...Competitive Advantage Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance Author: Michael E. Porter Michael E. Porter's Competitive Advantage explores the underpinnings of competitive advantage in the individual firm. Porter's groundbreaking concept of the value chain disaggregates a company into "activities," or the discrete functions or processes that represent the elemental building blocks of competitive advantage. Giving readers a comprehensive understanding of business strategy and how to create a sustainable competitive advantage for their organization, Porter explores how a firm can put the generic strategies of cost leadership, differentiation and focus into practice. This essay will explore Competitive Advantage and the underlining theory that to compete in any industry, companies must perform a wide array of discrete activities that are narrower than traditional functions. It will analyze the real core of the book which is to determine whether companies profit from creating value for customers, or whether that value is competed away. INTRODUCTION “Competitive Advantage is at the heart of a firm’s performance in competitive markets. After several decades of vigorous expansion and prosperity, however, many firms lost sight of competitive advantage in their scramble for growth and pursuit of diversification. Today the importance of competitive advantage could hardly be greater. Firms throughout the world face slower growth as well as domestic and...
Words: 3639 - Pages: 15
...4/9/13 Porter’s Five Forces Model | TNMG: The Next Marketing Guru Porter’s Five Forces Model is one of the most popular frameworks in management. This framework is widely used across management disciplines specially so in case of Strategy and Marketing. . This is one model that has brought strategic management in the heart of management agenda. Porter’s Five Forces Model helps analyze competitive scenario in an industry. This framework helps determine industry profitability and can be used as one of the inputs while deciding to enter an industry. This famous framework was contributed by Michael E. Porter. The basic framework is as shown in the diagram below. So, the five forces that determine the industry profitability as per this framework are: Threat of New Entry, Buyer Power, Supplier Power, Threat of Substitution and Competitive Rivalry. There are various parameters which can be used to determine the nature of these forces. Each of the force is classified as low, medium or high depending on the nature of those parameters. The parameters used to measure nature of the forces are described in below diagram. tnmg4u.com/porter’s-five-forces-model-2/ 1/2 4/9/13 Porter’s Five Forces Model | TNMG: The Next Marketing Guru Ideal scenario to enter an industry is: Entry Barrier=High, Buyer Power=Low, Supplier Power=Low, Threat of Substitution=Low and Competitive Rivalry=Low to medium. Current players try to build high entry barriers to prohibit new comers from...
Words: 315 - Pages: 2
...Michael Porter’s theory on National Competitive Advantage, is the best theory to utilize when an internationalising firm wants to select one country over another for new entry The globalization has become a ubiquitous and potent symbol of the age since the early 1980s. The term globalization was used to describe strengthening interactions of people from various countries, which resulted from the emergency of numerous new technologies (Daniel, Radenbaugh & Sullivan, 2002). As the popularization of globalization, more firms prefer to enter the emerging markets, like China, to search for the higher return. However, resulted from the studies segment, there is not an exact theory or study can be regarded as guidelines for these internationalizing firms. Overall, Michael Porter’s theory on national completive advantage is a better theory to be adopted by the international firms which want to select a better country for new entry. The dominance of Porter’s theory are its comprehensiveness, the dynamic Diamond theoretical system and analysis form both inductive and deductive sides. Meanwhile, it is at a disadvantage in its assumption. Thus, this essay will explore both sides of Porter’s theory. Porter's model includes four key elements. The Diamond model is depicted as figure 1, where the four forces jointly constitute a firm's global competitiveness in a given industry ( Porter,1990) Source: Porter (1990) The Competitive Advantage of Nations. The first element...
