- 1938 founded as a trading company
             - in the 50s-60s went into anything imaginable
             - like insurance- paper- aerospace- property- retailing
             - used this base to lay themselves out for the semiconductor field
             1) Entry into semiconductors- 75-83
             - bought a smaller semiconductor company in S.K.
             - wanted to expand out of low end goods
             - worked with Micron Tech. and other US firms
             - had American engineers at plants helping them
             - producing goods but wanted to be at the same level
             - to do this put lots of $ into the department
             - accumulated debt- but looked toward the future
             - by late 80s started seeing sales boom
             - started to overtake the U.S. and Japan firms it learned from in some categories
             - U.S. and Japan instead of helping out simply bought in huge quantities
             - first company with 64 bit DRAM technology
             - forged equal partnerships to remain at the front of technology
             So What are We Supposed to get out of this?
             - these firms show typical strategies of late- comer firms
             - to do this they had a assembly learning period, then process development, and began to innovate
             - balanced perfectly the rate of growth
             - 'organizational innovation'
             - 'because their learning achievements are cumulative and built upon solid foundations, South Korean firms are well positioned to create new market opportunities and to respond to the fast-changing pace of electronics technology'
             - Hyundai 19 percent sales- Samsung 13
             - Brad has a Samsung microwave- 1/5 of US microwaves 92'
             - Chaebol- the big business groupings
             - its hard for Korea to be flexible given its culture
             ...