OUTLINE OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

PPTS

CAUTION : OUTLINES OF PPTS GIVEN BELOW DO NOT CONSTITUTE

COMPREHENSIVE READING FOR THE SUBJECT . STUDENTS ARE SUPPOSED
TO READ SUBJECT COVERED IN PRESCRIBED TEXT BOOKS ALONG WITH
NOTES TAKEN IN CLASS ROOM DISCUSSIONS . WE HAVE ALSO DISCUSSED
NUMBER OF OTHER CORPORATE EXAMPLES AND MATERIAL .

WELL OUTLINE OF PPTS HELP YOU TO HAVE A BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF THE
SUBJECT FOR FINAL REVIEW ONLY .

Strategic Management – Module 1 (A)

Source : Strategic Management by Ireland , Hoskisson , Hitt
And
Crafting and Executing Strategy by Thompson Jr , Strickland , Gamble and Arun
Jain
Scheme of Module 1 a
 To cover theory in 2 sessions
 To cover case examples in 1 session
 To have presentation of Assignments 1 session
 To have weekly test in 1 session
How do we define Strategic Management?
 According to Peter Drucker “ Strategic Management is not a box
of tricks or a bundle of techniques . It is analytical thinking and commitment of
resources to action “

How do we define Strategic Management?
 According to Lawrence R Jaunch and William F Glueck
“ Strategic Management is a stream of decisions and actions which leads to the
development of an effective strategy of strategies to help achieve corporate
objectives . The strategic management process is the way in which strategists
determine objectives and make strategic decisions “

According Thompson and Strickland
 “ The tasks of crafting , implementing and executing company strategies are
the heart and soul of managing a business enterprise “
As per Ireland , Hoskisson , Hitt
 A strategy is an integrated and coordinated set of commitments and actions
designed to exploit core competencies and gain a competitive advantage .
 A firm has a competitive advantage when it implements a strategy competitors are
unable to duplicate or find too costly to try to imitate .
According Thompson and Strickland
 In crafting a strategy , management is saying , in effect , “Among all the
paths and actions we could have chosen , we have decided to move in this direction ,
focus on these markets and customer needs , compete in this fashion , allocate our
resources and energies in these ways . And rely on these particular approaches to
doing business . “
How Stakeholders relationship could be source of competitive advantage ?
 Stakeholders are the individuals and groups who can affect the vision and mission
of the firm are affected by the strategic outcomes achieved , and have enforceable claims
on a firm’s performance . Claims on a firm’s performance are enforced through the a
stakeholder’s ability to withhold participation essential to the organisation’s survival ,
competitiveness , and profitability .
Classification of Stakeholders
 A : Capital Market Stakeholders
 1.Shareholders
 2. Debenture holders
 3 . FIs , Banks , MFs , FIIs, PEs , VCs Etc.
 B. Product Market Stakeholders
 1.Primary customers
 2. Suppliers
 3. Host communities
 4.Unions
Classification of Stakeholders
 C . Organisational Stakeholders
 1.Employees
 2. Managers
 3. Non- Managers

Strategic Leaders
 Strategic leaders are people located in different parts of the firm using the
strategic management process to help the firm using the strategic management process to
help the firm reach its vision and mission .
 Their location in organisational structure is not that important .
Organisational Culture
 Refers to the complex set of ideologies , symbols , and core values that are shared
through out the firm and that influences how the firm conducts business . It is social
energy that drives – or fails to drive – the organisation . For example , highly successful
Southwest Airlines is known for having a unique and valuable culture . Its culture
encourages employees to work hard and have fun too . The firm also pays importance by
its commitment to provide POS ( Positively Outrageous Service ) .

Average returns
 Above average returns are returns in excess of what an investor expects to earn
from other investments with a similar amounts of risk .
 Risk is an investor’s uncertainty about the economic gain or losses that will
result from a particular investment .
 Average returns are returns equal to those an investor expects to earn from other
investments with similar amount of risk .
The I / O Model of Above Average Returns
 Industrial Organisation ( I/O ) model of above average returns explains the
external environment’s dominant influence on a firm’s strategic actions .
 The model specifies that the industry in which a company chooses to compete
has stronger influence on performance than do the choices managers make inside their
organisations .
 The performance is believed to be determined by primarily by a range of
industry properties :a) economies of scale , b) barriers to market entry , diversification ,
and the degree of concentration of firms in the industry .
Assumptions of I / O Model
 1. External environment is assumed to impose pressures and constraints that
determine the strategies that result in above- average returns .
 2.Most firms competing within an industry or within a segment of industry are
assumed to control similar strategically relevant resources and to pursue similar
strategies in light of those resources .
 3.Resources used to implement strategies are assumed to be highly mobile across
firms , so any resource differences that might develop between firms will be short lived .
 4.Organisational decision makers are assumed to be rational and committed to
acting in the firm’s best interests

The I/ O Model of Above Average Returns

Resource Based Model of Above Average Returns
 As per this model , differences in firm’s performances across time are due
primarily to their unique resources and capabilities rather than to the i9ndustry’s
structural characteristics .
 Resources are inputs into a firm’s production process , such as capital equipment ,
the skills of individual employees , patents , finances , and talented managers . Put under
3 categories viz., physical , human and organisational capital .

Resource Based Model of Above Average Returns

 A capability is the capacity for a set of resources to perform a task or an activity
in an integrative manner .
 Core competencies are resources and capabilities that serve as source of
competitive advantage for a firm over its rivals .
 When resources are valuable , scarce , costly to imitate , and non substitutable ,
they have potential to constitute competitive advantage .
Resource Based Model of Above Average Returns
Resource Based Model of Above Average Returns
Strategic Vision
 Strategic Vision so as to provide long term direction , delineate what kind of
enterprise the company is trying to become and infuse the organisation with a sense of
purposeful action
Instances of Strategic Vision
Microsoft Corporation
 In the past
 “ A computer on every desk and in every home using great software as an
empowering tool “ .
 In 1999 , in the light of latest technology , it changed to
 “Empower people through great software anytime , any place and on any device
“
Instances of Strategic Vision
Microsoft Corporation
 In the words of Bill Gates
 “ We see a world where people can use any computing device to do whatever
they want to do anytime , anywhere . The PC will continue to have a central role -- but it
will be joined by an incredibly rich variety of digital devices accessing the poweer of the
Internet “
Instances of Strategic Vision
INTEL
 “ Our vision : Getting to a billion connected computers worldwide , millions of
servers, and millions of dollars of ecommerce . Intel’s core mission is being the building-
block supplier to the Internet company and spurring efforts to make the Internet more
useful . Being conncted is now the centre of people’s computing experience . We are
helping to expand the capabilities of the PC platform and internt . “
Instances of Strategic Vision
OTIS ELEVATOR
 “ Our mission is to provide any customer a means of moving people and things
up , down , and sideways over short distances with higher reliability than any other
enterprise in the world “
Instances of Strategic Vision
 AMERICAN RED CROSS
 “ The mission of the American Red Cross is to improve the quality of
human life , to enhance self-reliance and concern for othrs , and to help people
avoid , prepare for and cope with emergencies “
 AVIS RENT-A-CAR “ Our business is renting cars . Our mission is total
customer satisfaction “
Mission Statement
 A mission specifies the business or businesses in which the firm intends to
compete and the customers it intends to serve .
 Mission statement tends to deal with company’s present business scope “ who we
are and what we do “ where as Strategic Vision portrays a company’s future business
scope .
Examples of Mission Statements
 Mc Donald’s
 “ Be the best employer for our people in each community around the world and
deliver operational excellence to our customers in each of our restaurants . “
 LNP – GE Plastics Company
 Our mission is to be recognised by our customers as the leader in applications
engineering . We always focus on the activities customers desire : we are highly
motivated and strive to advance our technical knowledge in the areas of material , part
design and fabrication technology .

