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The Strategy Of A Firm's Choice Of Strategy

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Critically discuss, using examples, the proposition that a firm’s choice of strategy depends on its analysis of, and response to, the competitive environment rather than the exploitation of the resources under its control. Nowadays “strategy” has become one of the most commonly heard words in the business environment. This shows a need to be explicit about exactly what is meant by the word strategy. According to a definition provided by A.Chandler strategy is “ the determination of the basic long-term goals of the enterprise, and the adoption of courses of action, and the allocation of resources necessary for carrying out goals” (Chandler 1962). Over the previous decades, a couple of new ideas regarding business strategy have evolved mainly “due to the increasingly urgent need for responsiveness to market changes” (Wall 1997). However the dynamic nature of the market is also the main limitation for strategy as it condemns it from being considered “a settled product” (Freedman 2013) but rather “a general policy that needs constant revision for dealing with changing circumstances” (Neumann and Morgestern, 1944). Over the past few decades, a major question in the field of business strategy is the means by which firms gain and sustain a competitive advantage. Surprisingly, the experts do not seem to agree. The debate lays over whether organizational resources or the competitive environment are most important in shaping firm’s strategy that could lead to the attainment of a

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