20 | INNOVISION MAGAZ INE FACULTY SPOTLIGHT DR. SAEHWA HONG Dr. Saehwa Hong is a professor at Kutztown University and is in his fourth year of teaching. His undergraduate degree is in general management. When he went to get his master’s degree, he specifically chose to study International Management. This focuses on the international aspects of business. Dr. Hong received his PhD from SUNY Buffalo. He spent six years getting a PhD. He stated, “It takes a long time to get one! I came up with the idea for my dissertation alone, and then developed it by talking with my advisor.” During his PhD program, he conducted research on how firms could become multinational firms and gain a competitive advantage. His research has been related to innovating the field of Strategic Management. There are two elements: Explored and Exploited. Exploration is the creation of a totally new product. Exploitation has to do with efficiency and how to reduce the production cost of said product. The innovation and Dr. Hong’s theory is that the firm should take both steps at the same time. Currently, exploration and exploitation are currently being done separately. It’s a difficult issue to handle because it is usually a trade off between the two. Before the product is created, the company should allocate time and funds to prepare the Operations and Management Department and the Research and Development (R&D) Department to run at the same time. This is the first step in achieving a new tactic. There are some industries that would benefit most from this new approach to Strategic Management. One of the factors that comes into consideration is the entry barrier for each industry. For example, there are industries, like the automotive industry, that are dominated by big names that don’t leave room for venture firms to get funding for new projects. The fields that will benefit most are the more fluid industries, like gaming or art. While he loves his research, Dr. Hong also loves teaching. Sharing his love for business with his students makes teaching not only his job, but also his hobby. His advisors throughout his various degree programs were vital for obtaining focus and inspiration. Dr. Hong likes to be the sounding board for his students the way his advisors were for him. But the content can be difficult, so to help them understand, he uses one of his favorite pastimes. When Dr. Hong isn’t working, he loves watching baseball. Cheering on the Red Sox is one way that Dr. Hong likes to de-stress. He knows that “not a lot of people here like them, but I’m a big fan." Watching baseball isn’t just a hobby for Dr. Hong, it’s also a teaching tool in his classroom. For students to understand the course material, he puts it into context of a baseball team being run like a business. The players represent employees, and the coaches represent the managers. At the end of his fourth year in the College of Business, Dr. Hong is grateful to have the opportunity to teach and conduct research at Kutztown University. He looks forward to next semester and teaching future entrepreneurs.
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