400-600 words

You have been called in by your boss. The company is considering buying another smaller firm; however, some business analysis is needed for your company management to make its final decision about purchasing. Your boss has asked you to look at the firm that he or she is considering to buy in terms of competitive advantage. You have been asked to explain to senior management how you would provide this information. You have been tasked with using Porter's five forces to make this determination. Discuss and defend to your management how utilizing Porter's five forces to analyze any organization or industry would provide an understanding of competitive advantage.

Responses to Other Students: Respond to at least 2 of your fellow classmates with at least a 100-word reply about their Primary Task Response regarding items you found to be compelling and enlightening. To help you with your discussion, please consider the following questions:

• What did you learn from your classmate's posting?
• What additional questions do you have after reading the posting?
• What clarification do you need regarding the posting?
• What differences or similarities do you see between your posting and other classmates' postings?