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.