자격의 주요 기능으로 크게 2가지를 구분하는데 그중 하나는 인적자원관리의 기준으로 노동시장에서 채용, 승진, 보수 등에서 인센티브를 부여하는 것이다. 그리고 다른 기능으로는 개인의 직무능력을 향상시켜 직무만족도나 직업몰입도를 제고시키는 것이다. 우리나라 자격은 기존의 연구를 통해볼 때 전자의 기능은 미약하게 작동되고 있는 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구는 후자인 자격의 직무만족도 및 직업몰입도 효과에 초점을 두고 분석하였으며, 아울러 한국 뿐 만 아니라 일본, 독일, 미국 등 4개국의 자격효과를 비교하였다. 이러한 자격의 국제비교 연구는 처음으로 이루어졌다. 국가별 자격의 효과를 종합하여 볼 때, 한국의 경우 자격취득이 직업몰입에 긍정적으로 작용하지만, 자격의 유형 및 자격의 분야별로 일관적이고 특화된 효과가 크다고는 볼 수 없었다. 독일의 경우 전반적으로 자격취득자가 미취득자에 비하여 직무 및 직업몰입도가 높을 뿐만 아니라 자격분야 및 자격유형별로도 일관적인 자격의 효과를 확인 할 수 있었다.

The primary function of qualification is enhancing vocational competency of individual, while granting incentives in the labor market concerning employment, promotion and remuneration. The secondary function is increasing productivity by raising the job satisfaction or job commitment level. Effectiveness analyses on qualifications in Korea have been carried out mainly focusing on the primary function of qualification, which have revealed that the effectiveness of qualifications has been insignificant. This study is centering on the secondary functions of qualifications such as job satisfaction and job commitment level. It is the first of its kind as an qualification effectiveness analysis internationally comparing cases of four different countries including Japan, German, the US and Korea. Looking at the analysis results on qualification effectiveness by nation, qualifications were found to give positive influence on job commitment in Korea but there was no meaningfully consistent and specific effectiveness by each type and area of qualification. In case of German, the job commitment of qualification acquirers was stronger than that of non-acquirers in general and significant effectiveness of qualification was found by type and area of qualification. As for the German qualification system, industry representatives, along with trade unions, carry out qualification examinations developing test standards by themselves, which lets demands in the fields be well reflected to qualification examinations. In addition, qualifications are beneficial to career management as currently employed workers are continuously acquiring qualifications, which gives a significant meaning to us. In Korea, the economic activity status of qualification acquirers upon their acquisition is mainly student. With the major number of qualification acquirers being student, there is a limitation in fully reflecting demands from the field. In order for qualifications better reflect demands from the field, they need to be transformed into what currently employed workers favor, which would require businesses to directly involve in management and operation of the qualification system. Then qualifications will be able to better reflect demands from the field and their influence on wage, employment and job commitment level will be enlarged, too.

The primary function of qualification is enhancing vocational competency of individual, while granting incentives in the labor market concerning employment, promotion and remuneration. The secondary function is increasing productivity by raising the job satisfaction or job commitment level. Effectiveness analyses on qualifications in Korea have been carried out mainly focusing on the primary function of qualification, which have revealed that the effectiveness of qualifications has been insignificant. This study is centering on the secondary functions of qualifications such as job satisfaction and job commitment level. It is the first of its kind as an qualification effectiveness analysis internationally comparing cases of four different countries including Japan, German, the US and Korea. Looking at the analysis results on qualification effectiveness by nation, qualifications were found to give positive influence on job commitment in Korea but there was no meaningfully consistent and specific effectiveness by each type and area of qualification. In case of German, the job commitment of qualification acquirers was stronger than that of non-acquirers in general and significant effectiveness of qualification was found by type and area of qualification. As for the German qualification system, industry representatives, along with trade unions, carry out qualification examinations developing test standards by themselves, which lets demands in the fields be well reflected to qualification examinations. In addition, qualifications are beneficial to career management as currently employed workers are continuously acquiring qualifications, which gives a significant meaning to us. In Korea, the economic activity status of qualification acquirers upon their acquisition is mainly student. With the major number of qualification acquirers being student, there is a limitation in fully reflecting demands from the field. In order for qualifications better reflect demands from the field, they need to be transformed into what currently employed workers favor, which would require businesses to directly involve in management and operation of the qualification system. Then qualifications will be able to better reflect demands from the field and their influence on wage, employment and job commitment level will be enlarged, too.

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Qualification, Qualification Effectiveness, Job Satisfaction Level, Job Commitment Level, German, Japan, The US