A Study on the Changes in Consumer Perceptions of the Relationship between Ethical Consumption and Consumption Value: Focusing on Analyzing Ethical Consumption and Consumption Value Keyword Changes Using Big Data

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze big data to identify the sub-dimensions of ethical consumption, as well as the consumption value associated with ethical consumption that changes over time. For this study, data were collected from Naver and Daum using the keyword ‘ethical consumption’ and frequency and matrix data were extracted through Textom, for the period January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2018. In addition, a twoway mode network analysis was conducted using the UCINET 6.0 program and visualized using the NetDraw function. The results of text mining show increasing keyword frequency year-on-year, indicating that interest in ethical consumption has grown. The sub-dimensions derived for 2014 and 2015 are fair trade, ethical consumption, eco-friendly products, and cooperatives and for 2016 are fair trade, ethical consumption, eco-friendly products and animal welfare. The results of deriving consumption value keywords were classified as emotional value, social value, functional value and conditional value. The influence of functional value was found to be growing over time. Through network analysis, the relationship between the sub-dimensions of ethical consumption and consumption values derived each year from 2014 to 2018 showed a significantly strong correlation between eco-friendly product consumption and emotional value, social value, functional value and conditional value.