Samsung's competitive innovation and strategic intent for global expansion

Abstract

"Samsung Electronic Company (SEC), founded in 1969, has reigned as not only the largest manufacturing company in Korea, but also one of the leading global competitors worldwide. SEC can be considered as one of very few companies that manage to go beyond mere imitation of global competitors, leverage resources, accelerate the pace of organizational learning and manage to attain seemingly impossible goals (Hamel and Prahalad, 1989), that is to become a global market leader. SEC's case of management and performance record is introduced in this paper to illustrate how effective management approaches that match its core strategic intent generate lasting outcomes in a company. Hamel and Prahalad's four approaches to competitive innovation are used as a framework to discuss SEC's management strategies.