Journal of Asia-Pacific Studies 2024 KCI Impact Factor : 0.59
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pISSN : 1225-8539 / eISSN : 2671-5171
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A Study on the Presence of Military Culture Adoption as a Mechanism for Productivity Improvement in North Korean Informal Firms
- Journal of Asia-Pacific Studies
- Abbr : JAPS
- 2024, 31(4), pp.193~238
- DOI : 10.18107/japs.2024.31.4.007
- Publisher : Institute of Global Affairs
- Research Area : Social Science > Social Science in general
- Received : November 24, 2024
- Accepted : December 17, 2024
- Published : December 30, 2024
Yeongung Cho 1, Soojung Suh 2
1북경대학교 국제관계학원
2이화여자대학교 통일학연구원
Accredited
ABSTRACT
Do North Korean informal firms adopt military culture as an organizational culture to overcome structural and cultural limitations as part of their productivity improvement strategies? This study investigates whether North Korean informal firms adopt military culture as an organizational strategy to overcome structural and cultural constraints and enhance productivity. Grounded in organizational culture theory, this study posits that integrating military culture constitutes a rational prescription for improving productivity in such firms. To determine whether this theoretical claim reflects reality, interviews were conducted with North Korean defectors who were interviewees with experience in participating in informal firms. However, the interview results do not support the theoretical claim. Interviewees reported no evidence of military cultural traits—such as collectivism, hierarchical structures, norm adherence, or the use of militaristic elements—in their organizational practices. Instead, the study identifies the features of North Korean informal firms, including independent operations, transactional singularity, and restricted information flows, as limiting factors. These features are primarily driven by the fear of state surveillance and punishment, which, in turn, stem from the pervasive lack of social trust that characterizes North Korean society. The results suggest that the growth of informal firms is unlikely to foster or reinforce military culture across North Korean society.
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This paper was written with support from the National Research Foundation of Korea.