©2003 Southwestern Publishing Company 1 Corporate-Level Strategy Michael A. Hitt R. Duane Ireland Robert E. Hoskisson Chapter 6

2 Strategy Implementation Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Organizational Structure and Structure and Controls Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Corporate Governance Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Strategic Leadership Strategy Formulation Strategic Competitiveness Above-Average Returns Strategic Intent Strategic Intent Strategic Mission Strategic Mission Chapter 2 Chapter 2 The External The External Environment Chapter 3 Chapter 3 The Internal The Internal Environment The Strategic Management Process Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Corporate- Level Strategy Level StrategyFeedback Strategic Inputs Strategic Actions Strategic Outcomes Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Strategic Entrepreneurship Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Competitive Rivalry Competitive Rivalry and Competitive and Competitive Dynamics Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Business-Level Strategy

3 Two Levels of Strategy A diversified company has two levels of strategy 1. Business-Level Strategy (Competitive Strategy) How to create competitive advantage in each business in which the company competes - low cost - differentiation - focused low cost - focused differentiation - integrated low cost/ - integrated low cost/ differentiation differentiation 2. Corporate-Level Strategy (Company-wide Strategy) How to create value for the corporation as a whole

4 Key Questions in Corporate Strategy 1. What businesses should the corporation be in? 2. How should the corporate office manage the array of business units? Corporate Strategy is what makes the corporate whole add up to more than the sum of its business unit parts

5 Levels and Types of Diversification Low Levels of Diversification Single Business > 95% of business from a single business unit Dominant Business Between 70 and 95% of business from a single business unit

6 Related Constrained <70% of revenues from dominant business; all businesses share product, technological and distribution linkages Levels and Types of Diversification Moderate to High Levels of Diversification

7 Related Linked (Mixed) < 70% of revenues from dominant business, and only limited links exist Levels and Types of Diversification Moderate to High Levels of Diversification

8 Levels and Types of Diversification Unrelated < 70% of revenue comes from the dominant business, and there are no common links between businesses Very High Levels of Diversification

9 Reasons for Diversification Reasons to Enhance Strategic Competitiveness Economies of scope Market power Financial economics Incentives Resources ManagerialMotives

10 Incentives with Neutral Effects on Strategic Competitiveness Anti-trust regulation Tax laws Low performance Uncertain future cash flows Firm risk reduction Incentives Resources ManagerialMotives Reasons for Diversification

11 Resources with varying effects on value creation and strategic competitiveness Tangible resources  financial resources  physical assets Intangible resources  tacit knowledge  customer relations  image and reputation Incentives Resources ManagerialMotives Reasons for Diversification

12 Managerial Motives (Value Reduction) Diversifying managerial employment risk Increasing managerial compensation Incentives Resources ManagerialMotives Reasons for Diversification

13 Value-creating Strategies of Diversification: Operational and Corporate Readiness Related Constrained Diversification Vertical Integration (Market Power) UnrelatedDiversification (Financial Economies) Both Operational and Corporate Relatedness (Rare Capability and can Create Diseconomies of Scope) Related Linked Diversification (Economies of Scope) Corporate Readiness: Transferring Skills into Businesses Through Corporate Headquarters LowHigh Sharing: Operational Relatedness Between Businesses LowHigh

14 Adding Value by Diversification Diversification most effectively adds value by either of two mechanisms: –Economies of scope: cost savings attributed to transferring the capabilities and competencies developed in one business to a new business –Market power: when a firm is able to sell its products above the existing competitive level or reduce the costs of its primary and support activities below the competitive level, or both

15 Alternative Diversification Strategies Related Diversification Strategies –sharing activities –transferring core competencies Unrelated Diversification Strategies –efficient internal capital market allocation –restructuring

16 Alternative Diversification Strategies Related Diversification Strategies –sharing activities

17 Sharing Activities: Sharing activities often lowers costs or raises differentiation Sharing activities often lowers costs or raises differentiation Sharing activities can lower costs if it: Sharing activities can lower costs if it: –achieves economies of scale –boosts efficiency of utilization –helps move more rapidly down the Learning Curve Sharing activities can enhance potential for or reduce the cost of differentiation Sharing activities can enhance potential for or reduce the cost of differentiation Must involve activities that are crucial to competitive advantage Must involve activities that are crucial to competitive advantage Key Characteristics

18 Sharing Activities: Strong sense of corporate identity Strong sense of corporate identity Clear corporate mission that emphasizes the importance of integrating business units Clear corporate mission that emphasizes the importance of integrating business units Incentive system that rewards more than just business unit performance Incentive system that rewards more than just business unit performance Assumptions

19 Related Diversification Strategies –sharing activities –transferring core competencies Alternative Diversification Strategies

