This study examined the effects of user interactivity with VR in a digital retail setting on mental imagery and sensory brand app experience and its consequential impacts on perceived enjoyment, perceived usefulness, attitude toward using VR, and behavioral intent. Mental imagery is understood in relation to quantity, vividness, and valence. The user involvement with the device is employed as a moderator to fully understand the impact of VR in connection with consumer engagement. An IKEA VR application was utilized for this study. A convenient sample of college students was recruited from a large research university in the US. The findings of the study show that user interactivity impacts mental imagery, and it subsequently influences sensory brand app experience, perceived enjoyment, perceived usefulness, attitude toward using VR, and behavioral intent. Overall, this study provides meaningful and practical information to academicians and practitioners.

생물환경조절학회지 31권 3호에 게재된 논문의 재료 및 방법의 양액 정보가 잘못 기재되어 있어 바로 잡습니다.

본 연구에서는 양액재배 시 발생되는 폐양액의 적절한 농업 적 이용방안을 강구하기 위해 폐양액의 비료 효과시험, 토양 컬럼 시험, 그리고 작물 재배시험을 수행하였다. 폐양액의 비 료 효과시험은 무기질소를 기준으로 질소비료와 폐양액의 토 양 처리에 따른 열무의 생육특성과 토양의 화학적 특성을 조 사하였다. 폐양액 비료 효과시험과 작물 재배시험을 위한 토양에 대한 폐양액의 처리는 무처리; A, 질소비료 100%; B, 질 소비료 70%+폐양액 30%; C, 질소비료 50%+폐양액 50%; D, 질소비료 30%+폐양액 70%; E 총 5개 처리구로 하였다. 토양컬럼 시험을 위한 토양에 대한 폐양액의 처리는 무처리, 질 소비료 100%, 폐양액 50%+질소비료 50% 3개 처리구로 하 였다. 폐양액의 화학성은 pH 6.0, EC 2.4dS·m-1, 총인(T-P) 28mg·L-1, 암모늄태 질소(NH4-N) 5.0mg·L-1, 질산태 질소 (NO3-N) 301mg·L-1로 나타났다. 토양의 화학성은 pH 5.51, EC 0.31dS·m-1, 유기물 2.08g·kg-1, 질산태 질소 9.64mg·kg-1, 암모늄태 질소 3.20mg·kg-1으로 나타났다. 질소비료 50% 이 하와 폐양액 50% 이상의 비율이 열무 생육에 효과가 높은 것 으로 나타났다. 폐양액을 질소비료와 함께 혼합하여 적용한 C-E 처리구에서 토양의 이화학성은 질소비료만을 적용한 B 처 리구와 통계적으로 유의한 차이가 없었다. 토양컬럼 시험 결과 질소비료 100%와 폐양액 50%+질산비료 50% 처리구의 NO3 와 NH4의 농도는 큰 차이가 없는 것으로 나타났다. 폐양액을 화 학비료의 표준시비량을 기준으로 이용하여 토양에 처리하면 토양 내 질소 성분의 이동과 주변의 영향은 일반 화학비료와 유 사하게 나타나는 것으로 판단된다. 열무 토경재배에 폐양액과 질소비료를 혼합하여 사용하면 폐양액의 재이용으로 환경적 부담도 줄일 수 있고, 질소비료의 사용량도 줄일 수 있어 농가에 경제적 부담 감소와 열무 생산량 증대 효과도 기대할 수 있다.

