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Based on the resource based view(RBV) theory, this study investigated the structural relationships among social capital, knowledge sharing, service innovativeness, and business performance in the hotel industry. It also examined the mediating role of service innovativeness which plays in between knowledge sharing and business performance. Data were collected from 338 employees of 13 five star tourist hotels in Seoul and structural equation modeling was employed to test the structural model and hypotheses. Results showed that all the three dimensions of the social capital made significant effects on the knowledge sharing. Result also supported the partial mediating role of service innovativeness. Theoretical and managerial implications were also discussed.

This study examined the effects of mutually perceived fairness between franchiser and franchisee on their relationship quality and management performance. The mutually perceived fairness was conceptualized in terms of distribution fairness and procedure fairness. The relationship quality was measured in terms of satisfaction, trust and commitment and the management performance was measured based on the BSC(Balanced Scorecard). Data were collected from 374 franchiser and franchisee in the Korean food service industry. The results showed that the procedural fairness made a positive impact on satisfaction, trust and commitment, while the distribution fairness did not. Results also indicated that the relationship quality made different effects on different aspects of management performance. Results from this study suggested that the franchisers and franchisees acknowledged the importance of procedure fairness in achieving the satisfaction, trust and commitment, and in turn, in makeing fruitful management performance.

Using the structural equation modeling, this study examined the influence of restaurant customers' on/off line word of mouth activities on their evaluation of brand equity and revisit intention. In this study, the brand equity was conceptualized with respect to the brand awareness, perceived quality and brand image. Data were conveniently collected from 353 people in Seoul on November 2008. Results from this study indicated that the customers' on-line and off line word of mouth activities made statistically significant effects on their evaluation on the brand equity of a restaurant. Results also showed that the customers' evaluation on the three dimensions of brand equity made significant influences on their revisit intention. Findings from this study, proved family restaurant customers' on/off line word of mouth activities as an important influence factor in establishing solid brand equity of a family restaurant

This study was to examine the effect of person-environment fit(PEF) on perceived organizational support(POS) and proactive behavior(PB). It also investigated the mediating effect of POS on the causal relationship between PEF and PB. In this study, hotel employees' PEF was conceptualized in terms of person-organization fit(POF), person-supervisor fit(PSF), and person-job fit(PJF). A sample of 320 employees from 13 five-star hotels in Seoul was used to test the hypotheses of this study. Results showed that POF and PSF significantly influenced on POS, while they did not make a signifiant impact on PB. Results also indicated that PJF was related to both POS and PB. Furthermore, the effect of POF and PSF on PB were fully mediated by POS, while the effect of P-J on PB was partially mediated by POS. Limitations of this study and future research directions were also discussed.

This study investigated the effect of organizational support climates on the relationship between job insecurity, job stress and service performance in the food service industry. Data were collected from 207 individuals of 32 restaurants and hierarchial linear modeling(HLM) was used to test research hypotheses. Results indicated that at the individual-level, job insecurity was positively related to job stress, while job stress was found to be negatively correlated with service performance. Result also showed that at the organizational levels, coworkers' support climate, supervisory support climates, and social support climates were negatively related to job stress. Moreover, the organizational support climate was proved as a moderator in the relationship between the job insecurity and the job stress. Results from this study suggested that the organizational support climates might actually contribute to service performance by decreasing the job stress in the food service industry.

Using 747 sample of three different ethnic groups(i.e., American, Chinese and Japanese) in the US, this study investigated the customers' level of satisfaction on Korean restaurants in comparison with those of their favorite ethnic restaurants. It also examined the competency of Korean restaurant by comparing customers' frequency of visiting Korean restaurant with those of the customers' favorite type of restaurants. In addition, utilizing CEM(Customer Experience Management), this study analyzed customer's experience structures and suggested the target markets. Finally this research sought to capture the position of Korean restaurant by withdrawing customer's T/Ps(Touch Points) and CEI(Customer Experience Index). From an academic point of view, this paper might contribute to the field by applying the CEM concept to the marketing strategy of successful Korean food market expansion. It also has a practical meaning by generating action items to efficiently achieve Korean restaurant diffusion.

