The Ready-to-Eat Breakfast Cereal Industry in 1994 (A)
BUMO 756: Industry and Competitor Analysis
Dr. Hugh Courtney
Sections 0101, 0201 Office: VMH 4516
Room: VMH 1518 (0201), TBD (0101) Office hours: T, W, 11:00-12:30 or by appointment
Tuesday, 8:00-10:40 a.m. (0201) Telephone: 301-405-9544
Wednesday, 8:00-10:40 a.m. (0101) Email: hcourtney@rhsmith.umd.edu
Course Overview and Objectives
This industry and competitor analysis seminar provides students with the conceptual frameworks and analytical tools for understanding the dynamics of industry structure and how competitors actually interact in the marketplace. An understanding of the dynamics of competition and industry evolution is an important input to the development of an effective competitive strategy.
The fundamental assumption of the course is that the profit potential of any firm is a function of (1) the industries it operates in, and (2) the competitors it opposes. Therefore to comprehend the firm/performance relationship, a general manager must understand industry structure and competition. A wide range of influences, including the macroeconomic environment, cost and demand conditions of the industry, technological change and government behavior, affects the profits within an industry.
Competitive moves and responses of incumbents also affect firm profits. Actions taken by firms to improve competitive position engender responses by other firms, and the expected sequence of actions and responses must be understood to develop an effective strategy. Reactions of rivals will depend on their goals or intent, beliefs, relative resource positions and past actions. Thus, the approach to studying the dynamics of industry structure and competitors is to focus on the key characteristics of industry structure and the individual competitive moves and countermoves exchanged by various industry players.
The course examines such questions as: How should one go about analyzing an industry and competitors? What models and frameworks
Dr. Hugh Courtney
Sections 0101, 0201 Office: VMH 4516
Room: VMH 1518 (0201), TBD (0101) Office hours: T, W, 11:00-12:30 or by appointment
Tuesday, 8:00-10:40 a.m. (0201) Telephone: 301-405-9544
Wednesday, 8:00-10:40 a.m. (0101) Email: hcourtney@rhsmith.umd.edu
Course Overview and Objectives
This industry and competitor analysis seminar provides students with the conceptual frameworks and analytical tools for understanding the dynamics of industry structure and how competitors actually interact in the marketplace. An understanding of the dynamics of competition and industry evolution is an important input to the development of an effective competitive strategy.
The fundamental assumption of the course is that the profit potential of any firm is a function of (1) the industries it operates in, and (2) the competitors it opposes. Therefore to comprehend the firm/performance relationship, a general manager must understand industry structure and competition. A wide range of influences, including the macroeconomic environment, cost and demand conditions of the industry, technological change and government behavior, affects the profits within an industry.
Competitive moves and responses of incumbents also affect firm profits. Actions taken by firms to improve competitive position engender responses by other firms, and the expected sequence of actions and responses must be understood to develop an effective strategy. Reactions of rivals will depend on their goals or intent, beliefs, relative resource positions and past actions. Thus, the approach to studying the dynamics of industry structure and competitors is to focus on the key characteristics of industry structure and the individual competitive moves and countermoves exchanged by various industry players.
The course examines such questions as: How should one go about analyzing an industry and competitors? What models and frameworks