본 연구는 딸기재배시 전용 고설베드를 사용하지 않고, 일 반 수경재배 시설을 이용하여 코이어 배지를 베드에 올려 재 배하는 방법을 구명하기 위해서 실시하였다. 토마토나 파프 리카를 재배하는 시설재배 베드에 코이어의 칩과 더스트 비율 이 5:5인 코이어 배지 1겹 처리(높이 10cm; A), 2겹으로 쌓은 처리(높이 20cm; B), 코이어의 칩과 더스트 비율이 7:3인 코 이어 배지 1겹 처리(높이 15cm; C)와 대조구로는 딸기 전용 플라스틱 화분(Control) 처리구로 하였다. 생육특성은 코이 어 배지 높이별로는 유의성이 없었고, 플라스틱 화분에서 재 배한 것이 작은 경향을 보였다. 딸기 잎의 광합성율은 처리별 로 14.68－15.76μmol CO2·m-2·s-1로 통계적인 유의성은 없 었고, 뿌리의 근활력은 배지 용량이 컸던 C와 B 처리구가 A 처리구와 대조구보다는 높은 것으로 나타났다. 과장과 과폭 은 각각 4.04－4.13cm와 3.26－3.34cm로 통계적인 유의성 이 없었고, 과장과 과폭 비율은 대조구가 1.27로 A－C 처리 구의 1.23－1.24보다 뾰쪽한 형태이었다. 딸기 1주당 수확과 수는 C 처리구가 4.4개로 가장 적었고, 대조구, A, B 처리구의 6.2－6.5개로 처리간 유의성은 없었다. 상품수량 과수는 A 처 리구가 74개로 가장 많았고, C 처리구가 53개로 가장 적었으 며, 1주당 수량은 A 처리구가 72.38g으로 가장 컸고, C 처리 구가 48.69g으로 가장 작았다. 이와 같은 결과는 딸기재배 시 전용재배 시설을 설치하지 않고, 기존의 토마토나 파프리카 수경재배 시설에서 코이어 배지를 활용하여 딸기재배를 할 수 있다는 것을 나타낸다. 다만 C 처리구에서 수량이 감소한 것 은 칩과 더스트 비율이 7:3으로, A와 B 처리구의 칩과 더스트 비율이 5:5와 다른 것이 원인으로 추정되며 칩과 더스트 비율 에 따른 추가 연구가 필요하다.

Live-streaming commerce business is growing as the consumption of video content and Smartphone shopping increases. This study examines the following three aspects: whether para-social interaction influences perceived interactivity; whether seller trust affects satisfaction with the experience; whether relationships are controlled by a moderated mediator of self-image congruity. An online survey was conducted with 203 women aged 20-30 years. They were asked to respond to the survey after watching a beauty category live-streaming commerce broadcast. The results revealed that the para-social interaction had a significant effect on perceived interactivity, seller trust and satisfaction with the experience. The findings also indicated that the perceived interactivity and seller trust mediated the relationship between para-social interaction and satisfaction with the experience. Regarding the mediated moderation effect of self-image congruity, it was statistically significant between para-social interaction and perceived interactivity through seller trust. A higher level of consumer’s self-image congruity influenced the greater effect of para-social interaction on live commerce experience. This study makes important theoretical contributions to the para-social interaction in mobile commerce industry by emphasizing the mediating role of perceived interactivity and seller trust. This is achieved by examining the moderating effects of self-congruity on satisfaction with the experience. The results also verify the seller’s crucial role in live-streaming commerce market which leads to the consumers greater fulfillment.

Luxury companies are striving to improve their communication with customers while paying attention to online promotion and marketing activities. As companies interact with customers in luxury brand communities via various channels, they yield consumers higher value throughout the effective consumption process. In addition, this connection enhances customers’ understanding of the company, making it easier for companies to acquire empathy from customers. This study aims to analyze the value factors that affect luxury brand community members’ purchase intention and brand attitude. This study utilizes online survey results of four hundred prestige brand community users in China. The results reveal the positive effects of customer engagement on customer psychological empowerment and flow, the positive impacts of customer psychological empowerment and flow on community identity and brand attachment, the positive effects of community identity on purchase intentions, and the positive effects of brand attachment on purchase intentions and brand attitude. Furthermore, the results show that community types and fashion involvement partially moderate customer engagement. This study provides theoretical suggestions for relationship marketing in the luxury brand community environment. Last, this study presents practical implications that companies could utilize to create an emotional connection with their community members, resulting in an increase of customer support.

