Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity Article Customer Happiness and Open Innovation in the Esthetics Education for the Elderly Generation Kyu-Ok Shin 1, Na-Gyeong Yeom 2 and Hang-Sik Park 3,* 1 Department of Beauty & Cosmetic Science, Eulji University, Seongnam 13135, Korea; [email protected] 2 Department of Beauty & Cosmetic Science, Graduate School, Eulji University, Seongnam 13135, Korea; [email protected] 3 The Faculty of Liberal Arts, Eulji University, Seongnam 13135, Korea * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +82-31-740-7409 Received: 20 June 2019; Accepted: 14 October 2019; Published: 16 October 2019 Abstract: In Korean society, where aging is rapidly progressing, the happiness of the elderly is no longer an economic issue. An esthetics program has the effect of improving depression or low self-esteem to increase psychological and physical satisfaction, which is a good way to raise the happiness index of the elderly. However, there is a lack of esthetics education or esthetics programs in Korea to train estheticians to serve elderly people. This study confirmed the possibility of open innovation through esthetics education to increase the happiness index of the elderly. As a research method, a self-administered questionnaire was used to survey 572 estheticians and analyzed statistically. In this study, Korean estheticians were very positive about the need for the development of professional care programs for the elderly, and it was found that they are willing to care for the elderly. Developing a variety of esthetic programs through the training of professional manpower for the elderly in the future will contribute to enhancing the happiness index of elderly Korean people. Keywords: elderly generation; esthetics service; education; happiness index; aging 1. Introduction South Korea became an aged society in 2018, just 18 years after becoming an aging society, with 14 percent of its population classed as aged. This makes it the fastest-aging Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) economy (Figure1); it is faster than Japan, which took 24 years toJ. transitionOpen Innov. Technol. from an Mark. aging Complex. society 2019 to, 5, an86 aged society [1,2]. 2 of 13 70 50 30 10 KOR USA CAN OECD GBR FRA DEU ITA JAP 2015 2050 FigureFigure 1. 1. AgingAging ratesrates ofof thethe OrganizationOrganization forfor EconomicEconomic CooperationCooperation andand DevelopmentDevelopment (OECD)(OECD) countriescountries [ 2[2].]. According to the Korea Statistical Office, the aged population index was 104.8 in 2017, and the J.elderly Open Innov. population Technol. Mark. aged Complex. 65 or2019 older, 5, 86;already doi:10.3390 exceeded/joitmc5040086 the youth populationwww.mdpi.com aged 10–14 [3]./journal /joitmc However, it is doubtful whether Korea is prepared to face aging rapidly. According to the OECD statistics, the suicide rate [1] and poverty rate [2] of the elderly in Korea are the highest among the OECD countries, and one out of five elderly people suffer from depression [4]. After retirement, many people live between 20 and 40 years, a fact that creates the need for better quality of life and independence [5]. Happiness effects positive emotions that determine quality of life [6]. In this regard, many studies have been conducted on factors related to the happiness of the elderly. While GDP remains widely used as an indicator of a nation’s economic activity, it has been consistently found that happiness does not necessarily increase with income, and many international organizations and experts agree that it is necessary to have a happiness index that incorporates not only economic value (e.g., GDP) but also life satisfaction, future expectations, unemployment rate, self-esteem, hope, and love [7,8]. In other words, in order to raise the happiness index of the elderly, a program that can cover not only economic aspects but also psychological aspects is needed. In particular, high self-esteem has been reported to be one of the strongest predictors of well-being [9], and it has a strong relation to happiness. One study found that people with high self-esteem are significantly, substantially happier than other people. They are also less likely to be depressed, either in general or specifically in response to stressful, traumatic events [10]. Social welfare programs, such as art therapy, music therapy, and laughter therapy, are emerging to address the psychological difficulties Korean elderly face, but most Korean welfare is still focused on solving economic difficulties. In order to solve these problems, various programs that can solve the psychological and physical difficulties of the elderly must be presented. In this study, an esthetics service program is proposed as an alternative. “Esthetics” is a specialized field for skin care in the beauty industry [11], and the people who work in the esthetics industry are called an “estheticians”. Esthetic massage uses touch and manual techniques, such as stroking and gentle pressure, in order to relax