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Porter's framework of generic strategies
Porter's framework of generic strategies
Porter's framework of generic strategies
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Business Culture outcome 3-4 assessment
A. Explain four business strategies in relation to the appropriate business environment.
There are four main business strategies that can be used they are Cost leadership strategy, Differentiation strategy, Focus strategy (low cost) and Focus strategy (differentiation). We can use Porter’s generic business strategies to understand the difference in these strategies.
Cost leadership strategy involves the business winning the market share by appealing to cost-conscious and price-sensitive consumers. This is achieved when you have the lowest prices in the target market. The lowest price of value ratio (price compared to what consumers receive). To be successful at offering the lowest price while still achieving profitability and a high return on investment, the business must be able to operate at a lower cost than its competitors. There are three main ways to achieve this.
The first way is achieving a high turnover in service for example a restaurant that turns tables around very quickly, or an airline that turns around flights very fast. This approach means fixed costs are spread over a larger number of units of the product or service. This will result in a lower unit cost. Large businesses do this to create an entry barrier to prevent potential competitors from competing with their product. As they are unable to match the scale necessary to match the large firms low costs and prices.
The second way is to achieve low direct and indirect operating costs is gained by offering high volumes of standard products and offering basic no-frills products. Production costs are kept low by using less parts and using standard components. Limiting the number of models produced to ensure larger producti...
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...lopment industry as well as the strengths and weaknesses within the company. The Business Strategy should reflect the main issues that determine the long-term success and development of the organisation.
Without a successful business strategy put in place the company would fail and be unable to compete with competitors. There would be on way of knowing what resources are required. No planning for the future of the business. If there are no targets set out to achieve there would be no way of measuring how successful the company has been.
A successful business strategy will identify changes in the external trends in the market place. Plan out what the company’s future direction is. Set out the goals for the management team. It will identify a vision of where the company wants to be in the future. Keep all employees informed of the direction of the company.
a. Basically, corporation strategy demonstrates a corporation’s overall direction in the light of its general mindset toward growth and the management of its businesses and product portfolios. There are three crucial categories, which are stability, growth, and retrenchment, that involve within corporation strategy. Additionally, business strategy often occurs at the business unit or product level, and it highlights the improvement of the competitive position of a company’s products and service in the particular market segment served by the business unit. Competitive and cooperative strategies are two main categories that match within business strategy. Furthermore, functional strategy is the method that through a functional area to
Business level strategies identify the company’s overall competitive theme (Hill & Jones, 2013). In addition, business level strategies evaluate the ways a company creates its competitive advantage and the various positioning strategies that are used in a numerous of industry settings. Companies may use a cost leadership strategy, differentiation strategy, focus strategy, or a combination of these: Cost leadership is a company’s use of effectiveness in order to sell their products at the lowest price than its competitors. Differentiation strategy is the creation of desired products or services. Focus strategy is when a company offers specific services in a niche market. Focus strategies put emphasis on a precise role or division of the industry.
In Book 2, "Strategy in Practice," Tovstiga’s (2013) book requests readers to focus on practical strategic thinking rather than only relying on classical strategy theory. Tovstiga (2013) provides three simple high-level frameworks for strategy analysis, ‘value proposition,’ ‘unique competing space’ and ‘opportunity-response’, to answer the pertinent questions of business strategy – where, how, why, what and when (chapter 5). Further, Tovstiga (2013) reviews externally-focused supporting frameworks for strategy analysis such as PESTEL, Porter’s Five Forces, and SWOT analysis. Finally, in Book 3, "The Strategy Book," Max Mckeown (2012) provides a comprehensive guide to strategy, covering topics such as strategic thinking, strategic planning, and strategic action. Mckeown (2012) emphasizes the importance of being agile and adaptable in today’s fast-paced business environment.
A competitive advantage exists when the firm is able to deliver the same benefits as competitors but at a lower cost (cost advantage), or deliver benefits that exceed those of competitors products (differentiation advantage). (QuickMBA, 2007) Creating this competitive advantage is produced using the organizations resources and capabilities b either a cost advantage or differentiated. Porter identified three basic strategies one of which is the cost leadership strategy. This strategy intends for the organization being the low cost producer in the industry. Such ways to lower prices include; improving process efficiency, vertical integration, and avoiding some cost for example.
