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Home » What are the characteristics of Koreans? Explaining the “Culture Map” framework for understanding differe nt cultures | A must-see for Human Resources and Overseas Business Departments

What are the characteristics of Koreans? Explaining the “Culture Map” framework for understanding differe nt cultures | A must-see for Human Resources and Overseas Business Departments

[What are the characteristics of Koreans? ] Explaining the “Culture Map” framework for understanding different cultures | A must-see for Human Resources and Overseas Business Departments

*View in browser* *Insight Academy Co., Ltd.*
Press release: May 8, 2024
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[What are the characteristics of Koreans? ] Explaining the “Culture Map” framework for understanding different cultures | A must-see for Human Resources and Overseas Business Departments
*We picked up “Korea” from the “Culture Map”, a framework for cross-cultural understanding that is the key to global business success! Korean business professionals explain each indicator. * Insight Academy Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Representative: Kim Jin-seop), which is involved in global human resource development and training, has selected Korea from the “Culture Map” and released explanatory materials by professional instructors. We would like to introduce some of the materials. Download document * “*Framework for cross-cultural understanding*” Culture Map* *What is Culture Map*
Culture Map is a study by Erin Mayer of one of the world’s leading business schools.
During my time as a professor at INSEAD, I was able to evaluate the cultural differences of 67 countries in 8 indicators that managers should be aware of, created by examining information obtained from executives from all over the world who are participants in the school’s program. This is a distribution model that shows relative positioning.
Culture map document download

* 8 indicators of culture map *
* 01: Communication *
・Do you prefer to speak clearly or with meaning when interacting with others? ⇒Cultures that prefer clear statements = low context, cultures that prefer meaningful statements = high context

*02: Rating*
・When giving negative feedback, should you give it directly or indirectly?

*03: Lead*
・To what extent is there respect and obedience to those in authority? ⇒ Strong culture of respect and obedience = hierarchical, weak culture = egalitarian

*04:Decision*
・How much importance do you place on “consensus” when making decisions? ⇒Culture that emphasizes consensus = consensus-oriented, culture that makes individual decisions = top-down
*05: Trust*
・When building trust, do you emphasize “task accomplishment” or “relationship” as a counterpart?
* 06: Difference of opinion*
・Do you approve or disapprove of conflicting opinions?
*07: Scheduling*
・Do you adhere to a schedule or respond flexibly to the situation? ⇒Adherence to schedule = linear time, adapting to the situation = flexible time

*08: Persuasion*
・When persuading others, do you speak based on principles or examples?

Culture map document download

* What is the useful material “Country Culture Map South Korea”? * How to use the “Country Culture Map Korea Edition” materials One of the questions we often receive from companies in global business is that “understanding the culture of the partner country is becoming a bottleneck in management.”

In order to achieve results in a global environment, it is necessary to have indicators for understanding different cultures, and the ability to respond flexibly by unraveling the background and factors* You must have the following.

At Insight Academy, we selected “*South Korea*” from among the 65 countries that we independently plotted, and explained the eight indicators, *
A country culture map that analyzes the differences with Japan from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives and incorporates considerations for each of eight indicators by Korean business professionals.
Korean Edition* has been released.

By learning more about the differences with Japan, you should be able to find hints on what actions to take, so it is a great resource for companies that are doing business in South Korea, as well as for communicating with Korean people at work. How to take *
This is a recommended resource for anyone* involved in Korean business. Download document *Table of Contents*
1. What is Culture Map?
 1-A Erin Mayer and Culture Map
 1-B 8 indicators of culture map

2. Culture Map -Korea-
*2-A Communication★*
*2-B rating★*
2-C lead
2-D decision
 2-E Trust
 2-F Difference of opinion
*2-G scheduling★*
 2-H Persuasion
2-I Comparison of Japanese and Korean cultural characteristics

In this press release, we will publish explanations by professional instructors marked with “★” on the above items.
*Explanation of “Culture Map Korea Edition” by a professional instructor* *Instructor introduction*
*Kawa Alan*
Business Japanese Coach
Originally from Korea. 2002
Came to Japan in 2012, studied communication studies at university and graduate school, and won the Minister of Foreign Affairs Award (first place) at the Japanese Speech Contest while attending university. Japan-Korea trade business in Korean government-affiliated
organizations, 120
We provide business matching between Japanese and Korean companies that go beyond companies. After working as a consultant supporting overseas business at Cyest Co., Ltd. and Insight Academy Co., Ltd., he is currently engaged in business Japanese coaching for Koreans, making use of his previous work experience in Japan.
* communication*
explanation
Do you prefer to speak clearly or with meaning when interacting with others? *low-context*
1. Good communication = rigorous, simple, clear
2. Deliver and take messages at face value.
3. Repetitions are welcome to clarify communication.
*High context*
1. Good communication = delicate, meaningful, multi-layered 2. Messages are conveyed between the lines and received between the lines. 3. They hint a lot and rarely say it out loud.
*Explanation from a professional instructor*
In Korea, the Korean people
Because 96% of the population is a single ethnic group and share the same history, customs, and language, it can be said to have developed collectivism and a high context, similar to Japan and other East Asian countries.

