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Chapter 6
Multiproduct Strategies
KNOWLEDGE OBJECTIVES
CHAPTER OUTLINE
Focusing on Strategy: Adding AirTran to the Mix: Does This Make Sense for Southwest
Airlines?
LEVELS OF DIVERSIFICATION
Low Levels of Diversification
Single Business Diversification Multiproduct Strategy
Dominant Business Diversification Multiproduct Strategy
Understanding Strategy, Learning from Success: Kohl’s: Where
Concentrating on a Single Business Area Is the Foundation to Success
Moderate to High Levels of Diversification
Related Diversification Multiproduct Strategy
Unrelated Diversification Multiproduct Strategy
OPERATIONAL RELATEDNESS AND THE RELATED CONSTRAINED
MULTIPRODUCT STRATEGY
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
Ireland/Hoskisson/Hitt, Understanding Business Strategy 3e
Chapter 6: Multiproduct Strategies
KEY TERMS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
STRATEGY TOOLBOX
Mini-Case: Textron Inc.: Achieving Success Using the Unrelated Diversification
Multiproduct Strategy
EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISES
ENDNOTES
Focusing on Strategy
Adding AirTran to the Mix: Does This Make Sense for Southwest Airlines?
TABLE 6.1
Reasons Why Firms Use Multiproduct Strategies to Diversify
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
Ireland/Hoskisson/Hitt, Understanding Business Strategy 3e
Chapter 6: Multiproduct Strategies
The table offers reasons why firms seek multiproduct strategies in order to
diversity.
LEVELS OF DIVERSIFICATION
FIGURE 6.1
Levels of Diversification
73
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
Ireland/Hoskisson/Hitt, Understanding Business Strategy 3e
Chapter 6: Multiproduct Strategies
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
Ireland/Hoskisson/Hitt, Understanding Business Strategy 3e
Chapter 6: Multiproduct Strategies
children’s clothing, footwear, home, and accessories which are highly related to
each other. With a three category style offering to customers along with specialty
supplier partnerships, Kohl’s can offer recognizable brands at affordable prices.
Answer:
Right away students will answer “no” if they just glance at the initial
page without linking to specific product types. However, when looking at
the page, some students may question toys and games as related to
the single business strategy. Some may offer suggestions that it really
is not related to home furnishings which is the most similar segment.
However, still not a strong clue of moving to a differentiation strategy.
Answer:
Student answers may vary but must coincide with strategy descriptions
Below are some suggested answers.
75
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accessible website, in whole or in part.
Ireland/Hoskisson/Hitt, Understanding Business Strategy 3e
Chapter 6: Multiproduct Strategies
• less than 70% of the firm’s sales revenues are from its dominant
business
• firms try to create economies of scope
• economies of scope: cost savings the firm accrues when it
successfully shares some of its resources and activities or some of
its core competencies between its businesses
76
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accessible website, in whole or in part.
Ireland/Hoskisson/Hitt, Understanding Business Strategy 3e
Chapter 6: Multiproduct Strategies
FIGURE 6.2
Value-Creating Strategies of Diversification: Operational and Corporate
Relatedness
77
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accessible website, in whole or in part.
Ireland/Hoskisson/Hitt, Understanding Business Strategy 3e
Chapter 6: Multiproduct Strategies
78
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
Ireland/Hoskisson/Hitt, Understanding Business Strategy 3e
Chapter 6: Multiproduct Strategies
• only the best SBUs receive financial capital, faltering SBUS are
“disciplined” by receiving less financial capital
• superior returns to shareholders result from
o access to information
o internal discipline using capital allocation
• internal information
o both positive and negative information is available to the parent
organization’s decision makers
• if financial economies are not created
o firm must improve internal capital market allocation skills or
o divest SBUs or divisions within SBUs (downscoping or refocusing)
SBUs may come and go but the organization will still attempt to sustain itself.
Employees as “assets” may lose loyalty and motivation when an SBU is discarded
due to the organization’s choice NOT to support it.
