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By Park Jin-hai
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On the first evening of the annual event, participants wearing different colors cheered for their teams in a game where people passed a ping-pong ball to each other using chopsticks.
The One Dongwha Camp is Dongwha Group's cultural initiative aimed at better communication and as a reward for its hardworking overseas employees.
The leading building and decorative materials manufacturer says communication is an important issue for a multinational company, and the camp helps foster better communication among employees living across different borders.
"Prior to the event, we had our own worries, because there was an emotional barrier separating one group of people from another," said a company spokeswoman during the event at the Dongwha Culture Village in Whado, Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, on Sept. 15. "Local employees didn't understand the way their Korean managers (Dongwha personnel dispatched to other countries) worked."
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| Employees invited from Dongwha Group's five overseas offices take part in the One Dongwha Camp at the Dongwha Culture Village in Whado, Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, Sept. 15. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk |
The company overhauled its overseas business to the "Korean way" in 2013, whereby headquarters here made all the decisions and led its overseas offices.
By the numbers, these efforts paid off.
The company's Vietnam plant, which produces medium-density fiber, increased its capacity 20 percent over the past two years with its profit ratio standing at over 30 percent. The Malaysian plant is also in the black, while the Australian and New Zealand plants are fast recovering from a sales slump.
"Thanks to the new business strategy, enabling fast decision-making, the struggling overseas businesses saw a major turnaround," the spokeswoman said.
However, the company noticed an invisible conflict growing deeper.
"Misunderstandings between workers grew, which had we not paid attention to could have led to a significant drop in work efficiency."
To remedy this Dongwha invited its overseas employees to Korea to give them the opportunity to understand Korean culture as well as develop a sense of belonging with the company.
Now being held for its second year, the five-day stay between Sept. 15 and Sept. 19, saw the employees tour the company's three factories here and Seoul's landmarks, as well as participate in cultural programs and workshops.
Through the workshops, participants learned about different cultures and business practices. They discussed the various conflicts that typically arise among foreign and local employees due to cultural differences, and shared their opinions on how to deal with them.
"The event is also designed to nurture people who will lead in Dongwha's overseas markets," the spokeswoman said.
The event had a finale with the Global Dongwha Festival, where they joined 390 Korean colleagues and shared a vision of the company during the two-night-one-day event at a resort in Gyeonggi Province.
Making better corporate culture
Under the firm belief that employee happiness is directly linked to sustainable growth, Dongwha Group has adopted the "Great Work Place" campaign.
It surveyed the happiness of each employee and developed the Dongwha Happiness Index in the mid-2000s and has since closely monitored this on a regular basis.
"It was regarded as innovative, especially for a mid-sized company," said the spokeswoman. "The output is shared with all employees and used in planning by the company."
She said that to make a great workplace, good communication between employees is a must, not only through the One Dongwha Camp, but in every location where the company does business.
The Dongwha Open Agora, held once every two months, gathers people together in both work clothes and business suits so they can share exemplary cases and other corporate issues with each other.
"It is all the more important for Dongwha, as it has people in the field engaged in manufacturing and office workers supporting production," she noted. "Through these kinds of activities, we are leaders in making a better corporate culture and nurturing global talent."
To remedy this Dongwha invited its overseas employees to Korea to give them the opportunity to understand Korean culture as well as develop a sense of belonging with the company.
Now being held for its second year, the five-day stay between Sept. 15 and Sept. 19, saw the employees tour the company's three factories here and Seoul's landmarks, as well as participate in cultural programs and workshops.
Through the workshops, participants learned about different cultures and business practices. They discussed the various conflicts that typically arise among foreign and local employees due to cultural differences, and shared their opinions on how to deal with them.
"The event is also designed to nurture people who will lead in Dongwha's overseas markets," the spokeswoman said.
The event had a finale with the Global Dongwha Festival, where they joined 390 Korean colleagues and shared a vision of the company during the two-night-one-day event at a resort in Gyeonggi Province.
Making better corporate culture
Under the firm belief that employee happiness is directly linked to sustainable growth, Dongwha Group has adopted the "Great Work Place" campaign.
It surveyed the happiness of each employee and developed the Dongwha Happiness Index in the mid-2000s and has since closely monitored this on a regular basis.
"It was regarded as innovative, especially for a mid-sized company," said the spokeswoman. "The output is shared with all employees and used in planning by the company."
She said that to make a great workplace, good communication between employees is a must, not only through the One Dongwha Camp, but in every location where the company does business.
The Dongwha Open Agora, held once every two months, gathers people together in both work clothes and business suits so they can share exemplary cases and other corporate issues with each other.
"It is all the more important for Dongwha, as it has people in the field engaged in manufacturing and office workers supporting production," she noted. "Through these kinds of activities, we are leaders in making a better corporate culture and nurturing global talent."
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