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In an exclusive interview, Thunderbird Business School's Dean, Sanjeev Khagram, discusses TSMC's complex journey into the American market, emphasizing challenges like cultural differences and low brand recognition. He underscores the need for mutual cultural adaptation and a comprehensive approach to internationalization.
Peter Senge, an influential strategist, revolutionized organizational thinking with his concept of learning organizations in "The Fifth Discipline" (1990), lauded by Harvard Business Review. Senge's model emphasizes three core learning competencies, uniting personal and collective goals. As we confront the AI era and climate crisis, Senge's insights remain pivotal, with his talk scheduled at the 2023 Talent Sustainability International Conference on September 20, 2023.
Wang Chiu-hsiung, founder of Feng Tay, is known for his unique management style praised by the founder of Nike as an artful approach. It involves aiding employees in building nurseries and restrooms without disrupting their work or bringing in external supervisors. This approach is a result of Wang's extensive experience managing factories at home and abroad.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has been a cornerstone of Taiwan's technological evolution. However, as Taiwan confronts new challenges in 2023, the question arises: Is it time to bid farewell to ITRI and usher in a new institution to shape Taiwan's future?
India’s abundant supply of IT talent could help Taiwan’s semiconductor industry alleviate the local talent shortage. But language barriers and cultural differences pose a major challenge for Taiwanese management. Three companies have developed their own approaches to tap the Indian talent pool.
China Steel employees are required to retire at 65. But 11 years ago, the company established a “retiree talent bank”. Veterans of the industry are able to find flexible employment and not let their age get in the way of their continued growth.
A fresh wave of energy currently surging through the United States' "Rust Belt" is spearheaded by Taiwan companies. The automotive light module manufacturer Excellence Optoelectronics Inc. (EOI) is setting up shop in Michigan. In Ohio, Hon Hai bought an old plant from General Motors; it will become part of the MIH Consortium and produce electric cars.
Giant Manufacturing, the world’s largest bicycle designer and manufacturer, hails from central Taiwan. Recently, it made a splash with ebikes in Europe and the United States. Now, it has formed the Bicycling Alliance for Sustainability as a bulwark against the “Red Supply Chain”.
Semiconductor foundry company AWSC got its start relying on orders from a single major account, but this left it vulnerable to competition from WIN Semiconductors Corp. It wasn't until Sino-American Silicon Products Inc. became its biggest shareholder that AWSC got its groove back and became a supplier for Elon Musk's SpaceX.
Bora Pharmaceuticals has leveraged six acquisitions over nine years to emerge as Taiwan’s largest pharmaceuticals company by production volume, with revenue approaching NT$10 billion. How have they made their acquisitions so successful and profitable?
Fujiiryoki is a dominant massage chair brand with over a 50-percent share of the Japanese market, whose boss behind the brand is Johnson Health Technology, a Taiwanese company based in Taichung. What’s the story behind Johnson and its successful acquisition of a Japanese company?
In February, Rexon Industrial Corporation Limited, a contract manufacturer for Peloton, faced accusations of not paying its suppliers. Behind the problem is a pandemic-related craze for home exercise equipment that fizzled out faster than expected, leaving suppliers saddled with massive inventory problems.
TSMC has announced that, about a year from now, equipment engineers will no longer have to do rotations on the night shift. What made them so determined to change?
Last year, Tatung Company seemed set for a smooth transformation after years of infighting over control of the century-old brand. Yet 23 personnel changes within the conglomerate’s management team this year indicate that the storm is far from over. What is the agenda of Tatung’s major shareholders?
Tatung was once the soul of Taiwan’s industrial rise. But this century-old enterprise has fallen on hard times, its property the only remaining asset of value. What sent Tatung into decline and set off a long period of infighting that only now may be coming to an end?
Taiwan’s only entrant on the Forbes 30 Under 30 in the Asian IT leaders category, how has 28 year-old Dcard co-founder Kytu Lin transformed himself to become a successful leader?
A repeat winner of the CommonWealth Magazine Corporate Citizen Awards in the large corporation category, Taiwan Semiconductor Corporation (TSMC) is not only Taiwan’s first “firefly factory”, but also the world’s first semiconductor firm to join the RE100 initiative. For TSMC, corporate responsibility is not just about image, but the pursuit of balance between technology and ecology.
