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Designing Happy Organisations with Data Professor Kim Cheol-young, School of Business Administration
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Sustainable Management Through People Analytics Professor Kim Cheol-young, who teaches and conducts research concurrently at Kookmin University's College of Business Administration and Graduate School of Business Administration in the Leadership and Coaching MBA program, focuses on ‘organizational member happiness’ as a core research topic in management studies at the People Analytics Research Lab. He focuses on the virtuous cycle where employee happiness leads to the creation of social value for the company, which in turn feeds back into corporate performance. His research empirically demonstrates this cycle through data and analysis. The People Analytics research led by Professor Kim enables decision-making based on quantitative evidence, moving beyond traditional HR management methods that relied on intuition or experience about people. The core of the research involves interpreting diverse questions encountered in organizational settings—such as when and why resignations occur, or how relationships within an organization evolve—within the framework of human resource management and organizational theory, and then validating these insights through data analysis and AI technology.
Business Administration Studying ‘Happiness’ Professor Kim does not deny that a company's purpose is to generate profits. However, he argues that if the happiness of organizational members is continuously compromised in the process, the relationship between the company and the individual cannot be sustained long-term. Performance built on unilateral sacrifice ultimately weakens creativity and spontaneity, which in turn leads to a decline in corporate competitiveness. With this awareness of the problem, recent management studies are shifting towards viewing the relationship with organizational members as a ‘long-term exchange relationship of growth and happiness’. Professor Kim explains that the structure modern companies should aim for is one where organizational performance grows alongside members who proactively improve their work methods and routines, and tangibly experience growth through innovation.
Quantifying ESG and Social Value The virtuous cycle of happiness and performance formed within an organization can also extend to the relationship between the company and society. Professor Kim states that all companies exist within a social network, forming an ecosystem alongside diverse stakeholders. Job creation, environmental interaction, policy contributions, and all production and consumption activities constitute the realm of social value creation. When a company revitalizes its social sphere by creating social value, the results flow back as corporate profit. From this perspective, investments in ESG or CSR can be interpreted not as mere costs but as strategic investments for the future.
People Analytics in the AI Era Professor Kim emphasizes that the distinguishing feature of People Analytics is ‘accessibility’. Quantitative analysis, once the domain of a few specialists, has become the responsibility of all people managers thanks to advances in AI technology. In an era where it's difficult to justify HR policies without quantitative evidence, People Analytics empowers practitioners to make data-driven decisions easily. A prime example is predicting resignation probability and timing using machine learning. By monitoring resignation likelihood based on real-time HR data and intervening proactively when it exceeds a certain threshold, positive outcomes can be achieved for both the organization and the individual. It also enables personalized training recommendations tailored to an individual's career and job characteristics, as well as suggestions for collaboration partners.
Conditions for a Sustainable and Happy Organization Professor Kim states that a sustainable organization is not one that relies on government support or external funding to ‘purpose-drivenly’ create social value, but rather an organization that naturally generates social value through the very process of operating its business model. He emphasizes that an organization can only become truly happy when its members perceive that value as their own growth and fulfillment.
A Lab Growing with Students Professor Kim cites “people” as the People Analytics Lab's greatest strength. Interaction with students possessing high potential and positive attitudes and Graduate School of Business Administration students with rich practical experience adds realism to the research. Vivid problem awareness emerging from the field creates a virtuous cycle, feeding back into research topics and students' portfolios.
For Students Navigating the Data and AI Era Professor Kim identifies ‘the ability to ask the right questions and interpret data’ as the most crucial competency for today's business students. More important than complex formulas or coding is the perspective to understand problems the market needs solved and utilize AI as a tool to find answers. He asserts this competency will remain a valid competitive edge across all fields, beyond business.
A Humble Researcher and the Next Challenge “True knowledge is knowing what you know and admitting what you don't know.” Professor Kim states he embraces this phrase as his research philosophy, striving not to overestimate himself. He also revealed plans to explore organizational well-being and people analytics anew from the perspective of ‘Employee Experience’. Professor Kim's research is advancing toward a better future for organizations and society, through steadiness rather than flashiness.
Professor Kim Cheol-young's Research Lab Introduction Page Kookmin University School of Business Administration Homepage
Designing Happy Organisations with Data, Professor Kim Cheol-young, School of Business Administration People Analytics Lab Researching the virtuous cycle process of spreading organisational members' happiness into corporate social value creation, In this video |
