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KMID : 1001320120390010133
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Social Welfare Policy
2012 Volume.39 No. 1 p.133 ~ p.161
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With Conflicting Feelings toward Unprepared, but Unavoidable Competition among Social Service Organizations: A Qualitative Inquiry on Social Workers` Perceptions and Experiences
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Rho Yeon-Hee
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Abstract
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Since the introduction of voucher system and long-term care insurance in the late 2000s, Korea has witnessed the drastic change in social services, emphasizing the use of competitive mechanisms. This qualitative study explored social workers’ perceptions and experiences of the current change in social service delivery system. Facing the unprepared, but unavoidable change, participants expressed very complicated feelings of denial, reluctance, and constant doubts toward effects brought by competition among service organizations. Also they have been struggling to survive the competitive situation. Futhermore, social workers maintained that nonprofit social service organizations enhance the competitiveness by caring socially disadvantaged people with warm-hearted mind and an integrative approach to clients. Social workers’ experiences told both policy-makers and administrators the importance of a long-term plan, and a control system in order to maintain social service quality and not to lose genuine values of social welfare.
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KEYWORD
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social workers` perceptions and experiences, competition, social services, qualitative study
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