The Role of VR Shopping in Digitalization of SCM for Sustainable Management: Application of SOR Model and Experience Economy
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Dear Authors,
The article is interesting, but several changes should be made:
1. the authors topic is valid, but the abstract should be made more precise.
2. you should describe in more detail what research gap the article fills.
3. describe what your article brings to the topic compared to other published material on the topic?
4. the authors should consider extending the methodology and propose a scheme to illustrate this aspect.
5. please complete the conclusions so that they are consistent with the arguments presented.
6. the literature should be expanded to include studies conducted in the areas concerned in selected countries, and extended to e-commerce.
Articles that can provide guidance for analysis in the areas under study, e.g.: http://dx.doi.org/10.35808/ersj/2918, may be helpful.
7. please ask the authors to carefully correct all my comments.
Author Response
- The authors’ topic is valid, but the abstract should be made more precise.
Answer: First of all, thank you for your time reviewing our paper and for your important comment. We specifically added the purpose of the study, research method, and implications of the study to the abstract as follows.
- This study implements a VR shopping environment to examine how telepresence and interactivity affect consumers’ usage behavior after experiencing a VR shopping environment by applying SOM model and experience economy and suggests the role of VR shopping in digitalization of SCM for sustainable management.
- As a research method for this study, we directly implemented a VR supermarket, and had 120 people participate in the survey after experiencing the VR supermarket. Also, a structural equation model was used to verify the proposed hypothesis model.
- In other words, in order to digitize SCM for sustainable management in a VR shopping environment, it is necessary to implement an environment in which consumers are immersed and to track consumer behavior during the experience. Through this, it is possible to create a core management strategy that creates a competitive advantage.
- You should describe in more detail what research gap the article fills.
Answer: Thank you for your comments. We explained the research gap like directly implemented VR supermarket and the different perspective of this study with other study as follows.
- As such, some global retailers are attempting a challenge to create a new shopping culture that combines Virtual Realty technology. However, since the possibility of sustainable management in response to these challenges has not been verified, the reality is that it remains a short-term implementation.
- In this study, from a long-term perspective, we seek to find important variables for creating consumer experiences for sustainable management of VR shopping malls, and suggest the role of VR shopping for the digitization of corporate SCM.
- The contribution of this study is that it directly implemented VR supermarket and researched a distribution environment incorporating virtual reality based new technology beyond the online distribution in the global environment of digital transformation.
- .In addition, in previous studies, there were many studies focused on the new technology acceptance model from the perspective of acceptance of new technology[1-3].
- Literature review and hypothesis development (self-addition by necessity)
Answer: Thanks to the reviewer's other comments, we perceived the need for further explanation of the theoretical background. Therefore, we added prior research related to time distortion and flow in part of 2.2 as follows.
- Many scholars argue that people who experience flow experience appear to exist outside of time, as if they were lost in time [26].
- This phenomenon is called time distortion, which means that participants who have participated in an experience lose their sense of time and perceive that time has passed quickly [27].
- Ornstein argued that successful experiences are better organized in memory than unsuccessful experiences, and that memories of good experiences are perceived as taking less time because they occupy less cortical space [37]. In other words, optimal experience is accompanied by a loss of self-consciousness [26].
- Flow is a key characteristic and strength of VR experience that is different from general physical experience [27].
- On the other hand, the relationship between time distortion and flow has a consistent argument. The flow experience causes time distortion due to immersion and concentration during user engagement [38,39].
- A VR tourism study by [40] argued that flow is a steady state of inclusive immersion that engages users' curiosity and distorts time while experiencing VR tourism.
- In Fang and Huang's study, attention, control, entertainment, and time distortion were presented as factors to measure the user's immersion level [27]. In other words, time distortion is an indispensable subjective perception of the user's flow experience.
- Describe what your article brings to the topic compared to other published material on the topic?
Answer: Thank to you for pointing out your insightful comments. This answer is connected to question 2. Here, we add the explanation of suggestion.
- Preceding studies related to the VR shopping environment have mainly focused on the technical level for improving telepresence [58-60]. Also, implications for consumers' technology acceptance of new technologies were presented based on the technology acceptance model theory [1-3].
