Making a niche: North American voice actors and Korean labor intermediaries in Seoul, Korea

Abstract

This article analyzes the role of intermediaries in the newly forming and demand-driven niche market of English voice dubbing in Seoul, Korea. Standardized surveys and structured interviews of North American voice actors and South Korean agents are used to gather data. The findings suggest that cultural and structural embeddedness as well as 'power' be integrated into studies of intermediary-facilitated networks, particularly when foreign workers are adjusting to a local work environment. Research results reveal six network configurations that represent the structural embeddedness of networks deployed by agents, voice actors, client firms and studios active in this niche market. The power and trust associated with these relationships is studied vis-à-vis the culturally embedded environment of the local market in Seoul. Agents conform to Benner's typologies in that they are highly specialized in their market segments, reduce transaction costs and help manage risk, and act as 'market makers'. © 2007 The Authors. Journal Compilation © 2007 Joint Editors and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.