Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Since the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997, the developmental state model has borne much of the blame for the long-term structural weaknesses of the Korean economy. Meanwhile, the emphasis for the recovering Korean economy is on development of information and communications technology (ICT) in order to shift reliance for national growth from traditional heavy industry to a “New Economy” based on information and e-commerce. The primary agent of this national strategy is the state, which, with some cosmetic changes, continues to behave as a developmental state. Nevertheless, there is nearly universal international praise for its accomplishments with the New Economy and calls for emulation of Korean ICT policies.

This paper examines the features of the “traditional developmental state” and the “e-developmental state” and the changing nature of the Korean economy – especially the nation’s efforts to become the Northeast Asian business hub. This paper discusses the persistent, and evidently unrecognized, dangers of a state-directed national economy as well as the special considerations which may mitigate those dangers in the Korean case.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This study uses a communication rules perspective to assess how compliance with communication rules affects consumer perceptions of corporate-consumer relationships, corporate credibility, corporate goodwill and identification with the organization. It also addresses whether salience of the communication rule and relational orientation toward the Web site (information vs. e-commerce) affects consumer perceptions.
Findings from a 2 x 2 x 3 (salience x relational orientation x rule compliance) mixed experimental design (N=90) revealed no significant differences for salience, but both rule compliance and relational orientations affected the evaluations of corporate-consumer relationships, credibility, goodwill and identification. For the practitioner, implications are that, generally, companies need to do more than meet communication rules—they need to surpass expectations for compliance with rules to increase levels of positive evaluation.
Findings are limited to the sample demographic of young (M = 21 years), predominantly female, educated students. The non-significant results for salience may suggest that this variable may require stronger implementation or that obligatory rules are generally salient.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Suppose you went shopping online for wines and visited several sites, each recommending particular reds and whites. Which kind of site are you likely to trust more—costco.com or wine.com? The specialization implied by the latter suggests more expertise in the domain of wines. Does it mean you are more likely to purchase wines recommended by sites such as wine.com and virtualvinyards.com than those recommended by generalist sites such as costco.com and samsclub.com? Our study attempts to answer this question by experimentally investigating how specialization in media technology (specifically, web agent, web site, and computer) influences individuals’ perception and attitudes towards sources in online communication, particularly consumer trust and purchase behaviors in e-commerce. All subjects (N = 124) went to a specially constructed online site with a virtual shopping cart for a wine-purchasing task, as part of a 2 (specialist vs. generalist web agent) x 2 (specialist vs. generalist website) x 2 (specialist computer vs. generalist computer) between-subjects experiment. Results indicate significant main effects and interactions of the media specialization on trust and purchase decision time. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This study examined the relationship between interactive attributes and the consumer browsing behavior at e-commerce websites based on the two contending theoretical frameworks: uses and gratification theory and social cognitive theory. While the former assumes that consumers are rational and try to minimize their search and transaction costs through online shopping, the latter relaxes the assumption of rational consumers arguing that consumers can be impulsive from deficient self-regulation. From the empirical study of the top 65 e-commerce websites, this study found out that interactive attributes supporting each of the two contending theoretical perspectives coexist at e-commerce sites: some attributes promoting rational consumer¡¯s efficient shopping activity and the others enticing impulsive consumer¡¯s inefficient browsing behavior. Even among the competing interactive attributes with the opposite directional influences, the sensory stimulus (the picture size of the products) turned out to be the most influential attribute for making e-commerce websites sticky by attracting and holding consumers in the websites.

Publication Type: Abstract
Abstract: E-commerce has the potential to strengthen rural communities and agricultural oriented businesses by expanding their marketplace. An effort to document a company going through this transition was conducted to gain insight into why and how similar businesses evaluate decisions and ultimately succeed or fail online. Taylor Made Enterprises, a rural-based agricultural service company was analyzed as it developed an online business strategy. Taylor Made Enterprises is an agricultural auction and sales management company faced with decisions on whether to expand their current business, change the methods they use to solicit customers, and even change the processes of selling their livestock. The study examines the unique characteristics and decisions that are made that ultimately led this company to increase their profits by simultaneously decreasing their costs and increasing their revenues.