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This study aims to investigate the potential for successful glocalization of ethnic Korean food through the exploration of the reasons for preferring Korean food, the success factors for a Korean restaurant and the factors affecting the outcome variables of customer satisfaction, revisit intentions and changing the image of Korea.

A total of 265 Korean restaurant customers in the USA were collected.

Among the respondents’ reasons for their food preferences, the novel and diverse factor was found to significantly influence customer satisfaction, revisit intentions and Korea’s image. The “sociocultural” factor was found to positively influence customer satisfaction and Korea’s image.

This study delved into an example of glocalization of a national food. The findings provide conceptual and practical implications that the extant ethnic restaurant literature has not elucidated.

This paper aims to identify consumer preferences before Dongchimi products are commercialized and brought to the market. It provides basic data for research and development of Dongchimi products, examining consumer preferences for general products and purchase intentions based on eating-out behavior, dietary lifestyle and demographic characteristics. Finally, the study examined male and female consumers more than 18 years old who have eaten Dongchimi, particularly their consumption behavior.

This study was based on preliminary in-depth interviews of consumers to investigate consumer Dongchimi consumption behavior. The authors examined their demographic characteristics, dining-out behavior, dietary lifestyles, how often they buy pickled products and the circumstances in which they consume Dongchimi products. Various statistical analyses were performed with SPSS 18.0, including frequency analysis of the general characteristics of subjects, chi-square test for difference verification as well as factor analysis and cluster analyses.

More than half of the respondents eat Dongchimi products only once or twice every six months or once or twice a year. Consumers prefer Dongchimi’s glass bottle packaging with two to three servings of white radish, the original version of Dongchimi. Furthermore, cross-analysis comparing purchase intentions of Dongchimi products among clusters revealed significant differences (χ2 = 212.58, df = 2, p < 0.001). The group most concerned with taste and diet showed 100 per cent purchase intention. However, the group most interested in convenience showed only 50 per cent purchase intention for Dongchimi products. The group primarily concerned with health showed little intention to purchase.

Food scholars have investigated consumption behaviors of domestic consumers in developing kimchi products, but research on Dongchimi is lacking, especially of consumption behaviors by actual consumers. Using certain determinants (marital status, expense of dining out, frequency of buying pickled products and food-related lifestyle), the authors analyzed the purchasing intentions of consumers of Dongchimi products. The results show that married consumers who spend heavily on dining out and purchase pickled foods frequently, but who are also concerned about taste and diet, were those with the highest intention to purchase Dongchimi products.

Mukbang is a live-streaming format where hosts, often referred to as broadcast jockeys (BJs) or streamers, eat copious amounts of food while engaging with their audience through commentary and reactions. This unique cultural phenomenon has sparked curiosity and diverse reactions globally. Mukbang’s popularity highlights the transformative power of digital platforms on traditional media and society, facilitating a shift toward more interactive and participatory forms of media consumption. This conceptual paper explores Mukbang’s widespread allure through frameworks such as the long tail theory, which illuminates the success of niche markets; parasocial relationship theory, which sheds light on viewers' bonds with streamers and social identity theory, which explains audience loyalty. We also forecast the implications of these streaming trends on the television, retail and sports industries, predicting a broad impact on traditional consumption and engagement models.

This study employs various theories, including the long tail concept, parasocial interactions and social identity theory, to describe and analyze the perplexing yet significant phenomenon of Mukbang.

Digital technology has transformed business models across various media industries, similar to how iTunes and the MP3 format revolutionized traditional music labels. This study suggests that streaming platforms, with their ability to cater to diverse needs and facilitate two-way communication, have the potential to disrupt traditional entertainment and retail industries.

This study addresses the gap in understanding how and why streaming platforms like AfreecaTV, Twitch and Huya can disrupt the traditional TV and entertainment industries. It highlights key elements that enable users to become prosumers, broadcasting content such as Mukbang. These platforms outperform traditional entertainment with numerous channels, ease of access, live chat sessions and digital rewards. The ability to build intimate relationships with viewers through two-way communication strengthens parasocial relationships, fostering emotional connections with streamers. Additionally, live chats with other viewers create a sense of belonging and social identity, helping viewers reduce uncertainty and enhance self-esteem.

