• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.41-52
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• 2015

Purpose - Given globalization, the new niche market of medical tourism is likely to experience sustainable growth for various reasons, such as aging populations and a shift in the medical consumerism paradigm toward prevention. Importantly, understanding medical customers' behavior is necessary to benefit from a competitive advantage in this industry. The existing research primarily accessed the key factors of medical quality and costs to explain health customers' behavior but is limited in terms of enabling an understanding of the decision process. This limitation exists because, given the intangibility and greater associated risks in the highly professional industry of international medical tourism, most customers lack the knowledge and experience needed to evaluate the central factors-such as the medical competence of health care countries-before purchases. Therefore, they actively search for useful information through various distributions to reduce uncertainty and to make better choices. Interestingly, most of these information channels are associated with word-of-mouth (WOM). However, no evidence is found in the literature to estimate the effect of WOM in the medical tourism field. Thus, this study focuses on WOM to explore its interaction with key medical characteristic factors and the attractiveness of destinations referred to by sources. This study also affects customers' evaluations and, in turn, influences their intention to seek health care services abroad. Research design, data, and methodology - The literature review addressed an interesting research model for estimating the relations among WOM, medical characteristics, attractiveness, and customers' choice intention regarding international health care. In the key economic regions in China, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Shandong, and Guangdong, 2,500 survey questionnaires were distributed to potential customers of different ages, education, and income levels. A resulting 1,717 (68.68 percent of the original 2,500) usable surveys were obtained for analysis. Moderated regression analysis was used to determine the effects of WOM in the decision process regarding international health care destinations. Results - The results indicate that WOM is a good moderator of the relationships between the factors evaluated by sources and customers. More importantly, the WOM effects reflect the factors of tie strength, credibility, and vividness. The results also reveal that, given the moderating role of WOM, the intention of potential Chinese customers to seek the referred health care country varies according to the medical characteristics of medical competency and reputation as evaluated by customers. In contrast, the travel attractiveness of the attractions, facilities, accessibility, and social environment are critical determinants of destination choice intention. Conclusions - The moderating role of WOM has been confirmed through the international healthcare destination selection process. Medical tourism managers should user WOM as an effective marketing tool for industry development. Specially, marketers should consider the effects of WOM determinants, such as tie strength, credibility, and vividness, to develop an effective strategy. Furthermore, this study estimates the factors that affect customers' selection of medical tourism destinations. Health care managers or policy makers should consider a broad variety of variables that may attract more Chinese customers to international health care.

• Journal of Information Technology Services
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.13-26
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• 2019

This study analyzes the characteristics of lending-based crowdfunding of various crowdfunding models, identifies the factors affecting the use of the general public, and provides suggestions for the policies set by real estate crowdfunding businesses and related authorities. To analyze the service's adoption from a cognitive perspective, this study developed a new model that combined the Value-based Adoption Model (VAM), motivation theory, and a set of variables that take into account the characteristics of the real estate industry. For empirical analysis, survey was conducted from the general investors of real estate and valid 252 data were utilized by R 3.2.2. The results of this study showed that both government regulation and the perceived risk are hindering the perceived values and intention to use crowdfunding for real estate. In contrast, this research found that among the intrinsic motivation, enjoyment had a significant impact on the perceived value. In addition, it turned out that among the extrinsic motivation, market attractiveness, brand credibility, expected return, and safety and protection had significant impacts on the perceived value. Finally, it showed the perceived value of real estate crowdfunding had a positive impact on the intention to use.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.183-190
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• 2004

This study was designed to identify how customers considered menu selection attributes on menu choice, and so the instrument for measuring that question was developed and menu selection behavior types were analyzed by customers' characteristics. Cronbach's alpha to assess the internal reliability of the developed scales was 0.8361, which indicated to be highly reliable. Construct validity was assessed by principal components factor analysis with a Varimax rotation to identify underlying dimensions of menu selection and then four factors explaining 55.618% of the total variance were found. These factors were labeled as 'quality of meals', 'attractiveness of meals', 'healthfulness of meals' and 'variety of meals', respectively. As a result of analysis on menu selection factors, 'quality of meals'(3.82 out of 5) was the highest consideration followed by 'variety of meals'(3.51), 'healthfulness of meals'(3.49) and 'attractiveness of meals'(3.34), so that menu marketing approaches in the perspective of quality of meals would do lead customers' selection rates, customer satisfaction and then sales highly. Frequent visitor selected menu indifferently but customers who were interested in food and menu highly, who perceived meals' quality highly, and who were satisfied with overall foodservice did with concern. On the basis of these results of study for the target of food court-style B ＆ I foodservice operation, which was introduced as an ideal model in future foodservice market by the concept of 'customer's selection right', the following study related with customers' meal patterns and perception of foodservice by menu selection attributes would be able to predict the chances for success of food court-style foodservice operations.

