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South Korean humanistic leadership

Hak Yoon Kim (Department of International Business and Management, Nottingham University Business School China, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo, China)
Joon Hyung Park (Department of International Business and Management, Nottingham University Business School China, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo, China)
Hyun Jeong Kim (College of Business Administration, Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea)

Cross Cultural & Strategic Management

ISSN: 2059-5794

Publication date: 28 July 2020

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify and explore what leadership characteristics constitute humanistic leadership in the South Korean context. Moreover, this study examines how these leadership characteristics are connected to Korean culture.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the information gathered from semi-structured interviews and other sources, including books, case study articles and news articles, this study captures a more comprehensive perspective of Mr. Kook-Hyun Moon, the former CEO of Yuhan–Kimberly.

Findings

The key characteristics of Mr. Moon's humanistic leadership that are identified in this study are: respect for all mankind, benevolence (seeking the greater good), sincerity (building trusting relationships with stakeholders) and continuous learning and innovation (developing self and others). These key characteristics set Mr. Moon apart from other leaders and are connected to the fundamental values and philosophies of Korean culture.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the current leadership literature by identifying and exploring Mr. Moon's humanistic leadership characteristics that enable him to gain respect and contribute to communities and society in the South Korean context. This study also finds that the humanistic leadership characteristics of Mr. Moon reflect three major attributes of Korean culture: the ideology of the Dangun mythology, the principle of Neo-Confucianism in Korea and jeong – an indigenous cultural concept in Korea (these attributes will be discussed in detail in the South Korean values and philosophies section). Such reflection suggests that investigating how humanistic leadership characteristics are connected to local cultural roots is important to enhance the understanding of humanistic leadership.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Funding: This research was funded by Inha University Research Grant.

Citation

Kim, H.Y., Park, J.H. and Kim, H.J. (2020), "South Korean humanistic leadership", Cross Cultural & Strategic Management, Vol. 27 No. 4, pp. 589-605. https://doi.org/10.1108/CCSM-01-2020-0021

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Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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