Despite the growing importance of visual information, user-generated photos in product reviews have received relatively little attention. We investigate whether the contextual…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite the growing importance of visual information, user-generated photos in product reviews have received relatively little attention. We investigate whether the contextual background of a product image can influence consumers' perceptions of review helpfulness and product evaluation.
Design/methodology/approach
Online experiments were conducted using a scenario technique. A single factor (contextual background: low vs. high) between-subjects design was conducted in Study 1. A 2 (contextual background: low vs. high) × 2 (mental simulation: outcome vs. process) between-subjects design was conducted in Study 2.
Findings
A photo with a high (vs. low) contextual background enhances mental imagery, increasing perceived helpfulness and product evaluation. Furthermore, mental simulation plays a significant moderating role in the relationship between contextual background and mental imagery.
Originality/value
Based on cue utilization theory, this study identifies how the contextual background of product images affects consumers' perception and product evaluation by uncovering the underlying mechanism of mental imagery. Furthermore, the research examines the moderating effect of mental simulation while reviewing user-generated photos.
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So Won Jeong and Jae-Eun Chung
Building on the resource-based view (RBV), this study examines the differential roles of internal and external social capital (SC) in enhancing the marketing innovation (MI)…
Abstract
Purpose
Building on the resource-based view (RBV), this study examines the differential roles of internal and external social capital (SC) in enhancing the marketing innovation (MI), competitive advantage and financial performance of Korean small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in export markets.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 197 valid cases were obtained from Korean manufacturing SMEs in the consumer goods sector. Then, a path analysis was employed to test the proposed hypotheses.
Findings
First, SME internal SC positively influenced MI, whereas external SC positively influenced foreign distributor's MI (or foreign distributor MI). Second, SME MI was positively associated with foreign distributor MI. Third, no statistical differences were found in the strength of the paths from foreign distributor and SME MI to competitive advantage. Meanwhile, foreign distributor MI positively affected financial performance more than SME MI. Fourth, SME competitive advantage predicted a positive financial performance. Finally, the effect of SME MI on financial performance had an inverted “U” shape.
Originality/value
This study fills a research gap in the MI literature by identifying MI in terms of its actors (SMEs and their foreign distributors) and examining the differential roles of internal and external SC in MI.
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Reza Ashari Nasution, So Won Jeong, Byoungho Ellie Jin, Jae-Eun Chung, Heesoon Yang, Robert Jeyakumar Nathan and Devi Arnita
The purpose of this study is to explore the acculturation caused by the Korean wave among Indonesian Muslim consumers, especially in the food and cosmetic sectors, based on…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore the acculturation caused by the Korean wave among Indonesian Muslim consumers, especially in the food and cosmetic sectors, based on religious grounds.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected through focus group interviews with 20 Muslim respondents in Indonesia.
Findings
The findings specifically highlighted that Muslim consumers’ acceptance of Korean products varied. Muslim consumers’ acceptance was influenced by similarities and differences in values between Islamic and Korean cultures. Consumers categorised into each acculturation mode (assimilation, separation, integration and marginalisation) showed different behavioural patterns in Korean product acceptance. This study proposes that global products can be optimised through specific and targeted marketing campaigns for different types of Muslim consumers with products that comply with their religious values.
Originality/value
Few studies have explored the importance of religious values (e.g. righteousness, compassion and respect for others) with respect to the acceptance of foreign products in the acculturation context. Additionally, how values from other cultures reconcile with the Indonesian Muslims’ affinity for Korean culture has been limitedly studied. This study aims to fill these gaps by identifying the role of religious factors in the acceptance of global products by taking the example of Indonesian Muslim consumers and Korean products.
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Byoungho Ellie Jin, Daeun Chloe Shin, Heesoon Yang, So Won Jeong and Jae-Eun Chung
Little is known about Indonesian consumers' acceptance of global brands despite their huge retail market potential. Drawing from Festinger’s (1957) cognitive dissonance theory and…
Abstract
Purpose
Little is known about Indonesian consumers' acceptance of global brands despite their huge retail market potential. Drawing from Festinger’s (1957) cognitive dissonance theory and Schwartz’s (1992) value system, this study aims to examine the effect of Indonesian consumers' religiosity, cosmopolitanism and ethnocentrism on their preference for and purchase intention towards global brands.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 316 female consumers aged 20 years or older living in Indonesia via a professional online survey firm. The firm sent prospective participants an email invitation with a survey URL. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling were conducted using AMOS 24.0 to test hypotheses.
Findings
The analyses revealed that Indonesian consumers' religiosity increased their ethnocentrism but not cosmopolitanism. Further, ethnocentrism decreased global brand preference without affecting purchase intention towards Korean cosmetics, whereas cosmopolitanism increased both global brand preference and purchase intention towards Korean cosmetics.
