• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.151-165
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• 2009

The objective of this case study is to analyze how effectively KIA SOUL, which is a leading Crossover Utility Vehicle (CUV) brand, has created a new market space through innovative product strategy. Up until now, most car manufacturers have focused only on the traditional product market segments missing out on the opportunity of the crossover segment market. KIA SOUL found a new market space by identifying the high crossover utility demand and filling the gap between the current product category values and the emerging crossover product category values. This case study illustrates that an innovative product strategy can be effectively employed to create a new market space in the saturated car manufacturing industry. The case summarizes that the innovative product strategy of KIA SOUL is comprised of four primary pillars: design innovation, market frontier in CUV, the first company to launch customizing service brand-TUON, and functional innovation. The KIA SOUL case study provides valuable insights and implications for many other companies that are planning to find "blue oceans" for their own business.

• International Journal of Contents
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.71-80
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• 2013

The golf industry has become the center of attention for recreational activities in the participant sport market; however, there has been little effort made to understand golf consumer and their consumption behavior using the concept of 'recreational specialization' which segments the golfers based on level of specialization in golf. The purpose of this study was to explore the differences in the relationships among perceived service quality, price of playing golf, overall customer satisfaction with the course, and a player's intention to revisit the same golf course based on the magnitude of recreation specialization in golf. Four public and two private golf courses from the southeastern state of the United States were randomly chosen from a list in a golf magazine. The 365 surveys among 417 participants were ultimately analyzed. Multiple group analysis was conducted in order to investigate differences in relationships among service quality, price, customer satisfaction, and revisit intentions between groups based on the level of recreation specialization. The key findings were 1) for more specialized golfers, satisfaction with price did not affect overall customer satisfaction or revisit intention, however, service quality significantly influenced both overall customer satisfaction and revisit intention, 2) for less specialized golfers, satisfaction with price significantly influenced overall customer satisfaction but did not affect revisit intention. Knowledge about which the determinants of satisfaction are different between more and less specialized golfers could provide a better understanding of how different marketing strategies should be implemented for different specialized levels of golfers.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.69-86
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• 2023

The bioactive secondary metabolites produced by sea cucumbers are very diverse with differences in composition, linkages, molecular weight, and various functional properties. Due to their physicochemical properties, these bioactive molecules in sea cucumbers have found applications in various market segments such as functional foods and cosmetics. Sea cucumber side dishes are a prominent food item in traditional cuisine in East Asian countries such as South Korea, China, and Japan. In addition, many studies have reported that the consumption of sea cucumbers can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, the pathogenesis of cancer cells, chronic inflammatory diseases, etc. In particular, many studies have recently reported the potential of sea cucumbers to develop functional products to reduce inflammation, oxidative stress, diabetes, and cancer. Additionally, these bioactive properties associated with sea cucumbers make them ideal compounds for use as functional ingredients in functional food products. However, no report has yet reviewed the properties of sea cucumbers related to functional foods. Therefore, in this review, the primary focus is given to collecting published scientific data (from 2019 to 2023) on the bioactive properties of sea cucumbers relevant to the functional food industry.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.98-112
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• 2003

Approximately 0.7 millions dining business exist all over the country and the industry gains 33 trillions sales every year. Although the characteristics, preference factors, and consuming trends of the consumers in this area are diverse and unpredictable than those in other segments, it is actual that the industry has not been divided as a specified market suited to the real state of affairs in the nation. Therefore, in order for appropriate marketing strategies, it will be necessary to focus on extending product classification, diversifying brands, health marketing, and marketing by ages, by generations, and by life patterns. In addition, economically superior position can be established by subdividing strategies meeting various needs and expectations of consumers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.1915-1926
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• 2008

Although we know that images of a country or an industry are influential factors in product evaluation, there has been little discussion about the channels through which consumers form a country or an industry image. Guided by the assumption that the image of the Korean fashion industry conveyed through U.S. media will likely affect the evaluation of Korean fashion products, we decided to examine articles published between January 1998 and June 2008 in Woman's Wear Daily(WWD), a prestigious U.S. daily trade newspaper covering all aspects of the national and international fashion business. By using the "Korean", we found 329 relevant articles. Through content analysis, we identified the aspects of the Korean fashion industry that have been considered salient to U.S. fashion media professionals. We set up categories based on the contents of the articles that discussed segments of the supply chain of the fashion industry. We found more comments on the Korean fashion industry as fiber and fabrics supplier or apparel manufacturer than in any other categories, which reflects that South Korea has been traditionally one of the most attractive sourcing countries for the U.S. fashion business. We identified significantly less coverage on the designing, branding, marketing, and retailing aspects of the Korean fashion industry. Due to economic boom in Korea, the country's fashion industry is recognized as having a highly fashion-conscious market that can afford the world's premium brands. However, the industry is viewed as being rather vulnerable to changes in the macro economic environment.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.409-417
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• 2015

