Title: The impact of flexible benefits on employee satisfaction: a study of the South Korean public sector

Authors: Gyu-Chang Yu, Nancy E. Waldeck, Chris Rowley

Addresses: The School of Business, Hanyang University, 17 Haengdang-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 133-791, Korea. ' College of Mount St. Joseph, 5701 Delhi Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45233, USA. ' Cass Business School, City University, 106 Bunhill Row, London, EC1Y 8TZ, UK

Abstract: Anecdotal evidence and theoretical research highlights the role of flexible benefit systems (FBS) in enhancing employee satisfaction. While this is supported by some empirical evidence, most findings mainly pertain to the 1990s and North America and the private sector. Fewer studies have used other national settings or the public sector. Therefore, this study used a large sample of employees in central government departments in South Korea to examine the impact of FBS on levels of employee (benefit and job) satisfaction at two points in time. This was pre- and post-FBS in the same departments and the control departments continuing without FBS. Our findings suggest that the benefit satisfaction of employees increases with FBS and although job satisfaction was also positive, it was not statistically significant. The wider implications and relevance of our findings are also elucidated.

Keywords: flexible benefits; employee satisfaction; benefits satisfaction; public employees; South Korea; public sector; flexible benefit systems.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSS.2008.020046

International Journal of Society Systems Science, 2008 Vol.1 No.1, pp.67 - 83

Published online: 21 Aug 2008 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article