Hierarchical advancement in Korean chaebols: A model and research agenda

Because of the increasingly prominent role South Korea's workforce plays in the world's economy, it is important to understand Korean organizational practices and employee attitudes. This is particularly true for promotion, a highly sought after reward in not only Korea, but also other countries such as the United States and Japan. This article investigates three aspects of promotion systems in Korea: cultural and social factors are examined to illustrate the context for hierarchical advancement in organizations; models of promotion aspiration and promotion criteria based on cultural, social, organizational, and individual factors are proposed; and emerging economic and population demographic trends which are likely to impact future employee opportunities for promotions are discussed. Comparisons to U.S. corporations and Japanese zaibatsus are utilized to further explain the unique nature of promotion systems in Korea and to predict future trends. Testable propositions are proposed to guide future research on promotion systems. © 1993.

Hierarchical advancement in Korean chaebols: A model and research agenda Article