...Honda's Competitive Advantage: There are several factors that can contribute to a firm's ability to be competitive in its industry. Building blocks of a competitive advantage include efficiency, quality, innovation, and responsiveness to customers. A firm with a competitive advantage may experience higher profits than the average profit in the industry while competing for the same customers. In the case of Honda, this is true. Honda has many distinctive competencies based on its resource and capabilities that allow it to have a competitive advantage in the auto manufacturing industry. Three areas that give Honda a competitive advantage in the auto industry include Honda's engineering and design, research and development, and brand equity. In order to determine whether Honda's competitive advantage in these three areas is sustainable, we analyze and apply each one to the VRIO framework. Honda is unique in that its corporate structure is made of three companies. Honda Research and Development is in charge of research and development of innovative products for the company. Honda Motor produces, sells, and services the all Honda products. Honda Engineering develops manufacturing processes, systems and equipment used to build all Honda products. Honda's superior design capability has enabled it to build high-quality reliable products and has also added value to the Honda brand. Honda's efficient manufacturing processes have also kept production costs low relative to other automakers...
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...STRATEGIC INTENT |To: |Professor Friberg | |From: |Michael Dunagan | |Date: |April 27, 2010 | |MGT 512: |Strategic Management | | |of Technology | Focus on Strategic Intent Introduction In the book "Random Walk Down Wall Street", Burton Malkiel took the idea of efficient markets to its logical conclusion, and argued that a blindfolded monkey in theory should be able to perform as well on the stock market as professional brokers. The Wall Street Journal found this argument intriguing, and decided to test the hypothesis by having reporters throw darts to select random stocks. An informal competition was consequently arranged over several months to test how random selection performed against leading stock traders. Luckily for the financial analysts, the latter managed to at least beat the darts on average, but the victory was not deemed sufficiently convincing enough to justify the hefty brokerage fees charged by analysts. Similar criticism has been raised against management consultants, but a performance comparison can in this case not be performed using darts or monkeys. Despite the criticism, consulting is a quickly growing industry and the demand for tools like strategic models are increasing in correlation with the industry. It thus created somewhat of an upheaval when London Business School...
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...result in superior performance, it is said to have a competitive advantage -Ex: Dell’s strategies produced superior performance from mid-1990s until mid-2000s, as a result, Dell enjoyed competitive advantage over its rivals -How did they achieve competitive advantage? -due to successful pursuit of varying strategies: Direct selling, customization and efficient supply chain mgmt. -enabled company to lower cost structure, charge low prices, gain market share, and become more profitable than its rivals -Dell lost competitive advantage in later half of 2000s HP offered bundled products, needed to find ways to sell to intermediaries & Apple differentiation -first step toward achieving objective is to describe in more detail what superior performance/competitive adv mean and to explain pivotal role that managers play in leading strategy-making process Strategic Leadership: creating competitive adv through effective mgmt. of the strategy-making process -strat-making process is the process by which managers select/implement a set of strategies that ain to achieve a competitive adv Strategy Formulation: selecting strategies based on analysis of an org’s external/internal environment Strategy Implementation: putting strategies into action includes designing, delivering, and supporting products; improving efficiency of ops; designing company’s org structure/control systems Strategic Leadership, Competitive Advantage, and Superior Performance -strategic leadership...
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...Supplier Development at Honda, Nissan and Toyota: Comparative Case Studies of Organizational Capability Enhancement* Mari Sako Professor of Management Studies Said Business School University of Oxford Park End Street Oxford OX1 1HP, UK Email mari.sako@sbs.ox.ac.uk October 2002 * This study was funded by the International Motor Vehicle Program (IMVP), the UK Economic and Social Research Council, and the Japan Foundation. I am grateful to the interviewees at the three automakers and suppliers who gave generously of their time. I also appreciate the comments of many colleagues, and in particular those of Bill Lazonick. Abstract What factors facilitate and constrain the development and replication of organizational capabilities at suppliers? This question is addressed in a comparison of historical case studies at Toyota, Nissan and Honda in Japan. First, as expected, replication difficulty is overcome by enabling companies to share the process of accumulating tacit knowledge. Second, the interdependence in the hierarchy of routines, that constitute organizational capabilities, has led companies to broaden the scope of supplier development. Third, this broadening challenges suppliers to accept buyer companies’ intervention in internal investment decisions, requiring a certain type of corporate governance. It is argued that the boundary of a capability-based organization may go beyond legally distinct units of financial control when firms are subjected to a cumulative process...
