Management strategy

Exercise1. 

Explain deeply (no less than 100 words) your rationale supporting your selection. Deep explanations from the students are expected. You may want to make sure what an explanation means.

1)A creative, distinctive strategy that sets a company apart from rivals and that gives it a sustainable competitive advantage is a company's most reliable ticket to above-average profitability—indeed, the tight connection between competitive advantage and profitability means that the quest for sustainable competitive advantage always ranks center stage in crafting a strategy.

2)To succeed with a low-cost provider strategy, company managers have to pursue backward or forward integration to detour suppliers or buyers with considerable bargaining power and leverage.

Exercise 2: 

Answer the questions below:
1) Why is it appropriate to argue that good strategy-making combined with good strategy execution are valid signs of good management? Describe an example. 

2) Explain how the marketing emphasis of a low-cost provider differs from the marketing emphasis of a best-cost provider. Describe an example.

Based on the attached file “Strategic Group Map Question 4” respond:

a. Identify and briefly describe a local company's strategic options in competing against global challenges. Explain in your own words and describe an example.

b. What is your assessment of the Good Hotel's performance relative to its peers in the San Francisco market? What does a strategic group map for the industry disclose its competitive position?

Based on the attached file “Final Exam Question 5” respond:

What are the advantages and benefits of using an industry attractive-business strength matrix to evaluate a diversified company's lineup of businesses? Develop a weighted competitive strength assessment of the four major competitors in the U.S. family clothing stores industry using the methodology presented in Chapter 4. Based on the results, who is in the strongest overall competitive position? Who is in the weakest position?