Business Model
 According Thompson and Strickland , a business model deals with the
revenue-cost-profit economics of its strategy - the actual and projected revenue
streams generated by the company’s product offerings and competitive
approaches , the associated cost structure and profit margins and the resulting
earnings stream and return on investment .“
Strategy vs Business Model
 According Thompson and Strickland , strategy relates to a company’s
competitive initiatives and business approaches ( irrespective of the financial and
competitive initiatives and business approaches while the term business deals with
whether revenues and costs flowing from the strategy demonstrate business viability
.“
Strategy vs Business Model
 According Thompson and Strickland , “ Companies that have been in
business for a while and are making acceptable profits have a proven business
model - there is a clear evidence of that their strategy is capable of profitability and
that they have viable enterprise . “
Striking Business Models
 Microsoft

 Linux
 Highly secretive code
 In house R &D
 Highly paid Employees with SOPS
 Highly Priced Software
 Open code
 Open R &D
 External Experts
 Free software
Striking Business Models
 HLL

 Nirma
 Super Quality
 Highly focussed R &D
 Superior Technology
 Targeting high income groups
 Compatible Quality
 Indigenous R &D
 Manual Process
 Targeting low income groups

The Environment Analysis – Module 1 B

Sources :
1.Strategic Management by Ireland , Hoskisson , Hitt
2.Crafting and Executing Strategy by Thompson , Strickland , Gamble and Jain
3.Exploring Corporate Strategy : Text and Cases by Gerry Johnson , Kevan
Scholes ,Whittington

Compiled by Dr. P G K Murthy

External Environment Analysis
 Components :
 Scanning : Identifying early signals of environmental changes and trends .
 Monitoring : Detecting meaning through ongoing observations of environmental
changes and trends .
 Forecasting : Developing projections of anticipated outcomes based on monitored
changes ,and trends .
 Assessing : Determining the timing and importance of environmental changes
and trends for firm’s strategies and their management .
Series of Layers

 The most general layer of the environment is “ macro environment “ .

 Any specific factor in the general environment will affect some organisations
more than others .
 If the future environment is likely to be very different from the past it is
helpful to construct pictures or scenarios .
 Strategic groups are organisations within an industry that have similar
characteristics to each other but are quite different from those in other strategic
groups .
 The concepts of market segmentation , customer value and life cycles are
relevant .
General Environment /PESTEL Framework

 Political- Govt stability , taxation policy ,foreign trade regulation , social

welfare policies , labour laws , anti-trust laws etc.
 Economic factors : Inflation , interest rates , Trade deficits / surpluses ,
Budget deficits /surpluses , Personal / Business savings rates , GDP
 Socio-cultural : Work force diversity , Attitudes about quality of life , Shifts
in work and career preferences , shifts in preferences regarding product and service
characteristics .
 Global : Important political events , critical global markets , newly
industrialised countries , different cultural and institutional attributes .
 Technological : Product innovations , Applications of knowledge , Focus of
private and government support , R & D Expenditures , New communication
technologies .
 Demographic : Population size , Age structure , Geographic distribution ,
Ethnic mix , Income Distribution
 Environmental : Green house effect , environmental pollution , global
warming etc.
PESTEL Framework
 Lobbying : GOI opening up Telecom industry for private players . DOT
auctioning spectrum region wise
 Demographics (Demography forecasting ): India having over 50 per cent of
population below age group of 35 years .
 Socio-cultural (Environmental sensing ) : Growing health consciousness and
social pressures have led to severe restrictions on use of tobacco products .

PESTEL framework

 Technology ( R & D Policy ) :The introduction of new multi media mobile

service such as data , entertainment and text messaging has been more than just
the next level . These new data services require secure transactions over mobile
networks , more processing power , and increased memory capacity . As a result ,
smart-card manufacturers , banking applications developers and billing software
developers have all increased their investments in R &D in order to capitalise on
this technology ,
PESTEL framework
 Capital Markets (Financial Policy ) : Boom in IT stocks during 1999 and
2003 . Burst of Dotcom . Current phase of global recession .
 Labour market ( Labour Policy and industrial relations ) : Government
notifying certain services as Essential Services . Regulating Strikes in such areas .
 Competition ( Marketing policy ) : Deregulation of Banking , Oil Sector ,
Telecom etc.
 Economic forecasting (Economic policy ):Taiwan with a population of 22
million people played vital role in electronics industry . Taiwan’s electronics
factories evolved from contract manufacturers into designer manufacturers .
Taiwan’s prosperity as an electronics workshop has been the result of partnering
with the US Computer industry .
PESTEL framework
 Ecology ( Environmental sensing and R & D policy Huntingdon Life Sciences
, the biggest drug-testing company in Europe was targetted by anti-vivisection
protestors and animal groups following a documentary about the company in 2000 .
HLS used about 70,000 animals a year to test the effectiveness of pharmaceuticals .
As a result of protestors’ tactics and negative publicity , many shareholders sold
their shares and banks called back loans , leaving HLS on the verge of
bankruptcy .

 Suppliers ( Purchasing ) : The price of crude oil rose to near $140 per
barrel . During last 4 months , crude prices collapsed to below $ 40 per barrel .
OPEC and suppliers are have cut down their production levels .
Poter’s Fundamental Determinants of a Firm’s Profitability
 Five competitive forces :
 The entry of new competitors
 The threat of new substitutes
 The bargaining power of buyers
 The bargaining power of suppliers
 The rivalry among existing competitors

Impact of Five Competitive Forces

 The Five Forces determine industry profitability because they influence :
 Prices
 Costs
 Required investments
Entry Barriers for New Entrants
 Economies of scale
 Proprietary product differences
 Brand Identity
 Switching costs
 Capital requirements
 Access to distribution
 Absolute cost advantages
 - proprietary learning curve
- access to necessary inputs
- Proprietary low cost product design
Govt policy – Licensing , FDI , Tax etc.
Determinants of suppliers power
 Differentiation of inputs
 Switching costs of suppliers and firms in the industry .
 Presence of substitute products
 Supplier concentration
 Importance of volumes to suppliers
 Cost relative to total purchases in the industry
 Impact of inputs on cost or differentiation
 Threat of forward integration relative to threat of backward integration by firms
in the industry .
Determinants of Buyer Power
 Bargaining Leverage
 Buyers concentration vs Firms concentration
 Buyer volume
 Buyer switching costs relative to firm’s switching costs
 Buyer information
 Ability to backeward integration
 Substitute products
 Price Sensitivity
 Product Differences
 Brand Identity
 Impact on quality Performance
 Buyer Profits
 Decision Makers Incentives
Rivalry Determinants
 Industry Growth
 Fixed Storage Costs / value added
 Intermittent overcapacity
 Product differential
 Brand Identity
 Switching Costs
 Concentration and balance
 Informational complexity
 Diversity of competitors
 Corporate stakes
 Exit barriers

New Products
 A new product design that undercuts entry barriers or increases volatility of
rivalry , for example , may undermine the long run profitability an industry – though
imitator may enjoy higher profits temporarily .
 In the Tobacco industry , generic cigarettes are a potentially a serious threat to
industry structure . Generics may enhance the price sensitivity of buyers , trigger
competition , and erode the high advertising barriers that have kept out new entrants .
Structural Drivers of Change

 Are forces likely to affect the structure of industry , sector or market . It

will be the combined effect of some of these separate factors that will be so
important rather than factors separately .
Drivers of Globalization in some Industries

 Global market convergence : 1.Similar customer convergence 2.Globnal

customers .3. Transferable marketing .
 Government influence : 1.Trade policies 2.Technical standards. 3.Host
government policies .
 Cost advantages : 1. Scale economies 2.Sourcing efficiencies 3. Country
specific costs 4.High product development costs .
 Global competition : Interdependence 2. Competitors global 3. High exports /
imports
Building scenarios