In business, there is a tendency for people who are able to notice and sense the other person’s true intentions with little communication without detailed instructions to be seen as smart, and people who cannot understand high context in an organization are disliked. Sometimes.

However, although Korea is similar to Japan in that it is
high-context, it differs from Japan in that it is considered desirable to express one’s own opinion.
* evaluation*
explanation
When giving negative feedback, should you give it directly or indirectly? * Give negative feedback directly *
1. Be direct, direct, and honest when giving negative feedback. 2. Don’t soften negative feedback with positive feedback
3. Uses categorical expressions such as “definitely inappropriate” and “totally unprofessional”
4. Criticism can also be directed at individuals in front of a group. * Give negative feedback in a roundabout way *
1. Negative feedback should be soft, subtle, and gentle.
2. Wrapping negative messages with positive messages
3. Uses euphemisms such as “slightly inappropriate” and “slightly unprofessional.”
4. Criticism only takes place one-on-one.
*Explanation from a professional instructor*
This tendency is particularly noticeable in hierarchical
relationships, but a characteristic of South Korea is that there are many people who are particularly concerned about “face” in all situations.

Therefore, when giving negative feedback, it is necessary to talk about the positive aspects as much as possible and show understanding to the other person, and then subtly convey the negative content.

Depending on your relationship with the other person, one way to deal with negative feedback is to gently convey your true feelings in a relaxed atmosphere, such as with the help of alcohol.
*Scheduling*
explanation
Do you stick to a schedule or be flexible depending on the situation? *Linear time*
1. Projects are continuous, with steps proceeding one step at a time and without interruptions.
2. There is an emphasis on deadlines and staying on schedule. 3. Organization and speed are valued.
*Flexible hours*
1. Projects are fluid, with multiple tasks progressing ad hoc and simultaneously, and interruptions are acceptable.
2. Adaptability and flexibility are valued.
*Explanation from a professional instructor*
When it comes to scheduling, Koreans tend to be flexible and adapt to the situation.

South Korea has gained global competitiveness in the electronics industry by leveraging its strength in the “speedy process of manufacturing finished products,” and as a result, when it comes to business, it is sensitive to market changes and tries to respond quickly.

For example, when a Japanese company we do business with predicts that it will take two to three years to share parts and materials, a Korean company
There are many situations where we are negotiating to see if something can be done within a year.

In business, in addition to emphasizing efficiency, speedy processing is the highest priority, so it is necessary to flexibly adjust or change time to suit the situation.
Material download
Country culture map “Korea edition”
If you would like to see all other items, please download the document!

We picked up “Korea” from the “Culture Map”, a framework for cross-cultural understanding, and explained the eight indicators, analyzed the differences with Japan from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives, and provided information on each of the eight indicators by Korean business professionals. Contains
considerations.

Please use it for cross-cultural management in your Korean business. Download document * “Culture Map” related course “INSIGHT ACADEMY” *
* Introduction to cross-cultural understanding *
Lecturer: Mr. Akito Okada
Professor, Graduate School of International Studies, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
Doctor of Education, University of Oxford
In order to achieve results in the world, the first step is to realize that the values ​​and thinking habits that Japanese people take for granted do not apply to the rest of the world.
In this course, you will learn indicators and concepts for
understanding different cultures in order to understand them from multiple perspectives.
In order to understand different cultures, it is important to be aware of the cultural iceberg and have a “* yardstick for comparison*” between one’s own culture and other cultures.
It is effective to use a “*culture map*” as a “measure of comparison.”

Then, rather than evaluating based on the standards of your own country, you will acquire the attitude of trying to understand the differences in the values ​​and thinking habits of the target country (cross-cultural), and the background behind these differences. Click here for summary video *What is “INSIGHT ACADEMY”, an e-learning specialized in global human resource development*
*INSIGHT ACADEMY*
This is Japan’s first* e-learning service specialized in global human resource development*, which is systematically designed to develop “human resources who can generate profits overseas”.
We offer a variety of training programs to develop people who are planning to be stationed overseas, expatriates, people who will be involved in overseas business, and people who may be involved in the future.
Unlimited study of over 140 courses, including country-specific expatriate training courses, global mind-building courses, real-life case study courses from overseas business experts, etc.
This allows us to design and utilize programs that meet the training needs of each company.
*Free trial now available! *
If you are in the human resources department or overseas business department who have issues with training overseas
expatriates/expatriate candidates, please try INSIGHT as a free trial for your company’s global human resources development training. I hope you will consider ACADEMY.
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Company Profile
Insight Academy Co., Ltd.
Head Office: 7F Shinbashi Place, 1-12-9 Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0004 Representative director: Kim Jin-seop
Established: December 1, 2019
Capital: 95 million yen
Company site URL: https://client.insighta.co.jp/
Business content: Global human resources development and training business –

Global human resource development e-learning service “INSIGHT ACADEMY”: https://insighta.jp/
– Interactive training:
https://client.insighta.co.jp/service/interactive_training
-Cross-cultural work training: https://client.insighta.co.jp/service/ccwork

*First in Japan = In-house research (May 2024)
As an e-learning service specializing in global human resource development *About details about this release*
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