• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.1-32
• /
• 2008

Brown and Dacin (1997) have investigated the relationship between corporate associations and product evaluations. Their study focused on the effects of associations with a company's corporate ability (CA) and its corporate social responsibility (CSR) on consumers' product evaluations. Their study has found that both of CA and CSR influenced product evaluation but CA association has a stronger effect than CSR associations. Brown and Dacin (1997) have, however, claimed that there are few researches on how corporate association impacts product responses. Accordingly, some of researchers have found the variables to moderate or to mediate the relationship between the corporate association and the product responses. In particular, there has been existed a few of studies that tested the influence of the reputation on the product-relevant perceived risk, but the effects of two types of the corporate association on the product-relevant perceived risk were not identified so far. The primary goal of this article is to identify and empirically examine some variables to moderate the effects of CA association and CSR association on the perceived risk of the product. In this articles, we take the concept of the corporate associations that Brown and Dacin (1997) had proposed. CA association is those association related to the company's expertise in producing and delivering its outputs and CSR association reflected the organization's status and activities with respect to its perceived societal obligations. Also, this study defines the risk, which is the uncertainty or loss of the product and corporate that consumers have taken in a particular purchase decision or after having purchased. The risk is classified into product-relevant performance risk and financial risk. Performance risk is the possibility or the consequence of a product not functioning at some expected level and financial risk is the monetary loss one perceives to be incurring if a product does not function at some expected level. In relation to consumer's knowledge, expert consumers have much of the experiences or knowledge of the product in consumer position and novice consumers does not. The model tested in this article are shown in Figure 1. The model indicates that both of CA association and CSR association influence on performance risk and financial risk. In addition, the effects of CA and CSR are moderated by product category knowledge (product knowledge) and product category involvement (product involvement). In this study, the relationships between the corporate association and product-relevant perceived risk are hypothesized as the following form. For example, Hypothesis 1a($H_{1a}$) is represented that CA association has a positive influence on the performance risk of consumer. Also, the hypotheses that identified some variables to moderate the effects of two types of corporate association on the perceived risk of the product are laid down. One of the hypotheses of the interaction effect is Hypothesis 3a($H_{3a}$), it is described that consumer's knowledges of the product moderates the negative relationship between CA association and product-relevant performance risk. A field experiment was conducted in order to examine our model. The company tested was not real but imagined to meet the internal validity. Water purifiers were used for our study. Four scenarios have been developed and described as the imaginary company: Type A with both of superior CA and CSR, Type B with superior CSR and inferior CA, Type C with superior CA and inferior CSR, and Type D with both inferior of CA and CSR. The respondents of this study were classified into four groups. One type of four scenarios (Type A, B, C, or D) in its questionnaire was given to the respondent who filled out questions. Data were collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire to the respondents, chosen in convenience. A total of 300 respondents filled out the questionnaire but 207 were used for further analysis. Table 1 indicates that the scales in this study are reliable because the range of coefficients of Cronbach's $\alpha$ are from 0.85 to 0.92. The composite reliability is in the range of 0,85 to 0,92 and average variance extracted is in 0.72-0.98 range that is higher than the base level of 0.6. As shown in Table 2, the values for CFI, NNFI, root-mean-square error approximation (RMSEA), and standardized root-mean-square residual (SRMR) are acceptably close to the standards suggested by Hu and Bentler (1999):.95 for CFI and NNFI,.06 for RMSEA, and.08 for SRMR. We also tested discriminant validity provided by Fornell and Larcker (1981). As shown in Table 2, we found strong evidence for discriminant validity between each possible pair of latent constructs in all samples. Given that these batteries of overall goodness-of-fit indices were accurate and that the model was developed on theoretical bases, and given the high level of consistency across samples, this enables us to proceed the previously defined scales. We used the moderated hierarchical regression analysis to test the influence of the corporate association(CA and CSR associations) on product-relevant perceived risk(performance and financial risks) and to identify the variables moderating the relationship between the corporate association and product-relevant performance risk. In this study, dependent variables are performance and financial risk. CA and CSR associations are described the independent variables. The moderating variables are product category knowledge and product category involvement. The results are, as expected, found that CA association has statistically a significant influence on the perceived risk of the product, but CSR association does not. Product category knowledge and involvement moderate the relationship between the CA association and the perceived risk of the product. However, the effect of CSR association on the perceived risk of the product is not moderated by the consumers' knowledge and involvement. For this result, it is necessary for a corporate to inform its customers CA association more than CSR association so that they could be felt to be the reduction of the perceived risk. The important theoretical contribution of this research is the meanings that two types of corporate association that Brown and Dacin(1997), and Brown(1998) have proposed replicated the difference of the effects on product evaluation. According to Hunter(2001), it was an important affair to accomplish the validity of a particular study and we had to take about ten studies to deduce a strict study. Next, there is the contribution of the this study to find that the effects of corporate association on the perceived risk of the product are varied by the moderator variables. In particular, the moderating effect of knowledge on the relationship between corporate association and product-relevant perceived risk has not been tested in Korea. In the managerial implications of this research, we suggest the necessity to stress the ability that corporate manufactures the product well(CA association) than the accomplishment of corporate's social obligation(CSR association). This study suffers from various limitations that imply future research directions. The moderating effects of product category knowledge and involvement on the relationship between corporate association and perceived risk need to be replicated. Next, future research could explore whether the mediated effects of the perceived risk has the relationship between corporate association and consumer's product purchase. In addition, to ensure the external validity of the study will be needed to use realistic company, not artificial.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
• /
• v.21 no.6
• /
• pp.959-969
• /
• 1997

