Training World View: Gundling's Focus on Korea

South Korea has gone through a remarkable economic transformation since the end of the Korean War in 1953. This small country, with its 50 million people packed into a peninsula only slightly larger than the state of Indiana, has risen from wartime ruins to become the world's 13th largest economy.

The business model formerly pursued by most Korean companies was to export products with acceptable quality at low prices, and to be a "fast follower" in introducing new technologies. To make gains in an increasingly competitive business environment, Korea has moved upscale in select industries, adding first-rate design and technical innovation to product areas including cell phones, liquid crystal displays, laser printing, and IT infrastructure. Korea has become the world's most wired country, with the greatest broadband Internet capacity per capita.

Korean culture places a high value on education and hard work in carrying out one's role. South Korean workers put in longer hours than those in any other country, fully one-third more hours per year than workers in the U.S. Korean employees generally are eager to learn new technologies and skills, and Korean firms emphasize training and development.

Training Considerations

- Lifetime employment practices in large conglomerates create a horizontal web of closely networked personal relationships. To establish credibility, a trainer should use an intermediary for introduction. This person should already know and be held in high esteem by the program coordinators and/or trainees.

- Korea's Confucian heritage and mandatory military service for men lend the workplace a strong vertical hierarchy in which respect for authority is taken for granted. It is important that you use your title to your advantage. Bragging is not acceptable, but titles can be conveyed more subtly through the use of business cards and third-party introductions.

- Begin training programs with an overview of the entire program and clearly state how the training fits into the big picture of the organization's direction. Likewise, as you begin new modules, provide a brief overview and explain how each fits into the program objectives.

- Most Koreans are used to learning through rote memorization. They are more accustomed to school lectures than interactive training experiences. However, Korean employees will appreciate hands-on demonstrations, especially when the subject matter is technical. Younger employees also may be open to role-play exercises or simulations so long as these are introduced with sufficient context and clear instructions, and ideally performed in a supportive group setting.

- Provide training materials beforehand. Whatever material can be provided ahead of time will be appreciated by trainees, especially if the training is to be delivered in a language other than Korean.

- Use graphics to illustrate points when possible. It also is useful to provide hard-copy handouts with figures and technical information.

- Use humor. Most Koreans enjoy humor, as long as it is not used excessively or at the expense of any one person. Even if you are not familiar with the audience, light humor—particularly of the self-deprecating variety—is likely to help warm up the situation. Always avoid off-color humor.

Although Korean employees are typically open to learning new skills and technologies, it often takes time to earn their trust and to build rapport with them. Both of these are essential ingredients for a successful training effort.

For an additional two-part article on training in Korea, visit www.trainingmag.com/korea1 and www.trainingmag.com/korea2.

Ernest Gundling, Ph.D., is president and co-founder of Aperian Global (www.aperianglobal.com). Some content in this article was drawn from GlobeSmart
(www.globesmart.com), Aperian Global’s Web tool for global business learning.