Social enterprise and work integration of North Korean migrants in South Korea

This contribution aims to present the general issue of integrating North Korean (NK) migrants living in South Korea into jobs and society, the main characteristics of the social enterprise scheme set up in South Korea, and a few examples of social enterprises engaged in NKs migrants’ work integration. It stresses that the process of integrating NK migrants through the social enterprise model leads to apprehend this question, not in the traditional framework of policies specific to NK migrants, but in a broader framework to address a more comprehensive issue of the integration of vulnerable populations. This is an orientation that breaks with the previous public-policy framework towards NK migrants without real counterpart benefits. This approach also supplements governmental policies that have been developed since 2005 to encourage NK migrants to engage in skills training and support programmes in employment coaching. By adding case studies that assess the effectiveness of NK migrants’ work integration based on the criteria of job creation, job skills enhancement, and normal job sustenance, this study examines whether the European-originated work integration social enterprise model works for a particular social enterprise type benefiting NK migrants in South Korea.     

Think socially but act publicly: refocusing CSR as corporate public responsibility

Current literature has identified many different definitions for the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR). As a result, many organizations fail to implement and measure CSR strategically. This study reviews the different theories and concepts within CSR and suggests that the current scope of CSR activities is too large that organizations are unable to find a tangible link between CSR and their bottom line. Using two case examples, this study proposes refocusing the concept of CSR as corporate public responsibility (CPR) based on which organizations utilize the concept of publics to prioritize the groups to which they must fulfill their responsibilities before attending to society as a whole. Because organizations are constrained by limited resources, the concept of CPR allows them to invest their resources more strategically. The concept also addresses the limitations of existing theories. The practical implications of this concept will be discussed in detail. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Investigation into Seasonal Scavenging Patterns of Raccoons on Human Decomposition,

Although raccoons are known as one of the most common scavengers in the U.S., scavenging by these animals has seldom been studied in terms of forensic significance. In this research, the seasonal pattern of raccoon scavenging and its effect on human decomposition was investigated using 178 human cadavers placed at the Anthropological Research Facility (ARF) of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) between February 2011 and December 2013. The results reveal that (i) the frequency of scavenging increases during summer, (ii) scavenging occurs relatively immediately and lasts shorter in summer months, and (iii) scavenging influences the decomposition process by hollowing limbs and by disturbing insect activities, both of which eventually increases the chance of mummification on the affected body. This information is expected to help forensic investigators identify raccoon scavenging as well as make a more precise interpretation of the effect of raccoon scavenging on bodies at crime scenes.     

Retaining the Quota System in the South Korean Rice Market

On 30 December 2004, the Korean government reached an agreement to postpone tariffs on the rice market until 2014 in exchange for a gradual increase in the minimum market access quota (the access to the Korean market by others based on a percentage of Korea's total consumption of rice). However, economic reasoning shows that if the Korean government had decided to introduce the tariff system instead, the social welfare from the rice market would have increased considerably over the next ten years, even after taking into account the loss in the external value of rice farming. Thus, the 2004 choice of the quota in the rice market by the Korean government was a political decision. This article measures the social welfare in the rice market under the two alternative systems – tariff and quota – for the period 2005–15. It then explores the explanation for the 2004 decision by investigating three key variables: the characteristics of farmers' groups, their interaction with government executives and the legislature, and the trend in public opinion on rice market issues. In light of the organisational weakness of Korean agricultural interest groups, the focus is on farmers' tactics for achieving their goal, i.e. retaining the quota instead of introducing the tariff.     

The Role of Forensic Anthropology in the Examination of the Daegu Subway Disaster (2003, Korea)*

Abstract: Meticulous recovery of victims in the Daegu subway disaster was possible, because charred and fragmented victims were left in situ. Because bodies were piled one over another within the train, appropriate methodology during the recovery was critical to identifying the victims. The disaster area was thoroughly documented with notes, photographs, and schematic drawings of the various locations. The recovery team, comprising two medical examiners and one forensic anthropologist, decided when charred body parts and cremated bones were linked to the same individual based on the anatomy and forensic anthropological examination. Without these recovery procedures, it would not have been possible to efficiently harvest representative DNA sample from most of the victims’ body parts. After the entire process of identification, 136 victims were positively identified, and six victims remained unidentified. This study supports the crucial role of forensic anthropologists in the recovery of victims, especially in fire scenes.     

Designing deploying competency building-up of in-house lifelong learning： Communication-culture convergence requirements

This paper discusses ways to build up in-house lifelong learning （ILL） competency with reference to the principles of communication-culture convergence （CCC）. Successful CCC, in general, requires meeting three conditions： Securing diverse but appropriate learning technologies, enhancing the value of effectiveness and coordinating interests among stake holders. It, to be specific, necessitates theory-workplace-balanced implementation of five elements： Diagnosing lifelong learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying appropriate human material resources, choosing goal strategies, and evaluating learning outputs. Lastly, CCC-driven ILL-focused figure and tables are shown to exemplify a successful interconnection between ILL convergence principles and competency requirements. Then, five South Korean cases are briefly summarized to show a discrepancy between the ILL competency guide and a real world of ILL practice. Significance and suggestions are drawn.     

A Comparative Study of the Effects of Institutional Arrangements in Municipal Solid Waste Services in Korea

In Korea, local governments are primarily responsible for providing municipal solid waste services to citizens. This paper examines the effects of different institutional arrangements and characteristics on cost savings, efficiency gains and productivity in the delivery of municipal solid waste services to citizens. In order to carry out this research, a hybrid cost function approach was employed, and cross-sectional time-series data from local governments of Korea covering a ten-year period (2000–2009) were used for empirical analysis. Empirical findings indicated that there were no effects of contracting-out on cost savings, efficiency and productivity gains in Korea. Specifically, the solid waste service costs were not significantly lower under contracting-out than under direct public delivery. In addition, contrary to the arguments of the proponents of privatization or contracting-out, efficiency and productivity gains were actually higher under direct public delivery than when contracted out.