Ellen Moore: Living And Working In Korea
Case Study
Ellen Moore (A): Living and Working in Korea
Carman Ka Man Leung
3924137
Operations Management 357
9th May 2008
Executive Summary
A Systems Consulting Group (SCG) Consultant, Ellen Moore, was sent to South Korea as a project management representative for a Systems Implementation (SI) project involving forty Korean consultants and a SI team. Joint Venture Inc. (JVI), formed between Korean Conglomerate Inc. (KCI) AND Western Systems Inc. (WSI) was to implement the recommended systems into over one hundred local offices and a government agency as end-users of the new system. Moore, appointed by Andrew Kilpatrick to co-manage the SI project with Jack Kim strives to immerse herself into a different work culture, where underlying issues of: sexism, lack of communication, cultural differences, differing expectations and principles of Confucianism results into the project’s progress to fall behind.
Three North American SCG Consultants were involved for the first seven months of the project in transferring their expertise and knowledge to the Korean Consultants. Unfortunately upon Moore’s arrival, she discovered that the Korean consultants had lacked the skills expected, and tension rose between Kim and her regarding the project’s scope and who was responsible in giving team directions. Due to the Koreans’ respect for position and status, Moore and Scott Adams found the project’s structure and peoples’ behaviour to be influenced by hierarchy. The project had reached its climax from the refusal to accept Moore’s directions from Korean male team members as issues of gender and Confucian values escalated.
Out of Moore’s control, it left her seeking senior assistance from George Peterson, who contacted Kilpatrick immediately to be flown to Korea and assess the situation. Mr. Park, Kim’s Senior, held several discussions with Kilpatrick; however, Mr. Park insisted...
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