Comparison Of South Korean And American Work Culture

When most Americans think about South Koreans and work culture, we typically initially think of “hard working” and “competitive.” According to Aaron, these stereotypes are actually true for the most part. He stated that Koreans are more competitive in the workforce compared to Americans, and it is much harder for Koreans to find a job after graduation compared to the success rate of finding jobs in America after we graduate from college with a two or four year degree. Aaron’s determination to finish college and find his place in God’s Kingdom is very prominent in my eyes. He spends the majority of his free time in the library, collaborating with fellow foreign students, receiving English tutoring, and furthering his knowledge in English literature and business. In Korea, working and studying tends to make people so stressed in that people are often very competitive when trying to find a job. Since there is a smaller chance to become employed, people have no choice but to be competitive and they simultaneously disregard others’ feelings and goals.
Aaron stated that South Korea has one of the highest average work weeks and overtime hours in the world. Compared to American work culture, Aaron believes that many Americans would struggle as an employee in South Korea. With South Korea’s rigorous work ethic, many should expect to go beyond their own standards to keep up. Also, according to Aaron, the idea of developing personal relationships in the workplace may seem foreign to Americans. The idea of building trust with other employees is crucial to Koreans in and out of the office, Many employees in America tend to focus on themselves rather than the other workers around them. In other words, South Korea is more of a collectivistic society, and America ranks high on Hofstede’s list of individualistic