1. Business Strategy: Differentiation, Cost Leadership, and Integration

2. Part 2 Strategy Formulation

3. LO 6-1 Define business-level strategy and describe how it determines a firm’s strategic position.
LO 6-2 Examine the relationship between value drivers and differentiation strategy.
LO 6-3 Examine the relationship between cost drivers and cost-leadership strategy.
LO 6-4 Assess the benefits and risks of cost-leadership and differentiation business strategies vis-à-vis the five forces that shape competition.
LO 6-5 Explain why it is difficult to succeed at an integration strategy.
LO 6-6 Evaluate value and cost drivers that may allow a firm to pursue an integration strategy.
LO 6-7 Describe and evaluate the dynamics of competitive positioning.

4. Trimming Fat at Whole Foods Market
Chapter Case 6
Trimming Fat at Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods…Business Strategy Revitalization
Started as small natural-foods store 1980
Became market leader; differentiation through organics and quality
Competitive advantage through 2008
CEO John Mackey: Refocused Mission, Reduced Costs
INSTRUCTOR: Slide 37 covers the “consider this” case extension for Whole Foods. In this slide is an embedded video link of an interview with John Mackey. You may want to consider using this video closer to the opening of the chapter material.

5. Business Strategy and Competitive Advantage
A business-level strategy is an integrated and coordinated set of commitments and actions designed to provide value to customers and gain a competitive advantage by utilizing core competencies in specific individual product markets.

6. Business-Level Strategy: How to Compete for Advantage?
Answer the “Who, What, Why, and How”
Who - which customer segments to serve?
What needs, wishes, desires will we satisfy?
Why do we want to satisfy them?
How will we satisfy customers’ needs?
Details actions managers take in quest for competitive advantage
Single product or group of similar products

8. Industry and Firm Effects Jointly Determine Competitive Advantage
EXHIBIT 6.1

9. Business Strategy and Competitive Advantage
Two fundamental questions:
How do you generate advantage?
How do you sustain advantage?
Key idea for sustainability is “barriers to imitation.”
How long will it be before the first rival imitates the first mover?
How fast does new imitation occur once it starts?
These two factors determine appropriability.

10. Business Strategy and Competitive Advantage
Does market share generate competitive advantage?
The computer industry is an excellent example of the lack of correspondence between market share and profit rates IBM was a clear market leader in terms of market share but had only mediocre economic performance relative to its rivals. High market share is no guarantee of high rates of profitability.

11. Business Strategy and Competitive Advantage
Does market share generate competitive advantage?
Perhaps high market share causes high profit rates.
But it could equally well be that there is a third factor (e.g., good service capabilities at Caterpillar), unobserved by us, that causes both high profitability and high market share.
In this case, we would see a correlation between profitability and market share but no causal explanation.

12. Business Strategy and Competitive Advantage
When can market share work to generate and sustain an advantage?
Scale economies combined with high exit costs may make market share a defensible advantage.

13. Sustainable Competitive Advantage
Costly Duplication due to:
Historical Conditions;
Uncertainty;
Social Complexity; and
Property Rights Protection.

14. Business Strategy and Competitive Advantage
An organization’s knowledge or expertise can lead to sustainable advantage if:
The knowledge is tacit rather than articulable;
Tacit Knowledge: “We know more than we can tell.”
Tacit Skills: Riding a bike, swimming, “learning by doing,” which is critical for maintaining a manufacturing base
The knowledge is not observable in use;
The knowledge is (socially) complex, rather than simple.

15. Strategic Position Determined by Firm’s Business-Level Strategy
Two primary competitive levers:
Value (V)
Cost (C)
Economic Value Created: (V-C)
The greater (V-C) = Competitive Advantage
Strategic Position Based on:
Value creation
Cost 15

16. Forms of Competitive Advantage
Cost Advantage
Differentiation Advantage
Similar Product At Lower Cost
Price Premium From Unique Product

17. Generic Business Strategies
Different generic strategies can lead to competitive advantage in the same industry.
Differentiation
Higher Value; Unique Features
Rolex
Cost-Leadership
Similar Value; Lower Cost
Timex
Scope of Competition
Narrow (Focused)
Broad

18. Strategic Position and Competitive Scope: Generic Business Strategies
EXHIBIT 6.2
Strategic Position and Competitive Scope: Generic Business Strategies
INSTRUCTOR: An Interactive activity is available online through McGraw-Hill Connect on this section of the text.

19. LO 6-1 Define business-level strategy and describe how it determines a firm’s strategic position.
LO 6-2 Examine the relationship between value drivers and differentiation strategy.
LO 6-3 Examine the relationship between cost drivers and cost-leadership strategy.
LO 6-4 Assess the benefits and risks of cost-leadership and differentiation business strategies vis-à-vis the five forces that shape competition.
LO 6-5 Explain why it is difficult to succeed at an integration strategy.
LO 6-6 Evaluate value and cost drivers that may allow a firm to pursue an integration strategy.
LO 6-7 Describe and evaluate the dynamics of competitive positioning.

