Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Business-Level Strategy
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as Presentation design
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. by Charlie Cook
Learning Objectives
Studying this chapter should provide you with
the strategic management knowledge needed to:
1. Define business-level strategy.
2. Discuss the relationship between customers and business-
level strategies in terms of who, what, and how.
3. Explain the differences among business-level strategies.
4. Use the five forces of competition model to explain how
above-average returns can be earned through each
business-level strategy.
5. Describe the risks of using each of the business-level
strategies.
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–2
Customers: Their Relationship
with Business-Level Strategies
Who will be
served?
Key Issues
in What needs will
Business-level be satisfied?
Strategy
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–3
Effectively Managing Relationships
with Customers
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–4
Who: Determining the Customers
to Serve
• Market segmentation
– A process used to cluster people with similar needs
into individual and identifiable groups.
All Customers
Consumer Industrial
Markets Markets
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–5
Market Segmentation
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–6
Table 4.1 Basis for Customer Segmentation
Consumer Markets
1. Demographic factors (age, income, sex, etc.)
2. Socioeconomic factors (social class, stage in the family life cycle)
3. Geographic factors (cultural, regional, and national differences)
4. Psychological factors (lifestyle, personality traits)
5. Consumption patterns (heavy, moderate, and light users)
6. Perceptual factors (benefit segmentation, perceptual mapping)
Industrial Markets
1. End-use segments (identified by SIC code)
2. Product segments (based on technological differences or
production economics)
3. Geographic segments (defined by boundaries between countries
or by regional differences within them)
4. Common buying factor segments (cut across product market and
geographic segments)
5. Customer size segments
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–7
What: Determining Which
Customer Needs to Satisfy
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–8
How: Determining Core Competencies
Necessary to Satisfy Customer Needs
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–9
The Purpose of a
Business-Level Strategy
• Business-Level Strategies
– Are intended to create differences between the firm’s
competitive position and those of its competitors.
• To position itself, the firm must decide whether it
intends to:
– Perform activities differently or
– Perform different activities as compared to its rivals.
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–10
Types of Potential
Competitive Advantage
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–11
Competitive Scope
• Broad Scope
– The firm competes in many
customer segments.
• Narrow Scope
– The firm selects a segment or
group of segments in the
industry and tailors its strategy
to serving them at the
exclusion of others.
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–12
Types of Business-Level Strategies
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–13
Figure 4.1 Five Business-Level Strategies
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–14
Cost Leadership Strategy
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–15
Cost Leadership Strategy
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–16
How to Obtain a Cost Advantage
Determine Reconfigure
and control Value Chain
Cost Drivers if needed
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–17
Figure 4.2 Examples of Value-Creating Activities Associated with the Cost Leadership Strategy
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–18
Value-Creating Activities
for Cost Leadership
• Cost-effective MIS • Monitor suppliers’
• Few management layers performances
• Simplified planning • Link suppliers’ products to
• Consistent policies production processes
• Effecting training • Economies of scale
• Easy-to-use manufacturing • Efficient-scale facilities
technologies • Effective delivery
• Investments in schedules
technologies • Low-cost transportation
• Finding low-cost raw • Highly trained sales force
materials • Proper pricing
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–19
Cost Leadership Strategy: Competitors
Threat of Bargaining
substitute power of
products buyers
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–20
Cost Leadership Strategy: Buyers
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–21
Cost Leadership Strategy: Suppliers
reducing chance of
supplier using power. Threat of
substitute
Bargaining
power of
products buyers
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–22
Cost Leadership Strategy: New Entrants
The Threat of
• Can frighten off new
Potential Entrants
entrants due to:
Threat of – Their need to enter on
new
entrants
a large scale in order to
Rivalry
Bargaining
be cost competitive.
among
competing power of
suppliers
– The time it takes to
firms
move down the
Threat of Bargaining industry learning curve.
substitute power of
products buyers
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–23
Cost Leadership Strategy: Substitutes
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–24
Cost Leadership Strategy (cont’d)
• Competitive Risks
– Processes used to produce and distribute good or
service may become obsolete due to competitors’
innovations.
– Too much focus on cost reductions may occur at
expense of customers’ perceptions of differentiation.
– Competitors, using their own core competencies, may
successfully imitate the cost leader’s strategy.
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–25
Differentiation Strategy
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–26
How to Obtain a
Differentiation Advantage
Control Reconfigure
Cost Drivers Value Chain to
if needed maximize
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–28
Value-Creating Activities
and Differentiation
• Highly developed MIS • High quality replacement
• Emphasis on quality parts
• Worker compensation for • Superior handling of
creativity/productivity incoming raw materials
• Use of subjective • Attractive products
performance measures • Rapid response to
• Basic research capability customer specifications
• Technology • Order-processing
• High quality raw materials procedures
• Delivery of products • Customer credit
• Personal relationships
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–29
Differentiation Strategy: Competitors
Rivalry with
• Defends against
Existing Competitors
competitors because
Threat of customer’s brand
new
entrants loyalty to differentiated
Rivalry
among Bargaining product offsets price
power of
competing
firms suppliers competition.
Threat of Bargaining
substitute power of
products buyers
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–30
Differentiation Strategy: Buyers
Bargaining Power
• Can mitigate buyers’
of Buyers
power because well
Threat of differentiated
new
entrants products reduce
Rivalry
among Bargaining customer sensitivity to
power of
competing
firms suppliers price increases.
Threat of Bargaining
substitute power of
products buyers
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–31
Differentiation Strategy: Suppliers
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–32
Differentiation Strategy: New Entrants
The Threat of
• Can defend against new
Potential Entrants
entrants because:
Threat of – New products must
new
entrants
surpass proven products.
Rivalry
Bargaining – New products must be at
among
competing power of
suppliers
least equal to performance
firms
of proven products, but
Threat of Bargaining offered at lower prices.
substitute power of
products buyers
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–33
Differentiation Strategy: Substitutes
Product
• Well positioned relative
Substitutes
to substitutes because:
Threat of – Brand loyalty to a
new
entrants
differentiated product
Rivalry
Bargaining
tends to reduce
among
competing power of customers’ testing of new
suppliers
firms
products or switching
Threat of Bargaining
brands.
substitute power of
products buyers
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–34
Competitive Risks of Differentiation
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–35
Focus Strategies
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–36
Focus Strategies (cont’d)
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–37
Factors That Drive Focused Strategies
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–38
Competitive Risks of Focus Strategies
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–39
Integrated Cost Leadership/
Differentiation Strategy
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–40
Integrated Cost Leadership/
Differentiation Strategy (cont’d)
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–41
Flexible Manufacturing Systems
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–42
Information Networks
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–43
Total Quality Management
(TQM) Systems
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–44
Risks of an Integrated Cost Leadership/
Differentiation Strategy
© 2015 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as
permitted in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use. 4–45