Labor dynamics among food and nutrition service employees in Korean public schools

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study aims to explore labor dynamics surrounding the food and nutrition service employees in Korean public schools. This job group is known to have complex power dynamics because employees with different employment statuses (regular employees v. non-regular employees) and managerial authorities perform substantially similar tasks. Based on the ground theory perspectives, labor dynamics issues were discovered through face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with employees from different job groups in Korean public schools. Qualitative data analysis revealed significant problems in various human resource functions such as job analysis, selection, performance management, and compensation. The results show that the conflicts at work are derived from unclear job descriptions and specifications, the lack of acceptance concerning the validity of selection exams, the complicated power dynamics caused by the mixture of authority and employment status, and the lack of perceived fairness in compensation. This paper proposes practical solutions to those issues to minimize employee conflict and maximize organizational effectiveness by outlining individual HR practices and emphasizing the strategic human resource perspective.