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...Introduction: 1988-1993 was an extremely competitive period in the world of automobile, As company’s ability to capture and sustain market share leadership is a function of marketing strategy they choose to embrace, Honda and Taurus made a run at being number one during that period, both have many similarities concerning their size, price and demands, though each company has its own individual strengths that have allowed it to succeed in the current economic climate and also specific weaknesses that have affected their abilities to grow as vigorously as it should. Together these two companies will continue to be at the forefront of the introduction on new vehicles into their respective markets by capitalizing on the innovation that is inherent in their organizations. Honda Motor Company, a Japanese company, has its largest customer base is in the U.S., alternatively Ford Motor Company, an American company, has its largest customer base is in Asia. The Japanese have been particularly hurt due to economic variables impacting their country, the valuation of the yen was high and gave the American automobile manufactures more time to catch up in terms of product innovation, the Japanese also suffered from inappropriate product and investment strategies which were motivated by overly optimistic growth and market share forecast. In 1989 a battle between Honda and Taurus started for gaining the number one selling car in the United States resulted in Taurus winning in 1993 and became...
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...signaled that a major new force had arrived in management. Hamei and Prahalad argue that Western companies focus on trimming their ambitions to match resources and, as a result, search only for advantages they can sustain. By contrast, Japanese corporations leverage resources by accelerating the pace of organizational learning and try to attain seemingly impossible goals. These firms foster the desire to succeed among their employees and maintain it by spreading the vision of global leadership. This is how Canon sought to "beat Xerox"and Komatsu set out to "encircle Caterpillar." This strategic intent usually incorporates stretch targets, which force companies to compete in innovative ways. In this McKinsey Award-winning article, Hamel and Prahalad describe four techniques that Japanese companies use: building layers ofadvantage, searching for "loose bricks," changing the terms of engagement, and competing through collaboration. Strategic Intent by Gary Hamel and C.K. Prahalad oday managers in many industries Most leading global companies started with ambitions that were far bigger than their resources and capabilities. But they created an obsession with winning at ail levels ofthe organization and sustained that obsession for decades. working hard to match the compete advantages of their new global rivals. They are moving manufacturing offshore in search of lower labor costs, rationalizing product lines to capture global scale economies, instituting quality circles and...
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...signaled that a major new force had arrived in management. Hamei and Prahalad argue that Western companies focus on trimming their ambitions to match resources and, as a result, search only for advantages they can sustain. By contrast, Japanese corporations leverage resources by accelerating the pace of organizational learning and try to attain seemingly impossible goals. These firms foster the desire to succeed among their employees and maintain it by spreading the vision of global leadership. This is how Canon sought to "beat Xerox"and Komatsu set out to "encircle Caterpillar." This strategic intent usually incorporates stretch targets, which force companies to compete in innovative ways. In this McKinsey Award-winning article, Hamel and Prahalad describe four techniques that Japanese companies use: building layers ofadvantage, searching for "loose bricks," changing the terms of engagement, and competing through collaboration. Strategic Intent by Gary Hamel and C.K. Prahalad oday managers in many industries Most leading global companies started with ambitions that were far bigger than their resources and capabilities. But they created an obsession with winning at ail levels ofthe organization and sustained that obsession for decades. working hard to match the compete advantages of their new global rivals. They are moving manufacturing offshore in search of lower labor costs, rationalizing product lines to capture global scale economies, instituting quality circles and...
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...signaled that a major new force had arrived in management Hamel and Prahalad argue that Western companies focus on trimming their ambitions to match resources and, as a result, search only for advantages they can sustain. By contrast, Japanese corporations leverage resources by accelerating the pace of organizational learning and try to attain seemingly impossible goals. These firms foster the desire to succeed among their employees and maintain it by spreading the vision of global leadership. This is how Canon sought to "beat Xerox"and Komatsu set out to "encircle Caterpillar." This strategic intent usually incorporates stretch targets, which force companies to compete in innovative ways. In this McKlnsey Award-winning article, Hamel and Prahalad describe four techniques that Japanese companies use: building layers ofadvantage, searching for "loose bricks," changing the terms of engagement, and competing through collaboration. Strategic Intent by Gary Hamel and C.K. Prahalad oday managers in many industries Most leading global companies started with ambitions that were far bigger than their resources and capabilities. But they created an obsession with winning at ail levels of the organization and sustained that obsession for decades. 148 working hard to match the compete advantages of their new global rivals. They are moving manufacturing offshore in search of lower labor costs, rationalizing product lines to capture global scale economies, instituting quality circles and...
