Work and Quality of Working Life in the Perception of the Korean People: Focusing on the Differences among Occupational Groups

Abstract

The quality of working life among Korean people has improved since the year 1986. Despite the continuous improvement, environmental factors such as the economic growth rate and union density have been declining recently. Considering those factors have played a very important role in improving the quality of working life, we can no longer expect such improvements in the near future. Among different occupational groups, the satisfaction level of public sector employees looks very high. Professionals were satisfied with their education and social status. On the other hand, agricultural workers were dissatisfied with their life conditions, with the exception of health and work. Stress levels were highest among manufacturing workers and agricultural workers. Of all occupational groups, manufacturing workers experienced the worst conditions in both objective and subjective quality of life. Despite low productivity and the routine character of their work, public sector employees seem to enjoy stable objective and subjective conditions. Higher satisfaction with life and working conditions do not necessarily guarantee corresponding creativity, autonomy, and productivity. One of the basic contradictions in the quality of Korean working life does not reflect productivity, creativity, and work performance. (The major causes of job characteristics in Korean society may not be inherent in job categories but in the models of industrialization and consequent work organization.)