This research is intended to help the development of new products and marketing strategies studying consumers' knowledge level and attitude towards original brand and the extension attitude related to the brand image. The detailed purposes of this study are as follow: First, it is to measure consumers' knowledge and attitude towards original brand. Second, it is to clarify the dimensions of the image about the original brand and extended brand product which is perceived by the consumer. Third, it is to meassure image consistency and product similarity between the original brand and extended product. The sample group consisted of female college students 393 in Seoul. Stratified sampling, based on major and grade of sturients and the structure of the college they were attending was used as sampling method. Questionnaires, which were selected from literature and proceeding researches published in Korea and abroad, were modified for this study, SAS Package was used for data analysis. The results observed in this study were as follow: 1. Consumers' knowledge level about original brand showed high among students majoring in clothing-related subjects and their general attitude proved to be positive. 2. Image factors of original brand were classified to dignity factor, personality/modernity factor, femininity factor, and ornamentation factor. Lipstick is considered to have high image consistency and product similarity. 3. Comparing the attitude before and after extension, extension to lipstick which showed high image consistency and product similarity received more positive reactions than one to bed cover sheet. 4. It was founded that although knowledge and attitude towards original brand with image consistency had no influence on the extension attitude, knowledge and attitude without image consistency influence the extension attitude.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.1-30
• /
• 2006

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the organizational design and management of product development in creating new product architecture by an established firm. For the purpose, the paper put up the organizational design in the process of PDA(Personal Digital Assistant) development of Sharp and Casio which were Japanese major PDA firms in 1990s. PDA is the product born through architectural change from Electronic Organizer. Prior research on the product architecture change and organizational adaptation emphasized that an established firm is difficult to adapt to new product architecture due to the restriction of prior technology or organizational inertia. For overcoming these problems and successful development of new product architecture, organizational design and management in the process of product development becomes essential. In case of Sharp, corporate development project team had been used to overcome the restrictions from architectural knowledge accumulated through previous product. After launching first new PDA by corporate development project team, Sharp created a new division and pushed an evolution of PDA, when new PDA market start to grow up rapidly toward a major market segmentation. As a result, Sharp was able to build up stable PDA project trajectory. However, Casio was late for three years in launching of new PDA architecture because previous division charging of Electronic Organizer tried to develop first new PDA. Casio's PDA development was prohibited by engineers of previous division because new PDA architecture was inferior on user interface and display definition. That is, Casio's first PDA development was restricted by architectural knowledge of previous product.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.641-654
• /
• 1997

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the consumer's product knowledge and his/her ability to obtain information when buying clothing. For the purpose of this study, questionnaires were given to 550 university students living in Seoul and the Kwgi area. The questionnaires were designed to measure the consumer's knowledge about examine his/her method of gathering information and to obtain some personal information Vsing a base of 407 students, data was analyzed through cross- tabulation, the chi square test, the t-test, the one-way ANOVA accompanied by a post-hoc analysis with the Tukey method, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and the Spearman rho. The results of this study were as follows. 1) There was a significant difference in the amount of iuormation seeking between groups with different knowledge related to clothing. 2) The use of information sources was found to be significantly related to the consumer's subjective and objective knowledge. 3) The consumer's level of knowledge about clothing was related to the store characteristics that he/she took into consideration. The difference between the groups came from the number of store characteristics taken into consideration, rather than from the contents. The group that had more knowledge related to clothing was more aware of store characteristics than the other level stoup. Price, quality, uniqueness, and variety of clothing were equally important to by groups. 4) A moderate relationship was found between the consumer's subjective and objective knowledge, and between his/her purchasing experience and objective knowledge. There was a relatively high relationship between purchasing experience and subjective knowledge.

