This study empirically investigates how four individual-level characteristics impact the effect of the four self-congruity types on brand attitude. A widely used practice among marketers focuses on communicating that using their brands will bring consumers closer to how they would like to see themselves, their ideal self-concept (e.g. being a slim person like the models in the ads), instead of how they actually see themselves, their actual self-concept. However, recent research shows that there is no “universality” of a superior self-congruity effect. Specifically, individual-level characteristics (e.g. self-esteem levels, product involvement levels) determine if actual or ideal self-congruity impact brand perceptions more strongly (Malär, Krohmer, Hoyer & Nyffenegger, 2011). This study extends that research by (a) considering all four self-congruity types (actual, ideal, social, and ideal social) and (b) four additional individual-level characteristics, which are valuable for segmenting consumer markets within and across countries. The four individual-level characteristics are a dominant independent self-construal, interdependent self-construal, cosmopolitan orientation and local orientation. Considering these individual-level characteristics offers marketers insights on which of the four self-concept types they should try to match with their brand communications when targeting these specific consumer groups. Survey data from a non-student sample was collected in the US. After performing data cleaning procedures, 800+ usable responses were analysed with the use of PLS-SEM (Lohmöller, 1989). The measurement models demonstrate satisfactory reliability, convergent and discriminant validity. Furthermore, the results suggest that the data is not compromised by non-response bias and common method variance. The structural models display satisfactory predictive capabilities of the four self-congruity types on brand attitude. The findings show that as expected an individual’s dominant independent self-construal, interdependent self-construal, cosmopolitan and local orientation impact which of the four self-congruity types has the strongest effect on brand attitude. For individuals with a dominant local orientation or interdependent self-construal, actual self-congruity has the strongest effect on brand attitude. For individuals with a dominant cosmopolitan orientation or independent self-construal, ideal self-congruity has the strongest effect on brand attitude. The findings of this study extend self-congruity theory by considering the effect of these four individual-level characteristics. Managerial implications are also presented.

Research on new product development has emphasized the importance of integrating customers, employees, and suppliers in an organization’s innovation processes. While several studies evaluate respective participatory processes, there is, surprisingly, no consensus on which dimension participation quality consists of, and how to measure them consistently. The present study contributes to the literature by identifying the dimensions of participation quality and by constructing a participation quality scale that includes six dimensions, namely (1) project-related resources, (2) early involvement, (3) degree of influence, (4) transparency of processes, (5) incentive mechanisms, and (6) voluntariness of participation. Furthermore, a 24-item measure of participation quality is developed using a mixed-method design. Results of our study show that the developed measure impacts important innovation-related outcomes such as innovation performance, acceptance of the innovation, and intention to participate in future innovation projects. Given that the six identified dimensions of participation quality differentially affect these outcomes, the scale provides the opportunity to better design participatory innovation projects, and thus helps managers to integrate stakeholders more successfully in these projects.

Using an experimental design, it is investigated how a cultural institution’s image dimensions are influenced by a sponsorship and its perceived level of sponsor-sponsee fit. Controlling for an individual’s cultural interest, results show that sponsors, depending on their level of congruency, can influence certain sponsee’s image associations.

Prior research has investigated the consumer effects of cash and card payments in service settings, but the growing trend of innovative payment with a mobile device hasn’t been considered in the literature so fare. This article represents one of the first studies that considers the adoption of mobile as a new payment method and investigate how the ‘checkout’ phase affect the shoppers’ overall price image of retail stores (OSPI). Results from our studies show that the ‘checkout’ phase is the ‘moment of truth’ for shoppers judging OSPI. We investigate the effects of cash, card, and mobile payments and show that the less transparent a payment method, the lower OSPI judgments of shoppers. In particular, favorable comparisons of basket prices to shoppers’ mental budgets trigger lower store price perceptions. Subsequently, these results have major implications for retailers aiming to lower their OSPI in customers’ minds.

An extensive body of research on the effects of the country-of-origin (COO) on the purchase of foreign brands has emerged in the international marketing stream. Although previous studies have enhanced the understanding of the effects of the COO on the purchase of foreign brands, they provide limited insight into organizational buyers’ behavior on foreign brands. The objective of this research is to provide an understanding of the effects of the COO on overseas distributors’ behavior in international marketing channels. Integrating the theory of planned behavior and the concepts of country-induced biases, the current study develops an empirically testable model that explains and predicts overseas distributors’ behavior in international marketing channels. The model identifies attitude toward foreign brands, social valuation of the origin of brands, and perceived behavioral control as the factors affecting overseas distributors’ intention to place foreign brands. The model also incorporates the factors of country-induced biases—buyer animosity and perceived risk to the origin of manufacture as the antecedents of attitude toward foreign brands. The model is tested using the primary data drawn from a survey. Findings from an examination of 103 distributors in America reveal that these country-induced biases affect the intention to place foreign brands, in the manner of the hypotheses, through the attitude toward foreign brands. Finally, the present study discusses implications for theory and practice, indicates limitations, and concludes with some suggestions for future research.

