...view stems from the idea that today’s market environments are so unpredictable and fast moving that it is wiser to form a base for strategy on the internal resources and capabilities of a company, rather than focussing on the external market (Grant, 2008). To gain a competitive advantage a firm must implement a strategy consisting of valuable and rare resources not being employed by current or potential competitors. To create a sustainable competitive advantage a firm must have unique resources that are non-imitable and non-substitutable (Barney, 1991). Competences derive from the integration of resources, assets, routines and values (Prahalad and Hamel, 1990). They become ‘core’ competences when they strategically differentiate themselves from other organizations (Leonard-Barton, 1992), helping them build a sustainable competitive advantage. Prahalad and Hamel (1990) state that a world leading company is unlikely to have more than five or six core competences and it is crucial to note that, while they can be discussed individually, it is when they are combined in a mutually reinforcing way that a sustainable competitive advantage can be obtained (Stacey, 2003). Zara’s primary core competency comes in their manufacturing process. From their beginning Zara exhibited a distinctive business strategy in that they manufactured their most fashion-sensitive products internally (Z9), with 20...
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...Citation: Netland, T. H. & Aspelund, A. (2013) Company-specific production systems and competitive advantage: A resource-based view on the Volvo Production System. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 33, Iss. 11/12 Post-print. This is an Author's Original Manuscript of an article accepted for publication in the International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 33, Iss. 12. Forthcoming. Company-specific Production Systems and Competitive Advantage: A resource-based view on the Volvo Production System Torbjørn H. Netland1, 2 and Arild Aspelund1 1 Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management, NTNU 2 McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University Abstract Purpose: In order to improve competitiveness on a global scale, multinational enterprises increasingly develop a company-specific Production System (XPS) and deploy it in their worldwide operations. An XPS is synonymous with a tailored corporate-wide improvement programme. The purpose of this paper is to explore the circumstances under which an XPS can provide a competitive advantage. Methodology: We use an explorative case study methodology to investigate the link between the establishment of an XPS and competitive advantage. Specifically we investigate the part of the Volvo Group’s globally implemented Volvo Production System (VPS) that aim to improve the manufacturing processes worldwide. Due to its historical trajectories, Volvo ...
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...Strategic Management 313 Unit Index Number 3522 Semester 1, 2006 BMW Automobiles [pic] Group Members Daniel Smentek, 13264679 Melanie Bernroitner, 13264682 Marie-Charlotte Neumann, 13264640 Submitted on, May 16, 2006 Table of Contents Executive Summary 4 Introduction 5 BMW and the Automobile Industry 6 Aspects of the Automobile Industry 6 Historical Background of BMW 6 BMW in the Global Environment 9 General Environment of the Automobile Industry 9 Five Forces of the Automobile Industry 14 Competitive Structure of the Automobile Industry 17 BMW’s Direct Competition 22 BMW’s Resources and Capabilities 25 Tangible Resources 25 Intangible Resources: 28 Capabilities 29 Core Competencies 30 Potential Action Steps for BMW 33 BMW’s Strategy towards Success 37 References 41 Appendices 45 List of Illustrations Figure 1: Report's Course of Action 5 Figure 2: Labour Costs in EU Countries 2005 11 Figure 3: Outcome of General Environment Analysis 14 Figure 4: Evaluation of Porter's Five Forces of Competition 17 Figure 5: Strategic Map 20 Figure 6: Profit Margins 26 Figure 7: SWOT Analysis BMW 2006 33 Executive Summary The following report analyses the automobile operations of the BMW group in regard to its competitive position in the automobile market. BMW is a German premium car manufacturer comprising...
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...At the roots of globalization there are a lot of mechanisms conected with economies of scale. The higher border of demand and bigger problems with knowledge and capital using in high developed countries went far towards some solutions for easier entries to different markets. That is why countries deleted administrative and economic borders limiting competition. Free flow of information, ideas through the world, caused that some values, lifestyles, consumption models are common for some nations. That is why customers needs are higher and higher and similar (unified) – califionisation of needs. It means that consumers have a lot of information about level and style of life in the richest countries, they want the same in their mother country. That is why we have some global products for every customer (coca cola, pampers, cars). General results of globalization 1. New division of the world; - information revolution and very fast technical development, create new opportunities for developing countries, economies, companies, and people. But not every country is able to use these opportunities on the same level. It depends on the level of social-economic country’s development. It is called Triad Power: bigger technological, economic, social and cultural integration is present among three most developed regions of the world: North America, west of Europe, east and south-east Asia.- it is a center of the world. (highly educated people, good organization of their work, capital) ...
