• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.55-70
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• 2009

There is under restructuring of whole distribution market in Mokpo recently. Large-Scale Discount Stores such as E-mart, Lotte Mart, Homeplus and Nonghyup Hanaro Mart entered successfully in the distribution environment in Mokpo. However, the small and medium distributors are falling rapidly, and traditional market is depressed. This status gives some positive effects to make one-stop, good price, good quality and great variety of shopping for saving the time and effort through changing the customers' life-style. This change, however, made the traditional market worse that played as the core channel for trading the local special products and an important role for local economic in retailing market. It is a threatening factor for that traditional market to recover the recession. The decline of traditional market and the bankruptcy of small retailing dealers accelerate the stagnation of local economic and commercial power. Therefore, it need a systematic and synthetical study to solve the negative factors for improving life of the local resident. This paper looked into the concept, issues and development strategy of traditional market that affect local economic development directly. It studied the customers' awareness for traditional market that was recently modernized the facilities in Mokpo. Particularly, based on the research material that was published last academic symposium, it looked about the issues and development strategy that could happen in traditional market not the market of a specific region but all over the country. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is that the central and local government and retailers get a help to make the efficient and useful development strategy through analyzing the effects of customers for modernizing the facilities of traditional market.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.87-96
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• 2015

Purpose - Several domestic telecommunication companies have made a considerable effort to continuously grow and survive, and they have strived to thrive in the midst of mature market competition. To overcome this challenging situation and to grow continuously, while still meeting customer needs that are becoming more diverse and complicated with the passage of time, extensive support for internal marketing is essential. Without such internal support, companies face serious limitations and market roadblocks. The communication industry is a high-level service industry and a basic communications industry characteristic is its significant dependence on the employees delivering the services. Therefore, entrepreneurs in the information/communications industry, as well as existing competitors, should look to satisfy external customers through critical investment in internal customers (employees). Therefore, it is important for research to examine how internal factors influence technology innovation and service quality, which are the key drivers for companies that are seeking leading market positions. Research design, data, and methodology - The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship of technology innovation and perceived service quality with the internal marketing factors in the communication industry and to offer suitable and effective internal marketing suggestions. The independent variables of this study are internal communication, education and training, the support of the executives, reward systems, and empowerment. The dependent variables are technology innovation and perceived service quality. Utilizing these, this paper studies the influence of internal marketing factors on technology innovation and perceived service quality. Results - The study results revealed the following. First, the identified internal marketing factors have a positive effect on technology innovation. Among the five internal marketing factors, three had a significant effect on product innovation, empowerment, the support of executives, and education and training, in this order. Second, the internal marketing factors also had a positive effect on the process innovation of technology innovation. The marketing factors, the support of executives, empowerment, internal communication, and education and training, in this order, significantly affect process innovation. Third, technology innovation had a positive effect on perceived service quality. All of the five service quality factors, namely, tangibles, reliability, assurance, responsibility, and empathy, in this order, significantly affect product innovation. Additionally, tangibles, reliability, responsibility, empathy, and assurance, in this order, significantly affect process innovation. Fourth, product and process innovation significantly affect tangibles and reliability in technology innovation. To enhance tangibles and reliability, process innovation should first be enhanced. Fifth, product and process innovation significantly affect responsibility and empathy in technology innovation. To enhance the responsibility and empathy, process innovation should first be enhanced. Sixth, product and process innovation significantly affect assurance in technology innovation. To enhance the assurance, product innovation should first be enhanced. Conclusions - According to the results, a company's internal marketing factors have a positive and significant effect on technology innovation and, further, product and process innovation have a positive and significant effect on the perceived serviced quality.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.444-450
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• 2009

This study examined the preferred salinity levels of soups by different demographic groups in order to establish desirable serving conditions for soups with respect to customer satisfaction and health. The salinity levels were measured in August and November to determine seasonal variations using a digital salinity measuring device. Four demographic groups totaling 1,723 individuals were surveyed from institutional foodservice establishments (IFEs) in elementary schools (ES: male 202/female 194), middle-high schools (MHS: 268/216), universities (UNIV: 208/238), and companies (COM: 182/215) in Seoul. Various thin or thick soups typically offered in foodservice establishments were served salty (1.2%) and less salty (0.4%) at $55{\pm}2^{\circ}C$ in a 50 mL portion. The preferred salinities of the soups were found to be 0.71%, 0.79%, 0.76%, and 0.74% for ES, MHS, UNIV, and COM, respectively. Men had 0.02~0.08% higher preferences than women in ES, MHS and UNIV. The customers also preferred higher salinity levels in November than in August, and in thick soups than in thin soups. The salinities preferred by school children were significantly (p<0.01) lower than those of soups by the IFEs. A similar observation was made for MHS, in which each IFE served the soups with significantly (p<0.01) higher salinities than those preferred by the students. Again, at two COM IFEs, the salinities of the soups served were significantly higher than those preferred by the customers. However, for one of UNIV, the salinity of the served soup was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that preferred by the students, while in the two other UNIV no significant differences were noted between the salinity of the served soup and the level preferred by customers. The surveys showed that 9 out of 12 IFEs served soups having salinities that were significantly higher than those preferred by customers. In particular, regardless of preference, the MHS group was served soups with higher salinity levels than the other demographic groups. The salinities of the soups provided by the IFEs were unnecessarily high for the levels preferred by the customers. Therefore, IFEs should make an effort to serve soups that are less salty soups to enhance public health.

• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.61-86
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• 2002

The number of people who perform their banking business on Internet has been increasing drastically during the recent period and the trend still continues. Banks and other types of financial institutions are now competing intensely with each other in attracting customers to this new innovative banking service. The marketers in charge of formulating and implementing the strategies for this new banking business need to understand the behavioral factors as well as the technical factors in order to succeed in attracting more customers to this new service. products. A deep understanding as to why and how the customers are adopting the new service developed on information technology is a prerequisite for a successful marketing effort. The purpose of this dissertation is to find out what factors are playing important roles in the customers'decision related to the adoption of the Internet banking services. The focus of the research is threefold. First. by testing the hypotheses proposed by the Technology Adoption Model, a well-known theory in the IT-related behavioral science, an analysis was made as to which factors are more important in affecting the attitudes and adoption of the Internet banking on the part of customers. Secondly, an analysis was made as to whether the three criteria of the Technographics- -the attitude toward new technology, level of income, and the motivational factor- -are useful as the criteria for segmenting the Korean users of the online banking. Thirdly, an analysis was made as to whether each customer group segmented by the criteria of the Technographics reveal a differential decision process and thus requires a differential approach strategywise.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.12 no.8
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• pp.123-132
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• 2014

Purpose - Recently, Korean companies have been struggling to perform well in the larger smartphone market in China, which is regarded as a blue ocean area. First, it is very important to accurately understand the Chinese consumers, who have a different consumption culture and value system from the Korean culture and system. This would help to identify priorities for the Chinese market. Further, considering the smartphone industry, where technological change is rapid, Korean companies will need to take prompt measures about market trends in order to establish strong competitiveness. Consequently, this study focused on analyzing the relationship between the variables of consumption value, satisfaction, and loyalty in the Chinese smartphone market. The principal dimensions of consumption value, which smartphones have, was analyzed, and the influence on satisfaction was identified. Moreover, the relationship among the variables of satisfaction, attitudinal loyalty, and behavioral loyalty was empirically analyzed. Research design, data, and methodology - This study examined the relationships between various consumption values (functional value, emotional value, social value, epistemic value, and economic value), along with satisfaction and loyalty. The data were collected through a questionnaire survey that was circulated to 310 customers who were users of smartphones in Chingdao and Yeontae regions in China. The survey was conducted from June 23 to August 4, 2013. A total of 301 responses to the questionnaires were collected and used for the data analysis. Moreover, a path analysis based on Lisrel 8.54 was used for the hypothesis test. Results - The variables of functional value, emotional value, social value, and epistemic value were revealed to have positive effects on satisfaction related to smartphone usage. However, the variables of monetary cost and psychological cost were not found to have negative effects on satisfaction related to smartphone usage. Moreover, satisfaction positively influenced attitudinal loyalty related to smartphone usage, but did not have a significant influence on behavioral loyalty related to smartphone usage. Specifically, satisfaction is essential, but not a sufficient condition for building behavioral loyalty in relation to smartphone usage. In addition, attitudinal loyalty positively influenced behavioral loyalty in relation to smartphone usage. Conclusions - First, this study shows that functional value, emotional value, social value, and epistemic value in relation to smartphone usage are important for marketing in the Chinese smartphone market. Particularly, functional value and emotional value play pre-eminent roles as regards customer loyalty in the use of smartphones. Second, the results of this study reveal that the variables of monetary cost and psychological cost are not important to the Chinese consumers. Specifically, the smartphone price and cognitive effort are not perceived as value barriers. Third, satisfaction did not guarantee behavioral loyalty in relation to smartphone usage, and the strategic approach for improving the repurchase and referral action in relation to smartphones based on solid attitudinal loyalty would be desirable and should be the focus of the marketing activities of Korean smartphone companies.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.607-612
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• 2019

