“Facing tension-filled Korean workplace culture, management ought to lead the way to implement a new culture where workers enjoy their work.”

It has been already two years since I was appointed as a general manager for Heineken Korea. The Korean alcoholic drinks industry can be also deemed one of the most dynamic and fiercely competitive markets in the world. Although it is arguably the toughest job to establish our brand in Korea, where the presence of local brands has long been immensely powerful, I would like to point out that such fierce competition is rather a key reason why I truly enjoy working in Korea. Moreover, when I watch Korean office workers, who are the driving force of this attractive market, I can’t help but uttering the word “respect.”

Out of all the nations where I have worked in the past, I am convinced that the workers in Korea exhibit the strongest loyalty to their organization, while their focus on the job is simply remarkable.

When I think of those Korean executives and employees who all work so hard and deliver superb performances, however, I have to confess that there is always something that truly concerns me. It is the tension-filled workplace behavior of Korean workers. To be more specific, I often find myself under the impression where the balance between “work and family” or “work and personal life” is shattered as Korean workers heavily focus on their workplace. It means that they appear to endure enormous stress due to extreme pressure and tension rather than enjoying their works.

One of Heineken’s core values is respect. Respect for our environment, but also respect for our employees, to their lives. We believe that living should be in healthy balance with work. Only by creating a company culture in which the above are in balance, we can express our respect to our employees.

Another main value for Heineken is enjoyment. Our staff is working hard and therefore needs distraction in order to re-energize. We believe that enjoyment is a great force in doing that. As an example, “Table Football” plays a great role at any Heineken office. Heineken encourages its 85,000 employees all over the world to casually mingle. This is largely known as “Hit FC (Heineken Internal Table Football Match).”

These table football matches are held at 70 branches around the world, and the winning team from each branch is to get an opportunity to participate in Hit FC Final Match in Amsterdam, the home of Heineken. The winners of the final match get to attend UEFA Champions League final. Heineken Korea also participates in this event every year representing Korea. It may be inevitable that Heineken employees develop friendships with employees from other parts of the world through this process, while the matches also improve loyalty to the company.

As an entrepreneur running a business operation in Korea, I realize my responsibility, and I am also investing my best effort to encourage communication among employees as well as to promote corporate culture where all members of the company enjoy their jobs. However, a good work and life balance does not mean just having a good time; it is designed to promote healthy environment, eliminate conflicts among employees and develop systematic job training program; consequently, it is aimed to grant employees a right to advance further within the organization while they oversee their own work schedule.

Let’s take a step back for a moment, laugh out loud and get back to work. Cheers.

By Jan Arie Smit

The writer joined Heineken in 1999 as an information technology and logistics expert. He has served as the general manager at Heineken Korea since February 2011, after heading Heineken’s Trinidad and Tobago unit from 2009 to 2010. The opinions reflected in the article are his own. ― Ed.