• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.476-481
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• 2019

Background: Mystery shopping is a method in which a company monitors quality of service and employee conduct and compliance with regulations using an evaluator posing as a customer. It is a typical tool of customer-centered bureaucratic control insofar as it provides overall and standardized evaluation of intangible elements of customer service as well as physical elements of service environments. The purpose of this study is to examine how mystery shopping is related to the health status of service workers in South Korea. Methods: Data from semistructured interviews with 15 workers were collected from January to April 2019 to obtain information on service worker experiences with mystery shopping. Data were analyzed using the constant comparison method. Results: Mystery shopping limits worker autonomy and stiffens the workplace environment by standardizing and monitoring labor processes for service workers. In addition, mystery shopping heightens work stress through increased labor intensity. Five mechanisms by which mystery shopping affects service worker health are identified and comprise (1) multifaceted and multilayered surveillance, (2) evaluator subjectivity and irrational requirements, (3) standardized rules combined with high pressure to achieve sales, (4) self-esteem degradation because of evaluator results, and (5) musculoskeletal disorders because of strict adherence to labor processes based on evaluator results. Conclusion: Mystery shopping as an evaluation method should be reconsidered not only in terms of health problems but also in terms of organizational efficiency and issues of human rights.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.46
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• pp.236-262
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• 2001

This discovery-oriented study explored 31 social workers' perceptions of discrepancies between explicit and implicit rules in their work places that are supposed to affect the quality of social work services, and identified eight categories of dilemmas: (a) confused accountability or purpose, (b) ambiguous principle, (c) improper authority, (d) confused role of social workers, (e) conflict between ideal and reality, (f) confused work ethics, (g) confused boundary of workers' rights, and (h) binds. These eight categories revealed the real philosophy and purposes of social work agencies, work ethics and values prevalent among social work agencies, agencies' orientation toward clients, and the conditions of social support from the society in large. Instead of searching for discrete variables as separately responsible for inefficient social work services, this approach probed malfunctioning implicit rules in a holistic context to see if inefficient or ineffective provision of social work services is a logical response to a much larger and deeper nexus. Insight into discrepant rules does not solely ensure the improvement of social work practice in the field, particularly if their identification is simply used as another opportunity to blame and avoid self-responsibility. However, such discrepancies between implicit and explicit rules are real enough to the staff workers and agency administrators that they may want to begin the dialogue of contradictory rules as a way of sanctioning discussion of previously forbidden topics. This study provided the ground-work for the dialogue.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.150-160
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to classify the attitudes of Korean people regarding foreign workers and to analyze the influence factors. Analysis of the attitude difference and the influential factors utilized the SPSS ${\chi}^2$ test and multinomial logistic regression analysis using 2016 data obtained from the 'Koreans' Consciousness and Values'. Socio-demographic variables, national identity, and socioeconomic variables were used as explanatory variables. The attitude types (friendly, negative, and dual) of respondents were identified, and the influence of explanatory variables influencing these attitudes was identified. Analysis found they have a relatively generous stance on granting legal rights, while they are negative regarding the economic and social threats from foreign workers. As a result of analyzing the factors affecting attitudes, there are significant differences in each influence. However, negative attitudes and dual attitude concerning with negative legal rights found common to the influence of the factors of national identity. Gender and ratio of foreign workers were influential factors for dual attitudes with a high economic threat. On the other hand, socioeconomic factors reflecting the realistic conflict theory were not found to have any effect. The negative attitude of foreign workers in our society can be regarded as cognitive threats rather than realistic experiences or conflicts.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.87-108
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• 2014

Recent examples of abuse by black consumers (including air travellers) against emotional laborers have become a serious social issue in Korea in that they are likely to violate human rights of those laborers. Emotional labor is a form of emotion regulation that creates a publicly visible facial and bodily display, and also emotional management within the workforce that creates a situation in which the emotion management by workers can be exchanged in the marketplace. Example professions that require emotional labor are: nurses, doctors, waiting staff, and television actors. However, as the economy moves from a manufacturing to a service-based economy, many more workers in a variety of occupational fields are expected to manage their emotions according to employer demands when compared to the past. One of symptoms deriving from emotional labor is smile mask syndrome abbreviated SMS, which is a psychological disorder proposed by professor Makoto Natsume where subjects develop depression and physical illness as a result of prolonged, unnatural smiling. And higher degree of using emotion regulation on the job is related to higher levels of employees' emotional exhaustion, and lower levels of employees' job satisfaction. In most part, emotional laborers are more abused and hurt by so called black consumers who are raising complaints relating to products and services purchased against service providers for the purpose of maliciously getting compensation. Against this background, the Korean Government abolished "the Consumer Protection Act" and instead promulgated "the Basic Consumer Act" in September 2006 which stipulates that consumers are expected to have protection as well as responsibility and duty. The Aviation Security Act cites the examples of prohibited behaviors (unruly passengers) while they are travelling. In addition, human rights of emotional laborers could be more protected by the enhancement of etiquettes and cavalry and improvement of culture and working environment.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.677-688
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• 2022

Precarious employment is negatively associated with mental health including depression. The aim of the study is to suggest the multidimensional definition of precarious employment and examine its impacts on depression. Using the fifth save of the Korean Working Condition Survey, we first measured six different dimensions of employment precariousness: temporariness, disempowerment, vulnerability, difficulty exercising rights, unpredictability of working times, and low wage. All of six precariousness indicators consisted of a scale from 0 to 100. Then, we conducted logistic regression to examine the association between employment precariousness and depression. For men, the risk of depression increased by 3.1%, 1%, and 0.5%, respectively, for each one point increase in vulnerability, difficulty in exercising rights, and unpredictability of working times. For women, the risk increased by 0.5%, 2.3%, and 0.8%, respectively, for each one point increase in temporariness, vulnerability, and difficulty in exercising rights. Our findings suggest that not only a secure employment contract, but also their substantive labor rights should be guaranteed for health for workers.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.743-773
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• 2009

