Reference no: EM133200927
Making strategic decisions are part of the territory when it comes to the job of an analyst. You'll need to decide what to do in a given circumstance and then answer questions to explain your decisions. Let's say you are a Strategic Analyst for a Fortune 500 Company, and your CEO has asked you how to position a specific business and product line to gain a competitive advantage in a single market. This scenario is the foundation of lessons 5, 6, 7, 8, covered in the textbook.
Part A: Product Differentiation
Part A refers to the material discussed in Lesson 5 of this course. Using logical, clear writing, do the following:
- Define product differentiation and discuss the role that customer perceptions play in product differentiation.
- Identify the three broad categories of product differentiation and two bases of differentiation under each category.
- Explain the relationship between product differentiation and managerial creativity.
Part B: Flexibility and Real Options
Part B refers to the material discussed in Lesson 6 of this course. Using logical, clear writing, answer the following:
- What is strategic flexibility? Why is it thought of as a third generic business-level strategy?
- What are strategic options?
- What are real options?
Part C: Collusion
Part C refers to the material discussed in Lesson 7 of this course. Using logical, clear writing, answer the following:
- What is collusion?
- What are the two types of collusion and how are they different?
- How does signaling relate to collusion?
Part D: Vertical Integration
Part D refers to the material discussed in Lesson 8 of this course. Using logical, clear writing, do the following:
- Define vertical integration and differentiate between forward vertical integration and backward vertical integration.
- Identify the three fundamental explanations of how vertical integration can create value and discuss how value is created under each.
- Identify three reasons a firm may be able to create value through vertical integration when most of its competitors are not able to create value through vertical integration.