McKinsey’s Strategic Control Map

Strategic Control Map  shows the relationship between size (measured by book value) and performance for shareholders (measured by market-to-book ratio). It was developed by  McKinsey consultants  D’Silva, Fallon and Mehta in 1996, and it is used to help companies get visibility into their own and competitors  performance trajectories and better understand the threats and opportunities for a company’s strategy execution. Strategic Control Map  is helpful in analyzing an industry landscape, looking at various companies or firms in this industry, by breaking down overall performance into two key drivers or indicators,  helps companies identify their biggest opportunities and threats and boost their odds of hunting for acquisition targets rather than being hunted themselves. Strategic Control Map  tracks the relationship between the two dimensions of market capitalization by plotting a company’s size against its performance for shareholders. The principle behind Strategic Control Map is that,  market capitalization = book value of assets Continue reading

Environmental Scanning – Meaning, Definition and Importance

Every organisation is responsible for the environment that it creates. The organisation’s operation and structure all directly affected by the environment. Organisation’s environment impacts on resources and opportunities that how they can be treated? It is primary objective of the organisation to take care of the company’s operations that how they are affecting the environment. For the successful growth and development of business it is important to develop such a strategies those can be assist operate the business operations. To understand the environmental scanning it is important to identify the business and how it can affect the environment business around. The definition of environmental scanning is “a process of gathering, analyzing, and dispensing information for tactical or strategic purposes. The environmental scanning process entails obtaining both factual and subjective information on the business environments in which a company is operating or considering entering”. Environment scanning is most commonly done on Continue reading

Concept of Core Competence

Core Competence is the  term coined by C K Prahalad and Gary Hamel, in their 1990 article entitled, “The Core Competence of the Corporation“,  to explain  how some Japanese corporations, such as Sony and Canon, became world market leaders  after acquiring several technological capabilities, which allowed these firms to create and  lead new markets, since innovative product functionalities and customer interfaces were  offered. A core competence is a bundle of skills and technologies that enable a company to provide superior value to customers. A core competence is effectively a company’s specialized capability to create unique customer value. This capability is largely embodied in the collective knowledge of its people and the organizational procedures that shape the way employees interact. Over time, investments made in facilities, people and knowledge that strengthen core competencies, create sustainable sources of competitive advantage. “Core competencies are the collective learning in the organisation, especially how to Continue reading

Business Level Strategies – Cases of Wal-Mart, Apple, Zara and Ikea

Business Level Strategy is concerned more with how a business competes successfully in a particular market. It relates to strategic decisions about the choice of products, identifying and fulfilling the needs of customers, building competitive advantages over competitors, exploiting or creating new opportunities etc. Business level strategies are essentially positioning strategies whereby businesses tend to secure for themselves an identity and position in the market. The aim here is to increase the business value for the corporate and stakeholders by increasing the brand awareness and value perceived by the customers. They can either focus on pricing or product differentiation to increase the perceived customer value. Customers are the foundation of successful business-level strategy – Who will be served by the strategy? What needs shall the strategy satisfy? How will the strategy satisfy those needs? The low cost strategy emphasizes having the lowest costs, not necessarily the lowest price, in a Continue reading

Hypercompetition

Hypercompetition is a relatively new term in strategic management,  coined by Richard D’Aveni, professor of business strategy at the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College,  in his book “Hypercompetition: Managing the Dynamics of Strategic Maneuvering.” In this book he defines hypercompetition as; “an environment characterized by intense and rapid competitive moves, in which competitors must move quickly to build advantage and erode the advantage of their rivals.” Richard D’Aveni  (1994: 217-218) Hypercompetition results from the dynamics of strategic maneuvering among global and innovative combatants. It is a condition of rapidly escalating competition based on price-quality positioning, competition to create new know-how and establish first-mover advantage, competition to protect or invade established product or geographic markets, and competition based on deep pockets and the creating of even deeper pockets dalliances. In hypercompetitions the frequency, boldness, and aggressiveness of dynamic movement by the players accelerates to create a condition of constant disequilibrium Continue reading

The Concept of Business Growth

Meaning of  Business Growth Business growth is a natural process of adaptation and development that occurs under favorable conditions. The growth of a business firm is similar to that of a human being who passes through the stages of infancy, childhood, adulthood and maturity. Many business firms started small and have become big through continuous growth. However, business growth is not a  homogeneous process. The rate and pattern of growth varies from firm to firm. Some firms grow at a fast rate while others grow slowly. Also, not all enterprises survive to grow big. This may be due either to the nature of the firm or the entrepreneur. Some entrepreneurs do not want to grow their ventures, choosing instead to pursue other interest, spend more time with family or develop other business activities. Generally, the term ‘business growth’ is used to refer to various things such as increase in the Continue reading