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Emergent Dynamics of Strategy Execution: Korea Telecom Corporation (KT) 2009 - 2012

Lee Jungwoo,이혜정/Hyejung Lee1 · Seyoon Lee1

1 Yonsei University

Published: January 2013 · Vol. 17, No. 1 · pp. 127-159
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Abstract

In the complex environment of business operations, execution of strategy is more difficult than planning itself, as actual execution requires adjustment and modification along the situational changes happening in real time. This case describes the transformation process of a large telecommunication company, trying to turn a bureaucratic giant into an agile enterprise of multiple firms with good bottom lines. Specifically, decisions made between 2009 and 2012 are described here with details of implementation and execution of strategic thoughts conceived by new management. KT was first established as a state-owned company in 1981, by separating land-line phone network management from the government operations. Coming onto new milenium, KT is facing a crisis situation as land-based line phone subscriptions are saturated and newly emerging mobile communications begin to replace land line phones. Facing these challenges, KT is privatized in 2002, to improve effectiveness and efficiencies of their business operations. However,despite management’s efforts to meet these challenges for almost seven years from 2002 to 2008, KT is faltering as business conditions of the land-line businesses are getting worse. Sensing the criticality of these challenges for their survival, the board of directors hired and appointed completely new management at the beginning of 2009, charging them with complete transformation of the firm for the future. Momentum of transformation boldly initiated in 2009 is still going on while actual strategic executions of actions are adjusted and mofied as complex emergent dynamics of different organizational and business components unfolds with actual execution of transformational strategies. KT is still undergoing vast organizational metamorphosis. Transformation of KT is wider in scope and very intensively executed in relatively short duration against a gigantic bureacractic organization. This teaching case describes processes employed and decisions made during the enterprise wide transformation of KT from 2009 to 2012. Descriptions and explanations of detail strategy execution are organized into three different aspects of business operations: people, structure,and resources. Relevant theories of organizational management are introduced at appropriate points of discussion.
Keywords: 기업전략전방위트랜스포메이션이머전트 다이내믹스사람구조자원