확장된 통합기술수용이론(UTAUT2)을 적용한 어업인의 넙치 배합사료 수용의도에 관한 연구

Abstract

Cultured marine products are recently gaining importance due to environmental effect and safety in Korea’s aquaculture industry. The shift toward efficient aquaculture using automated system and smart culture is becoming a principal factor for the growth of aquaculture business. The most fundamental element for the growth of aquaculture business is to shift from the use of raw fish-based moist pellets to extruded pellets. The government has implemented a policy to expand the use of extruded pellets for aquaculture since 2004 in order to preserve fishery resources, prevent the pollution of aquaculture farm, and promote efficient aquaculture business. Nevertheless, the policy has not increased the use of extruded pellets significantly. Studies on the causes of the poor use of extruded pellets despite the policy of promoting the use of extruded pellets or the analysis of factors affecting the intention of fishermen to use extruded pellets are still insufficient. As such this study analyzes the factors affecting the intention of fishermen to use extruded pellets in order to identify the causes of poor use of extruded pellets and promote the use of it. Specifically, this study was conducted with the following details. First, a research model to identify the intention of fishermen to use extruded pellets was established. Second, factors that affect the intention to use extruded pellets (performance expectation, efforts expectation, trust, promotion condition, social impact, price value, and policy support) were set as independent variables, and the intention to use as the dependent variable, and measurement items were derived. Third, with aquaculture region and manager’s career as moderating variables, the difference between the two groups were compared. For this study, a survey was conducted with managers of olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) aquaculture farms in Jeju-do and Jeollanam-do from July to August 2022, and total 188 survey responses were finally selected. UTAUT2 model was used to test the factors affecting the intention of fishermen to use extruded pellets, and a structural equation model was used to test hypotheses. Hypothesis test results showed that performance expectation, efforts expectation, trust, and social impact, and price value were positively related to the intention to use. Among them, trust had the highest explanatory power as the variable affecting the intention to use extruded pellets. The analysis of the moderating effect of aquaculture regions found that there was a significant difference between Jeju-do group and Jeollanam-do group (P<0.01). The analysis of the moderating effect of fishermen’s career revealed that there was no significant difference between groups with much career and group with less career. The results of this study suggests that to expand the use of extruded pellets, it is necessary to improve the quality of extruded pellets, and increase fishermen’s trust in extruded pellets by strengthening safety. Furthermore, it was concluded that the enhancement of productivity and increase of economic gains through the use of extruded pellets would be essential to boost the intention to use.