• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2013.01a
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• pp.539-545
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• 2013

Although individual-level factors (e.g., attitudes, personality) have long been associated with day-to-day attendance decisions, increasingly researchers have recognized "the social nature of attendance dynamics and their susceptibility to social control (Johns, 2008)." Implications of this social approach for research would be to focus attention on the causes and effects of absence culture (i.e., absence-related perceptions, beliefs, values), and the effects of absence culture on individual and group attendance within social units. Construction projects typically require workers to work in teams or crews on highly interdependent projects, and, thus, are particularly relevant contexts to study absence culture. In this paper we apply a system dynamics (SD) model to study absence culture by utilizing the advantages of SD in capturing a feedback process and state changes. We were particularly interested in: (a) the awareness of social norms within construction crews that pertained to attendance, (b) the interplay between formal attendance rules (policy) and these social norms, and (c) how these sources of influence affected the decision-making process of construction crew members. We expect that the results of this work will help construction organizations evaluate (or re-consider) the effects of their attendance control policies (e.g., timing, strength, and frequency) within a social context. Moreover, our findings suggest that the key to reducing excessive absences might be to invest time in influencing absence culture directly rather than imposing frequent and strict regulations - which, in turn, may inadvertently fortify a culture that works against the organization's interests.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.267-271
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• 2023

Background: The objective of this study is to identify the working conditions and health status of Vietnamese male migrant workers in Republic of Korea, in comparison to the Korean general population. Methods: We conducted our survey through the Migrant People Center, and we received completed questionnaires from 87 male Vietnamese migrant workers. The questionnaire employed was identical to those used in the Korean Working Conditions Survey and the 2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The collected data from the Vietnamese migrant workers was then compared with the Korean reference population using indirect age-standardization. Results: Vietnamese male workers demonstrated a higher prevalence of health problems including hearing problems (age-standardized prevalence ratio (aSPR) 13.22, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.07-20.4), skin problems (aSPR 13.49, 95% CI: 8.07-20.4), and low back pain (aSPR 8.40, 95% CI: 6.50-10.69). Elevated exposure to workplace hazards such as chemicals (aSPR 2.36, 95% CI: 1.51-3.51), organic solvents (aSPR 2.22, 95% CI: 1.44-3.28), handling of heavy objects (aSPR 1.67, 95% CI: 1.24-2.21), and high temperatures (aSPR 1.96, 95% CI: 1.46-2.57) was observed among them. Additionally, they faced a higher risk of no personal protective equipment (aSPR 2.53, 95% CI: 1.26-4.52) and a greater prevalence of unmet medical needs (aSPR 7.14, 95% CI: 4.74-10.32). Conclusion: Our findings highlight the elevated workplace hazards, health problems, and unmet medical needs among Vietnamese male workers compared to the Korean reference population. These findings underscores the urgency for enhanced scrutiny over working conditions and protective equipment provision, coupled with efforts to improve healthcare accessibility and worker education.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.272-278
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• 2023

Background: Some working conditions may pose a higher physical or psychological demand to pregnant women leading to increased risks of pregnancy complications. Objectives: We assessed the association of woman's employment status and the industrial classification with obstetric complications. Methods: We conducted a national population study using the National Health Information Service database of Republic of Korea. Our analysis encompassed 1,316,310 women who experienced first-order live births in 2010-2019. We collected data on the employment status and the industrial classification of women, as well as their diagnoses of preeclampsia (PE) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) classified as A1 (well controlled by diet) or A2 (requiring medication). We calculated odds ratios (aORs) of complications per employment, and each industrial classification was adjusted for individual risk factors. Results: Most (64.7%) were in employment during pregnancy. Manufacturing (16.4%) and the health and social (16.2%) work represented the most prevalent industries. The health and social work exhibited a higher risk of PE (aOR = 1.11, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-1.21), while the manufacturing industry demonstrated a higher risk of class A2 GDM (1.20, 95% CI: 1.03-1.41) than financial intermediation. When analyzing both classes of GDM, women who worked in public administration and defense/social security showed higher risk of class A1 GDM (1.04, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.07). When comparing high-risk industries with nonemployment, the health and social work showed a comparable risk of PE (1.02, 95% CI: 0.97, 1.07). Conclusion: Employment was associated with overall lower risks of obstetric complications. Health and social service work can counteract the healthy worker effect in relation to PE. This highlights the importance of further elucidating specific occupational risk factors within the high-risk industries.

