愛敬그룹의 成長과 發展

The Growth and Development of AeKyung Group

The primary purpose of this study is to assess historical development of AeKyung group which has grown characteristically in the Korean chemical industry. The group s development phase is divided into five distinctive stages, including 1) the initial foundation, 2) the second foundation, 3) the growth, 4)the take-off, and 5) the innovation stage. Further, this study discusses major factors stage by stage which have contributed to the development of the group; the factors considered in the study encompass 1) Chairman Chang s entrepreneurial characteristics, 2) organizational factors, 3) marketing and financial factors, and 4) corporate relationship. Methodologically, it employs the typical approach used in the business history analysis. Several crucial factors found in Chang and her business group include 1)corporate mission emphasizing challenge, creativity, and cooperation, 2)future-oriented management concept, 3) specialization, 4) Chang s global vision, 5) strategic alliances with a few multi-national companies, 6) solid management-employee relationship, 7) Chang s participative leadership, 8)related diversification strategy, 9) state-of-the-art information technologies including ERP, 10) massive investment in R&D activities, 11) scientific Quality Control(QC) principle, and etc. Chairman Chang is regarded as a woman entrepreneur who has pioneered the chemical industry area since her presidency in 1972 when the industry was in a primitive status dominated by the male executives. As such, she played a very important role in overcoming and changing the prejudice against Korean woman; in this sense, she is a true business executive symbolically showing woman s latent capability. Chang not only has contributed to the economic development of Korea but also has recently engaged in the social welfare activities through the establishment of AeKyung Welfare Foundation opened in 2000. Actively participating in various social organizations, she has served as the first woman director and vice Chairman in the Federation of Korean Industries, and the first Chairman for the Federation of Korean Woman Industries. Conclusively, solidly based upon her special field-chemistry, she has made a tremendous contribution to Korean economy and to Korean society in general.