kossda-korea social science data archive

Principal Investigator(s)

Kim, Suk Hoon / Department of Sociology, Gyeongsang National University

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the state of subcontracting between large corporations and small and medium sized firms in Korea through concrete cases studies and to disclose its structural inconsistencies. Considering that preexisting studies of subcontracting between large corporations and small and medium sized firms focuses on the inequalities in the areas of distribution and circulation, this study focuses on the inconsistent structure in the relationship between capital and labor in the area of production as well as the phenomenon of increasing reciprocal relations between corporations and subcontractors. The fieldwork was conducted from May to November of 1991 and the key informants are managers of 10 small and medium sized firms in the Jinju Sang-Pyeong industrial complex and the representatives of 4 corporations in Hyeon-Poong and Jinju areas doing business with them. Furthermore, in order to examine the state of laborers 5 workers from small and midsized business were interviewed as well as members of textile companies in the Jinju area for cross-industry comparisons.
The method of research is composed of interviews and company visits and the interviews were conducted as unstructured interviews for the duration of 1 to 2 hours. The interview topics include the changes and formation of subcontracting relations, supplied price decision, supplied amount and delivery time, quality and technology, purchase of raw materials, delivery time and payment, and problems with the grounds. This data is composed of 20 cases of audio files and interview summaries including 4 cases from corporations, 10 cases form subcontracted small and medium firms, 5 cases of textile industry members, and 1 case of worker interview. ID12-2 and 17 dose not provide audio file. And ID 16 could not be recorded due to the interviewee’s refusal and thus was recorded by the interviewer afterwards by organizing the contents of the interview.

Keywords

subcontract small and medium sized businesses

Subjects

Industry/ Business

Citation

Kim, Suk Hoon. Case Study on Subcontracting Structure of Small and Medium Sized Firms in the Jinju Area, 1991 [Dataset]. Korea Social Science Data Archive (KOSSDA) [Distributors], 2008-08-27, https://doi.org/10.22687/KOSSDA-B3-1991-0001-V1.1.

Restrictions Application for Data Use

Data Use Agreement