Culture and Social Adjustment: Migrant Workers in Korea and Local Workers in Overseas Korean Firms

Abstract

This study offers a comparative perspective of the social adjustment of migrant workers in Korea and local workers employed in Korean firms in four Asian countries. Data for the study came from surveys conducted in Korea (n=742 migrant workers from China, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam) and Korean firms overseas (n=1,078 local workers in the same countries where migrants come from). In addition, interviews were also conducted for supervisors, managers and top managers of firms in Korea and overseas. The study found differences in perceptions of cultural gap and work conditions and levels of social adjustment by ethnic group and migration status. The persistence of ethnic differences in workers' social adjustment suggests the possible influence of cultural factors.