Women in Management in South Korea: Advancement or Retrenchment?

Women's role in management is an important issue. This is based not just on moral, but also on economic grounds. In many countries female participation rates in labour markets have increased, but a similar expansion into managerial posts has commonly lagged behind this, often an indication of the resilience of the so-called ‘glass ceiling’. We use South Korea as an example to explore this. We review the literature in the area and provide theoretical explanations and a lens through which to view developments which indicate that social and cultural, rather than economic, reasons often underpin the situation. We go on to outline some possible ways to confront female managerial discrimination and to increase women's roles in management.