Prescriptive and Emergent Strategy: South West Airlines
University of huddersfield | How A Company/Organisation Attempts To Achieve Sustainable Competitive Advantage | The Application of Relevant Theory to the Eddie Stobart Group | | Author: Andrew Yelland
Student Number: U0970411Course: Transport & Logistics ManagementModule: Strategic ManagementModule Tutor: Dr. Andrew JenkinsModule Code: SHT 4002Date: December 2011 | |
Executive Summary |
This report consults literature from a range of academic resources in order to provide an understanding of strategy, strategic management and how firms achieve and sustain a competitive advantage. The paper will focus on Generic strategies implemented by firms in industry, low cost and differentiation.
Moreover, emphasis is also placed on the importance for a company to understand and develop its core competencies, as this forms the fundamental basis of a firm’s success.
An industrial example is explored in the multi-modal logistics sector, the organisation being the Stobart Group. The report will analyse, despite widespread academic opinion that perhaps only one strategy should be applied, how a company has implemented a hybrid of low cost and differentiation strategies and indeed with excellent success.
Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 1. Introduction 3 2. What is Strategy and Strategic Management: An Overview 4 3. An Academic Discussion of Competitive Advantage and how Competitive Advantage may be Achieved and Sustained 5 3.1 What is Competitive Advantage 5 3.2 Sustaining a Competitive Advantage 5 3.3 Understanding Core Competence to Achieve Competitive Advantage 9 4. CA Strategies Implemented at the Eddie Stobart Group 11 5. Conclusion 14 6. Bibliography 15 7. Appendices 17 Appendix A: A Strategic Management Process Model 17 Appendix B: Sustaining Competitive Advantage Model 17 Appendix C: The Porters Five Forces Model 18 Appendix D: The Resources Model
Student Number: U0970411Course: Transport & Logistics ManagementModule: Strategic ManagementModule Tutor: Dr. Andrew JenkinsModule Code: SHT 4002Date: December 2011 | |
Executive Summary |
This report consults literature from a range of academic resources in order to provide an understanding of strategy, strategic management and how firms achieve and sustain a competitive advantage. The paper will focus on Generic strategies implemented by firms in industry, low cost and differentiation.
Moreover, emphasis is also placed on the importance for a company to understand and develop its core competencies, as this forms the fundamental basis of a firm’s success.
An industrial example is explored in the multi-modal logistics sector, the organisation being the Stobart Group. The report will analyse, despite widespread academic opinion that perhaps only one strategy should be applied, how a company has implemented a hybrid of low cost and differentiation strategies and indeed with excellent success.
Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 1. Introduction 3 2. What is Strategy and Strategic Management: An Overview 4 3. An Academic Discussion of Competitive Advantage and how Competitive Advantage may be Achieved and Sustained 5 3.1 What is Competitive Advantage 5 3.2 Sustaining a Competitive Advantage 5 3.3 Understanding Core Competence to Achieve Competitive Advantage 9 4. CA Strategies Implemented at the Eddie Stobart Group 11 5. Conclusion 14 6. Bibliography 15 7. Appendices 17 Appendix A: A Strategic Management Process Model 17 Appendix B: Sustaining Competitive Advantage Model 17 Appendix C: The Porters Five Forces Model 18 Appendix D: The Resources Model
Bibliography: Channon, D.F (1999) The Blackwell Encyclopaedia Dictionary of Strategic Management Blackwell Publishers Limited Oxford England D’Aveni, R (1995) Hypercompetitive Rivalries, Free Press New York USA Hamel, G; Prahalad, C.K (1994) Competing for the Future, Harvard Business School Press Boston USA Hamel, G; Prahalad, C.K (1990) The Core Competence of the Corporation Harvard Business Review Hamel, G; Prahalad, C.K (1990) ‘The Core Competence of the Corporation’ Harvard Business Review, vol. 68, no. 3, pp. 79-81 Henry, A.E (2011) Understanding strategic management 2nd edition Oxford University Press Oxford England Hill, C.W.L; Jones, G.R (1998) Strategic Management Theory, an integrated approach 4th Edition Houghton Mifflin Company New York USA Johnson, G; Scholes, K; Whittingham, R (2008) Exploring Corporate Strategy Eighth Edition Lynch, R (2009) Strategic Management fifth edition. Pearson Education Limited Harlow England McGee, J; Thomas, H; Wilson, D (2005) Strategy- analysis and practice: McGraw-Hill Education Maidenhead England Porter, M.E (2004) Competitive Advantage – Creating and Sustaining Superior Advantage. The Free Press New York USA. Porter, M.E (1980) Competitive Strategy – techniques for analysing industries and competitors Wernerfelt, B (1984) ‘A Resource Based View of the Firm’, Strategic Management Journal, vol.5, no.2, pp. 171. 6