1st Edition

The Cheabol and Labour in Korea The Development of Management Strategy in Hyundai

By Seung Ho Kwon, Michael O'Donnell Copyright 2001

    This important new study argues that an historical analysis of the labour-management policies of the Korean family conglomerates, or chaebol, is essential for a complete understanding of the dynamics of South Korean industrial relations. Focusing on the labour-management strategies of the Hyundai Business Group, the book offers a new perspective on the Asian 'tiger' economy.

    Introduction I The Political Economy of South Korea 1. The state, the chaebol and independent trade unions II Family Business and Expansion: 1940-1960s 2. Towards formalisation of labour management in Hyundai III Business Diversity and Concentration: 1970s-Early 1980s3. The organisation of work in heavy industries 4. A dual approach to personnel management and labour resistance IV Crisis and Transition: Early 1980s-1990s 5. The re-emergence of independent trade unions 6. Decentralisation of heavy industries 7. The extension of paternalism and union-avoidance 8. Conclusion

    Biography

    Seung Ho Kwon, Michael O'Donnell