ENTERPRISE UNIONISM FROM A KOREAN PERSPECTIVE

This study examines the structural and functional features and institu tional stability of enterprise unions in the Korean manufacturing sect or in the late 1980s. Both the positive relationship between the propo rtion of unionized firms and firm size, and the distinct function of e nterprise unions are identified and explained. The dramatic rise of th e labor movement since mid-1987 undermined the institutional stability of Korean enterprise unions. Finally, a broad comparison of enterpris e unions between Korea and Japan helps to clarify the distinct charact eristics of Korean enterprise unions. The findings of this study call for further research in order to investigate diverse forms of enterpri se unionism within and across Asian nations.