• Industry Promotion Research
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.101-111
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• 2023

This purpose of this study was to examine the factors influencing job satisfaction of social workers working at welfare centers for people with disabilities in multiple dimensions, such as demographic characteristics, personal characteristics, job characteristics, and organizational characteristics. To achieve the purpose, a survey was conducted on 900 social workers working at 45 welfare centers for people with disabilities nationwide, and a total of 770 sample were analyzed. Hierarchical regression analysis was used. The main results were as follows. First, age(-) had a significant effect on job satisfaction. Second, resilience(+) was Statistically significant. Third, turnover intention(-) and Feedback(+) Feedback(+) had a significant effect. Finally, organization trust and participative decision-making influenced job satisfaction positively. Based on these findings, implications for expanding the understanding of job satisfaction and enhancing job satisfaction of social workers working at the welfare centers were presented in multiple dimensions.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.73-79
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• 2024

Background: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between work-related communication devices use during work outside of regular working hours and depressive symptoms in wage workers. Methods: Data from 50,538 workers aged 15 years or older who had participated in the 6th Korean Working Condition Survey (KWCS) were used. The final sample was 32,994 wage workers. The questionnaire asked the respondents how often they used communication devices for work during work outside of regular working hours. Depressive symptoms were assessed using WHO-5 Well-Being Index. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association between work-related communication devices use during work outside of regular working hours and depressive symptoms. Results: The rate of depressive symptoms was highest among workers who did not use work-related communication devices during work outside of regular working hours. After adjusting for socio-demographic and work-related factors, the odds ratio of depressive symptoms among workers who used communication devices when working outside of regular working hours was 1.20 (95% CI: 1.09-1.32); the odds ratio of depressive symptoms in the group not using communication devices for free-time work was 1.66 (95% CI: 1.37-2.00), which was higher than that of the reference group, that is, workers who did not work outside of regular working hours, and was statistically significant. Conclusion: Regardless of whether work-related communication devices are used, working outside of regular working hours increases depressive symptoms. The use of work-related communication devices during work outside of regular working hours can reduce the rate of depressive symptoms.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.10.1-10.10
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• 2023

The purpose of this paper was to review the problems relating to Korea's occupational health services and suggest ways to improve them. Korea can be classified as a welfare state type of conservative corporatism partially interwoven with liberalism. While experiencing compressed economic growth, the economic sectors of developed (excess areas) and developing (deficient areas) countries are interwoven. Therefore, it is necessary to perfect conservative corporatism along with a complementary reinforcement of liberal contents and to apply a multilayered approach focusing on complementing the deficient areas. It is essential to form a national representative indicator related to occupational health, and a strategy for selection and concentration is needed. The proposed central indicator is the occupational health coverage rate (OHCR), which is the number of workers who have applied for mandatory occupational health services under the Occupational Safety and Health Act in the numerator with the total working population in the denominator. This paper proposes ways to raise the OHCR, which is currently at the level of 25%-40%, to 70%-80%, which is the level of Japan, Germany, and France. To achieve this target, it is necessary to focus on small businesses and vulnerable workers. This is an area of market failure and requires the active input of community-oriented public resources. For access to larger workplaces, the marketability of services should be strengthened and personal intervention using digital health resources should be actively attempted. Taking a national perspective, work environment improvement committees with tripartite (labor, management, and government) participation for improvement of the working environment need to be established at the center and in the regions. Through this, prevention funds linked to industrial accident compensation and prevention could be used efficiently. A national chemical substance management system must be established to monitor the health of workers and the general public.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.1213-1224
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• 2023

The purpose of this study was to analyze the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between the behavioral routines of beauty service workers on service performance and work performance. The subjects of the study were 311 beauty consumers in Seoul and Gyeonggi, and data were collected and analyzed using a structured questionnaire. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis(CFA), correlation analysis, structural equation model analysis(SEM), and mediating effect analysis using bootstrapping techniques were conducted. The conclusions drawn through a series of research procedures are as follows. First, the behavioral routines of beauty service workers were found to have a statistically significant positive(+) effect on self-efficacy, service performance, and work performance. Second, the self-efficacy of beauty service workers was found to have a statistically significant positive (+) effect on service performance and work performance. Third, the partial mediating effect of self-efficacy was shown in the relationship between beauty service workers' behavioral routines, service performance, and work performance.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.159-165
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• 2015