• Journal of Advanced Technology Convergence
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.37-48
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• 2022

This research is an empirical research of Chinese OTT Audiences on the effects of advertising model attributes on consumers' advertising perception, purchase intention, Flow and addiction. Recently, as the cosmetics market in China has grown, the role of advertising models has been highlighted, and shopping addiction caused by excessive Flow is becoming a social problem. Researchers set up a research model and tried to test which characteristics of the advertising model lead consumers to purchase, Flow and ultimately lead to addiction. Results are as follows. It was confirmed that advertisement model attributes such as recognition and attractiveness had a positive effect on viewers' advertising perception and attitude, and viewers' perceived usefulness had a positive effect on purchase intention and Flow. In addition, the purchase intention of the viewers had a positive effect on the addiction to cosmetics.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.319-334
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• 2024

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to examine the gravity model commonly used for demand forecasting upon the implementation of new tourist facilities and analyze the main causation of forecasting errors to provide a suggestion on how to improve. Design/methodology/approach - This study first measured the errors in predicted values derived from past feasibility study reports by examining the cases of five national science museums. Next, to improve the predictive accuracy of the gravity model, the study identified the five most likely issues contributing to errors, applied modified values, and recalculated. The potential for improvement was then evaluated through a comparison of forecasting errors. Findings - First, among the five science museums with very similar characteristics, there was no clear indication of a decrease in the number of visitors to existing facilities due to the introduction of new facilities. Second, representing the attractiveness of tourist facilities using the facility size ratio can lead to significant prediction errors. Third, the impact of distance on demand can vary depending on the characteristics of the facility and the conditions of the area where the facility is located. Fourth, if the distance value is below 1, it is necessary to limit the range of that value to avoid having an excessively small value. Fifth, depending on the type of population data used, prediction results may vary, so it is necessary to use population data suitable for each latent market instead of simply using overall population data. Finally, if a clear trend is anticipated in a certain type of tourist behavior, incorporating this trend into the predicted values could help reduce prediction errors. Research implications or Originality - This study identified the key factors causing prediction errors by using national science museums as cases and proposed directions for improvement. Additionally, suggestions were made to apply the model more flexibly to enhance predictive accuracy. Since reducing prediction errors contributes to increased reliability of analytical results, the findings of this study are expected to contribute to policy decisions handled with more accurate information when running feasibility analyses.

• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.45-64
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• 2016

As the digital retail environement becomes prevalent, consumers are given greater opportunities to make purchases across physical and digital boundaries. Prior research emphasizes that the attractiveness of the digital or online channel is relatively determined by spatial specifics of physical locations. The overall market trend combined with prior research suggests that understanding spatial specifics becomes a key to managing both offline and online sales performance together. In this study, we focus on geographic variation in sales performance through offline and online channels and aim to investigate the channel-level sales difference between central and subsidiary areas. To this end, we obtain sales data of skincare and makeup products from a leading cosmetic company. Next, we examine spatial autocorrelations in data and then employ the spatial error models to study the effects of spatial specifics. The empirical findings are as follows. First, there are significant differences in category-specific and channel-level sales between central and subsidiary areas. Second, Moran's I statistics demonstrate the spatial autocorrelations of each variable. Third, spatial error models outperform simple regression models with lower AIC values. Finally, spatial specifics play a greater role in understanding online sales in subsidiary areas whereas they exert greater influence on offline sales in central areas. We believe our study advances the related theory and knowledge of multi-channel retailing and also contributes practically to location-dependent multi-channel strategies and sales data analytics.

• Korean System Dynamics Review
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.25-49
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• 2013

As global competition for green car, that is environmentally friendly car, is getting tougher, the governments and the related industries are putting their core efforts in its diffusion. However, the green car sales are disappointing so far. To overcome the gridlock, it is necessary to develop concrete analytical framework to understand the diffusion process. Based on causal loop analysis from the previous work, we have identified main variables and relationships of them in the diffusion process and developed a stock-flow diagram and mathematical formula for the main components. The model would be applied for further quantitative simulation on the diffusion process of green car and other innovative goods as well. Also, we have suggested constructive insights for the policy makers and for the related industries. First, it is important to increase consumers' willingness to consider through marketing and word of mouth to accelerate the diffusion process. Second, in the perspective of the industry, the market share of green car should be increased at the earliest possible stage and this could be done by enhancing each components of green car attractiveness(e.g. price, driving range, social infra). Third, companies should develop a balanced investment between consumer and technology sector through a flexible financial policy. Fourth, the government continuously has the role of investing in the related R&D and social infra building. We expect the green car diffusion model and related formula from the research can provide meaningful tools to analyze the diffusion process of other new and innovative goods based on its deep researched literature review.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.574-585
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• 2019

