• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.117-144
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• 2008

Lots of virtual communities and online businesses presently derive their primary sources of revenues through advertising, but nevertheless are plagued with marginal profitability though they might possess a significant user base. In the light of the need for an efficacious business model, there have been recent insights of an online community in particular reaping profits through an innovative and lucrative revenue generation method that earns by selling digital items. There have been some obvious evidences (e.g., Cyworld, SecondLife, Habo Hotel, etc.) that online communities can be profitable through their unique business model of selling digital items. However, there is lack of understanding about the motivation of purchasing digital items. This study tries to identify the main motivators of digital item purchases based on social/individual identity theory and self-presentation theory. "Digital items", otherwise known as "virtual assets", may include online avatars, accessories for the avatars, decorative ornaments like furniture, digital wallpapers, skins, background music and virtual weapons used for Internet games. These digital items are employed by users for representation and articulation in the online space, especially to create and enhance their online profiles in web pages and games. Prices for digital items typically range from a few cents to a few dollars each. Based on the theoretical framework like social identity theory and self-presentation theory, we developed the research model and proposed seven hypotheses. An analysis of 225 members of Cyworld found that digital item purchase intention in virtual world is affected by both members' need for self-presentation and need for affiliation. We also found that the need for self-presentation is significantly increased by innovativeness of members, community group norm, and community involvement. We concluded that the need for self-presentation could be a key variable for profitable business model in online community service industry. However, neither individual self-efficacy nor the need for affiliation significantly influenced the need for self-presentation which triggers purchase intention of digital items. In term of the theoretical and practical contribution, this study can be a pioneering empirical research that investigates the purchase intention of digital items based on social identity theory and self-presentation theory in the online context. Also, the findings of our study are valuable and practical for practitioners in the market who wish to adopt or improve the business model of selling digital items in an online community. From the findings, it can be seen that innovativeness of users, community group norm, and community involvement are three significant factors that influence need for self-presentation of users which ultimately leads to their intentions to buy digital items. These findings put forth that virtual community providers and online businesses selling digital items should prioritize their efforts and focus on these three factors if they want to increase the sales of these digital items and generate greater revenues. This study provides important implications for academic researchers and practitioners to understand why the community members pay money for their digital items in virtual world and how the practitioners can increase the sales of digital items in an online community. A couple of limitations of the study and future research directions are also discussed.

• Journal of Information Technology Services
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.1-16
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• 2023

This study aimed to provide fundamental insights into the digital customer experience by identifying its components and analyzing their importance and satisfaction levels among youths. To achieve this objective, the components of digital customer experience were identified through a review of prior research and consultation with experts. Subsequently, a survey was conducted with 200 youths in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do. The main findings of the study are as follows: First, The components of the digital customer experience consisted of 12 items grouped into three categories. Second, an analysis of the disparity between the importance and satisfaction levels of digital customer experience revealed statistically significant differences across all items. Third, By utilizing IPA (Importance-Performance Analysis), the digital customer experience was categorized into four quadrant, each with its own characteristics and recommendations for management: The first quadrant, the "current level maintenance area," encompassed items related to "entertainment" and "recommended service." This area is currently functioning well but necessitates continuous attention and management. The second quadrant, the "area to be supported first," included items such as "personalization," "security," "inducing participation," "privacy," and "individuality expression." Intensive management and improvements are imperative in this quadrant. The third quadrant, the "long-term improvement area," consisted of items like 'consistency,' 'information quality,' and 'convenience.' These items require focus on long-term enhancement efforts. The fourth quadrant, the "areas where efforts have already been invested," encompassed items like 'accessibility' and 'deliberation.' It appears that excessive investment has been made in these areas relative to their importance, calling for selective investments while considering the specific issues associated with each factor. These research findings serve as essential data for managing the digital customer experiences of youths.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2008.07a
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• pp.161-162
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• 2008

The steady state performance test for the digital protective relay using general relay test equipment has been main test methods. Because of the development of advanced power system testing equipments, dynamic performance test has been carried out additionally using a digital simulator such as RTDS(Real Time Digital Simulator). For the case of newly adopted digital protective relay with IEC 61850 and network, performance testing items need supplementing. This report displays testing items change according to newly protective relay.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.10 no.11
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• pp.243-251
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• 2012

Digital items, considered as virtual assets, include avatars, accessories for the avatars, digital wallpapers, and game items, etc. The objective of this study is to examine the factors influencing the purchase of digital items. Factors, based upon Uses and Gratifications theory, including image making, self-expression, social awareness and fun-seeking, are introduced as salient variables for purchasing digital items. In addition, social identification and flow are also considered as key motivators. Statistical results indicates that social identification affects both flows and the intension to purchase digital items, and then flow next influences intension to purchase. It was also found that motives based upon Uses and Gratifications theory influences social identification, but have no impact on flow. As a conclusion, the academic and practical implications of these findings are also discussed.