The aim of this study was to investigate microbiological contamination levels in the manufacturing company of ginseng products (white and red ginseng). Firstly, the contamination level for ginseng and each stage ginseng were 1.8~4.9 log CFU/g (total bacteria), 1.2~3.0 log CFU/g (coliform), 0.8~4.1 log CFU/g (fungi). However, only Bacillus cereus among pathogenic bacteria was detected from a few sample. The contamination of total bacteria tended to decrease as ginseng was being processing. Therefore, that of finished products (white and red ginseng) showed the lowest contamination level among each stage ginseng sample. That of fungi decreased steadily, although the contamination of fungi has tended to increase right after ginseng was steamed. Secondly, the contamination level for working tools and facilities were $1.7{\sim}4.7log\;CFU/cm^2$ (total bacteria), $0.4{\sim}4.0log\;CFU/cm^2$ (coliform), $0.9{\sim}4.2log\;CFU/cm^2$ (fungi). Especially, washing and peeling machines were higher contamination level. Finally, the contamination level of worker who washed and steamed ginseng was higher than worker who shaped, sorted and stored ginseng. Also, Staphylococus aureus was detected at 0.2~0.7 log CFU/hand on some wokers' hands. These results showed proper heating condition (temperature and time) and tidy manufacturing facility are the most important to avoid developing any microbiological problem of Ginseng Products.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.24-56
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics of socio-demographic, organizational culture, organizational conflict and organizational commitment, and to examine the interrelation of influential factors in the organizational commitment. The data for this study were collected through a self-administrated survey with a structured questionnaire to 1,027 subjects from several medical doctor staff members, nursing staff members, administration staff members, pharmacist, and technical expert of eleven hospitals. The data were collected by self-reporting questionnaire from July 29 to September 7, 2002. In this analysis frequency test, t-test, ANOVA, multiple regression were used. The main results of this research is as following; 1. According to socio-demographic characteristics the respondents' level of the organizational commitment was higher in a administration staff members than others, for males than females, and for employees aged more than forty, as working for longer time, and as higher level of the working position. 2. According to the organizational culture characteristics the progressive culture, affiliative culture, and task-focused culture among many types of organizational culture were moderately and positively correlated with the level of the organizational commitment while the hierarchical culture was negatively correlated. 3. According to the organizational conflict characteristics as the respondents who got less conflict experience in the organization, their level of the organizational commitment was higher. And, technical conflict experiences were expressed greater than hierarchical conflict experiences. 4. According to the job satisfaction characteristics as his or her satisfaction that is about the promotion, working itself, salary, and fellowship in the organizational was higher, the level of the organizational commitment was higher. The most important factor of the satisfactions was the fellowship among the respondents while the level of job satisfaction for the promotion and salary was average. 5. Overall, according to the result of Multiple Regression as older age and longer working hours, the level of the organizational commitment was higher and as a higher level of the satisfaction for the promotion, working itself, salary, and fellowship in the organization, it caused more effective factors for the organizational commitment. 6. According to the result of Multiple Regression for the doctor staff members in special hospitals rather than general hospitals the hierarchical culture and task focused culture was positively correlated with the satisfaction of working itself while hierarchical conflict factors in the organizational conflict characteristics was negatively correlated with the organizational commitment. For the nursing staff members the affiliative culture and the job satisfaction for the promotion, working itself, salary, and fellowship were positively correlated with the organizational commitment. For the administration staff members as the job satisfaction for the fellowship was positively correlated with the organizational commitment. For medical and pharmacy staff members as more working experience, correlation with the organizational commitment was positive. Besides, as he or she has a high perception of the affiliative culture, it caused statistically more effective factors for the organizational commitment. For the skill and technicians, male worker expressed greater organizational commitment in the organization than female worker. And also older age along with higher education also showed higher organizational commitment. Moreover, the job satisfaction for the fellowship was positively correlated with the organizational commitment. This study identified the major effective factors of the organizational commitment and analyzed the differences among the job category. In that respect, it is significant for the study to be able to provide a reference for managing hospital of industrial accident and organizational development. However, this study has a problem, which is not to identify a valuable model for examining the relationship between organizational factors such as organizational culture, conflict, satisfaction, and commitment. Therefore, further study is needed and strengthened in the field of organizational commitment for hospital for industrial accident.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.268-277
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• 2014

This study assessed microbiological hazards at postharvest stage of dropwort farms (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I) located in 4 different areas in Korea. The samples were assessed for sanitary indication bacteria (total aerobic bacteria, coliform, and Escherichia coli) and pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus). Total aerobic bacteria and coliform in 9 dropwort farms were detected at the levels of 0~7.00 and 0~4.25 log CFU/g, mL, of $100cm^2$. In particular, microbial contamination in worker's hand showed higher than cultivation environment factors. Escherichia coli was detected in several farms of soil, irrigation water, washing water and worker's hand and also, dropwort in these farms was contaminated with E. coli (positive reaction). In case of pathogenic bacteria, B. cereus was detected at the highest levels in soil. S. aureus was detected qualitatively from only one sample of dropwort washed by water. E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes were not detected. Although dropwort pass through 2 process (trimming and washing), the microbial contamination was not differ significantly before and after which indicates that current washing system was not effect on reduction of microorganism. From these results, the postharvest environment and workers have been considered as cross-contamination factors. Thus, processing equipments and personal hygiene should be managed to reduce the microbial contamination of dropwort. Accordingly management system such as good agricultural practices (GAP) criteria is needed for the safety of dropwort