KOREASCHOLAR

The objective of this paper is to explain how the organizational learning concept is used to promote group work, information sharing and an open and transparent communication style in order to produce a high level of customer service. The work incorporates an extensive literature review and a number of propositions. Previously collected data from a set of in-depth personal interviews undertaken with senior managers in a Korean electronics company were reanalyzed and reinterpreted using the grounded theory approach. This allowed insights to be provided into how, in a collectivist culture, information sharing is reinforced by the organizational learning concept. The research findings show that managers in a chaebol use organizational learning to identify skilled and knowledgeable staff, and to improve the organization’s capability by placing emphasis on developing harmonious, mutually oriented relationships that permeate throughout the organization. In addition, top management demand that staff identify with government economic objectives and align the organization’s strategy accordingly so that the products produced are marketable. By ensuring that management procedures, processes and systems evolve naturally, change is managed in an incremental and pro-active manner.

• Yang-Im Lee(University of Westminster)
• Peter R.J. Trim(Birkbeck, University of London)