• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.644-654
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• 2017

Due to globalization and the increasing number of international marriages, Korea has become a multicultural society. In 2012, the Korean Ministry of Education established guidelines for education on multicultural understanding for all K-12 students. The purpose of this study is to understand how education on multicultural understanding is conducted and to provide suggestions for improvements. Based on the six goals of multicultural curriculum in Bennett's conceptual model, this study explores how multicultural education specialists conduct their instructions and how they convey the value of multicultural understanding in public schools. Four multicultural education specialists were recruited, and various qualitative data were collected from pre- and post-interviews and classroom observations. The data were analyzed through thematic analysis. The study findings show that the participants educated elementary students by introducing their own (or spouse's) culture through their traditional clothes, food, and customs. This indicated that they focused mainly on developing multiple historical perspectives and strengthening intercultural competence. However, their current education on multicultural understanding may not help students to increase an awareness of the state of the planet and global dynamics, and to build social action skills. Finally, we suggest that multicultural education should be integrated and infused into national (regular) curricula so that all students can enhance their multicultural understanding.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.79-92
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• 2015

Purpose - The aim of this study is to develop an empirical model of the effects of traditional market service quality factors on customer value, relationship quality, and behavior. The specific objectives of the study are as follows: 1) to classify study objects into cultural tourism markets and non-cultural tourism markets as well as to verify the differences in service quality among the two markets and, 2) to present practical service marketing methods that fit with the characteristics of the traditional markets by amending the five quality evaluation items of SERVQUAL (a multiple-item scale for measuring service quality)to suit the characteristics of the traditional markets and establish the relationship among customer value, relationship quality, and behavior intention. Research design, data, and methodology - The study methods of empirical investigation are as follows. First, this study selected for a study object the Suwon Paldalmun Gate Market to represent the cultural tourism market, and general traditional markets to represent the non-cultural tourism market. This study also conducted personal interviews in order to increase the response rate and collected a total of 418 responses between March 18, 2014 and April 05, 2014. The total of 418 responses used for this study excluded 14 responses that had either misleading information or missing values. Results - This study verified the perceived differences of service quality based on traditional market specialization through an independent sample t-test. It appeared that the perceived service quality of the cultural tourism market was generally higher than that of the non-cultural tourism market. This study executed a path analysis in order to examine the effects of service quality factors on customer value, relationship quality, and behavior intention. This study also comprehensively analyzed the specialized market and non-specialized market separately. Although there were some differences among the results, the overall results were uniform. It appeared that convenience, reliability, and empathy, among the service quality factors, exerted meaningful effects on customer value. On the other hand, convenience, reliability, responsiveness, and empathy, excluding the tangibles, exerted meaningful effects on the relationship quality. In addition, it appeared that all service quality factors exerted meaningful effects on the customer value, relationship quality, and behavior intention. Therefore, the study verified that all of the hypotheses formulated in the study were generally adopted. Conclusions - The implication of this study may be classified into academic and practical implication as follows. With respect to the academic implication, it seems that this study is among the early studies to verify the differences between the cultural tourism market and the non-cultural tourism market. The practical implication of this study is that the perceived service quality, such as convenience, reliability, responsiveness, and tangibles, excluding empathy, was higher in the cultural tourism market than in the non-cultural tourism market. This means that customer satisfaction is enhanced by governmental aid such as hardware, software, and information and communications technology.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.101-109
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• 2015

Purpose - A traditional retail market is a place that offers economic opportunity to employees and employers alike it also is a place where the community can meet. The Korean government has invested three trillion won to improve physical and non-physical aspects in traditional retail markets since 2004. However, little research on this has been conducted. We explore this research gap that could lead to theory extension. We analyze consumption behavior with respect to traditional retail markets through an empirical analysis, thus overcoming limits in previous research. We empirically analyze policy effects of traditional retail market projects supported by the Korean government. Research design, data, and methodology - We propose a traditional retail market improvement plan via the relation between cause and effect resulting from the analysis. More specifically, logit analysis was carried out with 1,754 consumers in 16 cities nationwide. In order to analyze consumer consumption behaviors nationwide, the probability was analyzed using a logit model. This research analyzes the link between support and non-support by the Korean government using binary values. The dependent variable is whether Korean government support is implemented; the binomial logistic regression is used as the statistical estimation technique. The object variables are:1 (support) or 0 (nonsupport), and the prediction value is between 1 and 0. As a result of the factor analysis of questions related to attributes of service quality, four factors were extracted: convenience, product, facilities, and service. Results - The results indicate that convenience, product, and facilities have a significant influence on consumer satisfaction in accordance with the government's traditional retail market support. Additionally, the results reveal that convenience, product, facilities, and service all have a significant influence on consumer satisfaction in a traditional retail market's service quality and consumer satisfaction. Finally, the analysis indicates that the highly satisfied traditional retail market customer has a significant influence on revisit intention. Moreover, the results reveal that the highly satisfied traditional retail market customer has a significant influence on recommendation intention. Conclusions - This research focused on consumers nationwide to measure policy effects of traditional retail markets compared to previous research that focused on one traditional retail market or a specific area. We verified the relationship of service quality and customer satisfaction and consumer behavior based on service quality theory. The results indicate that consumer satisfaction of traditional retail markets supported by service quality factors has a significant impact. In a concrete form, the results indicate that these effects are from facility modernization projects and marketing support projects of the Korean government. The results also imply that these facility and management support effects from the Korean government have been consistent. We realize that the Korean government has to selectively support traditional retail markets in major cities and small and medium-sized cities. To that end, the Korean government needs to select a concentration strategy for the revitalization of traditional retail markets.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.17-25
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• 2014

