Student Name:

Student #:
International Business Strategy
BA289
Final Exam
Instructions:
The following questions constitute the Final Exam
for BA289, International Business Strategy. This is
a take-home exam, and students are permitted to
use their own notes, the course textbook, and any
outside material. If outside material (i.e. the
internet is used), students must cite the source. If
class notes or the textbook are used to support an
answer, no citation is required. Lastly, please
remember that there are multiple correct answers
for each question. The point is that you elaborate
on your own rationale and thinking in these short
essays.

Question 1: Michael Porter distinguishes between

Operational Effectiveness and Strategic Positioning.
Please define both. More importantly, please
provide your opinion on whether which is more
critical to any coffee house in Ho Chi Minh City.
Use the concepts from Porter to support your
position.
Sau khi chp l thuyt xong th. Cho kin cho v
d nu nh c 1 qun cf m si gn, th theo bn
thng hot ng theo phng thc no v sao?
Chn ci no khng quan trng. quan trng l lp
lun sao cho hp theo mnh hiu.

Question 2: Michael Porter is famous for the 5

Forces Model. Please list all 5 Forces, and provide
examples of each force. Additionally, please
identify which force is being evident when Walmart

tells a supplier that Walmart will pay the supplier in

90 days or more.
Lit k 5 ci ny v cho v d cho tng ci (c
inh ngha trong sch s bik v d nh th no)
Ni v trng hp walmart th l VD cho trng hp
Power Supplier ni r v sao li vy?

Question 3: Please list the 7 barriers to entry by

Michael Porter. Professor Sevall disagreed with
Porter regarding the Supply Side Economies of
Scale, because it confuses the real benefit of larger
demand (essentially more customers, which is
good) with the positive side effect of fixed cost
efficiency.
Lit k v gii thch s lt ngn ngn 7 ci
barriers.
Which Barrier to Entry do you think is the most
significant and why? As extra credit, provide a
brief example to support your position.

Theo bn trong 7 ci ci no quan trng nht

ci no cng dc, theo c nhn mnh thy ci no
hp l th chn, nh gii thch l do v sao chn,
cho phn im cng thm nu cho c v d.

Question 4:
In addition to Porters 5 Forces, Porter lists 4
Factors that also play a role with industry
profitability. What are these 4 Factors?
Furthermore, consider a moviegoer going to the
movies. The moviegoer buys popcorn. Which
factor is the purchase of popcorn and why?
Trong slide hoc sch u c lit k 4 Factor ny.
Vit ra
Cn v v d mua popcorn khi i xem phim th n
thuc vo ci factor no, xem xt k lng v nu
r l do vi sao chn phng n . (c nhn bn an
th ko chn c 4 ci cho v d ny) cn ngi gii

thix v sao th my a phi t lc ri mi ngi

mi hok ch dc.

Question 5:
In the Blue Ocean Strategy article, Cirque du Soleil
was discussed as a prime example of Blue Ocean
Strategy. Please discuss the key elements of Blue
Ocean Strategy, and discuss why other circuses
have not been able to follow Cirque du Soleil.
Ni v nhn t chnh ca blue ocean, ci bng
136 y nh.
V sao cc rp xic khc ko bt trc Soleil. Tham
kho slide ca c v ng no nh, c bm theo
slide v ci bn 136 Blue l dc.

Question 6:
Please give your brief opinion on whether Marvel
movies, like Ant-man, brings in moviegoers who
otherwise would not go to the movies (and
therefore is employing a Blue Ocean strategy).
V sao nhng b phim nh Ant-man li c th a
khan giai i coi film k c khi nhng khc gi ny
khng c inh hoc cha bao gi c thoi quen
n rm coi phim (vn ny bm theo ci
creating new demand vit)

Question 7:
The Profit Formula is one of the three elements to
any business model. What is the Profit Formula?
Why is the Profit Formula so important? Extra
credit: Discuss whether you think there could be a
conflict between pursuing profit vs the other two
elements of the business model.

Profit Formula(PF) nh ngha trong sch. quan

trng v n nh hng phng thc lm nn li
nhun ca Cty, v d lm vit lp lun ng h nh.
V sao PF li mu thun vs 2 yu t con li v 2 yu
t con li m pht trin s lm thay i nh hng
PF v n phi chi tin ra li u t, nh v d
v lp lun km theo them

Question 8:
What are the main reasons why a company may
need to reinvent its business model?
Nguyn do m 1 cty fai ti cu trc hay xy dng
li m hnh kinh doanh ca mnh l g?
Ri vo khng hong (tin, nhn vin, doanh thu,
sp pht sn)

Hoc b di th qua mt, khng chu thay i cho

ph hp vi thc t mi trng kinh doanh. Nh
a v d? lp lun them vo

Question 9:
According to the article Secrets of Successful
Strategy Execution, what are the two key factors to
strategy execution? Please provide a real-world
example of each.

Decision Right v information flow nh ngha v

a v d thc t v n

Question 10:
On page 199, there are several examples of
Strategic Principles, one of these is Dell Be Direct.
Why is this an effective strategic principle
according to the article? An b tay cha nghin cu
cho n thoi im ny