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, investment in the securities of socially responsible enterprises has ballooned. Corporate sustainability has become the hottest keyword in investor circles. The just-published results of CommonWealth Magazine’s Corporate Citizen (CSR) Awards, now in their 14th year, show that nothing is receiving greater attention this year than “local revitalization.” What are Taiwan’s leading corporate citizens undertaking to fulfill their responsibilities toward the environment, society and governance?
Led by the second generation, Farcent Enterprise Co. Ltd., the 40-year-old family business making household cleaning products, is reinventing itself, targeting new customer segments and exploring new distribution channels.
Suhon Lin, Founder of the Chang Chun Group, is 92 years old. He has devoted his life to research. His latest invention: Taiwan’s first biodegradable plastics plant, which he spent NT$2.6 billion to develop and build. In doing so, he has busted the myth that petroleum-based plastics cannot be degradable. Using less plastic is a global trend, and Taiwan now has the capability to independently produce biodegradable plastics.
It has been more than six months since the world was thrown into the worst pandemic in recent history. Even in times of crisis, there is good news. For the second year, CommonWealth Magazine is announcing the Hundred Fastest Growing Companies of 2020. The revenue of these companies grew by 19.47% or more during the last three years. Their average profit margin exceeds the previous year, and more than 70% of them are new faces. Who is the pioneer who will lead the way and transform Taiwan’s economy?
With wooden interior decor, brand-new chic uniforms, signature meals and hospitality ambassadors serving you at the table, McDonald’s, once known for fast and accurate table turnover rates, is clearly different. As revenue growth in the fast-food restaurant sector slowed last year, McDonald’s Taiwan registered nine-percent growth. What’s the secret behind the hamburger chain’s success?
In the past five years, 340 new restaurant brands have sprouted up in Taiwan and old favorites have gotten facelifts as second-generation restaurateurs take over. How are they changing the vibe of Taiwan’s food scene?
Taipower and the Southern Taiwan Science Park have been working overtime to satiate “power-hungry” TSMC. What is a “transformer” and why must it come online six months ahead of schedule? A look at last year’s energy use data may shock you.
Painful losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the first quarter of the year followed by unexpectedly robust growth in the second quarter – How do you stage such a quick recovery? Ask Johnson, a family-run exercise machine manufacturer based in Taichung in central Taiwan, which began as a humble contract manufacturer and has grown into the second-largest fitness equipment brand manufacturer in the world.
Almost a decade ago, Wistron lost out to Pegatron on Apple orders. Now, the tables have turned. Wistron is soaring high on the cloud computing wave, whereas Pegatron, despite being Apple’s second largest iPhone supplier, shocked the market by losing money in the first quarter. The two tech giants have traded fates. What does this portend for Taiwan’s electronics industry?
Once upon a time, Apple spent vast amounts of money helping OEM suppliers purchase manufacturing equipment. However, as Apple chief Tim Cook’s cost controls have become increasingly strict, the rules of the game have evolved with new developments. And a set of critical figures signifies that Apple has already initiated a brutal pricing war.
From eggs to cookies, from feed to vaccines, from livestock to schnitzel - the business of Taiwan’s DaChan Great Wall Business Group spans the entire supply chain from producing livestock to processing foods and bringing them to restaurants and dinner tables. What started out as a small processor of soybean oils in Tainan 64 years ago has grown into a food conglomerate with more than 100 subsidiaries in Taiwan, China and Southeast Asia. What is the secret behind their success?
Hong Kong-based British-owned supermarket chain Wellcome was the first to enter Taiwan in 1987, taking first-mover advantage to seize prime store locations. But in recent years, as the market gets crowded, its business continued to go downhill. Today, Wellcome’s revenue per store is less than half of what Pxmart, Taiwan’s homegrown supermarket chain, makes. Why has it fared so badly in Taiwan?
Within half a century, Uni-President Enterprises Corporation, which started out as a humble flour factory in the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan, grew into the world’s 12th largest food conglomerate. Many of its subsidiaries are the largest companies in their respective sectors in Taiwan, if not in Asia. The conglomerate’s business covers entire supply chains in a wide range of industries. How did Uni-President brands come to dominate the lives of Taiwanese consumers, beating transnational food giants such as the U.S.-based Kellogg Co. and Japan’s Meiji Holdings Co. Ltd.?
The Far Eastern Group is Taiwan’s most diversified conglomerate, with 10 major business divisions and over 200 companies all under the direction of Chairman Douglas Hsu. While the last 20 years has seen many others rise and fall, Far Eastern has continued to grow, guided by CEO Hsu’s management approach of “stability.”