The acceleration of digital transformation (DX) has resulted in SNS influencer marketing trends becoming the mainstream of the new market. SNS influencers act as early adopters in the process of new products being accepted. Chinese consumers are most affected by Hallyu, which increases interest in K-beauty products. This study analyzes how K-beauty SNS influencers are related to Chinese consumers. A survey was conducted among Chinese millennial consumers after watching videos provided by K-beauty SNS influencer; subsequently, 456 responses were used for data analysis. As a result, the analysis based on the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) distinguishes the central route and the peripheral route in the process of Chinese consumers accepting new SNS products. The study findings suggested that information quality, credibility, accuracy, and usefulness had significant effects on acceptance intention for new products among central route factors, and similarity, trustworthiness, pleasure, expertise, and attractiveness also had significant effects on the acceptance intention of new product among peripheral route factors. It was found that variables of the central route, rather than those of peripheral route, had stronger effects on the acceptance intention for new products. Consequently, the central route of K-beauty SNS influencer is more important to Chinese consumers' acceptance of new products. It is expected that this study will offer beauty influencer marketing-based cosmetics brands efficient consumer management suggestions.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.43-52
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• 2012

With the slowdown in environmental issues and the change of environmental consciousness, ecotourism is being discussed in various social fields. Ecotourism is being popularized for environmental protection, and now it is becoming a mainstream product from one of mass tourism. Ecotourism's emphasis on sustainable development in the tourism destination's society, economy, and environment, through ecotourism study and education, enable people to understand the core value of the ecological environment. 2011 was nominated as "the Year of World Forest" by the UN. In the recent years, forests are becoming increasingly important with their own values and functions in environment, economy, society, and culture. In particular, the global environmental issues caused by climate change are becoming an international agenda. Forests are the only effective solution for the carbon dioxide that causes global warming. Moreover, forests constitute a major part of ecotourism, and are now most used by ecotourists. For example, Korea, wherein 60% of the land is forest, attracts ecotourists. With the increasing interests in environment, the number of tourists visiting the ecosystem forest, which is highly valued for its conservation, is increasing significantly every year and is receiving considerable attention from the government. However, poor facilities in the forest ecotourism sites and improper market strategies are the reasons for the poor running of these sites. Furthermore, tourists' environmental awareness affects ecology environmental pollution or the optimization of forest ecotourism. In order to verify the relationships among tourist attractiveness, environmental consciousness, charm degrees of the attractions, and attitudes after tours, we established some scales based on existing research achievement. Then, using these scales, the researcher completed the questionnaire survey. From December 20, 2010 to February 20, 2011, after conducting surveys for 12 weeks, we finally obtained 582 valid questionnaires, from a total of 700 questionnaires, that could be used in statistical analysis. First, for the method of research and analysis, the researcher initially applied the Cronbach's (Alpha) for verifying the reliability, and subsequently applied the Exploratory factor analysis for verifying the validity. Second, in order to analyze the demographics, the researcher makes use of the Frequency analysis for the AMOS, measurement model, structural equation model computing, and also utilizes construct validity, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and nomological validity. Third, for the analysis of the ecotourists' environmental consciousness, impacts on tourist attractiveness, charm degrees of the attractions, and attitudes after the tour, the researcher uses AMOS 19, with the path analysis and equation of structure. After the research, researchers found that high awareness of natural protection lead to high tourist motivation and satisfaction and more positive attitude after the tour. Moreover, this research shows the psychological and behavioral reactions of the ecotourists to the ecotourist development. Accordingly, environmental consciousness does not affect the tourist attractiveness that has been interpreted as significant. Furthermore, people should focus on the change of natural protection consciousness and psychological reaction of ecotourists while ensuring the sustainable development of ecotourists and developing some ecotourist programs.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.195-206
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• 2009

The deregulation of aviation markets in Europe and the United Sates had led airlines to reconfigure their networks into hub-and-spoke systems. Recent trends of "Open Skies" in the Asian aviation market are also expected to prompt the reformation of airlines' networks in the region. A significant connectivity index is a crucial tool for airlines and airport authorities to estimate the degree of hub-and-spoke operations. Therefore, this paper suggests a new index, Continuous Indirect Connectivity Index (CICI), for measuring the coordination of airlines' flight schedules, applying it to the Asian, European and the American aviation markets. CICI consists of three components：(i) temporal connectivity to identify the attractiveness between connection flights, (ii) spatial connectivity to differentiate the attractiveness by de-routing distance with continuous linear function, and (iii) relative intensity to reflect the effect of direct flight frequency on transfer routes. CICI is evaluated to examine a casual relationship through regression analyses with two dependent variables of the number of transfer passengers and transfer rates. Compared with Danesi's index and Doganis' index through evaluation processes, CICI has a higher coefficient value of determination, implying that it explains the relationship between connectivity and transfer passengers more precisely.