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| In Korea, Starbucks baristas are required to have nicknames. / Korea Times |
By Kim Young-jin
Have you ever gone into a Starbucks in Korea and wondered about the baristas' nametags?
Names such as "Adele," "Kat" and "Bean" are written in English. Or how about "Candy " or even "Fresh?"
Do not get us wrong -- many of these are fine names. But they are not exactly common in Korea.
It turns out that Starbucks staff are required to have nicknames. The reason, company officials say, is to create a culture in which all "partners" are equal.
"Among partners, nicknames are preferred over formal titles such as ‘boo-jang-nim' (manager) or ‘dae-li-nim' (mid-level manager)," said a Starbucks Korea public relations manager Park Han-jo.
"This horizontal name culture creates a more natural environment for our partners and is part of an evolving culture that considers everyone from our customers to our partners."
Korea's corporate culture is notorious for long working hours and a rigid chain of command. Outsiders may be surprised to learn that many workers do not feel comfortable leaving before their boss does, even late into the evening.
In Korean businesses, people often address each other formally, by their last names plus an honorific.
But how do Starbuck employees like the company's policy?
"I don't mind it," said one barista, who did not want to be named. "Everybody here seems to abide by it. It's not a problem."
If you have wondered about the funky names, you may not be alone.
Seoul reportedly has more Starbucks stores than any city in the world, so there are plenty of chances to run into a name you have never encountered in Korea.
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