1. What Is Strategy and Why Is It Important?
Screen graphics created by:
Jana F. Kuzmicki, Ph.D.
Troy University-Florida Region

2. “Without a strategy the organization is like a ship without a rudder.”
Joel Ross and Michael Kami

3. Chapter Roadmap What Do We Mean By Strategy?
Strategy and the Quest for Competitive Advantage
Identifying a Company’s Strategy
Why a Company’s Strategy Evolves Over Time
A Company’s Strategy Is Partly Proactive and Partly Reactive
Strategy and Ethics: Passing the Test of Moral Scrutiny
The Relationship Between a Company’s Strategy and Its Business Model
What Makes a Strategy a Winner?
Why Are Crafting and Executing Strategy Important?

4. Thinking Strategically: The Three Big Strategic Questions
1. What’s the company’s present situation?
2. Where does the company need to go from here?
Business(es) to be in and market positions to stake out
Buyer needs and groups to serve
Direction to head
3. How should it get there?
A company’s answer to “how will we get there?” is its strategy

5. What Do We Mean By “Strategy”?
Consists of competitive moves and business approaches used by managers to run the company
Management’s “action plan” to
Grow the business
Attract and please customers
Compete successfully
Conduct operations
Achieve target levels of organizational performance

6. The Hows That Define a Firm's Strategy
How to grow the business
How to please customers
How to outcompete rivals
How to manage each functional piece of the business (R&D, production, marketing, HR, finance, and so on)
How to respond to changing market conditions
How to achieve targeted levels of performance
Strategy is HOW to . . .

7. Choosing the “Hows” of Strategy
Strategic choices about “how” are based on
Trial-and-error organizational learning about what has worked and what has not worked
Management’s appetite for taking risks
Managerial analysis and strategic thinking about how best to proceed, given market conditions and the company’s circumstances
In choosing a strategy, management is in effect saying,
“Among all the many different business approaches and ways of competing we could have chosen, we have decided to employ this particular combination of competitive and operating approaches in moving the company in the intended direction, strengthening its market position, and competitiveness, and boosting performance.”

8. Key Elements of a Successful Strategy
Developing a successful strategy hinges on making competitive moves aimed at
Appealing to buyers in ways to set the enterprise apart from rivals and
Carving out its own market position
Involves developing a distinctive “aha” element to
Attract customers and
Produce a competitive edge
Copying competitive moves of other successful companies rarely works!

9. Key Elements: Comcast’s Strategy
Roll out high-speed Internet or broadband service to customers via cable modems
Promote a new video-on-demand service to allow digital subscribers to watch TV programs whenever they want
Promote a video-on-demand service so digital customers can order and watch pay-per-view movies
Partner with Sony, MGM, and others to expand movie offerings
Use VoIP technology to offer subscribers Internet-based phone service at a fraction of the cost charged by others
Use video-on-demand and CDV offerings to combat mounting competition from satellite TV providers
Employ a sales force to sell advertising to businesses that were shifting advertising dollars from sponsoring network programs to sponsoring cable programs
Significantly improve customer service

10. For Discussion: Your Opinion
From your perspective as a cable or satellite service consumer, does Comcast’s strategy (as described in Illustration Capsule 1.1) seem to be well-matched to industry and competitive conditions?
Does the strategy seem to be keyed to a cost advantage, differentiating features, serving the unique needs of a niche, or developing resource strengths and competitive capabilities rivals can’t imitate or trump (or a mixture of these)?
What is there about Comcast’s strategy that can lead to sustainable competitive advantage?
Comcast’s strategy appears to be well-matched to its industry and competitive conditions. With revenues of $18 billion and almost 22 million of 74 million (29.7% market share) U.S. cable subscribers, it became the industry leader in the U.S. market in However, profit margins are not provided in the Illustration Capsule; in the final analysis, a company’s success must be evaluated based on its profitability.
The strategy appears to be based on a mixture of the following: an emphasis on differentiating features and resource strengths and competitive capabilities. Comcast is offering several unique technological features, including video-on-demand service and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). In addition, a key element of its strategy is an emphasis on providing exceptional customer service. Since most cable subscribers were dissatisfied with the caliber of customer service offered by their local cable companies, Comcast felt that providing exceptional customer service to support its numerous cable services (i.e., video-on-demand, cable modems, HDTV, phone service) would be a differentiating feature of its strategy, clearly separating the company from its competitive rivals.
While its unique technological offerings is a key factor in obtaining a competitive advantage, the key to sustaining a competitive advantage is most likely going to be based on providing exceptional customer service to support its numerous cable services. It appears to be committed to this goal based on the following: (1) five weeks of classroom training for its customer service personnel; this was followed by supervisors listening to calls handled by the customer service personnel for 3 weeks; and (2) a goal of answering 90% of calls within 30 seconds.