• The Journal of Information Systems
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.97-114
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• 2012

Given the rapid growth of social network services (SNS) such as Facebook and Cyworld, it is important to understand SNS users' decision-making processes such as purchasing and continuance intention. Especially, as a number of SNS providers such as Cyworld and Habbo Hotel recognize the sales of digital items as the main source of their profits, it is critical to in-depth understand SNS users' purchasing behaviors. In this regard, this study explores continued usage behaviors and purchase behaviors of digital items in an SNS environment using a longitudinal research method. This paper develops a theoretical model to deeply understand the key drivers of purchase behavior of digital items through constructs prescribed by two established research streams on information systems, namely continuance usage and habitual usage. Moreover, this study examines the effects of actual and ideal self-image congruity on SNS continuance intention and habit. The research model was tested by using survey data collected from 307 users who have experience with Cyworld. The analysis results show that SNS actual usage directly influence purchase behavior of digital items. SNS users' continuance intention and habit are key drivers to enhance the level of actual usage of the SNS. Both actual and ideal self-image congruity play a key role in enhancing continuance usage and habitual usage. The implication of research and discussions provides reference for SNS providers in marketing and IT strategy.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.61-89
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to analyze the items related to digital reading and information literacy which were measured by PIAAC and PISA, to examine the measurement contents and methods of these literacy items, and to derive the implications for providing reading and information services for librarians at public libraries and teacher librarians. In order to solve the questions measuring digital reading literacy and digital information literacy, respondents commonly needed ICT skills as well as cognitive strategies. However, in digital reading literacy measurement items, the ability to comprehend and critically think about texts was emphasized. And in digital information literacy measurement items, the ability to use ICT skills, navigate, and evaluate whether or not to read the retrieved text was emphasized. Librarians and teacher librarians need to encourage readers to read and provide a customized competencies improvement program to reflect the performance results and characteristics of a particular group. And It is also necessary to improve and develop the library environment so that library user can understand and use library search system and the Korean decimal classification.

• The Journal of Information Systems
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.79-109
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• 2008

Cyworld was successful where others have foiled because of its unique and profitable business model that relies on the purchase of digital items and its ability to mimic and recreate aspects of face-to-face interpersonal relationships among the members of the online community. The purpose of this study is to understand how the needs for self-presentation and needs for affiliation influence digital item purchase intention, and to analyze the moderating roles of gender and purchase experience in those relationships. Based on the theoretical framework including self-presentation theory and theory of affiliation, we developed the research model and proposed ten hypotheses. A survey was conducted with 225 members of Cyworld. The research model and the related hypotheses were tested using Amos. As the result of the analysis, eight hypotheses out of ten hypotheses were supported. In particular, digital item purchase intention in virtual world was found to be affected by both members' needs for self-presentation and needs for affiliation. We also found that the needs for self-presentation is significantly influenced by innovativeness of members, self-efficacy, and group norm. Also, needs for affiliation is significantly affected by self-efficacy, group norm and perceived value. Furthermore, the results indicate that 1) moderating effects of gender on those relationship is supported; and 2) moderating effects of purchase experience is partially identified. This study provides several implications for academic community and practitioners to understand why the community members pay real money for their digital items as well as how the sales of digital items can be increased in online communities. Some study limitations and future research directions are also discussed.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.25-36
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• 2020

Purpose: Based on previous researches on social factors of digital item purchase in digital contents distribution platforms such as SNS, we aim to develop the integrated model that accounts for the dynamic and interactive relationship between social structure indicators and digital item purchase. Research design, data and methodology: A PVAR model was used to capture endogenous and dynamic relationships between digital item purchase and network indicators. Results: We find that there exist considerable endogenous and dynamic relationships between digital item purchase and network structure variables. Not only lagged in-degree and out-degree but also in-closeness and out-closeness centrality have significant and positive impacts on digital item purchase. Lagged clustering has a significant and negative effect on digital item purchase. Lagged purchase has a significant and positive impact just on the present in-closeness and out-closeness centrality; but there is no significant effect of lagged purchase on the other two degree variables and clustering coefficient. We also find that both closeness centralities have much higher carryover effect on digital item purchase and that the elasticity of both closeness centralities on the purchase of digital items is even higher than that of other network structure variables. Conclusions: In-closeness and out-closeness are the most influential factors among social structure variables of this study on digital item purchase.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.707-718
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• 2022

The metaverse is emerging as the next digital environment for people not only to interact and collaborate with others, but also to have virtual consumption experiences. In this study, virtual fashion items for the consumer's digital self are deemed significant products with consumption value. Drawing from the regulatory focus theory, this study examines how consumers' promotion and prevention focus influence value perception and buying behaviors of virtual fashion items in the metaverse context. The data were collected through an online survey. A total of 546 consumers in their twenties who are aware of the metaverse responded to a self-administered questionnaire. The results showed that promotion focus influenced all the perceived consumption values of virtual fashion items such as the economic, visual authority, hedonic, and social value, whereas prevention focus influenced only the visual authority value. Visual authority value negatively affected both purchase intention and willingness to pay premium price, while others had a positive effect. The findings provide theoretical evidence that consumers' regulatory focus is critical in buying virtual fashion items and suggest that marketers devise effective strategies to stimulate consumers' regulatory focus and to emphasize the economic, hedonic, and social value of the items in the metaverse context.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.15-24
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• 2023

Digital therapeutics (DTx) are utilized to replace or supplement drug therapy to treat patients. DTx are developed as a mobile application for portability and convenience. The government requires security verification to be performed on digital medical devices that manage sensitive information during the transmission and storage of patient data. Although safety verification is included in the approval process for DTx, the cybersecurity checklist used as a reference does not reflect the characteristics of mobile applications. This poses the risk of potentially overlooking vulnerabilities during security verification. This study aims to address this issue by comparing and analyzing existing items based on the mobile tactics, techniques, and procedures of MITRE ATT&CK, which manages globally known and occurring vulnerabilities through regular updates. We identify 16 items that require improvement and expand the checklist to 29 items to propose improvement measures. The findings of this study may contribute to the safe development and advancement of DTx for managing sensitive patient information.