Development of the Korean Culture Adjustment Scale for Chinese Workers in Korea and Exploration into the Different Internal Structure of Korean Chinese and Han Chinese: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

This study was conducted to develop a scale which can measure the Korean culture adjustment of Chinese workers employed in Korea. In the study 1, we selected 4 sub-dimensions and 24 questions that measure the characteristics of Korean culture adjustment through literature review and in-depth interviews. In the study 2, we conducted surveys on 405 Chinese workers to verify the constructs of the Korean culture adjustment scale. Subjects were divided into the two groups of Korean Chinese and Han Chinese, exploratory analysis was conducted in Exploratory Structure Equation Model frame. If sub-divisions are observed by group, the Korean Chinese group showed a 3 dimensional (adjustment to occupational environments, adjustment to living environments, psychological adjustment) structure and the Han Chinese showed a 4 dimensional (adjustment to occupational environments, adjustment to living environments, psychological adjustment, communicational adjustment) structure. In particular, communicational adjustment was a factor drawn only from the Han Chinese through factor analysis. This implied that the reason is because the language used by the Korean Chinese is similar to the Korean language. In the study 3, multi-group analysis was performed to observe whether a measurement model of the Korean culture adjustment scale can generalize or differentiate between groups. As a result, equal interpretation between groups was possible for questions forming coidentity. The Korean culture adjustment scale developed in this study is significant in that it can assess the unique Korean culture adjustment of Chinese workers.