공기업의 지속가능한 사회공헌정책 연구 : LH 소셜벤처지원사업을 중심으로

초록

With the recent spread of ESG management, there is a strong demand for strategic and sustainable social contribution activities by public enterprises. The Social Venture Support Project by the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) was a representative investment-oriented social contribution model that achieved innovative results, including high startup survival rates and job creation, over nine years. However, the project was ultimately terminated in 2024. Driven by the fundamental question of why the project failed to be institutionally established and was discontinued despite generating significant socio-economic impacts, this study aimed to identify the underlying structural causes and processes. To this end, in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 internal and external stakeholders involved in the project. A qualitative analysis comprising open, axial, and selective coding was performed using the Grounded Theory approach. The analysis revealed that behind the achievements triggered by the intrinsic responsibilities of the public enterprise and the demand to address contemporary challenges, cynical views perceiving the project as a superficial administrative practice coexisted. Although LH made strategic efforts by utilizing public-private partnerships and intermediary support organizations, it could not overcome structural vulnerabilities such as political pressure from external governance, variability due to leadership changes, and departmental egoism (the silo effect) within the mega-organization. Ultimately, the private partnership assets and know-how accumulated for the innovation ecosystem over nine years were severed, and the failure to internalize the system led to the project's termination. By identifying the key variables that undermine the sustainability of public enterprises' social contributions, this study proposes the following policy and practical implications. First, it is necessary to establish independent governance, such as an independent fund management system, that remains unaffected by political factors and leadership changes. Second, organizational internalization must be achieved by innovating internal HR and evaluation systems, such as ensuring the long-term tenure of dedicated personnel and reflecting inter-departmental collaboration indicators (KPIs). Third, considering the massive social impact of public enterprises, responsible project design (exit strategies) is essential to minimize ecosystem shock and prevent the evaporation of social capital when a project is downscaled or terminated.

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