Microsoft Word 2007 ichrie conference Proceedings Final-Final 06-06-07. doc

 
INTRODUCTION 
Positioning links special symbols or identities within a core strategy to build image. Positioning is how 
specific products or services are located in the mental perceptions of customers in a certain target market. 
Companies acquire competitive strategy through positioning (Smith & Keegan, 2003) to obtain competitive 
advantage (Kim, 2002) and airlines are no exception. Airlines in Korea have been promoting various positioning 
strategies to build a unified reputation and new image, thus recreating themselves for global competitiveness (Yoo, 
1996). Most studies on positioning analyze three factors of mental image: cognitive, emotional, and active (Grunig, 
1993). Existing positioning studies have certain difficulties unifying their approach because few studies of image 
addressed are ambiguities (Grunig, 1993). It is important to define the thought and cognitive structure of customers 
when image, a key factor on positioning studies, is researched (Han, 1999).
Within the cognitive psychology frame work, Bartlett (1932)’s work was the first to study and mention 
schema, a process of cognitive structure in human beings in his book, 
Remembering
. After Bartlett (1932)’s study, 
Piaget (1952) suggested that schema has a perceptible structure. That is, schema theory is information codified to 
memory, and thought is established as a group of models. Schema has been defined differently by several 
researchers’ studies; however, the common definition of schema is the cognitive structure organizing information in 
the memory process of human beings. Therefore, in order to study image, a cognitive factor of factors on positioning 
studies, schema theory is necessary and essential as this schema theory is an alternative to overcoming ambiguities 
and a rare definition of studies on image. In addition, schema theory has been developed in the cognitive psychology 
area and was extended to other social sciences on the basis of schema (Anderson, 1980; Sherwood & Lee, 2003; 
Stopa & Waters, 2005). Weber and Crocker (1983) studied schematic approach for change of customers’ belief and 
cognition. Fiske and Pavelchak (1984) put emphasis on the schema theory, which has information about cognitive 
belief and emotion. According to Nishida (1999)’s study, schema theory has different characteristics to compare 
culture depending on types of schema. Schema theory can shed light on the influences of reorganizing memory, 
input, re-cognition, and information in terms of some objects or information (Shen, 2004). Shimp (2000) insists that 
these days customers are exposed to a great deal of information related to corporate images, and so corporations 
should analyze how customers deal with, process, interpret, and incorporate such information.