11. Strategy and the Quest for Competitive Advantage
The heart and soul of any strategy are the actions and moves in the marketplace that a company makes to strengthen its competitive position and gain a competitive advantage over rivals
A creative distinctive strategy that sets a company apart from rivals and yields a competitive advantage is a company’s most reliable ticket to above average profitability
Competing with a competitive advantage is more profitable than competing with no advantage
Competing with a competitive disadvantage nearly always results in below-average profitability

12. A Powerful Strategy Leads to Sustainable Competitive Advantage
A company achieves sustainable competitive advantage when an attractive number or buyers prefer its products/services over those of rivals and when the basis for this preference can be maintained over time
Its nice when a strategy produces a temporary competitive edge but a durable edge over rivals greatly enhances a company’s prospects for winning in the marketplace and realizing above-average profits
What separates a powerful strategy from an ordinary strategy is management’s ability to forge a series of moves, both in the marketplace and internally, that
produces sustainable competitive advantage!

13. Four “Best” Strategic Approaches to Building Sustainable Competitive Advantage
Being the industry’s low-cost provider (a cost-based competitive advantage)
Incorporate differentiating features (a “superior product” type of competitive advantage keyed to higher quality, better performance, wider selection, value-added services, or some other attribute)
Focusing on a narrow market niche (winning a competitive edge by doing a better job than rivals of serving the needs and preferences of buyers comprising the niche)
Developing expertise and resource strengths not easily imitated or matched by rivals (a capabilities-based competitive advantage)

14. Competitive Advantage Examples
Strive to be the industry’s low-cost provider
Wal-Mart
Southwest Airlines
Outcompete rivals on a key differentiating feature
Johnson & Johnson – Reliability in baby products
Harley-Davidson – King-of-the-road styling
Rolex – Top-of-the-line prestige
Mercedes-Benz – Engineering design and performance
L.L. Bean – Good value
Amazon.com – Wide selection and convenience

15. Competitive Advantage Examples (cont)
Focus on a narrow market niche
eBay – Online auctions
Jiffy Lube International – Quick oil changes
McAfee – Virus protection auctions
Starbucks – Premium coffees and coffee drinks
The Weather Channel – Cable TV
Develop expertise, resource strengths, and capabilities not easily imitated by rivals
FedEx – Next-day delivery of small packages
Walt Disney – Theme park management and family entertainment
Toyota – Sophisticated production system
Ritz-Carlton – Personalized customer service

16. Fig. 1.1: Identifying a Company’s Strategy

17. Test Your Knowledge
A company’s strategy and its quest for competitive advantage are tightly related because
A. a company’s strategy determines whether it will have lower or higher costs than rivals and thus be at a competitive advantage or disadvantage.
B. competitive advantage is essential to having a profitable business model.
C. choosing a competitive advantage to pursue also helps a company choose which business model is most appropriate.
D. competitive advantage enables a company to achieve its strategic objectives.
E. a strategy that leads to sustainable competitive advantage is a company’s most reliable means of achieving above-average profitability and financial performance.
Answer: E

18. Why Do Strategies Evolve?
A company’s strategy is a work in progress
Changes may be necessary to react to
Shifting market conditions
Technological breakthroughs
Fresh moves of competitors
Evolving customer preferences
Emerging market opportunities
New ideas to improve strategy
Crisis situations

19. Fig. 1.2: A Company’s Strategy Is Partly Proactive and Partly Reactive

20. Crafting Strategy Is an Exercise in Entrepreneurship
Strategy-making is a market-driven activity involving
Studying market trends and competitors’ actions
Keen observation of customer needs
Scrutinizing business possibilities based on new technologies
Building firm’s market position via acquisitions or new product introductions
Pursuing ways to strengthen firm’s competitive capabilities
Proactively searching out opportunities to
Do new things or
Do existing things in new or better ways

21. Linking Strategy With Ethics
Ethical and moral standards go beyond
Prohibitions of law and the language of “thou shalt not”
to issues of
Duty and “right” vs. “wrong”
Ethical and moral standards address “What is the right thing to do?”
Two criteria of an ethical strategy:
Does not entail actions and behaviors that cross the line from “should do” to “should not do” and “unsavory” or “shady” and
Allows management to fulfill its ethical duties to all stakeholders

22. A Firm’s Ethical Responsibilities to Its Stakeholders
Owners/shareholders – Rightfully expect some form of return on their investment
Employees - Rightfully expect to be treated with dignity and respect for devoting their energies to the enterprise
Customers - Rightfully expect a seller to provide them with a reliable, safe product or service
Suppliers - Rightfully expect to have an equitable relationship with firms they supply and be treated fairly
Community - Rightfully expect businesses to be good citizens in their community