RESTRUCTURING
• creating value by buying and selling other companies’ assets in the external
marketplace
• buying assets (companies) at low prices, restructuring them in value-
creating ways, selling them at a price exceeding their purchase cost plus the
restructuring cost
• restructuring is easier in low-technology businesses because of the
uncertainty of demand for high-technology products
79
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
Ireland/Hoskisson/Hitt, Understanding Business Strategy 3e
Chapter 6: Multiproduct Strategies
• job security: diversification reduces the chance that the firm will experience total
failure (and the executive lose his/her job)
• executive compensation increases with firm size
Additional Note: The instructor may choose discuss the recent financial industry
crisis when discussing managerial motives to diversify. Was CEO in check? What
motivations created the crisis? Where was the board?
FIGURE 6.3
Three Variations of the Multidivisional Structure
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
Ireland/Hoskisson/Hitt, Understanding Business Strategy 3e
Chapter 6: Multiproduct Strategies
FIGURE 6.4
Cooperative Form of the Multidivisional Structure for Implementing the Related
Constrained Strategy
Lecture note: The instructor should consider Figures 6.4, 6.5, and 6.6
simultaneously when beginning the sections on appropriate organizational
structures. Compare the models with the students on the bases of their focus,
divisions, the steepness of the corporate hierarchy, and management
responsibilities.
81
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Ireland/Hoskisson/Hitt, Understanding Business Strategy 3e
Chapter 6: Multiproduct Strategies
FIGURE 6.5
SBU Form of the Multidivisional Structure for Implementing the Related Linked
Strategy
82
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accessible website, in whole or in part.
Ireland/Hoskisson/Hitt, Understanding Business Strategy 3e
Chapter 6: Multiproduct Strategies
• focus at headquarters
o performance appraisal
o resource allocation
o long-range planning
FIGURE 6.6
Competitive Form of the Multidivisional Structure for Implementing the Unrelated-
Diversification Strategy
Answer:
Students will provide multiple answers here but their focus should relate
the importance of a match between strategy and structure. A concern,
at this point, is whether or not Sears Holdings actually has strong
business units. If not, they will not be able to support each other and it
won’t attract anyone. Also, it is a concern as to how the real estate SBU
83
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accessible website, in whole or in part.
Ireland/Hoskisson/Hitt, Understanding Business Strategy 3e
Chapter 6: Multiproduct Strategies
2. What concerns can you identify that may impact the future success of
Sears Holdings?
Answer:
SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
Answer:
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
Ireland/Hoskisson/Hitt, Understanding Business Strategy 3e
Chapter 6: Multiproduct Strategies
2. What are the different levels of diversification (from low to high) that firms
experience when using a multiproduct strategy? (Knowledge Objective 2)
Answer:
3. What is the related diversification multiproduct strategy? How can the firm
create value by using this strategy? (Knowledge Objective 3)
Answer:
Answer:
85
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Ireland/Hoskisson/Hitt, Understanding Business Strategy 3e
Chapter 6: Multiproduct Strategies
5. What are the two additional motives that top-level managers have to diversify
their firms? (Knowledge Objective 5)
Answer:
Answer:
If you ask students (or many business leaders, for that matter) to identify a
company’s competitors, they typically will do an adequate job of listing the
organization’s immediate competitors – those with similar positioning in the
market. However, a more meaningful analysis would include players who are
going to shake up the industrial segment by entering with a new business model or
competency.
Have the students brainstorm historical or current examples of impending and
invisible competitors.
Impending Examples: Asian automotive companies moving into premium
global car segments (current); niche electric-car companies taking
advantage of high oil prices (current); Yahoo moving into the internet
search market (current)
Invisible Examples: Dell moving into electronics (historical); Dell moving
into services (current); Wal-Mart moving into pharmaceutical drug
distribution (historical); Wal-Mart moving into full banking (future)
86
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accessible website, in whole or in part.
Ireland/Hoskisson/Hitt, Understanding Business Strategy 3e
Chapter 6: Multiproduct Strategies
Questions:
Answer:
A search of the Textron Web site revealed the same five divisions and
product segments mentioned in the Mini-Case.
Answer: The investor relations section of the Textron Web site identified the
following financial data facts as of Quarter 1 of 2011:
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly
accessible website, in whole or in part.
