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This research investigates the effect of the antecedents (i.e. specific investment, opportunistic behavior, communications, uncertainty, interdependence, power imbalance, shared value, and flexibility) that influence the trust and commitment of domestic apparel manufacturers toward contractors as well as the effect of trust and commitment on firm performance and relationship satisfaction. A total of 128 apparel manufactures participated in this study. Factor analysis, Cronbach`s alpha coefficient, and path analysis were conducted for the statistical analysis. Specific investment, communication, shared value, and flexibility had a positive effect on trust; however, opportunistic behavior had a negative effect. Interdependence, shared value, and flexibility had a positive effect on commitment; however, power imbalance and uncertainty had a negative effect. Trust did not exert an effect on commitment in this research; however, trust and commitment had a positive effect on firm performance; in addition, trust and commitment had a positive effect on relationship satisfaction. The findings offer insight on how to better manage apparel manufacturer-contractor relationships to ensure success.

This study identifies the antecedents of trust in the examination of the effects of the antecedents of trust on trust in apparel manufacturer-contractor relationships. A total of 92 apparel manufactures participated in this study. A factor analysis, Cronbach`s alpha coefficient, and multiple regression analysis were conducted for the statistical analysis. Five antecedents of trust were classified: flexibility, opportunistic behavior, communication, specific investment, reputation. Two factors of trust were identified: credibility and benevolence. Flexibility, communication, and reputation of a contractor positively influenced the credibility of an apparel manufacture in a contractor. Flexibility, communication, and specific investment of a contractor positively relate to the benevolence of an apparel manufacture in a contractor. However, the opportunistic behavior of a contractor did not relate to either the credibility of an apparel manufacture or the benevolence in a contractor. The results of this study provide empirical evidence of the impact of flexibility, communication, specific investment, reputation on trust in apparel manufacturer-contractor relationships, and additional insight for selecting contractors that seek to improve trust in apparel manufacturer-contractor relationships.

This study examines the effects of trust and commitment on firm performance in the apparel manufacturer-contractor relationships. A total of 92 apparel manufactures participated in the study. Factor analysis, Cronbach`s alpha coefficient, and multiple regression analysis were conducted for the statistical analysis. Two factors of trust were identified: credibility and benevolence. Two factors of commitment were identified: affective commitment and calculative commitment. Three factors of firm performance were identified: customer service performance, finance performance, and product performance. The credibility of the apparel manufacture in a contractor had a significant positive effect on the affective commitment of an apparel manufacturer and on the calculative commitment in a contractor. Meanwhile, the benevolence of the apparel manufacture on a contractor had a significant positive effect on the affective commitment of an apparel manufacturer on a contractor. The credibility of the apparel manufacture on a contractor was positively related to customer service performance, finance performance, and product performance. The benevolence of the apparel manufacture on a contractor was positively related to customer service performance and finance performance of an apparel manufacture. The affective commitment of the apparel manufacture in a contractor was positively related to service performance. The calculative commitment of the apparel manufacture on a contractor was positively related to finance performance and to the product performance of an apparel manufacture. The results of this study provides practical guidelines toward exchange partners of apparel manufacturers as to how to facilitate from performance in apparel manufacturer-contractor relationships.

This study identifies the apparel shopping value segments of Korean and Chinese college students to examine the differences in the importance of apparel store attributes. Data from 504 questionnaires filled out by college students from Seoul and Beijing were used for statistical analysis. The four segments of apparel shopping values are, hedonic shopping segment, low involvement shopping segment, high involvement shopping segment, and utilitarian shopping segment. In the high involvement shopping segment, Korean respondents considered store atmosphere, convenience, and the services of salespersons to be more important than the other segments. Chinese respondents in both the hedonic shopping segment and high involvement shopping segment considered store atmosphere more important than the other segments. Korean respondents considered store service more important than the Chinese respondents in the hedonic shopping segment, but Chinese respondents were more likely to consider store convenience to be more important than Korean respondents. In the low involvement shopping segment, Korean respondents considered store atmosphere, store services, and the selection of goods more important than Chinese respondents did. In the high involvement shopping segment, Korean respondents considered the services of salespersons to be more important than the Chinese respondents but the Chinese respondents evaluated store convenience as more important than Korean respondents. In the utilitarian shopping segment, Korean respondents were more likely to consider store service, the selection of goods, and services of salespersons more important than Chinese respondents did.

This study classifies consumers according to apparel shopping values to find the differences of apparel attributes in accordance to shopping value segments between Korean and Chinese college students. College students from Seoul and Beijing participated in the study and a quota sampling method collected the data. Data from 504 questionnaires is used for the statistical analysis. A factor analysis through, Cronbach`s alpha coefficient, ANOVA, and a post-hoc test are conducted. Two factors of apparel shopping values are classified (hedonic shopping values and utilitarian shopping values). Four segments of apparel shopping value were classified (hedonic shopping, low involvement shopping segment, high involvement shopping, and utilitarian shopping). Three factors of apparel attribute are classified (external attributes, internal/aesthetic attributes, and internal/quality attributes). The result indicate that high involvement shopping segments considered all the clothing attributes more importantly than the other three segments. Chinese respondents of hedonic shopping segments and high involvement shopping segments considered advertisements in terms of external attributes, assembly, and fit in terms of internal/quality performance attributes as more important than Koreans. Chinese respondents of low involvement shopping segments also considered assembly and fit in terms of internal/quality performance attributes as more important than Koreans. Korean respondents of utilitarian shopping segments had a special regard for design and color in terms of internal/aesthetic attributes but the Chinese had a special regard for assembly, fit, and ease of maintenance in terms of internal/quality performance attributes.