20 Transferring Core Competencies: Exploits interrelationships among divisions Exploits interrelationships among divisions Start with value chain analysis Start with value chain analysis –identify ability to transfer skills or expertise among similar value chains –exploit ability to transfer activities Key Characteristics

21 Transferring Core Competencies: Transferring core competencies leads to competitive advantage only if the similarities among business units meet the following conditions: Transferring core competencies leads to competitive advantage only if the similarities among business units meet the following conditions: –activities involved in the businesses are similar enough that sharing expertise is meaningful –transfer of skills involves activities which are important to competitive advantage –the skills transferred represent significant sources of competitive advantage for the receiving unit Assumptions

22 Related Diversification Strategies –sharing activities –transferring core competencies Alternative Diversification Strategies Unrelated Diversification Strategies –efficient internal capital market allocation

23 Efficient Internal Capital Market Allocation: Firms pursuing this strategy frequently diversify by acquisition: Firms pursuing this strategy frequently diversify by acquisition: –acquire sound, attractive companies –acquired units are autonomous –acquiring corporation supplies needed capital –portfolio managers transfer resources from units that generate cash to those with high growth potential and substantial cash needs –add professional management & control to sub-units –sub-unit managers compensation based on unit results Key Characteristics

24 Efficient Internal Capital Market Allocation: Managers have more detailed knowledge of firm relative to outside investors Managers have more detailed knowledge of firm relative to outside investors Firm need not risk competitive edge by disclosing sensitive competitive information to investors Firm need not risk competitive edge by disclosing sensitive competitive information to investors Firm can reduce risk by allocating resources among diversified businesses, although shareholders can generally diversify more economically on their own Firm can reduce risk by allocating resources among diversified businesses, although shareholders can generally diversify more economically on their own Assumptions

25 Related Diversification Strategies –sharing activities –transferring core competencies Unrelated Diversification Strategies –efficient internal capital market allocation Alternative Diversification Strategies –restructuring

26 Restructuring: Seek out undeveloped, sick or threatened organizations or industries Seek out undeveloped, sick or threatened organizations or industries Parent company (acquirer) intervenes and frequently: Parent company (acquirer) intervenes and frequently: –changes sub-unit management team –shifts strategy –infuses firm with new technology –enhances discipline by changing control systems –divests part of firm –makes additional acquisitions to achieve critical mass Key Characteristics

27 Restructuring: Frequently sell unit after making one-time changes since parent no longer adds value to ongoing operations Frequently sell unit after making one-time changes since parent no longer adds value to ongoing operations Key Characteristics

28 Restructuring: Requires keen management insight in selecting firms with depressed values or unforeseen potential Requires keen management insight in selecting firms with depressed values or unforeseen potential Must do more than restructure companies Must do more than restructure companies Need to initiate restructuring of industries to create a more attractive environment Need to initiate restructuring of industries to create a more attractive environment Assumptions

29 Incentives to Diversify External Incentives: Relaxation of anti-trust regulation allows more related acquisitions than in the past Relaxation of anti-trust regulation allows more related acquisitions than in the past Before 1986, higher taxes on dividends favored spending retained earnings on acquisitions Before 1986, higher taxes on dividends favored spending retained earnings on acquisitions After 1986, firms made fewer acquisitions with retained earnings, shifting to the use of debt to take advantage of tax deductible interest payments After 1986, firms made fewer acquisitions with retained earnings, shifting to the use of debt to take advantage of tax deductible interest payments

30 Incentives to Diversify Internal Incentives: Poor performance may lead some firms to diversify to attempt to achieve better returns Poor performance may lead some firms to diversify to attempt to achieve better returns Firms may diversify to balance uncertain future cash flows Firms may diversify to balance uncertain future cash flows Firms may diversify into different businesses in order to reduce risk Firms may diversify into different businesses in order to reduce risk

31 Resources and Diversification Besides strong incentives, firms are more likely to diversify if they have the resources to do so Besides strong incentives, firms are more likely to diversify if they have the resources to do so Value creation is determined more by appropriate use of resources than incentives to diversify Value creation is determined more by appropriate use of resources than incentives to diversify

32 Managerial Motives to Diversify Managers have motives to diversify –diversification increases size; size is associated with executive compensation –diversification reduces employment risk –effective governance mechanisms may restrict such motives

33 Relationship Between Diversification and Performance Performance Level of Diversification Dominant Business Unrelated Business Related Constrained

34 Relationship Between Firm Performance and Diversification Incentives ManagerialMotives Resources DiversificationStrategy FirmPerformance InternalGovernanceStrategyImplementation Capital Market Intervention and the Market for Managerial Talent