2007 Annual International CHRIE Conference & Exposition
318
CONCLUSION
The study found that airlines’ positioning differentiation strategy has an effect on customers’ cognitive
process or “schematic process”. The image differentiation positioning of K airline and schematic processes (
Schema
plus tag
and
Subtyping
) have influenced the customers’ attitude and behavior. In addition, this study also concluded
that consumers’ attitude and behavior are related not only to the objective information
and facts, but also to their
own subjective schema. Further,
“Subtyping
” has a stronger effect on “Attitude” and “Behavior” than “
Schema plus
tag
” in terms of airlines’ image differentiation positioning. This study’s findings are considerably meaningful in
academia since it researched the cognitive structure of consumers which is a fundamental theory of schema.
Therefore, the image differentiation positioning strategy has a positive effect on the schematic process. For this
reason, it would rather have a process on accommodation (
Subtyping
) than assimilation (
Schema plus tag
). Image
differentiation positioning of K airline makes customers’ schematic process positively influence the customers’
attitude and behavior. The study will be considerably meaningful in academic aspects because research points out
that cognitive structure of customers is a fundamental theory in cognitive psychology. Particularly, the study on the
relationship between the strategy of image positioning differentiation,
schema theory, and customers’ attitude and
behavior is very significant for the airline industry. This study provides an evidence to further our understanding of
the role that schema theory may have on the hospitality and tourism field. The approach of psychological theory is
very effective to present essential strategic alternatives to practical applications.
The study has some limitations. First of all, only two flights were selected in the collection of data. In
addition, convenience sampling was used as a sampling method. This suggests that the results of this study may not
be generalized to the entire industry. However, the results suggest several recommendations for future research.
First, it would be very useful if image attribute of airlines-price, safety, and mileage were considered as measurable
factors. Since K airline tried
to change its corporate image, adding five factors in order to build new corporate
image, the first recommendation for future research is quiet necessary. Second, a study could be conducted with a
broader sample of customers to identify the different image attributes of airlines. Thirds, this study examined the
relationship between the
‘Image differentiation positioning strategy’
of K airline and customers’ schematic process.
Future study could also approach in terms of other ‘differentiation positioning’ strategies because there are more
necessary and effective differentiation positioning strategies such as
‘Differentiation positioning strategy by
competitor’, ‘Differentiation positioning strategy by product class’
, ‘
Differentiation positioning strategy by use or
application
’(Aaker & Myers, 1982). Lastly, this study provides an evidence to further our understanding of the role
that schema theory applied to Hospitality and tourism field. This is because the approach of psychology and
field is
very effective to present essential strategic alternatives and practical applications despite several limitations.
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