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...University of Management and Technology Lahore Business Strategy (Section: B) WAC #2 Toyota Motor Corporation: Lunching Prius Submitted To: Sir Aly Raza Syed Submitted By: Saad Shahzad (12046005-005) M. Umair Arif (12046005-092) M. Ahmad (12046005-099) Noman Zafar (12046005-043) M. Umar (12046005-020) Date of Submission: 13/04/2016 Introduction: The time of the case is December 7, 2006. Sakichi Toyoda is the founder of Toyoda Automatic loom works and has advised his son Kiichiro Toyoda to begin with the idea of developing small engines, and in 1937 it was named as Toyota Motors Corporation. Automobile industry basically operate in pickup trucks, luxury cars, SUV’s and powertrains. The geographical location of the company is Aichi prefecture Japan. Hiroshi Okuda was played the rule of key player In Toyota motors, who joined the company in 1955 and became president in 1995. Toyota motors are competing globally but they have also competitors in their own country like Nissan and Honda and they have global competitors as well such as The U.S Big three which is consists of General Motors (GM), Ford and Chrysler, Volkswagen and BMW. The company deals in Cars, SUV’s and Minivan etc. The general issue of this case should they push for a more aggressive timing of launch or given the technical problems or delay the program to ensure a smoother launch? Situational...
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...eco-friendly cars. In addition, fast changing technology is increasing innovation and creating new market segments such as the Electronic Vehicle. The main findings from a Porters 5 Forces Analysis shows: The threat of new entrants is low, the risk of substitutes is low, the buyer bargaining power is high, supplier bargaining power is moderate and the intensity of rivalry is high. This concludes that the industry is still attractive and profitable for those who are already in it. 2. Internal Analysis An internal analysis of Tesla showed that their man competitive advantage comes from their vast amount of intellectual property and infrastructure. Tesla also has large amounts of capital being invested into the company to further boost production and innovation. 3. PR Crises The two examples of PR crises found that Tesla is a company who take CSR and brand reputation seriously. They are a company that has set a benchmark for other firms in the industry. 4. Strategic Analysis A strategic analysis of Tesla found that they use focussed differentiation as their business level strategy. In regards to corporate level strategy they are vertically integrated and use market penetration as their growth model. Going forward, it has been recommended that Tesla sustain their leadership...
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...able to define strategic management. 2. Understand how strategic management fits in the P-O-L-C framework. 3. Broadly identify the inputs for strategy formulation.What Is Strategic Management?As you already know, the P-O-L-C framework starts with “planning.” You might also know that planning is related to, but not synonymous with, strategic management. Strategic management reflects what a firm is doing to achieve its mission and vision, as seen by its achievement of specific goals and objectives.A more formal definition tells us that the strategic management process “is the process by which a firm manages the formulation and implementation of its strategy.”[196] The strategic management process is “the coordinated means by which an organization achieves its goals and objectives.”[197] Others have described strategy as the pattern of resource allocation choices and organizational arrangements that result from managerial decision making.[198] Planning and strategy formulation sometimes called business planning, or strategic planning, have much in common, since formulation helps determine what the firm should do. Strategy implementation tells managers how they should go about putting the desired strategy into action.The concept of strategy is relevant to all types of organizations, from large, public companies like GE, to religious organizations, to political parties.Strategic Management in the P-O-L-C FrameworkIf vision and mission are the heart and soul of planning (in the...
