Distributors' Preference for the Flextime System

유통업체 종사자의 유동근무제에 대한 선호성향에 대한 연구

The "flextime" system, which was initially designed to maintain a balance between work and personal life, has recently received much attention as an alternative form of work, enabling employees to fully exert their creativity. Most studies show that the effects of flextime on performance, productivity, attitude toward the organization, absenteeism, and turnover differ between managerial and non-managerial workers. This suggests that workers' personal characteristics affect their preference for flextime by directly or indirectly influencing its result variables. As most Korean companies have not adopted the flextime system, little research has been conducted on it in Korea. Recently, Korean companies have been discussing flextime as one of several measures for enhancing international competitiveness. Therefore, this study aims to offer a theoretical framework for the introduction of the system by analyzing the effects of the precedent factors on the preference for flextime. Though not statistically significant, a higher preference for flextime is noted among workers over the age of 36. Older workers usually are more conservative and less adaptable to change but here the older Korean workers may be anxious and resistant. Additional research on workers in different types of businesses using improved research methods will lead to more meaningful results. Married workers display a lower preference to flextime than single workers. In Korea, the current atmosphere focused on a happy home encourages married workers to prefer regular work hours, enabling them to go to and from work on a regular schedule. This means that normal working hours, from morning to evening, are preferred as it is the most suitable system for families. However, this is not so in the case of single workers. Unmarried singles tend to prefer flextime for investing in self-development toward future prosperity, over the benefits of regular working-hours. Flextime is designed to meet their needs to some extent as it is helpful in maintaining a balance between work life and self-development. If flextime is selected, workers can spend mornings on self-development and work in the afternoons. Therefore, when flextime is introduced in Korea, it would be desirable to start with unmarried workers, to increase corporate creativity and productivity and develop individual potential. In particular, when the five-day workweek, the main concern for companies and labor unions, is adopted, synergy with flextime could be expected and a gradual implementation of flextime will be effective. Gender difference shows similar results to marital status with male workers displaying a higher preference for flextime. It is inferred that male workers' attitudes toward flextime are more favorable than female workers' because flextime enables self-development and work life to coexist. A relatively weak, though statistically significant, correlation exists between control position and flextime preference with inner-control-oriented workers displaying favorable attitudes toward flextime. Generally, inner-control-oriented workers tend to attribute the consequences caused by any person or partner relationship to themselves. Thus, when a new system is introduced they are likely to have less reluctance and fear than outer-control-oriented workers, because they think it is important to deal with the new system. A weak but slight correlation exists between the desire for achievement and flextime preference. People who have a higher desire for achievement are willing to consider the new system, especially if significant success is reasonably expected. This result is derived from a reasonable judgment that flextime offers an individual the time for self-development while the organization benefits from the resulting creativity and performance enhancements. Although not the primary analysis, a high correlation is found between control position and the desire for achievement, which is consistent with the results of previous research. The regression analysis not only supports the preceding ANOVA and correlation analysis but also shows the existence of a causal relationship. Married workers have a weak preference for flextime, which is consistent with the results of the preceding ANOVA. Relative to men, women have a weak preference for flextime. No statistically significant correlation was noticed for age. Inner-control-oriented workers prefer flextime more than outer-control-oriented workers as the former view the consequences of change to be their own responsibility. However, the preference for flextime seems to be weak. As expected, people with a higher desire for achievement have a stronger preference for flextime, presumably because the greater the desire for achievement, the stronger the spirit of challenging an uncertain future. No significant correlation exists between job satisfaction and flextime preference.

유동근무제는 고정된 시간대에만 근무하지 않고 조직과 종업원의 협의에 의하여 근무시간대를 유연하게 조절하는 제도를 의미한다. 대부분의 선행연구에서는 유동근무제가 성과나 생산성, 조직에 대한 태도, 결근율 및 이직률에 미치는 영향을 밝히는데 그 초점을 맞추었으나, 한국의 대부분 기업들이 아직 이 제도를 채택하지 않기 때문에 본 연구는 서울에 주소지를 둔 유통업체에 종사하는 노동자들을 대상으로 현장조사를 실시하여 노동자들의 개인적 특성이 유동근무제의 선호성향에 미치는 영향을 분석함으로써 제도도입을 위한 이론적 틀을 제공하는데 그 목적을 두고 있다. 본 연구의 결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다. 노동자들의 연령은 유동근무제의 선호성향에 영향을 미치지 않는 것으로 나타났다. 다만 통계적으로 유의하지는 않았지만 36세 이상의 노동자들은 35세 미만의 노동자들에 비해 선호성향이 낮은 것으로 나타났다. 남성의 선호성향이 여성보다 더 높게 나타났는데, 이것 역시 유동근무제는 자기개발과 직장생활을 공존하게 할 수 있어 아무래도 자기개발에 관심이 적은 여성보다는 남성들의 태도가 더 호의적인 것으로 분석되고 있다. 통제의 위치와 유동근무제에 대한 선호성향은 약한 상관관계가 존재하는 것으로 나타났는데 이것은 내적 통제를 지향하는 노동자일수록 유동근무제에 대해 호의적인 태도를 갖고 있음을 의미한다. 성취욕구가 높은 노동자일수록 유동근무제에 대해 호의적인 태도를 보여줬다. 성취욕구가 높은 사람들은 새로운 제도를 도입하는데 있어서 과감하게 도전을 하기 때문으로 보인다. 직무만족과 유동근무제의 선호성향과는 유의한 관련성을 나타내고 있지 않았다. 끝으로 본 연구의 한계를 제시하고 향후 연구의 방향을 제시한다.