- In other word, the role of VR shopping in digitalization of SCM is important core business strategy to create the sustainable competitive advantage.
- In particular, consumer behavior tracking is necessary for digitalization of SCM in the VR shopping environment, and for consumer behavior tracking, psychological techniques must be accompanied to realize the consumer's immersed experience in the VR shopping environment.
- In summary, it should be implemented as an immersive environment by distorting the flow of time as a kind of 'illusion' that allows consumers to feel as if the virtual environment is real. This process needs to be improved through continuous digitalization management of SCM.
- The authors should consider extending the methodology an propose a scheme to illustrate this aspect.
Answer: Thank you for your meaningful comments. Considering future expanded research, we propose a study on management strategies for digitalization of SCM by implementing an improved VR shopping environment that can improve immersion.
- In future studies, based on the results of this study, it is possible to present an improved VR shopping environment through digitalization of SCM and to present specific marketing strategies for sustainable management.
- Please complete the conclusions so that they are consistent with the arguments presented.
Answer: Thank you for your comments. We have presented a coherent discussion in detail as a follows.
- Through the study results, we recommend strategies for the new paradigm of future VR shopping environments and the role of VR shopping in digitalization of SCM for sustainable management.
- In other word, the role of VR shopping in digitalization of SCM is important core business strategy to create the sustainable competitive advantage. In particular, consumer behavior tracking is necessary for digitalization of SCM in the VR shopping environment and for consumer behavior tracking, psychological techniques must be accompanied to realize the consumer's immersed experience in the VR shopping environment.
- In summary, it should be implemented as an immersive environment by distorting the flow of time as a kind of 'illusion' that allows consumers to feel as if the virtual environment is real. This process needs to be improved through continuous digitalization management of SCM.
- The literature should be expanded to include studies conducted in the areas concerned in selected countries, and extended to e-commerce.
Answer: Thank you for pointing out your important comments. We've suggested the study of new strategy of e-commerce by reflecting this result.
- In addition, it is expected that it is meaningful study if an attempt is made from a new strategic viewpoint by newly reflecting the results of this study beyond the existing strategic viewpoint of e-commerce (e.g., omni-channel).
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Thank you very much for the opportunity to read this paper. The theme is interesting and contemporary.
Introduction: The introduction section is not well documented. The study lacks an explanation of existing knowledge. The problem statement is not clear, which does not help to attract readers.
Literature review and hypothesis development: The literature review is poorly founded and the works are quite old, some over 20 years old. In developing hypotheses, necessary argumentation for the development of more relevant hypotheses.
Methodology and results: There is a repetition of the numbering of section 4.3 (lines 251 and 270). The discussion is not well presented, lacks the comparison of the current result with empirical and similar past results.
Conclusion: The theoretical contribution and implications, particularly in knowledge creation, were not presented. Thus, the study needs modification in these two areas.
Reference: There are some problems with references:
· line 33 - incomplete reference
. the amount of references is small, only 49 in total
· over 60% are old (31 out of 49), some over 10 years old and others over 20 years old.
Author Response
- Introduction: The introduction section is not well documented. The study lacks an explanation of existing knowledge. The problem statement is not clear, which does not help to attract readers.
Answer: First of all, thank you for your time reviewing our paper and for your important comment. We specifically added the purpose of the study, research method, and implications of the study to the abstract as follows.
- This study implements a VR shopping environment to examine how telepresence and interactivity affect consumers’ usage behavior after experiencing a VR shopping environment by applying SOM model and experience economy and suggests the role of VR shopping in digitalization of SCM for sustainable management.
- As a research method for this study, we directly implemented a VR supermarket, and had 120 people participate in the survey after experiencing the VR supermarket. Also, a structural equation model was used to verify the proposed hypothesis model.
- In other words, in order to digitize SCM for sustainable management in a VR shopping environment, it is necessary to implement an environment in which consumers are immersed and to track consumer behavior during the experience. Through this, it is possible to create a core management strategy that creates a competitive advantage.
Also, we explained the research gap like directly implemented VR supermarket and the different perspective of this study with other study as follows.
- As such, some global retailers are attempting a challenge to create a new shopping culture that combines Virtual Realty technology. However, since the possibility of sustainable management in response to these challenges has not been verified, the reality is that it remains a short-term implementation.
