Exploring the Differences in Innovative Work Behavior and Workforce Agility Between Korean and Indonesian Employees: A Cross-cultural Study in a South Korea FDI Company

Abstract

The expansion of South Korean foreign direct investment companies in Indonesia has led to the possibility of cultural challenges arising among workers in multinational corporations. Additionally, there are notable differences in the innovation and agility indexes of Indonesia and South Korea in 2022. These disparities in performance may perpetuate stereotypes that suggest that innovation and agility are unique qualities exhibited by employees from each respective country. The objective of this study is to investigate whether there exist variations in the innovative work behavior and workforce agility of Indonesian and South Korean employees who work in the same organization as part of cross-cultural research. The theoretical framework for this research is Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory, specifically the dimensions of long-term orientation and Stereotype Threat Theory, which are used to explain the phenomenon. This study used a quantitative approach and had 30 participants who worked at a South Korean FDI company. The participants were chosen through convenience sampling. The research tools included the innovative work behavior scale and the workforce agility scale. Data were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U-Test and descriptive analysis. Based on the research findings, it appears that employees from different cultural backgrounds working in the same organization do not exhibit significant differences in terms of their innovative work behavior and workforce agility. This was observed in a case study conducted at a South Korean FDI company located in East Java.
 Keywords: Indonesia, innovative work behavior, South Korea, workforce agility