Originality/value
The findings show that cosmopolitanism has a stronger influence on global brand preference than ethnocentrism, suggesting ethnocentrism’s diminishing relevance in predicting purchase intention for foreign products. Additionally, religiosity’s effect on ethnocentrism was confirmed.
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Jae-Eun Chung, Byoungho Jin, So Won Jeong and Heesoon Yang
The purpose of this study is to examine the branding strategies of SMEs from NIEs, juxtaposing the different strategies used to specifically target developed and developing…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the branding strategies of SMEs from NIEs, juxtaposing the different strategies used to specifically target developed and developing countries with regard to brand-building approach, type and number of brands and degree of standardization.
Design/methodology/approach
A case-study approach is used. In-depth interviews are conducted with 10 Korean consumer-goods SMEs exporting their own in-house brands.
Findings
Clear differences emerge between the strategies of SMEs entering developed countries and those entering developing countries, particularly regarding brand identity development, use of foreign sales subsidiaries and number and types of brands used. The authors find an interaction effect between product characteristics and host market levels of economic development, both of which influenced the degree of product standardization.
Originality/value
This study is the first attempt to uncover the branding strategies of NIE consumer-goods SMEs. The findings contribute to the field by extending our understanding of branding strategies used by consumer-goods SMEs from NIEs, thereby providing useful insight for other NIE enterprises when establishing branding strategies aimed at foreign markets.
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Byoungho Jin, Jae-Eun Chung, Heesoon Yang and So Won Jeong
Contrary to the mainstream born global (BG) perspective, some previous studies report the incremental expansion of BGs. In addition, the reasons behind BGs initiating specific…
Abstract
Purpose
Contrary to the mainstream born global (BG) perspective, some previous studies report the incremental expansion of BGs. In addition, the reasons behind BGs initiating specific steps, if any, and BGs’ entry market choices are still unknown or rather contrasting. This study views that such contrasting findings may be attributed to the contexts in which BGs operate. Within the context of consumer goods BGs, the purpose of this paper is to examine the entry market choices and post-entry growth patterns, and investigate the underlying reasons.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted in-depth historiographic case research from seven Korean BGs in the consumer goods sector that demonstrated success in internationalization. Multiple sources were used to gather data from each case. A total of 14 interviews, approximately two one-on-one interviews per firm, were the major means of data collection.
Findings
The findings revealed that first entry market choices among BGs functioned largely as attempts at emergent opportunities. However, after the first wave of entry into countries with available selling opportunities, entry market choice became a simultaneous pursuit of strategic markets and emergent selling opportunities. BGs focusing on image-oriented consumer goods appeared more strategic when entering the world’s leading markets to gain brand reputation. The analyses of internationalization processes revealed three patterns, which collectively implied that each move to the next stage came from a strategic decision to solve the problems related to survival and strategic visions for growth.
Originality/value
One contribution of this paper is the provision of empirical evidence for entry market choices among consumer goods BGs. The findings suggest that BGs’ entry market choices may not be a simple matter of simultaneous expansion to the world’s lead market. Instead, they may comprise more strategic decision. While previous studies have suggested such evolutionary or path-dependent internationalization processes, this study is among the first to reveal specific growth patterns and the possible reasons behind them.
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Yong-Ki Lee, Paresha N. Sinha, Soon-Ho Kim, Eric Melvin Swanson, Jae-Jang Yang and Eun-Jung Kim
Hotels conducting international business are acknowledging the importance of an expatriate general manager (GM), to increase the effectiveness of their knowledge management system…
Abstract
Purpose
Hotels conducting international business are acknowledging the importance of an expatriate general manager (GM), to increase the effectiveness of their knowledge management system through the sharing of knowledge between expatriates and local employees. In the aspect of comparative leadership studies, this study attempts to compare and analyze the effects of knowledge sharing (KS) efforts, which are competencies of expatriate GMs and local GMs, on employee trust, organizational KS and employee loyalty.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from employees of 7 hotels managed by expatriate GMs among 16 franchising luxury (5-star) hotels, and from employees of 6 hotels operated by local GMs among 9 local luxury hotels located in Korea. Structural equation modeling method using SmartPLS 3.3.3 was used to analyze the data.
Findings
Expatriate GM’s two-way KS influences affective trust but does not influence cognitive trust. Affective trust influences cognitive and organizational KS but does not influence employee loyalty. Cognitive trust does not influence organizational KS but influences employee loyalty. Finally, organizational KS significantly affects employee loyalty. In addition, in the analysis comparing the estimates between expatriate and local GM group, significant differences in groups were found for the impact of GM’s two-way KS on cognitive trust, for the impact of affective trust on organizational KS, for the impact of affective trust on employee loyalty and for the impact of cognitive trust on organizational KS.