 The book publishing industry is facing changing environments which are

hard to predict on the basis of experience or historical analysis .
 1. Development of electronic communications market
 2.Consumer perception of books compared with electronic substitutes .
 3.Costs of paper and other raw materials
 4.Government spending and regulation .
 Assignment
 Think of industries / sectors which have affected significantly due to
changing scenarios and develop building blocks as shown in illustration 3.3 = page
nos 146 & 147 of prescribed book (Edition 6 ) or corresponding illustration of
prescribed book of any edition ( 5 or 7 )
Key Success Factors
 Key Success Factors (KSFs) are those competitive factors that most industry
members’ ability to prosper in the market place – the particular strategy elements ,
product attributes , resources , competencies , competitive capabilities and market
achievements that spell the difference being a strong competitor and a weak competitor .
 In apparel industry , the KSFs are appealing designs and colour combinations ( to
create buyer interest ) and low – cost manufacturing efficiency ( to permit attractive retail
pricing and ample profit margins )
Common Types of KSFs
 Technology related :1. Expertise in a particular technology or in scientific
research ( important in pharmaceuticals , Internet applications , mobile
communications ,and most high tech industries ).2. Proven ability to improve production
processes .
 Manufacturing related KSFs :1. Ability to achieve scale economies and / or
capture learning curve affects. 2. Quality control knowhow.3.High utilisation of Fixed
Assets .4.Access to attractive supplies of skilled labour .High labour productivity etc.
 Distribution related KSFs : 1. A strong network of wholesale distributors .
2.Strong direct sales capabilities via the internet and/or having company owned retail
outlets.
Common Types of KSFs
 Marketing-related KSFs :Breadth of product line and selection 2. A well known
and well respected brand name . 3.Fast , accurate technical assistance .4.Courteous ,
personalised customer service .5.Accurate filling of buyers orders . 6.Customer
guarantees and warranties . 7. Clever advertising .
 Skills and capability – related KSFs :1. Talented workforce .2.National or Global
distribution capabilities 3.Product innovation capabilities 4.Design expertise 5.Short-
delivery-time capability .6.Supply chain capabilities .7.Strong e commerce capabilities .
 Other types of KSFs : Overall low costs 2. Convenient locations 3. Ability to
provide fast , convenient fter sales services etc.

Driving Forces
 Industry conditions change because important forces are driving industry
participants ( competitors , customers , or suppliers ) to alter their actions .
 Driving forces in an industry are the major underlying causes of changing
industry and competitive conditions – some driving forces originate in the macro
environment and some originate from within a company’s immediate industry and
competitive environment .
Most Common Driving Forces
 1.Growing use of the Internet and emerging new internet technology applications
 2.Increasing Globalisation of industry
 3.Changes in the long term industry growth rate
 4.Changes in who buys the product and how they use it .
 5.Product innovation
 6.Technological change and manufacturing process innovation
 7.Marketing Innovation
 8.Entry or exit of major firms
 9.Diffusion of technical know how across more companies and more countries
 10.Changes in cost and efficiency
 11. Growing buyer preferences for differentiated products in stead of standardized
commodity products
 12.Reduction in uncertainty and business risk
 13.Regulatory influences and government policy changes
 14.Changing social concerns , attitudes and life styles .

Assessing the Impact of the Driving Forces

 The following three questions are to be answered
 1.Are the driving forces causing demand for the industry’s product to increase or
decrease ?
 2.Are the driving forces acting to make competition more or less intense ?
 3.Will the driving forces lead to higher or lower industry profitability ?
Strategic Group Mapping
 Strategic group mapping is a technique for displaying the different market or
competitive positions that rival firms occupy in the industry .
 A strategic group is a cluster of firms in an industry with similar competitive
approaches and market positions .
Steps in constructing a Strategic Group Map
 1. Identify the competitive characteristics that differentiate firms in the industry ,
typical variables are price / quality range ( high , medium , low ) , geographic coverage , (
local , regional , national , global ) , degree of vertical integration , product – line
breadth , use of distribution channels and degree of service offered ( no frills , limited ,
full ) .
 2.Plot the firms on a two variable map using pairs of these differentiating
characteristics .
 3.Assign firms that fall in about the same strategy space to the same strategic
group .
 4.Draw circles around each strategic group , making the circles proportional to the
size of the group’s share of total industry sales revenue .
What can be learned from Strategic Group Maps ?
 Driving forces and Competitive pressures donot affect all strategic groups evenly .
Profit prospects vary from group to group according to the relative attractiveness of their
market position .
 What extent industry driving forces and competitive pressures favour some
strategic groups and hurt others.
 What extent the profit potential of different strategic groups varies due to the
strengths and weaknesses in each group’s market position .
 Closer strategic groups are to each other on the map , the stronger the cross-group
competitive rivalry tends to be .
Internal Analysis
Compiled by Dr. P . G . K . Murthy
sources :

1.Crafting and Executing Strategy by Thompson , Strickland , Gamble and Jain

2.Exploring Corporate Strategy : Text and Cases by Gerry Johnson , Kevan
Scholes ,Whittington
3.Strategic Management by Ireland , Hoskisson , Hitt
Liberalisation and Globalisation
 Indian Industry exposed to sudden spurt in competition due to
 - reduction in Custom Tariffs
 - removal of restrictions on imports
 -new ventures by MNCs
 - expansion and diversification by existing players

Necessity is the mother of invention To survive and grow in competition , Indian

Industry realised to focus on
 Quality and Standardisation
 Reduce costs
 Become customer friendly
 International business practices
Sources of Competitive Advantage
 A low cost advantage may stem from such disparate sources as a low cost
physical distribution system , a highly efficient assembly process , or superior sales
force distribution .
 Differentiation can stem from similarly diverse factors including the
procurement of high quality raw materials , a responsible order entry system , or
superior design system .
Single – Industry Firm
Diversified Firm
McKinsey Co’s Business System Concept
 A firm has a series of functions e.g R & D , manufacturing , marketing ,
channels and and each is performing relative to others .
Value
 Value is measured by total revenue a reflection of the price a firm’s product
commands and the units it can sell .
 Value activities classified into Primary and Supportive .
Primary Activities
 Inbound Logistics : Activities associated with receiving , storing , and
disseminating inputs to the product such as material handling , warehousing , inventory
control , vehicle scheduling , and returns to suppliers .
 Operations : Activities associated with transforming inputs into the final product
firm , such as machining , packaging , assembly , equipment , maintenance , testing ,
printing , and facility operations .

Primary Activities
 Outbound Logistics : Activities associated with collecting , storing and physically
distributing the product to buyers , such as finished goods warehousing , material
handling , delivery vehicle operations , order processing , and scheduling .
 Marketing and Sales : Activities associated with providing a means by which
buyers can purchase the product and inducing them to do so , such as advertising ,
channel selection , channel relations and pricing .
 Service : Activities associated with providing service to enhance or maintain the
value of the product adjustment .

Supportive Activities
 Procurement
 Technology Development
 Human Resource Management
 Firm Infrastracture

Activity Types
 Within category of primary and support activities , there are three activity types
that play a different role in competitive advantage :
 1.Direct : Activities directly involved in creating value for the buyer , such as
assembly , parts machining , sales force operation , advertising , product design ,
recruiting , etc.
 Indirect : Activities that make it possible to perform direct activities on a
continuing basis such as maintenance , vendor record keeping , etc.
 Quality Assurance : Activities that ensure the quality of other activities such as
monitoring , inspecting , testing , reviewing , checking , adjusting , and reworking .

Linkages among value activities arise from a number of generic causes :

 The same function can be performed in different ways : High quality inputs or
high quality assurance :
 The cost or performance of direct activities is improved by greater efforts in
indirect activities Better scheduling (an indirect activity ) reduces sales force travel time
or delivery vehicle time .
 Activities performed inside a firm reduce the need to demonstrate explain or
service a product in the field .
 Quality assurance function can be performed in multiple ways .

Vertical Linkages
 Linkages exist not only within a firm’s value chain but between a firm’s chain
and the value chains of suppliers and channels .
 The linkages between suppliers’ value chain and a firm’s value chain provide
opportunities for the firm to enhance its competitive advantage .
 Channel linkages are similar to supplier linkages .

