Design, Housing, and Merchandising
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Apparel Store Interior and Display Preferences of Taiwanese Living in the U.S.
In today's global environment, there is an increasing awareness of differences in consumer preferences for merchandise and for store environments. Understanding cultural preferences forms the foundation for successful merchandising strategies. The purpose of this exploratory study was to identify and describe visual merchandising and store characteristics preferred by Taiwanese consumers shopping in Taiwan and in the United States. Data collection consisted of observations made at 29 apparel stores in Taiwan and of shopping preference surveys from 30 adult Taiwanese.
Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Preferences common to 80% or more respondents are reported as general characteristics. Findings related to store interiors and visual merchandising include: lighting used to emphasize merchandise and displays; spatial patterns that create an illusion of openness; consistency between store image, interior components, and merchandise; merchandise displays that avoided clutter and mixing of merchandise types and sizes; and use of displays to illustrate matching of apparel and accessories.
Generalizations regarding the consumers include a preference for: items being displayed as matched groups with appropriate accessories; stores having an open feeling; "warm" lighting and a corresponding dislike for dim lighting or "bright white" florescent lighting. Mass merchandise and discount stores are tolerated only because of their price point. Taiwanese consumers in the U.S. have shopping preferences consistent with those of the Taiwanese stores. Findings indicate that retailers seeking to develop Taiwanese consumer markets should consider aesthetic preferences and merchandise price points. Designers of retail stores should understand the need for researching the target market before initiating a design project.
Sponsor: State of Oklahoma
PI: Cheryl Farr
Communication Links Providing Critical Information Needed to Develop Successful Export Marketing Strategies
The purpose of the study was to determine the involvement of west south central (AK, LA, OK, TX) apparel manufacturers in international business, to understand their communication styles and nonverbal behavior with buyers, and to assess educational needs related to developing successful communication strategies. The conceptual framework used for the study was developed from communications behavior and communication styles literature (Kale & Barns, 1992; Sheth, 1976, 1983). Null hypotheses were based on differences between large and small manufacturers and between exporting and non-exporting manufacturers with regards to communication styles, behaviors, and educational needs. Using chi-square analysis, hypotheses were tested at p < .1 and p < .05 levels of significance. The survey was sent to 162 apparel manufacturers' corporate offices in the west south central region. Results showed that manufacturers indicated a strong need for training in developing export markets and language proficiency. Overall, exporting and non-exporting manufacturers were aware that nonverbal communication behavior was important for successful business transactions with buyers. As a whole, manufacturers represented a combination of interaction-oriented and task-oriented styles of communication. Significant difference existed between small and large manufacturers' responses to the tradition-oriented style of communication with more small than large manufacturers reporting rituals as unimportant during sales transactions.
Sponsor: State of Oklahoma
PI: Cheryl Farr
Culture and Resettlement
Development of a grounded theory of factors affecting cultural dissonance and the coping mechanism in resettlement. The methodological framework consists of interdisciplinary investigation of the central concepts pertinent to resettlement. Various forms of resettlement of cultures and subcultures, such as military, elderly, Native Americans, and refugees, need to be addressed in order to gain the cross-cultural insights on a cultural dissonance.
Sponsor: State of Oklahoma
PI: Rula Awwad-Rafferty
Developing Multicultural Leaders for the Human Agricultural Sciences
In an effort to expand and enhance the quality of life and the leadership skills of undergraduate students, this project combines two land grant universities, OSU and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, and is designed to enhance global perspectives of undergraduate students. Through conferences, community projects, monthly meetings, and personal exploration, the 31 students are gaining experience and education in dealing with the diverse population of the world and will become proactive members of society. Undergraduate students have an opportunity to experience differences first-hand and to become educated on how to most effectively approach the challenges facing society today. Through this program, the students are exploring the scientific base of the Human and Agricultural Sciences.
Sponsor: University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
PI: Margaret Weber
Employer Provided Housing: Spousal Differences in Housing Satisfaction
The purpose of this study was to identify differences between the perceptions of the employee and the employee's spouse with regards to housing preferences (ideals) and level of satisfaction with current housing. A proportional, stratified, random sample of employees and spouses from one Oklahoma organization having over 500 units of employee housing was used for the survey. Stratification was based on population size of the town in which the housing was located, the job description within the organization, gender of the employee, and marital status.
A total of 748 questionnaires were sent to 399 households (399 employees and 349 spouses). There were 438 usable questionnaires received for a 58.5% return rate. The respondents were distributed proportionally among the strata. Respondents represented 263 households, 65.9% of the households surveyed. The difference between this response rate and the total return rate was due to only one member of a married household returning their questionnaire. Data were coded so that paired responses could be used. Dillman's (1978) method for instrument design and data collection was used. Liket-type scales were used to measure levels of satisfaction with specific features in the current housing and to measure desirability of the same features in the housing ideal.
Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square. Findings indicated there were differences between the employee and the spouse in preferences for the ideal housing and between the levels of satisfaction with the current housing. For the ideal housing situation, variables viewed as more important to the spouse than to the employee included being close to work, near fire/police protection, close to hospitals, and close to family; employees viewed having housing as good as the homes of people they work with as more important.
Sponsors: The Oklahoma United Methodist Church and Oklahoma Family Community Education Association
PIs: Cheryl Farr and Sarah Kirby
Enhancing Health and Safety Through Personal Protective Equipment
Two studies were completed in fiscal year 1995. The first project compared findings from three previous protective glove studies. In all three studies, four prototype glove systems were worn by male volunteer college students in an environmental chamber with the temperature controlled at 31+2 degrees C and a relative humidity of 78+2%, simulating warm humid conditions.