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...OF COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: KINETIC AND POSITIONAL By: Ma, Hao; Business Horizons, Jan/Feb2000, Vol. 43 Issue 1, p53, 12p, 1 diagram Competitive advantage is considered the basis for superior company performance. To perform at such a level consistently, a firm often has to nurture an evolving system of competitive advantages to carry it through competition and over time. What are the various possible types of such advantages? How can a firm systematically analyze the multiple advantages it could possess and use them to achieve and maintain superior performance? Building on research in strategic management, answers to these questions and others can contribute to managers' knowledge about the nature and content of competitive advantage. Such knowledge can help managers nurture and renew their firms' advantages more effectively through time. The Dichotomy of Positional and Kinetic Advantages The essence of competitive advantage can be interpreted as the asymmetry or differential among firms along any comparable dimension that allows one firm to compete better than its rivals. Simply put, a competitive advantage can be one of two types: ° positional--a status-defining position that leads to better company performance; or ° kinetic--an action-oriented ability that allows a firm to function more effectively and efficiently. Positional advantage often derives from ownership or access-based sources. Specifically, it comes from a company's unique endowment of resources, market...
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...Report on Production Strategy International Business Submitted By Aqib Sharif 2901 Abeer Zahid 2907 Ahmad Malik 2918 BBA 5th Submitted To Ma’m Malka Liaqat National University of Modern Languages 2014 11/27/2014 Acknowledgements First of all we would like to thank that great entity that helped us to get through this report safely, the one who was always there when no one was! SHUKER- ALL- HUMDULILLAH! Would that we have words to pay tribute to our loving parents and teachers whose invaluable prays salutary admire and embodying attitude kept our spirit alive to strive for knowledge and integrity which enable us to reach Milestone. We would also like to express enormous gratitude to our respectable teacher “Mam Malka Liaqat” for providing the direction, all scope of this report and for helping us in refining our effort and ideas. We also acknowledge the help and pleasant gathering of all our class Fellows. We are also thankful to all of those people who helped us in Accomplishing our report. Executive Summary Production strategy is critical to effective international operations. Since most goods and services have very limited lives, MNE’s must continually...
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...Chapter 1 Strategic Leadership: Managing the Strategy-Making Process for Competitive Advantage Opening Case Wal-Mart Wal-Mart is one of the most extraordinary success stories in business history. Started in 1962 by Sam Walton, Wal-Mart has grown to become the world’s largest corporation. In the financial year ending January 31, 2004, the discount retailer whose mantra is “every day low prices” had sales of nearly $256 billion, five thousand stores in ten countries (almost three thousand are in the United States), and 1.3 million employees. Some 8 percent of all retail sales in the United States are made at a Wal-Mart store. Wal-Mart is not only large but also very profitable. In 2003, the company earned a return on invested capital of 14.7 percent, significantly better than rivals Costco and Target, which earned 9.4 percent and 10 percent, respectively (another major rival, Kmart, emerged from bankruptcy protection in 2004). As shown in the accompanying figure, Wal-Mart has been consistently more profitable than its rivals for years. Wal-Mart’s superior profitability reflects a competitive advantage that is based on the successful implementation of a number of strategies. In 1962 Wal-Mart was one of the first companies to apply the self-service supermarket business model developed by grocery chains to general merchandise (two of its rivals, Kmart and Target, were established in the same year). Unlike its rivals, who focused on urban and suburban locations, Sam Walton’s Wal-Mart...
