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Radical Pedagogy (2001)

ISSN: 1524-6345

Impact Of Confucian Concepts Of Feelings On Organizational Culture In Korean Higher Education

Jeong-Kyu Lee 

Korean Educational Development Institute & Hongik University 

jeongkyuk@hotmail.com

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of Confucian concepts of feelings, especially paternalism and favoritism, on organizational culture in current Korean higher education. The writer uses a descriptive analysis method through the lens of a cross-cultural perspective to defend this study systematically. The influence of paternalism and favoritism on Korean institutional organizational culture is evident in the following: first, the absence of criticism is one of shortcomings in colleges and universities; second, factionalism rooted in family ties, regional relations, and school ties becomes an obstacle to the exchanging of scholarly knowledge as well as of academic information among universities, schools, departments, and faculty members; third, favoritism based on interpersonal ties and selfish feelings is another problematic practice; fourth, egoistic scholarship and worship of foreign knowledge are also problematic; and finally, a closed organizational culture is another dilemma in Korean higher education.

Introduction

Confucianism, one of the major historical factors leading East Asian people to the path of the spiritual world, contributed enormously to the development of Korean society and culture. Traditionally, Confucian ethical concepts placed emphasis on moral social harmony in human relations through moral training. Particularly, the concept of feelings or emotions (?: ching) represented a vantage point from which to review Confucian thought because the early Confucian scholars and Neo-Confucians regarded feelings as part of human...