Mincheol Kang

Cultural influences on B2B service quality-satisfaction-loyalty

ABSTRACT The link between service quality, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty has drawn the attention of both academic researchers and practitioners. They are also focusing on the effect of cultural differences on customer attitudes and behaviour in the global service industry. This paper examines the relationships between service quality, customer satisfaction, and loyalty as well as the moderating effect of cultural differences on the above relationships in the industrial business-to-business (B2B) service sector. The paper presents an empirical study using datasets collected from 7652 industrial customers across 55 countries and uses structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypotheses. The application of Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a customer loyalty metric based on customer experience management (CEM) is studied in relation to customer satisfaction. The study results demonstrate the positive relationship of service quality, satisfaction, and loyalty. In terms of the effect of cultural differences, the study finds that cultural dimensions of uncertainty avoidance negatively moderate the relationship between service quality and satisfaction, while individualism positively moderates the relationship between service quality and satisfaction. However, cultural differences do not impact on the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty.

The Promotion Strategy of the Convergence Industry by using IT Utilization

The economic growth that depended on IT industry is reaching to a limit. In order to overcome the limit, the convergence industry that makes new market and products is essential. However, companies preparing a jump into the convergence industry must understand the exact visions and characteristics of convergence. Therefore, we investigated the structural changes of industries caused by convergence and importance characteristics of convergence. Also, we demonstrated the current status of the convergence industry and analyzed economical, social/cultural, and technological environments that the companies are facing, and elaborated the opportunities of convergence. At last, we suggested basic requirements and strategies for companies starting a convergence business and IT utilization methods to accelerate the convergence business activation.

Mechanisms underlying aggravation and relaxation of virtual aggression: a Second Life survey study

Most studies on user aggression in virtual worlds have mainly focused on the causes of aggressive behaviour, but only a few have focused on the factors that relieve it. This study was conducted to determine the causes of aggression relaxation and aggravation in virtual worlds, using an approach that significantly differs from that used in previous research. We examined the mechanisms that affect aggravation and relaxation of virtual aggression, and suggested ways to resolve problems with aggression. A survey was conducted with 112 Second Life users to examine how commitment, belief, avatar attachment, desensitisation, and addiction were related to self-control and control disorder, and how the two latter factors affected virtual aggression. The survey also examined how virtual aggression influenced the intention for attacking behaviour in the real world. The results showed that (1) belief is a positive predictor of self-control, which has a negative impact on virtual aggression, (2) addiction is a positive predictor of control disorder, and (3) anger in virtual worlds is significantly connected to aggression in the real world.

A Proposal on Analyzing and Preventing Adverse Effects of Ubiquitous Services

The ubiquitous computing & technology is to make passive IT machinery as the smart-object to solve the problems of information management. These ubiquitous devices can be a concierge of humans lives. In addition, the ubiquitous computing & technology added with Pro-Active processing technology is the intellectual automatic process capacity that probably enhance quality of human`s life. Although the social influencing power of ubiquitous computing technology is so critical, research on the social impact of ubiquitous has been studied insufficiently. And, we also need the countermeasures to protect the societies from the side effect of the ubiquitous computing technology. The purpose of this research is to minimize the loss which comes from the new ubiquitous society, by presenting the technological and systematic alternatives and by researching the various side effects. This research suggests the proper alternatives by reviewing and by researching the adverse effects of the ubiquitous computing technology.