Jihyeong Son

An Examination of How Entrepreneurs in Hong Kong Perceive Personal Success Through Business Activities

Hong Kong is seen as a world leader in building and developing its economy and entrepreneurs have a unique status in Hong Kong. These entrepreneurs constitute a majority of businesses and employ a significant part of the population and thus are vital for the economy of Hong Kong. This research evaluates the various components of the perception of success of these entrepreneurs and to draw conclusions that will benefit the educators, the legislators as well as the new entrants wishing to become entrepreneurs. It has been found that the main source of entrepreneurial success in Hong Kong is of very complex origin. While the normal rules of sound business principles, as found in the Western business world, are a necessity, a large part of the success is attributed to exceptional leadership qualities. Leadership in the East has connotations of deep respect for all sections of the society and based on Confucian principles of kindness and contributions quite different from that of the West. The Hong Kong entrepreneur seems to succeed when they are able to blend the best qualities of the East and the West.

Will They Stay or Will They Go? Community Features Important in Migration Decisions of Recent University Graduates

Rural regions of the United States have experienced detrimental out-migration, or brain drain, of college-educated individuals. The present study used survey data, gathered with an interactive website tool containing a comprehensive collection of economic and lifestyle features, to determine those most important in migration decisions for public university graduating seniors from the rural state of Iowa. Economic features (overall cost of living and a strong local economy) were ranked as the top features, followed by lifestyle features including two surprising features (access to basic consumer goods and access to health facilities). The impact of individual differences on the likelihood of moving and the selection of desired community features was also examined and proved to be statistically significant. For instance, in comparison with female graduates, male graduates selected educational level of residents and higher percentage of nonmarried residents features more frequently. Implications for policy development and marketing and economic development strategies are discussed.

Exploring Japanese consumers’ cultural meanings and consumption of American fashion

Abstract The purpose of this research is to explore how Japanese consumers perceive American fashion and how this perception is related to the purchase of American fashion products based on Consumer Culture Theory. For this research, cultural meanings of American fashion in Japanese fashion market were collected and analyzed using a thematic analysis method through Japanese consumers’ online postings and discussions. Results showed Japanese consumers perceived American fashion to (1) be economical/causal and lack fashion sense, (2) have different fashion trends for celebrities and general population, and (3) be individualistic without obvious fashion trends. This research also found Japanese consumers preferred American fashion for four reasons: (1) preference for American casual fashion styles, (2) emulation of existing styles of American celebrities, (3) availability of styles and sizes for non-regular Japanese body size, and (4) unique fashion styles rare in the Japanese fashion market. On the other hand, Japanese consumers identified various reasons why they are reluctant to consume American fashion. Three reasons include (1) different styles, (2) different aesthetics views due to different body sizes, and (3) reluctance to conform to current American fashion styles in the Japanese fashion market.

Identifying factors associated with deterrence of risky appearance-management behaviours

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to explore viewpoints on factors that could prevent engagement in risky appearance-management behaviours (AMBs). A convenience sample of 92 undergraduate women completed a questionnaire that contained a measure of AMBs and four open-ended questions. Participants identified individual, social, and cultural factors underlying their non-engagement in risky behaviours. They also compensated for not practicing risky behaviours. Factors internal to an individual (e.g. low self-esteem) and external to an individual (e.g. media exposure) were identified as possible inducements to risky behaviours. Findings provide information useful for incorporation into strategies designed to deter risky AMBs with young adults.

Exploratory writing in student learning

Exploratory writing learning activities were developed to prepare for a final group presentation project in a course about social, psychological, and cultural aspects of dress in the fall of 2014, at a university in the southern United States. The purposes of this study were (1) to develop learning activities to incorporate exploratory writing on social, psychological, and cultural aspects of clothing class and (2) to analyse student learning based on the newly developed learning activities. Over a two-week span for the exploratory writing assignments, each individual student completed two short reading reflection assignments and two assignments that incorporated a short writing and a visual image. Groups of three or four students prepared 8-minute final group presentations. Utilising constant comparative analysis of students’ reflective essays regarding exploratory writing activities for their final group presentation project, this research analysed the student learning process when exploratory writings were incorporated into their curriculum. The results showed the exploratory writing process helped students by increasing their learning through integrating affective and cognitive dimensions of their thinking to a subject matter.

Comparison of novice and expert evaluations of apparel design illustrations using the consensual assessment technique

Creativity assessment in apparel design is limited in scope and application. The purpose of this investigation is (1) the procedural use of the consensual assessment technique (CAT) when evaluating fashion design illustrations, (2) the internal consistency reliability of creativity and technical quality scales with expert and novice raters, and (3) the differences between expert and novice ratings on creativity and technical quality. The CAT provided a valid and reliable creativity assessment instrument for apparel design evaluation. Results indicate significant relationships between the ratings for both creativity measures (r (30) = .83, p < .001) and technical quality measures (r (30) = .78, p < .001). Yet, domain experience of raters was not significant in comparison. Therefore, apparel design evaluation can be completed by a combination of experts and novice raters effectively; however, the number of raters used is a critical methodological need. Educators integrating evaluation procedures of creative thinking into current courses and curricula can use assessment strategies for creativity evaluation.