This study was to classify Korean wine customers based on their level of knowledge, education, and information on wines and to identify wine selection attributes among different types of wine customers. Data were collected from 324 people who visited in wine restaurants, shops, or education institutions in Seoul from July to September 2009. Results showed that there were 8 factors of selecting wine and food pairing; ‘taste & bouquet’, ‘region’, ‘season’, ‘characteristics of food ingredients’, ‘body’, and so on. Results also indicated that the wine customers could be divided into three groups; connoisseurs, aspirants, and new wine drinkers. Furthermore, results illustrated that wine selection attributes were differed by types of consumers. and the customers level of satisfaction on wine was most affected by 'characteristics of food ingredients’, followed by ‘region’, ‘season’, and ‘sauce’. Results from this study suggests that it is necessary to recommend the appropriate wine with food based on each group’s preference.

This study was to classify Korean office workers' based on their food consuming lifestyles, and to investigate relationship between the lifestyle and coffee shop selection attributes. Data were collected from 406 office workers in Gangnam and Gangbuk area of Seoul and those who visited coffee shops more than one time on August 2009. Results of a factor analysis extracted four factors of food lifestyle: health-seeking factor, taste-seeking factor, convenience-seeking factor, popularity-seeking factor. Based on a cluster analysis, which was based on the four factors, the workers were classified into six groups: positive eating habits group, taste & popularity-seeking group, taste & convenience-seeking group, high interest of eating habits group, passive eating habits group, taste indifference group. Results also indicated that the selection attributes of each group were significantly different each other in terms of quality of coffee, menu, physical environment, customer benefits, brand value except convenience.

Using a mixed method, this study investigated the facilitating and constraint factors of Korean food diffusion among different types of Korean restaurant users in New York. Based on a sequential exploratory design, first, in-depth interviews with 13 owners of popular Korean restaurants in New York were proceeded. Then, a quantitative data were collected from 245 non-Korean users of 8 Korean restaurant in New York in 2008. The users were classified into five food adopter categories based on the their level of acceptance on a new food. Results showed that “tasty food” was the most important facilitating factor of Korean food diffusion, while "lack of awareness” was the most important constraint in diffusing Korean food in New York. Result also indicated that there were significant relationship between the types of Korean restaurant users and their evaluation on the facilitators and constraints.

This study aimed to examine the impact of physical environment on the customer satisfaction and behavior in the context of Korean-style dessert cafe. Particularly, it investigated the mediating effects of the emotional reaction which plays in between the physical environment and customer satisfaction. Data were collected from 317 users of five Korean style desert cafes in Seoul on July 2010. Results showed that the customers' evaluation on the four different dimensions of the physical environment of the Korean food dessert cafes significantly influenced on their level of satisfaction and re-visit intention. Results also indicated that the customers' positive and negative emotional reactions to the physical environment made a significant mediating effects in between the physical environment and satisfaction. Based on the results from this study, several marketing implications were also discussed.

The casino industry in Korea has been more competitive over the last several years and it should strengthen its competitiveness by the improvement of the service quality and customer's satisfaction. This study was to examine the structural relationship between the casino service quality, customer satisfaction, and behavior Intention(i.e., intention to revisit and recommendation) among foreigner exclusive casino in Korea. Data were collected from 508 customers of a foreigner exclusive casino on July 2008. Results of a structural equation modeling analysis supported all the hypotheses of this study. Specifically, the quality of casino service appeared to significantly influence the customers' satisfaction and their behavior intension. Results from this study propose that the casino should seek to satisfy their customers by improving the service quality for having a better competitiveness. Limitations and future research directions were also discussed.

Using quantile regression analysis, this study identifies the determinants of systematic risk in the hotel and casino industry. The quantile regression method enables to estimate whether different levels of systematic risks in the hotel and casino companies have different determinants of systemic risk or not. Results of the OLS regression analysis show that only debt ratio is the determinant of systematic risk in the hotel and casino companies. However, the results of quanitle regression analysis provide that debt ratio, return on asset, firm size are differently related with different levels of systematic risk. Results from this study suggest that quantile regression analysis provide more concise results than OLS regression analysis in identifying the determinants of systematic risk in the hotel and casino industry. This study also proposes the possibility of utilizing the quantile regression analysis for different topics in the hospitality study.

