What are somed unique characteristics of Korean workplaces norms, culture and conflict resolution?
I work for a company that engages with a local operation in South Korea.
I started three months ago but I’m running into a lot of problems with this firm. I speak mainly to their manager and over time, his responses have become more half-hearted, to the point of blatantly refusing to give me information and damn near lying about a project.
He has become quite passive aggressive, and I do plan on escalating. What I want to know is how Koreans handle workplace drama, friction, hierarchy.
I think having more insight into Korean workplace culture will help me understand the framework he’s operating in. If I have to escalate, I want to keep it clean and maybe avoid unnecessary confusion or reactivity.
So, what are some unique characteristics of Korean workplace norms, culture, and conflict resolution?
ETA: Maybe the way I wrote it was confusing.
He is not my boss, he works for my company (not in South Korea) as a contractor and won this contract by bid. I write the reports that will pay his commission.
If he can’t answer my questions, that is genuinely concerning and I thought it might be easier to understand why he’s so shifty on a subreddit that’s about asking Koreans.
I don’t live in SK, not sure why I would have to assimilate.
I thought I’d take the extra mile to ask what people’s experiences working with South Koreans are like when there is friction, so I could approach him respectfully and with more context.
But I suppose that is naive and I will just move towards recording his underperformance to my actual superiors which I was trying not to do.
As always, thanks for nothing *curtsy