Korean Managerial Dynamics

This contributor volume is the first effort to examine the management practices behind Korea's successful transformation from an underdeveloped nation into a major player in world trade. Economists, journalists, and policy makers worldwide study the success story and point to the economic policies of government, a well-disciplined labor force, and a homogeneous culture. However, these factors should not overshadow the important roles played by corporate entrepreneurs and managers. Divided into five parts, this volume focuses on the business environment in which Korean firms operate, the corporate ownership structure, corporate strategies, managerial practices, and finally human resource management within Korean firms. Korean Managerial Dynamics raises a series of questions relating to the managerial practices of Korean firms and offers answers to these questions: What makes Korean managers tick? How does the government influence managerial practices? What kind of strategies and structure have Korean firms developed? To what extent do they rely on foreign technology? What are the similarities and differences with American or Japanese firms? Do traditional values influence managerial practices? Can Korean firms develop a corporate culture that can effectively function in an advanced industrial society? These are but a few of the questions discussed in this book.