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...THE CASE OF ZARA: PLANNING AND STRATEGIC CONTROL Alexandra Iacob University of Huelva HUELVA, SPAIN 2015 Abstract Zara is a retail company belonging to the Spanish company Inditex Group. Currently, Zara has 1,808 stores in 86 countries. This paper will analyse Zara’s business model, based on innovation and flexibility, as well as logistics chain and the various tools used to recognize the continuous changes in fashion trends and turn them into a product marketable within a few weeks. Compared with the competition, Zara has three distinctions: vertical integration to achieve a faster turnaround time; rapid expansion; and use of the store as the main tool for promotion, with low spend on advertising. This company offered a product design and quality, low price. In addition, resources and competences have allowed develop a different business model, where all processes from product design, to manufacturing, distribution and sales are carried out within the same organization. Key words: Strategic Management, Strategy, External Environment, Michael Porter’s Generic Strategies, Vertical Integration, Balanced Scorecard, Globalization Culture Introduction Company Background Four letters that make up a fashion brand known around the world. Zara is a Spanish brand of clothing and accessories and the foundation of Inditex’s success as well as their first retail format. Inditex S.A. is a Spanish multinational group of textile manufacturing and distribution established in 1975 in...
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...Håkan Phil Timurs Umans Authours: Susanne Göransson Angelica Jönsson Michaela Persson Abstract In the clothing industry firms compete successfully by applying different businessmodels. H&M and ZARA are two extremes in the clothing industry. H&M’s business-model mainly focuses on outsourcing and ZARA’s business-model mainly focuses on in-house production. The problem is that the existing theories alone cannot explain why two firms competing in the same environment under the same conditions choose different business-models. The purpose of this dissertation is to further expand the idea of why the two clothing firms H&M and ZARA chose different business-models. Our set of Complementarities for H&M and ZARA are based on the information derived from studying theories, the EU clothing industry and the two firms. Finally, Complementarities were analysed by conducting interviews. Our Complementarities partly explain why H&M and ZARA chose different business-models. However, our analysis is applicable for H&M and ZARA since the Complementarities are based on characteristics found in these two firms. The value of Complementarities can be used by other firms if they find their specific characteristics. Keywords: business-models, internalization, governance structure, key resources, Complementarities, EU clothing industry Table of Contents Chapter 1 ______________________________________________ 1 1.1 Background ___________________________________________________1 1.2 Problem...
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...ASSISTANT DESIGN DIRECTOR PRODUCT DESIGNER SENIOR PRODUCTION MANAGER ASSOCIATE PRODUCTION MANAGER PRODUCTION EDITOR COVER DESIGNER George Hoffman Franny Kelly Brian Baker Jacqueline Hughes Amy Scholz Kelly Simmons Marissa Carroll Harry Nolan Allison Morris Janis Soo Joel Balbin Eugenia Lee Kenji Ngieng This book was set in 10/12 New Caledonia by Aptara®, Inc. and printed and bound by Courier/Westford. The cover was printed by Courier/Westford. This book is printed on acid-free paper. Founded in 1807, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. has been a valued source of knowledge and understanding for more than 200 years, helping people around the world meet their needs and fulfill their aspirations. Our company is built on a foundation of principles that include responsibility to the communities we serve and where we live and work. In 2008, we launched a Corporate Citizenship Initiative, a global effort to address the environmental, social, economic, and ethical challenges we face in our business. Among the issues we are addressing are carbon impact, paper specifications and procurement, ethical conduct within our business and among our vendors, and community and charitable support. For more information, please visit our website: www.wiley.com/go/citizenship. Copyright © 2014, 2009, 2006, 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic...
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...CSAC05 1/13/07 9:21 Page 123 5 Analyzing Resources and Capabilities Analysts have tended to define assets too narrowly, identifying only those that can be measured, such as plant and equipment. Yet the intangible assets, such as a particular technology, accumulated consumer information, brand name, reputation, and corporate culture, are invaluable to the firm’s competitive power. In fact, these invisible assets are often the only real source of competitive edge that can be sustained over time. —HIROYUKI ITAMI, MOBILIZING INVISIBLE ASSETS You’ve gotta do what you do well. —LUCINO NOTO, FORMER VICE CHAIRMAN, EXXON MOBIL OUTLINE l Introduction and Objectives l The Role of Resources and l Organizational Capabilities Classifying Capabilities The Architecture of Capability l Appraising Resources and Capabilities Establishing Competitive Advantage Sustaining Competitive Advantage Appropriating the Returns to Competitive Advantage l Putting Resource and Capability Capabilities in Strategy Formulation Basing Strategy on Resources and Capabilities Resources and Capabilities as Sources of Profit l The Resources of the Firm Tangible Resources Intangible Resources Human Resources Analysis to Work: A Practical Guide Step 1 Identify the Key Resources and Capabilities 123 CSAC05 1/13/07 9:21 Page 124 124 PART II THE TOOLS OF STRATEGY ANALYSIS Step 2 Appraising Resources and Capabilities Step 3 Developing Strategy Implications l Developing Resources and Capabilities...
