Gender inequalities in Korean family business: contradictions between show and tell

Journal article


Kim, A. and Ng, P. 2023. Gender inequalities in Korean family business: contradictions between show and tell. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship. 14 (4), pp. 388-417.
AuthorsKim, A. and Ng, P.
Abstract

Purpose: This paper explores how gender-related issues are communicated in Korean family-run conglomerates (Chaebols) and the roles of women within these businesses. It also addresses to what extent the communication of Chaebols about female employment and career development reflects the perception of gender representation in these organisations.

Design/methodology/approach: By paying attention to gendered discourse in Korean Chaebols, this paper examines what is said and written about gender issues in glottographic statements (texts) and non-glottographic statements (charts and other visuals) of annual reports (ARs) published by five Chaebols since 2010. The paper uses a Foucauldian framework to develop the archive of statements made within these ARs.

Findings: Although there is an increase in female-employee ratios, ARs show that number of women at the board or senior management level continue to be small. ARs tend to provide numbers related to female employment and retention in their non-glottographic statements, yet these numbers occasionally differ from and frequently are not explained by glottographic statements. The strategies used by Chaebols to improve career prospects for their female staff are only vaguely described and rarely evaluated.

Originality/value: This paper looks beyond the existing discourse analysis on ‘talk and text’ by also investigating claims made through graphic and linear/pictorial elements and their interplay with text. This approach opens new understandings of how gendered discourses are constructed and how they (unintentionally) fail to resolve issues and perceptions related to female employment and career development in Korea.

KeywordsFamily-run conglomerates (Chaebols) ; Gender; Annual reports; Women in employment
Year2023
JournalInternational Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship
Journal citation14 (4), pp. 388-417
PublisherEmerald
ISSN1756-6266
Official URLhttps://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IJGE-12-2022-0225/full/html
Publication dates
Online15 Sep 2023
Print29 Nov 2023
Publication process dates
Deposited30 Aug 2023
Accepted24 Aug 2023
Accepted author manuscript
License
File Access Level
Open
Output statusPublished
Permalink -

https://repository.canterbury.ac.uk/item/95639/gender-inequalities-in-korean-family-business-contradictions-between-show-and-tell

Download files


Accepted author manuscript
IJGE - R2.pdf
License: CC BY-NC 4.0
File access level: Open

  • 93
    total views
  • 26
    total downloads
  • 1
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

