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Permalink Reply by vince rubino on July 2, 2010 at 2:44pm

While this finding doesn't make sense from the "when you’re left out of the club you know it, when you’re in the club you don’t see what the problem is” argument that men are clueless to the issue, the article suggests that it is because there are lower expectations for women across the board. Maybe attending 간부회 really is as bad as it seems?

I wish I could see the text on the Korean questionaire that generated the survey results.

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Permalink Reply by Peter Song on July 2, 2010 at 3:43pm

49% in Korea? I find that highly unlikely, it seems that it would actually be lower. Then move to the country side and the outskirts of Seoul and that figure would be even lower...

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Permalink Reply by Michelle Evans on July 8, 2010 at 8:20pm

That's a very interesting result. Will be interested to see more responses on this outcome, especially from the Korean females.

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Permalink Reply by William Sisson on July 9, 2010 at 9:20am

From my point of the view even the title is oxymoronic. Gender equality is bogus in most Korean companies. I have a great expat friend who was a very high ranking VP with a global Korean company - and it was not "OK" for her to continue in her position due to the resistance from the Korean "old timers" in charge. She is writing a case study for the Harvard Business Review and once completed I will share it with all. Until then...

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Permalink Reply by vince rubino on July 9, 2010 at 9:24am

We currently have no women in management in our company, yet perhaps as much as 50% of our staff are women and quite a number of them with PhDs and over the age of 35. I'm hoping this inequity will start to change in the next year.

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Permalink Reply by William Sisson on July 9, 2010 at 9:30am

My current job is in executive search and every time particular positions (administration, HR, accounting - not C-level) the primary and only focus is to find women for these positions. If the position is above Director level -only men are searched. This is not the fault of our consultants but at the "request" of the companies that hire us. And while we are on it - age discrimination in this country sucks as well. Even though a law was passed it still happens. Crazy...

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Permalink Reply by vince rubino on July 9, 2010 at 9:47am

That's because Korean companies, by and large, have no clue about how encouraging diversity (opinion, age, race, sex, etc.) can positively affect their bottom line. A homogeneous management team is likely poorly equipped to understand the markets they operate in, particularly global markets.

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Permalink Reply by William Sisson on July 9, 2010 at 9:51am

Well said Vince well said :)

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Permalink Reply by Erik Cornelius on July 9, 2010 at 11:13am

Here's the key quote:

"Only in South Korea (49 percent) and Japan (47 percent) did more people say women are better off than say men are, or that they are the same. It may be that men there 'resent being married to their company, and also that there are fewer expectations of women,' Professor True said. 'But that’s not equality.'"

The question is, do we want large companies to put less pressure on their male employees or more pressure on their female employees to achieve true equality? (Tongue firmly planted in cheek.)

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Permalink Reply by Sang Chong on July 12, 2010 at 4:21pm

I can see where the Korean responses have come from... Certain places in Korea have parking spaces for women (some have women driver only floor). There is a gov't department dedicated for women's rights and equality. I think they also had 'women only' section in the subway train once. Women are generally treated better in the Korean military as well. One may easily think women have it 'good' in Korea.

I don't think gender equality can ever be measured. William pointed out the number of male C-levels in corporations, but when we look at the number of male teachers in elementary schools, certain consulting industries, the story is different. Who is to say CEO is a better job than an elementary school teacher?

I don't think measuring the balance is the way to look at it as well - like how may male or female CEOs... It could be looking at whether or not opportunities are open for both genders and decisions are made based on one's capacity rather than sex - impossible to measure.

Though topic. But I can see myself being one of the 49 percent in many aspects.

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Permalink Reply by Don Southerton on July 13, 2010 at 5:46am

Sang Chong Thanks for sharing They also have a 2 year job market advantage since men are required to serve in the military. That said, I feel we would all agree that progress continues to be gradual--like it had in the West.

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Permalink Reply by William Sisson on July 13, 2010 at 9:31am

Sang Chong the question is not if women have the same job "number" opportunities but rather do they have equal access to becoming the CEO. The answer is still no. Women in this country are regulated, unless they are heir apparent, to functions in human resources, administrative and secretarial duties as well as teaching. Old timers in Korea still do not allow or see women has having equal value in a company. Being a CEO is not a "better" job but it sure pays more.

Don - I am not sure where your statements steam from but it is my understanding that men in business still outnumber women. In the US women are still viewed as lower class and it was not until laws were passed that made that business practice unlawful. Compared to other developed countries especially in Europe gender equality has far surpassed that of the conservative sometimes backward thinking Big Business in the USA.

The good news is that in America as well as in Korea there is an underlying paradigm shift where companies, who want to go global and become international, are now not looking at the person (i.e. age, sex, etc..) but are looking at who is the best fit for the position. Although I believe that much like the US this transition will take 10~20 years to come to fruition.

I wish some of our Korea WOMEN would comment on this subject. Do you agree with the findings of this "research" and the comments that are being made by all the men on this thread?

Cheers,
William

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