Browsing by Subject "AU Journal of Management -- 2013"
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    The acceptance of cosmetic surgery : a study on Thai women in Bangkok
    (Assumption University, 2013) Wareerath Akkalatham ; Assumption University. Martin de Tours School of Management and Economics
    The business of cosmetic surgery has now become a very lucrative and fast-paced industry as appearance-enhancing treatments and procedures have become increasingly popular around the world. A number of cosmetic surgery clinics and hospitals are now competing against one another to capture a share of the multi-billion dollar cosmetic surgery market. Thailand has been one of the most sought after countries for cosmetic surgery and ranks among the top 20 countries for cosmetic surgery procedures worldwide. The main aim of this study is to examine the relationship between intrapersonal and interpersonal factors which influence the acceptance of cosmetic surgery among Thai women. This research study examined the relationship between psychological characteristics, sociocultural influences, cosmetic sur- gery experiences, body appearances, body image, demographic variables and respondents' acceptance of cosmetic surgery. The 437 non-clinical respondents in this study are exclusively Thai women who have undergone cosmetic surgery in the past or who are likely to undergo cosmetic sometime soon. The data was gathered from 13 cosmetic surgery clinics and hospitals located in different parts of Bangkok. Narcissism, appearance orientation and body area satisfaction were significantly related to the acceptance of cosmetic surgery. Respondents with vicarious experiences were more favorable toward accepting cosmetic surgery. The findings showed statistical differences in the demographic variables of age, income, occupation, vicarious experiences with respondents' perception of body image and their acceptance of cosmetic surgery. Consumers who accept cosmetic surgery show a marked tendency for facial treatments (rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty) rather than surgery related to their bodies. This exploratory study will help develop new research paradigms in consumer research, interna- tional marketing, and managerial practices. Marketers can use this study's findings to better understand the nature of Thai female consumers and to segment and target those consumers who have favorable attitude toward enhancing their appearance.
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    The determinants of credit spread changes of investment grade corporate bonds in Thailand between June 2006 and February 2012 : an application of the regime switching model
    (Assumption University, 2013) Treerapot Kongtoranin ; Assumption University. Martin de Tours School of Management and Economics
    This study proposes the two-state regime-switching model to explain the change of credit spread for investment grade corporate bonds in Thailand. The regimes of low and high volatility are extracted by Markov switching model. The results suggest that the model can improve explanatory power. The sensitivities of the risk factors including interest rate, macroeconomic, and liquidity factors increase in the high volatility regime rather than in the low regime. However, the liquidity factors are not significant for low credit rating corporate bonds.
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    The determinants of subordinates' perceived leadership styles in small and medium enterprises in Thailand
    (Assumption University, 2013) Tanawat Teepapal ; Assumption University. Martin de Tours School of Management and Economics
    This study aims to examine the determinant factors of perceived leadership style in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand. Discriminant analysis results showed that leaders who used different leader- ship styles (coercive, authoritative, affiliative, democratic, pacesetting and coaching) had different degrees of emotional intelligence, personality traits, adversity quotient, and ethics ofleadership.
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    Factors affecting british expatriates' adjustment in Thailand
    (Assumption University, 2013) Yanida Siamwalla ; Assumption University. Martin de Tours School of Management and Economics
    Building on literature relating to expatriate adjustment, this study attempted to identify factors that affect individualistic expatriate responses to cross-cultural adjustment in a collectivist culture. This study examines empirically the degree to which 387 British expatriates have adjusted themselves in terms of interaction, general/cultural and work adjustment in Thailand. It also analyzes the expatriates' adjustment antecedents which are personal factors, work related factors and cultural factors. Multiple regression analysis exhibited that expatriates' work related adjustment were affected by spouse and family adjustment, social support and role discretion. The cultural factors showed no effects on all dimensions of British expatriates' adjustment. Implications for future research and practice are dis- cussed.
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    The firm's characteristics, corporate governance and dividend payment : evidence from nonfinancial firms listed in Thailand during 2001 to 2010
    (Assumption University, 2013) Chanasit Thanathawee ; Assumption University. Martin de Tours School of Management and Economics
    Studies conducted in developed countries have dominated the literature on the detenninants of dividend payment. Nonetheless, there is much variation in corporate governance between developed and developing countries. The primary objective of this study is to explore the effect of firm characteristics and corporate governance factors on dividend payment in Thailand. The conceptual model in this study integrates important elements which affect the dividend payment, testing firms listed on the Stock Ex- change of Thailand (SET) between 2001 and 20 I 0, using 1,525 observations. Results indicate that there are four independent variables which influence dividend payment, consisting of three firm characteristics variables and one corporate governance variable. The results of this study provide benefits to two main parties, the investors and the management involved in the payment of dividends in the company. Basi- cally, investors would be able to select stocks which meet their criteria if they know the factors which influence dividend payment. Moreover, the management teams can attract value stock investors by maintaining the factors influencing high dividend payment
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    Impact of perceived service on brand image and repurchase intentions of Thai passengers towards low cost carriers
    (Assumption University, 2013) Shanyalak Sangkatat Na Ayutthaya ; Assumption University. Martin de Tours School of Management and Economics
    Since the application of the Open Sky Policy in 2002, Low Cost Carriers (LCCs) have been gaining a progressive market share in Thailand. However the numbers of academic researchers in this field are limited, the researcher hence focused on Thai passengers traveling on LCCs to explore new knowledge. Based on a comprehensive literature review, the conceptual model investigated whether the perceived service quality affects airline brand image and repurchase intention of Thai passengers was developed and tested in LCCs sector. Data from four hundred travelers was obtained and statistically analyzed; a regression analysis aided in examining the impacts of tested variables. The results revealed that the perceived service quality of Thai passengers had a significant impact on the LCCs' brand image, with the empathy aspect being the most critical factor. Besides, the carriers' brand image proved to have an influence on passengers' repurchase intention. The brand evaluation dimension provided the stron- gest support, whereas brand experience, brand expectation and brand strength were also statistically significant in explaining Thai passengers' repeat patronage.