Worldwide systems of higher education are experiencing intense and unprecedented transformation, both in its operation and in their relationship to governments. The adoption of neo-liberal, free-market economic policies in the 1980s, and the consequent deregulation of education has impacted many systems in Europe, North and South America, and Asia (including New Zealand and Australia) (Olssen, 2002). Many of these nations have restructured their systems of public education in an attempt to acquire relative autonomy and to assume responsibility as individual institutions. As a result of deregulation and liberalization, the trends of individual institutions are to become more competitive and accountable by creating an overall market mechanism within the education system (Giroux, 2002; Dale, 2001). The issuance of educational loans by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) supports these trends. In general, the IMF and WB serve as a support mechanism for neo-liberalism in Latin America, Africa, and Eastern Europe by the promotion of market mechanisms which effect increases in private investment in education and accountability in higher education institutions (Chou, 2003).

AI-based robo-advisory (RA) represents a FinTech application that is already replacing retail investment advisors. In private banking (PB), clients also increasingly expect service provision across different digital channels, but with a higher degree of personalization. Hence, the present study investigates the impact of intelligent RA on the PB investment advisory process to derive both process (re)design knowledge and strategic guidance for artificial intelligence (AI) usage for PB investment advisory.

The present study applies an AI process impact analysis approach by decomposing AI-based RA into three AI application types: conversational agent, customer segmentation and predictive analytics. The analysis results along a reference PB investment advisory process reveal sub-process transformations which are applied for process redesign integrating AI.

The study results imply that AI systems (1) enable seamless client journeys, (2) increase advisor flexibility, (3) support the client–advisor relationship by applying an omnichannel approach and (4) demand advisor skills to be augmented with technical and statistical knowledge.

The research study contributes (1) an AI process impact analysis approach, (2) derives process (re)design knowledge for AI deployment and (3) develops strategic guidance for AI usage in PB investment advisory.

The purpose of this paper is to propose and demonstrate a new additive manufacturing approach that breaks the layer-based point scanning limitations to increase fabrication speed, obtain better surface finish, achieve material flexibility and reduce equipment costs.

The freeform additive manufacturing approach conceptually views a 3D article as an assembly of freeform elements distributed spatially following a flexible 3D assembly structure, which conforms to the surface of the article and physically builds the article by sequentially forming the freeform elements by a vari-directional vari-dimensional capable material deposition mechanism. Vari-directional building along tangential directions of part surface gives surface smoothness. Vari-dimensional deposition maximizes material output to increase build rate wherever allowed and minimizes deposition sizes for resolution whenever needed.

Process steps based on geometric and data processing considerations were described. Dispensing and forming of basic vari-directional and vari-dimensional freeform elements and basic operations of joining them were developed using thermoplastics. Forming of 3D articles at build rates of 2-5 times the fused deposition modeling (FDM) rate was demonstrated and improvement over ten times was shown to be feasible. FDM compatible operations using 0.7 mm wire depositions from a variable exit-dispensing unit were demonstrated. Preliminary tests of a surface finishing process showed a result of 0.8-1.9 um Ra. Initial results of dispensing wax, tin alloy and steel were also shown.

This is the first time that both vari-directional and vari-dimensional material depositions are combined in a new freeform building method, which has potential impact on the FDM and other additive manufacturing methods.

This research outlines the Hong Kong film industry with examination of key actors, directors, films, and production companies within the martial arts genre of Hong Kong Action Cinema. Hong Kong Film Award winners and nominees, core films within genres, and core reference works both general and theoretical from experts in the field of Hong Kong martial arts film research have been highlighted. Web sites are suggested that provide reviews of Hong Kong martial arts films, biographical information on a variety of actors and actresses as well as comprehensive bibliographic information on select films. Also included are commercial Web sites that provide Hong Kong martial arts films.