Purpose - This study used empirical methods to investigate the consciousness structure of vendors in the S marketing area, which is a commercial revitalization district in the country, and examined its effect on their business activities. Based on the results derived through the performance of an actual proof analysis, this study aims to facilitate the promotion of changes in the consciousness structures of traditional market vendors, with a view to allowing them to adapt to the current economic realities in the country. Further, this study aims to provide suggestions that would improve the efficiency of the commercial revitalization program of the government. Research design, data, and methodology - This study examined all the stores in the S marketing area using a questionnaire survey conducted over three weeks beginning on July 4, 2012, and involved the performance of a data analysis on 1,859 samples. The questionnaire consisted of two parts. The first part addressed the market revitalization and the second part addressed the store management strategies. Questionnaire responses were calibrated based on a Likert scale. Statistical analysis was conducted using PASW version 18.0. Results - The results of the analysis of the consciousness structure of merchants in the S marketing area have led to the discovery that they have a medium level of satisfaction with market revitalization. There was a difference in the perceptions of the concept of store management between merchants and customers. Merchants have poor strategies for store management, which do not go much beyond an imitation of the practices of large domestic discount stores. Conclusions - The appearance of big discount stores and the accompanying changes in people's consumption patterns have led to a decline in local market areas. The government has sought new ways to secure autogenic power for local markets. To create regional economies, the government enacted a revised "Law for creating traditional markets and shopping streets" in 2010 and introduced a commercial district revitalization program. This program, which originally supported only the S marketing area, has subsequently expanded into neighboring shopping districts so that the whole of the regional market can be revitalized. However, since the revitalization of the traditional market and the government support required for it were mostly limited to facilities, the result has not proved to be effective. Although there are several reasons why the government investment was characterized by poor efficiency, traditional market vendors' consciousness structure, which did not adapt well to the vagaries of time and its consequent changes, was a major cause. Only when vendors have a true merchant spirit can they have a real service focus that will enable them to clearly understand the distribution organization. This will have the effect of bring about complete customer satisfaction and will ensure the survival and development of traditional markets.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.10 no.12
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• pp.25-34
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• 2012

Purpose - This study examines college students' perceived choice attributes in traditional markets and the relationship quality. We study the relationships between attributes that common people look for while choosing a store (e.g., product, service, advertising, and atmosphere), consumption emotion, consumer's value, and relationship quality. Research design, data, methodology - In order to verify the relationship between choice attributes and relationship quality, and moderating (i.e., consumption emotion) and mediating effects (i.e., customer value), we collected data from 202 consumers in Gyeonggi province to test the theoretical model and its hypotheses. For this purpose, this study, utilized an empirical methodology. Results - First, contrary to the previous research findings involving college students, this study observed that four factors of store choice attributes at a traditional market were important to consumers in heightening the relationship quality. Specifically, product (β = .608, p < .01), service (β = .351, p < .01), advertising (β = .237, p < .01), and atmosphere (β = .425, p < .01) are significantly related to relationship quality. Second, consumers selected product (β =. 521, p < .01) as the most important attribute. Atmosphere (β = .254, p < .01) and service division (β = .148, p < .05), in this order, are the other important factors in this regard. However, advertising (β = -.112, p = .100) is not statistically significant. To improve and develop the relationship quality with consumers, traditional markets should ensure supply of suitable products and goods, improve store atmosphere by modernizing facilities, and educate merchants to improve their services. Third, the results of the moderating effects, although marginally statistically significant, suggest that for the consumers with low consumption emotion for traditional markets, an affirmative experience of products and store atmosphere heightens their values. In addition, the consumers having low consumption emotion who could promote consumer values were found to improve and develop a marginally significant relationship quality. Finally, the study revealed that the consumer's value exhibited a complete mediation effect in the relationships between service and relationship quality, and advertising and relationship quality and a partial mediation effect in the relationships between product and relationship quality, and atmosphere and relationship quality. Conclusions - Consumer satisfaction is important to increase the competitiveness of traditional markets, and products and store atmosphere are important attributes to increase the relationship quality. Specifically, merchants should supply different products, modernize their facilities, and improve store atmosphere to compete in traditional markets. In addition, traditional markets should provide value and competitive prices to attract consumers, and should maximize the consumer's value and promote the consumption emotion. Traditional markets should evolve to accommodate changes in the consumer's value and invest in not only functional elements but also symbolic elements.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.8 no.7
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• pp.71-81
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• 2017