the body and help to restore health [12]. Esthetics service programs are highly appropriate as an alternative program for improving elderly happiness in Korean society, which is rapidly aging, in terms of improving both appearance and psychological satisfaction. On the other hand, in order for the esthetics service program to have an effect on improving the happiness of the elderly, it is essential to educate the practitioners (estheticians) who provide the service. In order to form a program for educating estheticians, the needs of the elderly, who are the service consumers; estheticians, who are the service providers; and industry need to be reflected. One of the important factors is the willingness of and demand from estheticians, who are the service providers and the customers of this training. Estheticians who are currently working in the esthetics industry will be in charge of senior care in the future, and the success or failure of the program will J. Open Innov. Technol. Mark. Complex. 2019, 5, 86 2 of 13 According to the Korea Statistical Office, the aged population index was 104.8 in 2017, and the elderly population aged 65 or older already exceeded the youth population aged 10–14 [3]. However, it is doubtful whether Korea is prepared to face aging rapidly. According to the OECD statistics, the suicide rate [1] and poverty rate [2] of the elderly in Korea are the highest among the OECD countries, and one out of five elderly people suffer from depression [4]. After retirement, many people live between 20 and 40 years, a fact that creates the need for better quality of life and independence [5]. Happiness effects positive emotions that determine quality of life [6]. In this regard, many studies have been conducted on factors related to the happiness of the elderly. While GDP remains widely used as an indicator of a nation’s economic activity, it has been consistently found that happiness does not necessarily increase with income, and many international organizations and experts agree that it is necessary to have a happiness index that incorporates not only economic value (e.g., GDP) but also life satisfaction, future expectations, unemployment rate, self-esteem, hope, and love [7,8]. In other words, in order to raise the happiness index of the elderly, a program that can cover not only economic aspects but also psychological aspects is needed. In particular, high self-esteem has been reported to be one of the strongest predictors of well-being [9], and it has a strong relation to happiness. One study found that people with high self-esteem are significantly, substantially happier than other people. They are also less likely to be depressed, either in general or specifically in response to stressful, traumatic events [10]. Social welfare programs, such as art therapy, music therapy, and laughter therapy, are emerging to address the psychological difficulties Korean elderly face, but most Korean welfare is still focused on solving economic difficulties. In order to solve these problems, various programs that can solve the psychological and physical difficulties of the elderly must be presented. In this study, an esthetics service program is proposed as an alternative. “Esthetics” is a specialized field for skin care in the beauty industry [11], and the people who work in the esthetics industry are called an “estheticians”. Esthetic massage uses touch and manual techniques, such as stroking and gentle pressure, in order to relax the body and help to restore health [12]. Esthetics service programs are highly appropriate as an alternative program for improving elderly happiness in Korean society, which is rapidly aging, in terms of improving both appearance and psychological satisfaction. On the other hand, in order for the esthetics service program to have an effect on improving the happiness of the elderly, it is essential to educate the practitioners (estheticians) who provide the service. In order to form a program for educating estheticians, the needs of the elderly, who are the service consumers; estheticians, who are the service providers; and industry need to be reflected. One of the important factors is the willingness of and demand from estheticians, who are the service providers and the customers of this training. Estheticians who are currently working in the esthetics industry will be in charge of senior care in the future, and the success or failure of the program will depend on their educational needs and wills. This is because their attitudes and wills are very important in their occupational group in terms of their emotional impact on the elderly. Therefore, we tried to study esthetics service program education from the perspective of open innovation with the opinions of estheticians as an element to improve the happiness index of the elderly. The details of each element will be mentioned through the analysis of previous studies in the next section. This study is presented in the following order: Section2 analyzes the current literature on beauty education in Korea.