The purpose of this study was 1) to inquire into characteristics of apparel manufacturers and distributors in China, 2) to classify private Guanxi and organizational relationship type, 3) to find differences in private Guanxi to enterprise type and the class of participations` position, and 4) to also find effects of private Guanxi on organizational relationship. Apparel manufacturers and distributors in China participated in the study. Random sampling method was used to collect the data. Data from 173 questionnaires were used for the statistical analysis. Descriptive analysis, factor analysis, Cronbach`s alpha coefficient, t-test, and regression analysis were conducted. Two factors of private Guanxi were classified(i.e., affective Guanxi, instrumental Guanxi). Three factors of organizational relationship type were identified(i.e., opportunistic relationship, cooperative relationship, vertical relationship). The results indicated that distributors regarded affective Guanxi as important more than manufactures and employees regarded affective Guanxi and instrumental Guanxi as important more than presidents. Distributors regarded cooperative relationship as important more than manufactures. Employees regarded organizational relationship as important more than presidents. Affective Guanxi positively affected on cooperative relationship and vertical relationship but negatively affected on opportunistic relationship. Instrumental Guanxi positively affected on opportunistic relationship and vertical relationship. The result of this study may give valuable information to retail merchandisers and strategists who participated in fashion business in China.

The purpose of this study was 1) to find effects of private Guanxi and organizational relationship on quality of organizational relationship, 2) to find effects of private Guanxi and organizational relationship on performance of distribution channel, and 3) to also find effects of quality of organizational relationship on performance of distribution channel. Apparel manufacturers and distributors in China participated in the study. Random sampling method was used to collect the data. Data from 173 questionnaires were used for the statistical analysis. Factor analysis, Cronbach`s alpha coefficient, and regression analysis was conducted. Two factors of private Guanxi were classified(i.e., affective Guanxi, instrumental Guanxi). Three factors of organizational relationship type were identified(i.e., opportunistic relationship, cooperative relationship, vertical relationship). The result indicated that affective Guanxi in terms of private Guanxi positively affected on quality of organizational relationship. Cooperative relationship and vertical relationship in terms of organizational relationship positively affected on quality of organizational relationship. Affective Guanxi positively affected on non-financial performance and financial performance in terms of performance of distribution channel. Instrumental Guanxi in terms of private Guanxi positively affected on financial performance only. Cooperative relationship in terms of organizational relationship positively affected on non-financial performance and vertical relationship positively affected on financial performance. Quality of organizational relationship positively affected on non-financial performance and vertical relationship positively affected on financial performance.

The purpose of this study was to determine the purchasing behavior of knitted apparel consumers. Differences in knit product evaluation criteria according to consumer characteristics, such as gender, age, and interest in knit products also were reported. Male and female consumers participated in the study. Quota sampling was used and data from 463 questionnaires were analyzed. Descriptive statistics, analysis, factor analysis, Cronbach`s alpha coefficient, t-test, one-way ANOVA, and post-hoc test were conducted. Results indicated that 65.4 percent of respondents did not discern between knits and woven products. Cardigan was the most preferred knitted product category. Most of the respondents purchased knitted apparel themselves, got product information at stores, spent less than 100,000 won for a single knitted product and went to department stores to buy knitted apparel products. Some 62.5 percent of respondents reported wearing the product less than four year. Consumers who are more interest in knitted apparel also considered such criteria as external attributes, quality, and aesthetics to be important. Respondents who discerned between knits and woven considered quality most important. Female respondents considered quality and aesthetic criteria more important; respondents in their twenties considered aesthetic criteria most important; and respondents in their thirties through fifties considered external criteria most important. Results of this study provide a basis for understanding knitted apparel consumers` purchasing behavior.

The purpose of this study was to find differences in evaluation criteria and to find differences in preferred images based on benefits segmented groups of jeans products consumers. Male and female Korean university students participated in the study. Quota sampling method was used to collect the data based on gender and a residential area of the respondents. Data from 492 questionnaires were used in the analysis. Factor analysis, Cronbach`s alpha coefficient, cluster analysis, one-way ANOVA, and post-hoc test were conducted. As a result, respondents who seek multi-benefits considered aesthetic criteria(e.g., color, style, design, fit) and quality performance criteria(e.g., durability, ease of care, contractibility, flexibility) more importantly when evaluating and purchasing jeans products. Respondents who seek brand name considered extrinsic criteria(e.g., brand reputation, status symbol, country of origin, fashionability) more importantly than respondents who seek economic efciency. Respondents who seek multi-benefits such as attractiveness, fashion, individuality, and utility tend to prefer all the images: individual image, active image, sexual image, sophisticated image, and simple image when wearing jeans products. Respondents who seek fashion are likely to prefer individual image, and respondents who seek brand name more prefer both individual image and polished image. Mean while, respondents who seek economical efficiency less prefer sexual image and polished image.