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between customer trust and intention to return to the traditional market by using empirical analysis. Research design, data, and methodology - For the empirical analysis of this study, questionnaires were conducted for adults and over 20s. A total of 200 questionnaires were distributed to consumers with experience in traditional markets, and 163 of them were used for empirical analysis. In order to analyze the relationship between customer trust and return visit intention by consumers visiting the traditional market, variables were selected through 10 constructive concepts and revised based on previous studies. The SPSS for win 18.0 was used for data analysis. Results - In order to clarify the relationship between consumer's visit to traditional market and customer's trust, it was found that the tolerance values of both the visiting factors and the consumers' perceptions of traditional markets were higher than .01. In the relationship between visitor's visit to traditional market and customer's trust, price was positively related to customer trust at 0.1% level. Image, product quality and freshness of traditional market were 5% Positive effects were found. These results show that consumers who visit traditional markets gain customer's trust in price, image, product quality and reliability of traditional market. Conclusions - In this study, the results of this study are as follows: First, the effect of customer trust on customer satisfaction is affected by the image (emotion) consumers feel about traditional market, the trust level about the price of goods offered by the market, The confidence level of freshness, the reliability of consumers' connection with the local economy, the consumer's traditional marketplace, and the level of awareness of the service (kindness) of the variables on the independent variables. As a result of the analysis, it was found that among the influence variables of customer trust used in this study, consumers had a high level of confidence about the price of commodities offered by the market, quality of goods, and freshness, The same relationship, market environment such as hygiene or cleanliness, connection with a local economy, service (kindness) of traditional market did not affect consumers' trust in traditional markets.

• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.27-56
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• 2016

Korean traditional markets have been struggling of late as big-sized superstores and SSM(Super Supermarkets) are thriving in the market. They have therefore upgraded their facilities and undertaken management modernization actively to overcome the threat to traditional markets and ensure their competitiveness; however, the effect does not appear to be verifiable. The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of the organizational characteristics of the traditional market merchant association on social capital and organizational performance. In other words, this paper investigates a merchant association's organizational characteristics in terms of the modernization of business activities of the traditional markets and the influence on their social capital and organizational performance. This study analyzes the traditional market by evaluating the impact of these factors. This study consists of four hypotheses: The first hypothesis relates to the causal relationship between the characteristics of a merchant association and social capital. The second and third hypotheses, respectively, relate to the causal relationships between the social capital of a merchant association and the merchant's satisfaction and that between the social capital of a merchant association and organizational commitment. The last hypothesis relates to the relationship between the organizational commitment of a merchant association and the merchant's satisfaction. This study conducts a reliability and validity analysis of the above factors and analyzes the causal relationships between them by using the PLS(Partial Least Squares) path model as one of the structural equation models. The results of the empirical analysis are summarized as follows: First, the organizational characteristics of the traditional market merchant association have a significant influence on social capital. However, only two sub-hypotheses are not significant; these insignificant hypotheses relate to the relationship between a merchant's entrepreneurship and structural capital and that between a merchant's entrepreneurship and cognitive capital. Second, the social capital of a merchant association influences organizational commitment significantly. Third, the relationship between the social capital of a merchant association and the merchant's satisfaction is mostly significant. However, one of the sub-hypotheses, that is, the relationship between relational capital and a merchant's satisfaction is not exceptionally significant. Lastly, the organizational commitment of a merchant association affect the merchant's satisfaction significantly. Through our extensive study, this paper found that a merchant association's organizational characteristics of the traditional market significantly affect social capital, organizational commitment, and satisfaction through the mediation of social capital. Therefore, in order to activate the key traditional market, an understanding of organizational characteristics and social capital is primarily required. Systematic management and investment pertaining to these two factors will be the first consideration for revitalizing traditional markets.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.43-53
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• 2013

