1. What is competitive advantage, and how does it relate to a company’s business model?
Competitive advantage is that a company has better ability in earning profit and profit growth compared to its competitors for the same group of customers in one industry.
Management level uses the business model to establish the strategies for the company’s operation and thus create competitive advantage over the company’s rivals and make more profit.
2. Describe the strategic planning model, and who is involved in the strategy-making process
There are five steps in the strategic planning model:
1. Identify the company’s mission and goals
2. Analyze the external competitive environment to identify opportunities and threats
3. Analyze the internal
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Threats: Nokia phones once dominated the phone market. However, it failed to see the threats from smartphone and the new phone manufacturer, and thus the brand Nokia faced serious strike and almost disappeared until recent.
4. What are the various levels of management, and how do they participate in the process of strategic decision making?
The various levels of managements are corporate-level managers, business-level managers, and functional-level managers.
Different levels of managers evaluate and make strategic decision from different aspects. They contribute to strategies establishment based on their own areas.
Corporate-Level Managers: Monitor and control the strategies for the entire organization, making sure the strategies consistent with the pursuing of profit.
Business-Level Managers: Be in charge of the business units and thus focus on the strategies specific to a particular business.
Functional-Level Managers: Focus on specific functions and create strategies used to achieve the goal of the above two levels’ strategies.
Chapter 2 Questions:
1. Define “Industry”, “Business” and “Sector”. How are these related?
Industry: A group of companies provide similar products or services which
2.Competitive Advantage – It includes the best product of an Organization in the competitive market.
It also is an industry that indicates national markets that organization complete. Corporate also provides the frame work with divisional managers create there business-level plans. A business-level plan has details that have long-term goals that will allow the division to meet corporate goals, and the division 's business-level strategy and structure. Many organizations have a business- level strategy that states the methods of a business or division. The use this strategy to compete against there rivals in the industry that they are in. Their is also a functional level this is the unit or department were people have the same skill or use the same resources to perform their job. The business-level plan provides the frame work for which functional mangers devise there plan. A functional plan states the goals that functional managers propose to pursue to help the division attain its business level goals mean that there is a goal set by corporate all the way down for everyone to meet. So that includes a functional-level strategy. Sets forth the actions managers plan to take the level of their department and grow. Functional level also consist of manufacturing, marketing, accounting, and R& D. Which allows the organization to reach its goal. One thing you should remember is that functional goals and strategies should be consistent with divisional
In a nutshell therefore, the corporate-level strategy would make decisions regarding strategic alliances, diversification, resource allocation, acquisition, and new business ventures formulation (Thomas, n.d).
Competitive advantage exists when a firm has strategy, product or an attribute that makes the firm capable of delivering similar benefit to that of competitors at a cheaper cost. Having competitive advantage is not enough the company should be capable of sustaining that particular competitive advantage for a longer period of time.
What is a competitive advantage for the company? How can the management use it? Make SWOT analysis for the company.
In order to achieve competitive advantage, a firm must perform one or more value-creating activity that is more superior compared to other competitors. Superior value is created through lower costs or superior benefits to the buyers.
What are the different levels of management in an organization? Explain responsibilities and importance of each level with examples. You may choose your current organization or an organization of your choice to support your answer. [30marks]
In every organization there are managers, and every manager is classed on different levels in terms of the skills they need and the activities they are involved in. Managers exist at various levels in the organization hierarchy. A small organization may have one layer of management, where as a large organization may have several. In most organizations there are three level of managers. The three level of managers are, first line manager, middle manager, and finally the top-level manager. Managers at different job levels have different job responsibilities and therefor require different skills.
Competitive advantage(CA) is an advantage competitors gain by providing or offering customers or consumers greater value for their money through product and service differentiation or through lower prices. Maintaining competitive advantage is crucial to many businesses or organizations' success in order to survive in the market. Competitive advantage is characterized by superior performance which could be an attribute to outperform the competitors whether current or potential; or gaining a higher market share in a particular industry thereby ensuring market leadership; or ultimately, maximization of profit.(JOBBER 2010)
Competitive advantage is the act of a firm being in a more favorable position in the market that its rivals when it comes to operation. McGrath(2013) stated that competitive advantage can be displayed regarding having affordable products or services and having quality product or service. Quality of service or quality is one way to which a firm can beat rivals in endearing itself into customers. Customers prefer consuming the best quality in the market, and the firm with the best quality makes more sales. Affordability of a product or service is another way a firm creates a favorable position among consumers. Customers prefer to purchase an affordable product or service where the substitutes presented to them are of the same quality. A firm with competitive advantage has a higher number of sales from repeat and new customers. The high quality and affordability make customers keep purchasing the product as new customers are attracted to the business at the expense of rivals.
exists when the firm is able to deliver the same benefits as competitors but at a
Competitive advantage is the point of power for any organization as it is the point from which an organization can maximize it's profits if it's been planned for it well .
Competitive advantage exists when a firm has strategy, product or an attribute that makes the firm capable of delivering similar benefit to the customers, that of the competitors at a cheaper cost. Having a competitive advantage is not enough the company should be capable of sustaining that particular competitive advantage for a longer period of time.
The success or failure of an organization falls back on the top manager (Jones & George, 2011).
Competitive advantage is viewed as a explanation of a firm success and long-term survival. With knowing the firm and competitiors, competitive advantage can be established by delivering more value to the customers in a more efficient manner (Day and Wensley 1988; Porter 1985). However, to a competitive advantage, the firm should focusing on the customers needs instead of their internal operations (Czepiel 1992; Zeithaml 1988).