Strategies For Competitive Advantage Research Articles

The warlords: strategy and tactics for competitive advantage

The warlords: strategy and tactics for competitive advantage

Dialogue

The article comments on the articles “The Relational View: Cooperative Strategy and Sources of Interorganizational Competitive Advantage,” by J. H. Dyer and H. Singh and “Convergent Stakeholder Theory,” by T. M. Jones and A. C. Wicks. The authors of these two articles argue that organizational wealth can be increased through the fostering of stakeholder relationships. The author expands on this point by stating that one of the main goals of stakeholder management should be to enhance organizational wealth.

A methodology for competitive advantage analysis and strategy formulation: An example in a transitional economy

Industrial competitiveness has become the focal point of study in recent years as global competition has intensified. Although many studies are devoted to the topic, they remain largely conceptual and descriptive, and thus it is difficult to make them operational. Very recently, several studies were conducted to model industrial competitiveness through quantitative analysis, but few consider how to combine the degree and scope of determinant factors of competitive advantages (DFCAs) and competitive strategic goals (CSGs) to maximize a firm's competitiveness, or how to analyze the main problems of creating competitive advantage. The present study proposes a model-based approach to competitive analysis and discusses its multi-phased implementation in a large electronic plant in China. The proposed model can provide a comprehensive analytical tool for industrial competitiveness and can yield useful insights for competitive strategy formulation.

The Relational View: Cooperative Strategy and Sources of Interorganizational Competitive Advantage

In this article we offer a view that suggests that a firm's critical resources may span firm boundaries and may be embedded in interfirm resources and routines. We argue that an increasingly important unit of analysis for understanding competitive advantage is the relationship between firms and identify four potential sources of interorganizational competitive advantage: (1) relation-specific assets, (2) knowledge-sharing routines, (3) complementary resources/capabilities, and (4) effective governance. We examine each of these potential sources of rent in detail, identifying key subprocesses, and also discuss the isolating mechanisms that serve to preserve relational rents. Finally, we discuss how the relational view may offer normative prescriptions for firm-level strategies that contradict the prescriptions offered by those with a resource-based view or industry structure view.

The Relational View: Cooperative Strategy and Sources of Interorganizational Competitive Advantage

The Relational View: Cooperative Strategy and Sources of Interorganizational Competitive Advantage

CEOs Visualizing Knowledge Management

An opportunity exists to develop useful and authentic Knowledge Management strategies for competitive advantage through facilitating organizational decision‐makers within their world, in terms of their reality and purposes instead of adapting existing thinking to this area and calling it Knowledge Management. For Knowledge Management to survive as something more than another fad, it may be timely to consult the individuals involved in leading the creation and delivery of new customer values about their requirements instead of imposing a functionally‐driven agenda based on old products.

Exploring for Competitive Advantages in Business Markets

In hypercompetitive business markets, the ability to develop unique competitive advantages often spells the difference between corporate success and failure. Overlaying segmentation with multiattribute analysis yields a competitive advantage matrix that provides perspectives for uncovering new competitive advantages. The scheme accomplishes this by systematically assessing variances among ideal, perceived, and actual ratings on key attributes for the company’s own brand and for each major competitive brand. Flowing directly from this analysis is a set of seven potential strategic alternatives for building competitive advantage. Guidelines for developing and prioritizing the strategies are included. Regularly applying the approach over time can also yield built-in measures for evaluating the success of previously implemented competitive advantage strategies.

A strategic alignment approach for effective business process reengineering: linking strategy, processes and customers for competitive advantage

Global competition has forced firms to rethink their approach to providing products and services to their customer base. Business process reengineering has been adopted by many firms in an effort to improve their competitive position and enhance their ability to provide customer satisfaction and delight. Although many firms have implemented business process reengineering programs, approximately 60–80% of these programs have failed. Therefore, an approach is needed to increase the probability of success for reengineering programs. This article presents a conceptual framework and key principles for effective business process reengineering. The principles are derived from a case study of a successful reengineering program instituted by the Cummins Engine Company, and a strategic alignment framework which examines the congruency between a firm's strategy, business processes, and customer requirements.

Case-based strategies for competitive advantage

Case-based strategies for competitive advantage

Competitive Advantage Period: The Neglected Value Driver

Corporation and is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School. Paul Johnson is a Managing Director and Technology Industry Analyst at Robertson Stephens & Company and is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School. Although the notion of competitive advantage has been of unassailable importance in valuation, it is a subject that has not been explicitly addressed in finance textbooks in a way commensurate with its importance. Further, many analysts and strategic planners that adhere to a discounted-cash-flow framework reduce the model's validity by using explicit forecast periods that do not properly reflect competitive advantage. Competitive advantage period (CAP)-the number of years a company is expected to generate excess returns on incremental investments-is critical as it weds competitive advantage (strategy) to valuation (finance). We believe that CAP plays an important role in linking valuation theory and practice.

