소비자정보 분야 연구의 종합적 고찰: 2000-2010, and beyond (Consumer and Information: A Critical Review of What We Learned from 2000 to 2010)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 한국소비자학회
· 수록지 정보 : 소비자학연구 / 21권 / 2호 / 1 ~ 40페이지
· 저자명 : 나종연

초록

본 논문에서는 2000년 이후 소비자정보연구 영역에서 수행된 국내 문헌을 중심으로 소비자정보에 대한 최근 연구의 경향을 분석하고, 주제별로 연구 성과를 고찰하고 정리하였고, 주요 이슈들과 향후 연구 방향을 모색하였다.
이를 위해 소비자학 연구에 직접 관련이 있는 국내 학회지인 ‘소비자학연구’, ‘대한가정학회지’, ‘한국가정관리학회지’,‘소비문화연구’에 2000년에서 2010년 사이에 게재된 관련 논문을 분석대상으로 삼았다. 추가적으로 2005년 창간된 ‘소비자정책․교육연구’도 비록 그 역사는 짧으나 소비자학자들에 의한 연구가 많이 실리고 있다는 점에서 분석대상에 포함하였다.
소비자정보에 대한 연구를 두 가지 분야로 나누어 각 분야에서 연구된 논문을 고찰하고, 논문의 주요결과와 시사점을 종합적으로 고찰하였다. 첫 번째 분야로는 소비자의사결정과 소비자정보에 대한 연구로 소비자들이 어떤 정보를 필요로 하며, 정보를 어떻게 탐색하며, 소비자들에게 필요한 정보를 어떻게 효율적으로 제공할 수 있는가에 대한연구주제를 포함하는 전통적인 소비자정보 관련 연구들을 고찰했다. 두 번째 분야에 포함되는 연구는 정보화기술의발달에 따른 시장 환경의 변화가 소비자들에게 어떠한 영향을 미치는가에 대한 연구로 유통채널의 정보화에 따른소비자 효용과 만족, 소비자가 경험하는 문제와 그 해결 방안, 새로운 유통채널의 등장에 따른 새로운 소비자문제의경향 등과 관련된 연구들을 고찰했다. 이러한 연구의 고찰 결과를 중심으로 향후 소비자정보 분야에서 주요 이슈와연구 방향을 제언하였다.

영어초록

This study provides an overview of research that was published in major Korean journals with regard to consumer information and consumers in the information society from the year 2000 to the year 2010, in order to summarized what we learned about consumer and information in the last decade, and to provide potential research direction for the future.
Consumer information researches can be categorized into two bodies: the first body of research deals with the traditional consumer information issues such as the asymmetry of information between consumers and businesses that lead to consumers’ information needs and information search behavior. The second body of research deals with the changes in the consumer information and market environment due to the development of information technology and also to the introduction of new information channels such as the Internet, and their impacts on consumers.
Issues that were identified from review of current research are as follows:1. As the number of products introduced to consumers increase exponentially, and also as the consumer products and services are more complex and complicated in nature, consumers are still facing asymmetric information problems. Researches revealed that consumers have high needs for information regarding food safety such as information about GMO and food additives, as well as for information regarding complex services like financial services. Since the information that consumers need in order to make wise choices regarding these kind of complex products and services are very much technology oriented and requires in depth understanding of specific areas, it is not enough just to disclose information to consumers anymore, and ways of making sure that information delivered to consumers are understandable from consumers’ point of view needs to be further researched.
2. Results of recent studies conducted on the topic of information search showed that consumers face difficulties in the process of information search such as information overload and information confusion due to the fact that too much information is provided,and also that information provided are oftentimes ambiguous and highly technical in nature. Thus, future research in information search needs to move away from the studies of quantity of information searched and to focus on the quality of information searched,and used. Also, most of researched on the topic of information search had been about pre-purchase information search. However, the changes in the information environment provides ample opportunities for consumers to be involved in ongoing search about products and services of their interests, and thus attention is required in this regards.
3. New transaction methods such as online shopping, open market and auctions, m-commerce and t-commerce are introduced to consumers as information technology develops. New transaction channels provides new and additional benefits to consumers, and yet create new consumer problems as well as deepening of some existing consumer problems. Thus,we need to continuously monitor how these new channels of transaction impact consumers.
Also, we need to continue the dialogue about what ‘consumer centric’ market conditions are in order to be able to critically evaluate newly introduced transaction methods and channels.
4. As information technology advances, and the information society develops further, new consumers issues that needs to be addressed from Consumer Science’s perspective arose such as protection of consumer privacy and overcoming of digital and information divide.
Since these problems are created by technology, technical solutions must be sought after. However, at the same time more comprehensive approach that integrate legal,technological, market and social solution is needed in ordered to appropriately address newly raised consumer issues.

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