Str/581 Wk 3 Discussion Questions

What is outsourcing? Why do firms outsource? Will outsourcing’s importance grow in the future? If so, why?

What are capabilities? How do firms create capabilities?

What is value? Why is it critical for the firm to create value? How does it do so?

Why is it important for a firm to study and understand its internal organization?

What four criteria must capabilities satisfy for them to become core competencies? Why is it important for firms to use these criteria to evaluate their capabilities’ value-creating potential?

What are the differences between tangible and intangible resources? Why is it important for decision makers to understand these differences? Are tangible resources more valuable for creating capabilities than are intangible resources, or is the reverse true? Why?

What is value chain analysis? What does the firm gain by successfully using this tool?

How do firms identify internal strengths and weaknesses? Why is it vital that managers have a clear understanding of their firm’s strengths and weaknesses?

What is market commonality? What is resource similarity? What does it mean to say that these concepts are the building blocks for a competitor analysis?

Who are competitors? How are competitive rivalry, competitive behavior, and competitive dynamics defined in the chapter?

How do awareness, motivation, and ability affect the firm’s competitive behavior?

What factors affect the likelihood that a firm will take a competitive action?

What factors affect the likelihood a firm will initiate a competitive response to a competitor’s action(s)?

What competitive dynamics can be expected among firms competing in slow-cycle markets? In fast-cycle markets? In standard-cycle markets?

What is organizational structure and what are organizational controls? What are the differences between strategic controls and financial controls? What is the importance of these differences?

What does it mean to say that strategy and structure have a reciprocal relationship?

What are the characteristics of the functional structures used to implement the integrated cost leadership/differentiation business-level strategies?

What are the characteristics of the functional structures used to implement the focused business-level strategies?

What are the characteristics of the functional structures used to implement the differentiation business-level strategies?

What are the characteristics of the functional structures used to implement the cost leadership business-level strategies?

What are the differences among the three versions of the multidivisional (M-form) organizational structures that are used to implement the related constrained, the related linked, and the unrelated corporate-level diversification strategies?

What organizational structures are used to implement the transnational strategy?

What organizational structures are used to implement the Global strategy?

What organizational structures are used to implement the multi-domestic strategy?

150 to 200 words

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