Words: 1512 - Pages: 7
...ANALYSIS OF MICHAEL PORTER’S GENERIC STRATEGIES AND ITS USAGE IN A GLOBALIZED BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT THESIS - BACHELOR HONOURS IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DIANA MARIA CAMACHO ARIAS TYPE OF DOCUMENT: DISERTATION TO OBTAIN THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR HONOURS IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION APPROVED BY UNIVERSIDAD DEL ROSARIO – FACULTAD DE ADMINISTRACION INSTITUTION: ÉCOLE INTERNATIONALE DE MONTPELLIER FRANCE, MONTPELLIER, MAY OF 2009 ANALYSIS OF MICHAEL PORTER’S GENERIC STRATEGIES AND ITS USAGE IN A GLOBALIZED BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT THESIS - BACHELOR HONOURS IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DIANA MARIA CAMACHO ARIAS TYPE OF DOCUMENT: DISERTATION TO OBTAIN THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR HONOURS IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION APPROVED BY UNIVERSIDAD DEL ROSARIO – FACULTAD DE ADMINISTRACION TUTOR: TIDIANE AW INSTITUTION: ÉCOLE INTERNATIONALE DE MONTPELLIER FRANCE, MONTPELLIER, MAY OF 2009 DEDICATION I dedicate this dissertation to every person that has allowed it to be possible with the critics, to the teachers and tutors that have awaked in me the interest in this topic and also the passion for the businesses strategy, to my family that has always supported me to achieve my goals and to develop myself as a human being and also as a professional, and finally but not less important to Gabriel that has been a huge support to bring this dissertation to a satisafactory end. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been possible without the generous assistance of the following...
Words: 16979 - Pages: 68
...within a short space of time. Changes in customer tastes and preferences require robust systems and strategies to maintain current market share profitably and ensure growth. It is within this spectrum that Michael Porter has become a well-known contributor in the field of strategic management as he shades light on which elements to consider in coming up with a strategy for both domestic and international markets. A good strategy will result in the creation of a unique and valuable position, involving a different set of activities. Strategic position emerges from three distinct sources which are serving few needs of many customers, serving broad needs of few customers and serving broad needs of many customers in a narrow market. After positioning itself, an organisation must ensure that its strategic efforts results in creating “fit” among a company’s activities. Fit has to do with the ways a company’s activities interact and reinforce one another. In his endeavour to build strategic intent within organisations, Michael Porter is well known for the following contributions in the field of corporate strategy: 1. Generic Strategies 2. Value Chain 3. Competitive Advantage 4. Porter’s Diamond 5. Five Forces Model 1. Porter’s Generic Strategies Porter’s generic strategies is a frameworks used to outline the three major strategic options open to organizations that wish to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. Each of the three options need to be considered...
Words: 4555 - Pages: 19
...be said to be market and growth strategies. Porter’s Generic strategies can be used for this purpose. A well thought out market strategy can minimise risk and increase profits, which is of key importance especially for start up companies with little funding and resources. In order to grow, companies need to adopt strategic frameworks, which can if understood and used in the right way, help the company decide on their next step in the market place. I will first give a brief introduction to Porter’s Generic strategies theories and discuss advantages and disadvantages for using these framework in business development and commercialisation projects in this case Men’s clothing brand. Porter’s generic strategies. According to Michael Porters “Competitive strategy: Techniques for analysing industries and competitors” from 1980, one can use Porter’s generic strategies theories to find the optimum position for a company within an industry. Often, a determinant of a company’s profitability can be said to be the attractiveness of an industry in which it operates. This mean that companies that manage to place them self correctly can generate more profits than companies who have not thought about their optimal position. The framework is called generic because it is not industry dependent. A company should reflect on its strengths and weaknesses in order to find its competitive advantage, and this unique strength should be leveraged. Michael Porter argued that a company’s strength ultimately...
Words: 1693 - Pages: 7
...The Heckscher-Ohlin theory explains why countries trade goods and services with each other. One condition for trade between two countries is that the countries differ with respect to the availability of the factors of production. They differ if one country, for example, has many machines (capital) but few workers, while another country has a lot of workers but few machines. According to the Heckscher-Ohlin theory, a country specializes in the production of goods that it is particularly suited to produce. Countries in which capital is abundant and workers are few, therefore, specialize in production of goods that, in particular, require capital. Specialization in production and trade between countries generates, according to this theory, a higher standard-of-living for the countries involved. New notes The Heckscher Ohlin model Introduction The Heckscher Ohlin model Predicts that different factor endowments between countries is a key issue in the international trade flows but others such a WW Leontief, who in 1954 tried o test the theory empirically, found that this model failed to explain United States trading patterns. Read more: http://www.ukessays.co.uk/essays/economics/heckscher-ohlin-model.php#ixzz2DPfWNkhU The Heckscher Ohlin assumption The Heckscher Ohlin theory explains why countries trade good and services to each other. To apply this theory countries have to respect conditions; one of those is that the countries obviously differ with respect to the availability...