The softness of the crashpad part is one of the important factors which affect the interior perceived quality of the vehicle interior. And while improving the softness of the crashpad part, every effort to lower the production cost has been going on. The PU foaming process for the crashpad part depends on the understanding of a lot of processes, tools and material properties. Therefore, to achieve the requirement of the customer for the interior part's visual quality, the integrated design techniques are investigated to correlate the processes, tool design, material design and the computer aided analysis. In this paper, IMG (In Mold Grain) designed concept is firstly developed to integrate the skin preforming, plastic injection molding of the substrate and the foaming process in a tool within reduced processes. Through the application of this technology, softness of crashpad is improved by 40% compared to the conventional vacuum molding method, and the existing process is reduced by 50% by integrating the injection process and the manufacturing process. And by integrating the injection mold and the skin mold and removing the foaming mold, the number of molds are reduced from 3 to 1, resulting in 20% reduction in the cost of applying a medium-sized passenger car.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.5-12
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• 2010

The retail business of drugstore was introduced to Korea for the first time 10 years ago. Since Olive Young introduced a retail store in the name of drugstore in 1999 for the first time in Korea, new distribution channel combining drugstore, cosmetic products and dairy products, etc has been made. At initial stage, the new distribution channel grew up slowly because of low specialty and economic stagnation. However, the three big distribution channels, that is to say, Olive Young (CJ), Watsons (GS) and W Store (Kolon Well Care), etc, were established to produce new distribution system following large-scaled discount stores as well as convenience stores. The purpose of the study is to investigate ways making Korean style drugstore be new retail business in addition to traditional markets, department stores, E-Mart and other general super markets and to examine problems preventing the drugstore from being promoted and to find out solutions. The speciality retailers that is called a category killer attacking department stores as well as marts is expanding market quickly. New consumption trend that gives priority to wellbeing is being expanded in accordance with high level of standards of living life: The drugstore is thought to be new alternative of distribution because it keeps special products. Young ladies who are main customers of drugstores respond to the trend sensitively to have more buying power that is thought to be promising. And, consumers' desire has become concrete and special. This is because consumers want not only convenient shopping but also special shopping system that is current trend. These days, so called Multi-shop and Total shop and other special shops have been recently opened. Special multi-shop has been concentrated on fashion product and miscellaneous goods so far: Health total wellbeing shop shall be popular in accordance with wellbeing trends. Drugstores can play an important role. Drugstores were opened for the first time ten years ago. In particular, Olive Young succeeded in going into the black after making efforts for a long time by many persons. Drugstores could succeed in the business owing to many persons in the past as well as customers who liked drugstores. However, drugstores once lost ways and recorded poor business results. The three drugstores, that is to say, Olive Young, Watsons making efforts to go into the black and W-Store pursuing traditional drugstore shall compete each other and make effort to satisfy customers' desire. In that way, the three drugstores can be assured of present business as well as future business. The consumers' demand trend has become special at sub-division so that drugstores that can satisfy the demand can succeed in the business. Large businesses may be more interested in the 4th generation retail business to produce good income and to have bright future. Drugstore business and market are likely to expand and develop owing to large business' participation in drugstore business. Drugstores expanded shop at Seoul and Gyeonggi-do until middle of 2000. Drugstore business at station sphere in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do that have high ratio of temporary population has low customer loyalty to have limitation on continuous growth. Since 2009, drugstores have opened new shops at local towns: From the year of 2010, drugstores need to establish multiple shop strategy by accelerating business speed and to allow customers to drop in the shop anywhere in the nation and to enter consumers' life deeply, so that they can strengthen business base definitely. Drugstores need to have price competitiveness to have multiple shop opening strategy and to satisfy consumers and to supply high quality services that is future subject to solve. And, Olive Young and Watsons that are Korean style drugstore need to keep system in order and to strengthen substance as Korean style drugstore and to expand marketing, so that they can get business outcome within 5 years that was done 10 years before and they become the 4th generation retail business. The study had difficulties at collecting material from the three drugstore because of poor cooperation. And, the author had great difficulty at collecting statistical material that was made in disorder. Further effort is needed considering such problems.

• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.25-47
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• 2010

CS is one of the major concerns of managers in the world because it is well known to be a key medium construct for firms' superior outcome. One of the major agents for CS management is retailers. Firms try to manage not only employees but also retailers to promote CS behaviors. And so diverse incentives are used to promote their CS behaviors under diverse channel setting such as multi-channel. However in spite of the rising needs there has been scarce studies on the optimal incentive structure for a manufacturer to offer competing retailers at the multi-channel. In this paper, we try to find better way for a manufacturer to promote the competing retailers' CS behaviors. We investigated how to promote the retailers' CS behavior via game-theoretic modeling. Especially, we focus on the possible incentive, CS bonus type reward introduced in the studies of Hauser, Simester, and Wernerfelt(1994) and Chu and Desai(1995). We build up a multi stage complete information game and derive a subgame perfect equilibrium using backward induction. Stages of the game are as following. (Stage 1) Manufacturer sets wholesale price(w) and CS bonus($\eta$). (Stage 2) Both retailers in competition set CS effort level($e_i$) and retail price($p_i$) simultaneously. (Stage 3) Consumers make purchasing decisions based on the manufacturer's initial reputation and retailers' CS efforts.

• Management & Information Systems Review
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.69-88
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• 2013

This study aimed to analyze the effects that the exchange relationship among employees engaged in the wedding industry in Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongnam area exerted on job satisfaction and voluntary service intentions. For this purpose, a theoretical model was presented based on previous studies and the relationship among variables was analyzed based on the analysis results through a survey. There have recently been great difficulties in the whole wedding industry due to the global economic depression and the low birthrate. Moreover, it is hard to optimize the future business environment. In particular, the low birthrate has weakened the demand base of the wedding industry. As a result, it is expected that the competition among companies will be more fierce in the wedding industry. Employees' voluntary service intention become much more important to overcome difficulties in this industry. Employees' voluntary service intentions can be possible when their job satisfaction is achieved. Many studies report the result that this job satisfaction can naturally be achieved when the high quality exchange relationship among a leader, team members (co-workers) and customers is formed. It is viewed that employees' voluntary service intentions should be induced through job satisfaction to improve the profitability through the efficient operation and management of the system. A leader of the organization should make an effort to form the high-quality exchange relationship with members, support so that team members(coworkers) and other employees can get along together and the teamwork can be improved and induce them to improve a high level of service quality with friendly customer services. In spite of the significance of the study discussed above, there are the following limitations in this study. There is a limit to a certain extent in generalizing study conclusions because the study was limited to the Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongnam area. If practical surveys which full- and part-time employees are included in the composition of samples are conducted for wedding suppliers in the country in the future, the quality of study will be able to improve.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.99-120
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• 2010

Due to the wide spread of customers' frequent access of non face-to-face services, there have been many attempts to improve customer satisfaction using huge amounts of data accumulated throughnon face-to-face channels. Usually, a call center is regarded to be one of the most representative non-faced channels. Therefore, it is important that a call center has enough agents to offer high level customer satisfaction. However, managing too many agents would increase the operational costs of a call center by increasing labor costs. Therefore, predicting and calculating the appropriate size of human resources of a call center is one of the most critical success factors of call center management. For this reason, most call centers are currently establishing a department of WFM(Work Force Management) to estimate the appropriate number of agents and to direct much effort to predict the volume of inbound calls. In real world applications, inbound call prediction is usually performed based on the intuition and experience of a domain expert. In other words, a domain expert usually predicts the volume of calls by calculating the average call of some periods and adjusting the average according tohis/her subjective estimation. However, this kind of approach has radical limitations in that the result of prediction might be strongly affected by the expert's personal experience and competence. It is often the case that a domain expert may predict inbound calls quite differently from anotherif the two experts have mutually different opinions on selecting influential variables and priorities among the variables. Moreover, it is almost impossible to logically clarify the process of expert's subjective prediction. Currently, to overcome the limitations of subjective call prediction, most call centers are adopting a WFMS(Workforce Management System) package in which expert's best practices are systemized. With WFMS, a user can predict the volume of calls by calculating the average call of each day of the week, excluding some eventful days. However, WFMS costs too much capital during the early stage of system establishment. Moreover, it is hard to reflect new information ontothe system when some factors affecting the amount of calls have been changed. In this paper, we attempt to devise a new model for predicting inbound calls that is not only based on theoretical background but also easily applicable to real world applications. Our model was mainly developed by the interactive decision tree technique, one of the most popular techniques in data mining. Therefore, we expect that our model can predict inbound calls automatically based on historical data, and it can utilize expert's domain knowledge during the process of tree construction. To analyze the accuracy of our model, we performed intensive experiments on a real case of one of the largest car insurance companies in Korea. In the case study, the prediction accuracy of the devised two models and traditional WFMS are analyzed with respect to the various error rates allowable. The experiments reveal that our data mining-based two models outperform WFMS in terms of predicting the amount of accident calls and fault calls in most experimental situations examined.