Ghemawat’s “AAA” Global Strategy Framework
Ghemawat so-called AAA framework offers three generic approaches to global value creation. Adaptation strategies strategies that seek to increase revenues and market share by tailoring one or more components of a firm’s business model to suit local requirements or preferences. Aggregation strategies focus on achieving economies of scale or scope by creating regional or global efficiencies; they typically involve standardizing a significant portion of the value proposition and grouping together development and production processes. Arbitrage is about exploiting economic or other differences between national or regional markets, usually by locating separate parts of the supply chain in different places.
Adaptation
Adaptation—creating global value by changing one or more elements of a company’s offer to meet local requirements or preferences—is probably the most widely used global strategy. The reason for this will be readily apparent: some degree of adaptation is essential or unavoidable for virtually all products in all parts of the world. The taste of Coca-Cola in Europe is different from that in the United States, reflecting differences in water quality and the kind and amount of sugar added. The packaging of construction adhesive in the United States informs customers how many square feet it will cover; the same package in Europe must do so in square meters. Even commodities such as cement are not immune: its pricing in different geographies reflects local energy and transportation costs and what percentage is bought in bulk.
Ghemawat subdivides adaptation strategies into five categories: variation, focus, externalization, design, and innovation
Variation strategies not only involve making changes in products and services but also making adjustments to policies, business positioning, and even expectations for