작업 편이성을 높일 수 있는 원통형 종이포트를 일정한 크기로 생산하여 연속적 공급이 가능한 원통형 종이 포트 제조장치를 개발하고, 장치의 성능시험을 수행하였다. 원통형 종이포트 제조장치는 상토공급부, 종이 공급부, 종이 접착부, 종이포트 절단부로 구성되어 종이포트 제조를 위한 상토공급부터 종이포트 절단까지의 공정이 연속적으로 이루어지도록 하였다. 상토 함수율에 따른 적정 상토공급압력시험에서는 상토를 공급하는 진공압이 높을수록 종이포트의 경도와 가밀도가 높게 나타났으며, 수분 함수율이 높아질수록 경도와 가밀도는 증가하다가 낮아지는 경향을 나타내어 포트제조부로 상토를 공급하기 위한 적정 함수율 및 공기압은 50%~60%와 0.5 Mpa인 것으로 판단된다. 제조장치의 성능과 고형접착제에 의한 종이 접착시간을 고려하였을 때, 종이의 원통 성형이 이루어지고 가이드부와의 유착없이 연속적인 공정이 이루어질 수 있는 적정 온도는 150oC~160oC인 것으로 판단된다. 원통형 종이포트 절단칼날의 최적 절단 각도를 구명하기 위한 시험에서는 절단 속도와 작업의 안전성을 고려하여 최소 기울기인 30o에서 깨끗한 단면을 나타내는 일자칼날을 사용하는 것이 적합할 것으로 판단 된다. 원통형 종이포트 제조장치의 성능시험에서 종이포트의 길이는 설정한 길이로 균일하게 제조되었으며, 종이 접착 및 상토공급 등 준비 시간을 제외한 종이포트(직경: 40mm, 길이: 40mm) 제조 작업성능은 3300개/hr로 나타났다.

Shopping at bricks-and-mortar stores is considered highly experiential. An ability to experience and physically interact with a product is a key benefit of shopping at offline stores. In an online shopping context where sensory experience is absent, researchers have looked at how mental imagery as an alternative to in-store sensory experience impact consumer decision-making (Yoo & Kim, 2014). However the role of mental imagery has been largely overlooked in the context of offline store shopping. While it is true that shopping at offline stores facilitates sensory experience, evidence from cognitive neuropsychology literature supports that visual perception impacts visual mental imagery (Bartolomeo, 2002). Therefore, it is reasonable to posit that sensory experience in stores is related to mental imagery. Yet the relationship between actual sensory experience and mental imagery in the context of store shopping has not been studied. To fill a gap in the current literature, this study aims to examine the process by which sensory experience and mental imagery facilitate purchase decision-making in the context of offline stores. Based on the model of recursive relationships among consumers’ emotional, cognitive, perceptual and behavioral responses (Scherer, 2003) and a review of previous literature, this study posits that actual sensory experience and mental imagery related. It is further posited that both actual sensory experience and mental imagery influence consumers’ affective (anticipatory emotion) and cognitive responses (e.g., decision satisfaction, perceived ownership and decision satisfaction). This study employed an online survey in Korea. Apparel shoppers who shopped and purchased apparel at brick-and-mortar stores during the last six months were recruited. To facilitate a retrieval of in-store experiences, a series of questions about their specific shopping trip and purchases were asked at the beginning of survey. The current study consists of measurements adopted from the existing literature with adequate reliabilities. All the items were measured using a 7-point Likert-type scale. A total of 455 respondents completed the online survey questionnaire. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were examined to assess reliabilities of the measures, and reliability coefficients were acceptable for all constructs (.78 ~ .92). Results of the SEM revealed that all the model-fit indexes exceeded their respective common acceptance levels, suggesting that the proposed model fitted the data well (2 = 627.38, df = 175; NFI = .92; IFI = .94; CFI = .94; RMSEA = .075). All the direct relationships among variables were significant except for the effect of sensory experience on perceived ownership, the effect of mental imagery on decision confidence, and the effect of perceived ownership on behavioral intention. This study provides new insights into consumer in-store shopping experiences and theoretical and practical implications. Sensory experience and mental imagery are complementary in facilitating consumer in-store shopping experiences. In addition to the importance of sensory experience, this study provides empirical evidence to support the vital role of mental imagery in the context of in-store shopping. Visualizing a situation through vivid mental imagery combined with actual sensory experience will lead consumers to positive shopping outcomes. Further research is warranted to better understand how to optimize actual sensory experience and mental imagery to offer excellent in-store experiences.