Integrating open learning with face‐to‐face tuition: a strategy for competitive advantage

(1996). Integrating open learning with face‐to‐face tuition: a strategy for competitive advantage. Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning: Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 13-19.

The UK Market for Portuguese Table Wines: A Structural Analysis

Wine is important to the Portuguese economy, and the United Kingdom is one of Portugal's oldest and most important wine markets. Yet the Portuguese are rapidly losing their share of the UK market, and have already been overtaken by Australia, Bulgaria, South Africa, the USA and Hungary. This paper reports a study of the Portuguese wine industry in the context of the UK market using Porter's structural analysis model as the analytical framework. Data were collected via depth interview with executives closely involved in the wine trade, in Portugal and the UK. It was found that Portugal's traditional source of competitive advantage, low costs as a consequence of low wages, has been eroded. The absence of any other cost advantage, low investment in products and markets and a lack of scale economies are exacerbated by production‐led convictions that Portuguese wine is best — it is just that the customers do not appreciate it. Meanwhile the customers perceive a lack of reliability in quality, lack of the ability to consistently deliver the required quantity and fluctuating prices. Portugal needs a consistent strategy for sustainable competitive advantage; some alternative strategies are discussed.

Strategies for competitive advantage in nonprofit organisations

AbstractIn the commercial sector, a range of strategies has been proposed for competitive advantage. Many of these strategies are inappropriate for nonprofit organisations. (The terms ‘nonprofit’, ‘not‐for‐profit’ and ‘charity’ are used interchangeably in this paper.) This paper proposes four generic strategies for competitive advantage in nonprofit organisations: externally driven, niche, differentiation and awareness. The niche strategy has two sub‐strategies: the issue or emotional niche and the geographical niche. Differentiation has three sub‐strategies; differentiation by audience, differentiation by product and differentiation by belief. These four strategies are not mutually exclusive and many nonprofit organisations move from one strategy to another. A development model for these transitions is proposed.

Exploiting green strategies for competitive advantage

I T IS NOW WIDELY accepted that environmental issues must be considered as strategic in a growing number of industries ; it is also generally claimed that a shift from the traditional reactive approach to environmental issues to a more proactive, anticipatory attitude is needed to take advantage of environmental-based business opportunities.’ So far, however, little attention has been devoted to a thorough comprehension of the actual advantages and disadvantages of such a proactive attitude. This article discusses the problem and suggests some strategic programmes that can support proactive environmental strategies, clarifying the conditions under which this attitude appears more effective. The paper is divided into three parts. Part one analyses the advantages and risks of an anticipatory attitude towards environmental problems. Part two discusses a contingent approach to the strategic analysis of environmental problems. According to where a company competes (in terms of public opinion, industry norms, and technology), this offers some implications for a company’s most effective strategy on and approach to environmental problems. Specific courses of action are suggested for companies operating in an anticipatory, proactive or creative mode to reduce the risk involved in the management of environmental problems. Part three discusses the application of the recommended approach, with The Challenge

Implanting competitive strategy: A contingency approach

Competitive business strategies are often formulated with little regard given to the articulation format. This paper examines the strategy formulation process from a systems perspective and argues that articulation of a competitive strategy, such that sustained competitive advantage is created, requires consistency along the entire business chain. Internal consistency within the business chain is built through inter‐linkages. The inter‐linkages are made through four inter‐connective elements: human resources, technological resources, information resources and financial resources. It is argued in this paper that the human factor is of major importance since it integrates the other inter‐connective elements and therefore represents a key factor in the process of articulation and implementation. In view of the critical role of the human element in articulation of business strategy for competitive advantage, the paper develops a human‐factor related contingency framework. The developed contingency framework e...

