Clash in South Korean heritage? A case study of work values among South Koreans and Korean-Americans

Abstract

This article summarizes a case-study analysis of work values among four types of South Koreans: a traditional South Korean, three young-adult South Koreans, a white South Korean-American, and a black South Korean-American, all of whom worked at a South Korean-owned small business. Data for this qualitative study were drawn from an exploratory survey, 50 hours of participant observa-tion, a focus group interview, and two in-depth interviews. The findings challenge cultural concepts about South Koreans, offering a postmodern perspective to explain the differences and similarities among co-ethnic workers. This study underscores a need for further research on evolving work values among South Koreans and South Korean-Americans working in the United States. Such research has implications for several fields, including management and human resources, in terms of worker motivation, recruitment, and retention of South Korean workers in the evolving global marketplace.