Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Assessing the Internal Environment of the Firm

Gregory G. Dess
G. T. Lumpkin
Marilyn L. Taylor



The Limitations of SWOT Analysis
         Strengths may not lead to an advantage
         SWOT’s focus on the external environment is too narrow
         SWOT gives a one-shot view of a moving target
         SWOT overemphasizes a single dimension of strategy
Value-Chain Analysis
         Sequential process of value-creating activities
         The amount that buyers are willing to pay for what a firm provides them
         Value is measured by total revenue
         Firm is profitable to the extent the value it receives exceeds the total costs involved in creating its product or service
Primary Activities
Associated with receiving, storing and distributing inputs to the product
         Location of distribution facilities
         Material and inventory control systems
         Systems to reduce time to send “returns” to suppliers
         Warehouse layout and designs
Associated with collecting, storing, and distributing the product or service to buyers
         Effective shipping processes
         Efficient finished goods warehousing processes
         Shipping of goods in large lot sizes
         Quality material handling equipment
Primary Activities
Associated with purchases of products and services by end users and the inducements used to get them to make purchases
         Highly motivated and competent sales force
         Innovative approaches to promotion and advertising
         Selection of most appropriate distribution channels
         Proper identification of customer segments and needs
         Effective pricing strategies
Associated with providing service to enhance or maintain the value of the product
         Effective use of procedures to solicit customer feedback and to act on information
         Quick response to customer needs and emergencies
         Ability to furnish replacement parts
         Effective management of parts and equipment inventory
         Quality of service personnel and ongoing training
         Warranty and guarantee policies
Support Activities
Typically supports the entire value chain and not individual activities
         Effective planning systems
         Ability of top management to anticipate and act on key environmental trends and events
         Ability to obtain low-cost funds for capital expenditures and working capital
         Excellent relationships with diverse stakeholder groups
         Ability to coordinate and integrate activities across the value chain
         Highly visible to inculcate organizational culture, reputation, and values
Support Activities
Activities involved in the recruiting, hiring, training, development, and compensation of all types of personnel
         Effective recruiting, development, and retention mechanisms for employees
         Quality relations with trade unions
         Quality work environment to maximize overall employee performance and minimize absenteeisn
         Reward and incentive programs to motivate all employees
Support Activities
Related to a wide range of activities and those embodied in processes and equipment and the product itself
         Effective R&D activities for process and product initiatives
         Positive collaborative relationships between R&D and other departments
         State-of-the art facilities and equipment
         Culture to enhance creativity and innovation
         Excellent professional qualifications of personnel
         Ability to meet critical deadlines
Support Activities
Function of purchasing inputs used in the firm’s value chain
         Procurement of raw material inputs
         Development of collaborative “win-win” relationships with suppliers
         Effective procedures to purchase advertising and media services
         Analysis and selection of alternate sources of inputs to minimize dependence on one supplier
         Ability to make proper lease versus buy decisions
Interrelationships among Value-Chain Activities within and across Organizations
         Importance of relationships among value activities
         Interrelationships among  activities within the firm
         Relationships among  activities within the firm and with other organizations (e.g., customers and suppliers)
Resource-Based View of the Firm
         Two perspectives
         The internal analysis of phenomena within a company
         An external analysis of the industry and its competitive environment
         Three key types of resources
         Tangible resources
         Intangible resources
         Organizational capabilities
Types of Resources
Relatively easy to identify, and include physical and financial assets used to create value for customers
         Financial resources
n  Firm’s cash accounts
n  Firm’s capacity to raise equity
n  Firm’s borrowing capacity
         Physical resources
n  Modern plant and facilities
n  Favorable manufacturing locations
n  State-of-the-art machinery and equipment
         Relatively easy to identify, and include physical and financial assets used to create value for customers
         Technological resources
n  Trade secrets
n  Innovative production processes
n  Patents, copyrights, trademarks
         Organizational resources
n  Effective strategic planning processes
n  Excellent evaluation and control systems
Difficult for competitors (and the firm itself) to account for or imitate, typically embedded in unique routines and practices that have evolved over time
         Human
n  Experience and capabilities of employees
n  Trust
n  Managerial skills
n  Firm-specific practices and procedures
Difficult for competitors (and the firm itself) to account for or imitate, typically embedded in unique routines and practices that have evolved over time
         Innovation and creativity
n  Technical and scientific skills
n  Innovation capacities
         Reputation
n  Effective strategic planning processes
n  Excellent evaluation and control systems
Competencies or skills that a firm employs to transform inputs to outputs, and capacity to combine tangible and intangible resources to attain desired end
         Outstanding customer service
         Excellent product development capabilities
         Innovativeness of products and services
         Ability to hire, motivate, and retain human capital
Firm Resources and Sustainable Competitive Advantages
Is the resource or capability…
Valuable
Rare
Difficult to imitate
Difficult to substitute
Implications
         Neutralize threats and exploit opportunities
         Not many firms possess
         Physically unique
         Path dependency
         Causal ambiguity
         Social complexity
         No equivalent strategic resources or capabilities
Is the Resource Valuable?
Organizational resources can be a source of competitive advantage only when they are valuable
         Enable a firm to formulate and implement strategies that improve its efficiency or effectiveness
Is the Resource Rare?
Organizational resources also possessed by competitors are not sources of competitive advantage
         Common strategies based on similar resources give no one firm an advantage
         Competitive advantages are gained only from uncommon resources, resources that are rare to other competitors
Can the Resource be Imitated?
Difficulty in imitating resources is key to value creation because it constrains competition
         Profits generated from inimitable resources are more likely to be sustainable
n  Physical uniqueness
n  Path dependency
n  Causal ambiguity
n  Social complexity
Are Substitutes Readily Available?
There must be no strategically equivalent valuable resources that are themselves not rare or inimitable
         Substitutability may take at least two forms
n  Competitor may be able to substitute a similar resource that enables it to develop and implement the same strategy
n  Very different firm resources can become strategic substitutes (such as e-business as a substitute for physical retail facility)
Evaluating Firm Performance
Two approaches for evaluating firm performance
         Financial ratio analysis
n  Balance sheet
n  Income statement
         Balanced scorecard (stakeholder perspective)
n  Employees
n  Customers
n  Owners
Financial Ratio Analysis
         Five types of financial ratios
         Short-term solvency or liquidity
         Long-term solvency measures
         Asset management (or turnover)
         Profitability
         Market value
         Meaningful ratio analysis must include
         Analysis of how ratios change over time
         How ratios are interrelated
The Balanced Scorecard
         Provides a meaningful integration of many issues that come into evaluating a firm’s performance
         Four key perspectives
         How do customers see us? (customer perspective)
         What must we excel at? (internal perspective)
         Can we continue to improve and create value? (innovation and learning perspective)
         How do we look to shareholders? (financial perspective)
The Balanced Scorecard
         Time
         Quality
         Performance and service
         Cost
The Balanced Scorecard
         Processes
         Cycle time
         Quality
         Employee skills
         productivity
         Decisions
         Actions
         Coordination
         Resources and capabilities
The Balanced Scorecard
         Introduction of new products and services
         Greater value for customers
         Increased operating efficiencies
The Balanced Scorecard
         Profitability
         Growth
         Shareholder value
         Increased market share
         Reduced operating expenses
         Higher asset turnover
 

No comments:

Post a Comment