Culture and management in South Korea

Examining management and culture in South Korea (hereafter Korea) is important for several reasons. Management plays a role in business, economic development and society, but does not exist in a vacuum. Famous work indicates management variations stemming from culture (Hostede 1991). In contrast to the universalism of convergence and contingency views, underpinnings from, and interactions with, culture (along with institutions) remain crucial to understanding management and behaviour. For example, post-1960s Korea rapidly developed from a poor agricultural society into a rich, industrialized Asian Tiger’ economy. ¹ Then the 1997 Asian crisis hit and ‘the miracle on the Han River’ seemed more of a ‘mirage’. However, performance recovered, unlike many economies in the region. Within this roller coaster ride of development, the role of management and culture has changed from being eulogized as a ‘saint’ to castigated as a ‘sinner’. Furthermore, culture may produce paradoxical outcomes, and is often seen and portrayed as ingrained, deep and slow moving, while management and its practice may well need to be less so. These differentials may produce incongruence between cultural norms and management practice.