The association between corporate social responsibility disclosure and information asymmetry: The case of Europe
Karim, A. and Kim, A. 2024. The association between corporate social responsibility disclosure and information asymmetry: The case of Europe.
Investigating the influence of accountability, power dynamics and political influences among NGO major stakeholders: Namibian perspective
Dr Andrew Simasiku and Dr Amee Kim 2024. Investigating the influence of accountability, power dynamics and political influences among NGO major stakeholders: Namibian perspective.
Religiosity, financial risk taking, and reward processing: An experimental study
Vanheusden, F., Vadapalli, Sundara Kashyap, Rashid, Mamunur, Griffiths, Mark D. and Kim, Amee 2024. Religiosity, financial risk taking, and reward processing: An experimental study. Journal of gambling studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-024-10324-4
Semiotic analysis in financial markets
Kim, A. 2023. Semiotic analysis in financial markets. in: Foroudi, P. and Dennis, C, (ed.) Researcing and Analysing Business London Routledge.
What you see is not what you get: Articulating annual reports with Barthesian analysis
Kim, A. 2023. What you see is not what you get: Articulating annual reports with Barthesian analysis.
Managers’ perspectives on restaurant food waste separation intention: The roles of institutional pressures and internal forces
Ng, P.Y. and Sia, J.S.M 2022. Managers’ perspectives on restaurant food waste separation intention: The roles of institutional pressures and internal forces. International Journal of Hospitality Management. 108, p. 103362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2022.103362
Would an increase in female representation at board level indeed better represent firms?
Kim, A. and Frandsen, A-C. 2022. Would an increase in female representation at board level indeed better represent firms?
Refugee women business mentors: New evidence for women’s empowerment
Street, C., Ng, P. and Al-Dajani, H. 2022. Refugee women business mentors: New evidence for women’s empowerment. Sustainability. 14 (15), p. 9154. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159154
Women’s empowerment as an outcome of NGO projects: Is the current approach sustainable?
Ghenwa Al Hakim, Bettina Lynda Bastian, Poh Yen Ng and Bronwyn P. Wood 2022. Women’s empowerment as an outcome of NGO projects: Is the current approach sustainable? Administrative Sciences. 12 (2), p. 62. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci12020062
Reformulating the empowerment process through women entrepreneurship in a collective context
Ng, P. and Wood, B. and Bastian, B. 2022. Reformulating the empowerment process through women entrepreneurship in a collective context. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-06-2021-0479
Effects of constructive politics and market turbulence on entrepreneurial Orientation–Performance relationship: A moderated mediation model
Dayan, Mumin, Ng, P., Husain, Z. and Zacca, R. 2022. Effects of constructive politics and market turbulence on entrepreneurial Orientation–Performance relationship: A moderated mediation model. European Management Journal. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2022.03.001
K-pop and K-car: The underpinnings of 21st century Korean cultural/industrial successes
Kim, A. and McGoun, E.G 2022. K-pop and K-car: The underpinnings of 21st century Korean cultural/industrial successes. Central European Management Journal. 30 (2). https://doi.org/10.7206/cemj.2658-0845.77
Shall we aim for 50-50? The limitations of annual report named numbers in representing the gender gap closure
Kim, A. and Frandsen, A-C. 2021. Shall we aim for 50-50? The limitations of annual report named numbers in representing the gender gap closure.
Influence of socioemotional wealth on non-family managers’ risk taking and product innovation in family businesses
Ng, P., Dayan, M. and Makri, M. 2021. Influence of socioemotional wealth on non-family managers’ risk taking and product innovation in family businesses. Cross Cultural and Strategic Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/CCSM-03-2021-0058
The role of strong ties in empowering women entrepreneurs in collectivist context
Ng, P., Bastian, B. and Wood, B. P. 2021. The role of strong ties in empowering women entrepreneurs in collectivist context. in: Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship Conference 2021 Barnsley Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
Socioemotional wealth and the innovativeness of family SMEs in the United Arab Emirates
Ng, P.Y and Hamilton, R. T. 2021. Socioemotional wealth and the innovativeness of family SMEs in the United Arab Emirates. Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship . https://doi.org/10.1080/08276331.2021.1926779
Explaining the entrepreneurial intentions of employees: The roles of societal norms, work-related creativity and personal resources
Ng, Poh Yen and Clercq, D. 2021. Explaining the entrepreneurial intentions of employees: The roles of societal norms, work-related creativity and personal resources. International Small Business Journal: Researching Entrepreneurship. 39 (8), pp. 732-754. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242621996614
Hegemonic conceptualizations of empowerment in entrepreneurship and their suitability for collective contexts
Wood. B. P., Ng P. Y. and Bastian, B. L. 2021. Hegemonic conceptualizations of empowerment in entrepreneurship and their suitability for collective contexts. Administrative Science. 11 (1), p. 28. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci11010028
Factors influencing patient loyalty to outpatient medical services: an empirical analysis of the UAE’s government healthcare system
Dayan, M., Al Kuwaiti, A. I., Husain, Z., Ng, P. and Dayan, A. 2021. Factors influencing patient loyalty to outpatient medical services: an empirical analysis of the UAE’s government healthcare system. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJQRM-11-2020-0373
The effects of government and conglomerate-driven investments on the contemporary Korean gaming industry: a critical perspective
Kim, A. 2020. The effects of government and conglomerate-driven investments on the contemporary Korean gaming industry: a critical perspective.
Public transportation in Hanoi: Applying an integrative model of behavioral intention.
Ng, P. Y. and Phung, P. T 2020. Public transportation in Hanoi: Applying an integrative model of behavioral intention. Case Studies on Transport Policy. 9 (2), pp. 395-404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cstp.2020.10.012
Integrative model of behavioural intention: the influence of environmental concern and condition factors on food waste separation
Ng, P. Y., Ho, P.-L. and Sia, J. K.-M. 2020. Integrative model of behavioural intention: the influence of environmental concern and condition factors on food waste separation. Management of Environmental Quality. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEQ-06-2020-0128-
Converting nascent technologies into mainstream sports
Kim, A. and McGoun, E.G. 2020. Converting nascent technologies into mainstream sports. Journal of Motorsport Culture & History.
Performance in family firm: Influences of socioemotional wealth and managerial capabilities
Ng, P. and Mumin D., Di Benedetto, A. 2019. Performance in family firm: Influences of socioemotional wealth and managerial capabilities. Journal of Business Research. 102, pp. 178-190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.05.026
Yin-Yang representation of financial crisis: a Korean perspective
Kim, A. and Vanheusden, F. 2019. Yin-Yang representation of financial crisis: a Korean perspective. International Journal of Management Concepts and Philosophy. 12 (4). https://doi.org/10.1504/IJMCP.2019.10021861
Symbolic representations of financial events in the Korean media
Kim, A. 2019. Symbolic representations of financial events in the Korean media. Qualitative Research in Financial Markets. https://doi.org/10.1108/QRFM-10-2017-0097
K-pop and car-pop: the parallel emergence of Korean style in automobiles and popular music
Kim, A. and McGoun, E. 2018. K-pop and car-pop: the parallel emergence of Korean style in automobiles and popular music.
Reading economic magazines: hidden codes and financial crisis representation in Korea
Kim, A. 2017. Reading economic magazines: hidden codes and financial crisis representation in Korea.
Finance as a driver of the global dreams factory: spread of the Hallyu (or Korean Wave) and its consequences for the Korean economy
Kim, A. 2017. Finance as a driver of the global dreams factory: spread of the Hallyu (or Korean Wave) and its consequences for the Korean economy.
Yin and Yang and the representation of the Financial Crisis in Korea
Kim, A. 2015. Yin and Yang and the representation of the Financial Crisis in Korea. PhD Thesis University of Leicester