share time, even sacrificing their personal time with family, and if they do not have time, they express from their heart their intention to have enjoyable time with others. A person is considered uncooperative and individualistic if he refuses to join the group activities. It could affect his future in the company as interpersonal relations are often more important than rules in a collectivist society. This is unlike individualistic societies which tend to value a rule of law and rule-based social interactions.
For many decades, promoting collectivist culture was one of the essential
management tools in many Korean companies. In the example of Samsung Electronics,
the company implemented a team-focused campaign entitled "My machine, my area, my
job" several years ago, which involved setting team-level performance goals for major
groups across the organization, while at the same time defining more detailed individual
responsibilities and roles that would directly contribute to the achievement of team-level
objectives.22 The program has dramatically improved the sense of ownership and
motivation among individuals, while maintaining a clear sense of team mission and
empowerment. The company saw a 30 percent increase in productivity and a 500 percent
increase in production quality over the following year.23 Emphasizing team work spirit
has proven to be the effective tool in many companies to enhance management
efficiencies and productivity.