Introduction Recently, Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) is becoming very important issue in the corporate growth and marketing strategy. In this study, based on Carroll (1979, 1991)’s conception of CSR study, we categorized the CSR types into the five underlying dimensions – i.e. economic, legal, ethical, benevolent, and environmental responsibilities. We tried to investigate the effects of consumer’s perception of the five different types of CSR on the corporate brand equity. More specifically, we used the corporate image, consumer-company identification, and the level of trust which have been used as important variables in the previous brand value studies as the underlying mediating variables of the research model. Theoretical Background and Research Model Based on the conceptual background and our research questions, 11 research hypothese regarding the consumer perceptions of the five different types of CSR, corporate image, consumer-company identification, trust, consumer loyalty, and corporate evaluation were developed. We also tried to include the moderating effects of CSR congruence and consumer’s CSR orientation between the CSR types and mediating variables of the final research model. Results and Conclusions To test the research hypotheses and our research model, we conducted questionnaire survey and collected 552 consumer data for the final analysis. Through the confirmatory factor analysis, reliability and validity of the study constructs were verified. By using the structural equation model, research hypotheses were tested and most research hypotheses were statistically significant and accepted. The final research model also showed the statistical significance with the goodness-of-fit indices. The managerial implications of the study results for the corporate marketing managers and the limitations of the study were also discussed.

Self Service Technology (SST) refers to technological interfaces that enable customers to produce a service independently, without service employees’ direct involvement. Because of the recent technological evolution and rising labor cost, most companies in the retail and service industries tend to use more technology-based SST options. In this study, we tried to investigate the effects of technology readiness and consumer readiness on SST service quality, attitude toward using SST, and intention to use SST in franchise fast food restaurants. The study results showed a significant and positive influence on all six dimensions of SST service quality. This research found that consumer readiness has a stronger and statistically more significant influence on all of SST service quality’s six constructs than does TR. Within a setting in which a customer is using SST, consumer readiness is a concept that is composed of the following: customer’s own role clarity, ability to utilize SST, and self-efficacy about using SST. Shim & Han (2012) confirmed that Consumer Readiness is a strong variable that effects motivation to use SST. This research presents academic significance in that it verified that consumer readiness is a major leading variable that influences perceived SST service quality. This research confirmed the moderating effects of consumer traits (self-consciousness, need for interaction, technology anxiety) and situational factors (perceived crowding, perceived waiting time) within the relationship between SST service quality and attitudes and intentions toward using SST. Study results showed that all variables have moderating effects. Ease of SST use was shown to have a strong influence on developing attitudes and intentions toward using SST in people with high levels of technology anxiety. For people with low levels of technology anxiety, ease or difficulty of SST use did not affect their attitude toward using SST. The expectation of increased enjoyment through SST use had an impact on developing attitudes and intentions toward using SST. This implies that expectation of increased enjoyment does not affect the development of intention toward using SST for people with high technology anxiety, as their technology anxiety is greater than such expectation. In contrast, this expectation of increased enjoyment greatly affects the development of attitude toward using SST for people with low technology anxiety. As a result, when introducing SST, firms need to design the system to appeal to people with high technology anxiety. Results also revealed that innovativeness does not have statistically significant influences on enjoyment or convenience. Because our results confirmed that technology readiness is an important leading variable of SST service quality, our research supported the works of Lin & Hsieh (2006) and Zeithaml et al. (2002). Managerial implications and limitations of the study were also discussed.

Due to climate change combined with urban concentration of population, the frequency and intensity of urban flooding and its risks have been increased. In most cases, such disasters pose impediments to sustainable economic and human development. Because of heavy precipitation caused by climate change exceeding the current capacity of infrastructure as well as the concentration of population by urbanization, the damages of urban floods on humans and property losses have become more serious among natural disasters. The social impacts of flood disasters vary by different people as some people have limited access to the means of preparedness, response, and recovery. Experiencing extreme flooding events in recent years, the City of Seoul put forth much effort into tackling the flood damages, including preparing disaster risk maps, improved infrastructure such as capacity-enhanced sewages, rainwater pumping facilities, rainwater storage tanks and permeable pavements. Despite these efforts to improve infrastructures there have been vulnerable populations who are easily exposed to the climate risks and easily become the victims of floods, and sometimes become more likely to go into vicious cycles of vulnerability both socio-economically and in terms of disaster resilience. By looking into the historic disaster data and flood hazard maps for cases of heavy flooding events in recent years in Seoul, and comparing them with the demographic data by social categories, this report tries to focus on the disaster resilience of the vulnerable classes. Finally and more importantly, this report discusses on how to further improve the resilience for those who are identified to be more vulnerable. To protect and support the vulnerable populations countries and cities have developed their own policy measures, manuals and guidelines. Through the comparison of policy measures in representative cities including Tokyo, London, and New York this study finds more room for further policy improvements for vulnerable populations in Seoul. The central and local government, relevant agencies and communities need to cooperate in addressing adaptation to disasters with target-specific welfare for the vulnerable people, which will enhance social inclusiveness in climate resilience.