: Options for Growth in a Competitive Ecosystem—Apple and one other assign

© 2014 Laureate Education, Inc. Page 1 of 2

Week 5 Weekly Briefing Last week, in the general ecosystem force analysis, you were assessing how very large, general, systemic forces can affect a particular business or industry and how stakeholders can shape the landscape. In the competitive ecosystem analysis that you will explore this week, you move deeper into a more detailed analysis of both the direct competitive space, where a majority of the company’s activities occur, as well as in substitute analysis and blue ocean strategy analysis, where you try to identify opportunities to create new competitive spaces that don’t include direct competitors. This week you will:

• Evaluate the comprehensive competitive forces of an organization and industry. • Apply key insights from competitive strategy analysis tools and concepts towards

the development of relevant portions of a strategy playbook. • Develop appropriate recommendations for how an organization can respond

effectively to direct competitive and substitute forces. • Assess professional and academic experience in the Walden MBA program.

Discussion 1: Case Study with Discussion: Options for Growth in a Competitive Ecosystem—Apple, Inc. The essence of the 5-force analysis, which is what you are conducting this week, is to examine whether one might find it attractive or not to compete in a given industry. Specifically, you are trying to find whether, specifically, there might be “dominant positions” within an industry, and to identify the forces that shape the potential to make money in an industry, given a particular “competitive position”. As you examine Apple, Inc. and the smartphone industry, think about all the various ways the companies compete with their rivals and attempt to gain an advantage. Re- examine the general force ideas as well, as they do affect the specifics of rival’s actions too! A Special Note about Blue Ocean Strategy & Options to Create Innovative Value Opportunities Competing in “Red Oceans” is what competition within traditional industry spaces is called by Kim & Mauborgne, the authors of the concept of “blue ocean strategy”. The red oceans of direct rivalry are difficult and bloody, where customers are competing for customers within a zero-sum game context (for one to win, the others must lose). One of the compelling opportunities that strategist have, in thinking about “potential substitution threats”, is to flip the idea on its head and to think of “potential substitution opportunities”, where the company can deploy its skills and capabilities in ways that provide innovative value in other industry settings—or in completely new settings (blue oceans). The crafting of a true blue ocean strategy is beyond the scope of this tool-set, but, after you complete an integrated Key Success Factor Matrix Analysis (in a later section of

© 2014 Laureate Education, Inc. Page 2 of 2

analysis), you will be in a better position to reflect on potential blue ocean strategy options, so you will revisit this discussion on those options at that point. For now it is important that you begin to identify, as part of your potential substitute threat analysis, how your company might create opportunities through the application of innovative “substitution”. Substitution is the gateway to creating new competitive spaces and entering other industries with a new value proposition that can lead to enhanced profits. Discussion 2: Capstone Forum: Assignment with Peer Review: Five-Forces and Blue Ocean Strategy Analysis for Your Organization Now it is time to apply lessons learned from this week’s case analysis and discussion about competitive force assessment, this week’s readings, and other resources, you help you think about how you might answer the question, “How will you win?” (How will you create unique value for your organization?). Assignment: Individual Reflection: BPPG Part Two: Completing the MBA Program Assessment Comprehensive Exam provided by Peregrine Academic Services & Completing Your Reflection Journal One of the MBA program-level requirements that you must meet in order to graduate is to take a self-assessment of the core knowledge areas of MBA content. You will do that in week five. This self-assessment spans the entire set of MBA course courses. The knowledge you gained in your specialization is not assessed, but it may help you in certain areas of the core assessment. Do the best you can, as this assessment helps Walden improve the program and its content.