Exploring the Configurations of the Factors Affecting Community Well-Being in Korea

Abstract

This study was conducted to ascertain what combinations of conditions are associated with community well-being, which is crucial for enhancing national well-being in every country, and to put forward policy suggestions whereby each local authority may raise the level of its community well-being. The community well-being score of 17 second-tier local authorities at provincial level in Korea was selected as an indicator of community well-being, and some independent variables such as per-capita GRDP and local financial autonomy were included in the analysis. The Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) method was employed to analyze the complex causal relationships among the factors affecting community well-being. The research results show that there is one significant combination of variables affecting community well-being. They suggest that each local authority should endeavor to enhance its own community’s well-being, considering how the different factors associated with this relate to each other.