• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.99-117
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• 2012

This study aimed to measure consumer information competency, which indicates consumers' general ability to search and utilize information. The model of this study was constructed in order to identify how consumer information competency influences the efficiency and the effectiveness of external information search. The model was verified with related prior knowledge as a moderator variable in order to understand holistic consumer information search activity. The result of the study is as follows. First, the concept of consumer information competency was constructed with four sub-abilities: define, search, extract, and synthesis & use. The ability of define was the highest, as opposed to the ability of extract, which was the lowest. Second, consumer information competency was lower for women as well as for low family income. The sub-abilities of search and synthesis & use were lower for aging consumers. Third, consumer information competency has positive effects on information search efficiency and effectiveness. Moreover, the efficiency influences the effectiveness positively. Fourth, prior knowledge moderates the effect of consumer information competency to the efficiency. Only for consumers with high knowledge the efficiency has the effect of mediating between consumer information competency and the effectiveness.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.1-20
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• 2018

The purposes of this study were to investigate the intensity of middle school students' consumer competency and to assess effectiveness of Home Economics education on consumer competency. One group pretest-posttest quasi experimental design was employed to assess the effectiveness of Home Economics education on 1st grade middle school students' consumer competency in Gyeonggi province and 154 data copies were used for analyses. The results obtained were as follows. First, the cognitive consumer competency of the middle school 1st grade students was lower than the median of 37.66 out of 100 points, and the practical consumer competency was slightly higher than the median of 3.26 out of 5 points. As for cognitive competency, citizen competency was higher than deal competency. As for practical competency, deal competency was higher than citizen competency. Second, quasi-experiment intervention statistically enhanced the middle school students' consumer competency including the cognitive and practical competency. Third, the middle school students' perceived helpfulness of Home Economics education, perceived importance of deal competency and citizen competency, the level of cognitive citizen competency were statistically influential to practical consumer competency(deal and citizen competency). However, gender, life satisfaction, and cognitive citizen competency were not influential to practical consumer competency(deal and citizen competency). The outcome offered the basic information of middle school students' consumer competency and confirmed the effectiveness of Home Economics education on the middle school students' consumer competency.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.31-39
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• 2015

In the modern society, as development innovative technology consumers could access various information. It make consumers empower in the market, and information asymmetry problem were solving more and more. In the technical information, however, there are still information asymmetry because technical information is very difficult to understand, and those are related with professional knowledge such as financial information. This study used the dataset which was collected to track Korean consumers consumption index by KCA(Korea Consumer Agency) which included consumer's problem experience at financial field. The results are followings. Firstly, consumers want to get exact and important information to decide purchase or not and comparative information in technical information area. Secondly, age is the influence variable to experience more problems in technical information section. Thirdly, consumer's subjective financial competency is major influence factor to reduce problem experience.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.81-96
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• 2020

This study aims to identify implications for the role of home economics in consumer education in middle schools focusing on building consumer competency. To this end, the content in middle school textbooks of home economics and other subjects, written according to the 2015 revised curriculum, were analyzed. This study examined consumer education content based on the consumer competency measurement index developed by the Korean Consumer Agency, and reviewed different foci presented by subjects. This study also investigated how the knowledge, attitude and practice, which are components of consumer competency, are presented. The major findings of this study can be summarized as follows: First, consumer competency content, presented in textbooks of home economics and other subjects, were comprised of citizenship competency(65.3%), transactional competency(27%), and financial competency(7.7%). Second, in terms of content on the consumer's citizenship competency, little attention was paid to consumer rights, revealing an imbalance between responsibilities and rights. Third, despite its importance, the "utilization of information and communications technology" in transaction competency, and "consumer participation" in citizenship competency are insufficiently covered in the home economics. Fourth, social studies was the subject that most extensively covered the content of consumer competency. In terms of scope, home economics dealt with most of the sub-fields. Fifth, even when the same content of consumer competency was covered, it was presented differently by subject. Sixth, there was a lack of connection between components of consumer competency-knowledge, attitude, and practice, with a disproportionately high emphasis on knowledge. In conclusion, this study concluded that consumer education content of middle school subjects is insufficient to enhance consumer competency.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.35-45
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• 2023

Purpose: The study's objective was to examine the impact of brand personality dimensions on consumer behavior for laptop purchases in Nepal. Research Materials and Methods: The study included descriptive and explanatory research designs. A structured questionnaire with a purposive sampling method was employed to gather the necessary information for the study. The survey data were analyzed using a quantitative approach. The study used descriptive statistics to characterize the response conditions. Correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationship between brand personality dimensions and consumer behavior. Regression path analysis was employed to identify the effect of brand personality dimensions and consumer behavior. Results: The result of regression path analysis showed that the three dimensions - competency, ruggedness, and sophistication, have a significant effect on consumer behavior, and the two dimensions- sincerity and excitement do not have a substantial impact on consumer behavior in laptop buying in Nepal. Conclusions and Implications: Such findings can serve as pioneering empirical evidence and provide a framework for marketers and future studies in various scenarios. The study's findings can help marketing managers in handling information management. Manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers can also use the results in formulating marketing strategies, and marketers need to be aware of such considerations for influencing consumer behavior.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.1167-1184
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• 2011