Words: 2387 - Pages: 10
...| Rivalry Among Existing Competitors………………………………………………. | 7 | The Threat of New Entrants………………………………………………………… | 8 | Cost Leadership Generic Strategy…………………………………………………… | 8 | Differential Generic Strategy………………………………………………………… | 9 | Focus Generic Theory……………………………………………………………….. | 9 | Ebusiness……………………………………………………………………………………. | 10 | Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………... | 11 | References…………………………………………………………………………………… | 12 | Abstract The purpose of this paper is to discuss business decisions and business strategies to gain competitive advantage based on Michael Porter’s Five Force Model and Porter’s Three Generic Strategies. The Five Force Model are buyer power, supplier power, threat of new entrants, threats of substitutes of products and services and rivalry among existing competitors. Further discussion includes determining which Porter’s Three Generic Strategies to use to rebuild a failing eatery located downtown called Broadway Café. The Three Generic Strategies are Cost Leadership Generic Strategy, Differential Generic Strategy and Focus Generic Strategy. I will also discuss how ebusiness can help the Broadway Café achieve a competitive advantage. Focus of ebusiness will be marketing, finance, accounting, sales, customer service and human resources....
Words: 2638 - Pages: 11
... First, the concepts of country-specific and firm-specific advantages are presented from the theories of international trade and the multinational firm. Firms must be aware of which advantages they can utilize in operationalizing their competitive advantages. The extent to which these advantages are transferable to other markets and not bound only to the markets in which a firm already operates will determine how successful that firm may be in new foreign markets. Then the Porter's Five Forces model is adapted as a systematic framework for analyzing the competitive environment in any market of the world. Finally, market-based and resource-based marketing strategies are compared. By skillful application of both perspectives, an organization may be well on its way to a profitable multinational presence. QUICK REFERENCE CHAPTER OUTLINE A. Introduction B. Country-Specific Advantages (CSAs) 1. Comparative Advantage & Absolute Advantage 2. International Product Cycle 3. National Competitive Advantages 4. The New Trade Theory 5. CSAs and Country-of-Origin Effects C. Firm-Specific Advantages (FSAs) 1. Knowledge-based FSAs 2. Marketing-Related FSAs 3. Transferability of FSAs 4. FSAs and Internalization 5. FSAs and Transaction Costs 6. FSAs in the Value Chain 7. FSAs, CSAs, and Regionalization D. Extending Porter’s “Five Forces” Model 1. Rivalry 2. New Entrants 3. Substitutes 4. Buyer...
Words: 4456 - Pages: 18
...developed in 1979 by Michael .F. Porter of the Harvard as structure for assessing and evaluating the competitive position and power of an organization, the model is grounded on the concept that there are five forces which ascertain the competitive intensity of the market (Porter, 2008). Figure 1.1 shows a diagram of the five forces model, (Flesicher, 2007) Porter’s five forces model is quite useful and it provides a number of benefits , its most contribution is that it's a relevant tool to help organizations find the fundamental structuring components of their given business operation. It is the map showing where the company is and where they hope or want to be (Flesicher, 2007).Further more Schmidt (p.82, 2010) adds that “The model help to identify where the power is in the present business situation, This is important both in understanding the might of a company’s current competitive situation and the power of a position that the company wants to move to.”By understanding where the intensity is, the model can be used to identify the areas of strength, to improve failings and prevent mistakes; also strategic analysts often use the theory to know if new products or services are potentially profitable (Roy, 2011). The five forces model is a tool for analysising the competitive environment as Henry (p.70, 2008) states that “It allows an organization to determine the attractiveness or profit potential of a given market by examining the interaction of the Porter’s five forces ...
Words: 1358 - Pages: 6
...mrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiop asdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjk lzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbn 11/11/2011 xxxxxxxxxx SIM336 i “How has Ryanair managed to become number one airline in Europe” Table of Contents 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... - 3 Company Background..................................................................................................... - 3 Competitive Advantage ................................................................................................... - 4 Porter’s five Forces ......................................................................................................... - 5 PESTEL Analysis ............................................................................................................ - 8 Porter’s generic strategies ............................................................................................ - 12 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... - 15 Bibliography .................................................................................................................. - 15 Appendices...
