Proposition 8c – Scaffolding Directed at Returnee

Considerable research has been done that links the social capital that flows from the building of trust to the effectiveness and efficiency of knowledge transfer (Finn, Currie, & Martin, 2010; Janowicz-Panjaitan & Noorderhaven, 2009; Landry, et al., 2002; Levin & Cross, 2004). Many of the vignettes described scaffolding activities that were meant to build trust and legitimacy amongst members of the workgroup in order to facilitate the acceptance of the returnee into the workgroup, thus opening the members of the workgroup to the returnee as a legitimate source of knowledge. Building trust is an

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essential element of lowering social distance. Members of the workgroup are more open to accepting knowledge from socially similar individuals (Liviatan, et al., 2008).

Of the 41 vignettes, 8 discuss returnees’ attempts to engage in scaffolding by decreasing the social distance between themselves and members of their workgroup. We have termed this ‘scaffolding directed at the returnee’ because the activities represent concrete steps that the returnees took to change, develop, and grow themselves. Thus, rather than being primarily directed outwards towards the development of others or tailoring of knowledge, these scaffolding activities are inward or relational.

The three dominant themes from the vignettes are: developing informal

relationships; learning local skills; and building respect from workgroup members. An interesting pattern in these vignettes was that many of the returnees who reported

engaging in these types of scaffolding activities seemed to be cognitively aware that these activities were important. Several of the returnees claimed that they had met other

returnees during their career that did not do these ‘returnee directed activities’ and as a result had difficulties and even outright failure to keep their job.

Four of the vignettes described concrete examples of returnees developing informal relationships with workgroup members in order to develop personal trust and legitimacy. Several of these returnees engaged in these activities because they believed that it was a crucial aspect of their job to have lunch and dinner with their colleagues. Since returnees often have shorter tenure in the firm than many of their colleagues in similar positions, actively engaging in informal relationship building brings them into the social fold of the organization. A senior project manager from a large manufacturing firm

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explains that he goes out on a regular basis for dinner and drinks with colleagues throughout the organization in order to build relationships and trust.

So, I like drinking, and I never had a problem with Hwa-shik (business dinners) in Korea. I try to approach people with a very humble manner and method, so it easier for me to get close to my colleagues. Most of the work at a huge company like [name deleted] must be done in connection with others. You cannot work by yourself. You have to connect with different kinds of departments and different kinds of people. So, you have to be able to develop good relationships with people in other departments… So, I spent 6 months trying to get to know people from other departments, and then I started my own project with them. I think that is why I was promoted every year. Especially in Korea, I feel that relationship building is so important. Of course, it is the same everywhere, but especially in Korea.

(Vignette 30, Returnee #13, Company A)

In vignette 31, an executive vice president from a large financial firm explains that in order to build communication skills and legitimacy amongst members of the

organization, he began speaking in Korean from the first day he started working in Korea. Because he was a Korean American, his Korean communication skills were quite limited. By developing his language skills in the workplace, he was able to demonstrate his

commitment to Korea and develop the necessary skills to communicate with colleagues.

I made it a point to speak Korean for work almost from the start. Initially, you know, probably people who talked with me actually thought I was an idiot because while I would use the Korean grammar structure, about 80% of the words I was using were English. It sounded really odd, I'm sure. I actually discovered that over the course of six to nine months I got pretty good at it. People gave me a lot of respect for my effort to improve my Korean and a lot more access because I could actually speak Korean. (Vignette 33, Returnee #18, Company B)

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Another group of vignettes discuss the need to build the respect of organization members by ‘doing whatever they have to’ do. These vignettes reflect a theme of humbly making oneself useful to the organization. By doing this, the returnees are able to build respect and trust. In vignette 34, a middle manager from a large financial firm says that she is willing to do jobs that at her level she could order a junior to do because she recognizes that she does not yet have their respect.

It's not easy, but my character is work hard and no talk. I don't complain much; I just do whatever I have to. There are some circumstances where I don’t get respect from my juniors compared to those people who have been here for 10 years. So, sometimes I have to do work that is not commensurate to my level. But I don’t complain much because I have been here just 2 years or so. I think sometimes I have to do whatever I have to do rather than to raise my voice and seek for my rights. So, I think that's one of the reasons why I don't have many conflicts. Because of that people are giving me more respect gradually. Not as much as people who have been here for 10 years, but gradually increasing.

(Vignette 34, Returnee #22, Company F)

Building legitimacy, trust, and respect are key components to lowering

psychological distance between the knowledge holder and the other members of the organization. Thus, when returnees develop themselves by engaging in activities that gain respect from their colleagues and when they learn local skills, they are providing scaffolding for knowledge transfer.

Proposition 8c: Over time, returnees can increase their workgroup’s ZPD by engaging in scaffolding activities that build the returnee’s legitimacy amongst colleagues.

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