By Park Yoon-bae
Confucianism has long had a great influence in East Asian countries. It is intriguing to figure out how Confucian values have contributed to strong performance at schools and workplaces, leading to remarkable economic achievements in those nations.
To define the role of Confucianism in promoting national development and competitiveness, three scholars at Macquarie University, Sydney, have conducted joint research for the past years. They are associate professors Chris Baumann and Hume Winzar, as well as Dr. Doris Viengkham who completed her Ph.D. at the Macquarie Business School.
Their strenuous work has borne fruit in the form of a book: "Confucianism, Discipline, and Competitiveness" (Routledge). This book offers insights into how "Confucian Orbit" societies have shown a much stronger academic performance and higher levels of competitiveness than any other countries around the world.
The scholars concentrated on finding a link between discipline and performance. In essence, they explored the role of cultural attributes such as emphasis on education, discipline and hard work in boosting a country's competitiveness and ultimately competitive productivity.
Baumann said he and his co-authors had inspiration from "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother," a bestseller written by American author and law professor Amy Chua, which reignited a long-standing debate about the approaches to parenting, and ultimately education, between the West and the East.
He explained that "Confucianism, Discipline and Competitiveness" extended Chua's work into East Asian schooling and introduced a global comparison using publicly available data published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the World Economic Forum (WEF).
The authors tested data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) to verify that students in Confucianism-dominant countries have achieved better academic performance than their counterparts in other countries. They also utilized data from the WEF to show that the global competitiveness of Confucian Orbit societies has remained in top positions over the past decade with even small increases over time.
"With our evidence-based approach, we offer insights to how countries can improve their performance and competitiveness in a global race, perhaps not least by a focus on discipline standards in education systems," Baumann said in an email interview with The Korea Times.
He said South Korea is a prime example for a Confucian approach to life and a desire for betterment, elements instilled in children at an early age through not only the education system, but in the family home. The mantra is: "Work hard, and you will achieve something and also help your country."
"After the Korean War, South Korea literally emerged from the 'ashes.' There was an influx of capital and know-how from the U.S. and its allies; and combined with a strong work ethic, a desire and belief in betterment, and a certain entrepreneurial spirit, pushed performance," Baumann, concurrently a visiting professor at Seoul National University (SNU), said.
He took major conglomerates such as Samsung, Hyundai/Kia and LG as key examples of developing innovative products and services, and building brand competitiveness, followed by hallyu (Korean wave), or a global boom of Korean culture and entertainment products including K-pop, K-drama and K-food and online gaming.
"Linking all these developments directly to Confucianism might be a stretch. But in one way or another, it might have been a contributing factor," Baumann said. "We saw similar progressions in other Confucian Orbit societies such as Japan, Singapore and China and more recently, also in Vietnam."
"Naturally, Confucianism is not the sole factor, but countries such as Korea, China and Japan do share that Confucian heritage, and generally perform very well in the PISA and WEF rankings," he added.
He said that a case is made in the book that a longstanding tradition such as Confucianism instills the virtues of discipline and resilience in people in such a way that promotes an attitude to seek continued improvement in performance.
"Confucianism, in one way or another, will remain an important aspect of East Asian culture and everyday life. It is not always clearly noticeable and identifiable, and an everyday Korean may be Confucian without realizing that they are," he continued.
Baumann said that to what degree Confucianism will remain strong in the Confucian Orbit and drive competitiveness will depend on the future generations' approaches to child-rearing and education policy.
There is a case to be made that East Asia's disciplined pedagogical approach is a factor in strong educational and also economic performance. There is little evidence, if any, that the stricter East Asian upbringing may hinder creativity and innovation.
He quoted his book as stating, "Economic development and progression during the Asian Miracle and recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), green technology, and dramatic growth in services industries in East Asia tell us another picture ― the generation that grew up under strict Confucian educational principles appears to be the one that ultimately forms a cutting-edge East Asian economic landscape driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution."
The author team believes that the disciplined approach to education has served East Asia well in terms of academic and economic performance. They conclude that the permissive approach in the West has not resulted in the same strong academic performance based on what the authors found in their analysis.
The authors say that the East Asian way of schooling and parenting often nurtures children to the best of their ability and generally prepares them for a competitive tertiary and workplace environment. "In the Confucian Orbit, children also embrace their own cultural heritage and the more competitive environment may lead to higher levels of resilience," Baumann added.
He expressed his hope that his co-authored book could be a great Christmas gift for any parents, teachers, school principals, policymakers and others interested in education and how that might link to a broader picture such as a nation's competitiveness.
