• Journal of Labour Economics
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.59-85
• /
• 2014

This paper analyses an impact of wage scheme and transparency of performance evaluation on the productivity. The main findings in this paper are as follows: First, the effect of wage scheme based on seniority system on the productivity is worse off than the performance pay. Second, there is a positive relationship between an incentive and the productivity, but, in the case of firms which individually informs the results of performance evaluation to their workers, it shows the hump-shaped relationship. Third, though the wage scheme is based on the performance, if the evaluation system is not transparent, the impact of incentive on the productivity is disappeared. Consequently, this paper implies that the appropriate incentive and the transparent performance evaluation system are required so as to improve the productivity.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.153-160
• /
• 2008

Personal noise exposure was assessed in railroad operators working in 40 operation units including the Gyeongbu line, Honam line, and Janghang line between 2004 and 2006. 8-hour TWA were assessed based on the MOL (Ministry of Labor) guideline on noise evaluation, and 17% of these measurements exceeded 85 dBA while 70% were over 80 dBA. When the ACGIH TLV is adopted, 40% of measurements were over TLV (85 dBA). The noise exposure risk of railroad operators was higher for diesel locomotive operation and longer operational distances; in addition, the risk was higher for passenger car operation compared to freight car driving. Given that in Korea, over the past 30 years diesel locomotives have provided most of the railway's motive power and that hearing protective equipment is not likely to be used by workers during operation, railroad operators are at a high risk of noise-induced hearing loss. The result of audiometric test among 568 railroad operators showed that 32.6% of those tested had a hearing threshold shift of more than 40 dB. In conclusion, this study calls for more fundamental measures including noise control countermeasures within the operation areas, development of equipment that generates less noise and adopting limitation on the operation distance for a work shift.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.39-56
• /
• 2013

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of the resilience of families of middle-aged married men upon the perception of family stress. The subjects were 301 married men age 40.54 living in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, Korea. Participants were selected using a purposive sampling method and a convenience sampling method. The data were statistically processed using the SPSS 18.0 program. First, participants who perceived family stress less and had higher family resilience tended to be better educated, have higher average family incomes, have permanent employment, be religious, and have no experience of unemployment. Participants who had low-paying, physical labor-based jobs or who were contract workers perceived family stress more and had lower family resilience. Second, among the variables that affected family resilience, those that most influenced the perceptual extent of family stress were the sense of belief system's family control, having a positive perspective, flexibility with regard to morality, religion, and organizational patterns, connectivity, family resources, communication-oriented mutual cooperative problem-solving, and emotional response. Third, the influence of family resilience upon the perception of family stress measured at 44.2% based on regression analysis and was statistically significant (F=4.606, ***p<.001).

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.45 no.3
• /
• pp.188-195
• /
• 2012

Objectives: This study was conducted to examine the association between health condition and leaving the labor market among middle-aged and older adults in South Korea. Methods: Data was obtained from individuals aged 45 years and older participating in the 2006 and 2008 Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing. We used various health measures including chronic diseases, comorbidities, traffic accident injuries, disabilit of instrumental activities of daily living, depressive symptoms, and self-rated health. The odds ratios of job loss, and retirement, versus employment were calculated using multinomial logistic regression by each health measure. Results: In our cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis, health problems related to physical disabilities had the greatest effect on leaving the worksite. A shift in health condition from good to poor in a short period was a predictor of increased risk of unemployment but a persistent pattern of health problems was not associated with unemployment. Women with health problems showed a high probability of retirement, whereas among men, health problems instantly the possibility of both job loss and retirement. Conclusions: Health problems of middle aged and older workers were crucial risk factors for retirement and involuntarily job loss. Especially functional defect and recent health problems strongly and instanty affected employment status.

• Fashion, Industry and Education
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.11-23
• /
• 2016

This study investigated the comparative advantages of the Bangladeshi and Vietnamese apparel industries using Global Value Chain (GVC) framework. In this study, the GVC framework was expanded to include social and environmental sustainability issues. Secondary data, for the 2012 - 2013 period, were collected and analyzed for each component of the apparel GVC. The findings indicated that while both countries have unique comparative advantages, Vietnam clearly emerged as a leader on many GVC components. Bangladesh's comparative advantage lies in lower wages, producing high volume orders, and lean manufacturing. In spite of Vietnam's higher labor costs, it has comparative advantages in higher productivity, skilled and trained workers, manufacturing of intricate styles of high quality, agility and flexible manufacturing, more developed infrastructure and logistic services as well as greater social and environmental compliances. This study contributes towards insight into best sourcing fit for fashion brand business models. Based on the findings, fashion driven companies offering more complex styles at a faster rate will benefit from choosing Vietnam. In contrast, Bangladesh might be a better choice for high volume driven companies that offer basic apparel and better value for their consumers. From theoretical perspective, the research makes an important contribution by expanding the GVC framework.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.19-30
• /
• 1978

