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Industry and Competitive Analysis
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:19:14
Abstract
Industry and Competitive Analysis (ICA) is a part of any strategy development. It contains a very practical set of methods to quickly obtain a good grasp of an industry. The purpose of ICA is to understand factors that impact on the financial performance of the industry, and as well the financial performance of firms within the industry.
Objective
Students develop an understanding of how the structure of industries impact on firm and industry-level performance Students get familiar with, and obtain practical skills in analyzing industries and firms within them. Students develop in-depth knowledge of an industry of choice.
Content
Industry and competitive analysis (ICA) is a part of any strategy development in firms and other organizations. It contains a very practical set of methods to quickly obtain a good grasp of an industry, be it pharmaceuticals, information and communication technology, aluminum, or even the beer industry. The purpose of ICA is to understand factors that impact on the performance of the industry, and as well the performance of firms within the industry. Firms in an industry can be categorized in so called “strategic groups” based on the strategies they are pursuing. Each strategic group is associated with a certain level of performance, and the firms' “membership” in such groups can be used to predict their moves within the industry. Moreover, managers use ICA to allocate resources, reach strategic goals such as market share or profitability, and help their firms improve their position within the industry. Sessions: Session 1: Introduction to strategy Lecture Division into industry analysis groups Session 2: Understanding industry analysis Lecture Tutoring on gathering and assessing industry information Session 3: Understanding strategic groups and firm membership 1 Lecture Tutoring on industry structure analysis Session 4: Understanding strategic groups and firm membership 2 Lecture Tutoring on strategic groups analysis Session 5: Understanding competitor analysis 3 Tutoring on competitor analysis, devising strategies Tutoring on the structure of final report Session 6: Final workshop - Presentation of ICA
Resources
Literature
Literature Classical Industry Analysis: 1.Bain, J. S. (1968), “The Relation of Market Structure to Market Performance”, in: Industrial organization. New York, John Wiley, pp. 430-468 2.Caves, R.E. and M.E. Porter (1977), “From Entry Barriers to Mobility Barriers: Conjectural Decisions and Contrived Deterrence to New Competition”. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 91, pp. 241-261. 3.Porter, M.E. (1981), “The Contribution of Industrial Organization to Strategic Management”. Academy of Management Review, 6 (4), pp. 609-620. Literature Strategic Groups: 1.McNamara, G.M., R.A. Luce, G.H. Tompson (2002), “Examining the Effect of Complexity in Strategic Group Knowledge Structures on Firm Performance”. Strategic Management Journal, 23 (2), pp. 153-170. 2.McNamara, G.M., D.L. Deephouse, R.A. Luce (2003), “Competitive positioning within and across a strategic group structure: the performance of core, secondary, and solitary firms”. Strategic Management Journal, 24 (2), pp. 161-181. 3.Peng, M.W., ,J.J. Tan, T.W. Tong (2004), “Predicting Strategic Group Memberships based on Ownership Types in an Emerging Economy”. Journal of Management Studies. 4.Fiegenbaum, A., J. McGee and H. Thomas (1987), “Exploring the Linkage between Strategic Groups and Competitive Strategy”. International Studies of Management and Organization, 18 (1), pp. 6-25. 5.Bogner, W.C, J.R. Pandian, and H. Thomas (1994), “The Firm-Specific Aspects of Strategic Group Dynamics”, in: H. Daems and H. Thomas, “Strategic Groups, Strategic Moves and Perfoormance”. Pergamon, Oxford, pp. 299-329. 6.Dranove, D., M. Peteraf and Mark Shanley (1998), “Do Strategic Groups Exist? An Economic Framework for Analysis”. Strategic Management Journal, 19. pp. 1029-1044. 7.Harrigan, K.R. (1985), “An Application of Clustering for Strategic Group Analysis”. Strategic Management Journal, 6, pp. 55-73. Further Readings: 8.Porter, M.E. (2004), “The Structural Analysis of Industries”, in: Competitive Strategy, New York: Free Press, pp. 3-33. 9.Porter, M. E. (1998), Competitive Advantage, New York: Fee Press. 10.Durisin, B., and G. von Krogh (2005), “Competitive Advantage, Knowledge Assets and Group-Level Effects: An Empirical Study of Global Investment Banking”, in Strategy in Transition, Blackwell Publishing, pp. 35-80. 11.D. McGee, J., H. Thomas and D. Wilson. 2005. Strategy Analysis and Practice. Maidenhead: McGraw Hill Education.
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- MSC
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture with exercise |
Industry and Competitive Analysis
Recommended: MTEC students follow Strategic Management I in parallel.
Required: Experience in SPSS
Sessions: 19.04.2007; 26.04.2007; 10.05.2007; 24.05.2007; 07.06.2007; 21.06.2007
|
|
2 h weekly |