Despite the positive outcomes of brand-consumer interactions on social media documented in the literature, an important question still remains: Are active brand-consumer interactions always beneficial to luxury fashion brands? This study argues that such interactions may undermine the core perceptions of the brands by making consumers feel too close to the brands. Drawing upon construal level theory of psychological distance, the purpose of this study is to examine the negative effects of brand-consumer interactions on perceptions of luxury fashion brands (i.e., social perception, uniqueness perception, quality perception) in a social media context. Two experimental studies were conducted. The purpose of Study 1 was to test the hypothesis that luxury brands, compared to mainstream brands, will be perceived as more psychologically distant and abstract. Study 1 used a 2 (brand category: luxury vs. mainstream) x 2 (brand replicates) mixed-model design in which the brand category was a between-subject factor and the brand replicates were a within-subject factor. Fifty-nine subjects recruited from Amazon MTurk participated in the study. The results of Study 1 revealed that luxury brands are inherently psychologically distant than mainstream brands. The purpose of Study 2 was to test the impact of brand-consumer interactions (i.e., high vs. low) and the mediating role of psychological distance on the three perceptions of luxury brands (i.e., social perception, uniqueness perception, quality perception) on social media. A single factor between-subjects design was used, and a total of 74 participants were recruited from Amazon MTurk. To manipulate the level of consumer-brand interaction (high vs. low), two versions of a luxury brand’s mock Facebook pages were created. For the high interaction condition, the brand responded to consumers’ posts in a friendly way and displayed the images of user photos. For the low interaction condition, the brand did not respond to consumers’ posts and displayed no images of users. As predicted, the results showed that participants indicated lower brand perceptions when the brand’s social media page displayed a high level of interactions than a low level of interactions. Moreover, formality, a measure of psychological distance, partially mediated the relationship between brand-consumer interactions and all the three brand perceptions. The findings of this study provide empirical evidence that active consumer-brand interactions on social media do not necessarily benefit luxury fashion brands, rather they can damage consumer perceptions of the brands. This study provides important implications that luxury fashion brands should maintain a sacred distance on social media; otherwise it will undermine important perceptions of the brands such as status signaling, exclusivity, and quality.