Confucianism has long had a great influence in East Asian countries. It is intriguing to figure out how Confucian values have contributed to strong performance at schools and workplaces, leading to remarkable economic achievements in those nations.
 |
| Dr. Chris Baumann, associate professor at Macquarie University, Sydney, and one of the co-authors of "Confucianism, Discipline and Competitiveness" (Routledge) / The Korea Times |
Their strenuous work has borne fruit in the form of a book: "Confucianism, Discipline, and Competitiveness" (Routledge). This book offers insights into how "Confucian Orbit" societies have shown a much stronger academic performance and higher levels of competitiveness than any other countries around the world.
The scholars concentrated on finding a link between discipline and performance. In essence, they explored the role of cultural attributes such as emphasis on education, discipline and hard work in boosting a country's competitiveness and ultimately competitive productivity.
Baumann said he and his co-authors had inspiration from "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother," a bestseller written by American author and law professor Amy Chua, which reignited a long-standing debate about the approaches to parenting, and ultimately education, between the West and the East.
He explained that "Confucianism, Discipline and Competitiveness" extended Chua's work into East Asian schooling and introduced a global comparison using publicly available data published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the World Economic Forum (WEF).
 |
| The cover of "Confucianism, Discipline and Competitiveness" (Routledge) written by Macquarie University associate professors Chris Baumann and Hume Winzar, as well as Dr. Doris Viengkham who completed her Ph.D. at the Macquarie Business School |
The authors tested data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) to verify that students in Confucianism-dominant countries have achieved better academic performance than their counterparts in other countries. They also utilized data from the WEF to show that the global competitiveness of Confucian Orbit societies has remained in top positions over the past decade with even small increases over time.
"With our evidence-based approach, we offer insights to how countries can improve their performance and competitiveness in a global race, perhaps not least by a focus on discipline standards in education systems," Baumann said in an email interview with The Korea Times.
He said South Korea is a prime example for a Confucian approach to life and a desire for betterment, elements instilled in children at an early age through not only the education system, but in the family home. The mantra is: "Work hard, and you will achieve something and also help your country."
"After the Korean War, South Korea literally emerged from the 'ashes.' There was an influx of capital and know-how from the U.S. and its allies; and combined with a strong work ethic, a desire and belief in betterment, and a certain entrepreneurial spirit, pushed performance," Baumann, concurrently a visiting professor at Seoul National University (SNU), said.
He took major conglomerates such as Samsung, Hyundai/Kia and LG as key examples of developing innovative products and services, and building brand competitiveness, followed by hallyu (Korean wave), or a global boom of Korean culture and entertainment products including K-pop, K-drama and K-food and online gaming.
"Linking all these developments directly to Confucianism might be a stretch. But in one way or another, it might have been a contributing factor," Baumann said. "We saw similar progressions in other Confucian Orbit societies such as Japan, Singapore and China and more recently, also in Vietnam."
"Naturally, Confucianism is not the sole factor, but countries such as Korea, China and Japan do share that Confucian heritage, and generally perform very well in the PISA and WEF rankings," he added.
He said that a case is made in the book that a longstanding tradition such as Confucianism instills the virtues of discipline and resilience in people in such a way that promotes an attitude to seek continued improvement in performance.
"Confucianism, in one way or another, will remain an important aspect of East Asian culture and everyday life. It is not always clearly noticeable and identifiable, and an everyday Korean may be Confucian without realizing that they are," he continued.
Baumann said that to what degree Confucianism will remain strong in the Confucian Orbit and drive competitiveness will depend on the future generations' approaches to child-rearing and education policy.
There is a case to be made that East Asia's disciplined pedagogical approach is a factor in strong educational and also economic performance. There is little evidence, if any, that the stricter East Asian upbringing may hinder creativity and innovation.
He quoted his book as stating, "Economic development and progression during the Asian Miracle and recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), green technology, and dramatic growth in services industries in East Asia tell us another picture ― the generation that grew up under strict Confucian educational principles appears to be the one that ultimately forms a cutting-edge East Asian economic landscape driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution."
The author team believes that the disciplined approach to education has served East Asia well in terms of academic and economic performance. They conclude that the permissive approach in the West has not resulted in the same strong academic performance based on what the authors found in their analysis.
The authors say that the East Asian way of schooling and parenting often nurtures children to the best of their ability and generally prepares them for a competitive tertiary and workplace environment. "In the Confucian Orbit, children also embrace their own cultural heritage and the more competitive environment may lead to higher levels of resilience," Baumann added.
He expressed his hope that his co-authored book could be a great Christmas gift for any parents, teachers, school principals, policymakers and others interested in education and how that might link to a broader picture such as a nation's competitiveness.
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