Market-driven strategies for competitive advantage

C omplacency is a forerunner to disaster in the turbulent marketplace. Automobile industry experts were skeptical about Honda's plan to enter the European-dominated luxury import segment of the car market. Attracted by the higher profit margins and growth opportunities of the luxury import segment, Honda's management positioned Acura as an allnew market entry with an exciting design offering high-quality performance. Two years after its 1986 entry into the U.S. market, Acura gained first place in sales and customer satisfaction ahead of BMW, Mercedes Benz, Volvo, and Audi. Attempting to duplicate the success of the Acura, Toyota introduced the Lexus in the U.S. in 1989 and Nissan introduced the Infiniti, also targeted to the luxury auto segment, in 1990. While it is too early to judge the success of Toyota's and Nissan's entries, initial reviews from Car a n d Driver magazine compared Lexus and Infiniti favorably to German automobiles costing twice as much (comparing manufacturers' suggested retail prices). The Japanese have an impressive success record for planning and implementing market-driven strategies for competitive advantage. Unprecedented global competition is only one force driving executives to alter their business and marketing strategies to improve competitive advantage. The marketplace is becoming increasingly dynamic, influenced by massive demographic and socioeconomic shifts in the population base. These changes are accompanied by dramatic compression in the length of time for competitive reaction to be felt and changes in consumer behavior to be incorporated into product design. In response to these market changes, executives are drastically altering their business and marketing strategies. Strategic actions may include downsizing, repositioning, market niching, altering the business portfolio, and strategic alliances between companies. These actions pervade many industries. For example, over onehalf of the Fortune 500 companies restructured during the 1980s. Designing effective business and marketing strategies is essential in coping with a turbulent global business environment. Our objective is to identify global competitive challenges and describe means by which executives may respond Today,s turbulent marketplace will require companies to serve their markets or lose out to those who will.

New global strategies for competitive advantage

Why do some nations win or lose a share of world trade? Michael Porter, author of the two most widely quoted books on strategic management, has just published a masterful new book, The Competitive Advantage of Nations, which offers a theory to explain the triumph of some nations in some markets.

GENERATING MARKETING STRATEGY PRIORITIES BASED ON RELATIVE COMPETITIVE POSITION

The marketing manager has little or no guidance in formulating competitive strategies. This article presents a marketing strategy planning tool based on customers' perceptions of the positions of competing brands across various product attributes. The method, called “Simultaneous Importance‐Performance Analysis,” advocates focusing attention on relevant competitors' positions and attacking or defending market territory selectively. An example of its application is provided to illustrate its usefulness. The tool provides a framework for prioritizing alternative marketing strategies and is helpful in deciding on the allocation of limited marketing resources to design an efficient short‐range marketing plan. We will first discuss the nature of competitive advantage strategy and look at the marketing manager's dilemma on how to select tactics to develop a competitive advantage. We will then describe and illustrate “simultaneous importance — performance analysis,” based on importance‐performance analysis. Finally, we will suggest how this technique might be integrated into a company's strategic planning system.

A Conceptual Framework for Describing the Phenomenon of New Venture Creation

Presents a framework that highlights the differences among entrepreneurs and among their ventures. Building on the work of others, four dimensions are identified for this framework describing new venture creation. These are: individuals, environment, organization, and process. This is the first framework to combine all four of these dimensions. The individual dimension should consider not only the psychological characteristics of the entrepreneur such as need for achievement and locus of control, but must also consider the entrepreneur's background, experience, and attitudes. The process dimension should be viewed in light of six different behaviors including the location of a business opportunity and the accumulation of resources. Twelve factors are identified for the environmental dimension. These twelve factors were chosen based on the review of 17 research papers focused on environmental variables which affect new venture creation. The organization dimension is composed of three generic competitive advantage strategies and 14 competitive entry wedges. This framework allows for the examination and comparison of very different new ventures. Conflicting results in prior research studies may be explained by considering the dimensions used in that work. (SRD)

Protection of intellectual property rights in the conditions of innovative development of countries

The research intensive companies have been increasingly emphasizing on the commercialization of their innovations to adopt a central strategy for competitive advantage. During last two decades, many small and medium companies have shifted their focus to technological inventions leading to entrepreneurship and simultaneously they are commercializing their new technologies. A well-balanced and accessible intellectual property system plays an important role in this process. Intellectual property rights serve to protect the often large and high-risk investments in innovative companies, thereby providing major incentives to make such investments.
 Patents and intellectual property are important products of any national innovation system. Innovation is a key driver of economic growth and development in the medium and long term for each country. The concept of innovation can be described as the process of introducing new products, services and production processes to the market and, as a consequence, the creation of new profitable enterprises.
 A properly created system of protection and protection of intellectual property rights grants exclusive rights to inventors and thus increases their chances of getting the start-up (initial) investments they need to bring new technologies to the market. In other words, intellectual property rights are a key prerequisite for the emergence of intellectual property in the market.
 Comparison of European legislation with Ukrainian legal standards shows that Ukraine has embarked on a path that is broadly in line with the general global trends in the evolution of legislation in technology transfer. Additional rules that have been successfully applied in European legislation (but are not yet in Ukrainian) can be further integrated into existing legal acts or incorporated into draft new laws, such as the law on the commercialization (transfer) of technologies.
 The problems that Ukraine will have to solve in the field of technology commercialization in the next few years make it necessary to study the experience of developed countries. Copying is not possible, any innovative measures are successful in the national context: economic, social, legal, etc.