Competitive Scope and Value Chains

 Competitive scope can have a powerful effect on competitive advantage ,
because it shapes the configuration and economies of the value chain .
 Segment scope : The product varieties produced and buyers served
 Vertical scope : The extent to which activities are performed in-house instead of
by independent firms .
 Geographic scope : The range of regions , countries or groups of countries in
which a firm competes with a coordinated strategy .
 Industry scope : The range of related industries in which the firm competes with
a coordinated strategy .
Coalition and Scope
 A firm can pursue the a broader scope internally or enter into coalitions with
independent firms to achieve some or all of the same benefits .Coalitions are long term
agreements among firms that go beyond normal transactions but fall short of mergers .
 Examples : technology licenses , supply agreements , marketing agreements , and
joint ventures .
The Value Chain and Organisational Structure
 The value chain provides a systematic way to divide a firm into its discrete
activities and thus can be read to examine how the activities in a firm are and could be
grouped .
What is meant by Core Competence ?
 Core Competence may be defined as inherent superior strength of an
organisation in a product or service line arising out of Technology , Governance
Process ( ability to work across business and functional unit boundaries ) and
Collective Learning :
Core competency
 Core competences are activities that critically underpin an organisation’s
competitive advantage . They create and sustain ability to meet the critical success
factors of particular customer groups better than other providers in ways that are
difficult to imitate .
Criteria for Core Competency

 1. The competence must relate to an activity or process that fundamentally

underpins the value in the product or service features .
 2.The competence leads to levels of performance from an activity or process
that are significantly better than competitors .
 3.The competence must be robust .
Core Competencies for Consumer Goods

 1. Brand 2. Innovation
 Success : 1.Good Service 2.Reliable delivery:
 1.Solving buyers’ problems – 1. Good personal relaions with buyers :
Accepting returned goods :3.Fast turnaround of orders .
 Using sub contractors for transport
 24 hour dispatch
What is meant by Competitive Strategy ?
 A Strategy that gives advantage to compete successfully with competitors
could be under stood as Competitive Strategy .
Various functional areas in a Company
 Corporate Planning
 Purchases
 Stores and Inventory Control
 Production
 Finance
 Accounting and MIS
 Marketing
 Advertisement and Sales Promotion
 Personnel and Administration
 HR and Training

Various kinds of industries

 Commodity Process Industries
 Agro Commodities
 Mineral and Metal Based industries
 Chemical
 Capital Goods Sector
 Hi -Tech Industries
 Service Industries
 Hospitality , Finance , Marketing , Consultancy , Education etc.
Inter-Related Aspects which make Core Competence
 Production Technologies
 Human Processes
 Systems
 Customer Synergies
Cost Efficiency

 Cost efficiency is a measure of the level of resources needed to create a given

level of value . Sources are :
 1. Economies of scale
 2.Supply costs
 3.Product or process design
 4.Experience
Effectiveness

 Effectiveness is the ability to meet customer requirements on product

features at a given cost . It will be achieved only if managers are able to do the
following :
 Clear about which product feaures are valued by customers .
 Drivers of uniquness within the organisaion
 Price that customers ready to pay for uniqueness
 Product’s featurs are communicated .
 Competitive advantage is more of product service rather than product per
se .
Critical Success Factors and Core Competencies that change over time

 Market Access :1. Global network . 2. Overseas plants .

 Quality / Reliability : 1. Production processes 2. Supplier management
 Product features (at low volume ) : 1. Life style niche marketing .
 2. ‘ Agile ‘ Production
Historical Comparison

 Historical comparison looks at the performance of an organisation in

relation to previous years in order to identify any significant changes .
 Industry norms compare the performance of organisations in the same
industry or sector against a set of agreed performance indicators
 Benchmarking Health Care
 In January 2001 , Sunday Times -Hospital Guide (in association with Dr.
Foster ) published the first guide to hospitals in Britain :
 Mortality Index :
 Doctors per 100 beds
 Nurses per 10 beds
 Waiting time for in-patient treatment
 Waiting time for out-patient treatment
 Patients trust in doctors
Sources of Robustness
 A. Rarity : 1.Unique Resources .2. Preferred access . 3. Situation dependent :
4. Sunk costs .
 B. Complexity : 1.Internal linkage :2. External linkages .3. Linked
technologies .
 C. Causal ambiguity : Competitors are unclear about bases of success .
 Culture : Culturally embedded comptences : Dificult to identify .
 Knowledge creation and integration
Knowledge creation and integration

 Socialisation : Honda set up ‘ brain storming campus ‘ .to solve problems in

developing projects .
 Externalisation : In Canon’s case the origin of using a disposable drum came
from Hiroshi Tanaka – a team leader of task force .
 Combination : EPOS –Electronic Point of Sale – produced a unique
classification of stores and shoppers and were capable of pinpointing who shopped
where and how
 Internalisation : GE documented all customer enquiries and complaints
( more than 14, 000 per day ) and then programmed into 1.5 million potential
problems and their solutions .
 Spiral of knowledge creation :
Reliance Industries Ltd
 Started trading in PFY
 Manufacturing PFY
 Refineriery
 Oil exploration
 A Back ward integration - Core Competence in Petrleun Technology and
Processes .
Using Core Competence as competitive strategy companies opted for
 Expansions - Horizontal
 Expansion - vertical - backward or forward .integration .
 Merger and Amalgamation with a company engaged in same or similar
line -
 Getting controlling stake in a company having similar product line and
technological strengths
Philips / Sony / BPL/Videocon
 Radios
 Tape Recorders
 Televisions and VCRs
 Washing machines
 Pencil Bastteries
 Mobile phones
 Core competence Electronics and Targetting family segment business
Bajaj / Hero/TVS
 Scooters
 Motor bikes
 Mopeds
General Motors , Ford , Toyoto, Suzuki
 Cars
 Vans
 Trucks
Ashok Leyland , TELCO, Mahindra & Mahindra
 Trucks
 Vans
 Medium and Heavy Motor Vehicles .
Bayers , Du pont ,
 Industrial Chemicals
Indian MNCs abroad
 Swaraj Paul Capro group in steel industry group in UK
 Mittals in different countries
Difference old Pharma and nnew Pharma Groups of India .
 Old Groups
 Sarabhai
 alembic
 New Groups
 Ranbaxy
 Cipla
 Sun Pharma
 Dr Reddy Labs

Oberoi
 Hotel Industry
Indian Express /Times of India
 Media Print
 Media ) Electronic
 CDS
Business India Group
 Print Medias - Business India
 Electronic Media - Aaz Thak
 MARG which merged with PRG became ORG MARG

Nirma Ltd
 Washung Powder
 Detergent Cake
 Toilet Soaps
 Caustic Soda
 Plans to get in to Tea etc., using distribution network .
Shri Kumaram Birla of A V Birla group emphasing
 Concentrate on Commodities like
 Cement
 Fertlisers
 Textiles
 Keeping that Grasim took shares of L & T
 Want to get out of BATATA
Why companies diversify in to industries where they lack core competence
 1. To spread risk over different industrial segments . rather than
concentrate on only one industry .
 2. When a company has huge reserves and surpluses , promoters’ decide
to expand their industrial empire and they diversify in to new areas for the
following reasons :
 a) Current industrial segment has reached saturation and has huge
capacities .
 b) Find new sun rising industries where the growth
potentials are excellent .
When promoters are very big industrial houses . The industrial houses diversify in to new
areas
 Promoters place themselves more as entrepreneurs leaving all managerial
functions to top class Professionals in the world . The best examples in the world
are
 1. GE
 2. 3 M
 3. Lever

When promoters are very big industrial houses . The industrial houses diversify in to new
areas
 In India , it is Government of India where industries spread over highly
capital intensive Oil and Petroleum to TVs ,
 Many State Governments role of Promoter very effectively .
 Tata Group
 Birlas
 Hindustan Lever
Industrialists also realised core competency does not ensure success always :Examples
are
 Binny group which was wedded to only textiles .
 Kirloskars by concentrating in Engineering and Electrical industries

To conclude Like any other strategy , Core Competence as Competitive Strategy

also to be used with caution : Care competence as strategy could fail in areas :
1. If over all demand is shrinking due slackness in demand like in case of jute and
cotton and handloom
2. If the overall performance in given industrial segment is below industrial
average for various reasons

