The Issue of Legitimacy in Korean Leadership Models

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Modem Korea has been influenced by a long cultural history, adapting to Chinese philosophy, ancient indigenous religions, foreign religions, rapid government downfall, brutal colonization, rapid industrialization, national division, an international war, democratization, and internationalization. Considering all of this adjustment and change, what elements of leadership in Korea are uniquely Korean, and what elements are similar to those of other nations? How is the issue of credibility, or legitimacy, addressed in Korean history? What characteristics develop credibility for leadership in modem Korea?
The research objective of this thesis was to compare Korean historical, business, and political leadership models to examine the issue of legitimacy in the mind of the people, and in the determination of effectiveness. The research from published materials was compared with quantitative information gathered from questionnaires answered by business people affiliated with the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, as well as questionnaires and interviews from leaders within my own organization, the Korea Baptist Bible Fellowship.
Korean business leadership from among the American Chamber of Commerce membership served as the foundation for the analysis of this paper.
The data characterized this leadership as authoritarian decision-makers that are goal oriented and pragmatic. The political context, however, was shown to function with leadership that is much more traditional in their thinking. Religious leadership from the Korea Baptist Bible Fellowship showed more traditional patterns.
Interviews and response data clearly demonstrated a conservative approach to religious leadership in Korea.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Acknowledgements = 1
• Contents = 3
• Abstract = 5
• Introduction. Statement of the Problem = 6
• Personal Background = 8
• Chapter One. Precedent Scholarship = 10
• History of Korean Leadership = 10
• Modern Political Leadership = 14
• Modern Bureaucratic Leadership = 28
• Modern Business Leadership = 30
• Chapter Two. Research Methodology = 37
• Basic Questionnaire = 37
• Participants = 37
• Methods of Comparison = 40
• Chapter Three. Findings = 41
• Korean Business Informants' Leadership Thoughts = 41
• Koreans Raised or Educated outside of Korea = 47
• Non-Asian Business Informants' Leadership Thoughts = 50
• Korea Baptist Bible Fellowship Leaders' Thoughts = 53
• Conclusions and Recommendations = 58
• Recommendations = 62
• Bibliography = 65
• Appendix A. Questionnaires = 68
• Appendix B. Questionnaire Response Tables = 77
• Informant Profile = 77
• Answer Data Table = 78