Background and Purpose of Study: Social commerce refers to a form of electronic commerce based on Social Networking Service (SNS) and has grown substantially since the advent of Groupon in 2008. The growth of social commerce was accelerated with the increased popularity of SNS, where consumers share product information and reviews and the information is spread to others through SNS in real time (KB financial group, 2015). Social commerce can be divided into three types: (1) online group buying, (2) online shopping linked with the SNS, and (3) online shopping in SNS. The first type of social commerce is the most common type in Korea and the current study conducted an experiment based on the online group buying format. In the group buying social commerce, consumers gather together to purchase a product with a cheaper price. Placing a large order facilitates price promotion, (Yuan, & Lin, 2004) and buyers benefit from the cheaper price through the group buying (Zeng, Huang, & Dou, 2009). Group buying websites provides consumers with two types of information: time left for the promotion (time pressure) and the number of product sold (product popularity), and the overall purpose of this study is to examine the effects of time pressure, product popularity and website reputation on purchase intention. Hypotheses Development: Consumers make a purchase on social commerce websites because they can get a product with a cheaper price through group buying. Thus, this study is based on the assumption that all products are under price promotion. According to prospect theory, consumers are more likely to be sensitive to losses than gains. Consumers initially perceive a price promotion as a potential gain, but as the expiration approaches, they are more likely to perceive the promotion as a potential loss, which consequently increase purchase intention (Inman & McAlister, 1994). Also, a statement indicating product popularity, such as ‘the best-selling item’ increases purchase intention (Jeong & Kwon, 2012). Signaling theory provides a useful insight into understanding the effects of website reputation. Since consumers use a website reputation as an indicator of quality (Kirmani & Rao, 2000), they generally respond more positively to well-known websites than unknown websites (Shamdasani, Stanaland, & Tan, 2001). Therefore, based on the literature review, the following hypotheses are developed.H1: High time pressure has a greater impact on purchase intention than low time pressure. H2: High product popularity has a greater impact on purchase intention than low product popularity. H3: Well-known website has a greater impact on purchase intention than unknown website. H4: The effect of time pressure on purchase intention differs as a function of product popularity. H5: The effect of time pressure on purchase intention differs as a function of website reputation. H6: The effect of product popularity on purchase intention differs as a function of website reputation. Method: This study’s design is a 2 (time pressure: high vs. low) x 2 (popularity: high vs. low) x 2 (website reputation: well-known vs. unknown) between-subjects factorial design. This study includes three pretests: (1) to select high versus low time pressure, (2) to select the number of product purchased (product popularity), and (3) to select well-known and unknown social commerce websites. Based on the results of the pretests, eight mock websites simulating social commerce websites were developed for the main experiment. The data were collected via a research company. Invitation emails with a URL were sent to potential participants, and they were guided to shop the website and answer the questionnaire. The measure of purchase intention was adopted from the existing literature with adequate reliabilities (Cronbach’s alpha >.70), and the scale items used a 7-point scale. Manipulation checks showed that manipulations of time pressure, product popularity, and website reputation were successful. Results: A total of 453 female online shoppers participated in the online experiment. An exploratory factor analysis revealed one factor of purchase intention, and the reliability.93, indicating adequate internal consistency of the scale. Hypotheses were tested using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results showed main effects for product popularity [F (1, 445) = 10.34, p < .05] and website reputation [F (1, 445) = 72.03, p < .05] on purchase intention, supporting H2 and H3. With regard to H4 to H6 predicting interaction effects, ANOVAs showed significant interaction effects of time pressure by product popularity [F (1, 445) = 5.53, p < .05], time pressure and website reputation [F (1, 445) = 4.59, p < .05], and product popularity and website reputation [F (1, 445) = 9.15, p < .05] on purchase intention. Thus, H4 to H6 were supported. Conclusions and Discussion: The study offers academic and managerial implications. The findings of the study provide empirical support for the signaling theory and prospect theory. The results suggest that high popularity and high reputation are significant factors influencing purchase intention. When consumers perceive a product as being popular on a social commerce website, they have greater purchase intention than when they do not perceive the product popularity. Also, when consumers shop on a well-known social commerce website, they have greater purchase intention than when they shop on an unknown website. When the product popularity is high, high time pressure is an important factor enhancing purchase intention. When a website is well-known, high time pressure increased purchase intention. However, when a website is unknown, high product popularity increased purchase intention. These findings of the study contribute to the literature in social commerce. Based on the website reputation, social commerce websites need to incorporate appropriate marketing tactics, such as time pressure and product popularity to increase consumers’ purchase intention.

