M5A1_BUS222

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Timothy Sollenberger Bus 222 – M5A1 Cultural Practices November 25, 2023

Entering the Global business arena in a foreign country can be an exciting opportunity with many daunting challenges. After a military stint and chances to travel to European countries, an offer has come about in Korea. A country famed for its work ethic, built on a history of Confucianism that exerts itself on the culture, the country could pose quite a challenge to a new employee. This paper will cover the prospects and the challenges of moving to and becoming a businessperson in Korean culture. The conclusion of this document is an exploration of the social, cultural, and business practices that will have taken place and an explanation as to why this will not be the right fit for me. Up to this point the career has been spent serving in the United States military with time in Norway and Spain. In both locations, chances were given to interact off-base but most of those were non-business related. Completion of a business degree and experience abroad has given light to opportunities in foreign countries. The job to interview for is in Korea which brings with it a unique and long history that has many positives. The most notable of the business culture aspects that Korea is known for is its work ethic. This has resulted in a reputation for a struggle for work-life balance that many Western cultures put more emphasis on. For example, in 2018 the Korean government issued laws limiting the work week to 52 hours for employees. They maintain a similar 40-hour work week base as the United States but had to formalize rules on work hours. An attorney Fatim Jumabhoy describes the necessary change as such “The change was due to "the previous government recognizing that working hours were having an impact on population growth and that the position was not sustainable, especially taking account of employee mental health and well-being” (SHRM, 2023). Work groups went back to the table in 2023 looking for a change to expand the limit from 52 to 69 working hours! The

Korean's work ethic and innovation in business are famed but would be a significant challenge in the opinion of this individual who is attempting to build a career but provide opportunities for experiences outside of pure work. The next point that is of contention for the individual interviewing for the job in Korea is the Locus of Decision-Making. Koreans are a collectivistic culture in which the group may have an individual speaker, but decision-making is done in a group but likely the eldest is given deference. This deference for the eldest also moves its way into negotiation. Korea is a highly modernized country with a newer generation who is for Westernizing, but traditional values and decision-making are highly held perspectives with the older generations (Morrison, 2023). The formality of decision making a top-down approach is to be expected in Korea. This approach is found in the Confucian principles that the country is tightly bound to. These principles support harmony and respect for others. As a result, subordinates are given a chance for input, but decision-making is left to the High-ranking individuals (Business Practices). This top-down approach, close-knit decision-making, and low desire to be more global would be a sticking point for the individual in wants to pursue a career in Korea. Another point of concern for the individual taking a job in Korea would be the social and sharing of information. The example of Volvo moving a significant portion of its business to Korea in the late 1990s only for the sharing of information among employees leading to a free distribution of the proprietorial information to friends and relatives at other companies would be challenging (Morrison 465, 2023). Growing up in the military and Western cultures where the internal sharing for innovation and growth in a company is important the inability to keep company best practices in-house would be worrisome. The approach of being collaborative and

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inclusive to successful business but the Korean cultural sharing of nighttime drinking and sharing amongst friends could be a fun social activity but a challenge to sustained business dealings in the country. Furthermore, Western businesses have flatter organizational structures that focus on impartiality. Koreans may favor family members for positions within companies, with more respect purely based on Seniority. This necessitates more formality in discussions, especially when dealing with supervisors. These reasons to be concerned about taking a position in Korea are not to say that all the cultural practices are negative. One of the most important things the individual looks for is a passion for innovation and growth. For a country that spent the first half of the twentieth century as a Japanese colony the Korean achievement of becoming a world leader in innovation is remarkable. One of the ways in which Korea has achieved and shown sustained success in innovation is the government's support of technologies and the continued move of academics into the business sector. Tim Mazzarol from the University of Western Australia who specializes in innovation says the following concerning the Korean practices “close collaboration between government, industry, and the academic community in the process of nation building” (Dayton, 2020). Moving to a country that has a government backing its business and can demonstrate over and over its ability to be a global innovation leader is certainly a desirable reason to work there.

Another piece of Korean culture that could appeal to prospective employees is Korean social engagement. Known in Korea as noraebang or karaoke this is a usual activity for businessmen and women to participate in. In fact, if invited out to a social dinner among colleagues there is a decent chance you will end up participating in this activity (Uzialko, 2023). Unusual or even uncomfortable as it may make some individuals go singing with their co-worker’s social activity and not just a strictly business approach to relationships can be appealing. As mentioned, socializing is important for establishing trusting relationships in Korea. The nuclear family's importance to the culture creates an emphasis on strong relationships and can assist quite a bit in business dealings. As an ex-pat if the job is accepted moving into a culture that pushes for socialization and relationship-building is a significant plus in the favor of Korea. A professional opportunity in Korea could bring social experiences that differ greatly from the military time in the United States, Spain, and Norway that the individual brings with them. Couple this along with the governmental and business drive to be world leaders in innovation and a job in Korea seems ready-made for an eager new business graduate. The culture does bring with it some drawbacks. These have been detailed to include a structured hierarchical approach to decision-making. A much less flat organizational structure than one might find to expect in Western business counterparts and most restrictive a cultural expectation of very long work hours. Some of these items may be up for change as new generations of

Koreans move into business. As of now, this position in Korea would be deemed not right for us.

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References Dayton, L. (2020). How South Korea made itself a global innovation leader. Nature, 581(7809), S54–S56. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020- 01466-7 Business practices in South Korea - Santandertrade.com. (n.d.). https://santandertrade.com/en/portal/establish-overseas/south-korea/ business-practices Morrison, T., Conway, W.A. (2023). Kiss, bow, or shake hands. (2nd ed.). Adams Media Nadworny, K. (2023, June 20). Proposal to raise workweek in South Korea to 69 hours rejected. SHRM. https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr- topics/global-hr/pages/south-korea-workweek-69-hours.aspx Uzialko, A. (2023, October 20). 17 International business customs that could make or break a deal. Business News Daily. https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5176-unusual-international- business-customs.html

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