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    The influence of customer experience on behavioral response in lifestyle centers in Bangkok
    (Assumption University, 2013) Amornrat Pattarakitham ; Assumption University. Martin de Tours School of Management and Economics
    The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of customer experience on consumer behav- ior towards lifestyle centers in Bangkok using the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-0-R) model. In addition, the influences of the stimuli such as mall environment, customer-to-customer interaction, and mall tenant mix (variety), on behavioral response (revisit intention and desire to stay) were found in this study. A self-administered questionnaire was employed to collect data from customers who had visited lifestyle centers in Bangkok area in the period during which the study was conducted. The survey period was during January 2013, and 492 questionnaires were used to analyze the data by using a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. Results show that affective dimension of customer experience has the greatest influence on the revisit intention and the desire to stay. Mall tenant mix (variety) has the greatest influence on the affective dimension of customer experience, followed by store social interac- tion, and the ambient factor. Customer-to-customer interaction also influences both the revisit intention and the desire to stay but has a lesser influence on the desire to stay than the ambient factor.
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    Modeling adoption intention of online education in Thailand using the extended decomposed theory of planned behavior (DTPB) with self-directed learning
    (Assumption University, 2013) Bussagorn Leejoeiwara ; Assumption University. Martin de Tours School of Management and Economics
    This study aimed to explore the determinants of online education adoption based upon the ex- tended Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior with self-directed learning attributes. Quantitative research method was employed for data collection from a sample of 542 students in Thailand. Data was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Results showed that all four main variables based on the extended DTPB with self-directed learning were significantly related to adoption intention. How- ever, perceived relative advantage and perceived trialability were found to be insignificantly related to attitude towards online education. Interpersonal influences include peers, family, and the community were found to be significantly related to subjective norms, while superiors' influence was not. In addi- tion, self-efficacy, technology and resources facilitations were found to be significantly related to per- ceived behavioral control, and subsequently related to adoption intention towards online education. Surprisingly, more importance was given to factors such as whether online education is personally and socially compatible, simple to use, and seeing other people studying online. Interpersonal referents are influential factors rather than external referents in the students' decisions, with the exception of more distant relationships with superiors or employers. Findings also indicate that if Thai students are autono- mous learners (self-directed learning), have confidence in their capabilities, and have sufficient resources as well as technological facilitations, they are more likely to have intention to adopt online education. This study then provides discussion on both academic and practical implications based on the findings.
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    The relationship between price deals, perceived quality, and brand equity for a high involvement product
    (Assumption University, 2013) Rachata Rungtrakulchai ; Assumption University. Martin de Tours School of Management and Economics
    This study aimed to investigate the impact of price deals and perceived quality on the brand equity in the context of brand knowledge and brand associations. This study extends the previous litera- ture on brand equity by focusing on how a consumer perceives brand in high involvement products. Eighteen face-to-face interviews were conducted to identify the product category for a high involvement product. Three hundreds and eighty-six sets of questionnaires were usable and completed. The findings supported that price deals and perceived quality are important factors which create the associations that consumers make with a brand in order to create brand equity.
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    The relationships of financial assets in financial markets during recovery period and financial crisis : evidence from Thailand
    (Assumption University, 2013) Atinuch Kusolpalalert ; Assumption University. Martin de Tours School of Management and Economics
    The aim of this paper is to examine the long run relationship between SET index, gold price, 1- year, 2-year, and 10-year Government Bond Yield (GB), and 1-month and 3-month T-bill rate in Thai's financial market for the period between March 2001-December 2010 using Johansen method and to study their short-run adjustment through the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) in order to find the speed of adjustment towards long run equilibrium. Moreover, this paper also tests the impact on each variable resulting from the changes in other variables by using Impulse Response Function and Variance Decomposition Test. Results found that during economic recovery period, SET index has positive rela- tionship with gold price, 2-year GB yield, and 3-month T-bill rate. Meanwhile, during economic crisis, SET index has a positive relationship with gold price, 1-year, 10-year GB yields, and 3-month T-bill rate. The Vector Error Correction model indicated that in the recovery period SET index rapidly adjust itself back to equilibrium after deviating from long run path, while during crisis period 1-year GB yield is the fastest in adjusting back to long run equilibrium. Moreover, the Impulse Response Function presented that SET index is significantly affected by the shock of itself which is consistent with the Variance Decomposition Test which indicates that the variation of SET index is mainly due to the change ofitself during the recovery period; while during crisis, SET index has a positive response to the shock of itself. Variance Decomposition Test reported that 98.95% of variation of SET index can be explained by its own changes.