A firm’s new product success is mainly determined by how well it is accepted by the mass in a short time. Although companies have been adopting various marketing methods, word-of-mouth [WOM] has been regarded as one of the most effective means for customer acquisition (Villanueva, Yoo & Hanssens, 2008), primarily due to its reliability, social support, and support by social pressure and surveillance as Arndt (1967) has suggested (as cited in Woodside and Delozier, 1976). Moreover, online word-of-mouth is being given new significance alongside the advent of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and other online channels (Berger and Iyengar, 2013; Dellarocase, 2003; Schafer & Taddicken, 2015). For this reason, researchers have paid a close attention to opinion leaders, who are not only early adopters of innovation themselves (Goldsmith & Witt, 2003), but also information transmitters and influencers (Vernette, 2004). Therefore, this study aims to identify both online and offline opinion leaders, who could adopt new products first, and diffuse the adoption of new products to others. Thus, this study draws upon the innovation diffusion theory conceptualized by Rogers (1995). According to Rogers (1995), innovation is defined as an individual’s or an organization’s perception of an idea as new. In addition, he articulates that if an innovation is transferred through certain communication channels over time within a social system by its members, diffusion occurs (Rogers, 1995; Rogers, 2002). The main purpose of this paper is to examine the intermediary role of opinion leadership as a quintessential link between consumer characteristics (consumer innovativeness and lifestyle and values) and new product adoption behavior. The research data is collected through survey, which is conducted by distributing questionnaires to a group of users of Apple Watch by Apple, Mi band by Xiaomi, and the products by Fitbit. The model of the study will be tested through structural equation modeling approach. In particular, this paper considers not only regular opinion leadership in offline context, but also online opinion leadership in order to go with the tide of the developing online world. Moreover, this study selects wearable technology as a new product category, which makes the overall research highly fashion-oriented. Furthermore, this study explores the moderating effect of involvement of product category on the relationship between lifestyles and values and opinion leadership. The author anticipates that fashion innovativeness and four lifestyle and values factors (sense of accomplishment, self-fulfillment, excitement, and fun and enjoyment) will positively affect online and offline opinion leaderships, which again will have a positive influence on new product adoption behavior. Moreover, this study predicts that the correlation between lifestyles and values and involvement of product category will have a positive influence on online and offline opinion leaderships and new product adoption behavior. This study may contribute both to the academia and to the managers within businesses that deal with wearable devices. Theoretically, this study is of particular value in that it adopts consumers’ lifestyles and values as predictors of opinion leadership and new product adoption behavior, which is an uncommon approach within existing research streams regarding opinion leadership and new product acquisition. In managerial terms, by revealing the significant relationships between the consumer characteristics and both offline and online opinion leaderships who are the potential customers of new products, this study enables the managers to identify their targets and differentiate their marketing strategies considering the different characteristics of consumers in offline and online environments. In particular, since this study adopted several wearable technologies as new products, businesses that deal with wearable devices may pay close attention to the results of this study and manipulate their marketing strategies in adequate terms.

Luxury consumers are highly social online, and with approximately 80 percent of luxury shoppers using social media on a monthly basis (Mckinsey & Company, 2015), the experience luxury brands provide on social networking services (SNS) becomes imperative. Interaction through social streams is about building a relationship with people who may continue to use the luxury product for the next 25 years (The Guardian, 2015). Hence, from magazines to smartphones, luxury brands are seeking new opportunities to communicate with their customers. Brands such as Burberry and Gucci are becoming increasingly active by uploading visuals, narratives, and films that represent their brand, and others are slowly following suit. Although various contents are now being posted online, when it comes to luxury brands, what separates them from others is the rich and unique brand heritage (LinkedIn, 2015; Mckinsey & Company, 2015). Despite this strength, it is a not implemented effectively as a strategy (The Guardian, 2015). In this study, we want to emphasize the need for luxury brands to go digital and to spread their brand stories as a form of advertisement. Stories in advertising and their effects on consumer behavior has been dealt by previous research (Deighton, Romer, & Mcqueen, 1989; Escalas, 2007; Escalas, 2004; Wang & Calder, 2006). Deighton, Romer, and Mcqueen (1989) found that dramatization influenced viewers’ processing to become more empathetic than argumentative, which made dramatized commercials more persuasive than argument-oriented ones. Escalas (2004) showed that narrative advertisement processing is positively correlated with brand attitude and behavioral intention and that narratively structured advertisements persuade others through the experience known as narrative transportation. This experience has been explained by Green and Brock (2000) as “a convergent process where all mental systems and capacities become focused on events occurring in the narrative.” Narrative transportation theory explains the process of being lost in a story and that it takes place when a consumer experiences a feeling of stepping into a world stimulated by narratives due to the empathy with the characters and imagination of the story plot (Laer, Ruyter, Visconti, & Wetzels, 2014). This process can be effective in changing attitudes and beliefs of individuals who read stories (Green & Brock, 2000). For luxury brands, brand heritage can be transformed into stories that can transport readers to other worlds, and this can affect consumer attitudes, intentions, and behaviors (Laer, Ruyter, Visconti, & Wetzels, 2014). This experience is what this study pursues to delve into and understand.

