Jiyun Kang

Motivational Antecedents of Social Shopping for Fashion and its Contribution to Shopping Satisfaction

To enhance the understanding of social shopping behavior along with its motivational antecedents and consequences, this study developed and tested a structural model of social shopping focused on the context of fashion consumption. An online survey was conducted with a random sample consisting of a total of 858 undergraduates enrolled at a large U.S. university. The results indicated that motivations toward social comparison were generally found to be antecedents of social shopping for fashion and social shopping contributed to product satisfaction and experience satisfaction. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

The Contribution of Perceived Labor Transparency and Perceived Corporate Giving to Brand Equity in the Footwear Industry

While interest in the footwear industry in strengthening brand relationships with customers using corporate social responsibility (CSR) has increased, the effects of CSR on brand equity are undetermined. This research examines how consumers’ subjective evaluations of CSR efforts affect customer-based brand equity. A total of 909 responses were used to empirically test the role of consumers’ perception on a brand’s effort to be transparent and honest about labor condition (perceived brand transparency) as well as consumers’ perception about the brand’s charitable activities (perceived corporate giving) in building its brand equity. Results showed that both brand perceived transparency and perceived corporative giving directly affect brand equity and also indirectly contribute to increasing brand equity mediated by brand attitude and brand trust. However, perceived brand transparency has a significantly stronger direct impact on brand attitude and brand trust than perceived corporate giving does. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Supporting Aging-in-Place Well: Findings From a Cluster Analysis of the Reasons for Aging-in-Place and Perceptions of Well-Being:

Prior research on gerontology and housing has frequently adopted a perspective that aging-in-place is the “goal.” Despite these meaningful results and policy implications, opportunities to explore consequences of aging-in-place, such as the association of this with overall well-being, have been overlooked. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating perceptions of well-being that could act as a driver or result of aging-in-place. With a nationwide random sample of non-Hispanic White, older individuals (60+), living in their homes (N = 328), three segments of senior residents based on their reasons for aging-in-place were identified. Results reinforce the importance of community-based integrative programs and policies by indicating that the three identified clusters were not homogeneous; however, inclusive community-based supports and services can provide what each cluster needs to successfully age-in-place. Discussion provides a perspective on how to support successful aging-in-place, including the role of the federal government in funding and legislation.

Endorsed Sustainable Products The Role of Celebrity Ethicality and Brand Ethicality

Despite the prevalence of celebrity endorsers for brands that feature sustainable products, there are few empirical studies on what factors should be considered in utilizing endorsers in marketing sustainable products. In this study, we explored the relationships between celebrity endorsers’ characteristics and consumers’ perceptions, attitudes, and purchase intentions toward a brand that markets sustainable products. The data were collected via an online survey with a total of 1,220 responses, and structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses. In the results, endorser trustworthiness and endorser-brand congruity positively predicted brand credibility while endorser ethicality and endorser-brand congruity positively predicted brand ethicality. Brand ethicality positively predicted brand credibility. Brand credibility positively predicted brand attitude as well as brand purchase intention. Although brand ethicality positively predicted brand attitude, it did not predict brand purchase intention. Lastly, brand attitude positively predicted brand purchase intention. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

The Contributions of Perceived CSR Information Substantiality Toward Consumers’ Cognitive, Affective, and Conative Responses: The Hierarchy of Effects Model Approach

We aim to provide companies an insight into what to consider when communicating their corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices with their consumers. We developed a model, grounded in the hierarchy of effects theory, to determine whether the extent to which information perceived to be substantial delivers significant predictability of consumers’ cognitive beliefs, affect, and behavioral intentions toward an apparel brand when exposed to the brand’s CSR information. Through modeling with data collected from an online survey with 340 nationwide consumers, we demonstrated the significant direct effects of perceived CSR information substantiality on perceived quality of corporate responsibility and brand trustworthiness as well as its indirect effects on brand likability, purchase intention, and social media word-of-mouth intention. We offer managerial implications for firms to maximize the effects of their CSR efforts in drawing positive perceptions and behavioral outcomes among their consumers and therefore gain the momentum to continue such efforts.

Does “Science” Matter to Sustainability in Higher Education? The Role of Millennial College Students’ Attitudes Toward Science in Sustainable Consumption

Higher education has committed to fostering the development of students as educated consumers as well as ethical professionals capable of valuing sustainability in their decision-making. Making decisions based upon the understanding of the complexities of sustainability requires a certain level of scientific knowledge and appreciation that can be introduced and developed by educators. However there has been no empirical study that supports significant relationships between attitudes toward science and sustainable consumption to date. This study developed a model depicting the effects of attitudes toward science on beliefs about sustainability and attitudes and behavioral intentions toward sustainable consumption. The model was tested via structural equation modeling with online survey data collected from 1,480 millennial college students in the Southern US. The results suggest that perceived importance of public understanding of science directly affects beliefs about sustainability including ethical obligation, consumer effectiveness, consumer responsibility, and perceived knowledge, which in turn indirectly affects attitudes and behavioral intentions toward sustainable consumption. An interest in science as a career, however, does not demonstrate such effects. This study is vital to higher education, policy makers, and industry practitioners who are working on turning consumption towards sustainability and expanding their ability to provide the scientific foundation that students can use to make sustainable decisions.