An Analysis of Empowerment Perception and Needs According to Individual Characteristics of Forest Interpreters

This research aimed to investigate the differences in empowerment perception and empowerment needs according to individual characteristics of forest interpreters. A survey was conducted with 117 incumbent forest interpreters who have been in the forest interpretation business consigned by the Korea Forest Service in 2017. The research results are as follows: First, the subjects prioritized ‘importance of the role and performance ability’ among the sub-factors of empowerment at both present and required levels, while ‘influence’ was rated relatively low. Second, as a result of analyzing the difference of empowerment based on individual variables of forest interpreters such as gender and age group, the entire empowerment and the sub-factors of both gender and age showed no significant difference. But the analysis on the difference of empowerment according to academic background of the subjects revealed that the group with a ‘Master’s degree or higher’ showed statistically and significantly higher scores than ‘high school graduates’ and ‘college graduates’ when it comes to ‘the entire empowerment’ (F=3.231, p<.05). According to one of the forest interpreters’ individual variables, career length, ‘those who have worked as a forest interpreter for 10 years or more’ had statistically and significantly higher scores in ‘professionalism’ than ‘those with 3 years or less of experience’. Third, the forest interpreters’ Borich needs for empowerment was highest in ‘professionalism’, followed by ‘influence’ and ‘importance of the role and performance ability’. The rank was analyzed in details, and ‘participation in training courses and seminars on forest interpretation to improve professional skills’ took the first place. As this item is in the LH quadrant (Quadrant 4) with high needs and low present level in the IPA (Important Performance Analysis) matrix analysis, it is considered to be prioritized for the education of forest interpreters to improve empowerment.