• A simple and powerful process
  • Experiential learning through critical incidents
  • Reliable, repeatable, and structured process
  • Quickly develop applicable skills

South Korea

Welcome to Cultural Detective South Korea! Once the "Land of Morning Calm," South Korea is now the "digital Mecca" of the world. With few natural resources but powerful human capital, South Korea has become a dominant player in the global economy. One can easily observe cultural changes. Korean values are in transition from traditional, authoritarian Confucian values, to more democratic and individualistic ones. With a 5000-year-old history, the old and the new coexist in every aspect of Korean life. Koreans take pride in their cultural heritage; however, they try to define new Korean values as the society changes with globalization, industrialization and digitalization.

Cultural Detective South Korea contains the following stories and critical incidents:

  • Noncompliant Vendor:

    A German expatriate in South Korea negotiates with a local vendor through his secretary.

  • Technical Problem:

    Resolution of a technical problem involving US and South Korean engineers.

  • Uncomfortable Buddies:

    A US company introduces a "buddy" system for South Korean expatriates that does not quite work.

  • Returning the Favor:

    A South Korean professor invites a Japanese colleague as a guest scholar and experiences a surprise.

  • Detoured Grievances:

    A US American expatriate HR manager attempts to deal with grievances of the South Korean staff.

  • Management-Employee Relations:

    South Korean and Mexican managers disagree over appropriate management-employee relations.

Cultural Detective South Korea was authored by Eun Y. Kim and Dianne Hofner Saphiere.