To whom you are in favor with, the boss or the employer

We are given a certain topic by our professor on my Legal Environment of Business subject and we need to do case study analysis. I want to share this to know your comment, suggestion and opinion on the situation. If to whom you are in favor with?

Lawrence, 42, worked as a manager at Innovatio. Inc. for 15 years and his boss is a Korean named Kim Yong Chong. As he started, the company is unknown and he struggled a lot in winning over buyers for the Korean company’s computer peripherals.

On his contribution to the company, he deserve an office like his boss have. But they have a gap with his boss, perhaps he is envious to him, and perhaps, Lawrence was independent in his action, he do what he thought is good for the company. But the Korean social system did not permit personal interdependence or individual action.

Lawrence glanced at the recruit page of the morning paper and the headline caught his eye. “ Accept the challenge”. The job fitted him perfectly, the challenge he has not doing of 10 strong-willed salespersons into the China market, and frankly, he is tired playing politics in the company. He recommended that they go into manufacture of miniature MP3 players five years ago but his call was ignored. And today, MP3 players are in great demand and yet the company was concentrating on last generation peripherals.

Lawrence emailed his application letter to the address provided. One week later, Kim summoned him to his room and asked if Lawrence has a problem on his job. Lawrence answered that his sales are always on target. Kim asked if Lawrence is unhappy with his job because he will not apply sales position in a company if he is still happy on his work. Lawrence said, he is unaware that the ad is from Kim’s company and he just want to have a change, and being in China market is challenging.

Kim asked for Lawrence resignation for he act disloyal to the company, and they abide the Korean culture, that a good subject must be good to his emperor, and good employee must be loyal to his company. Kim asked Lawrence to submit it today and all the HR staff agreed on his decision, and he will be given compensations according to law. He will wait for the resignation of Lawrence or else, they will terminate him.

Lawrence complain to his boss and said he will talk to their president about it. But the president did not wish to counter Kim’s decision. Kim regretted losing a good manager but he felt no one is indispensable. Lawrence felt betrayed by the company and its top officers, so he tendered his resignation.

Question:

1. In your opinion, did the company do the right thing in asking Lawrence to resign?
2. Should Lawrence have defied the order to resign and opted for termination instead?
3. He could take legal action for wrongful termination later.
4. Comment on the clash of culture in this case.