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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify work ethic constructs measured by the Korean translation of the Occupational Work Ethic Inventory (KOWEI). Participants were 816 full-time and part-time Korean employees who were working for four companies in South Korea. This study consisted of two main parts and addressed five research questions. The first research question focused on identification of work ethic constructs measured by the KOWEI. The other four research questions dealt with the work ethic of Korean workers grouped by one of four independent variables: gender, age, years of full-time work experience, and level of education. Factor analysis identified response patterns of Korean workers in South Korea and was used to identify six sets of factors for work ethic. One-way ANOVA procedures determined whether statistically significant differences existed for the work ethic of Korean employees in South Korea categorized by one of four independent variables. Bonferroni post hoc tests were used to provide pairwise comparisons for independent variables having more than two levels (age, years of full-time work experience, and level of education). Finally, effect size was calculated to make inferences about the practical significance of the results. Results of this study support the uniqueness of work ethic constructs in Eastern cultures as compared to the work ethic in Western cultures.