Samsung's Strategy, SWOT, and Competitive Analysis

Social Contributions and Community Programs

In recent times, companies' social contributions have undergone a shift from mere philanthropy to activities focused on the creation of shared value (CSV), whereby companies simultaneously generate profits alongside social value. Samsung SDI holds the view that contribution to, and communication with, society is a precondition for being a global, world-class brand. Samsung SDI ensures that its local and key overseas sites contribute to their local communities. Social contribution programs serve as a means to communicate with and develop those communities.

Free Eye Treatment Project

Among the oldest of Samsung's social contributions is the Free Eye Treatment Project, begun in 1995 with the assistance of Siloam Eye Hospital, for the benefit of poor, visually impaired persons.

Nanuri Marathon Race

Samsung SDI has hosted, since 2005, the Nanuri Marathon Race, in which its employees participate to support malnourished children in local communities. Since 2008, donations from the event have been directed toward college admission fees for low-income students (Gongse-Ro Giheung-Gu & Gyeonggi-Do, 2014).

Mission Statement and Corporate Vision

While Samsung does not have an official mission statement, its corporate philosophy serves a similar function:

"At Samsung, we follow a simple business philosophy: to devote our talent and technology to creating superior products and services that contribute to a better global society."

This statement is notably brief and inadequate in conveying what Samsung does and why. It received a score of 1.6 points because it incorporates only three of nine key components and is primarily customer-oriented — that is, it defines the organization's goal in terms of fulfilling customer requirements rather than specifying what goods or services it produces. Furthermore, Samsung's philosophy does not cite the values used in its evaluation; those values are listed separately:

• People
• Excellence
• Change
• Integrity
• Co-prosperity

The company should have incorporated its values of integrity, co-prosperity (i.e., citizenship), and excellence directly into the mission statement. Overall, Samsung's philosophy is ineffective in depicting its core purpose to stakeholders (Jurevicius, 2013; Samsung, 2013).

The company also presents a vision statement: "Inspire the World, Create the Future." This reflects Samsung's commitment to inspiring communities by leveraging three major strengths — novel technology, creative solutions, and cutting-edge products — and to promoting fresh value for its key networks of industry partners, employees, and business partners. Through these efforts, Samsung endeavors to enrich customer experience and contribute to a better world.