franchise system and relationship are required in the Korean distribution channel.

This paper is an exploratory study about perceived risks related to career women's fashion lifestyles in case of catalogue shopping. Three research questions are proposed: 1. The first is to examine the types of career women's fashion lifestyles. 2. The second is to find out the kinds of perceived risks when career women purchase fashion apparels through catalogues. 3. The third is to investigate the relationships between fashion lifestyles and perceived risks. The empirical results were as follows. First, career women's fashion lifestyles were distinctively divided into the fashion-oriented group, the casual preference group, and the brand-name preference group. Second, seven unique perceived risks such as socio-psychological perceived risks, product assortment perceived risks, quality/function perceived risks, customer services & conveniences perceive risks, economic perceived risks, and order waiting-time perceived risks were manifested when career women purchase fashion apparels using catalogues. Finally, significant differences in socio-psychological perceived risks, product assortment perceived risks, and quality/function perceived risks were shown among fashion lifestyle clusters. However, the others were not.

The aim of this study is to analyze the consumers perception of price and the economic benefit of shopping at the various discount-stores. We found that there is a significant difference between the real price level of discount-stores and the firms purporting discount level of their commodities. We also, found that there is a bias between the consumers perception of their monetary profit and the actual economic benefit. It's recommended that consumers should give objective judgement on price level of discount-stores and appreciate rationally the exact profit for them to take the advantage in their everyday life. To increase consumer welfare, it's desirable to improve labeling system on retail prices and regulations on distribution industry as well as the consumers perception of price and their profit level as mentioned above. Additionally, it should be followed that the business side build the consumer-oriented management system.