• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.59-67
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• 2020

Purpose: This study examines the relationship between formation of employment subcenters and regional industrial structures in Incheon. Research design, data, and methodology: We used the five-year panel data from 2012 to 2016 in 146 basic municipal units of Incheon to analyze panel regression models. Gross employment density and employment to population ratio were used as indicators of employment subcenters formation. The entropy index and Hachman index were used for analyzing the diversity and heterogeneity of industrial structures. Result: The analyses of two panel regression models showed that for the formation of employment subcenters, both the Entropy and Hachman index were significantly negative in most models. But tertiary industry was shown to have a significant positive relationship in all models. In the wholesale and retail sector, it was found that the average number of employees in the employment subcenters is significantly higher than that in the non-employment subcenters. Conclusions: The specialization of the industrial structure rather than the diversification contributes to the formation of the employment subcenters in Incheon. In particular, it can be considered that the wholesale and retail sector plays a very important role in forming the employment subcenters in many areas of Incheon.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.188-198
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• 2015

Both employee satisfaction and loyalty play an important role in increasing the business performances of organizations in the service industry. However, the influence of TQM practices on employee satisfaction and employee loyalty has not been examined in the ICT service supply chain. This study aimed to investigate the impact of five total quality management (TQM) practices on employee satisfaction and employee loyalty in Korean ICT customer service and retail distribution organizations. Based on an empirical study of 578 respondents in a Korean ICT service company, the study examined the hypothesized relationships among TQM practices, employee satisfaction, and employee loyalty. Using structural equations modeling, it is found that TQM practices are significantly related to employee satisfaction, whereas the latter in turn influences employee loyalty. The results of analysis suggest that the ICT customer service and retail distribution organizations should concentrate on enhancing employee satisfaction of their TQM practices and creating a people-satisfied job environment.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.27-36
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• 2020

Purpose: The study examines how emotional leadership affects employee attitude towards work engagement. Leader legitimacy perception is chosen as the mediating variable to understand the effect of emotional leadership on employee work engagement. Research design, data and methodology: The research model is based on theory and empirical research findings in order to examine the mediating effect of leader legitimacy perception on the relationship between the manager's emotional leadership and employee work engagement. For this purpose, a survey was conducted among 188 employees of domestic retail distributors. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and survey data confirmed the construct, and the hypothesis was tested by using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: a) Emotional leadership has positive influence on leader legitimacy; b) Leader legitimacy is positively related to work engagement; c) Leader legitimacy mediates a positive relationship between emotional leadership and work engagement. However, there is no direct effect on work engagement (of employees) from emotional leadership standpoint. Conclusion: Based on the empirical results, implications and future research directions are discussed.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.25-34
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• 2014

Purpose - This study aims to investigate Korean distribution enterprises' entry into the Chinese market. By studying Korean companies' strategy and current situation in the Chinese retail market and analyzing Lotte Mart's strategy, this study was aimed at identifying comprehensive strategies for Korean companies striving to expand in China's retail market. Research design, data, and methodology - A case study approach is used, focusing on the three northeastern provinces in China, and examining global firms' entry into the Chinese market. The study employed a direct survey and a literature review. Results - Korean distribution firms' entry into the overseas market is in the inception stage and it should be developed, considering its effects on the national economy and other industries. Conclusion - The cases of E-mart and Lotte Mart, representing Korean distribution firms, showed that they should not rely on scale to succeed in China. Both preliminary analysis and careful strategies are required to ensure success. Considering the high growth potential of the Chinese market, a management strategy that takes account of Chinese people's emotions was needed.

• The Journal of Information Systems
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.127-146
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• 2011

Coping with the rapid change of competition in retail industry, retail firms have dreamed various differentiation strategy to obtain their added value and their life. And they have considered CRM strategy that can differentiate with other retail firms in order to develop some new differentiation factors. So we searched new factors that is best for "T store" and found CRM strategy such as the optimization for product portfolio considering private-brand products and the optimization for product display for customer demands. This study is meaningful in that it has suggested a new CRM strategy model, which can manage new various differentiation factors of a retail firms considering its core competence. We verified and altered retail firm's business model using system dynamics. By simulation results, CRM strategy need long time to obtain visible and satisfactory performance of "T store".

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.69-77
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• 2015

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to examine whether the cash policies of retail firms listed on Korean stock markets are consistent with the evidence provided in the study of Almeida et al. (2004). Liquidity management is an important issue for financially constrained firms relative to financially unconstrained firms. Because there are few sources of external funding, the optimal liquidity policies of financially constrained firms should reflect their own earnings or cash inflows to create opportunities for current and future real investments. According to this simple idea, we estimate the sensitivity of cash to cash flows and simply check whether the estimated sensitivity to cash flows of the cash retained by constrained retail firms is greater than that of the cash retained by unconstrained retail firms. Through this work, we aim to explain why the cash policies of the retail firms listed on the Korean stock markets differ from those of listed manufacturing enterprises. Research design, data, and methodology - To explain a firm's cash holdings, we use only three explanatory variables: earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT), Tobin's q, and size. All the variables are defined as the value of the numerator divided by aggregate assets. Thanks to this definition, it is possible to treat all the sample firms as a single large firm. The sample financial data for this study are collected from the retail enterprises listed on the KOSPI and KOSDAQ markets from 1991 to 2013. We can obtain these data from WISEfn, the financial information company. This study's methodology has its origin in Keynes's simple idea of precautionary liquidity demand: When a firm faces financial constraints, cash savings from earnings or cash inflows become important from the corporate finance perspective. Following this simple idea, Almeida et al. (2004) developed their theoretical model and found empirical evidence that the sensitivity of cash to cash flows varies systematically according to different types of financing frictions. To find more empirical evidence for this idea, we examined the cash flow sensitivity of the cash held by Korean retail firms. Results - Through several robustness tests, we empirically showed that financially constrained Korean retail firms display significant positive propensity to save cash from earnings before interest and taxes, while the estimated cash flow sensitivity of the cash held by unconstrained retail firms is not significant. Despite the relatively low earnings of retail firms, their sensitivity is three times greater than that of manufacturing enterprises. This implies that Korean retail firms have greater intentions of facilitating future investments rather than current investments. Conclusions - The characteristics of the cash policies of Korean retail firms differ from those of manufacturing firms. This contrast may be attributable to industry-oriented policy planning, regulations, and institutional differences. However, the industrial policymakers should observe signals of the long-term growth options of retail firms based on their high propensity to save from their cash inflows.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.47-54
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• 2011