This study examined the relationship between customer's perception of service quality, level of satisfaction and behavioral intention in the tourism based local food restaurant setting. Particularly this study focused on the moderating effects of customers' involvement(i.e., emotional and cognitive involvement) to local food because customers might perceive service quality differently according to his/ her level of involvement. Data were collected from 231 tourists at 8 different local food restaurants on April 2009. Results of hierarchical regression analysis indicated that emotional and cognitive involvement play statistically significant moderating roles between service quality and customer satisfaction Results also showed that customer satisfaction was a precedent variable of the behavioral intentions. Theoretical and practical contributions on local food marketing were also discussed.

The goal of this article is to study the difference in recognition between hotels and strategically allied partners. The importance of the strategic alliance is ever growing in a very competitive business environment and some hotels actively deploy the strategic alliance in line with their own corporate culture and characteristics. Diversification and differentiation through strategic alliance enabled hotels to secure untraditional bottom line while reducing risk by sharing allied partners resources and cost. This research is designed to study the positive synergy impact of the strategic alliance between hotels and non-hotel strategic partners on hotel’s performance and to study utilization and possible application of effective strategic alliance. The findings of this research show that strategic alliance plays significant role in enhancing brand image and increasing revenue for both parties. Also, the negative factors of alliance marketing during the partnership are perceived little by both partners.

This research was to investigate the predictors of customers' evaluation on relationship quality as it was perceived by hotel restaurant customers. It also examined effects of the relationship quality on behavior intentions of the customers Data were collected from 276 hotel restaurant users at 10 five star hotels in Seoul. Results of empirical analyses showed that relationship management activities, such as food quality, communication, relationship benefits, service recovery, did make significant effects on relationship quality, while food price did not. Result also indicated that relationship quality did make a significant influence on the affective commitment, while it was not significantly associated with word of mouth and revisit intention. In contrast, the affective commitment had a significant effect on spreading positive word of mouth and generating revisit intention.

Consumers express their status by purchasing self-identified goods or services. In this context, this study examined the structural relationship between hotel brand personality, employee's self unity with the personality, job satisfaction and customer orientation. Data was collected from 182 service employees at five-star hotel restaurants in Seoul on August 2008. Results indicated that three dimensions(i.e., strength, fancifulness, sincereness) of hotel brand personality made significant impact on the employees' personal self unity with the brand personality, while two dimension of hotel brand personality(i.e, sincereness and be interesting) made significant impacts on the employees' social self unity with the brand personality. Results also showed that both the employees' level of personal and social unity with hotel personality were significantly associated with their level of job satisfaction and customer orientation.

This study was to examine the causal relationships between evaluation of marketing strategies, tourist motivation, tourists satisfaction, and behavioral intentions among Pusan International Film Festival participants. Based on literature review, four dimensions of film marketing strategies (i.e., event promotion, media promotion, movie-related marketing, and development of attractiveness a movie induced tourism destination) were derived. Data were collected from 534 participants tourists who visited Pusan Film Festival in 2009. Results of a structural equation modeling analysis indicated that three marketing strategies(i.e., event promotion, media promotion, and movie related marketing) made significant influences on the tourists' motivation and overall satisfaction, and, in turn, behavioral intentions. Managerial implications were also discussed.

This study was to compare the cultural tourism competitiveness of Korea, China and Japan. In particular, using the Porter's diamond model, this study focused on the competitiveness of culture contents industry in examining the competitiveness of the culture tourism industry among the three countries. Specifically, this study examined the correlation between the export amount of each sector of the Korean culture contents industry and tourism industry performance. Results showed that movie, broadcasting and character industry were related to the tourism industry performance in Korea. Results of the Porter's diamond analysis indicated that when the culture contents industry was utilized for tourism competitiveness, Korea and Japan's competitiveness has been enhanced while China's competitiveness has been weakened. Limitation and implications of this study were also described.