This study aimed to summarize the characteristics of visitor experience for different market segments based on insect experience orientation in order to develop Ptecticus tenebrifer (Diptera: Stratiomyidae [Walker]) experience programs using local resources in the insect industrial market. A total of 325 effective samples were collected, and the attributes of insect experience orientation were connected to education, emotion, society, and ego. The survey respondents were students and parents of school-age children. Cluster analysis showed that the respondents were classified into two or three groups that were all found to be high in the prediction validity and discriminant analysis. Based on this result, the respondents were properly subdivided into three clusters for final analysis. Those three groups were: the passive group, the moderate group, and the active-orientation group. As a group aiming for various insect experiences, the active-orientation group consisted of parents whose children range in age from either 5 to 9 or from 10 to 14. This group was willing to spend 7 ~ 8,000 won on each experience program, and they preferred emotional experience programs. The passive and moderate orientation groups were most interested in having an educational experience. In order to increase people's interest in experience programs, education-oriented programs should be developed and promotional marketing should be reinforced. The results and implications of this study may be useful for the development of insect experience programs that can meet various visitor experience orientations as basic data that can contribute to the vitalization of the 6th industrialization plan for the insect industry.

• Journal of the Korean Operations Research and Management Science Society
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.115-136
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• 2014

The game industry has grown steadily and the online game has become one of the most attractive game segments for its remarkable growth. Customer management in the online game industry, however, has received little attention from the academic field. The purpose of this study is to analyze the drivers of customer defection in the online game setting and suggest not only theoretical but also managerial insights into increasing customer retention rates. Prior to empirical analysis, the authors hypothesized that 3 variables of interests (Learning, Playing, Achievement) would explain the customer defection according to preceeding researches. To demonstrate these hypotheses, the authors obtained data from one of the biggest game publishers in Korea, and the empirical analysis model was developed considering context of research settings. The results of analyses provide the following insights. First, the key behavioral variables of Learning, Playing, and Achievement play substantial roles in explaining the customer defection. Next, the effects of these variables vary between customer types: novice and experienced customers. The defection decisions by novice customers are predicted by all key behavioral variables and Playing serves as the most influential indicator of the defection decisions. However, experienced customers are influenced by Playing and Achievement, while Learning has no impact on the defection decisions. Finally, the authors investigated hypothetical customer retention strategies, using the empirical results. The market outcomes indicate that the customer retention strategies work well with novice customers and it is hard-to-impossible to prevent experienced customers from defection using their behavioral data. These findings together deliver several meaningful insights to management as follow. First, the management should support customers to get involved in Learning activities at the very first stage. Second, customer's Achievement and appropriate compensation for it would work as defection barriers. Last, to optimize the outcomes of firm's marketing investments, it is better to focus on retention of novice users not experienced ones.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.21-30
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• 1989

The U.S. response to increased international competition was examined in the present study in order to have more comprehensive understanding of the U.S. textile and clothing market. The method employed to conduct the study was the analysis of the written materials, interview with professionals, and the survey of the actual situations of the U.S. textile and apparel industries. The results are summarized as follows; 1. Official U.S. textile and apparel trade policy has been quite has been quite protective since 1950's. The protective trend has been embodied in Japan Cotton Textile Export Control (reciprocal trade agreement signed by the U.S. and Japan in 1957), Short Term Arrangement Regarding International Trade in Cotton Textiles, Long Term Cotton Textile Arrangement (1962∼1973), and Multi-fiber Arrangement (1974∼). Other governmental programs designed to improve the competitiveness of the U.S. textile and apparel industries include Long-term Textile and Apparel Products Export-expansion Program, and 807 Trade to take labor cost advantage. 2. Along with the quite protective governmental trade policy, the corporate responses have been made such as new sourcing mixes, investment in technology, specialization in the textile and apparel industries, and recent strategies pursued by retailer's. The apparel industry was subject to pressure from imports that increased at moderate levels, and the U.S. textile and apparel industries have made extensive efforts to adjust to the increasing competition from abroad. The textile and apparel industries have taken steps to increase labor productivity through automation, to speed management to create and introduce new products and new methods, and have lowered indirect overhead costs. Several industrywide promotion campaigns have attempted to establish a greater public awareness of international competition and to develop a preference for apparel produced in the United States. 3. Regarding these response of the U.S. and other situations of world textile and apparel trade market, much of the sense of crisis that pervades Korean textile and apparel industries has to do with the problem of adjusting government and corporate policy. Textile and apparel industry of Korea faces on going pressure to reduce costs, improve quality, increase service, develop new markets, diversify, and differentiate itself from its foreign competitors. The strategies that have been adopted in the past have generally worked in the past, but the time has come to adopt strategies that reflect present conditions. If this is not done, then we stand to lose large segments of these industries, which once lost will not easily be regenerated.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.123-139
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• 2019

