Three Differences between American & Korean Work Culture

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“As long as you're not being rude, people will respect you for being honest and not wasting their time."

If you’re reading this right now, chances are you want to learn how to communicate more effectively in English, especially in the workplace. You’ve probably spent tons of time studying English grammar, learning new English vocabulary, and practicing your speaking and writing. 

These are all very important (obviously if you want to communicate better, you need to improve your English skills!), but there’s more to effective communication than English skills alone. If you truly want to communicate effectively, especially in a business environment, it’s important to also understand the business culture of the people you’re talking to. 

Company cultures and the employees that make up those cultures are all unique. However, as someone who has worked in both America and Korea, I can tell you that there are some definite differences between overall American work culture and overall Korean work culture. In this article, I'll explain three major differences so you can better understand American work culture and communicate more effectively with your American colleagues. 

1: AMERICANS ARE MORE DIRECT WITH THEIR COMMUNICATION

Americans love efficiency. They love things that work well, and getting things done quickly. So, in business conversations (especially involving negotiating/making decisions) Americans are much more direct and honest with their feelings than Koreans. 

For example, if an American doesn’t want to do something or doesn’t like an idea, he’s likely to just say ‘no’ as opposed to ‘oh...that could be difficult...’, ‘give me some time, I’ll think about it’, or some other indirect rejection. This is because Americans don’t want to waste anyone’s time and hate miscommunication. If something isn’t going to work, it’s better to just say that at the beginning.  

This tip is also true with more than just disagreeing. If an American really wants something, he'll likely directly say so. If he really needs a task completed by a certain time, he will clearly say that so everyone understands. 

However, there’s a difference here between being direct and being rude. You can be very direct with someone while still being respectful. A good way to do this is to show appreciation to that person and also explain the reasons you feel that way. For example ‘That’s a good idea, but I don’t think that will work because (reasons)…’ or ‘This report really needs to be finished by Friday because (reasons)...thank you for understanding!’ 

So, if you’re working in an American company, you can be more direct and up-front with your true feelings. As long as you’re not being rude, people will respect you for being honest and not wasting their time. 

2: AMERICAN COMPANIES ARE LESS HIERARCHICAL THAN KOREAN COMPANIES

If you’ve ever worked in a more traditional Korean company, I’m sure you realize that the culture there is pretty hierarchical. You probably spoke very differently to your superiors than you did to your younger colleagues. 

In America, people treat each other more or less the same regardless of their positions. Employees often refer to their bosses on a first name basis, and the overall attitude is more friendly and equal. Being excessively formal with your language and treating your bosses/older colleagues like they’re ‘above’ you might be seen as odd and unnatural. 

Like I mentioned in the previous section, there’s a difference between being casual/friendly and being disrespectful. It’s still very important to be respectful in American companies, but people are generally more casual once they know each other. Being more casual and friendly with your colleagues/boss can actually be seen as a sign of respect, because it shows that you like them and are comfortable around them. 

3: IN AMERICA, YOUR COMPANY IS NOT YOUR FAMILY

Americans also love independence, freedom, and control over their own lives. In Korea, it’s common for your team or department at work to become your ‘second family’, and you’re sometimes expected to spend a lot of time with your second family outside of work attending team dinners, getting drinks, going to weekend workshops etc. 

Americans work hard and value their jobs/coworkers, but generally see work as just ‘work’. Team dinners and other outside-of-work activities are pretty rare. When they do happen, they’re almost always optional. Americans rarely see their colleagues outside of work (unless they have a genuine friendship), and try to restrict their work activities to their actual work hours as much as possible.  

If you’re a pretty independent person who prefers just doing your work and then going home, you’ll likely really enjoy the work culture in America. However, if you really value creating very strong bonds with your colleagues and being part of a team, American work culture might be a bit of an adjustment for you. 

IN CONCLUSION: 

I hope these tips were helpful for you. 

Yes, different countries have different cultures, but also remember that we’re all human and generally value the same things. If you’re a kind, hardworking, respectful employee, then people will like and value you no matter where you are. 

Click HERE to check out many more free articles and English video lessons I created specifically for Korean working professionals.

Thanks for reading, and have a great rest of your day.

Grant