Former exam 1 - 2013, June

Question 1

Question 1:

The mobile phone industry is characterized by tough competition between the former frontrunner Nokia, Samung and Apple. Today, Apple is by far the most profitable of these companies, with a ROS (Return on sale) of 35% (2012).

Apple can be argued to havbeimplemented a differentiation stratey making the consumer’s willing to pay more for their products than for the competitors. Some of the factors behind this differentiation strategy can be argued to be:

• A strong brand.
• Product innovation (created by the R&D department).

a) Do you consider these two factors to be resources or dynamic capaabilites? (please motivate your choice).
b) If you consider one or both of them to be a resource, use the VRIN-framework to analyze if the resource/resources have what it takes to create a sustained competetive advantage.

C) If you consider one or both of them to be dynamic capabilites, argue for how it could be used to inetrage, reconfigure or create new resources.

Answer 1

Answer of your own.

Question 2

Question 2:

Prime mover is an imporant concept in Normann’s terminology.

a) What characterize a prime mover strategy=
b) How can a company develop a prime mover strategy?
c) Please discuss the consequences of a prime mover strategies, both postivie and negative.

Answer 2

Your answer.

Question 3

Question 3:

An important part of strategic work is to try to predict the future development of the environment, but this is not always easy. Godwin and Wright (2010) provide a number of explanations to why prediction oftan fail.

a) Please describe these sources of unpredictability.
b) How can the anticipation of rare events be improved?

Answer 3

Your answer.

Question 4

Question 4

Strategic work can be understood from several different perspectives.

Please discuss define, descuss compare and compare the following trhreeperspectives:

a) Processes perspective
b) Strategy as practice
c) The outcomes of strategic change according to Richard Normann.

Question 5

Question 5:

To formulate a strategy is hard, but to implement it is evene harder. A common problem is a vage coupling between formulated strategies and everyday realities of workers. It may be difficult to see the link between the objectives of the company and our daily activities.

a) Please describe how it is possible to create a clear structure and link between strategy and everyday realities.
b) What is the role of mission and vision statement in strategy work, please discuss and give examples?
c) Please discuss the role of leadership in strategy work.

Answer 5

Your answer.