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...competencies are included and a framework for their development and use is given. The concept of core competencies was developed in the management field. Prahalad and Hamel (1990) introduced the concept in a Harvard Business Review article. They wrote that a core competency is "an area of specialized expertise that is the result of harmonizing complex streams of technology and work activity." As an example they gave Honda's expertise in engines. Honda was able to exploit this core competency to develop a variety of quality products from lawn mowers and snow blowers to trucks and automobiles. It is important to distinguish between individual competencies or capabilities and core competencies. Individual capabilities stand alone and are generally considered in isolation. Gallon, Stillman, and Coates (1995) made it explicit that core competencies are more than the traits of individuals. They defined core competencies as "aggregates of capabilities, where synergy is created that has sustainable value and broad applicability." That synergy needs to be sustained in the face of potential competition and, as in the case of engines, must not be specific to one product or market. So according to this definition, core competencies are harmonized, intentional constructions. Coyne, Hall, and Clifford (1997) proposed that "a core competence is a combination of complementary skills and knowledge bases embedded in a group or team that results in the ability to execute one or more critical...
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...MMGP: Research Paper Group 2 Abstract This paper will provide an in-depth analysis of the Toyota Prius from a Marketing viewpoint. The research provides background information, market analysis, branding, services/ pricing and promotional information regarding the Toyota Prius. This paper provides the decision making and analytical processes necessary to implement a successful marketing program for the Toyota Prius. Description The Toyota Prius is considered a full size hybrid electric mid-size hatchback. The Prius design offers comfortable seating for five and has impressive cargo space, something lacking with its competitors. The Prius has an estimated fuel-efficiency rating of 50 mpg, when using the U.S. EPA combined cycle. This car is on the top of the list for the most fuel efficient cars on the market. With rising gas prices, this fuel efficient car is the most popular hybrid available to consumers today. The overall design of the Prius is characterized by a streamlined nose and curved roofline. This vehicle carries an impressive base price of about $19,000.00. The Prius has several models and trim packages to choose from allowing the customer more options in the current hybrid market. They have a standard model with a hatchback, a compact version and a new station wagon called the Prius V. “According to Hybrid Car Review (2012), “Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive System allows the Prius V to travel at “in town” speeds on electric power alone. Sensors...
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...1 The Innovator’s Dilemma When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail CLAYTON M. CHRISTENSEN Harvard Business School Press Boston, Massachusetts 2 Copyright © 1997 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College All rights reserved The Library of Congress has catalogued the hardcover edition of this title as follows: Christensen, Clayton M. The innovator’s dilemma : when new technologies cause great firms to fail / Clayton M. Christensen. p. cm. — (The management of innovation and change series) Includes index. ISBN 0-87584-585-1 (alk. paper) 1. Creative ability in business. 2. Industrial management. 3. Customer services. 4. Success in business. I. Title. II. Series. HD53.C49 1997 658—DC20 96-10894 CIP ISBN 0-87584-585-1 (Microsoft Reader edition) 3 Contents In Gratitude Introduction PART ONE: WHY GREAT COMPANIES CAN FAIL 1 How Can Great Firms Fail? Insights from the Hard Disk Drive Industry 2 Value Networks and the Impetus to Innovate 3 Disruptive Technological Change in the Mechanical Excavator Industry 4 What Goes Up, Can’t Go Down PART TWO: MANAGING DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE 5 Give Responsibility for Disruptive Technologies to Organizations Whose Customers Need Them 6 Match the Size of the Organization to the Size of the Market 7 Discovering New and Emerging Markets 8 How to Appraise Your Organization’s Capabilities and Disabilities 9 Performance Provided, Market Demand, and the Product Life Cycle ...
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...competitors and accomplish unique and viable goals. • Managers develop strategies based on the organization’s strengths and weaknesses relative to the competition and assessing opportunities. • Managers decide which customers to target, what product lines to offer, and with which firms to compete. International Business: Strategy, Management, and the New Realities 3 Strategy in an International Context • Strategy in an international context is a plan for the organization to position itself vis-a-vis its competitors, and resolve how it wants to configure its value chain activities on a global scale. • Its purpose is to help managers create an international vision, allocate resources, participate in major international markets, be competitive, and perhaps reconfigure its value chain activities given the new international opportunities. International Business: Strategy, Management, and the New Realities 4 Strategy Should Pinpoint to Actions • Formulate a strong international vision • Allocate scarce resources on a worldwide basis • Participate in major markets •...
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