23. Differentiation Advantage
Differentiation Advantage, a concept developed by economist Joan Robinson, occurs when a firm is able to obtain from its differentiation a price premium in the market which exceeds the cost of providing differentiation.

24. Value Drivers: Differentiation
EXHIBIT 6.3
INSTRUCTOR: An Interactive video activity is available online through McGraw-Hill Connect on this section of the text.
Differentiation:
Product features, customer service, customization, and complements
Competitive advantage = economic value created (V-C) > competitors
Marriott line of Hotels

25. Toyota: From “Perfect Recall” to “Recall Nightmare”
STRATEGY HIGHLIGHT 6.1
Toyota’s strategic challenges….
Launched Lexus 1989
Luxury car segment dominated by Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Cadillac
LS400 line required recall a little over a year after launch
Turned threat into opportunity to establish reputation for superior customer service
Two years after launch Lexus ranked first on quality and customer satisfaction by J.D. Powers
2010 Toyota has largest recall in automotive history
Needed to exhibit superior customer responsiveness again
8 million vehicles recalled was much more challenging
1–25 25

26. Cost Drivers: Cost-Leadership
EXHIBIT 6.4
Cost Leadership:
Cost of input factors, economies of scale, and learning-curve and experience-curve effects
Competitive advantage = economic value created (V-C) > competitors
Walmart vs. Kmart
Dell vs. Compaq, Gateway, & HP

27. Ryanair: Lower Cost than the Low-Cost Leader!
STRATEGY HIGHLIGHT 6.2
Ryanair: Lower Cost than the Low-Cost Leader!
The “Southwest Airlines of Europe”
“Lowest-cost airline in the world”
No window shades on older planes, seats don’t recline, etc.
Fares as low as $8
Numerous fees and surcharges: pillows, blankets, check-in, etc.
20+% of revenues flow from ancillary services
INSTRUCTOR: For a story (with a short video) on the increasing use of airline fees in the U.S. using data from 2010, please see the ABC news link below.
1–27 27

28. Ryanair Sample Revenue Calculation
INSTRUCTOR: This is an additional graphic to complement Strategy Highlight 6.2 on Ryanair. It is not in the textbook.

30. Economies of Scale and Diseconomies of Scale
EXHIBIT 6.5
Economies of Scale and Diseconomies of Scale

32. "Big Box" Retailers' Advantage
INSTRUCTOR: This graphic is additional material that is not in the textbook. The instructor’s manual has additional teaching tips if you wish to explore this learning objective on cost drivers further.
Cube-Square Rule:
Each dimension increases 50% (2 goes to 3) BUT
Each volume increases 237.5% (8 goes to 27) !!

33. The Learning Curve
INSTRUCTOR: This graphic is additional material that is not in the textbook. The instructor’s manual has additional teaching tips if you wish to explore this learning objective on cost drivers further.
Aircraft Assembly ( ): 80%
Calculator ( ): 74%

34. Gaining Competitive Advantage Through Learning and Experience Curves
EXHIBIT 6.6
Gaining Competitive Advantage Through Learning and Experience Curves

35. Limits of “Learning Curve” Advantages
Copying and reverse engineering of products;
Hiring a competitor’s employees;
Purchasing the know-how from consultants;
Obtaining the know-how from customers; and
Experience advantages are often nullified by innovations.

36. LO 6-1 Define business-level strategy and describe how it determines a firm’s strategic position.
LO 6-2 Examine the relationship between value drivers and differentiation strategy.
LO 6-3 Examine the relationship between cost drivers and cost-leadership strategy.
LO 6-4 Assess the benefits and risks of cost-leadership and differentiation business strategies vis-à-vis the five forces that shape competition.
LO 6-5 Explain why it is difficult to succeed at an integration strategy.
LO 6-6 Evaluate value and cost drivers that may allow a firm to pursue an integration strategy.
LO 6-7 Describe and evaluate the dynamics of competitive positioning.

37. Competitive Positioning and the Five Forces
EXHIBIT 6.7
Competitive Positioning and the Five Forces

38. LO 6-1 Define business-level strategy and describe how it determines a firm’s strategic position.
LO 6-2 Examine the relationship between value drivers and differentiation strategy.
LO 6-3 Examine the relationship between cost drivers and cost-leadership strategy.
LO 6-4 Assess the benefits and risks of cost-leadership and differentiation business strategies vis-à-vis the five forces that shape competition.
LO 6-5 Explain why it is difficult to succeed at an integration strategy.
LO 6-6 Evaluate value and cost drivers that may allow a firm to pursue an integration strategy.
LO 6-7 Describe and evaluate the dynamics of competitive positioning.

