메타버스를 활용한 유통 플랫폼의 지속적 사용의도에 대한 개인혁신성의영향: 기술수용모델에 기반한 연속다중매개효과 검증 = The Influence of Personal Innovativeness on the Intention to Continue Using the Metaverse as a Distribution Platform: Verification of the Serial Multiple Mediation Effect Based on the Technology Acceptance Model

국문 초록 (Abstract)

본 연구는 기술수용모델을 바탕으로 소비자에 대한 유통 플랫폼으로서 메타버스의 지속적 사용의도에 영향을 미치는 구체적인 선행요인을 제안하고, 이를 바탕으로 메타버스 사용 과정에서의 소비자의 심리적 메커니즘을 확인하고자 하였다. 본 연구에서는 먼저 메타버스와 관련한 소비자들의 지속적 사용의도에 영향을 주는 구체적인 선행요인으로 개인 혁신성을 설정하였다.
나아가 소비자의 개인 혁신성과 유통 플랫폼으로서 메타버스의 지속적 사용의도 사이에 소비자의 지각된 유용성과 지각된 이용용이성, 관계품질이 연속으로 매개되는 심리적 매커니즘이 존재할 것으로 본 연구에서 예측하였다. 이러한 연구목적을 달성하기 위하여 선행연구를 기반으로 한 가설 및 연구모델을 설정하고, 온라인 설문조사 전문기관을 활용하여 메타버스를 활용한 경험이 있는 소비자를 대상으로 데이터를 수집하고 실증분석을 실시하였다. 가설을 분석한 결과, 개인 혁신성은 지각된 유용성과지각된 이용 용이성에 긍정적으로 작용하였으며, 지각된 유용성과 지각된 이용 용이성은 관계품질에 긍정적인 영향을 미치는것으로 확인되었다. 나아가 관계품질은 유통 플랫폼으로서의 메타버스에 대한 지속적 사용의도를 증가시키는 것을 확인하였다. 최종적으로, 개인 혁신성과 유통 플랫폼으로서 메타버스의 지속적 사용의도 사이에 소비자의 지각된 유용성과 지각된 이용용이성 각각으로부터 관계품질을 연속으로 매개하는 경로의 두 가지 심리적 메커니즘이 존재하는 것을 확인하였다.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Purpose: In the retail industry, there is growing interest in utilizing the metaverse as a distribution platform.
However, academic discussions on the metaverse as a distribution platform are still in the early stages. This studyaims to expand the understanding of the metaverse from the perspective of the retail industry and address thelimitations of previous research. Specifically, based on the technology acceptance model, we propose specificantecedent factors that influence consumers' intention to continue using the metaverse as a distribution platformand investigate the psychological processes involved to identify the underlying mechanisms. To this end, thisstudy examines how consumers' personal innovativeness affects their intention to continue using the metaverse asa distribution platform. Additionally, our study explores whether perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, andrelationship quality have a serial multiple mediation effect between personal innovativeness and the intention tocontinue using the metaverse as a distribution platform. Through these empirical analyses, our study aims toprovide both theoretical and practical implications for utilizing the metaverse as a distribution platform.
Research design, data, and methodology: To achieve the purpose of this study, hypotheses and a research modelwere developed based on previous studies. Additionally, 522 responses were collected from consumers withexperience using the metaverse as a distribution platform through an online survey agency. Structural equationmodeling was employed to test the hypotheses, while the PROCESS macro analysis method was used to examinethe serial multiple mediation effects.
Results: The analysis results of the hypotheses revealed that personal innovativeness positively affected bothperceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, and that both perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use positively influenced relationship quality. Furthermore, it was found that relationship quality increased theconsumers’ intention to continue using the metaverse as a distribution platform. Finally, two psychologicalmechanisms were identified: one path where perceived usefulness and relationship quality sequentially mediatedthe relationship between personal innovativeness and the intention to continue using the metaverse as adistribution platform, and another path where perceived ease of use and relationship quality sequentiallymediated this relationship.
Conclusions: This study offers various academic and practical implications based on the research results. First,our study expands the scope of research by conducting an empirical study on utilizing the metaverse as adistribution platform. Second, our study confirms the psychological process by which consumers' personalinnovativeness affects their intention to continue using the metaverse as a distribution platform, therebyenhancing the understanding of consumer behavior in accepting and continuously using the metaverse. Third, ourstudy introduces a research differentiation by replacing the technology-related attitude in the technologyacceptance model with relationship quality. Fourth, our findings confirm that personal innovativeness is crucialfor increasing the intention to continuously use the metaverse as a distribution platform, and our study alsodiscusses practical methods based on these results.