- In this study, from a long-term perspective, we seek to find important variables for creating consumer experiences for sustainable management of VR shopping malls, and suggest the role of VR shopping for the digitization of corporate SCM.
- The contribution of this study is that it directly implemented VR supermarket and researched a distribution environment incorporating virtual reality based new technology beyond the online distribution in the global environment of digital transformation.
- .In addition, in previous studies, there were many studies focused on the new technology acceptance model from the perspective of acceptance of new technology[1-3].
- Literature review and hypothesis development: The literature review is poorly founded and the works are quite old, some over 20 years old. In developing hypotheses, necessary argumentation for the development of more relevant hypotheses.
Answer: Thank to you for pointing out your insightful comments. after seeing the opinions suggested by the reviewer, and we recognizing the need for prior research related to time distortion and flow, the related prior research was added in part of 2.2 as follows.
- Many scholars argue that people who experience flow experience appear to exist outside of time, as if they were lost in time [26].
- This phenomenon is called time distortion, which means that participants who have participated in an experience lose their sense of time and perceive that time has passed quickly [27].
- Ornstein argued that successful experiences are better organized in memory than unsuccessful experiences, and that memories of good experiences are perceived as taking less time because they occupy less cortical space [37]. In other words, optimal experience is accompanied by a loss of self-consciousness [26].
- Flow is a key characteristic and strength of VR experience that is different from general physical experience [27].
- On the other hand, the relationship between time distortion and flow has a consistent argument. The flow experience causes time distortion due to immersion and concentration during user engagement [38,39].
- A VR tourism study by [40] argued that flow is a steady state of inclusive immersion that engages users' curiosity and distorts time while experiencing VR tourism.
- In Fang and Huang's study, attention, control, entertainment, and time distortion were presented as factors to measure the user's immersion level [27]. In other words, time distortion is an indispensable subjective perception of the user's flow experience.
- Methodology and results: There is a repetition of the numbering of section 4.3 line 251 and 270). The discussion is not well presented, lacks the comparison of the current result with empirical and similar past results.
Answer: Thank you for your comments. We corrected it right away.
- Conclusion: The theoretical contribution and implications, particularly in knowledge creation, were not presented. Thus, the study needs modification in these two areas.
Answer: Thank you for your meaningful comments of this study. In more detail than before, we have supplemented the overall content by presenting theoretical implications through comparison with previous studies and this study, organizing consistent contents, presenting specific implications, and suggestions for future research as follows.
- Preceding studies related to the VR shopping environment have mainly focused on the technical level for improving telepresence [58-60]. Also, implications for consumers' technology acceptance of new technologies were presented based on the technology acceptance model theory [1-3].
- In other word, the role of VR shopping in digitalization of SCM is important core business strategy to create the sustainable competitive advantage.
- In particular, consumer behavior tracking is necessary for digitalization of SCM in the VR shopping environment, and for consumer behavior tracking, psychological techniques must be accompanied to realize the consumer's immersed experience in the VR shopping environment.
- In summary, it should be implemented as an immersive environment by distorting the flow of time as a kind of 'illusion' that allows consumers to feel as if the virtual environment is real. This process needs to be improved through continuous digitalization management of SCM.
- First, with regard to limitations and proposals for future studies, as the sample consisted of college students in their 20s, future studies can consider using a wider range of generational age groups.
- In future studies, based on the results of this study, it is possible to present an improved VR shopping environment through digitalization of SCM and to present specific marketing strategies for sustainable management.
- In addition, it is expected that it is meaningful study if an attempt is made from a new strategic viewpoint by newly reflecting the results of this study beyond the existing strategic viewpoint of e-commerce (e.g., omni-channel).
- Reference: There are some problems with references:
- Line 33 : incomplete reference
- The amount of references is small, only 49 in total
- Over 60% are old(31 out of 49), some over 10 years old and others over 20 years old.
Answer: Thank you for your comments. We complete reference in line 43(33 before editing). Also, the number has been increased from 49 references to 60. Also, we have included many references within the last 10 years by increasing the number of references to 60.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 2 Report
Thank you for accepting the suggestions for improvement. I believe that this way the article brings a better theoretical contribution. Congratulations!
