• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.249-277
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• 2019

This study examined the involuntary retirement of executives in conglomerates based on Williams' need-threat temporal model of ostracism(2009), which explains the psychology of individuals facing social exclusion in the stages of reflexive, reflective and resignation. In-depth interviews were conducted on 15 retirees from conglomerates, and their contents were used for phenomenological method of analysis. As a result, in the reflexive stage of need-threat temporal model of ostracism, they experienced cognitive panic and emotional panic immediately following retirement. Due to an unexpected shocking experience of retirement notice, they experienced cognitive numbness first, and repressed the following negative feelings cognitively to hide them. In the reflective stage, retirees dream of 'a complete restoration to their best performance in the past', but as such expectation fails, they don't adjust to the reality more due to 'unrealistic thought', 'self-deception', and 'shift responsibility'. In resignation stage, a long-term failure to satisfy the desire led them to experience a sense of defeat and helplessness. Such results were reviewed and compared to Williams' need-threat temporal model of ostracism, and the implications of such result on the nation, companies and retirees in terms of the response to retirement.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.543-564
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• 2011

In the process of managing organization, the strategic decision-making and corporate performance are not independent, but they are interdependent each other. In most Korean firms, decision-making power and authority are concentrated on the higher echelons of managerial hierarchies. Examining big five trading conglomerates in Korea, this present paper investigates the relationship between strategic decision-making and a corporate performance. Although a number of review studies on Korean management have been developed over the years, there have been less works designed with decision making in mind. In order to achieve research objectives, this paper predicted some hypotheses, and the major findings include: 1) the influence of Korea's long-standing Confucian tradition and culture dominated across organizations, there have not been significant changes in decision-making process within big five trading firms; 2) top executives' excessive involvement in decision-making process does not hinder corporate performance. This result implies that the decision power is still tended to be centralized in the hands of the top management. 3) However, the power of Board of Directors in decision-making has become increasingly important; and 4) decision makers do not tend to misuse or abuse their political position and power for their own interests.