Product Description The essential complement to the pathbreaking book Competitive Strategy, Michael E. Porter's Competitive Advantage explores the underpinnings of competitive advantage in the individual firm. With over 30 printings in English and translated into thirteen languages, this second volume in Porter's landmark trilogy describes how a firm actually gains an advantage over its rivals. Competitive Advantage introduces a whole new way of understanding what a firm does. Porter's groundbreaking concept of the value chain disaggregates a company into "activities," or the discrete functions or processes that represent the elemental building blocks of competitive advantage.
Now an essential part of international business thinking, Competitive Advantage takes strategy from broad vision to an internally consistent configuration of activities. Its powerful framework provides the tools to understand the drivers of cost and a company's relative cost position. Porter's value chain enables managers to isolate the underlying sources of buyer value that will command a premium price, and the reasons why one product or service substitutes for another. He shows how competitive advantage lies not only in activities themselves but in the way activities relate to each other, to supplier activities, and to customer activities. Competitive Advantage also provides for the first time the tools to strategically segment an industry and rigorously assess the competitive logic of diversification.
That the phrases "competitive advantage" and "sustainable competitive advantage" have become commonplace is testimony to the power of Porter's ideas. Competitive Advantage has guided countless companies, business school students, and scholars in understanding the roots of competition. Porter's work captures the extraordinary complexity of competition in a way that makes strategy both concrete and actionable.
Competitive Advantage by Michael PorterNovember 16, 2008 A must have for every strategic management/ business/ MBA student. The book in a clear language describes the strategies a company can follow in order to create a competitive advantage. Also talks about the 5 forces, value chain and other key terms in business. Though the are some strategist who do not totally agree with Porter, his models have been widely used and its definitely a recommended reading.
Business School ClassicAugust 28, 2008 The book is timeless and is an essential reference for marketing or planning executives and employees
Pivotal contribution to management literatureMay 28, 2008 This classic work on competition is indicative of the importance of Michael Porter's pivotal contributions to management literature. The book seems as fresh and relevant today as when it was first published more than a quarter-century ago. Porter, a professor at the Harvard Business School, is the author of 16 books, and a leading authority on competitive strategy and economic development. His ideas have guided economic policy worldwide, which may account for his nine honorary degrees and numerous awards. This book demonstrates the reasons for his influence. He provides a clear, deftly written, very accessible guide to developing and implementing competitive strategy. He covers the fundamentals of value chains, costs, differentiation, technology, substitution, synergies and more. getAbstract assumes that they told you in business school to reread this frequently as a management touchstone.
Strategy BibleMay 9, 2008 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
The Porter trilogy: Best books on strategy ever written. The reference manual for competitive strategy. Anybody who is in the business of formulating strategy today uses the Porter framework. The only caveat is the distrupting force of the internet and its effects on businesses which is not covered. Jim Kayalar is a Certified Management Consultant with the Institute of Management Consultants USA (IMC-USA) with 20 plus years of experience in a myriad of industries. Jim Kayalar is the managing director and founder of Business Tune Up.
Mr.April 23, 2008 I understand what companies have to do about the creation and sostenibility of competitive advantege by this book.