Consumers from an emerging country generally associate brands from developed countries with high quality. An interesting question is how do they perceive different brands with different positioning strategies? While many more brands position themselves as global brands rather than foreign brands, I argue that for emerging country consumers, there should not be a perceived quality difference between a global brand using the English language versus a foreign brand using other languages written in the Latin alphabet. This could be because consumers stereotype the country image at the regional level and appearance level, not at the country level. This should be most salient when consumers are less familiar and/or more distant from the country being evaluated.

The objective of this paper is to explain how the organizational learning concept is used to promote group work, information sharing and an open and transparent communication style in order to produce a high level of customer service. The work incorporates an extensive literature review and a number of propositions. Previously collected data from a set of in-depth personal interviews undertaken with senior managers in a Korean electronics company were reanalyzed and reinterpreted using the grounded theory approach. This allowed insights to be provided into how, in a collectivist culture, information sharing is reinforced by the organizational learning concept. The research findings show that managers in a chaebol use organizational learning to identify skilled and knowledgeable staff, and to improve the organization’s capability by placing emphasis on developing harmonious, mutually oriented relationships that permeate throughout the organization. In addition, top management demand that staff identify with government economic objectives and align the organization’s strategy accordingly so that the products produced are marketable. By ensuring that management procedures, processes and systems evolve naturally, change is managed in an incremental and pro-active manner.

This study explores the moderating role of perceived sponsor motive and event-self congruence on the relationship between event-sponsor congruence and attitude toward sponsor in CSR advertisingcampaigns. A scenario based 2 (event-sponsor congruence: high/low) ⅹ 2 (perceived sponsor motive: selfish/altruistic) ⅹ 2 (event-self congruence: high/low) between-subjects design experiments are conducted for the test of hypotheses. According to the results of ANCOVA, consumers' perceived sponsor motive and event-self congruence are shown to moderate the effect of event-sponsor congruence on consumers' attitude toward sponsor. And, when the consumer perceives sponsor motive as ‘altruistic’ and event-self congruence as ‘high’, the difference of attitude toward sponsor between the high group and low group of event-sponsor congruence perception is the lowest.

We studied customer recognition and understanding of menu labeling as well as the correlations between customer support for menu labeling and multiple factors, such as demographic characteristics, dinning-out behavior, and menu selection criteria. This study designed a survey and received responses from 351 individuals. The analysis results reveal that most respondents did not acknowledge menu labeling or lacked knowledge of it. Many of the respondents showed experience in ordering from menus with ingredient labels, but many showed no interest in menu labeling. Exactly 114 (32.5%) respondents showed support of menu labeling, and most were interested in levels of trans-fat, fat, and cholesterol. The respondents reported that menu labeling should be implemented more in fast-food restaurants and causal dinning restaurants. This study also analyzed how customer menu selection criteria are related to support level of menu labeling. Respondents were classified into three groups based on their support level for menu labeling (low · medium · high), after which correlations between customer menu selection criteria and support level were examined. Respondents in the high support group considered all menu selection criteria (i.e., ingredients, health, and consideration of calories). GLM analysis showed that monthly dining-out expenses were highly related to support level with a significance level of 0.05, and the interaction between monthly dining-out expenses and respondents' jobs also affected support level with a significance level of 0.01.

There are calls for biofuel imports from developing countries to be restricted. The imports which are either in the form of end-product (bioethanol or biodiesel) or feedstock (oil palm, sugar cane molasses, etc) are allegedly produced in ways which can threaten the environment and violate human rights. This article finds that there is no specific regime for trade in biofuels within the WTO system. Hence any restriction on such trade is governed by the existing trade regimes including tariffs and nontariff measures. However, the existing WTO tariff and non-tariff (TBT, anti-dumping and anti-subsidy) regimes are still inadequate in ensuring that measures are taken against biofuel feedstock and products that were produced in unsustainable ways. The use of these measures without being subject to clear defining rules will create a danger that they serve a protectionist rather than social or environmental objectives.

본 연구는 2004년부터 2008년까지 8년간 국내 제약 기업들을 대상으로 소유 집중도가 기업의 연구개발투자에 미치는 영향을 실증적으로 분석한다. 특히 소유 경영 체제 또는 전문 경영 체제가 소유 집중도와 연구개발투자 간의 관계에 미치는 영향을 분석한다. 분석 결과 최대주주 지분율과 연구개발투자는 역 U자 형태의 상관관계가 있으며, 소유 또는 전문 경영 체제 여부는 역 U자 관계의 강도에 영향을 주는 것으로 나타났다. 즉, 전문 경영 체제하에서는 소유 집중도가 낮을 경우 소유 집중도의 추가적인 증가는 대리인 비용을 줄여 연구개발투자를 소유 경영 체제하에서 보다 더 크게 증가시키지만, 소유 집중도가 높을 경우 소유 집중도의 추가적인 증가는 지나친 위험 노출 증가에 대한 고려로 연구개발투자를 소유 경영 체제하에서 보다 더 빠르게 감소시킨다.

