Description
Book SynopsisKorea has been at the centre of intense debate concerning the role of government in economic development. Taking an in-depth approach, this book analyses the path of Korea's industrial technology development. In contrast to many previous studies on Korea, the author argues that the role of foreign multinational enterprises has been significant while the government's was surprisingly limited in scope.
The author addresses three main questions:
- How was Korea able to develop so effectively despite the low inflow of foreign technologies and capital?
- What is the role of multinational enterprises in 'teaching' technology to the firms from developing countries?
- What has been the influence of public policy on Korea's technology development?
The author demonstrates that the key to the Korean electronics industry's spectacular growth has been through its participation in and learning from an inter-firm arrangement called 'original equipment manufacturing' (OEM) arrangement, and a number of firm-level case studies support this argument.
This book will be of special interest to scholars of industrial and development economics, innovation and Asian studies. It will also be of use to policymakers responsible for industrial policy development.
Trade Review'An erudite study of a dynamic issue, Technology Transfer and International Production
is recommended for students of the Korean electronic industry and technological innovations.' -- The Midwest Book Review
'This is the first book to comprehensively examine how OEM [Original Equipment Manufacturing] works in a major industrialising nation (South Korea). OEM is the main mechanism by which Korea and other East Asian countries entered markets and gained technology. It's remarkable that so few scholars, students and researchers have noticed this. At last, through detailed case analysis, we have an authoritative account on how OEM works, what the pitfalls are, how they can be avoided, and the limitations of government policy. This is essential reading for those concerned with contemporary economic development.' -- Mike Hobday, SPRU - Science and Technology Policy Research, University of Sussex, UK
Table of ContentsContents: Foreword by Sanjaya Lall Preface 1. Introduction and Research Outline 2. Korea’s Technology Development and OEM Arrangement 3. OEM and Korea’s Electronics Industry 4. Empirical Research: Case Studies 5. Conclusions: Major Findings and Implications References Index