Strategy Formulation – Module 3

Compiled by Dr.P.G.K.Murthy From
• Management of Strategy : Text and Cases by Michael Hitt , Hoskisson and R D
Ireland
• Crafting and Executing Strategy : The Quest for Competitive Advantage –
Concepts and Cases by Thompson , Strickland , Gamble and Jain
• Strategic Management and Business Policy by Azhar Kazmi

Characteristics of Strategic Decisions

• Strategy is likely to be concerned with the long term direction of an

organisation .
• Strategic decisions are normally about trying to achieve some advantage for
the organisations over competition .
• Strategic decisions are likely to be concerned with the scope of an
organisation’s activities .
Characteristics of Strategic Decisions

 Strategy can be seen as the matching of resources and activities of an

organisation to the environment in which it operates This is also known as
‘strategic fit ‘ . Strategic fit is developing strategy by identifying opportunities in
the business environment and adapting resources and competences so as to ka
advantage of these .
Characteristics of Strategic Decisions
• Strategy can be seen as building on or stretching an organisation’s resources
and competences to create opportunities or to capitalise on them .
• Strategies may require major resources changes for an organisation
• Strategic decisions are likely to affect operational decisions .
Characteristics of Strategic Decisions

• The strategy of an organisation is affected not only by environmental forces

and resource availability but also by the values and expectations of those who have
power in and around the organisation .
Consequences of Characteristics of Strategy
• Strategic decisions are likely to be complex in nature .
• Strategic decisions may also have to be made in situations of uncertainty .
• Strategic decisions may also have to be made in situations of uncertainty .
• Strategic decisions may also have to manage and perhaps to change
relationships and networks outside the organisation .
• Involve change in organisations which may prove dificult because of the
heritage of resources and because of culture
Elements of Strategic Management
• Strategic Management : Three major elements of strategic management
are : 1.Strategic position :2.Strategic choices and 3. Strategy into action .
• Strategic position is concerned with impact on strategy of the external
environment , internal resources and competences and the expectations and
influence of stakeholders .
Elements of Strategic Management

• Strategic Choices involve understanding the underlying bases for future

strategy at both the corporate and business unit levels and the options for
developing strategy in terms of both the directrions in which strategy might move
and the methods of development .
• Strategy into action is concerned with ensuring that strategies are working
in practice .
Levels of Strategy

• Corporate levels of strategy

• Business unit strategy
• Operations strategies
Business Level Strategy
• Is an integrated and coordinated set of commitments and actions the firms uses to
gain a competitive advantage by exploiting core competencies in specific product
markets .
• Business level strategy indicates the choices the firm has made about how it
intends to compete in individual product markets .
How could we say business level strategy is core strategy ?
• A firm competing in a single product market area in a single geographic location
does not need a corporate level strategy to deal with product diversity or an international
strategy to deal with geographic diversity .
• In contrast a diversified firm will use one of the corporate level strategies as well
as a separate business level strategy for each product market area in which it competes .
• Every firm – from the local dry cleaner to the multinational corporations choose
at least one business level strategy . Thus business-level strategy is the core strategy –
the strategy that the firm forms to describe how it intends to compete in a product
market .
In terms of customers , the firm must determine :
• 1. Who will be served ?
• 2.What needs those target customers have that it will satisfy ?
• 3.How those needs to be satisfied ?
Customers : Their relationship with Business Level Strategies
• Example of Dell vs HP
• Dell captured a significant market share in the personal computer market by
using a low cost strategy while simultaneously satisfying customer needs .
• Hewlett Packard learned how to manage its supply chain to lower costs , thereby
gaining competitive parity with Dell . It also provided a broader portfolio of goods and
services that better satisfied customer needs and thereby customers from Dell

Who : Determining the Customers to Serve :

• Basis for Customer Segmentation :
• Consumer Markets :
• 1. Demographic factors
• 2.Socioecomnomic factors ( social class , stage in the family life cycle )
• 3.Geographic factors (cultural , regional and national differences )
• 4.Psyxchological factors (life style , personality traits )
• 5.Consumption patterns ( heavy , moderate , and light users )
• 6.Perceptual factors ( benefit segmentation , perceptual mapping )
Who : Determining the Customers to Serve :
• Basis for Customer Segmentation :
• Industrial Markets :
• 1. End use segments (identified by SIC codes )
• 2. Product segments (based on technological differences or production economics
)
• 3. Geographic segments (defined by boundaries between countries )
• 4. Common buying factor segments (cut across product market and geographic
segments )
• 5.Customer size segments
Five broad approaches of Competitive Strategy
Five broad approaches of Competitive Strategy
• 4. A focussed (or market niche ) strategy based on lower cost relying on
narrower buyer segment and out competing rivals by serving niche members at a
lower cost than rivals .
• 5. A focussed ( market niche ) strategy based on differentiation :
Concentrating on a narrow buyer segment and out competing rivals by offering
niche members customised attributes that meet their tastes and requirements better
than rivals’ products .
A best-cost provider strategy
upscale attributes
• HDFC Bank and iCICI Bank .
• Bata
• TVS , Bajaj
• Agro Industry

• Nescafe and BRU

• Annapuna
• Tata Salt
Five broad approaches of Competitive Strategy
• 4. A focussed (or market niche ) strategy based on lower cost relying on
narrower buyer segment and out competing rivals by serving niche members at a
lower cost than rivals .
• 5. A focussed ( market niche ) strategy based on differentiation :
Concentrating on a narrow buyer segment and out competing rivals by offering
niche members customised attributes that meet their tastes and requirements better
than rivals’ products .
A best-cost provider strategy
upscale attributes
• HDFC Bank and iCICI Bank .
• Bata
• TVS , Bajaj
• Agro Industry

• Nescafe and BRU

• Annapuna
• Tata Salt
.A low cost provider strategy
• Nirma
• Akai
• Parle
• Link
• Zenith
• SBI Loans
• Lifebuoy soap of HLL

Five broad approaches of Competitive Strategy

• 4. A focussed (or market niche ) strategy based on lower cost relying on
narrower buyer segment and out competing rivals by serving niche members at a
lower cost than rivals .
• 5. A focussed ( market niche ) strategy based on differentiation :
Concentrating on a narrow buyer segment and out competing rivals by offering
niche members customised attributes that meet their tastes and requirements better
than rivals’ products .
A best-cost provider strategy
upscale attributes
• HDFC Bank and iCICI Bank .
• Bata
• TVS , Bajaj
• Agro Industry

• Nescafe and BRU

• Annapuna
• Tata Salt
.A low cost provider strategy
• Nirma
• Akai
• Parle
• Link
• Zenith
• SBI Loans
• Lifebuoy soap of HLL

A broad differentiation strategy :.

• Tooth paste
• Tooth Powder
• Face cream

• Health Beverage Drink

• VIP
• Vicco Vajradhanti
• Dabur’s Laldant Manjan
• Vicco Vanishing Cream

• Horlics
• Safety : Less Weight and Durability
Five broad approaches of Competitive Strategy
• 4. A focussed (or market niche ) strategy based on lower cost relying on
narrower buyer segment and out competing rivals by serving niche members at a
lower cost than rivals .
• 5. A focussed ( market niche ) strategy based on differentiation :
Concentrating on a narrow buyer segment and out competing rivals by offering
niche members customised attributes that meet their tastes and requirements better
than rivals’ products .
A best-cost provider strategy
upscale attributes
• HDFC Bank and iCICI Bank .
• Bata
• TVS , Bajaj
• Agro Industry

• Nescafe and BRU

• Annapuna
• Tata Salt
.A low cost provider strategy
• Nirma
• Akai
• Parle
• Link
• Zenith
• SBI Loans
• Lifebuoy soap of HLL

A broad differentiation strategy :.