Nutritional conditions experienced during early growth have important implications for the lifetime fitness of herbivores. We investigated how the early life effects of imbalanced nutrient intake can be overcome in a generalist caterpillar, Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Over the fifth larval instar, caterpillars were pretreated on one of three diets that varied in protein: carbohydrate balance (p35:c7, p21:c21 or p7:c35). After molting to the sixth instar, they were transferred to one of three no-choice diets (p35:c7 ,p21:c21 or p7:c35) or a food choice where they received two nutritionally complementary diets (p35:c7 versus p7:c35). Approximately 80% of caterpillars that had been protein-deprived (p7:c35) during the fifth instar molted to the seventh instar. The threshold body mass for pupal metamorphosis was 144 mg at the start of the sixth instar. When given a choice, caterpillars pretreated on the low-protein diet (p7:c35) selected significantly more protein than those from other diets (p35:c7,p21:c21). Our results suggest that caterpillars are not only capable of switching their developmental program to reduce the deleterious effects of a nearly deficiency of protein, but also flexible at adjusting nutrient preference store dress specific nutritional imbalances experienced early in life.

Dynamics of predator-prey systems are strongly affected by the strategic behavior of both predator and prey. Thus, understanding the relationship between the strategic behavior and the species survival is necessary to comprehend the system resilience and stability. In the present study, we constructed a spatially explicit lattice model to simulate integrative predator (wolf)-prey (two rabbit species)-plant relationships. Wolves have only the hunting strategy, while rabbits have the hunting-escaping strategy. When a rabbit simultaneously encounters its predator (wolves) and prey (plant), either hunting or escaping should take priority. Hunting priority is referred to as hunting preferred strategy (HPS), while escape priority is referred to as escape preferred strategy (EPS). These strategies are associated with some degree of willingness to either hunt (H) or escape (E). One rabbit species takes HPS (HPS-rabbit) and the other rabbit species takes EPS (EPS-rabbit). We investigated the changes in predicted population density for wolves, rabbits, and plant with changes in the value of H and E. Simulation results indicated that EPS-rabbit had a greater chance for survival than HPS-rabbit regardless of the initial density of EPS-rabbit, and the chance was optimized at the appropriate values of E and H. In addition, we briefly discussed the development of our model as a tool for understanding behavioral strategies in specific predatorprey interactions.

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands has so far two significant COPs in Asia: COP5 in Kushiro, Japan in 1993 and COP10 in Changwon, South Korea, in 2008. The Convention itself is an intergovernmental mechanism. 　 However, the mission of the Convention – conservation of wetlands and wetland resources – can only be achieved by participation of local municipalities and people. Besides, the Ramsar Convention has another unique aspect compared with other biodiversity-related treaties/conventions: it is created by NGOs and still located within an international NGO, namely IUCN. Therefore, it is crucial for wetland conservation to promote partnerships between the central government and local government as well as among people, NGOs and private sectors. Experiences of the Ramsar Kushiro Conference tell us that two factors are important to make real local participation possible: 1) CEPA; and 2) sense of meaningfulness. If you don’t know the purpose of the Convention and the COP, you are hardly interested in its preparation. So somebody should prepare some handy promotional kits for people to understand the purpose of conservation. We compiled various materials, requested experts/scientists to deliver lectures for teachers, taxi drivers, restaurants owners and waiters, hotel receptionists and kids. If possible, it is desirable to have a series of articles on local and national newspapers. You did attend the Conference, but once it’s over you tend to forget everything? If you feel you did contribute to something meaningful, you would like to continue doing something for it. In case of Kushiro City, it established the Kushiro International Wetland Center in early 1995. KIWC functions as a network of various wetland centers in the Kushiro region. JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) and KIWC have organized many international training courses not only for wetland managers but also for other conservation-related personnel. JICA has signed an MoU with the Ramsar Secretariat, and KIWC will host the EAAFP (East Asia - Australasian Flyway Partnership) meeting early next year. These efforts have been carried out for twenty years and will continue for future generations.