The goal of educating consumers regarding food safety is to increase consumer competency in food safety. In order to recognize consumer problems and to develop consumer competency in rapidly changing consumer environment, it is necessary to cultivate consumer knowledge, attitude, and ability on food safety required in performing the consumer role effectively. Within this context, it is necessary to develop consumer-oriented education programs which aim to change consumer values and behaviors with regard to food safety. Based on information obtained from focus group interviews, the need for educational programs for food safety, which are related to the whole process of food consumption, have been raised. The process of food consumption is divided into buying, cooking/eating, and after eating, based on the process of consumer decision making and consumer behavior. Scenarios for consumer education on food safety were developed depending on the process of food consumption. This study developed a pilot consumer education program which included the whole process of food consumption. The program of this study was designed to induce consumers to change their behavior through establishing values on food safety and may contribute to lay the foundation for the realization of food safety culture. The results will be utilized to provide future directions for consumer education programs and efficient educational materials on food safety. Finally, it is hoped that empirical evaluation and analysis on the effects of consumer education programs will be investigated in future studies.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.369-378
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• 2018

This study started with the need for transition to competency-based education as well as the witness of fast changes in fashion industry's job environment. The goals of this study were (1) to explore fashion designers' competencies that are necessary for a successful careers in global fashion industry, and (2) to establish fashion designer competency model. In-depth individual interviews were conducted with 15 participants who have charged for design department and moreover have shown high performance in national, licence or designer brands in Korea fashion industry. Grounded theory was adopted to analyze data. As a result of analysis, the 4 core competencies emerged: problem-solving, research, inter-personal, and self-development. Each core competency has sub-competencies. Creativity, commerciality, control, decision making were sub-competencies for the problem-solving competency. Information management, innovation understanding & application, trend analysis & forecasting were sub-competencies for the research competency. Consumer, inside company, and outside company relationships were sub-competencies for the inter-personal competency. Self-awareness, self-management, expertise were sub-competencies for the self-development competency. In order to acquire these competencies, knowledge (academic, practical, multi-discipline), skills (sense, analysis, synthesis, communication), and attitude (interest, enjoyment, perseverance, personality) were essential. Based on these findings, implications for university fashion design education and further research areas were suggested.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.1-10
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• 2018

In Korea, the number of recalled products is steadily increasing annually, but the recall participation rate of consumers is very low. This study looked at recall competency as a necessary factor for active recall participation by consumers. And identify the components of the recall competency and identify the recall competence factors that influence recall experience. To this end, we examined the recall experience and recall capacity of 1,626 adult consumers in Korea. As a result, five factors of recall participation will, recall related skill, recall policy recognition, subjective knowledge and objective knowledge were derived. As a result of comparing recall competencies among recall experience and non-recall experience, there were statistically significant differences in all competency factors. Recall related skill and subjective knowledge competency were significant factors for recall experience. In order to improve the effectiveness of the recall system, it is important to improve the recall information and increase access to information retrieval in order to increase the recall participation rate by strengthening the recall capacity of consumers.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.139-157
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to derive implications for Korean home economics curriculum to emphasize consumer competency of adolescents by analyzing the content components of consumer competency presented in 'consumer life' area of middle school home economics curriculum of 3 states in the U.S. The analysis results and implications are summarized as follows: First, the U.S. home economics curriculum is composed of various contents, including credit management, savings/investment/ insurance, taxes, and financial situation, and financial decision-making, to improve adolescent's understanding of finance. In the next revision of Korean curriculum, for financial stability in prolonged life after retirement, it is would be necessary to include contents on basic financial knowledge and technology for financial information utilization so that students can establish financial plans for different life stages in consideration of various variables such as changes in economic environment, etc. Second, the U.S. home economics curriculum was developed to help students make better purchase decisions by applying economic concepts such as prices and interest rates, economic trends and the impact of demand and supply, purchase methods and contract conditions, etc. However, Korean home economics curriculum only focus on purchase plan and purchase decision-making process. It would be necessary to foster consumer transaction competency by introducing economic concepts suitable middle school level. Third, to emphasize "consumer civic competency", Ohio was focusing on "claim of consumer rights" and Wisconsin was focusing on the "acceptance of consumer responsibility." In order to enhance adolescent's consumer civic competency, it would be necessary for Korean curriculum to balance the claim of right and the acceptance of consumer responsibility in the following term, and to emphasize the contents on consumer policies, laws and consumer advocacy to create a consumer environment where consumer sovereignty is realized.

• Informatization Policy
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.19-34
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• 2016

Due to the spread of smartphones, mankind has been able to access and use a variety of mobile information anywhere, anytime. Mobile competency, the capability of accessing and using mobile information is affect the quality of the individual's life. In this study, 1,290 South Korean, Chinese, and American responded on mobile competency and quality of life. As a result, Korean had highest score in mobile information accessibilty, but American in mobile information utilization. Korea showed lowest rating in improvement of quality of life due to mobile competency. These results shows that Korean do not properly utilized mobile information for higher quality of life although they use longest time of mobile internet. Also, consumer innovativeness had the greatest influence on the utilization of mobile information among individual variables.