• Tooth paste
• Tooth Powder
• Face cream
• Health Beverage Drink
• VIP
• Vicco Vajradhanti
• Dabur’s Laldant Manjan
• Vicco Vanishing Cream

• Horlics
• Safety : Less Weight and Durability
Five broad approaches of Competitive Strategy
• 4. A focussed (or market niche ) strategy based on lower cost relying on
narrower buyer segment and out competing rivals by serving niche members at a
lower cost than rivals .
• 5. A focussed ( market niche ) strategy based on differentiation :
Concentrating on a narrow buyer segment and out competing rivals by offering
niche members customised attributes that meet their tastes and requirements better
than rivals’ products .
A focussed (or market niche ) lower cost than rivals
• Citi Bank
• British Airways
• Sterling Resorts
Transport , Food ,
A best-cost provider strategy
upscale attributes
• HDFC Bank and iCICI Bank .
• Bata
• TVS , Bajaj
• Agro Industry

• Nescafe and BRU

• Annapuna
• Tata Salt
.A low cost provider strategy
• Nirma
• Akai
• Parle
• Link
• Zenith
• SBI Loans
• Lifebuoy soap of HLL

A broad differentiation strategy :.

• Tooth paste
• Tooth Powder
• Face cream

• Health Beverage Drink

• VIP
• Vicco Vajradhanti
• Dabur’s Laldant Manjan
• Vicco Vanishing Cream

• Horlics
• Safety : Less Weight and Durability
Five broad approaches of Competitive Strategy
• 4. A focussed (or market niche ) strategy based on lower cost relying on
narrower buyer segment and out competing rivals by serving niche members at a
lower cost than rivals .
• 5. A focussed ( market niche ) strategy based on differentiation :
Concentrating on a narrow buyer segment and out competing rivals by offering
niche members customised attributes that meet their tastes and requirements better
than rivals’ products .
A focussed (or market niche ) lower cost than rivals
• Citi Bank
• British Airways
• Sterling Resorts
Transport , Food ,
Concentrating on a narrow buyer segment and out competing rivals by offering
niche members customised attributes
• Apollo Hospitals

• Eimco Elecon Capital Equipment

• SOTC

• YMCA LIONS CLUB ROTARY

• In respect of thirteen customers provide imported equipment

• Life time members get
• Heavy discounts

A best-cost provider strategy

upscale attributes
• HDFC Bank and iCICI Bank .
• Bata
• TVS , Bajaj
• Agro Industry

• Nescafe and BRU

• Annapuna
• Tata Salt
.A low cost provider strategy
• Nirma
• Akai
• Parle
• Link
• Zenith
• SBI Loans
• Lifebuoy soap of HLL
A broad differentiation strategy :.
• Tooth paste
• Tooth Powder
• Face cream

• Health Beverage Drink

• VIP
• Vicco Vajradhanti
• Dabur’s Laldant Manjan
• Vicco Vanishing Cream

• Horlics
• Safety : Less Weight and Durability
Five broad approaches of Competitive Strategy
• 4. A focussed (or market niche ) strategy based on lower cost relying on
narrower buyer segment and out competing rivals by serving niche members at a
lower cost than rivals .
• 5. A focussed ( market niche ) strategy based on differentiation :
Concentrating on a narrow buyer segment and out competing rivals by offering
niche members customised attributes that meet their tastes and requirements better
than rivals’ products .
A focussed (or market niche ) lower cost than rivals
• Citi Bank
• British Airways
• Sterling Resorts
Transport , Food ,
Concentrating on a narrow buyer segment and out competing rivals by offering
niche members customised attributes
• Apollo Hospitals

• Eimco Elecon Capital Equipment

• SOTC

• YMCA LIONS CLUB ROTARY

• In respect of thirteen customers provide imported equipment
• Life time members get
• Heavy discounts

Concentrating on a narrow buyer segment and out competing rivals by offering

niche members customised attributes
• CITI BANK , ANZ , AMEX
• Thomas Cook and Western Union .
• Hero Honda Passport
• Flying Clubs :
• Golf Clubs
• Race Clubs

Strategy at Business Level

Source 1:Strategic Management by Ireland , Hoskisson and Hitt

2.Crafting and Executing Strategy by Thompson , Strckland , Gamble and Jain
Customers : Their Relationships with Business Level Strategies
 Dell captured a significant market share in PC market by using low cost strategy .
 HP learned how to manage its supply chain to lower costs .
 Dell became too inward focused and did not take actions to avoid the imitation of
the capabilities .
Effectively Managing Relationships with Customers
 The firms relationships with its customers are strengthened when it delivers
superior value to them .
 Harrah’s Entertainment believes that it provides superior value to customers by “
being service oriented company in gaming .”.
 Amazon.com is an Internet based venture widely recognised for the quality of
information it maintains about its customers , the services it renders , and its ability to
anticipate its customers needs .

 CEMEX SA – a leading building-solutions company in the world uses internet to

link its customers , cement plants and main control rooms , allowing the firm to automate
orders and optimise truck deliveries .
Reach , Richness and Affiliation
 Reach dimension of relationships with customers is concerned with the firm’s
access and connection to customers .Amazon.com offers more than 4.5 million titles and
is located on tens of millions of computers.
 Richness is concerned with the depth and detail of the two way flow of
information exchanges with their customers .Amazon bills itself as “customer centric
company “ .
 Affiliation is concerned with facilitating useful information with customers . E.g
MSN Autos helps online clients find and sort information .

In terms of customers , the firm must determine :

 1. Who will be served ?
 2.What needs those target customers have that it will satisfy ?
 3.How those needs to be satisfied ?
Who : Determining the Customers to Serve :
 Basis for Customer Segmentation :
 Consumer Markets :
 1. Demographic factors
 2.Socioecomnomic factors ( social class , stage in the family life cycle )
 3.Geographic factors (cultural , regional and national differences )
 4.Psyxchological factors (life style , personality traits )
 5.Consumption patterns ( heavy , moderate , and light users )
 6.Perceptual factors ( benefit segmentation , perceptual mapping )
Who : Determining the Customers to Serve :
 Basis for Customer Segmentation :
 Industrial Markets :
 1. End use segments (identified by SIC codes )
 2. Product segments (based on technological differences or production economics
)
 3. Geographic segments (defined by boundaries between countries )
 4. Common buying factor segments (cut across product market and geographic
segments )
 5.Customer size segments
What : Determining Which Customer Needs to Satisfy
 Successful firms learn how to deliver to customers what they want and when they
want it .
 Needs are related to a product’s benefits and features . From strategic perspective
, a basic need of all customers is to buy products that create value for them .
 Most effective firms continuously strive to anticipate changes in customers’
needs .
How : Determining Core Competencies Necessary to Satisfy Customer Needs
 Firms use core competencies (how) to implement value-creating strategies and
thereby satisfy customers’ needs .
 SA Institute is the world’s largest privately owned software company . Allocating
more than 30% of revenues on R&D SAS relies on its core competence in R & D t
satisfy the data related needs of customers US Census Bureau etc.

Purpose a Business Level Strategy

 To create difference between the firm’s position and those of its competitors .
 Choosing to perform activities differently or to perform different activities than
rivals is the essence of business-level strategy .
 Firms develop an activity map to show how they integrate the activities they
perform .
 Refer figure 5.1 Southwest Airline Activity System
Types of Business Level Strategies
 Cost Leadership
 Differentiation
 Focused Leadership
 Focused Differentiation
 Integrated cost leadership / differentiation

Cost Leadership Strategy

 The cost leadership strategy is an integrated set of actions taken to produce
goods or services with features that are acceptable to customers at the lowest cost ,
relative that of competitors .
 Cost leaders concentrate on finding ways on finding ways to lower their costs
relative to those of their competitors by constantly rethinking their primary and support
to reduce costs still further while maintaining competitive levels of differentiation .
Firms implement a cost leadership strategy through each of 5 forces
 Rivalry with Existing Competitors :Walmart is known for its ability to both
control and reduce costs making it difficult for firms to compete .
 Bargaining Power of Buyers : Powerful customers can force a cost leader to
reduce its prices . Walmart has to compete with Costco.
 Bargaining power of Suppliers : Cost leader operates with greater margins than
those of competitors make it possible for the cost leader to absorb increases .
 Potential entrants : Because of ever improving levels of efficiency ( economies of
scale ) enhance profit margins they serve as a significant entry barrier to potential
competitors .
 Product substitutes : A product substitute becomes an issue for the cost leader
when its features and characterstics are potentially attractive to the firm’s customers
Competitive Risks of the Cost Leadership Strategy
 1.Risk of Process of obsolescence : Process used by cost leader may become
obsolete because of innovation by competitors .
 2.Too much focus by the cost leader on cost reduction may occur at the expense
of trying to understand customers’ perceptions of “ competitive levels of differentiation “
Differentiation Strategy
 Is an integrated set of actions taken to produce goods or services (at an
acceptable cost ) that customers perceive as being different in ways that are important to
them .

