Knowledge Network is Power(5)

'Global Mando', Knowledge Network is Power

Performance and safety of a car highly relies upon the quality of core parts, to name a few, breaks, suspension and steering, Mando succeeded in achieving world-class competitiveness in the development and production of core parts through knowledge management.

Other than Hyundai Motors, a long-time Korean customer, GM, Ford and Daimler-Chrysler also became new buyers of Mando. And this vividly shows even American 'Big 3'  highly values Mando's technological capability.

 

The very secret of knowledge management lies in the flip side of Mando's success story. First, in virtue of knowledge management, Mando initiated enterprise-level changes and innovation. In addition, as a knowledge-based company, Mando enhanced its competitiveness in technology by sharing knowledge throughout the organization. Moreover, as a result of close cooperation between central and local research centers located all around the Korea, plenty of new knowledge is endlessly being created.

Knowledge Network is Power(4)

'Global Mando', Knowledge Network is Power

In fact, Mr. Oh Sang Su, CEO and president of Mando in 2007, valued knowledge management as the indispensible part of the corporate operation.

"Mando's development history is totally attributed to knowledge management. Over the past 10 years, all employees of Mando are deeply involved in as many as 243 communities of practice, global conference system and e-campus. In doing so, all knowledge is shared and core competency has been strengthened."

He added, "Measuring the value of knowledge asset and converting it into numbers for the first time in Korea is also big fruits of knowledge management. As a matter of fact, knowledge management contributed Mando as much as 144.1 billion won including core knowledge asset value of 81.9 billion won over the last 7 years." 

Knowledge Network is Power(3)

'Global Mando', Knowledge Network is Power

In addition, Mando’s knowledge management is of great significance in Korean corporate sectors. Mando is the first Korean company which developed its own performance evaluation indexes and used it to measure how much knowledge management contributed to the corporate performance and how big the net value of key assets are. 

In doing so, Mando could manage the goals of knowledge management effectively. In the wake of Asian financial crisis back in 1997~1998, Mando went bankrupt and froze out all corporate expenditures. However, Mando didn’t stop investment in knowledge management.

As a result, Mando finally revived with 41 billion won in net profit in 2008. With high recognition of Mando's knowledge management, Korea's top business daily, MAEIL Business Newspaper and BOOZALLEN Korea awarded Mando the best prize in knowledge management in 2007.

Knowledge Network is Power(2)

'Global Mando', Knowledge Network is Power

Regarding the question of knowledge management, where does Mando's competitiveness come from?

Mando's competitive advantage lies in knowledge management through which all employees share, utilize and recreate core knowledge of the organization.

Thus, the essence of Mando's knowledge management can be defined as not mere 'information system' rather something 'human-based'. It is because Mando has been endlessly ripping out values by inserting the clothes of knowledge management on the top of information system. 

People in Mando bragged that they finished establishing information system such as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) long time ago.

Knowledge Network is Power(1)

'Global Mando', Knowledge Network is Power

It is no doubt that we are living in a knowledge-oriented society. Knowledge is considered one of the core competitiveness to companies, universities and even governments. 

That could explain why many organizations rush to adopt knowledge management and take subsequent steps to improve their capabilities in various ways.

In this regard, taking a look at a company which shows wonderful performance in knowledge management over the considerable amount of times serves as an opportunity to enlighten the importance of knowledge management in this fast-changing era once again. 

And as far as knowledge management concerns, Mando Corporation, unlisted, one of the top Korean auto parts supplier whose sales reached 1,575 billion won  in 2008, is sure to be the best example.

Current duties for EWKLP application

Current duties for EWKLP(East-West Knowledge Leaders Program) application

Since late 2008, I have been mainly covering educational field. Schools and private institutions from elementary to adult level are all my coverage. Among them, I spent most of my time by visiting and meeting university personnel and Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. 

Like most Asian countries, Korean people pay great attention to education. I have wrote articles on many issues, establishment of two international middle schools in Seoul(capital of South Korea), shortfalls of Korean MBAs and globalization of Korean universities, to name a few. 

I am also interviewing people with interesting stories or influential achievement in the educational circle in particular. My experience says that timely and touching people stories can give the nation hopes for better tomorrow. 

Recently, I covered two Korean professors at KAIST(Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) whose paper will be published in Marketing Science this year. They are highly regarded of doing excellent analysis on ‘Netizen Funding’ in the Korean film industry.

Reason for applying for EWKLP(4)

Reason for applying for EWKLP(East-West Knowledge Leaders Program)

By being away from work for three months, I hope EWKLP will allow me to have up-to-date and balanced view on actual business practices. 

I am supposed to be back to corporate-related department of Maeil Business Newspaper early next year. In that regard, what I will study in Hawaii will play crucial roles in my future articles. I have no doubt I can make more credible and attractive articles due to EWKLP.
  

Also, it is unclear whether I will transfer my job into the corporate sector or not in the future. However, if that really happens, I will appreciate EWKLP for not only refreshing myself but also delivering timely ideas of business and economy for my next career.

Reason for applying for EWKLP(3)

Reason for applying for EWKLP(East-West Knowledge Leaders Program)

In doing so, I learned how textbook theories, such as marketing, human resource management and global strategy are put into reality in the fierce business world. 

Sometimes, professors are incorrect because they fail to catch up with fast-changing business trends. For example, most textbooks teach related diversification is good while non-related diversification is wrong. 

However, based on my on-the-spot-experience, some companies succeeded in expanding their business into non-related field. TAIHAN electric wire in Korea is a proper example. Although wire and cable are its core products, TAIHAN electric wire managed to make profits in the leisure and textile field through aggressive M&As. 