Practical implications
This study shows that knowledge management designs need to consider different effects of expatriate GMs’ and local GMs’ capabilities on employee attitudes and behavior considering cultural impacts. Expatriate GMs will greatly benefit their effort for KS by assuring employees that they are attentive to their needs, interests and problems.
Originality/value
This study not only contributes to the existing social capital theory but also provides managerial implications for human resources management in the hospitality field through a comparative study of KS efforts of expatriate and local GMs.
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Ju-Young M. Kang, Jae-Eun Kim, Ji Young Lee and Shu Hwa Lin
The purpose of the study was to identify (1) whether aspects of expectancy-value judgments (EVJ) of uses and gratifications, such as novelty, fashion/status, sociability and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study was to identify (1) whether aspects of expectancy-value judgments (EVJ) of uses and gratifications, such as novelty, fashion/status, sociability and relaxation, influenced trust in augmented reality (AR) apps; (2) whether trust in AR apps influenced usage intention toward AR apps and online/offline store patronage intention and (3) the moderating effect of consumer self-determination.
Design/methodology/approach
Mobile users (n = 630) were drawn from a USA market research company. The proposed model was tested by structural equation modeling with maximum likelihood estimation.
Findings
The study found that trust in AR apps was a determinant of usage intention toward AR apps and online/offline store patronage intention. Novelty and fashion/status for EVJs of uses and gratifications affected trust in AR apps. Sociability for EVJs of uses and gratifications negatively affected trust in AR apps. Users' self-determination moderated the influence of users' trust in AR apps on usage intention toward AR apps and online/offline store patronage intention.
Originality/value
First, the study elaborates on the impacts of the underlying aspects of an EVJ model of uses and gratifications regarding AR apps on trust in AR apps and EVJ model's influence on usage intention toward AR apps and online/offline store patronage intention. Second, the results of the study suggest useful strategies involved in the development of consumer-driven AR apps that satisfy users' needs and desires.
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So Won Jeong, Leslie Stoel and Jae‐Eun Chung
Retail success in China for dietary supplement products requires knowledge of the importance consumers place on store type as well as their perceptions of product characteristics…
Abstract
Purpose
Retail success in China for dietary supplement products requires knowledge of the importance consumers place on store type as well as their perceptions of product characteristics such as country of origin (country where the product is made and where the brand is from). Accordingly, the purpose of the present study is to examine differences in purchase intention and its key antecedents such as attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control, based on store type importance and product country of origin (China versus USA). To test the proposed hypotheses, MANCOVA was conducted.
Design/methodology/approach
A mail survey was conducted in Shanghai and the total number of usable questionnaires was 444.
Findings
This paper revealed that perceived importance of large store format was significantly related to consumer attitudes and behavioural control for dietary supplement products, but country of origin was not important to Chinese consumers. Additionally, significant relationships with marketer trust and product familiarity were found.
Originality/value
This research is important because the Chinese government recently decreed that prescriptions could now be sold in outlets other than hospitals. This opens the realm of possibilities for retailers of health and beauty products by enabling them to sell a broader and potentially more profitable range of goods. In China, the demand for DS and other health‐related products is increasing. The present study will provide insights to foreign retailers who want to enter China about the impact of store type and product country of origin on consumer purchase intention and its antecedents.
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Joo‐Young Lee, Eun‐Sook Ko, Hyo‐Hyun Lee, Jae‐Young Kim and Jeong‐Wha Choi
The purpose of this paper is to examine differences between thermal insulation calculated by a global and a serial method using a thermal manikin, in comparison with human trials.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine differences between thermal insulation calculated by a global and a serial method using a thermal manikin, in comparison with human trials.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 150 single garments and 38 clothing ensembles were assessed using the manikin; 26 seasonal clothing ensembles were selected for human trials.
Findings
The results showed that total insulation of single garments was 16 percent higher in the serial method than in the global method. The difference was higher in garments with smaller covering area per unit garment mass (e.g. winter garments). For seasonal clothing ensembles, the serial values were 39.2 percent (0.18 clo) for spring/fall wear, 62.6 percent (0.15 clo) for summer wear and for winter wear 64.8 percent (0.69 clo) greater than the global values. The clothing insulation by the global method was systemically lower in all 26 seasonal ensembles than values by human trials, which suggests that the values by the global calculation can be more accurately corrected with human testing data.
Originality/value
The paper shows that values by the serial calculation were lower in spring/fall and summer ensembles but greater in winter garments than values collated by human trials. It suggests that the serial values had a lower validity when compared with thermal insulation values collated from human trials.