Firms implement a differentiation strategy through each of 5 forces

 Rivalry with Existing Competitors : Customers tend to be loyal purchasers of
product differentiated in ways that are meaningful to them . As loyalty increases ,
sensitivity to price increases decreases .
 Bargaining Power of Buyers : Customers are willing to accept a price increase
when a product still satisfies their perceived unique needs better than a competitors’
offering can .
 Bargaining power of Suppliers : The high margins the firm earns partially insulate
it from the influence of suppliers in that higher supplier costs .
 Potential entrants : Customer loyalty and the need to overcome the uniqueness of
a differentiated product present substantial barriers to potential entrants .
 Product substitutes :Firms selling brand-name goods and services to loyal
customers are positioned effectively against product substitutes .

Competitive Risks of Differentiated Strategy

 1.Customers might decide that the price differential between the differentiator’s
product and the cost leader’s product is too large .
 2.A differentiated product becomes less valuable if imitation by rivals cause
customers to perceive that competitors offer essentially same goods .
 3.Experience can narrow customers’ perceptions of the value a product’s
differentiated features .
Focus Strategies
 Firms choose a focus strategy when they intend to use their core competencies to
serve the needs of a particular industry segment or niche to the exclusion of others .
 The focus strategy is an integrated set of actions taken to produce goods or
services that serve the needs of a particular competitive segment .
 Firms can create value for customers in specific and unique product segments by
using focused cost leadership or focused differentiated strategy .
Competitive Risks of Focus Strategies
 A competitor may be able to focus on more narrowly defined competitive
segment and “ out focus “ the focus .
 A company competing on an industry wide basis may decide that the market
system served by the focus strategy firm is attractive and worthy of competitive pursuit .
 The needs of customers within narrow competitive segment may become more
similar to those of industry wide customers as a whole over time .

Integrated Cost Leadership / Differentiation Strategy

 The objective of using this strategy is to efficiently produce products with
differentiated attributes .
 Efficient production is the source of maintaining low costs while differentiation
is the source of unique value .
Flexible Manufacturing System
 Flexible Manufacturing System increases the “ flexibilities of human , physical ,
and information resources “ that the firm integrates to create relatively differentiated
products at relatively low costs .
 FMS is a computer controlled process used to produce a variety of products in a
moderate , flexible quantities with a minimum of manual intervention .
Information Net Works and TQM
 Information Networks and CRM
 Firms develop and use TQM systems in order to 1. increae customer satisfaction
2. cut costs 3. reduce the amount of time required to introduce innovative products to the
market place .
Competitive Risks of Integrated Cost Leadership / Differentiation Strategy
 Firms that fail to perform the primary and support activities in an optimum
manner become “ stuck in middle “ – means that the firm’s cost structure is not low
enough to allow it so attractively price its products and that its products are not
sufficiently differentiated to create value for the targeted customer .
 Firms can be stuck in middle when they fail to successfully implement cost
leadership or differentiation strategy .
Corporate Level Strategy
Sources :
1.Strategic Management by Ireland , Hoskisson , Hitt
2.Crafting and Executing Strategy by Thompson , Strickland , Gamble and Jain
3.Exploring Corporate Strategy : Text and Cases by Gerry Johnson , Kevan
Scholes ,Whittington

Compiled by Dr. P G K Murthy

Corporate Level Strategy

 Specifies actions a firm takes to gain competitive advantage by selecting and
managing a group of different businesses competing in different product markets .
 Product diversification , primary form of corporate – level strategies , concerns
the the scope of the markets and industries in the firm competes as well as “ how
managers buy , create and sell different businesses to match skills and strengths with
opportunities presented to the firm . “
Levels of Diversification
Reasons of Diversification
 A. Value Creating Diversification
 1.Economies of Scope ( related diversification)
 a) Sharing Activities
 b) Transferring core comptencies
 2. Market Power (related diversification )
 a) Blocking competitors through multipoint competition
 b) Vertical integration
 3.Financial Economies (unrelated diversification )
 a) Efficient internal capital allocation
 b) Business restructuring

Reasons of Diversification
 B. Value Neutral Diversification
 i. Anti Trust Legislation
 2. Tax Laws
 3.Low performance
 4..Uncertain future cash flows
 5. Risk reduction for firm
 6. Tangible resources
 7.Intangible resources
 C. Value – Reducing Diversification
 1. Diversifying managerial employment risk
 2.Increasing managerial compensation

Value Creating Diversification – Related Constrained and Related Linked Diversification

 Firm builds upon or extends its resources and capabilities to create value .
 ‘ Economies of Scope ‘ are cost savings that the firm create by successfully
sharing some of its resources and capabilities or transferring one or more corporate level
core competencies that were developed in one of its businesses to another of its
businesses .
 Operational Relatedness : Sharing Activities : P&G s paper towel business and
baby diaper business .
 Market Power : exists when a firm is able to sell its products above the existing
competitive level or to reduce the costs of its primary and support activities below the
competitive level or both .
 Nestle is attempting to do by acquiring Gerber Products , firms can create
market power through multipoint competition and vertical integration . Multi point
competition exists when two or more diversified firms simultaneously compete in same
product areas or geographic markets .

 Value –Neutral Diversification

 Incentives to Diversify : External Incentives include anti trust regulations and tax
laws .Internal incentives include low performance , uncertain future cash flows , and the
pursuit of synergy and reduction of risk for the firm .
 Value Reducing Diversification :The desire for increased compensation reduced
managerail risk are two motives for top-level executives may diversify a firm beyond
value –creating and value – neutral levels . Top executives may diversify a firm in order
to diversify their own employment risk as long as profitability does not suffer excessively
.

Acquisitions and Restructuring Strategies

Compiled by P G K Murthy
Certain Definitions
• Merger is a strategy through which two firms agree to integrate their operations
on a relatively co-equal basis . Daimler Chrysler AG was termed ‘ a merger of equals ‘ .
• Acquisition is a strategy through which one firm buys a controlling or 100 percent
interest in another firm with the intent of making acquired firm a subsidiary business
within its portfolio .
• A takeover is a special type of an acquisition strategy wherein target firm does not
solicit the acquiring firm’s bid .
Reasons for Acquisitions
• 1.Increased Market Power : exists when a firm is able to sell its goods and
services above competitive levels or when the cost of its primary or support activities are
lower than those of its competitors . Companies resort to a) Horizontal Acquisitions
( increases a firm’s market power by exploiting cost-based and revenue based synergies)
. B) Vertical Acquisitions (a firm acquiring a supplier or distributor of one or more of its
goods or services ) c. Related Acquisition ( acquisition of a firm in a highly related
industry ) .
Reasons for Acquisitions
• 2. Overcoming Entry Barriers : Factors associated with the market or with the
firms currently operating the market or with the firms currently operating in it , which
increase the expense and difficulty faced by new ventures trying to enter that particular
market .
• Ex: Cross border acquisitions : Acquisitions made between two companies with
headquarters in different countries are called cross-border acquisitions .
Reasons for Acquisitions
• 3.Reshaping the Firm’s Competitive Scope : To reduce the negative effect of an
intense rivalry on their financial performance , firms may use acquisitions to lessen their
dependence on one or more products or markets . Reducing a company’s depence on one
specific markets alters the firm’s competitive scope .
3.Learning New Capabilities
• Pharma , IT Software etc., are industries .