• International Journal of Costume and Fashion
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.41-57
• /
• 2017

The purpose of this research was to develop a typology of fair-trade apparel consumers and present a clear overview of the influence of product knowledge on consumer behaviors. A two-step cluster analysis was used to classify respondents into sub-groups based on their level of self-perceived knowledge and purchase experience. In addition, ANOVA was used to test the predictive validity of the cluster solution. Income was the only demographic variable that significantly differed across groups. The more familiar and more experienced group had higher income than the other groups. Psychographic data showed that attitudes and moral norms varied across groups. The more familiar and more experienced group had more positive attitudes and higher level of moral norms than the less familiar and less experienced group. In terms of behavioristic data, groups differed significantly in purchase intentions and willingness to pay more for fair-trade apparel. That is, the more familiar and more experienced group was willing to pay more and had higher purchase intentions than the less familiar and less experienced group. Overall, the level of product knowledge and purchase experience were considerably low. This study thus confirmed the need to increase consumers' familiarity related to fair-trade apparel products.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.476-487
• /
• 2010

The purpose of this study was to identify the determinants of decision-making confidence of clothing. As determinants, this study examined consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence, vanity, and clothing knowledge. Data were collected through surveying university students in Seoul metropolitan area using convenience sampling method. Out of 324 distributed, 300 useful questionnaires were returned. The results showed that identical conformity among consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence factors significantly influences, both directly and indirectly, decision making confidence through vanity. Although normative conformity does not influence decision-making confidence directly, it does significantly influence decision-making confidence indirectly through influencing vanity and clothing knowledge. The results suggest clothing is a manifestation tool for managing public self, which finally leads to increased clothing knowledge and decision-making confidence of clothing. These findings may be used by marketers in developing strategies for product development and promotion.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
• /
• 2000.05a
• /
• pp.829-832
• /
• 2000

This paper describes a research work of developing a computer-aided design of product with bending and piercing for progressive working. An approach to the CAD system is based on the knowledge-based rules. Knowledge fur the CAD system is formulated from plasticity theories, experimental results and the empirical knowledge of field experts. The system has been written in AutoLISP on the AutoCAD with a personal computer and is composed of three main modules, which are input and shape treatment, flat pattern layout and strip layout module. Based on knowledge-based rules, the system is designed by considering several factors, such as radius and angle of bend, material and thickness of product, complexities of blank geometry and punch profile, bending sequence, and availability of press. Strip layout drawing automatically generated by piercing with punch profiles divided into for external area is simulated in 3-D graphic forms, including bending sequences for the product with piercing and bending. Results obtained using the modules enable the manufacturer of electronic products to be more efficient in this field.

• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.230-238
• /
• 2003

The configuration design of a mechanical product can be efficiently performed when it is based on the functional modeling. There are methodologies, which decompose function from the abstract level to the concrete level and match the functions to physical parts. But it is difficult to carry out an innovative design when the function is matched only to a pre-detined part. This paper describes the configuration design process of a mechanical product with a design expert system, which uses function taxonomy and TRIZ theory. The expert system can propose a functional modeling of a new part. which is not in the existing parts list. The abstraction levels of design knowledge are introduced, which describe the operation of mechanical product in the levels of abstraction. This is the theoretical background of using knowledge of function and TRIZ for configuration design. The expert system is adequate to control this design knowledge. which expresses knowledge of functional modeling, mapping rules between functions and parts, selection of parts, and TRIZ theory. The hierarchy of functions and machine parts are properly expressed by classes and objects in the expert system. A design expert system has been implemented for the configuration design of a train bogie, and a new brake system of the bogie is introduced with the aid of TRIZ's 30 function groups.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.19 no.8
• /
• pp.58-68
• /
• 2019

Recently SNS product reviews are excessively increasing. However, many SNS reviews are under feeble regulation than how big and powerful that their awarenesses are. This problem leads to consumers' discontentment on product reviews on online. This study aims to analyze how SNS product reviews characteristics: informativeness, entertainment, reliability and familiarity attribute on consumers' purchase intent and brand attitude. However, at this time, consumers' high discontents (stored-knowledge) expect to have negative affect on product reviews thus I put this as a regulation effect. This study is consisted of 240 examinee who check SNS product reviews before buying products.

• Proceedings of the Technology Innovation Conference
• /
• 2005.06a
• /
• pp.44-68
• /
• 2005

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the organizational design and management of product development in creating new product architecture by an established firm. For the purpose, the paper put up the organizational design in the process of PDA(Personal Digital Assistant) development of Sharp and Casio which were Japanese major PDA firms in 1990s. PDA is the product born through architectural change from Electronic Organizer. Prior research on the product architecture change and organizational adaptation emphasized that an established firm is difficult to adapt to new product architecture due to the restriction of prior technology or organizational inertia. For overcoming these problems and successful development of new product architecture, organizational design and management in the process of product development becomes essential. In case of Sharp, corporate development project team had been used to overcome the restrictions from architectural knowledge accumulated through previous product. After launching first new PDA by corporate development project team, Sharp created a new division and pushed an evolution of PDA, when new PDA market start to grow up rapidly toward a major market segmentation. As a result, Sharp was able to build up stable PDA project trajectory. However, Casio was late for three years in launching of new PDA architecture because previous division charging of Electronic Organizer tried to develop first new PDA. Casio's PDA development was prohibited by engineers of previous division because new PDA architecture was inferior on user interface and display definition. That is, Casio's first PDA development was restricted by architectural knowledge of previous product.