Generation X and baby boomers represent a significant group that are willing to spend. According to the American Express Open Forum (2013), baby boomers in America between the age 49 and 65 are more in favor of spending than any other consumer group. The Hyundai Research Institute (2015) stated that the market size for baby boomers will increase over 18% annually in Korea. Equally important is generation X, because this group is also reaching a high-earning stage of their lives (Luxury Daily, 2011). Further, they are predicted to take the place of baby boomers as a cash cow for marketers (American Express Open Forum, 2014).This lucrative demographic of baby boomers and generation X is a potential gold mine. Despite the fact that these groups are showing such interest in spending, brands and retailers are not giving them the same amount of attention. While more middle-aged women want to dress more youthfully, retailers and brands are not evolving their products at the same pace (USA Today, 2008). They are finding it difficult to find a solution to meet the needs of this aging but youthful group (USA Today, 2008). Brands such as Chico’s and Ann Taylor are not providing the styles that the women want, so boomers turn to younger brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch, H&M, and Forever 21 (Forbes, 2008). But the younger brands are not satiating their needs, either (Forbes, 2008). While the boomers and generation X are harnessing fashion economic control, the players in the market are lagging behind. To understand what the market must do to meet the apparel needs of baby boomers and generation X, it is pivotal to delve into how they feel about their age and how it affects the factors that influence their purchasing. According to Schiffman and Sherman (1991), aging is more of a state of mind than a physical state. Understanding older consumers through cognitive age (self-perceived age) has been done by many researchers (Sudbury & Simcock, 2009; Szmigin & Carrigan, 2012). Cognitive age indicates how older people view themselves in the context of aging. Barak and Schiffman (1981) stated that elderly respondents identified themselves as a younger age group when they were asked about their age-related feelings and actions. Equally important is understanding how cognitive age affects the physical self, which in this study, is body cathexis. Body cathexis, according to Labat and DeLong (1990), is “the evaluative dimension of body image and is defined as a positive and negative feeling towards one’s body.” While women may feel younger than they actually are, the body is inevitably aging. As Jang and Yoo (2011) reported after studying Korean women in their 40s and 50s, the correlation between cognitive ages and ideal body images were significant, and the younger they feel, the younger body images they desired. In addition, the physical self highly influences a person’s choice of clothing and how they perceive clothing in general (Kwon & Parham, 1994). When clothing is used in a positive manner, it can boost one’s self-confidence (Alexander, Connell, & Presly, 2005). It is also thought to be an extension of the physical self (Horn & Gurel, 1981). By understanding what middle-aged women seek when buying clothes, we can assume how satisfied they are about their body. Thus, the clothing benefits items and purchasing behavior of middle-aged women would most likely reflect the function of their clothing and how they perceive themselves.

Mass customization refers to a strategy whereby online retailers provide individually tailored products and services to their customers and has been implemented by many retailers with the Internet technology. Many luxury brands such as Bottega Venetta, Louis Vuitton, and Salvatore Ferragamo, provide customization programs to better serve their customers, from engraving their initials on a product to creating a new design of a product. However, the expansion of the customization program to the luxury brands raises potential risk, such as loosening the brand identity and inability to satisfy customers. Despite high interests in mass customization programs and popularity of luxury brands, the effect of mass customization in luxury brands has not been explored. Addressing this gap in the literature, this study attempts to investigate how customized products of luxury brands influence perceived value, satisfaction, and loyalty. In addition, this study explores how consumers’ past loyalty toward a luxury brand influences perceived value of the customization. Hypotheses of the study were (1) Perceived value of a mass-customized product has a positive influence on satisfaction with product customization; (2) Satisfaction with product customization has a positive influence on brand loyalty; (3) The influences of perceived value of a mass-customized product on satisfaction and brand loyalty are different as a function of a customer’s past loyalty; (4) The influences of perceived value of a mass-customized product on satisfaction and brand loyalty are different as a function of a customer’s need for uniqueness. The research strategy of this study was survey methodology and the sample of the study was online shopping consumers. Online questionnaires were collected by an online survey firm. After visiting ‘BURBERRY BESPOKE’, a mass-customization program of a luxury brand, survey participants were asked to answer the questionnaire. The instrument tapped perceived value of a mass-customized product, satisfaction with product customization, past/future brand loyalty, and need for uniqueness. A total of 304 female online shoppers participated in the survey. The result of structural equation modeling found the positive effects of hedonic value and utilitarian value on satisfaction with product customization and the positive effect of the satisfaction on brand loyalty. The result of multiple group comparison analyses revealed the moderating roles of past loyalty and need for uniqueness in influencing the effects of perceived value of a mass-customized product on satisfaction. These findings of the study contribute to the literature in luxury brand retailing fields and suggested managerial implications to luxury brand retailers.