23. Role of Senior Executives: Linking Strategy with Ethics
Forbid pursuit of ethically questionable business opportunities
Insist all aspects of company strategy reflect high ethical standards
Make it clear all employees are expected to act with integrity
Install organizational checks and balances to
Monitor behavior
Enforce ethical codes of conduct
Provide guidance to employees in gray areas
Display genuine commitment to conduct business activities ethically

24. Test Your Knowledge A company's strategy can be considered “ethical”
A. if all of its different actions and elements are legal and in compliance with governmental rules and regulations.
B. so long as its actions and behaviors can pass the test of “moral scrutiny” and are aboveboard in the sense of not being shady or unconscionable, injurious to others, or unnecessarily harmful to the environment.
C. only if all elements of the strategy are in accord with what is generally considered as being in the overall best interests of society at large.
D. so long as religious authorities and noted ethics experts find nothing “wrong” in the company’s actions.
E. if it is in compliance with the company’s code of ethics and has been approved by the company’s chief ethics officer.
Answer: B

25. What Is a Business Model?
A business model addresses “How do we make money in this business?”
Is the strategy capable of delivering good bottom-line results?
Do the revenue-cost-profit economics of the strategy make good business sense?
Look at revenue streams the strategy is expected to produce
Look at associated cost structure and potential profit margins
Do resulting earnings streams and ROI indicate the strategy makes sense and the company has a viable business model for making money?

26. Relationship Between Strategy and Business Model
Deals with a company’s competitive initiatives and business approaches
Business Model Concerns whether revenues and costs flowing from the strategy demonstrate a business can be amply profitable and viable
Strategy
Business
Model

27. Microsoft’s Business Model
Employ a cadre of highly skilled programmers to develop proprietary code; keep source code hidden from users
Sell resulting OS and software packages to PC makers and users at relatively attractive prices to achieve a 90% or more market share
Most costs in developing software are fixed; variable costs are small; once break-even volume is reached, revenues from additional sales are almost pure profit
Provide modest level of technical support to users at no cost
Rejuvenate revenues by periodically introducing next-generation software with features inducing PC users to upgrade their operating systems

28. Red Hat’s Business Model
Rely on collaborative efforts of volunteer programmers to create the software
Collect and test enhancements and new applications submitted by volunteer programmers for evaluation and inclusion in new releases of Linux
Market upgraded and tested family of Red Hat products to large companies, charging a subscription fee that includes 24/7 support within 1 hour in 7 languages
Make source code open and available to all users
Capitalize on specialized expertise required to use Linux by providing fee-based training, consulting, software customization, and client-directed engineering to Linus users

29. Test Your Knowledge
The nitty-gritty issue surrounding a company’s business model is whether
A. the strategy is capable of producing sustainable competitive advantage.
B. it matches the company’s external and internal situation.
C. the chosen strategy makes good business sense from a money-making perspective.
D. the company’s strategy and strategic moves are mostly proactive.
E. the company’s strategy stands a really good chance of hitting a home-run in the marketplace.
Answer: C

30. For Discussion: Your Opinion
Who has the best business model – Microsoft or Red Hat?
Based on the results, Microsoft’s business model (based on selling proprietary code software and giving service away free) is a proven money-maker, generating billions in profits annually. However, the jury is still out on Red Hat’s business model. It posted losses of $140 million on revenues of $79 million in FY2002 and losses of $6.6 million on revenues of $91 million in FY 2003; however, it earned $14 million on revenues of $126 million in FY 2004.

31. Tests of a Winning Strategy
GOODNESS OF FIT TEST
How well does strategy fit the firm’s situation?
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE TEST
Does strategy lead to sustainable competitive advantage?
PERFORMANCE TEST
Does strategy boost firm performance?

32. Other Criteria for Judging the Merits of a Strategy
Internal consistency and unity among all pieces of the strategy
Degree of risk the strategy poses as compared to alternative strategies
Degree to which the strategy is flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances
While these criteria are relevant, they seldom override the importance of the three tests of a winning strategy!

33. Why Is Strategy Important?
A compelling need exists for managers to proactively shape how a firm’s business will be conducted
A strategy-focused firm is more likely to be a strong bottom-line performer than one that views strategy as secondary

34. Good Strategy + Good Strategy Execution = Good Management
Crafting and executing strategy are core management functions
Among all things managers do, nothing affects a company’s ultimate success or failure more fundamentally than how well its management team
Charts a company’s direction,
Develops competitively effective strategic moves and business approaches, and
Pursues what needs to be done internally to produce good day-in/day-out strategy execution
Excellent execution of an excellent strategy is the best test of managerial excellence – and the most reliable recipe for winning in the marketplace!