Youngtae Choi

Religion or Religiosity: Which Is the Culprit for Consumer Switching Behavior?

ABSTRACT This research investigates how religion (i.e., religious affiliation) and religiosity affect consumer switching behaviors in Korea and the U.S. Data were collected from Korea (Buddhists, Catholics, Protestants, and nonreligious consumers) and the U.S. (Catholics, Protestants, and nonreligious consumers). ANOVA and structural equation modeling using LISREL were employed to test the hypotheses regarding consumer switching behaviors. The findings suggest that religiosity, expressed as the importance of religious beliefs in ones life, can be a trigger that influences consumer switching behaviors and that religious affiliation is not a good predictor of consumer switching behaviors. The relationships between religion, religiosity, and control variables were also examined using MANOVA.

Social media: is this the new organizational stepchild?

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate what activities allow the firm to efficiently and effectively integrate social media into its strategic marketing activities. Design/methodology/approach – As the current research investigates a new area of focus in the literature, an exploratory study consistent with the adoption of new technology in a firm was used to identify salient activities. In-depth interviews with those who oversee their firm’s social media strategies were conducted to discover and assess organizational activities. Findings – Findings suggest that many firms did not adopt organizational activities important for effective social media execution, leading us to the view social media as the “step-child” of corporate functions, not receiving resources more traditional functions would receive; those responsible for the social media function, an exercise in external communications, may be hampered by poor internal communications; and few firms have defined and measured goals for social media wher...

Communication, utilization, and performance in international strategic alliances

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore post‐international strategic alliance (ISA) establishment processes by exploring the interrelationships surrounding utilization as a resource coordinating activity, two communication dimensions (four communication factors) as the antecedents of utilization, and the implications of utilization for ISA performance.Design/methodology/approach – Based on the mail and e‐mail surveys, the structural model is analyzed by using LISREL. The moderating effects of cultural sensitivity and host government interference on the relationship between utilization and international alliance performance are measured by a moderated multiple regression. The mediating effect of utilization is also examined.Findings – Three of the four communication factors (all except for informal communication) affect the effective utilization of the resources contributed by each ISA partner. Utilization contributes to the achievement of each ISA partners objectives. Utilization is also found ...

Brand Actions on Social Media: Direct Effects on Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) and Moderating Effects of Brand Loyalty and Social Media Usage Intensity

ABSTRACT Most existing social media research has been user focused. This study looks at social media from the brands perspective by testing (1) theoretical links between brand-action antecedents and positive electronic word of mouth (eWOM); and (2) how brand loyalty and social media usage intensity moderate the relationships between the antecedents and eWOM. Using structural equational modelling from 290 Facebook users, we find empirical support for three brand action constructs (personalization, responsiveness, and transparency) to eWOM. We also find the moderating effects of social media usage intensity and brand loyalty on the relationship between responsiveness and eWOM. Theoretical and managerial implications for these findings are discussed.

Testing a cultural orientation model of electronic word-of-mouth communication: a comparative study of U.S. and Korean social media users

ABSTRACT Expanding electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) literature and cross-cultural literature, this study proposes a horizontal–vertical dimensions of individualism and collectivism (HVIC)-eWOM model in a cross-cultural context. We employed HVIC at the individual level to explain the variance of eWOM communications on social media. We collected data from American and Korean social media users to examine how the hypothesized model fits the samples from each country. The analysis of the HVIC-eWOM model within and between the two countries revealed that there are some similarities and differences in influential cultural dimensions on eWOM communications in the two countries. The results suggest that vertical aspects of individualism and collectivism are significant drivers of opinion-leadership and opinion-seeking tendencies for both countries.

Structured Abstract: Social Irritants—Small Things with Large Consequences

Consumer misbehaviors are externally directed acts that violate social norms in consumption situations and cover a wide range of misbehaviors. Misbehaviors are, importantly, viewed by consumers and marketers as varyingly disreputable with some misbehaviors causing serious financial, physical, or emotional impact while others are perceived as having negligible impact. While the breadth of misbehaviors is wide, most studies have focused on “individual, extreme, or unusual forms” of misbehavior that have substantial impact, leaving a research gap in the investigation of customer misbehaviors that are perceived as trivial. This chapter studies the apparently innocuous end of the misbehavior continuum.