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to analyze the effectiveness of customer relationship management (CRM) support policies for facilitating traditional markets, especially with respect to customer acquisition and maintenance, and to investigate the factors affecting CRM. Research design, data, and methodology - We analyzed the CRM efficiency of traditional markets in 16 cities and provinces in Korea on the basis of DEA analysis and Malmquist productivity analysis. The DEA model calculates a ratio of the weighted mean of various inputs to the weighted mean of various outputs and measures the efficiency of a specific decision making unit (DMU), which is compared to the reference group that has a similar input-output structure. The input variables are coupon, event, parcel service, premiums, while is the number of customers per day. Further, through regression analysis, we analyzed CRM-related factors affecting traditional markets' customer appeal and revenue growth. Results - We obtained the results of the efficiency of traditional markets in 16 provinces. The traditional markets in Seoul, Busan, and Jeju were found to be efficient in a model CCR that used the number of customers per day as an output variable, while Chungbuk, Jeonbuk Province, and According to the results of the DEA analysis and Malmquist productivity analysis, large cities such as Seoul, Busan, and Jeju showed efficiency in CRM-related investment businesses in traditional markets for attracting customers. The Malmquist analysis results confirmed that the productivity of traditional markets increased from 2008 to 2010. The results of the regression analysis revealed that the "customer acquisition/maintenance factor" and the "offering of customer convenience facility factor" were significant to the daily average number of customers, which is a dependent variable. The results of the test with the mediating variable, "number of customers," and the final dependent variable, "sales revenue," were rejected. However, the variable "customer acquisition /maintenance" was found to affect sales revenue positively. Conclusions - It is necessary to enhance the business not only for promotional activities to attract customers, but also to strengthen customer relationships among CRM businesses, such as through the management of key customers. The regression analysis results showed that CRM businesses have yet to produce an increase in sales revenues in traditional markets. Therefore, to help customers who visit traditional markets to keep buying products, it is necessary to prepare various investment methods and provide support to improve "customer loyalty." This study has a limitation in terms of CRM-related statistics. Therefore, in the future, it is necessary to conduct a survey of customers who use traditional markets to analyze the markets by type and size as well as the CRM-related factors. Based on the analysis, we will try to perform a variety of statistical analyses, including structural equations.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.55-63
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• 2018

Purpose - Our Research is a study on the competition structure between retailers in traditional markets. Specifically, this study examined the effects of SSM, commodity supply store, Hanaro mart, food mart and other mart in traditional markets on retail stores of small businesses. The purpose of this study is to provide a solution to the market encroachment of large retailers in traditional markets. Research design, data, and methodology - This study is based on the data of 'Market Survey of Traditional Market·Shopping Mall and Store Management in 2016' and 'Current status of SSM(Super SuperMarket), commodity supply store, Hanaro mart, food mart and other mart in the traditional market in 2017' conducted by Small Enterprise and Market Service. In this study, a multiple regression equation was constructed using the number of SSM, commodity supply store, Hanaro mart, food mart and other mart as an independent variable and sales, number of customers as a dependent variable for analysis. Results - The increase of SSM and commodity supply stores in the traditional market affects the sales decrease of the surrounding small merchants in the traditional market. This means that the SSM and commodity supply stores can lead to the decline of the traditional market. However, it has been found that the penetration of these companies in traditional markets does not affect the number of visitors. Second, Hanaro mart's entry into the traditional market has a negative impact on the sales and visitor numbers of the surrounding small-scale merchants. The increase in the number of food mart has a significant effect on the sales and the number of visitors to the small stores. The results of this study indicate that the food mart can contribute to the revitalization of traditional markets. Lastly, other mart with more than medium size were found to affect the sales of small stores, the number of visitors. Conclusions - We examines the competitive structure among retailers in traditional markets. The penetration of large retailers in traditional markets has a negative impact on traditional markets, particularly Hanaro mart has a greater impact than SSM. We provide practical and theoretical implications for the retail competition structure in traditional markets.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.79-98
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• 2009

Web traffic is becoming an important indicator to make inferences about internet companies' future prospects so that traditional firm valuation methods need to be modified to integrate the ideas of web traffic information as a major asset of internet companies. It is because web traffic is a measure of attracting visitors to firm's web site and is the basis for internet companies' marketing expenditure and customer acquisition and retention. Also the web traffic represents the internet companies' technological advances and marketability. The major purpose of this study is to show the relevance of web traffic for valuation of internet companies. For this, we test hypothesis with the firm's web traffic and financial data using the analysis model of Hand(2000a) derived from the log-linear model introduced by Ye and Finn(1999). Test results show that the web traffic, more specifically the number of unique visitors, visits, and page views are all positively related to the firm's value. This implies that the web traffic information should be considered as one of the important non-financial indicator for the internet firm valuation.