The Honda Effect Case Study

“While the Wright Brothers flew overhead and Model T’s rolled off Henry Ford’s assembly line, the new sport of motorcycle racing began drawing large crowds bent on celebrating a piston-powered future.” (Britannica). From 1901 to around 1903, the first racing motorcycle would be produced by the Hendee Manufacturing Company, being known as the “Indian”. Soon in 1903, Harley Davidson would produce their product of the Indian, being slightly different with a 1.75

Honda has continued to embrace the changes that happen around its operations to ensure sustainability and profitability. The current global motorcycle manufacturing sector is full of competition. It, therefore, becomes crucial for every manufacturer to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses and then identify the opportunities to exploit to gain competitive advantage. Honda is Japanese based automobile company; it has numerous subsidiaries in Asia, Europe, and North America. Due to the advancements in technology, Honda will be required to make use of the latest technological trends to stay competitive. The business level strategy at Honda is in line with its enterprise and corporate strategy. The corporation also conducts Research and

The motorcycle industry is very vast and contains many different manufacturers and types. Victory needs to stay ahead of its competitors such as Harley Davidson, Kawasaki and Yamaha. The thing that

The purpose of this Foundation of Strategy paper is to defend this author’s opinion as to “What have been or are currently the three greatest challenges for the United States in translating its military power into desired political outcomes or end states?” (Air War College) Additionally, the paper will “evaluate the three challenges in the context of two different conflicts.” (Air War College) In today’s ever dynamic and changing strategic landscape, there are plenty of challenges facing the United States. As one can imagine, the palate is full given the many facets and combinations in which senior leaders make decisions as to how best to reach a desired end goal and/or political outcome.

The fight amongst the major players in this industry is not over price, but over capturing the market share. Since, there is no one definitive leader in the motorcycle industry on the global level, the companies tend to steal each other’s business, this makes the industry rivalry cut throat. One of the crucial factors that make this industry extremely attractive is the constant drive for innovation. Since different industry participants have different approach towards the same segment of the industry, there is a very high

We can carry the concept from Ansoff Matrix that, diversification is the one of the best strategy to develop and stay in a competitive market. Honda motor company also follow the same i.e Diversification i.e new product in a new market. As at that time already Honda was a world’s largest motorcycle producer so they tried to capture the new market i.e US market by establishing U.S subsidiary and offering the customer a light weight motorcycle to its customer.

Historically, how did Harley‐Davidson manage to dominate the US market? How did it do so and what were its sources of competitive advantage?

The major forces for change in the external environment of motorcycles industry are political, economic, social-cultural, technological, environmental and legal factors (Cadle, Paul, & Turner, 2010). The political factors affect the external environment of motorcycle industry by affecting the markets. The government has influenced changes through free trade agreements, ensuring patent protection and encouraging e-commerce. Political influences provide both opportunities and threats, the free trade agreements have allowed expansion into other markets but also has increased the inflow of cheaper substitutes into the market that a company operates in. Political factors affecting this industry has brought opportunities for the Harley-Davidson.

Historically Harley-Davidson to be a Niche Marketer, which is they had focused in on one particular aspect of the market. Kotler and Keller identified the following characteristics of niche marketing; customers have a distinct set of needs, they are willing to pay more to the firm that best suits their needs, it is not likely to attract competitors, gains economies through specialized products and it has a size, profit and to grow. Almost all of these hold true for the “heavyweight” segment of motor cycles that Harley-Davidson produced.

Harley-Davidson has managed to dominate the U.S. market by investing in research and development, experimenting with its designs and

Harley Davidson is known as one of the main motorcycle manufacturers and sellers in the United States. The company had good business and great market share in the early 1960s when it commanded a total of about 70% 0f the motorcycle market, before the invasion or the intrusion of a small Japanese firm that manufactured lighter motorcycles, known as the Honda. The case study as identifies that Harley Davidson assumed the invasion by the Japanese firm and instead of tackling the competition, it waited for a long time which resulted in the company losing its command in the motorcycle market in the United States. Lack of action by the management of Harley Davidson resulted in the failure of the company

The late 1950s and early 1960s saw the first influx of low-priced, smaller Japanese motorcycles and scooters into the United States. Honda began U.S. distribution of its products in 1959, with the slogan, "You meet the nicest people on a Honda," to combat the negative image associated with the sport. Yamaha starting selling motorcycles in the United States during 1960; Suzuki followed in 1963; and Kawasakii joined the competition in 1967. BMW opened a U.S. distribution arm in 1975, incorporating in New Jersey. Harley-Davidson ended years of private ownership in 1965 with a public offering of its stock, and eventually merged with industrial giant AMF in 1969.

•     Started as a partnership between a draftsman and a pattern maker in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1903. William Harley and Arthur Davidson intrigued by the newly invented motorcycles began experimenting with ideas to design and build their own motorcycle. They enlisted Arthur's brothers, Walter a skilled mechanic and William a machinist who gave live to the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. That early partnership has evolved into a family of millions of Harley-Davidson, Inc. stakeholders throughout the world.

The success of Harley Davidson (HD) is due to the American motorcycle icon’s effective Strategic Management. HD’s vision, mission, goals and objectives strive to exceed the requirements of its main stakeholders. Although these needs are not always met, the company has unique relationships with is stakeholders. The company stays on course with its strategic plan, despite the economy and the decline of American manufacturing and what might be considered its dwindling U.S. consumer base.

* Honda uses strategic sourcing-maximizing the value added through their external suppliers, and they choose highest supplier in overall service not necessarily the lowest price.