The most eye-catching category in this year’s Top 50 Performers survey is none other than “IC Design”. Beset on both sides by the trade war and the COVID-19 pandemic, how was this bunch of IC Design companies able to beat the odds and continue to shine throughout the year?
CommonWealth Magazine has released its first survey of Taiwan’s biggest business groups since 2000. The changing face of the Top 50 rankings over the past two decades mirrors Taiwan’s rapidly evolving economic landscape, with some man-made disasters thrown in.
A smartphone and a bunch of dedicated farmers and farm workers in Taitung is all it took to set up domestic sales channels for tons of custard apples originally destined for export to China. This is the story of how such a feat was accomplished in just 30 days after export markets broke down due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In the past, a restaurant meant a place for people to eat and drink. However, as the coronavirus pandemic hit hard on the restaurant sector, Res Lee, executive director of the Shin Yeh Restaurant Group, and Richie Lin, executive chef of Mume, started to redefine restaurant’s core values.
AOpen (建碁), a subsidiary of the Taiwanese computer giant Acer Group, has been operating at a loss, recently bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic on both demand and supply sides. With its market visibility plummeting by 60%, the crisis it faced changed from supply shortage to a mass cancellation of orders overnight. The president of AOpen responded quickly. In two weeks, the company rolled out two new products to help battle the virus: temperature scanning and video conferencing solutions.
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread around the globe, its economic, industrial and social impacts are becoming more apparent. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) warns that the global economy could see the slowest growth since the end of the financial crisis of 2009. In many countries, work has come to a standstill, and consumers hole up at home for fear of contracting the novel coronavirus. The retail, food and beverage and travel industries are hard hit, and employees across all sectors are being laid off or put on unpaid leave. How can Taiwan cope with this next economic test and the looming jobless wave?
While many point-of-sale software providers target large food & beverage chains, iCHEF, an iPad-based restaurant management tool startup from Taiwan, is thriving thanks to its focus on small individual restaurants.
According to surveys, the sales job with the second-best potential in 2019 is “customer success manager”. Taiwan’s hottest AI startup Appier assembled a customer success team on the very day the company was founded. How do they achieve win-win solutions for both their company and their customers?
How do you turn a state-owned brewer into a marketing powerhouse? Ask Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation (TTL) Chairman Hsu An-hsuan, who looks back on a career of more than three decades with the national brewer.
Deciding which products to manufacture used to be a make-or-break skill for businesses. Now though, big data is making it much easier for companies to give customers what they want.
W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne, co-authors of the worldwide best-selling business book Blue Ocean and two of the world’s top management gurus, tell Taiwan: Yes, you can!
No need to hide your tears at the cinema. And maybe you should even feel proud of those tears. Because crying at the movies shows your humanity, highlights your empathy, and is the sign of someone with a strong EQ - or even someone fit for leadership.
"It's been estimated that 57% of all jobs are at risk of being automated within the next 5 years." Here are 7 key disruptions that most likely will change the way people work in the future.
The shift in recruitment practices is taking place across a range of different sectors, with technology and accounting firms amongst those who have recently decided that a university degree is no longer a requirement.
Thanks to a Yung Ching Realty app that enables users to look for homes while exploring the property’s neighborhood and scenery in Google street view, users typically eliminate more than 80 percent of available homes that do not meet their needs or expectations and then, supported by the professional advice of experienced Yung Ching Realty agents, quickly settle on a matching property, smoothly completing the transaction.
Gender inequality is closely linked to income inequality, which in turn can weaken the sustainability of growth in a country. According to the latest report by International Monetary Fund (IMF), more needs to be done on closing gender wage gaps in both developing and advanced countries.
When a New Zealand employer trialled a four-day week, the result was an 'unmitigated success'. Can reduction of working hours really improve productivity?
The succession issue has troubled many Taiwanese firms, but E.Sun Financial Holdings handled it smoothly 10 years ago. Ten years later, the company’s chairman and president divulge for the first time the back story behind why it went so well.
We are used to the erosion of low paid jobs.Yet new forms of technology and automation are also making more highly qualified professionals obsolete. What are the “mega-trends” in our evolving job market?