Words: 3540 - Pages: 15
...achieve its objectives. Strategic management as a professional field and discipline originated during the period of the half twentieth century, the 1950s with Igor Ansoff, Michael porter, Alfred Chandler and Henry Mintzeberg as the one of the main contributors in the development of the field of strategic management . During the 1950s, after the Second World War, academicians, researchers and practitioners basically paid very little attention to the practical concepts of strategy developed and embraced during the war. After normalcy and stability was achieved most business persons and investors started focusing and laying more emphasis on efficient and effective production in order to restore what was lost during the war. Consequently, production firms and organizations moved and shifted from an emphasis on operations, budgeting and controlling areas to more emphasis on planning aspects (Freeman, 2010). This arose as result of the dynamic environment that businesses were operating in and the urgent need for solutions which eventually demanded future planning taken at a larger perspective and view. This led to many businesses requiring the urgent need of having a corporate policy. With these, the seminar work of Chandler of 1962 placed and positioned the concept of strategy as a unique business function from marketing, sales, finance and production. In this case strategy was defined to comprise and involve planning on the long term goals of an organization (Freeman, 2010). It can be...
Words: 5665 - Pages: 23
...MGT 106 (Credit hours 3) International Business BBA, Third Year, Sixth Semester Course Objective The course aims to help the students in understanding the basics of international business and its environment, and develop the analytical skills required to compete effectively in this environment. 1. Overview of Global Business 4 hours Meaning of international business and globalization, drivers of globalization, overview of changing global picture: declining trade barriers and change in communication, information and transportation technologies. 2. International Trade Theories 7 hours Adam Smith’s Theory of Absolute Advantage, David Ricardo’s theory of comparative advantage, Heckscher-Ohlin’s theory of factor endowment, Raymond Vernon’s product life-cycle theory, new trade theory based on economies of scale, theory of national competitive advantage: Porter’s diamond. 3. Global Business Environment 10 hours Political, Economic and Legal Environment Political systems: individualism vs. collectivism; democratic vs. totalitarian, legal system: property rights, protection of intellectual property, product safety requirements, economic environment: market economy, command economy & mixed economy, interconnection of political, legal and economic system followed by a country, impact of differences in system on international business. Cultural Environment Meaning of culture, values and norms, determinants of culture: social structure...
Words: 420 - Pages: 2
...Introduction This case study highlights Apple Inc. position on the consumer electronics retail within the United Kingdom’s market. The competitive conditions are highlighted using Porter’s five forces theory. The second part of this case study shows how Apple Inc handles the different forces and threat to remain competitive on the market. Porter’s five forces The Porters five forces is a model helping to analyse the forces that shape an industry’s competitive environment. The tool can be used to define the attractiveness of an industry as well as plan the strategy of a company within a market. Competitive rivalry within the industry The main actors of the consumer electronic goods are divided depending of the type of products their providing. Based on Apple’s product, we can identify the following competition’s group: * Computers: Lenovo, HP, Acer, LG, Fujitsu, etc. * Smartphones: Samsung, HTC, Sony Ericsson, LG, Nokia, Blackberry, etc. * Music players: HP, Samsung, etc. * Tablets: Samsung, Tesco, Acer, Microsoft, Blackberry, etc. The competitive rivalry is intense within the consumer electronic goods retail. Entering this market as a new brand is very difficult as the current actors are well settle. Also many companies having a step in the market are diversifying their type of electronic products, and each of them is a potential competitor for any other brand. Bargaining power of buyers The buyers have the opportunity to compare the products prices using...
Words: 1167 - Pages: 5
...2/27/12 Generic Competitive Strategies - eNotes.com Generic Competitive Strategies Generic Competitive Strategies Three of the most widely read books on competitive analysis in the 1980s were Michael Porter's Competitive Strategy, Competitive Advantage, and Competitive Advantage of Nations. In his various books, Porter developed three generic strategies that, he argues, can be used singly or in combination to create a defendable position and to outperform competitors, whether they are within an industry or across nations. Porter states that the strategies are generic because they are applicable to a large variety of situations and contexts. The strategies are (1) overall cost leadership; (2) differentiation; and (3) focus on a particular market niche. The generic strategies provide direction for firms in designing incentive systems, control procedures, and organizational arrangements. Following is a description of this work. OVERALL COST LEADERSHIP STRATEGY Overall cost leadership requires firms to develop policies aimed at becoming and remaining the lowest-cost producer and/or distributor in the industry. Company strategies aimed at controlling costs include construction of efficient-scale facilities, tight control of costs and overhead, avoidance of marginal customer accounts, minimization of operating expenses, reduction of input costs, tight control of labor costs, and lower distribution costs. The low-cost leader gains competitive advantage by getting...
Words: 3752 - Pages: 16