본 연구에서는 H12MDI(4,4'-methylene dicyclohexyl diisocyanate)를 이용한 수분산 폴리우레탄 수지를 합성한 다음 방염제로 활용이 되고 있는 2-인산암모늄(ammonium dihydrogen phosphate) 수용액을 수분산 우레탄 수지에 적하량을 점차 증가시켜 변화하는 물성을 피혁(leather)에 표면 코팅처리된 상태 및 열풍 건조시킨 필름의 물성을 측정 분석하였다. 내용제성 측정 결과 높은 내용제성 물성을 지닌 폴리우레탄 수지에 2-인산암모늄의 함량에 따른 물성적 변화는 크게 없었으며 모두 높은 물성치를 나타내었다. 인장 강도 측정치에서는 폴리우레탄 단독 필름의 측정치가 3.114 kgf/㎟로 가장 높은 수치를 나타내었으며, 2-인산암모늄의 합량이 제일 높은 DPU-AD3가 가장 낮은 인장력 2.510 kgf/㎟을 나타내었다. 또한 내마모도 측정에서는 DPU가 제일 높은 50.50 ㎎.loss로 우수한 물성변화를 나타내었고, 연실율의 경우역시 우레탄 단독 코팅인 DPU가 602 %로 가장 높은 수치를 나타내었다. DSC측정결과 2-인산암모늄의 함유가 높은 DPU-AD3이 Tm 값이 384℃로 고온에서 가장 안정한 수치를 나타내었다.

수강명령은 법원에서 유죄가 인정되거나 보호처분의 필요성이 인정되는 자 또는 비행청소년을 구금시설에 수용하지 않고, 일정 시간동안 지정된 장소에서 강의 및 체험학습 등으로 범죄성 개선을 위한 교육을 받도록 명하는 제도이다. 최근 형벌의 다양화 방안의 요구로 단기자유형의 단점을 보완하는 등 새로운 사회내처우의 필요성에서 등장한 형사제재 수단의 하나로 볼 수 있다. 오늘날 영국을 비롯한 여러 국가에서 단기 자유형의 폐해를 극복하고, 특별 예방적 입장에서 범죄인의 교화⋅개선을 목적으로 이 제도를 도입하여 확대⋅실시하고 있다. 현행 수강명령제도는 관련 법률에 근거하여 시행하는 특징을 가지고 있다. 이에 외국에서 실시하고 있는 수강명령의 프로그램을 중심으로 그 유형을 살펴보고 현제도의 체계적이고 종합적인 분석으로 그 효율적 적용방안의 모색이 필요한 시점이다. 따라서 본고에서는 수강명령제도의 운용현황을 분석하여 그 발전방안을 검토하였다. 수강대상자의 특성에 맞는 특화된 교육프로그램 개발과 각 지역 관련기관의 전문가와 연계하여 전문적인 프로그램의 다양화가 요구된다고 하겠다. 이는 실제적용과 운용현황을 분석하여 분야별 수강교육을 담당할 전문가의 양성도 병행하여야 할 것이다.

The coffee industry has grown very fast ever since international coffee brands were launched in the 1990's. Recently, consumers have begun to focus on coffee produced ethically. This phenomenon is due to ethical-consumption consciousness, which consists of three factors, emotional value, social value and function value. Most studies on this topic have focused on consumers who purchase fair-trade coffee. Thus, this study is novel in its focus on baristas who sell fairtrade coffee in their shops as well as differences from former studies. The three factors of ethical-consumption consciousness of baristas affected the sale of fair-trade coffee, except for the function value. Therefore, the sale of fair-trade coffee could be influenced by ethical-consumption consciousness of baristas. This study shows that education of baristas can promote the sale of fair-trade coffee. However, there are limitations as it only researched coffee brands ranked in the top 5, so further studies will be required in the future.

The present study investigates Korean university EFL students’ use of conjunctive adverbials (CAs) in argumentative writing. The data for the study consist of a Korean university students’ writing corpus that is divided into three different subcorpora based on proficiency levels, and a reference corpus of American students’ writings. The results show that the nonnative writers in all three groups greatly overused CAs. Examination of their overuse patterns according to different taxonomic types indicated that sequential and additive types were mostly overused, as much as six times more than those by the native writers. In addition, several characteristics of the nonnative writers’ CA usage are discussed, including their heavy dependence on sentence-initial positioning, and both form-related and usage-related misuses of CAs, especially among the lowest-level learners. The study concludes with some pedagogical implications and suggestions.

This study investigates the relationship between a native English-speaking teacher and EFL students in the response-and-revision process. The data consisted of drafts and revisions produced by three students in response to teacher comments and interviews with students. In order to examine how EFL students react to the feedback, teachers’ written feedback on the papers was evaluated by calculating frequency counts on the same types of feedback. We then examined the extent to which students made use of teacher feedback in their revisions. In addition, we supplemented our interpretations by extracting aspects of the students’ views through analysis of the interview data. All three students believe that only native speakers can correct language errors in their writing. Furthermore, the students prefer or indeed demand native English-speaking teachers as writing teachers. In fact, dissimilar student reactions to native English-speaking teacher feedback probably arise from whether and how they positioned themselves as a writer in the EFL writing classroom.