Product details

The late-1990s and early-2000s were a difficult period for the global steel industry, with many major companies in the US and Europe filing for bankruptcy. In this scenario, POSCO, a steel venture by the South Korean government set up in 1968, emerged as the most profitable and efficient company in the industry. The case discusses the sources of competitive advantage for POSCO, which helped it succeed where major companies around the world failed. It analyses how the company was able to achieve the levels of profitability that it did. The case also touches on the differences in the operation of Asian companies and their western counterparts, with reference to the steel industry. It also talks about POSCO's operations in China, which was its biggest export market and the threats to POSCO's continued success in the future.