It depends on the company, which strategy they would fellow- comparing their competitors’ strategy. It does not matter whether the follow cost leadership or differentiation strategy, they must manage their own value chain.
Business strategy is a long-term plan of actions intended by the business to attain its set of goals or objectives. The business strategy states ways business conduct to achieve its desired goals at a certain period. It can also be defined as a roadmap that guides business to achieve and meet its set goals a certain period (Barney, 2006)
Business strategy is the means by which firm’s plans to achieve its goals and objectives. It can also be termed as organization long-term planning. The strategy covers periods between 3-5 years and sometimes longer. Businesses use two major types of strategy, general or generic and competitive strategies. The overall strategy involves strategies of growth, globalization and retrenchment. The competitive advantage includes low pricing, product and customer differentiation. We will look at the business strategy used by Marks and Spenser (Cole, 1997). The company is a British multinational located at Westminster London and specializes in clothes and luxurious food products.
It tells a layman business person or a person interested in setting up a business soon that a strategy is about planning for the future. It is to plan the future in a way that makes it easy for the managers to set up objectives and for the employees to follow those objectives (McKeown, 2012). The book gives examples of successful business persons and how they made their business strategy when they came into the business field. There are examples of people, who found success instantly, and there are also examples of business persons who struggled at first, but then after reshaping the strategy they were able to effectively conduct their business. It is very helpful for new entrepreneurs to know about these strategies so that they could also learn and implement it in their
Numerous definitions of strategy exist, in most circumstances strategy can loosely be explained as an overall plan of deployment of resources to ascertain a favourable position within a market (Zablah, Bellenger and Johnston 2004; Grant 1994, p 14). Further, imbedded in many successful organisations are strategies, the importance of which is to remain relevant in the market, and successful in the various attributes of business; profiteering, employee motivation, maintaining sustainable core competencies, effectiveness in operation, or efficiency in the conduction of operations. Therefore challenges involved in the formulation and implementation of a strategy can revolve around the overall external market, as well as internal
It is useful to begin with some discussion of what we mean by strategy. Strategy is concerned with the achievement of goals; the most efficient and beneficial (to those creating the goals) way of achieving these, while attempting to plan for problems and events that may arise ...
A business level strategy is an integrated and coordinated set of commitments and actions the firm uses to gain a competitive advantage by exploiting core competencies in specific product markets.
Companies are constantly reinventing themselves in the name of profit. There are a number of different strategies companies implore to create success. Whether it is the expansion into international markets, new technologies, or sustainability the goal is to create a strategy that allows the business to successfully compete. There are numerous strategies capable of generating abnormal profits or can take a company into bankruptcy. The spectrum holds no magic formula as a variety of resources and capabilities are necessary to successfully compete. What works or is frowned upon in one market can become a cash cow in another. The constant is embracing strategic management and business
Critical to the success of any business is having an organized plan to succeed. Many small businesses especially those that are started ad-hoc or almost by accident, are the guiltiest of not taking the time needed to establish clear objectives for their business. Even in large corporations, there may be an overall corporate mission, but it is not easily translated once middle managers seek to merge the corporate mission into their daily activities. Any business, whether a small entrepreneurial start-up or a one of the fortune 500 companies, will benefit from carving out time to establish a well thought out business plan. A critical component in implementing a successful plan is to put in place specific goals and create a plan on how to achieve them. The strategies to consider are business type or industry; competitor factorization; the availability of human resources; timeline and budget considerations are just a few. A strategic plan which incorporates goal setting and a defined map on how these goals will be attained will set in place the groundwork for a successful business.
A strategy which is adopted by an organisation indicates what area the firm intends to do well in.
Before starting any business you should consider its objectives, in order to develop a strategy. It is the strategy that lays out how the objectives will be achieved and determines deadlines for achieving them. If and when the goals are reached the business will be successful.