The Effects of Ethnic Identity Behavior and School Belonging on Psychologic Wellbeing and Job Satisfaction among Chinese Student Workers in Korea
Authors:   Asia-Europe Perspective Association, Su Wei , Li Jinxi Michelle , Kim Kwon Soo 
Published: December 2024

With the gradual impact of globalization, the number of the foreign students in Korea is increasing. Chinese students have always been the first in the number among the foreign students in Korea. Most Chinese students do arbeit while studying in Korea. However, there is a lack of research on student workers in Korea and expecially on how the support of universities, which is a major sponsoring organ- ization of foreign students, affects their psychological well-being (Cho et al., 2015). Moreover, studies on the psychological well-being and job satisfaction of student workers are also insufficient. Thus, this study aims to investigate the relationship among ethnic identity behavior (home country media use), school belonging, psychologic wellbeing and job satisfaction among Chinese student workers in Korea. Based on the regression analysis for 158 Chinese student workers, we got the following results. First, Chinese student workers’ ethnic identity behavior (home country media use) and school belonging sig- nificantly influenced their psychologic wellbeing. Second, ethnic identity behavior was found to moderate the relationship between school belonging and psychological wellbeing. More specifically, the influence of school belonging on psychological wellbeing was higher among those who used home country media less than those who used the media more. This finding was contradict to our hypothesis. This is because the effect of ethnic identity behavior on psychological well-being is much smaller than that of school belonging (β=.513, P<.001) among Chinese students although ethnic identity behavior has a positive effect on psychological well-being (β=.254, P<.001), Thus, it is more advantageous to reduce ethnic identity behavior for psychological well-being in terms of the interaction between school belonging and ethnic identity behavior. These results can be attributed to a special intercultural setting. In other words, in- tegration strategy that embraces both home and host culture is more desirable for psychological well-being than segregation strategy which insists only home culture (Berry, 1980). Finally, psychological wellbeing was found to mediate the relationship between school belonging and job satisfaction as well as between ethnic identity behavior (home country media use) and job satisfaction. This means that in order to increase the job satisfaction of foreign student workers, it is necessary to maintain psychological well-be- ing by promoting the sense of school belonging and ethnic identity behavior. Theoretical and managerial implications for organizational and school practices are discussed at the end. Specifically, in order to improve the psychological well-being of international student workers, it is necessary to support con- venient use of smart phones or computers for better use of the media in their home countries. Moreover, language training, cross-cultural training, international festivals and Buddy programs (mentoring pro- grams in which Korean students help foreign students) are necessary to increase the sense of school belonging among international students. In addition, companies that employ foreign student workers could increase their job satisfaction by promoting their psychological well-being through psychological counsel- ing or mentoring programs.