Reason for applying for EWKLP(2)

Reason for applying for EWKLP(East-West Knowledge Leaders Program)

In most of 2008, I mainly wrote articles about legal circles, which broadened my horizon on the importance of legal issues in the corporate side. Since late 2008, I have been engaged in the educational field, focusing on universities. 

By covering both demand and supply side of education, I realized education has many things to do with business. In this time of financial crisis, universities are under the pressure of change and innovation just like companies.

So far, I spent most of my career in covering corporate sectors. I had more than 20 opportunities to look at how companies operate their business for global competition. 

Reason for applying for EWKLP(1)

Reason for applying for EWKLP(East-West Knowledge Leaders Program)

It has been four and half years since I took the job of a journalist. In that 4.5-year-long-work-experience requires managerial responsibilities in the corporate sector, it is high time I need skills and capabilities for managerial positions.

Because I have developed communication skills by interviewing all kinds of people from the bottom to the top, I will be an eligible candidate for EWKLP.

During 2004~2007, when I worked at the industrial news desk of Maeil Business Newspaper, Korea’s No.1 business daily, I covered various kinds of companies and their activities at home and abroad, which helped me understand what companies are. 

Essay for EWKLP application(3)

Essay for EWKLP(East-West Knowledge Leaders Program) application

In addition, EWKLP will serve a good chance to promote Korea to foreign friends. In spite of strong economic size and potential, Korea is one of the undervalued countries in the global stage. 

Some business sectors such as semi-conductor, shipping, automobile industry, Korean companies are leading the world. By actively introducing Korean companies and their success to classes, I want to let EWKLP participants know more about Korea. 

At the same time, I will do my best to be more aware of neighboring countries. These may create new business opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region after EWKLP students go back to their home. Amongst the participant countries, it is also expected that improved image on Korea will enhance nation-level relationship.

Essay for EWKLP application(2)

Essay for EWKLP(East-West Knowledge Leaders Program) application

In this regard, EWKLP will be of great significance to me. By studying various subjects of business, I can not only deepen my knowledge but also harmonize my experience with theory. That could explain why lessons from EWKLP will lead me to make more profound articles on business practices. 

As I have a plan to commit myself into Maeil Business Newspaper for the time being, three months in Hawaii will help realize my dream of contributing myself to my country. In this time of financial crisis, insightful articles can make people happy.

It can change the world, too. State-of-the-art business cases will also give new ideas to business leaders in Korea whom I have had firm relationship with. Interviews with CEOs and corporate management convinced me that they are dying for new and practical business principles.

Essay for EWKLP application(1)

Essay for EWKLP(East-West Knowledge Leaders Program) application

Before joining Maeil Business Newspaper in 2004, I majored in business administration at Seoul National University. Further, since 2007, I have taken legal classes at the graduate school of law at Yonsei University at night time. Though I still have a lot to learn, I suppose I have been getting familiar with business and law step by step.

As a journalist of a business daily, I have been involved in corporate, legal and educational sectors over the past four and half years. However, in spite of abundant hands-on-business-related-experience at home and abroad for my age, it is true that I have a long way to go for systematic approach to my articles.

Time to time, I had a hard time in making articles on what I saw and felt in the business field in order. It is partly attributed to lack of time to step back and organize hands-on experience into stories.

Governing Law in Von Dutch Case(5)

Study on 'Territorialitatsprinzip' and 'Lex Loci Protectionis' in the International Disputes over the Intellectual Property Rights

Indeed, it is difficult to solve the innumerable international disputes over the intellectual property rights arising simultaneously, while national interests conflict with each other due to different political, economic and cultural policies. 

Thus, unified global standards for the governing law have a long way to go. Nevertheless, efforts should continue to be made to establish an international law and order for effective resolution of the international disputes over the intellectual property rights. 

Of course, Korea or the IT power envied by the world is obliged to be more concerned about the legal infra befitting her status in the international community.

Governing Law in Von Dutch Case(4)

Study on 'Territorialitatsprinzip' and 'Lex Loci Protectionis' in the International Disputes over the Intellectual Property Rights

On the other hand, a variety of international efforts are being made to unify the standards for determining the governing law for the international disputes over the intellectual property rights. 

The model examples of such movements are Berne Convention, Rome Convention, and the like. WIPO, Max Planck Institute in Germany and American Law Institute have also drafted international conventions regarding the governing law. 

These attempts are common in that they suggest 'lex loci protectionis' as principle for resolution of the international disputes over the intellectual property rights according to 'territorialitatsprinzip.'

Governing Law in Von Dutch Case(3)

Study on 'Territorialitatsprinzip' and 'Lex Loci Protectionis' in the International Disputes over the Intellectual Property Rights

Such a trend is well reflected in 'Von Dutch' case. When the US designer died, companies of various nations attempted to take over his intellectual property right to use it for their trademarks. 

In this 'Von Dutch' case, the Korean court made it clear that it had applied 'lex loci protectionis' to the case according to territorialitatsprinzip. 

Namely, the Korean court decided vividly that even if an intellectual property had been invented in a foreign nation but if a suit should be brought for its infringement or protection in Korea, the Korean law would be applied to the case according to 'lex loci protectionis.' 

The fact that the Korean court applied 'lex loci protectionis' to the case based on Article 24 of Private International Law specifying "Intellectual property rights shall be protected by the law of the nation where they are infringed upon" is interpreted in such a way that 'lex loci protectionis' accepted widely in determining the governing law for the international disputes over the intellectual property rights should be more realistic.