After a crucial board meeting on April 18, Asustek Computer Inc. (ASUS) Chairman Jonney Shih announced that he would stay at the helm of the computer manufacturer while Jonathan Tsang, Asus’ largest shareholder, would stay on as president. Shih’s announcement put an end to the persistent rumor that he would retire in June. How will Asus steer through this transition?
In Davos, Alibaba founder and Executive Chairman Jack Ma spoke openly and at length about some of the key challenges facing the world, delivering a stream of perspectives and guidance.
In the last hundred years, technologies and related paradigms have kept shifting. However, decision-making structures in big organizations have changed little since the first industrial revolution. How can technology be used to optimize management?
Instead of resting on his laurels and enjoying retirement life, biotech industry veteran Patrick Y. Yang has returned to the frontline to help Taiwan catch up with the world leaders in precision medicine.
Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba, is ranked second on Fortune’s list of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders. Here he shares his insight on management and also points out a crucial mistake that startups should be avoiding.
People often regard leaders as the smartest or most intelligent, however, researchers recently found that highly intelligent leaders have struggled to adopt the best leadership practices.
What can we learn from the Hidden Champions? What potential danger is threatening Taiwan in the global competition? See how professor Hermann Simon, elected as the most influential management thinker after Peter Drucker, reveals the secrets of the Hidden Champions in 2017 Gurus Forum in Taiwan.
Named Wired magazine’s most innovative company for 2017, Amazon.com operates according to principles many people find shocking, such as forbidding Powerpoint presentations and requiring employees to write six-page reports. The precise management approach keeps this e-commerce icon efficient and employees confident.
The Taiwan Lettuce Village’s modern practices are redefining how to grow, harvest and store fresh produce. After conquering Taiwan, the company’s iceberg lettuce is now making waves on the global stage.
Recognized as one of Taiwan’s leading practitioners of Industry 4.0, TSMC has been able to maintain its pricing power in an age of plummeting component prices. What has been its secret weapon in achieving that?
The stories of three multitalented people engaged in lifetime learning and leveling up their skills runs contrary to the conventional university education and on-the-job vocational training.
Each day our world is constantly changing and becomes more competitive. Good leaders brings their teams toward progress and success. However, what does it really mean to be a good leader? World-class author and motivational speaker Simon Sinek might have an answer.
Clayton Christensen, who is a professor of Harvard Business School and known for his famous theory of "disruptive innovation", came to give a speech in Taipei under the joint invitation from CommonWealth Magazine and NTHU.
Starting a business is easy, but continuing to make profits is really difficult. Many enterprise operators are afraid of innovations, because once the existing business model is altered, it will be hard to expect profits. Then, what is the key and strategy for companies to innovate successfully?
Pursuing a “boutique” educational esthetic, the CTCB Financial Management College’s assurance of employment after graduation has helped yield impressive recruitment numbers.
Internet technology has facilitated the rise of social media “tribes” that promote their own ideas or interests through highly insulated “echo chambers.” How can marketers penetrate these social media groups to turn “fans” into customers?
New technologies, increasing connectivity and industry convergence are rewriting the way companies do business. How do Taiwanese industry bellwethers such as TSMC, Hon Hai and President Chain Store innovate to remain relevant for decades to come?
TSMC Chairman Morris Chang, one of Taiwan’s most respected business people, opens up in this interview with CommonWealth Magazine about the future of the high-tech and semiconductor sectors and the state of labor-management relations in Taiwan.
Hon Hai Precision Industry, the world’s biggest contract electronics manufacturer, is close to acquiring Sharp of Japan. What is behind Hon Hai’s willingness to risk it all financially to take over the venerated but money-losing Japanese electronics giant?
Following a lackluster business year, Taiwan's CEOs are not only pessimistic about the economy and the investment climate next year, but also issued a vote of no confidence in the leadership potential of Taiwan’s three presidential candidates.
Venture capitalist Kai-fu Lee believes the new wave of startups by young entrepreneurs will disrupt established business models, and he argues in this interview that the power of youth should be feared and respected.
Taiwan's CEOs are optimistic about the economy next year, but widespread concern exists over stalled momentum in trade ties with China and Taiwan's inability to join regional trade blocs.
The world's number one name in switching power supplies has enabled Delta Electronics to yield stable profits. Yet the company has another ace in the hole: industrial automation.
While rival Acer was busy acquiring companies abroad to boost market share, Asustek Computer Inc. was slimming down. It pared down its 11 business groups to just three, helping it become one of the world's top five computer brands.
When it comes to "destruction" Hon Hai has no match. The company attacked the supply chain with low prices and forced the world's top brands to cry uncle and place orders. It is now up to CEO Terry Gou to guide Hon Hai to its next breakthrough.
CommonWealth Magazine's "Most Admired Company Survey" has seen the reputations of companies and sectors rise and fall over its 20-year run, making those whose brands have endured all the more admirable.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has used an ideal blend of technology, strategy, management and corporate governance to be a global player in the semiconductor market. Chairman Morris Chang explains how this was done.
How competitive are Taiwanese professionals on the international stage? CommonWealth Magazine's latest survey discovered three key factors determining the direction of Taiwanese talent: a stage to perform on, salaries, and ambition.
Like every other employee in the world, you're looking for a higher salary. These four habits can enhance your value, and make your boss happy to give you a raise.
After three straight years of losses, Acer recently decided to reshuffle its management. Founder Stan Shih has been called to the rescue, but can he really save the floundering company?
In 2013 new champions emerged in more industries than ever before. With ambition, courage, tenacity and innovation, Taiwan's new standard bearers deftly navigated rocky economic waters to sail ahead of the pack.
BASF Taiwan Ltd. earned honors as one of Taiwan's leading corporate citizens this year with the help of a corporate social responsibility approach that gives ordinary workers a real voice.
The annual awards for corporate social responsibility identify companies with the traits that sustain competitiveness. This year's poll found that the frontrunners not only value "profit," but also "people" and the "planet."
Rising fuel costs and declining freight prices have battered global shipping companies, but Taiwan's Wan Hai Lines and its chairman Chen Po-ting seem to be taking the rough sailing in stride.
In this exclusive interview, the venerable leader of Taiwan's semiconductor industry ponders his current battle for market share, and the passion that's needed for victory.
While semiconductor legend Morris Chang remains far and away Taiwan's most admired businessman, restaurant mogul Steve Day has soared to 3rd place, clearly revealing the service industry's new clout in tech-heavy Taiwan.
Gone are the days when the biggest problem of middle age was high blood pressure. In a globalized world of risk and turmoil, midlife presents an increasing array of troubles and strains. What can be done to weather the perilous middle years?
Export-oriented Taiwan is hoping to keep 2012 GDP growth above 4 percent, but with major economies around the world stagnant, domestic demand will be the key.
While mostly pessimistic about the coming year, Taiwan's top executives strongly back President Ma Ying-jeou's policies on China and the economy. Yet a divergence of viewpoints exists between CEOs and the general public.
Restaurateur Steve Day moves into the top ten for the first time. The list of most admired entrepreneurs is dominated by CEOs of Taiwanese brands, clearly demonstrating the ascent of Taiwan's branded businesses.
With their small scale and limited resources, isn't it too much to ask SMEs to go full bore on corporate social responsibility? Planet Technology and Merry Electronics are proof positive that SMEs can make a difference.
Riding an unexpectedly strong 2010, 88 percent of Taiwan's top execs are highly optimistic over the coming year's economic prospects. But three sources of uncertainty could mean trouble.
President Chain Store Corp. recently opened its second shopping mall in Taiwan. Why is it so determined to enter the department store fray when its 7-Eleven convenience store business is so successful?
Enjoying success with its TV and Internet shopping ventures, the financial group Fubon has gone brick-and-mortar, with its Momo Department Store. Is Fubon creating a consumer paradise, or just aiming too high?
Tadashi Yanai is pushing Uniqlo to conquer the world. As Japan's No. 1 fashion brand invades Taiwan, CommonWealth Magazine travels to Tokyo for an exclusive interview, to uncover the Uniqlo effect.
Adopting public parks, conducting ecological surveys, revitalizing historical sites, caring for the elderly – one company plays a leading role in safeguarding Tainan's heritage. What are its motivations?
In CommonWealth Magazine's annual survey of Taiwan's top corporate citizens, Delta Electronics edged TSMC by the slimmest of margins for the top spot, an indication of just how fierce a battleground corporate social responsibility has become.
With record net after-tax profits last year, Delta Electronics is living proof that public service and concern for the environment are not antithetical to running a profitable business.
Whether bringing science education to 34 elementary schools with a mobile science van, or helping reconstruct classrooms in the wake of Typhoon Morakot, Bayer Taiwan combines know-how and passion for a different kind of public service.