Ireland/Hoskisson/Hitt, Understanding Business Strategy 3e
Chapter 6: Multiproduct Strategies
Actual Quarter 2 2011 EPS was 1.1085 compared to Quarter 2 2010 EPS at
$1.23
3. What performance-related risks does Textron face while using the unrelated
diversification multiproduct strategy? In your view, is the firm effectively
managing those risks? Why or why not? (Knowledge Objective 4)
This exercise looks at a Swiss company that may not be familiar to many students. It
does, however, deal with an important industry in which many U.S. firms have been
dominant and the exercise reveals some challenges and opportunities in an industry
long viewed as profitable. The exercise requires that students interpret recent actions
of Novartis in light of the Chapter 6 concepts. Three discussion questions are
provided to focus the students’ work on the chapter material. The Novartis acquisition
of Alcon is a Related-Diversification Multiproduct Strategy rather than an Unrelated-
Diversification Multiproduct Strategy primarily because both Novartis and Alcon are
in the health field. More importantly, according to information in the exercise,
prescription drugs make up 60% of Novartis’s total sales and this conforms to the
Figure 6.1 definition of moderate to high levels of diversification (less than 70% of
revenue comes from the dominant business). The instructor should require students to
give this sort of justification which shows that they can apply the concepts learned in
Chapter 6. A bigger challenge comes with determining the kind of related-
diversification, either related linked or related constrained (question 1). The instructor
should encourage the students to look carefully at the exercise information and Figure
88
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accessible website, in whole or in part.
Ireland/Hoskisson/Hitt, Understanding Business Strategy 3e
Chapter 6: Multiproduct Strategies
6.1. Based on careful examination, one could argue that it is closer to related linked
because only limited links exist between the prescription business and the eye-care
business. Although, Novartis is already in the eye-care business through its Ciba
Vision contact lens brand, prescription drugs make up 60% of its total sales. The
second and third questions require some research by the students. A good start will be
the two articles listed as sources for the exercise. These articles will best answer
question 2, but additional research will be needed for question 3. The main reason for
the Alcon acquisition was that the pharmaceutical sales had been falling and Novartis
identified a fast-growth market in eye-care. The eye-care market was less competitive
and presented great potential for sales in emerging markets. In addition, the aging
population created more demand for cataract surgery and lens implants. The
customers for eye-care products are less price sensitive as opposed to the more
regulated pharmaceutical markets.
This exercise will expose students to one of the most fascinating emerging-market
companies to come on the scene in recent years. It is also an excellent example of a
conglomerate. Many students will not have heard of the Tata Group. Those who
have will most likely have heard of Tata Consulting which is known for BPO
outsourcing taking place in India. Some may also have heard of the acquisition of
Land Rover and Jaguar from Ford by Tata Motors. Many, however, will not have
realized the scope of operations of Tata, and for this reason the exercise will be an
interesting learning experience. Students will again encounter Tata in a Chapter 8
Experiential Exercise that looks at its international strategy. As suggested in the
exercise, the starting point should be the Tata web site (http://tata.com), but it should
be supplemented by a few current articles. The Wall Street Journal is one of the best
sources of articles on Tata. The instructor should emphasize that this exercise is not
just about collecting information on Tata, but instead is meant to be a discussion of
how Tata creates value within and across its business sectors. Specifically, the
students are asked to apply the chapter discussion of value-creating strategies to Tata.
For example, within the business sectors, the students should look at how Tata creates
creating value through operational relatedness and corporate relatedness. Across the
various sectors, however, the students should look at how Tata created value through
efficient capital market allocation and restructuring.
ENDNOTES
89
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Kaksi todistajaa.
Oli katkeraa ivaa, että mies, joka oli niin kauvan urheillut kuoleman
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Manala oli saanut hänet kolkon pään, mustan sydämen ja kaikki.
Niin tylsinä kuin hänen aistinsa vielä olivatkin, huomasi hän, että
kuningas istui kumartuneena eteenpäin, omituinen terävä ilme
kasvoillaan,— että tuomarit näyttivät hämmästyneiltä, että
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yksikään heistä ei katsonut häneen. He olivat kääntyneet poikaan,
joka seisoi pöydän päässä papin vieressä. Ikkunasta osui kalsea
valo hänen kasvoilleen, ja hän puhui. "Minä kuuntelin", kuuli
madame hänen sanovan. "Niin."
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kysyi presidentti, nähtävästi pitkittäen kuulustelua, jonka alkuosasta
syytetty ei tiennyt mitään.
"Varma olen."
"Ja madame?"
"Lemmenjauhetta."
"Molemmat."
"Niin."
"Niin."
Poika myönsi.
"Rolandin verestä?"
"Missä asuit?"
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