Reference no: EM133359464

Questions

1. Present a general overview of General Motors and provide a synopsis of the case.

2. What are key forces in the general and industry environments that affect the U.S. auto industry and General Motors?

[Note: The general environment is composed of the following factors that are both hard to predict and difficult to control: demographic, sociocultural, political/legal, technological, economic, and global. The industry environment can be analyzed using Porter's five forces: the
threat of new entrants, the power of buyers, the power of suppliers, the power of substitutes, and rivalry among competitors.

3. Describe major resources (both tangible and intangible) and capabilities General Motors possesses. Using the four criteria of core competencies, determine whether anything on your list is a core competency that can provide the firm with the potential for a sustainable competitive advantage.

[Note: Resources or capabilities that can provide a firm with the potential for a sustainable competitive advantage have the following four attributes: valuable, rare, difficult to imitate, and non-substitutable.]

4. Briefly describe the primary and support activities in General Motors' value chain. Lay out the key links in General Motors's value chain activities and evaluate how each step is critical to creating customer value.

5. What suggestions would you have for General Motors going forward?

[Note: You can provide your suggestions based on their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats/