• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.145-153
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• 2018

Recently the Korean society has suffered severe conflicts over the rate of increase in the minimum wage, while academics have failed to provide appropriate standards through reliable research. Recent foreign studies using natural experimentation or meta-regression analysis show that the increase in minimum wage has little effect on employment. Domestic studies are not yet numerous in number, and they present different conclusions on employment effects depending on the data used, sample period, and research model. To properly assess the employment effects of the minimum wage, future studies should minimize measurement errors in minimum wage dataset, and appropriately consider the endogenous change of minimum wage, economic situation and trends of employment changes. It is also necessary to utilize natural experiment methods before and after the increase of the minimum wage.

• Korean Journal of Labor Studies
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.79-108
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• 2017

Using data sets from the Korean Labour and Income Panel Study (KLIPS) for the period 2003-2015, this study shows that wages of nonunion workers are positively related to the percentage of unionized workers in the same geographic region. A 10 percentage point increase in a region's union density is associated with a 4.9 percent increase in the region's average wage of nonunion workers. It is also shown that this positive spillover effect is observed for various subgroups of nonunion workers, including women, youth, low-educated workers, small firm employees, and those employed under nonstandard work arrangements. In contrast, the average wage of union workers is found to respond insignificantly to changes in a region's union density.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.74-82
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• 2024

Purpose: This study delves into the relationship between interactive services and presenteeism among Korean service workers, aiming to discern the moderating effects of supervisor support on the relationship. Methods: Utilizing secondary data from the sixth Korean Working Conditions Survey, involving 7,628 service workers, this study conducted logistic moderated regression analysis to scrutinize the moderating effects of supervisor support on the relationship between interactive services and presenteeism. Results: Approximately 10% of workers experienced presenteeism in the previous 12 months. Females, low-educated, elderly, those working long hours, and low-wage workers were more likely to perceive presenteeism. Notably, a statistically significant U-shaped curvilinear relationship was observed between interactive service duration and presenteeism. The results also underscore the moderating role of supervisory support in shaping the relationship between interactive services and presenteeism. Conclusion: The study highlights the significance of supervisor interest and support in promoting workers' health, thereby not only improving the wellbeing of individual workers but also fostering organizational productivity by reducing presenteeism.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.18-37
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• 2024

This study examines migrant workers' occupational health and safety issues through a case study of the UK construction industry, focusing on structural vulnerabilities. Migrant workers are at the bottom of the hierarchically fragmented labour market, performing outsourced hazardous work. Structural vulnerability focuses on the social structures that create hierarchies and increase risk in the workplace, rather than on individual responsibility or 'cultural' differences of migrant workers. The study considers the structural factors that perpetuate the migrantisation of risk in the UK construction industry, focusing on the structural necessity of low-wage migrant labour, precarious employment and the legal status of migrant workers, and discusses how these three factors interact to increase migrant workers' vulnerability to health and safety. The migrantisation of risk is not only a matter of occupational health and safety or universal workers' compensation, but also of the intertwining of labour migration policies with employment structures that rely on low-wage, low-skilled labour. This calls for proactive measures to address structural risks that go beyond passive declaratory policies that do not exclude migrant workers from education, training or legal systems.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.494-502
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• 2017

This study examines how the Netherlands and Denmark lowered the increase in income inequality, at a period in time when income inequality in the world was deepening. This study investigates the level and trend of income inequality in the Netherlands and Denmark compared to those in Korea, the United States, Germany and Sweden. Using the method of the decomposition of changes in income inequality, this study identifies which factors are associated with the changes in inequality in these countries. It also explores which labor market policies mitigated inequality in these two countries. One of the major reasons for the reduction in earned income inequality in the Netherlands is the increased participation of women in economic activity through the increase in voluntary part-time working. In particular, the policies designed to promote equal treatment between full-time and non-regular workers contributed to the active participation of women in part-time work. Using active labor market policies, Denmark improved the proficiency of low skilled and low-wage workers, thereby alleviating the wage gap between high-income and low-income workers. Based on the experiences of the Netherlands and Denmark, this study discusses policy directions to mitigate income inequality in Korea.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.138-147
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• 2020

The construction field is one of the most representative job creation businesses, but it has been pointed out that the overall quality of the jobs is low because of the nature of the order-made production industry, such as unstable employment structure, aging workforce, etc.. Accordingly, the government plans to implement the "prevailing wage system" that guarantees a minimum wage for construction site workers. In reality, however, only a market wage could be used for a construction cost estimation because there was no standard for the prevailing wage. A comparative analysis of the prevailing wage and market wage was performed. This paper proposes a framework for estimating the reasonable prevailing wage in the construction industry. The results showed that the prevailing wage was estimated to be 4.7% lower than the market wage when the proposed framework is applied to the carpenters' case. This suggests that the proposed model could be used as an alternative for market wage considering the original purpose of the prevailing wage. This study will construct the basic data for scientific analysis on the wage, and finally, help estimate the reliable prevailing wage in the future.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.294-302
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the wage structure of hospital nurses in Korea and to analyze the factors that determine the level of nurses' wages. Methods: First, a mobile survey on nurses' wages was conducted with a total of 3,742 nurses working in hospitals. A literature review was also done. Second, a regression model was applied to analyze the determinants of nurses' wages. Results: The average monthly wage of 3,742 nurses based on the survey was KRW 3,588,000 and the standardized monthly income of 3,742 nurses was estimated to be KRW 3,364,000 as of the end of 2018. The results of regression analysis(R²=61.7%) showed that gender, nursing experience, designated night duty, ownership, and number of beds were statistically significant variables for nurses' wages at 1% significance level. The monthly wage of nurses working in total nursing care wards was not significantly different from those working in other wards at 5% significance level. Conclusion: The substantial difference in nurses' wages according to job career, hospital size, region, etc may result in the low proportion of nurses with more than three to five years of service experience and the high turnover of less-experienced workers. Consideration should be given to adjust the gap in wage level and a standard nurse wage system could be effective measures.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.111-119
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• 2022

Purpose: This study seeks to address the omission through examining the manner in which demographic similarity affects the responses of employees in the retail sector towards horizontal pay dispersion. Through doing so the study will be effective in bolstering the recent efforts of more careful exploration of conditions. Research design, data, and methodology: Scant past studies are available to guide for practitioners in retail sector which compensation strategy might lead adequate job performance for retail sales workers. To suggest possible solution, the present authors used variables of pay dispersion and obtained 317 US retail sale workers in distribution channels to measure the association between pay dispersion and employee job performance. Results: The statistical findings indicated both first and second hypothesis could be acceptable with favorable Beta and T values, resulting high degree of pay dispersion leads a low level of job performance, while a low degree of pay dispersion can motivate retail sales workers to improve their performance. Conclusions: The findings of this study raises an argument that processes of social comparison work in a more vigorous manner. This is thus a representation of the propensity of a retail sales worker to voluntarily resign from an organization when dispersion rates are higher.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.221-251
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• 2018

Two-tier wage systems mean the dual wage systems that the new wage system require the new future employees to get much lower wage level, compared to the level of wages for existing employees under the existing wage system. While it allows employers to benefit from low-cost advantages, the two-tier wage systems is definitely a type of wage discrimination by the collusion between management and trade unions in that it forces the new future employee to accept the low wages. Also it reflects extreme collectivism which old union members try to keep having their jobs and wages at the sacrifice of future members' wages. The two-tier wage systems had been introduced by airplane industry in 1980s and introduced again in Big Three auto companies in 2007. The purpose of this paper is to examine the history, contents, and details of two-tier wage system in the United States and to think of the possibility of recurrence of the systems in the context of Korean auto industry in the near future. The tentative findings from this paper implies that the two-tier wage systems will likely happen in Korean auto industry because the collusion between trade unions and management are found easily and the degree of extreme collectivism favored by the old permanent union members is seriously high. It is time for trade unions to go back to their original ideals and purposes and to revitalize solidarity among workers.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.368-379
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• 2022

Background: This study aimed to establish a strategy to improve the poor working environment and working conditions among long-term healthcare workers in Korea. Methods: A total of 600 questionnaires with which long-term health care workers participated in the targeted base areas of each city and province nationwide were distributed directly and 525 responses were collected and 506 responses were analyzed. Surveys, on-site field visits, and in-depth interviews were also conducted to understand the working environment as well as conditions and establish a strategy for improving the working environment among long-term healthcare workers to understand the demands of working conditions and working conditions. Results: Korean long-term care workers firstly and mostly enumerated their risk factors for ill-health when lifting or moving elderly recipients directly by hand (69.9%), followed by increased physical workload with old beds, tools, and facilities (42.3%) in the workplaces, shortage of manpower (32%), and source of infection (30%). To improve the working environment as well as conditions, Korean long-term care workers considered improving low-wage structures, ergonomic improvements to solve excessive physical loads, and increasing various bonus payments as well as implementing the salary system, positive social awareness, and increasing resting time. Of 506 responses, 92.3% replied that the long-term care insurance system for the elderly should be developed to expand publicization at the national level. Conclusion: This study proposes to improve the low-wage structure of Korean long-term care workers, automation and improvement of facilities, equipment, and tools to eliminate excessive physical loads (beneficiary elderly lifting), and reduction of night labor.