Use of herbicides in Korean agriculture has increased rapidly in recent years accompanying with ever-increasing pressure of farm labor shortage. Herbicides occupied already the second place in the rank of pesticides consumption in 1977. The agricultural experiment stations have carried out over 50 trials of chemical weed control each year since 1968. These research works and registration trials contributed much to the present wide use of herbicides. The pesticide management act amended in 1977 requires reevaluation of pesticides for their efficacy every 5 year-term. However, the development of sound weed control program and recommendations has been hempered very much by the lack of qualified workers of weed control research in agricultural experiment stations and in the institute for pesticide registration trial. Critical review of the past research works on herbicide evaluation and the present status indicates strong need for 1) the characterization of the nature of local and national weed problem, 2) the improvement of ability of the staffs in charge of weed control research through appropriate training on the basics and experimental techniques, and 3) organization and activities of weed control research committee. Furthermore, the present article attempts to clarify commonly misled points in the establishment of herbicide evaluation plan, in the design and execution of field trials, and in the assessment of trial results of the past works from the viewpoint of the basic principles with some case studies for resolution of specific enigmas.

• Journal of Labour Economics
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.29-57
• /
• 2008

We construct a unique panel data by using Korean Economically Active Population Survey (KEAPS) from 2003 to 2007 to estimate the returns to different types of job mobility among men. By adopting Mincer(1986)'s method, we estimate the wage change to job mobility after controlling the sample selection bias. There are four different types of job mobility that are concerned in the study: (1) voluntary job-to-job changes without experiencing unemployment, (2) voluntary job changes with experiencing unemployment, (3) involuntary job changes due to layoffs, and (4) involuntary job changes due to discharges. Our findings indicate that Korean men who changed jobs without experiencing unemployment realized wage gains of 7% while those who changed jobs through unemployment period lost 10% of their wages. Among those who changed jobs involuntarily and went through unemployment, the workers who discharged from the previous jobs realized substantially greater wage loss.

• Journal of Labour Economics
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.47-74
• /
• 2008

Following two pioneering works, Medoff and Abraham(QJE 1980; JHR 1981) and Flabbi and Ichino(LE 2001) which use performance rating of personnel data as individual worker's productivity, this study replicates their analysis using a Korean large firm's personnel data(2000, male white collar workers). According to their methods through Mincerian earnings function, and multinomial logit model that links the distribution of wages and performance ratings, we find that seniority wages appeare continuously even if individual worker's productivity is controlled. Therefore we conclude that incentive or deferred compensation theory is more suitable than human capital theory.

• Journal of Information Technology Services
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.39-66
• /
• 2016

There is growing evidence that professional work is changing as a result of the application of information technology (IT). However, the impact of information technology on professional work has produced mixed results. Our paper considers the source of these mixed results through a greater analytical attention paid to the nature of professional work. Defined as work involving expertise expressed through abstract and formalized knowledge as well as extensive working knowledge, the professional work logic assumes the greatest autonomy and discretion for workers in collectively controlling work characteristics-division of labor and its permanence, control over education, and control over new entrants and the monitoring and disciplining of existing members. The impact of IT on professional work will be difficult to control and predict without considering the assumptions and tensions within and across the three major types of work logics (Professional, Market and Bureaucratic). Using healthcare as an example, the paper provides various propositions for researching the initiation and effects of ICT design through these three work logics. These propositions illustrate the active role that IS researchers can take in researching an important economic and work-related topic, professional work, and in understanding how ICT affects work-related expertise.

• Journal of Labour Economics
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.171-199
• /
• 2006

We collected survey data from those who have Vocational Training Teachers' Qualification to investigate the workplace characteristics and job satisfaction of the qualified people. Also, this study analyzed the determinants of the Vocational Training Teachers' monthly wages. Statistically Significant variables were male, age, graduated from graduate school, work duration, total work hours, regular workers, and levels of the certification. Since previous studies argued that the levels of the certification did not have effect on the wage, result of this study suggested that the further study and discussions on the effect of the levels of the certification was needed.