Determinants Influencing Labor Union Commitment of General Hospital Employees' by the Characteristics of Unions

종합병원 직원의 노동조합성격에 따른 노조몰입 결정요인

The purpose of this study was to provide basic materials needed to enhance quality of organizational life by identifying the improvements of labor union management in the perspective of general hospital organization management. The subject of this study were 686 employees in 12 General Hospitals in Metro Capital including Seoul. Materials were collected from administrators, nurses and medical technicians in target hospitals from March 20 to May 10, 2005 through survey questionnaires. The main results of this study were as follows: 1. the commitment level of the subjects according to their characteristics was higher in older employees than the younger ones, large family to support than small family to support and those who had higher positions in labor union. 2. The commitment level of the subjects according to the job and role related variables were higher those who had higher satisfaction level to their job and manager, role conflict in all hospitals. 3. The commitment level of the subjects according to union related variables, variables jointly controlled by union and employer was satistically significant positive correlation. In other words, the commitment level of the subjects according to the subjects' labor union involvement was higher in those who had higher satisfaction in labor union and perceived their colleagues' attitudes more positively in all hospitals. Regarding the atmosphere of the relationship between union and employer and the level of commitment in labor union, the better the atmosphere of the relationship between union and employer was, the higher the level of commitment in labor union was in all hospitals. 4. The results of multiple regression analysis shows that formal and informal socialization, union participation to the union management cooperation program, job satisfaction, satisfaction with the labor union's were all found as important antecedents of labor union commitment. 5. Job and role-related variables, union-related variables, variables jointly controlled by union and employer, and labor union commitment level were all found significantly different in accordance with the characteristics of unions concerned. To summarize study results, the level of commitment in labor union depends on job satisfaction, manager's attitudes, satisfaction to their jobs, union satisfaction, their colleagues attitudes toward union and the atmosphere of employer-employee relationship. Therefore hospital managers should have democratic and flexible attitudes toward labor union. Additionally, as formal and informal socialization, union participation to the union-management cooperation program is important determinant in union commitment, hospital managers should have countermeasures to enhance the colleague attitude and job satisfaction level of hospital employees. Since this study deals with psychological nature of workers not a few drawbacks and shortcomings may be detected in the finding. Nevertheless, the finding of this study, to become a momentum that will stimulate further research to detect all the cues of labor union commitment and to provide valuable reference in forming logical union commitment and labor union-management cooperation.