Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Keepongoing]

What do you feel is more productive: a cooperative or competitive relationship among teachers.

most of us from the West were brought up to be "indidividuals" and to fend for ourselves. We weren't really brought in a collective environment where the group was valued over the individual. In Asia, due to Confuscious thinking, you have the collective society. Mind you that collectiveness is often times limited to the family and one's peers.
At first thought one may entertain images of harmony and cooperation, yet I have viewed Korea to be a very competitive society.

In our work places; rather that be a school, university or institute, it is easy to fall into a competitive mode when you our individualistic upbringing and the competitiveness we see around us are all brought into the same equation. Adding to this our various academic institutions will have things in place that very well may sit us against one another and we become threats. Ever experience this around evaluation time? My question is is this the best way?

Were we to be a little bit more cooperative and (pardon the new age jargon) empowered one another, wouldn't it have a positive pay off in the long run? I am talking about information sharing, encouragment and speaking in more positive terms concerning our colleagues.

In the competitive mode someone has to be the loser or less than. We are in a foreign land that all of us, at times, experience some frustration with. We work alongside colleagues that
may speak the same language, but come from varied backgrounds.
If we get into the competitive mode we may hesitate to give assistance or encouragement where it is needed.

I was a new at a University and was so grateful that I had a Teacher Coordinator that "took the time" to listen to me and help me through my initial period. He was competitive on the sports field, but in the work place he was always there for someone and contributed greatly in making that an excellent place to teach. He is an excellent teacher and is not threatened by those around him. On the other hand, I have seen, that when people are threatened, they become secretive, isolated, cliquish and you never really know where you stand with them. Distrust is thick in the air in the work place and the morale at a low ebb. No fun!

Anyway, since this teacher coordinator left, I have tried to be there for my colleagues, to answer questions, give them a word of encourgement and to do my part in making it a cooperative environment.

I just think that it is easy here to fall into a competitive mode which in the end is counter-productive. It affects the workplace, the classroom and often times populates the early mornings of itaewan.

[laogaiguk]

I'm not sure what kind of university you went to, or what kind of places you have worked in nor the kind of people you work with, but I barely ever see this problem, and I have worked with people from all around the globe. Some people are just individualistic bastar ds, from any country, including the "collective mind" ones

[Keepongoing]

Actually I have been very fortunate that in my university it has been great, that is why I have stayed on for so long. I mentioned the Teacher Coordinator becuase I was new then and he was so helpful and encouraging. Now, I can not say the same about my first year in Korea where I was teaching businessmen for 40-47 hours per week. That place was full of this negative type competitiveness that I was describing. Also, I my point here is not to point any fingers, but merely to write my thoughts on the subject. Actually, I don't even think people have to be outward jerks to be in the competitive mode. Oftentimes, I think it might be something quite suttle that creeps up on you without even being that aware of it.

Perhaps, I was off base here and it is not an issue at all. I just think that we are more vulnerable to it here.

[laogaiguk]