Work efficiency and Confucianism

Today I had a very interesting discussion with my Korean Friend, Youn A.

We talked about the work efficiency or on the contrary lack of it in most of Korean companies. I wondered how is that people are paid for sitting hours here and not for the project efficiency as it is in the West.

I was informed that it is not that much important and that harmony is more important, cause the company is like one big organism and has to work as such. "So" she said " I am the hardworking one and I will easily get kicked off any company as not fitting to the others". How extraordinary statement to hear for a Westerner like me.

I am totally independent person and as such am not good example of Western management methods application as corporate environment is as far good for me as it comes to the media industry and not any other type of that. And I work freelance which fits my personality the best.
But still time management and work efficiency are important issues to me. As a boss I would prefer to employ 3 hardworking people good in time management skills and responsible for meeting deadlines instead of 10 lazy ones.

I wonder what is the management system in those Korean companies, like Posco, Samsung, Hyundai, which made a global success? Is it like that there as well?
Yet to discover...

Next post is coming soon

Seoul Subway

Seoul has got magnificent and very efficient public transport system.
Especially I recommend subway for everyone to use as it is impossible to get lost.
There are a lot of stations with numerous exits and very detailed neighbourhood maps displayed every corner of the station.

Seoul Transportation Card can be easily charged at any self service machine which is as well very very easy to use. You only need to place the card and choose the amount of money to be charged. Usually 10 000 KRW is sufficient for a weekly usage with a "go there and back" routes.

Unlike in many cities I have been before, Seoul subway is very well protected indeed. Like at Sadang or Gangnam stations, almost everywhere the automatic doors open as the train arrives.

This is how the city fights with suiciders.... Indeed plenty of people commit suicide here in Korea. Even ex president lately did so due to some corruption accusations. It is an easy way out with long tradition in asian cultures.

There might be several other reasons to that as well. There is no welfare system here. There are no retirement solutions, and the state neither takes care for handicapped people. People have got lots of money as long as they work, but if the health declines... or there are job cuts due to any economic crisis...

In other parts of the world there are social research works done on an instant to investigate possible reasons to any of the patology which occurs in the society.

I cannot say that there is no research done here in Korea as I simply did not ask anyone about it yet. From myself I can only say that closing the subway tunnels is not a solution. Solving social problems is.

Next post is coming soon.