Ford VRIO Analysis

Every external factor exhibits an open door or risk that the business must address through vital activity. As one of the main five players in the worldwide car industry, Ford guarantees that it addresses the issues in its PESTLE analysis. These issues are an immediate determinant of the hierarchical advancement direction of Ford.

Organizations that strive to be a leader in an industry must look beyond their domestic boundaries and expand into international markets. The Ford Motor Company remains the second largest automotive manufacturer in the United States and fifth largest automotive manufacturer in the world with Toyota leading the way. This essay will address the Ford Motor Company’s strategic approach to compete internationally and identify which resources and capabilities make it attractive to compete internationally. Additionally, the Ford Motor Company’s diversification strategy options will be described. Lastly, we will identify how chosen diversification strategy options would lead to a strategic fit for the Ford

Ideas introduced in the article assist in understanding Ford’s current situation. Ford reported sharp falls in U.S. auto sales in May 2008. Sales of its most profitable pickups and SUVs suffered the most (“US Auto Sales Slide”). Some of the main

The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world’s most important economic divisions by profits. This analysis focuses on the industry, specifically, manufacturers of automobiles. There are five competitors in the StratSim environment: Firm A, B, C, D, and E. Industry sales in the most recent year were 4.3 million units, with expected growth in the next year. Within this industry, there are seven-vehicle classes: Economy, Family, Luxury, Sports, Minivan, Truck, and Utility. There are two new classes with potential – if properly marketed.

Ford has had to face various challenges and current goals are to obtain the market share from its competitors and build the vehicles consumers are demanding. By meeting these needs, the company can redefine itself. With consumers trying to decrease their debt and an increasing number of competitors showcasing fuel-efficient vehicles, Ford needs to create affordable high quality and fuel efficient vehicles to remain competitive. An internal analysis of Ford Motor Company will evaluate its resources and capabilities. This analysis can aid in determining Ford’s cost position, competency, and competitiveness in the current marketplace.

I will be comparing both companies General Motors Company and Ford Motor Company for the past three years. We will be able to see all the trends these two automotive manufacturers have and which one may be better to invest in by looking at the last few year’s ratios and percentages. This will give us a better understanding and the knowledge of who maybe the industry leader and who is the follower. These are both major corporations that strive off customer loyalty and both competing on a global scale to make their mark in the one of the top automotive manufacturers in the world. This analysis will give us an understanding of what lies ahead in the future for these two manufacturers.

Alan Mulally, who was hired as CEO of Ford in September 2006, had not engineered, designed, or built any cars. He came from Boeing. After joining Ford, he devised a plan that identified specific goals for the company, created a process that moved it toward those goals, and installed a management system to make sure the company reaches those goals. Mulally demands weekly, sometimes daily, updates. “Alan's style is pretty relentless,” says chief financial officer Lewis Booth, a 31-year Ford veteran. “He says, ‘If this is the reality, what are we going to do about it?' not ‘We're going to work our way through it.'”

One of the most notable outcomes of the competition between Ford and General Motors has been their control of the global automobiles industry. Both companies enjoy have many clients within the United States of America and other parts of the world. This would not have been the case had the two companies not been in direct competition with each other. Whenever Ford introduces a new model in the market, General Motors is always quick to do the same (Ford 14). Similarly, the development of a new model by the latter company serves as a lead for Ford Motor Company to introduce a new brand. This neck-to-neck tussle for the American and global market for automobiles has positively affected the exceptional success of both companies. In most cases, companies tend to view competition with a perception that is more or less negative.

Ford Motor Company has tough competition with European and Japanese manufacturers, therefore the company did not respond well and suffered

Through an internal environment analysis, companies can identify and understand their own unique resources, capabilities, and competencies that are required for their sustainable competitive advantage. Resources, capabilities, and core competencies are the foundation of competitive advantage. There is no competitive advantages are permanently sustainable in any companies, so they have to consist on their current advantages and develop new advantages by internally understanding and analyzing their resources and capabilities. Competitors have their own unique resources, capabilities, and core competencies to create values for their customers. Both tangible and intangible resources, which include individual, social and organizational phenomena, are combined to generate capabilities. In turn, company’s capabilities are used to build core competencies. Also, core competencies are as a source of competitive advantage for a company to win in the competitive market.

Ford decided to expand internationally to increase sales, spread production sites, and to increase their research and development. The company believed that economies of scale and supplier flexibility would improve cost efficiency and supplier efficiency. Ford felt that these factors

This strategy emphasizes the use of an organization’s resources and capabilities to achieve a core competence that cannot be imitated by competitors. Furthermore, the resource based school argues that if an organization distinctively improves its internal capability; that is being able to have effective inside machinery to deliver products and services to customers, the organization will enjoy a massive advantage in the market. This school also argues that in order to have a competitive advantage, an organization must have resource and capabilities that are sophisticated to those of competitors (QuickMBA,

In order for Ford to be able to move forward and be successful they have had to make decisions that may have been difficult but also allowed them to become more efficient and more competitive in the automotive industry. We all remember when the economy started a downturn that affected many businesses including the automotive industry. Ford had already begun to make changes to ensure that they would be able to remain successful and it set Ford apart from other automakers.

Ford in 2011 is on the rebound, having recovered from the darkest hours in the late 2000s. The company for the company is that many of its competitors are also rebounding, and there are significant long-run changes in the automobile industry. Ford needs to determine a strategy that will take the company through the next decade, and improve the company's competitive position. The company has four of the top fifteen best-selling cars in America, but also needs to set strategy globally, as many of the best automobile growth markets are overseas. Another strategic consideration is that CEO Alan Mulally remains in the process of changing the organizational culture at Ford, which had become stagnant and unresponsive to the changes in the industry environment.

Faced with an overwhelmingly complex situation, Alan Mulally has been brought in as Ford Motor Company's new president and CEO. As diverse global dynamics confront the company and competitive pressures continue to build, he has the challenging task of improving Ford's brand image and returning the company to profitability. Mulally has invited your consulting firm to advise his management team on restoring the company's reputation and viability. Assigned to the project, you have been asked to evaluate Ford's situation and prepare a report with the following content: