international studies writeup
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Transcript of international studies writeup
Upon returning from South Korea, authored a study comparing the decline of once world leading US
manufactures to the new world leading manufacturers in South Korea. The study documented the
impact technology and employee compensation programs played on overall corporate outcomes. The
study covered in detail economic factors, product quality, and brand impact, which included internal
corporate culture and external perception. The knowledge and experience gained from the time spent
in South Korea have been one of the most valuable assets one could hope f or. The emersion into a
world where one doesn’t fluently speak the native language, or understand the cultural norms beyond
what has been read, leads to an ingrained appreciation of what cultural diversity really means. In turn,
when encountering someone who is out of place, there is an automatic reaction to help them feel at
ease and included. Additionally, it is rare for one to have the opportunity to learn from the world’s
leading companies on quality control, logistics, project management, team building, standards of
operation, and system integration.
Most notable corporations in the study:
Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co: The second largest shipbuilder in the world, with
at the time the largest dry dock and largest rail crane systems in the world. DSME produces Submarines,
Triple-E Class Container ships, and the largest Supertankers in the world. The massive ships
manufactured at the facility were constructed using a modular or cell assembly process that required
extreme precision and timing. Considering the array of systems in each cell (electrical, plumbing,
communication, and structural are a few examples), and the nature of shift work, it was immediately
clear DSME had mastered quality control and logistics. The research (to the extent allowed) focused on
how internal and external forces were controlled from raw materials to the finished product.
POSCO Steel: At the time of the visit, they were the world’s leading sheet metal producer, and were in
the top ten in overall global steel production. POSCO was the largest provider of sheet metal for
automobile and appliance production at the time of the visit. The study was conducted at the
Gwangyang Steel Works facility, which is still the largest of its kind in the world. The most notable fact
at the time of the review was that there was no local source for the raw materials or fuel to process the
material. Additionally, it was reported that as production increased over time, the barges containing
raw iron ore and coal eventually became too large to offload at a traditional harbor. It was quickly
apparent that for POSCO to become a global leader when it had to import all the materials for its end
product, it had mastered infrastructure and logistics. The study focused on what made the
infrastructure different (technology was a huge piece), and how they dealt with the logistics from raw
material to finished product. It is worth noting that POSCO viewed the knowledge of its employees as
one of its most valuable assets. When building out the facilities infrastructure, a city was essentially
created. Employees were provided with single or family dwellings (utilities included), medical facilities,
dining facilities, and schools just to list a few items. At the time of the study, the employee and family
satisfaction was so high, that the tradecraft was passed down through the generations, effectively
building in quality to the end product. Employee retention at this level also ensured that competitors
would not have access to generations of artisan tricks learned through decades of day to day
production.