저축 동기의 위계적 구조에 대한 실증분석

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

From the past, spending and saving money have been important research subjects in economics. In general, saving means an act of suppressing the current consumption of one’s income for potential use in the future, that is, the part which is not consumed in income. Households save for various reasons. For instance, they expect the greater satisfaction that may come from a delay in consumption, or their currently desired items are too expensive to purchase with their present resources, or they want to be prepared for a time in which they might desire something greater relative to their incomes. Also, the uncertainty of an unpredictable future may motivate people to save. The saving by a household may be related to a desire for the near future or the far future. Simply put, faith in an uncertain future may be a motivation.
Most Korean studies on savings behavior identify the determinants of household saving and show the pattern in which household saving is expressed, but there have been few studies on the motivations for saving. Thus, it is very practical and interesting to research the motivations for saving, and it will be data important for explaining the savings behavior of Korean household members. Also, it is expected that the personal motivations for saving would be more complicated and hierarchal. Therefore, the job of confirming how these motivations for saving are related and in which structure would be meaningful.
In order to discover the relationship among the motivations for saving rather than the individual property of each motivation for saving and to reveal their connective structure concerning how this condition of connection is made, the study is to reveal the hierarchal structure of motivations for saving by using a network analysis. In particular, the study is going to unveil motivations for saving and the hierarchal connectivity for the motivations while mainly focusing on motivations for saving of those in their twenties to thirties, who are beginning their professional careers and have a high availability for saving among family members. Thus, this study is supposed to be the basic data in analyzing the hierarchal structuralization in future motivations for saving.
For this research, first, in order to analyze the goal of and motivations for saving, the study referred to existing studies analyzing the general purpose of saving and influential factors. Next, the study set up the following research goals by modifying and complementing questionnaires after preparing the questionnaires and conducting preliminary research.

Research problem. How are the motivation for saving of those in their twenties to thirties in Korea, and the hierarchal structure of the motivation shown?

This study is composed of the following: First, in Chapter 2, the study reviews previous research into spending and saving theory in economics and motivation for saving both at home and abroad, and the study by Canova, L. et al (2003); and in Chapter 3, the study looks into research problems and research methods. Also, the study performed an interview of 100 general people, and asked them to answer first why they save money, and why the reasons for saving are important, which means what the upper value of motivation for saving is. In Chapter 4, the study organized motivations for saving as a cognitive structure by using a network analysis of the results. Lastly, in Chapter 5, the study summarized research results based on the analysis.

The research results are as follows. It was found that there appeared to be a hierarchal structure from concrete goals of saving to abstract goals of saving. Also, motivations for saving that were most frequently demonstrated were abstract motivations including “the enhancement of the quality of life”, “self-realization”, and “preparation for the future”. Nevertheless, the motivations for saving from Confucian values such as “harmony among family members” and “duties as parents” were shown in not a few frequencies; thus, it was found to be an important motivation in Korea not only to save for oneself but to save for one’s family.
The hierarchal structure shown in the analysis of motivation for saving in this study demonstrates the purpose of the psychological instinct. All the more, unlike other studies, the study revealed the structure of motivations for saving, which does not wholly depend on socio-demographic diversity, by considering the hierarchy of motivation as a cognitive structure.
However, this study may not be generalized broadly because the samples were not representative of the total population, but the study was aimed at those in their twenties to thirties. Despite the fact, the study may produce interesting proposals about research into motivations for saving.
The general economic definition of saving as an income remaining after consumer’s expenditure implies that saving is passive. Therefore, classical economists viewed saving as being associated with oppression of consumption and a delay in spending for the future. However, saving needs to be seen not as a problem imposing pain on one’s current self in order to enjoy oneself later but as something active that encourages delight for the future. Hence, it would be necessary for many more studies to research how motivations for saving affect the intention for saving and savings behavior.