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... Concept, Meaning, Definition: Strategy is the determination of the long-term goals and objectives of an enterprise and the adoption of the courses of action and the allocation of resources necessary for carrying out these goals. Strategy is management’s game plan for strengthening the organization’s position, pleasing customers, and achieving performance targets. Types of strategy Strategy can be formulated on three different levels: • corporate level • business unit level • functional or departmental level. [pic] Corporate Level Strategy Corporate level strategy fundamentally is concerned with the selection of businesses in which the company should compete and with the development and coordination of that portfolio of businesses. Corporate level strategy is concerned with: • Reach - defining the issues that are corporate responsibilities; these might include identifying the overall goals of the corporation, the types of businesses in which the corporation should be involved, and the way in which businesses will be integrated and managed. • Competitive Contact - defining where in the corporation competition is to be localized. Take the case of insurance: In the mid-1990's, Aetna as a corporation was clearly identified with its commercial and property casualty insurance products. The conglomerate Textron was not. For Textron, competition in the insurance markets took place specifically at the business unit...
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...Bachelor Thesis Department of Business Studies Århus, the 3rd of May 2010 Valuation of BMW - Financial & Strategic Analysis Authors Rasmus Ramshøj Pløen Exam no. 282821 BSc (B/IM) Mikkel Kronborg Olesen Exam no. 283755 BSc (B) Academic Advisor Nicolai Borcher Hansen ASB Aarhus School of Business TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 PREFACE ................................................................................................................................................................ 4 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................ 5 BRIEF INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................. 6 PROBLEM STATEMENT ................................................................................................................................................ 8 STRUCTURE .............................................................................................................................................................. 9 DELIMITATIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS ............................................................................................................................ 10 METHODS ..........................................................................................................................................
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...areas of strategy in just 10 carefully selected chapters. Read the illustrations and the case examples to clarify your understanding of how the concepts of strategy translate into an easily recognisable, real-world context. Follow up on the recommended readings at the end of each chapter. They’re specially selected as accessible and valuable sources that will enhance your learning and give you an extra edge in your course work. KEY CONCEPT AUDIO SUMMARY ● ● Also, look out for the Key Concepts and Audio Summary icons in the text, which direct you to the website at www.pearsoned.co.uk/fos* where you can ● Check and reinforce your understanding of key concepts using self-assessment questions, audio summaries and interactive exercises, and Revise key terms using electronic flashcards and a glossary in 6 languages. ● We want Fundamentals of Strategy to give you what you need: a clear and concise...
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...Cornell University ILR School DigitalCommons@ILR CAHRS Working Paper Series Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies (CAHRS) 5-1-2003 Extending the Human Resource Architecture: Relational Archetypes and Value Creation Sung-Choon Kang Cornell University Shad S. Morris Cornell University Scott A. Snell Cornell University, ss356@cornell.edu Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cahrswp Part of the Human Resources Management Commons This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies (CAHRS) at DigitalCommons@ILR. It has been accepted for inclusion in CAHRS Working Paper Series by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@ILR. For more information, please contact hlmdigital@cornell.edu. Extending the Human Resource Architecture: Relational Archetypes and Value Creation Abstract Theories of knowledge-based competition focus on internal resources as the source of value creation. The HR architecture (Lepak & Snell, 1999) brought human resource management directly into this forum by developing a model of human capital allocation and management. We attempt to extend the HR architecture by introducing a framework of relational archetypes—entrepreneurial and cooperative—that are derived from unique combinations of three dimensions (cognitive, structural, and affective) that characterize internal and external relationships of core knowledge employees. Entrepreneurial...
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