This paper presents exploratory research on consumer awareness and attitudesabout organic food, for which consumer demand continues to increase the paper also assesses consumers' organic food distribution channel preferences. By conducting a literature review, a case study has been carried out in order to glean customer behavior, market condition and typesof distribution channels, and development of specialty stores for organic foods. The early research indicates that consumer awareness and customer attitudes toward organic food are mostly positive however, organic food's high price, as well as a lack of organic food stores, cause a negative effect on consumers' purchase intention. Secondly, the U.S. organic food retail channel consists of such mainstream supermarket/grocery stores and leading natural and organic food supermarket chains as Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and Sunflower Farmers Market. For the current retail distribution of organic food in Korea, off-line stores are composed of direct management stores and franchise chains. Most of the organic food retail distribution operates through the Internet shopping mall, and are commonly located at retail distribution centers as multi-channel, shop-in-shop stores. Moreover, unlike in the U.S., association and consumers' cooperatives (Co-Ops), and such other member-direct retail stores as Hansallim, iCOOP, Nature Dream,and online shopping malls, are all active in Korea. Thirdly, as a result of an analysis of the present state of the organic food retail channel, as well as building a case for organic food specialty stores, the distinctive featuresand rapid growth of such unique organic food stores as Whole Foods Market, or Trader Joe's successful downsizing strategies, as well as Sunflower Farmers Market low-price approach, show steady industry growth. Moreover, as a result of a case studyof such domestic representative organic food specialty stores as "Olga" and "Chorokmaeul," a similar management style to the United States' "Whole Foods Market" and "Trader Joe's," respectively, can be seen. Similar to the U.S. market, Korean organic food markets should also implement active retail distribution opportunities, allowing consumers to select from various diverse and differentiated choices. In order to accomplish this goal, it is necessary to prepare such measures as sustaining reasonable prices, securing various suppliers for unique products,and improving consumer trust through advertisement strategies that are suitable for each company's branding processes.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.113-119
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the effect of retailer's ESG performance on consumption value. The research analyzed the effect of consumption value that can be obtained through ESG management of retail companies on consumer attitude and repurchase intention. Research design, data, and methodology: A research model and hypothesis were established, and statistical analysis was performed on a total of 278 samples of all age groups. To secure the reliability and validity of the data, confirmatory factor analysis and discriminant validity analysis were performed, and the causal relationship of latent variables was verified through path analysis. Results: As a result of the analysis, it was found that among the characteristics of consumption value according to ESG management, social value, economic value, accessible value, and eco-friendly value had an effect on social contribution attitude. Also, the economic value was found to have an effect on the self-actualization attitude, and both the social contribution attitude and the self-actualization attitude have an effect on the purchase intention. Conclusions: This study empirically analyzed the value of ESG management in the retail industry that consumers are paying attention to recently. This will serve as a basis for revising and supplementing the retail companies' strategy in the near future.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.10
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• pp.297-303
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• 2021

The performance of the retail industry in a country, which simultaneously reflects the demand for retail space, is significantly influenced by the macroeconomic environment of said country. However, in the case of Malaysia, studies regarding this issue are limited. Therefore, this paper aims to identify the macroeconomic determinants of the demand for retail space in shopping centers in Malaysia through the study of six variables: per capita income, private expenditure, inflation rate, interest rate, total population, and the number of tourists arrival. The nexus between these variables and the demand for retail space in shopping centers were examined by cointegration and causality tests, and regression analysis using quarterly data for the period 1993Q1 to 2016Q4. The results from bivariate cointegration tests indicate that inflation rate, interest rates, population size, and the number of tourists arrival have significant long-run relationships with the demand for retail space of Malaysian shopping centers. Meanwhile, the Granger causality tests show that only population size can cause the demand for shopping centers' retail space. Finally, the results from the regression analysis revealed that income per capita, private expenditure, interest rates, and population are the variables that significantly influence the demand for the retail space of the Malaysian shopping centers.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.55-63
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• 2019

Purpose - This paper examines the value relevance of socially responsible activities in the Korean retail firms. Recent studies predict positive relationships between socially responsible activities and the value of corporation. Research design, data, and methodology - We use the environmental score, social score, governance score and the sum of these three scores to represent a fim's effectiveness of socially responsible activities. These scores are published by the Korean Corporate Governance Service. This paper adopts a share price valuation model to evaluate the effect of socially responsible activities on a firm's share price, which controls for the book value of assets and current earnings. The ordinary least square method is employed to examine the relationship. The sample of Korea retail firms is examined from 2011 to 2016. We also conduct sub-sample analysis based on the categorization of chaebol affiliates and non-chaebol affiliates. Results - The entire sample analysis finds neither negatively nor positively significant relationship between socially responsible activities and the value of a corporation. In contrast, our examinations find a significantly positive valuation effect of social score within non-chaebol retail firms. Conclusions - The results weakly support the positive valuation effect of socially responsible activities. The results are consistent with recent studies that highlight heterogeneous effects of socially responsible activities on corporate policies and valuation.