Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance (Hardcover)

Contents Introduction Preface Chapter 1 Competitive Strategy: The Core Concepts THE STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF INDUSTRIES Industry Structure and Buyer Needs Industry Structure and the Supply/Demand Balance GENERIC COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES Cost Leadership Differentiation Focus Stuck in the Middle Pursuit of More Than One Generic Strategy Sustainability Generic Strategies and Industry Evolution Generic Strategies and Organizational Structure Generic Strategies and the Strategic Planning Process OVERVIEW OF THIS BOOK PART I PRINCIPLES OF COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE Chapter 2 The Value Chain and Competitive Advantage THE VALUE CHAIN Identifying Value Activities Defining the Value Chain Linkages within The Value Chain Vertical Linkages The Buyer's Value Chain COMPETITIVE SCOPE AND THE VALUE CHAIN Segment Scope Vertical Scope Geographic Scope Industry Scope Coalitions and Scope Competitive Scope and Business Definition The Value Chain and Industry Structure THE VALUE CHAIN AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE Chapter 3 Cost Advantage THE VALUE CHAIN AND COST ANALYSIS Defining the Value Chain for Cost Analysis Assigning Costs and Assets First Cut Analysis of Costs COST BEHAVIOR Cost Drivers The Cost of Purchased Inputs Segment Cost Behavior Cost Dynamics COST ADVANTAGE Determining the Relative Cost of Competitors Gaining Cost Advantage Sustainability of Cost Advantage Implementation and Cost Advantage Pitfalls in Cost Leadership Strategies STEPS IN STRATEGIC COST ANALYSIS Chapter 4 Differentiation SOURCES OF DIFFERENTIATION Differentiation and The Value Chain Drivers of Uniqueness THE COST OF DIFFERENTIATION BUYER VALUE AND DIFFERENTIATION Buyer Value The Value Chain and Buyer Value Lowering Buyer Cost Raising Buyer Performance Buyer Perception of Value Buyer Value and the Real Buyer Buyer Purchase Criteria Identifying Purchase Criteria DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGY Routes to Differentiation The Sustainability of Differentiation Pitfalls in Differentiation STEPS IN DIFFERENTIATION Chapter 5 Technology and Competitive Advantage TECHNOLOGY AND COMPETITION Technology and The Value Chain Technology and Competitive Advantage Technology and Industry Structure TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY The Choice of Technologies to Develop Technological Leadership or Followership Licensing of Technology TECHNOLOGICAL EVOLUTION Continuous Versus Discontinuous Technological Evolution Forecasting Technological Evolution FORMULATING TECHNOLOGICAL STRATEGY Chapter 6 Competitor Selection THE STRATEGIC BENEFITS OF COMPETITORS Increasing Competitive Advantage Improving Current Industry Structure Aiding Market Development Deterring Entry WHAT MAKES A "GOOD" COMPETITOR? Tests of a Good Competitor "Good" Market Leaders Diagnosing Good Competitors INFLUENCING THE PATTERN OF COMPETITORS Damaging Good Competitors in Battling Bad Ones Changing Bad Competitors into Good Ones THE OPTIMAL MARKET CONFIGURATION The Optimal Competitor Configuration Maintaining Competitor Viability Moving toward the Ideal Competitor Configuration Maintaining Industry Stability PITFALLS IN COMPETITOR SELECTION PART II COMPETITIVE SCOPE WITHIN AN INDUSTRY Chapter 7 Industry Segmentation and Competitive Advantage BASES FOR INDUSTRY SEGMENTATION Structural Bases For Segmentation Segmentation Variables Finding New Segments THE INDUSTRY SEGMENTATION MATRIX Relationships Among Segmentation Variables Combining Segmentation Matrices INDUSTRY SEGMENTATION AND COMPETITIVE STRATEGY The Attractiveness of a Segment Segment Interrelationships Segment Interrelationships and Broadly-Targeted Strategies The Choice of Focus The Feasibility of New Segments to Focus On The Sustainability of a Focus Strategy Pitfalls and Opportunities for Focusers and Broadly-Targeted Competitors INDUSTRY SEGMENTATION AND INDUSTRY DEFINITION Chapter 8 Substitution IDENTIFYING SUBSTITUTES THE ECONOMICS OF SUBSTI