The methodology and Latin Square repeated measures experimental design for each study was established not only to evaluate specific prototype designs but also to permit comparisons across all three studies to probe larger questions. In general, all studies showed the potential merit of artificial-cooling for lowering hand skin temperature for short time periods. However, skin temperature did increase over the experiment, regardless of the presence of the liner, the extent of the coolant, and the location on the hand. But, skin temperature varied by location. The presence of the liners was determined to be beneficial in reducing subjects' perception of moistness within the glove system. One liner design negatively impacted subjects' manual dexterity performance.
In conclusion, data analyses substantiated the potential merit of artificial-cooling, a liner, and a glove system for simultaneously addressing protection and human factor issues for chemical protective gloves. The second study was a thermal comfort study. Eight volunteers wore garment treatment ensembles composed of four different fabrics in three different environments during a protocol of acclimation, exercise, and recovery/rest. The four fabrics were suitable to be worn next to the skin. The three environments were comfortable (23 degrees C, 50% RH), hot-dry (32.2 degrees C, 50% RH) and hot-humid (32.2 degrees C, 70% RH). Perceived sensations relating to tactile, wetness, thermal, and overall clothing comfort as well as skin temperature at six different body sites and garment pre- and post-weights were assessed over time.
An analysis of variance (ANOVA) found significant differences by environmental condition for four tactile descriptors, wetness sensation, thermal sensation, all skin temperature locations, and pre-and post-weights of garments. In all cases, the highest means occurred in the hot-humid environment, followed by hot-dry and comfortable environments. Dependent variables significant by fabric were four tactile descriptors, overall clothing, comfort, and pre- and post-weights of garments.
Sponsor: Agricultural Experiment Station
PI: Donna Branson
Patterson Mercantile Company
Data has been collected concerning the history of the Patterson Mercantile Company within the Creek Nation, Indian Territory. Preliminary results delineate the rise of the Patterson Mercantile to preeminence within the Muskogee business community, the presence of corporate branch stores in Eufaula (Patterson and Foley) and Atoka (Robb Mercantile Company), and the subsequent demise of the corporation in 1913.
Sponsor: State of Oklahoma
PI: Lynne Richards
Quality Standards: Communications Between Indian Producer-Exporters and U.S. Importers
India's economic growth through increased apparel exports provides employment for workers living a marginal existence and improves the economics for many families. To effectively contract production, U.S. importers need to understand the Indian organizational set-up, communication practices, and the corresponding effect on product quality. The purpose was to identify and describe production related communication practices used by Indian producer-exporters to communicate quality standards within their organizations. Thirty-five producer-exporters were interviewed in or near Madras, India. Open ended questions avoided limiting responses and provided for follow-up questions. Responses were recorded for reference and content analysis.
Descriptive statistics and Yin's pattern matching logic were used to identify and describe communications practices and related quality outcomes. Two types of communications practices were identified. Each type is associated with specific production practices related to the use of contractors. Understanding producer-exporter practices enables U.S. importers to identify Indian organizations that best communicate quality standards that meet expectations.
Sponsors: American Association for Family and Consumer Science and Lela O'Toole Scholarship
PI: Cheryl Farr
Retailing as a Career: The Role of the Internship
The purpose of the study was to determine retail internship characteristics that contribute most to career progress in the retail field. Participants in the study were 187 retail middle managers who were former interns with a national department store retailer. Participants completed a 10-page, self-administered questionnaire. Findings indicated significant relationships between internship work site and managers' current levels of responsibility. Internship job autonomy was related to current rate of advancement and job feedback was related to current job satisfaction. Internship supervisor support contributed to current job satisfaction. Each of the internship job characteristics--variety, autonomy, task identity and feedback, and supervisor support--were found to be significantly associated with compensation growth, level of responsibility, and rate of advancement. Gender, marital status, and overall GPA were significantly related to compensation growth.
Sponsor: Brigham Young University
PI: Shiretta Ownbey
San Francisco Chinese-American Consumers
The project involved investigation of (a) shopping orientations of adult, Chinese- and Filipino-American consumers living in San Francisco, (b) their acculturation levels, and (c) relationships between acculturation levels and shopping orientations. The project was a follow-up to an exploratory study conducted previously with Chinese-American consumers in Los Angeles (N=154) on shopping orientations and cultural values. A mail survey sent to a San Francisco random sample (N=124) included the Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale (SL-ASIA), a Shopping Orientation Scale including 41 psychographic statements, and demographic items. Analysis of data and dissemination of results were the focus for 1994-1995.
The first component of the study involved in-depth testing of the SL-ASIA Scale, which had previously only been tested with university student samples. Validity and reliability tests showed the SL-ASIA to be a useful instrument for assessing the acculturation levels of Asian-Americans. These findings suggest that Asian-American consumers may not readily change their shopping orientations as acculturation occurs. A third component of the project involved the combination of data from the Los Angeles and the San Francisco projects and statistical analysis, which focused on segmenting the Chinese-American consumer markets of Los Angeles and San Francisco according to shopping orientations.
Factor analysis procedures were employed, frequencies for each shopping orientation segment were generated, and results were compared to those of Valencia (1982), who investigated the shopping orientations of Hispanic and Anglo-American consumers using the same shopping orientation statements that were the focus of this study.
Sponsor: State of Oklahoma
PI: Shiretta Ownbey
Textile Dyes Available from Plants in Oklahoma's Natural Environment
Building upon data from a previous research project concerning natural dyes used during Oklahoma's territorial period, an exhaustive search for additional dye sources has been initiated. Wild plants are being tested for textile coloring in relation to plant part, mordants, heat processing, fermentation, pH manipulation, and light fastness. After ten months, approximately 1,700 dye samples had been produced using this methodology.
Sponsors: State of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, and Howard Hughes Foundation
PIs: Lynne Richards
Ronald Tyrl (College of Arts and Sciences)
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