Asia-Pacific Journal of Business (아태비즈니스연구)

KNU The Institute of Management & Economy Research (강원대학교 경영경제연구소)
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What Makes South Korean Perceive Happiness Lower Than Chinese and Japanese?

무엇이 한국인을 중국인과 일본인보다 행복하지 않게 만드는가?

  • Park, Sang-June (Department of Business Administration, Jeonbuk National University) ;
  • Zhao, Rui (Department of Business Administration, Jeonbuk National University) ;
  • Lee, Yeong-Ran (Department of Business Administration, Jeonbuk National University) ;
  • Park, Ki-Chul (Department of Business Administration, Jeonbuk National University)
  • Received : 2021.08.31
  • Accepted : 2021.09.21
  • Published : 2021.09.30
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Abstract

Purpose - Previous research points out that South Korean perceive their happiness less than Chinese and Japanese, although the three nations belong to the same Northeast Asia cultural sphere. This study aims to find out the reasons for the relatively low perception of happiness in South Korea and develop policy options to improve the relatively low perceived happiness in South Korea. Design/methodology/approach - For the analyses, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and regression analysis were performed based on the World Values Survey data (Wave 7). Findings - First, South Korean perceived happiness less than Chinese due to 'satisfaction with the financial situation of household' and 'in-group trust'. More specifically, although there was no difference in the impact of 'satisfaction with the financial situation of household' on perceived happiness in South Korea and China, South Korean evaluated 'satisfaction with the financial situation of household' lower than Chinese. In addition, the impact of 'in-group trust' on happiness in South Korea was less than that in China, where the level of 'in-group trust' was also lower in South Korea than China. Second, South Korean perceived happiness less than Japanese due to 'in-group trust'. Although South Korean had a higher level of 'in-group trust' than Japanese, the impact of 'in-group trust' on perceived happiness was less in South Korea than Japan. The contribution of 'in-group trust' to perceived happiness, calculated with the regression coefficient of 'in-group trust' multiplied by the mean of 'in-group trust', was evaluated lower in South Korea than Japan. Research implications or Originality - This study identifies the mechanism leading to low perception of happiness in South Korea, based on the World Values Survey data.

Keywords

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