With its unique Knowledge Management framework, the engineering firm CTCI provides its personnel with an arsenal of expert advice. What is the secret of this low-profile but high-power knowledge base?
The number of start-up enterprises in Taiwan has plummeted by more than half over the past 20 years, but in its latest survey CommonWealth Magazine discovered three keys that can still deliver success.
The global market share of South Korea's biggest companies is on the rise. How have these chaebols managed to stay both big and flexible, and why are they so competitive?
From Seoul's trendy Myeongdong shopping district to the vanity tables of Europe and America, the brands of South Korean cosmetics giant Amore Pacific are increasingly at home, as beauty becomes the latest Korean craze to sweep the globe.
2010 may be a year of economic recovery, but it will also pose many challenges to Taiwan's businesses. How do the country's top corporate leaders see the year ahead?
Feeling the squeeze from microblogs and web-based communities, Yahoo is fighting back – with open arms, and a centralized strategy that puts Yahoo Taiwan on the global stage. But will it work?
CommonWealth Magazine's list of Taiwan's 10 "Most Admired Entrepreneurs" has seen its biggest upheaval in 15 years after the country's legendary “god of management” passed away.
IBM's human capital management program systematically sifts its talent pool, shores up the skills that leadership candidates lack, and prepares a comprehensive succession plan. What lessons can Taiwan's companies learn?
Acer Inc. stands out among Taiwanese companies not just for its world-class standing in the computer industry, but also for its stable, successful leadership transition. Retired Acer founder Stan Shih shares his experience.
In this exclusive interview, Tung Ho president Earle Ho and his son Henry discuss the challenges of leadership succession, and the pluses and minuses of an owner serving as CEO.
Taiwan's 30 largest corporations represent a market value of NT$13 trillion. Yet 40 percent of them have not planned ahead for a smooth corporate succession. Should their millions of shareholders and employees be worried?
Dissatisfied customers who don't complain on the spot pose the greatest hidden threat to retailers. But dealing with them isn't easy, because, as a recent CommonWealth Magazine survey shows, no two are exactly alike.
Keeping an eagle eye on every detail has made Everlight Electronic the profitability leader among LED packagers. With its "tough love" leadership, what will Everlight's next step be along the road to "green lighting"?
With the global economic slump, the often upbeat expectations of Taiwan's top execs have toned down considerably. While they believe increased economic ties with China will help their companies, they also are aware of the potential pitfalls.
More than just models walking down a runway, the cross-disciplinary fashion shows of Taiwanese creative director Timm Wu are unique artistic performances.
Former IBM general manager Sophia Tong is one of a new wave of executives taking on new challenges. How will she transfer her IBM experience to a new industry and what impact can she have?
With an organizational style where everyone is a jack-of-all-trades, Taipei Inn Group vice general manager David Wei has conjured an occupancy-rate miracle.
The question burning in the back of Delta Electronics chairman Dr. Bruce Cheng's mind for decades: How to address energy, environmental and climate problems while preserving business development? Delta now believes it has found the answer.
In this exclusive interview, FPG's deputy CEO discusses the philosophy behind her group's public welfare activities, and the loss of its legendary leader.
When Johnson & Johnson Taiwan offered to help the Peng Wan-ru Foundation, it provided the nonprofit organization sorely needed management skills, and empowered women to help themselves.
The age of the "intellectual newspaper" is over, as the rag trade now keeps its eyes firmly fixed on the bottom line. How can the United Daily News Group enhance its intrinsic value and pump up profitability?
Just as his flagship Apple Daily has begun to lose money, Hong Kong media baron Jimmy Lai has boldly entered Taiwan's highly competitive cable-TV business, hiring PR veteran King Pu-tsung. What does Lai have up his sleeve?
A month after Want Want Holdings chairman Tsai Eng-meng bought the financially troubled China Times Group, he reported the completion of the deal to a top Chinese official. What is this new media mogul up to?
At AUO rotating senior managers through different positions stimulates their learning abilities, helps them overcome personal limitations, and challenges them to think outside the box.
Standard Chartered Bank's rigorous, custom-made International Graduate program gives an elite corps of its young professionals substantive abilities beyond their years.
Once a humble salesperson, Jessie Hung is now the vice general manager in charge of grooming a growing talent pool that has made A.S.O Taiwan's leading shoe retail chain.
The fates of companies facing a turbulent global economy in 2009 and beyond will be determined by the quality of their people. That is why the power to groom talent is now one of the top priorities of Taiwan's executives.
