Big-Data Labs: Merchandising Informatics by Using Hyperlinks and Network Analysis Visualization Approaches

Merchandising informatics, a novel research-related pedagogy, views data analytics from an information management perspective on merchandising practices. More willingly competent merchandising graduates are able to provide analytical support to cross functional projects (e.g., email targeting, consumer recommendations, product loyalty forecasts) and assist in building large data sets from multiple sources in order to predict future data characteristics. A visionary data inventor with a passion for learning new technologies and translating data into business solutions is critical for growth and success in the merchandising industry. Merchandising informatics aims to transform teaching and learning at graduate courses and around the globe by implementing big-data labs. Applying hyperlinks and Network Analysis Visualization (NAV) approaches to big data construal helps graduates grasp contemporarily big data concepts more quickly and fully, connect theory and application more adeptly, and engage in learning more readily, while also improving instructional techniques, and facilitating the widespread sharing of knowledge. Indeed, the information management perspective and practical experiences within merchandising informatics equip graduates with unique and career-oriented capabilities

Public Child Welfare Workers' Safety Experiences: Predictors and Impact on Job Withdrawal Using Mixed-Methods Approach

Session 1: Child Welfare Workers. Presenter: HaeJung Kim, Ph.D., University of Maryland (2012) - "Public Child Welfare Workers' Safety Experiences: Predictors and Impact of Job Withdrawal Using Mixed-Methods Approach".The Ohio State University College of Social Wor

Sustainable Stewardship: The Heuristic-Systemic Approach to Sustainable Attitude-Behavior Gap

Although an increasing number of apparel businesses are striving to exert ecological and social influences that can change consumers’ purchasing behaviors in relation to sustainable products, consumers still feel hesitant about adopting a sustainable lifestyle. Moreover, consumers tend to engage in a complicated decision-making process due to the motivational and practical complexity of sustainable consumption. Given the growing interest among societies and in many industries, comprehending these dynamics can help improve the knowledge level of consumers, and may stipulate further applications of sustainable stewardship. Thus, this study aims (1) to test the systematic conjunction of CSR drives with attitude and sustainable behaviors; and (2) to examine the heuristic influence of eco-labels/indices from the point of vie

Fashion Brand Sponsored Instagram Posts: Mediated by Trust

With the recent addition of Instagram ad labels for sponsored post, customers are aware of the Instagram account sponsored by a brand. In order to capitalize on the sponsored Instagram account, fashion brands need to construct and craft the sponsored Instagram posts as trusted sources. Grounded upon trust theories and persuasive message characteristics, this study examined the characteristics of Instagram posts that construct trust on the brand sponsored posts and positive responses towards the sponsored brand. The study found that argument quality of a post and post popularity were influential factors constructing persuasive posts in the sponsored Instagram posts. In addition, posts with these characteristics increased trust on the post and yielded positive responses towards the fashion brand. Fashion brands need to collaborate with Instagram influencers to post quality information and persuasive arguments that can be used as trusted sources by Instagram users

Influencer Marketing: Influentials’ Authenticity, Likeability and Authority in Social Media

Influencer marketing is used to allude to a certain experience or feeling, and with numbers of social media and internet users rising all across the world, the potential influence and usefulness of influencer marketing continues to rise (Ranga & Sharma, 2014). While the choice of influences often follows the conventional persuasion theories, trust theories also play an immense role in determining how believable and ‘influential’ the influencer, their message and by extension the company, is. Upon integrating the trust and persuasion theories, this study developed four propositions. A total of 30 observations with power influencers were extracted by using the phenomenographic interpretive approach (Atwater et al., 2008). This study found that three most influential attributes were authenticity, likeability, and authority. Targeting was emerged as an important factor of effectiveness of the influencer marketing. Moreover, most of influencers were shifted from celebrity to non-celebrity

Shifting paradigms for fashion: from total to global to smart consumer experience

This review discusses how consumers, the retail industry, and business strategies contribute to the fashion paradigm shift from Total to Global (TCE) to Smart Consumer Experience (SCE) concepts

Cobranding with Pinterest: Expediting Apparel Retail Brand Experience

Cobranding creates points of difference, generates sales from existing markets, and opens opportunities (Lebar, Buehler, Keller, & Sawicka, 2005). Pinterest is an effective cobranding platform for consumer interaction. Bullas (2015) reports 69% of apparel brands have a presence on Pinterest, and 88% of the 70 million Pinterest users purchase a product they pin. Thus, we examined: (a) the impacts of apparel brand reputation and Pinterest usefulness on consumer experiences with apparel brands at Pinterest; (b) the impacts of consumer experiences of apparel brands at Pinterest on loyalty toward apparel brand and Pinterest; and (c) the mediation of consumer experience at Pinterest between apparel brand reputation and apparel band\u27s attitudinal loyalty. Findings suggest cobranding with Pinterest combines the strength of partner brands by increasing value, attracting new customers, and validating the brand among consumers. An effective brand Pinterest page creates important backlinks that expand apparel brand awareness and direct other consumers to the brand website (Walberg, 2015)

S-WOM in WeChat and KakaoTalk: Impacts of E-S-QUAL in Mobile Social Platforms

S-WOM refers to consumer electronic word-of-mouth on mobile social media sites . S-WOM enables consumers to share information at a time and place that are convenient for them, notionally making consumers feel comfortable about sharing their experiences and opinions. Thus, we aim to explore how service quality of mobile apps (E-S-QUAL) facilitates the S-WOM in the two mobile social platforms, and to compare the disparity of its effects on S-WOM model between the WeChat and KakaoTalk. By employing the multi group structural equation modeling, KakaoTalk and WeChat users are willing to distribute S-WOM in their social media platforms based on the facilitation of efficiency and system availability of mobile apps. Interestingly, privacy is of interest in KakaoTalk users while fulfillment for WeChat users. It suggests the practical and theoretical implication of S-WOM model by using E-S-QUAL perceptive

Identifying Apparel Attributes: The Relationship between Risks, Perceived Copyright Infringement and Purchase Intention of Knockoff Fashion Apparel Products

The success of fast fashion retailers has some industry leaders calling for copyright protection for apparel and closely aligned fashion products (Cline, 2012). Establishing criteria to determine what constitutes apparel copyright infringement is extremely difficult, as few designs are completely original (Raustiala & Sprigman, 2006). Apparel attributes are pertinent to purchase intention of fashion apparel and could influence perceived copyright infringement of knockoff fashion apparel products. The primary purpose of this study was to identify prominent visual fashion apparel attributes that could determine perceived copyright infringement. A secondary purpose was to examine the relationships among fashion apparel attributes, perceived copyright infringement, perceived risk, and purchase intention of knockoff fashion apparel. Researchers have identified apparel attribute factors including: Quality (Wee, Tan, & Cheok, 1995), appearance (Abraham-Murali & Littrell, 1995; Zhang, Li, Gong, and Wu, 2002), aesthetics (Abraham-Murali & Littrell, 1995) and functionality (Zhang, et al., 2002)