F A L L 2 0 0 9V O L U M E 7 • N U M B E R 5

I D E A S & T O O L S F O R Q U A L I TAT I V E R E S E A R C H

• INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH •

46 QRCA VIEWS FALL 2009 www.qrca.org

B Y F R A N K J E L L I N E K

Synovate Korea • Seoul, South Korea • frank.jellinek@synovate.com

A N D J E E E U N S E O

Synovate Korea • Seoul, South Korea

C O N T I N U E D Research, Korean Red Ginseng Style

47Q U A L I T A T I V E R E S E A R C H C O N S U L T A N T S A S S O C I A T I O N

you think you know what research wouldbe like here in South Korea (e.g., at leastall countries have some similarities), then

you are right to a degree. However, I wouldencourage you to think again.

As always in life, the little things and under-lining meanings make all the difference. And thisis certainly the case on the Korean peninsula. Wehave a saying here — “Yes means no, and yesmeans no again, and only the third time, does itmean yes.” To the Western mind and culture, thismakes no sense, but in this part of the world, itsums the culture up in one simple sentence.

You may now wonder, if that is the case, how onearth can a Western company do any research here,let alone interpret and make sense of it? Well, aswith martial arts, one element is the style, and theother is the secret in the technique. Most impor-tantly of all, however, is the philosophy behind it all.

In Korea, the famed Korean red ginseng is veryimportant. Many shops are dedicated to this oneherb, with expert masters selling it and advising onits usage. To a Westerner, red ginseng is just anherbal remedy. To a Korean, it is a magical ingre-dient holding secret life energy that is capable ofkeeping the body and mind in balance, turning thisrather unusual-looking herb into a way of life.

Impressions of Korean Research CultureTrying to apply Western thinking to the Koreanresearch world is probably the most difficultundertaking — and the biggest mistake — aWesterner can do. Assuming that the Western wayis better and making no effort to understand theKorean culture will quickly lead to a dead end. Somuch is so deeply ingrained in the Korean culturethat unwary Westerners will quickly find themselvesexposed to the unwritten rules of a society thatproudly looks back at a very long and eventfulhistory. One example is that you always respect theeldest or most senior person and ask for his or heropinion first. By doing so, you give permission forthe others to speak and take part.

Another concept, which is at the heart of Koreansociety, is “the loss of face.” This is commonlyunknown in the West, but what you should neverdo is put anyone into a difficult situation or criticizea person publicly and hence cause humiliation andembarrassment. That goes for personal life andespecially in the business world.

This is where the Korean red ginseng and thebalance (or the Yin and the Yang, as it is knownhere) come into play. Disturbing this sensitiveequilibrium — one that has been the cement ofthis society for millennia — can cause unwantedand unnecessary frustrations and dismay.

In qualitative research, this becomes very muchapparent while conducting focus groups and when

compiling the data. Seniority, hierarchy and ageneral shyness among focus group participantsbecome apparent, but there are unique ways ofbreaking the ice.

Some consider Korea to be a homogeneoussociety, with no room for personal expression andindividual freedom. On the surface, that might betrue. To a careful observer, however, Koreans canbe as lively, forthcoming and caring as your bestfriend. Qualitative focus groups can be considereda microcosm of this rather unique society, whosemain population of around 12 million people livesin a comparatively small area of Seoul (SouthKorea’s capital) and neighbouring Incheon.

Most groups take place in the evenings, and the quite formal setting — boardroom-style roundtable, writing pad and nametags — is softened bythe moderators themselves. Personal introductions,speaking about their personal lives and the offeringof food and drinks suddenly turn the (to theuntrained eye) ubiquitous formality into an openand productive discussion. Even sensitive issues canbe discussed in depth, and the participants happilyshare their own experiences, knowing that theyhave the mutual support of the group and thatthere is a collective effort to “save face.” This iswhere Korean society and Korean red ginseng gohand in hand in a careful balance of Yin and Yang,cementing together what belongs together for thegreater good of the whole society or, in this case,the focus group.

Putting the research findings of those groupstogether is, in comparison to the way Westernerscollate data to provide insight, a different exer-cise altogether. Again, the fine balance betweenproviding clients with insight (regardless ofwhether the results are encouraging or not) andshowing respect towards the client becomes verymuch apparent. Whereas clients in countries likethe U.S. or in most parts of Europe consider a30-page PowerPoint presentation with a top lineof the key findings and action points suffi-cient (providing they get the complete set of data

If There is a saying in Korea:“Yes means no, and yesmeans no again, and only thethird time, does it mean yes.”To the Western mind andculture, this makes no sense,but to the Asian world, itsums the culture up in onesimple sentence.

Research, Korean Red Ginseng Style C O N T I N U E D

in a separate document), Korea has its ownunique ways.

Reports and presentations are very thorough.Several hours of presenting the client with a fullreport, including detailed data, is not uncommon.This is not to catch out the researcher but is seen asa reassurance of the relationship between client andresearch agency. By observing the rules of Yin andYang, those relationships can last for years.

Holistically ConnectedWe may all have heard about the technologicaladvances of Korea during the past two to threedecades and those big conglomerates (or chaebol,as they are called here). But, how can corporationswith their brands become so omnipresent in every

Korean household, so indispensable in Koreanday-to-day life, and how can they become so bigand powerful in such short time?

A simple answer would be nationalism andpride. Whereas this might be true to a degree, asyou dig deeper (with the desire to find the rootcause of this behaviour), you will soon find outit is the same collective adhesive that joined ourqualitative focus group together from earlier on.

Did you know that Korea is one of the best-connected places on this planet? It has the highestbroadband penetration per capita and one of themost advanced electronic systems in the world. Forexample, the Korean government recently started to back a scheme that allows any form of payment— and I do mean any, from taxi fare to groceryshopping to personal or business banking — tobe made using one’s mobile phone. Not only doesKorea have probably the most advanced mobile-phone system, but also it strives to constantlydo better in a variety of other fields. One of thosefields is qualitative research.

Internet research or research using SMS (shortmessage service) or MMS (multimedia messagingservice) technologies are common, and researchagencies are constantly improving and fine-tuningthose techniques, which allow researchers to gaugefeedback even on highly sensitive issues from a wide

Several hours of presentingthe client with a full report,including detailed data, isnot uncommon. This isseen as a reassurance ofthe relationship betweenclient and research agency.

range of respondents. With Korea (andparticularly the capital of Seoul) being atruly 24/7 society, the respondent rates arephenomenal and speak for themselves.

Offering a great opportunity to theWestern qualitative researcher or Westerncompany to get a foothold in this market,these technologies make Korea a unique test-ing ground for other qualitative techniques.Some of those techniques might still be intheir infancy and relatively unexplored.However, the existing technical infrastructureand the openness of the Korean people toparticipate will make it an easy task to pushthose techniques further and further.

Korea is a unique place to conductresearch, not only because it offers a testingground for new ideas but also because theinsight the people provide (with their abilityto think collectively with an unusually strongcommunal spirit) should be an inspiration.And using the power of the Korean red gin-seng and remembering the principles of Yinand Yang, the sky is the (research) limit.

Did you know that Korea is one of the best-connected places on thisplanet? It has the highestbroadband penetration per capita and one of themost advanced electronicsystems in the world.