Topic: Corporate Strategy

Order additional information

All questions carry equal marks

Questions asking to look at specific sources/writers aspect on topics. If you choose any questions not giving specific sources/writers try to use John Kays school of thought as your main influence.

The suggested minimum length for your answers is around 750 words for each question.

Accurate citation and referencing in Harvard style is required. Provide one bibliography only for all three questions, at the end of the file.

This paper contains NINE questions

Answer THREE questions only

(1) (i) Explain the following concepts:

(a) tacit knowledge
(b) idiosyncratic knowledge
(c) path dependence.

(ii) Discuss the ways in which writers such as Kay and Penrose combine them to create a theory of competitive advantage.

(2) Prahalad and Hamel’s notion of ‘core competence’ has been criticised as referring to nothing more than ‘pools of functionally specific technical skills’. To the extent that this critique has force, can consideration of organisational and social capital help to rebut it? Explain your answer.

(3) ‘Despite appearances, Porter’s thinking on competitive advantage has not significantly evolved beyond the structure-conduct-performance paradigm.’ Evaluate this claim.

(4) Distinguish between the learning curve and the experience curve, and discuss how they may be the source of sustainable competitive advantage.

(5) Show how the existence of L-shaped long-run average cost curves can give rise to entry-deterring strategic behaviour. Discuss whether such curves are pre-requisites for successful deterrence.

(6) Explain and evaluate the claim that while a firm’s growth rate is necessarily constrained, its size is not.

(7) Evaluate the portfolio theory of company diversification.

(8) Nonaka and Takeushi (1995) suggest that knowledge creation and conversion can be categorised into four modes; outline their system, and consider which mode or modes are more likely to be sources of sustainable competitive advantage.

9) What is an ‘entrepreneurial’ firm? Discuss Michael Best’s attempt to explain the success of entrepreneurial firms as the outcome of innovation and technology managemen