The recession has most companies scaling back their advertising budgets, but Nike is investing big in a different marketing approach: cultivating loyalty at the grassroots level.
Mio Technology's GPS devices have maintained a firm hold on the hearts and minds of Taiwan's consumers with innovative services and a unique interactive Web site.
With a mystique of down-to-earth, old-fashioned flavor, Meet Fresh successfully attracts and retains customers by highlighting the handmade character of its products and spreading the heartwarming legend of its founders.
An economic slump does not have to be bad news. In these turbulent times Taiwanese electronics giant Hon Hai is preparing to go through a crucial restructuring. But will it help Hon Hai to widen its lead over its competitors?
The global financial crisis is wreaking economic havoc, leaving no industry or company unscathed. But some enterprises are capitalizing on the downturn to plot their recovery and put some distance between themselves and their competitors.
The ranks of Taiwan's top ten most respected business leaders are filled with familiar faces this year – legends of industry sharing certain qualities that have led to great success.
In Japan, Taiwan, and around the world, in the workplace, businesses and political circles, people are desperately seeking the social awareness skills that often mean the difference between success and failure.
In the ever-changing Internet industry, success comes with being able to detect the latest trends, and as Yahoo Taiwan's general manager Charlene Hung has discovered, an interest in observing people and their surroundings.
With the world economy sluggish, many companies are streamlining their workforces. But a shortage of high-level executives has enterprises scrambling to find their future leaders.
With no time for training top talent gradually, IBM Taiwan has initiated a "T-Leadership Course" to quickly make up for a shortfall in junior executives and actively cultivate a high-powered successor team.
Nestled in the forests of northern Taiwan is BenQ's most important training base, where it cultivates the top managers who may one day fill the shoes of superboss K.Y. Lee.
With a keen nose for ill tidings, Taiwan's SMEs have already gone into crisis mode in response to global economic doldrums. Four companies are readying their battle plans, preparing to wage a long-term war of resistance against rising costs.
Having been through several close calls and critical conditions, legacy company IBM has spent a lot of time, effort and resources redefining its business values. That's perhaps why it can accurately grasp hold of visionary trend and innovative ideas.
The 97-year-old IBM is trying to look beyond its glorious history: as IBM stepped out from the personal computer business and reallocates resources to services business, the Big Blue is now venturing into the growth markets with its sophisticated approaches and unconventional talent training.
At a time when expectations for Taiwan's housing market are sky high, Fubon Land is sitting on the sidelines, remaining faithful to a strategy that has delivered results.
The pessimistic pall hovering over Taiwan in recent years seems to be lifting, at least in the minds of the country's CEOs. What do they expect from the new administration to justify their renewed confidence?
One up-and-coming SME has invested NT$50 million to found Taiwan's first educational trust, in the hope of helping students lagging in their studies to get back on track.
Armed with just a middle school education, Lee Chuan-tian applies business management models and automated cultivation to provide livelihoods for more than 200.
With the latest inventory efficiency system and an illiterate management approach, Tenha Organic Farm is giving new hope to out-of-work elderly farmers.
In rural Neimen Township, one cooperative is soaring on exports of flaming red flamingo lilies, and offering alternative employment to an erstwhile hog heaven
Although Taiwan's most influential entrepreneur Wang Yung-ching has passed away, he left behind a thriving petrochemical empire that will long outlive him. CommonWealth Magazine looks at his group's winning strategies.
Since the completion of Naphtha Cracker No. 6, FCFC's petrochemical business has skyrocketed, with operating revenue this year ten times the figure for 1991. Who is behind this astounding metamorphosis?
In Taiwan, fast food restaurants, convenience stores, and even furniture giant IKEA are inventing new ways to seize on the appeal of breakfast. What’s on the plate for this ever-popular meal?
Whether it's hitting the beach, climbing a peak, taking in the glitz of the big city, or exploring the countryside, Taiwan is gearing up for a greater influx of visitors.
With 176 vessels plying the world’s oceans, Evergreen is a truly global Taiwanese conglomerate. The green-friendly vision of Chairman Y.F. Chang has helped it claim a popular niche in a cutthroat field.
How did I-Stone grow from a small family workshop in Keelung County, Taiwan to a 1,100-store franchise in China, beating out Swarovski as the favorite of brand of Chinese youth?
