ABSTRACT
Tiger Management has four historical roots: Confucianism, Japanese influence, American influence, and military-style industrialization. Confucianism dominated Korea during the Chosun period, which lasted from 1392 to 1910. Strict hierarchies according to the age and position of individuals guided the subsequent setup of corporate hierarchies where quasi-family relationships were established among executives and employees. During the Japanese colonization of Korea from 1910 to 1945, capitalism was introduced, and Koreans were exposed to economic hardship, resulting in the nurturing of resilient entrepreneurs with strong capabilities to survive in difficult business environments. American economic aid and policies after 1945 inspired opportunity-seeking entrepreneurship and capability-based competition among Korean firms. Finally, as a result of economic development policies of military governments after 1961, Korean managers and firms became used to work very quickly in order to meet ambitious targets under any circumstances. The pervasive influence of the four historical roots resulted in a particular management style of Korean firms where strict organizational hierarchies are combined with competition orientation, strong entrepreneurial ambition, dynamism, and flexibility.
