Strategic management
Assignment Questions
1. Why, historically, has the soft drink industry been so profitable? 2. Compare the economics of the concentrate business to that of the bottling business: Why is the profitability so different? 3. How has the competition between Coke and Pepsi affected the industry’s profits? 4. Can Coke and Pepsi sustain their profits in the wake of flattening demand and the growing popularity of non-CSDs?
1. 2. 3. What were the key factors behind Google’s early success? Do you expect the search business to become more concentrated? Is search a winner-takeall business? In renewing its deal with AOL, could Google afford to pay AOL more than 100% of the revenue generated from AOL searches? How did Microsoft’s maximum affordable bid for AOL’s search traffic compare to Google’s? In addition to enhancing its core search businesses, should Google also branch out into new arenas? Which of the following would you recommend: 1) building a full-fledged portal like Yahoo!’s; 2) targeting Microsoft’s desktop software hegemony; and/or 3) becoming an e-commerce intermediary like eBay? Do you view Google’s distinctive governance structure, corporate culture, and organizational processes as strengths or potential limitations?
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1. Why is Wal-Mart successful in the US? What are Wal-Mart’s competitive advantages and its sources? 2. Should Wal-Mart replicate its domestic model in its original form in China/ Why? Can it build the same competitive advantage in China through its successful domestic model? 3. Provide suggestions on potential strategies that Wal-Mart China should consider in going forward.
1. 2. What were the key strengths of the Korean electronics industry during the formative years? How did firms leverage these advantages to enter developed-country markets? Trace the strategic growth of LG Electronics. Were there any distinct patterns in terms of the company’s approach to emerging markets? Trace