In this study, strawberry cultivation environment in a greenhouse located in Jeonju was monitored and internal environmental parameters were analyzed. Temperature, humidity, RAD, and PPF sensors were installed to monitor environmental conditions in the test greenhouse. Data were collected every 10 minutes during four winter months from sensors placed across the greenhouse to assess its permeability and environmental uniformity. Temperature and humidity inside the greenhouse were relatively uniform with negligible deviations among the center, south, and north; however, it was judged that further analysis of gradients of these parameters f rom the east to t he w est of t he g reenhouse w ould b e needed. Both R AD (Total solar radiation) a nd P PF (Photosynthetic photon flux) had high values on the south and were low on the north and the reduction rate of these parameters was 54% and 61%, respectively, indicating that a significant amount of light could not be transmitted. This implied a significant decrease in the amount of light entering the greenhouse during winter. Therefore, it is concluded that environmental control devices and auxiliary lighting are needed to achieve uniform greenhouse environment for efficient strawberry cultivation.

In this study, the amount of harmful fungi and bacteria contained in the drainage and culture medium from the paprika hydroponic facility is identified. In addition, by proposing the necessity of effective purification of discharged drainage, this study attempted to confirm the possibility of drainage reuse. Finally, this study provides basic data on the basis for calculating the need for purification facilities in the future, as well as improvements in horticulture facility for sustainable agriculture. As a result of the analysis, a total of 12 types of fungi were detected in paprika medium and 10 types of fungi were detected in the drainage, and their densities were 130 and 68, respectively. Among the fungi detected in the media and drainage of the paprika hydroponic facility, the fungi with the highest detection frequency are Fusarium, Phytophthora, and Pythium. In the case of bacteria, a total of 2 types of bacteria were detected in the paprika facilities, and the density was 28 and 23, respectively. Therefore, in order to reuse the drainage and settle the circulating hydroponic cultivation system, a water treatment process capable of appropriate treatment is required.

Korea's protected horticulture is rapidly increasing in scale due to various advantages such as year-round harvesting, labor savings through automation and shortened culture period, and greater income generation. This study was conducted to investigate the impact of protected horticulture on water quality. The results of this study are expected to provide basic data contributing to improvements towards sustainable agriculture and eco-friendly design of protected horticulture complex. The average T-N and T-P loads from vinyl greenhouses were 286.55± 143.98 mg/L and 59.14±13.77 mg/L, respectively and those from glass greenhouses 380.68 ± 150.41 mg/L and 61.85±20.72 mg/L. The annual discharge of wastewater derived from the monthly discharge from the horticulture greenhouses were estimated at 2597 ton/ha, with the annual phosphorus load amounting to 155.3 kg/ha. The average T-N and T-P loads in the tested greenhouse effluents were in excess of 8.3- and 13.5-fold the standards for the Korean wastewater plant effluent. The waste nutrient solution discharged from a protected horticulture complex can cause water contamination. Therefore, there is a need to conduct follow-up research using a water purification system or a trench method to develop a eco-friendly protected horticulture complex for sustainable agriculture.