English name policies at work: top-down policy or horizontal culture?
Hashtag KoreaDec 18, 2023
A team led by Andrew, comprising James, Chris and Lisa, engages in lively conversations about work while addressing each other by their first names. This atmosphere is something that some Korean companies are trying to emulate by mandating all employees to use their preferred English name while at work. The rationale is that they need to move away from the Korean language’s emphasis on honorifics, position titles and other formalities, to facilitate horizontal communication. The thinking