39. Avon Pursuing an Integration Strategy
EXHIBIT 6.8
Avon Pursuing an Integration Strategy
INSTRUCTOR: An Interactive activity is available online through McGraw-Hill Connect on this section of the text. Learning Objective 6-6.

40. EXHIBIT 6.9
Value and Cost Drivers

41. Integration Strategy – Corporate Level
Conglomerates can coordinate above the SBU level
Tata Group from India
2008 bought Jaguar & Land Rover
Prestigious differentiated products
2009 Tata Motors creates a Nano car
Lowest-priced car in the world!
Zero to 60 mph in 30 seconds
No radio or glove box
Targets bicyclists to move to cars

42. LO 6-1 Define business-level strategy and describe how it determines a firm’s strategic position.
LO 6-2 Examine the relationship between value drivers and differentiation strategy.
LO 6-3 Examine the relationship between cost drivers and cost-leadership strategy.
LO 6-4 Assess the benefits and risks of cost-leadership and differentiation business strategies vis-à-vis the five forces that shape competition.
LO 6-5 Explain why it is difficult to succeed at an integration strategy.
LO 6-6 Evaluate value and cost drivers that may allow a firm to pursue an integration strategy.
LO 6-7 Describe and evaluate the dynamics of competitive positioning.

43. The Dynamics of Competitive Positioning
Strategic Positions need to change over time
eBay withdrew from selling new goods & sold Skype
Productivity Frontier
Value-cost relationship
Captures the best practices at a point in time
Mobile Devices
2005 – Apple differentiator, Dell cost leader
2010 – Apple still differentiator, HP moving to successful integrator, Dell shifting toward integrator

44. The Dynamics of Competitive Positioning: Apple, HP, and Dell
EXHIBIT 6.10

46. Take-Away Concepts
LO 6-1 Define business-level strategy and describe how it determines a firm’s strategic position.
Business-level strategy determines a firm’s strategic position in its quest for competitive advantage in a single industry or product market.
Strategic positioning requires that managers address strategic trade-offs that arise between value and cost, because higher value tends to go along with higher cost.
Differentiation and cost leadership are distinct strategic positions.
Besides selecting an appropriate strategic position, managers must also define the scope of competition—whether to pursue a specific market niche or go after the broader market.
LO 6-2 Examine the relationship between value drivers and differentiation strategy.
The goal of a differentiation strategy is to increase the perceived value of goods and services so that customers will pay a higher price for additional features.

47. Take-Away Concepts
In a differentiation strategy, the focus of competition is on non-price attributes.
Some of the unique value drivers managers can manipulate are product features, customer service, customization, and complements.
Value drivers contribute to competitive advantage only if their increase in value creation (∆V) exceeds the increase in costs (∆C).
LO 6-3 Examine the relationship between cost drivers and cost-leadership strategy.
The goal of a cost-leadership strategy is to reduce the firm’s cost below that of its competitors.
In a cost-leadership strategy the goal is to reduce the firm’s costs below that of its competitors. The focus is on lowest-possible price with acceptable quality.
Some of the unique cost drivers that managers can manipulate are the cost of input factors, economies of scale, and learning- and experience-curve effects.
No matter how low the price, if there is no acceptable value proposition, the product or service will not sell.

48. Take-Away Concepts
LO Assess the benefits and risks of cost-leadership and differentiation business strategies vis-à-vis the five forces that shape competition.
The five forces model helps managers use generic business strategies to protect themselves against the industry forces that drive down profitability.
Differentiation and cost-leadership strategies allow firms to carve out strong strategic positions, not only to protect themselves against the five forces, but also to benefit from them in their quest for competitive advantage.
Exhibit 6.7 lists benefits and risks of each business strategy.

49. Take-Away Concepts
LO 6-5 Explain why it is difficult to succeed at an integration strategy.
A successful integration strategy requires that trade-offs between differentiation and low cost be reconciled.
Integration strategy often is difficult because the two distinct strategic positions require internal value chain activities that are fundamentally different from one another.
When firms fail to resolve strategic trade-offs between differentiation and cost, they end up being stuck in the middle. They then succeed at neither strategy, leading to a competitive disadvantage.
LO 6-6 Evaluate value and cost drivers that may allow a firm to pursue an integration strategy.
To address the trade-offs between differentiation and cost leadership at the business level, managers may leverage quality, economies of scope, innovation, and the firm’s structure, culture, and routines.
The trade-offs between differentiation and low cost can either be addressed at the business level or at the corporate level.

50. Take-Away Concepts
LO 6-7 Describe and evaluate the dynamics of competitive positioning.
Strategic positions need to change over time as the environment changes.
Best practices determine the productivity frontier at any given time.
Reaching the productivity frontier enhances the likelihood of obtaining a competitive advantage.
Not reaching the productivity frontier implies competitive disadvantage if other firms are positioned at the productivity frontier.