Problems in Achieving Success

• 1. Integration dificulties
• 2.Inadequate evaluation of target
• 3.Large or extraordinary debt
• 4.Inability to achieve synergy
• 5.Too much diverisification
• 6.Managers overly focused on acquisitions
• 7.Too large
International Strategy
Compiled by PGKM
International Strategy
• Is a strategy through which the firm sells its goods and services outside its
domestic market
• Raymond Vernon suggested that typically a firm discovers an innovation in its
home market , especially in countries like USA , often demand for the product then
develops in other countries .
• Another motive for firms to become multinational is to secure needed resources .
• New large –scale , emerging markets , such as China and India , provide a strong
internationalisation incentive based on their potential demand for consumer products and
services .
Identify International opportunities
• Increased market size
• Return on investment
• Economies of scale and learning
• Location advantages

Explore Resources and Capabilities

• International strategies :
• International business level strategy
• Multi-domestic strategy
• Global Strategy
• Transnational strategy

Use Core Competence

• Modes of Entry
• Exploring
• Licensing
• Strategic Alliance
• Acquisitions
• Newly wholly owned subsidiary

Strategic Competitiveness outcomes

• Better Performance
• Innovation
Michael Porter’s National Advantage
International Corporate Level Strategy
• Multi-domestic strategy :is an international strategy in which strategic and
operating decisions are decentralised to the strategic business strategy in each country so
as to allow that unit to tailor products to the local market .
• Global strategy :to offer standardised products across country markets .
• Transnational Strategy : is an international strategy through which firm seeks to
achieve both global efficiency and local responsiveness .

AXIS Bank – Banking on Technology and Market Segments for Competitive Space
By P G K M
Date : Oct 30 , 2010
Vision 2015 and Core Values

• VISION 2015:
• To be the preferred financial solutions provider excelling in customer delivery
through insight, empowered employees and smart use of technology
• Core Values
• Customer Centricity
• Ethics
• Transparency
• Teamwork
• Ownership

About AXIS Bank – Promoters , Capital and Focus

• AXIS BANK WAS THE FIRST OF THE NEW PRIVATE BANKS TO
HAVE BEGUN OPERATIONS IN 1994,
• THE BANK WAS PROMOTED JOINTLY BY UNIT TRUST OF INDIA
(UTI - I), LIFE INSURANCE CORPORATION OF INDIA (LIC) AND GENERAL
INSURANCE CORPORATION OF INDIA (GIC) AND OTHER FOUR PSU
INSURANCE COMPANIES, I.E. NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY LTD.,
THE NEW INDIA ASSURANCE COMPANY LTD., THE ORIENTAL
INSURANCE COMPANY LTD. AND UNITED INDIA INSURANCE COMPANY
LTD.
• THE BANK'S REGISTERED OFFICE IS AT AHMEDABAD AND ITS
CENTRAL OFFICE IS LOCATED AT MUMBAI.
About AXIS Bank – Promoters , Capital and Focus
• THE BANK TODAY IS CAPITALIZED TO THE EXTENT OF RS. 408.84
CRORES WITH THE PUBLIC HOLDING (OTHER THAN PROMOTERS AND
GDRS) AT 53.81%.

• THE BANK HAS A VERY WIDE NETWORK OF MORE THAN 1095

BRANCHES (INCLUDING 57 SERVICE BRANCHES/CPCS AS ON 30TH
SEPTEMBER 2010).
• THE BANK HAS A NETWORK OF OVER 4846 ATMS (AS ON 30TH
SEPTEMBER 2010) PROVIDING 24 HRS A DAY BANKING CONVENIENCE
TO ITS CUSTOMERS. THIS IS ONE OF THE LARGEST ATM NETWORKS IN
THE COUNTRY.

Performance in 2008
• 1. Expansion of Branch Network – 143 new branches during year (total to 651 )
• 2.Significant Presence in Semi Urban and Rural Areas .( 158 branches – about
25% )
• 3.Geographical Reach extends to 29 States and 3 Union Territories covering 405
Centre (as per Annual Report 2008) and
Shift in Strategy
• Initial Business Model :
• Corporate assets being the main focus area .
• Corporate advances witnessed a high growth rate and accounted for 80 % funds
lent till 2002
• Strategic Inflection Point :
• In 1999 , the Bank’s net NPAs to advances ratio jumped to 6.3% in FY 1999 from
3.7% in FY 97.
• Reflected from a marginal in 17% growth in Bank’s Total Advances in FY 02
from a CAGR of 44% .

Shift in Strategy from Corporate to Retail

• Retail Focus with building up of physical and technological infrastructure :
• Branches increased to 450 from just 35 in FY 99
• 95 extension counters and 1890 +ATMs
• First Bank in the country to adopt ‘ Finacle ‘ as its core banking software 9 of
Infosys)
• First Indian Bank to have a remote disaster recovery management system to
protect its business from any eventualities .

AXIS’s Current Strategy

• Broad Differentiation :
• 1.Managing changing customer needs :
• a. Moving to increasingly powerful back office hubs
• b. Centralised Phone Banking Centre
• c. Zonal level Nodal Offices to ensure quick redressal of Customers’ Grievances
• d . Implementation of ‘ KYC ‘ norms
Growth Strategy
• Objectives
• 1. Increasing the market share in various businesses resulting in an enhancement
in its core income streams .
• 2. Improve the quality of its income streams .
Complementary Strategies for Growth and Development
• A. Strategic alliances and Collaborative partnerships :
• i) Tie-ups with Maruti and Hyundai
• Co-financing pact with India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd.
• Tieup with Bajaj AlliancZ General Insurance Tieup with MetLife as
Bancassurance Partner .
• ATM sharing with other Banks
• Economic Times Remit 2India for money transfer .

Outsourcing Selected Value Chain Activities

• 1. Outsourcing recruitments to Monster India .com – Benefit – Time costs are
halved . Relies on headhunters for specialised positions .
• 2. Outsourcing Print operations to Xerox : Benefit : able to mail personalised
cheque books to its customers within 24 hours of a request .
• 3.Outsourcing of electronic bill payment (EBP) and ATM management to
Billjunction – a specialist bill management service provider .
Offensive Strategic Moves
• Aggressive strategy to to tap retail domain via the use of ATMs and alternate
tech-enabled business .
• Superior Customer service : Customer oriented approach , deepening of customer
relationships and increasing cross-selling activities
• Range of services on ATM machines : Network of more than 18000 ATM
machines , LIC premium payments for service providers like MTNL and BSNL and
mobile facilities for Airtel , Hutch , Orange and Idea cellular service providers .
• Aggressive growth in cards business : Debit Cards (grew from by nearly 10 lacs
in 2005-06 ) in association with VISA and MasterCard .First to introduce travel currency
card , a foreign denominated pre-paid card , Remittance Card and Rewards Card .

Offensive Strategic Moves

• Risk Management : processes are guided by well-defined policies appropriate for
various risk categories , independent risk oversight and independent risk management
committee of the Board .
• Risk limits are set according to a number of criteria like market analysis , business
strategy and management experience .
• Dealing with Regulations : Undertaken an internal assessment of its preparedness
for the implementation of the Basel II Accord .
• Keeping pace with Technology :The Bank’s IT team developed a process called ‘
SETU ‘ (Seamless Electronic Transfer to AXIS Bank ) – internet based funds transfer . ‘I
trade’ to route corporate procurement transactions .
• Product and service innovation : Low cost ATMS , Channel Finance Hub , ATM-
centred delivery models .
• Expansion of geographical reach to semi urban , rural aras . SMI and agricultural
sectors .
• Financial advisory services

Q1.Banking Industry Scenario and Global Driving Forces

• Scenario for Banking Industry :Consolidation and move towards Universal
Banking
• Moving from a regime of "large number of small banks" to "small number of
large banks."
• The new era is going to be one of consolidation around identified core
competencies.
• Mergers and acquisitions in the banking sector are going to be the order of the
day.
• Successful merger of HDFC Bank and Times Bank earlier and Stanchart and
ANZ Grindlays three years ago has demonstrated that trend towards consolidation is
almost an accepted fact.

• NPAs,.
• Financial super market chain, making available all types of credit and non-fund
facilities under one roof.
• Potentially dramatic changes that include, among others, a sliding dollar, rising
interest rates, introduction of Basel II accord and international accounting standards, and
the possible flattening of consumer lending boom.