The job classification system of major job sites differs from site to site and is different from the job classification system of the 'SQF(Sectoral Qualifications Framework)' proposed by the SW field. Therefore, a new job classification system is needed for SW companies, SW job seekers, and job sites to understand. The purpose of this study is to establish a standard job classification system that reflects market demand by analyzing SQF based on job offer information of major job sites and the NCS(National Competency Standards). For this purpose, the association analysis between occupations of major job sites is conducted and the association rule between SQF and occupation is conducted to derive the association rule between occupations. Using this association rule, we proposed an intelligent job classification system based on data mapping the job classification system of major job sites and SQF and job classification system. First, major job sites are selected to obtain information on the job classification system of the SW market. Then We identify ways to collect job information from each site and collect data through open API. Focusing on the relationship between the data, filtering only the job information posted on each job site at the same time, other job information is deleted. Next, we will map the job classification system between job sites using the association rules derived from the association analysis. We will complete the mapping between these market segments, discuss with the experts, further map the SQF, and finally propose a new job classification system. As a result, more than 30,000 job listings were collected in XML format using open API in 'WORKNET,' 'JOBKOREA,' and 'saramin', which are the main job sites in Korea. After filtering out about 900 job postings simultaneously posted on multiple job sites, 800 association rules were derived by applying the Apriori algorithm, which is a frequent pattern mining. Based on 800 related rules, the job classification system of WORKNET, JOBKOREA, and saramin and the SQF job classification system were mapped and classified into 1st and 4th stages. In the new job taxonomy, the first primary class, IT consulting, computer system, network, and security related job system, consisted of three secondary classifications, five tertiary classifications, and five fourth classifications. The second primary classification, the database and the job system related to system operation, consisted of three secondary classifications, three tertiary classifications, and four fourth classifications. The third primary category, Web Planning, Web Programming, Web Design, and Game, was composed of four secondary classifications, nine tertiary classifications, and two fourth classifications. The last primary classification, job systems related to ICT management, computer and communication engineering technology, consisted of three secondary classifications and six tertiary classifications. In particular, the new job classification system has a relatively flexible stage of classification, unlike other existing classification systems. WORKNET divides jobs into third categories, JOBKOREA divides jobs into second categories, and the subdivided jobs into keywords. saramin divided the job into the second classification, and the subdivided the job into keyword form. The newly proposed standard job classification system accepts some keyword-based jobs, and treats some product names as jobs. In the classification system, not only are jobs suspended in the second classification, but there are also jobs that are subdivided into the fourth classification. This reflected the idea that not all jobs could be broken down into the same steps. We also proposed a combination of rules and experts' opinions from market data collected and conducted associative analysis. Therefore, the newly proposed job classification system can be regarded as a data-based intelligent job classification system that reflects the market demand, unlike the existing job classification system. This study is meaningful in that it suggests a new job classification system that reflects market demand by attempting mapping between occupations based on data through the association analysis between occupations rather than intuition of some experts. However, this study has a limitation in that it cannot fully reflect the market demand that changes over time because the data collection point is temporary. As market demands change over time, including seasonal factors and major corporate public recruitment timings, continuous data monitoring and repeated experiments are needed to achieve more accurate matching. The results of this study can be used to suggest the direction of improvement of SQF in the SW industry in the future, and it is expected to be transferred to other industries with the experience of success in the SW industry.

• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.95-115
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• 2011

Food service is the major part of franchise business in Korea, accounting for 69.9% of the brands in the market. As the food service industry becomes mature, many franchisees have struggled to survive in the market. In general, consumers have higher levels of expectation toward service quality of franchised outlets compared that of (non-franchised) independent ones. They also tend to believe that franchisees deliver standardized service at the uniform food price, regardless of their locations. Such beliefs seem to be important reasons that consumers prefer franchised outlets to independent ones. Nevertheless, few studies examined the impact of qualify features of franchisees on customer satisfaction so far. To this end, this study examined the characteristics of various quality features of franchisees in the food service industry, regarding their relationship with customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction. The quality perception of heavy-users was also compared with that of light-users in order to find insights for developing differentiated marketing strategy for the two segments. Customer satisfaction has been understood as a one-dimensional construct while there are recent studies that insist two-dimensional nature of the construct. In this regard, Kano et al. (1984) suggested to categorize quality features of a product or service into five types, based on their relation to customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction: Must-be quality, Attractive quality, One-dimensional quality, Indifferent quality, and Reverse quality. According to the Kano model, customers are more dissatisfied when Must-be quality(M) are not fulfilled, but their satisfaction does not arise above neutral no matter how fully the quality fulfilled. In comparison, customers are more satisfied with a full provision of Attactive quality(A) but manage to accept its dysfunction. One-dimensional quality(O) results in satisfaction when fulfilled and dissatisfaction when not fulfilled. For Indifferent quality(I), its presence or absence influences neither customer satisfaction nor dissatisfaction. Lastly, Reverse quality(R) refers to the features whose high degree of achievement results in customer dissatisfaction rather than satisfaction. Meanwhile, the basic guidelines of the Kano model have a limitation in that the quality type of each feature is simply determined by calculating the mode statistics. In order to overcome such limitation, the relative importance of each feature on customer satisfaction (Better value; b) and dissatisfaction (Worse value; w) were calculated following the formulas below (Timko, 1993). The Better value indicates how much customer satisfaction is increased by providing the quality feature in question. In contrast, the Worse value indicates how much customer dissatisfaction is decreased by providing the quality feature. Better = (A + O)/(A+O+M+I) Worse = (O+M)/(A+O+M+I)(-1) An on-line survey was performed in order to understand the nature of quality features of franchisees in the food service industry by applying the Kano Model. A total of twenty quality features (refer to the Table 2) were identified as the result of literature review in franchise business and a pre-test with fifty college students in Seoul. The potential respondents of our main survey was limited to the customers who have visited more than two restaurants/stores of the same franchise brand. Survey invitation e-mails were sent out to the panels of a market research company and a total of 257 responses were used for analysis. Following the guidelines of Kano model, each of the twenty quality features was classified into one of the five types based on customers' responses to a set of questions: "(1) how do you feel if the following quality feature is fulfilled in the franchise restaurant that you visit," and "(2) how do you feel if the following quality feature is not fulfilled in the franchise restaurant that you visit." The analyses revealed that customers' dissatisfaction with franchisees is commonly associated with the poor level of cleanliness of the store (w=-0.872), kindness of the staffs(w=-0.890), conveniences such as parking lot and restroom(w=-0.669), and expertise of the staffs(w=-0.492). Such quality features were categorized as Must-be quality in this study. While standardization or uniformity across franchisees has been emphasized in franchise business, this study found that consumers are interested only in uniformity of price across franchisees(w=-0.608), but not interested in standardizations of menu items, interior designs, customer service procedures, and food tastes. Customers appeared to be more satisfied when the franchise brand has promotional events such as giveaways(b=0.767), good accessibility(b=0.699), customer loyalty programs(b=0.659), award winning history(b=0.641), and outlets in the overseas market(b=0.506). The results are summarized in a matrix form in Table 1. Better(b) and Worse(w) index indicate relative importance of each quality feature on customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction, respectively. Meanwhile, there were differences in perceiving the quality features between light users and heavy users of any specific franchise brand in the food service industry. Expertise of the staffs was labeled as Must-be quality for heavy users but Indifferent quality for light users. Light users seemed indifferent to overseas expansion of the brand and offering new menu items on a regular basis, while heavy users appeared to perceive them as Attractive quality. Such difference may come from their different levels of involvement when they eat out. The results are shown in Table 2. The findings of this study help practitioners understand the quality features they need to focus on to strengthen the competitive power in the food service market. Above all, removing the factors that cause customer dissatisfaction seems to be the most critical for franchisees. To retain loyal customers of the franchise brand, it is also recommended for franchisor to invest resources in the development of new menu items as well as training programs for the staffs. Lastly, if resources allow, promotional events, loyalty programs, overseas expansion, award-winning history can be considered as tools for attracting more customers to the business.