The objectives of this study were to study multicultural society of rural areas in Korea. USA immigration law permits permanent settlement but Korea immigration law prohibits permanent settlement. USA adopted the territorial principle but Korea adopted the personal(nationality) principle. So a large number of people immigrated and settled in USA and mass(collective) immigrants is usual in USA. But foreign workers(temporary immigration) and international marriage women(individual immigrants) is usual in Korea. According to the positive law, foreign workers cannot settle down in Korea. So international marriage women immigrants are main cause of multicultural society in rural areas in Korea. This is the particularity of multicultural society in rural areas in Korea. So it is necessary to differentiate multicultural society policy according to areas and residents. Many peoples see multicultural society from a point of view of human rights and welfare. But it is also necessary to see multicultural society from a point of view of economic and policy.

• 한국사회정책
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.247-278
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• 2018

Anti-oppressive practice (AOP) is a form of social work practice that has developed in the UK. In South Korea, Anti-oppressive social work has not been widely studied / explored unlike in other countries in the world. Its main principles, social justice and human rights, have become commonplace. AOP includes transformational practice because its orientation emphasizes social change through celebrating diverse identities and rejecting hierarchies of oppression and prestige. Recently, a growing body of literature on social work with foreign workers has resulted in an increased understanding of its population and its needs. It needs a theoretical and practical framework for foreign workers necessary to inform effective models of service delivery, reflecting cultural competence, and changing oppressive social structure. In this paper, we will introduce the main principles of AOP, analyse written texts reflected by foreign workers and social work practitioners' opinion, and suggest the implications on possibilities and constraints of applicability to foreign workers in South Korea.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.63-71
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to explore how the organizational structure of hospitals affects the pattern of conflicts between human resources at hospitals and then to present basic data necessary for conflict resolution. Research data were collected from the personnel of 14 hospitals in P city in Korea. The findings of the study are summed up as follows. First, administrative workers and with fewer years of service thought of the organizational structure as organic. Second, organizational conflict was found to be higher in those at older ages, with more years of service and in middle management positions. Next, as for conflict patterns between occupation types, nurses showed more conflicts with doctors and administrative workers, while administrative workers and public health personnel had more conflicts with nurses. Last, of the organizational structure factors, 'Subdivision of work,' 'Decision making method,' 'Opinion collection process,' 'Codification of responsibilities and rights' and 'Documentation of duties' were found to have negative effects on conflict patterns. Therefore, the findings imply that for decrease in organizational conflicts, hospitals need to be reorganized to have a more organic structure and take such differentiated measures for conflict resolution that consider characteristics of human resources, such as one's age, years of service and position.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.169-196
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• 2006

As social work practice for the disabled is still centered in provider's perspective in Korea, this study started with concerns for consumerism that is emerging as an alternative for the social work practice for the disabled. Consumerism is rooted in organization process of the disability rights movement, and considered as an ideology that protects actively the rights and influence of consumers. However, consumerism is not operating as an accomplished ideology yet, but as a type of the practical discourse. Consumerism is interpreted in multiaxial meanings and the conscituents of consumerism is used ambiguously in practice. This is because theoretical reviews on the conceptual thinking of consumerism are scant and empirical inquiries into conceptual cognition of social workers who uses this concept as a professional are scarce. After analyzing the data using Q methodology, the result shows that social workers' major cognitive types on consumerism perspective consists of four types; Empowerment type, Market-mechanism type, Multi-opening type and Traditional-value type. These types are classified by the dimension of 'specific/extended', 'traditional/reformative' and 'instrumental/autotelic'. This result will attribute to develop consumer-intimate policy, practice program and professional training program and to give facilities for lucid communication among policy, practice field, theory and movement in social welfare for disabled as it materializes the explicit conception of consumerism that is understood ambiguously in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.73-79
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• 2013

As facilities performing the production, processing, preservation, and shipment of agricultural products; agricultural facilities are categorized into planting facilities and livestock facilities based on the management target. Agricultural facilities are set in farmlands, and facility users mainly complain about the legal or institutional restrictions on farm rather than their own facilities itself. From 2009 to 2012, the Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) published the "Casebook of farmer Complaints on Farmlands" in order to help answer farmers' questions and support public workers' workloads. However, contents related to agricultural facility installed in farmland are currently not dealt with in particular. Among agricultural facilities, demands of property rights with livestock facilities have risen due to construction permissions, operational restrictions, and high initial investment costs; and relevant laws were revised and are now being executed. However, for planting facilities such as mushroom facilities, ginseng facilities, and greenhouses; farmer complaints related to property rights are constantly increasing because revisions to relevant laws are not being made despite the rising diversity of construction materials through technical developments as well as the rising scale of assets-i.e. mechanization, automation, and the application of New Regeneration Energies according to capital influx. In this study, the current state of relevant agricultural facility legislation were organized and their drawbacks deduced in order to propose improvements of Agricultural Facility Legislation. The result of interviewing with public workers and farmers show that agricultural facilities should be regarded as extensions of farmlands rather than as facilities built in land where development actions were being taken. Alternatives able to reflect these opinions were suggested through expert consultation.