Under K.C. Shih’s leadership, IC design foundry Global Unichip has always been a step ahead of the industry. Now, with the partnership of powerhouse TSMC, his prowess is coming to the fore.
Even after the helmsman of TSMC’s R&D retired, he stayed on as chairman of the new acquisitions VisEra and Xintec. To this day, TSMC chairman Morris Chang relies heavily on Shang-yi Chiang.
Tsai Ming-kai, chairman of the IC design juggernaut MediaTek, talks about Taiwan’s global position, the power of proximity, and the importance of perpetual development.
Bouncing back from a three-year slump, Realtek, famed for its red crab logo, has focused its vision and quickened its pace. Now its claws are snapping at the heels of the major international companies.
Behind the runaway success of Nintendo’s Wii stands a mid-sized Taiwanese IC design house. How did PixArt manage to become the sole supplier of sensor chips to the Japanese gaming giant?
Worldwide, one in five display driver chips comes from Novatek, though it produces no displays itself. How did the fabless IC design house become the favorite of the world’s major flat panel makers?
With more than 100 cooperative projects underway, Delta Electronics thrives on its wide-ranging “open R&D,” the outgrowth of a passion for both technology and knowledge…
Twenty years ago TSMC broke the seal on the insular, monopoly-dominated semiconductor nexus. Now it is working on a system of total-process cooperation, to make sure its clients get it right the first time.
The rules of the game are being rewritten. From international giants to SMEs, companies are tearing down R&D barriers, and ushering in a new era of openness.
Taiwan?s auto market is adrift in the doldrums. Yet one brand, Toyota, is claiming nearly a third of new car sales. How has its Taiwan representative, Hotai, managed to buck the trend and rise to top?
After eight years of fruitless endeavor, ScinoPharm Taiwan is turning a profit. But for CEO Jo Shen, these rewards are no fluke, but the result of meticulous planning.
A Taiwanese high tech pioneer discusses the new rules requiring companies to declare employee stock bonuses as an operating expense, and the challenges this presents for industry.
What kind of employer can get employees to love their jobs? Four companies have won the Happy Workers Awards for winning the hearts and minds of their workers.
What kind of employer can get employees to love their jobs? Four companies have won the Happy Workers Awards for winning the hearts and minds of their workers.
Taiwan's climbing commodity prices have left the frozen snacks market in doldrums across the board. Yet DuRoyal has bucked the trend, recording 20 percent sales growth. What is its secret formula?
In Taiwan's intensely competitive health product market, positioning is crucial. Two international brands are employing antithetical strategies 'one budget-priced, the other high-end' in bids to capture the island.
Fighting to become one of the world's top brands, Asustek has deployed its managers around the world in search of new opportunities. What are their rules of engagement, and how are they able to expand Asustek's presence in new markets?
Stinging from the deaths of his brother and father, Leslie Koo took the helm of his family?s empire, launching dramatic reform measures and an all-out assault on China. His efforts are paying off.
These two Taiwanese SMEs have been thriving for over 35 years. What have they done to break through the growth barrier and become world-class enterprises?
After a century, the Li & Fung Group shows no sign of age. The group's unique global supply-chain management model brings together 8,300 suppliers globally in a world-class business empire.
One Taiwanese enterprise is beating out Chinese, Japanese and Western firms in bids for major public projects, in the process becoming the biggest supplier of steel and copper wire in China.
In 2006, Taiwan’s service sector suffered negative revenue growth for the first time in five years. Yet a market shift has begun to favor those enterprises with global reach.
Over three-quarters of Taiwan's top 1,000 enterprises are planning to hire first-time job seekers this year. Which industries offer the highest salaries? And what qualities are they hoping to encounter in fresh recruits?
Taiwan's top CEOs were dissatisfied with Taiwan's economic performance in 2006, as they continued to shift their focus overseas. What role do they foresee for Taiwan?
While revenues rise, profits are flagging. Yet some companies are transforming themselves, with strategies that transcend the high-volume, low-margin modus operandi of conventional Taiwanese industry.
What type of Taiwanese person can survive in a local Chinese company? Two businessmen share their views on the life-altering decision to work in China.
As a core auto electronics component, rectifier diodes must be high quality. As Taiwan’s only manufacturer, how has Actron weathered strict scrutiny to become number three in the world?
The unassuming quartz crystal is in fact the pulse of the digital products market. How did two brothers from a Taiwanese farming family break the Japanese monopoly to make TXC sixth in the world?