Competitor Manual - The Right Version

7/27/2019 Competitor Manual - The Right Version

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IILM Institute for Higher Education

Module Manual: The CompetitorAcademic Year: PGP 2012-2014

1. Introduction to the Module and Module Objective

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The business environment is increasingly getting very competitive. Thedisruptive force of competition is originating globally and with changes intechnology and better way of doing business. The very survival of businessorganizations depends on understanding competition and creating a

roadmap to fight competition effectively. The changes in market structure,technological innovation and cross border trade are leading new ways ofcompetition which both small and big companies have to contend with.Availability and accessibility of information at a much lower cost is changingthe rules of the game.

This course enables students to be better managers by equipping them to:

Identify key players in the environment both from a competitive anda corporation perspective. Identify the objectives and constraints of those players given the

environment in which a managers own organization and competingorganizations are embedded. Anticipate the likely actions that competitors will take given theirobjectives and constraints. Recognize and generate strategies to manage the feedback amongones own actions and the actions of other agents.

The course explicitly recognizes that relevant players in the environmentinclude government and nonprofit organizations as well as corporations, andthat these players act both cooperatively and competitively toward one

another. Thus, an important premise of this course is that the environmentwithin which organizations compete is complex, encompassing not only themarket but political, cultural and legal dimensions. Finally, the courseexplicitly draws attention to the fact that objectives and constraints arise notonly from the external faces of the environment but from internal features ofthe organization. Over the twenty four sessions, the course will draw fromthe disciplines of economics, accounting, marketing, organizational behavior,and politics.

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2. Introduction to the Tutors

2.1 Area Chair

Name : Prof. Abhijit MukhopadayayEmail ID : [email protected]

Phone:

2.2 Tutors

1. Prof. Rahul K. Mishra

Email- [email protected]

Phone: 9958231495

2. Prof. Anomitro Bhattacharyya

Email: [email protected]

Phone

3. Mr. Dinesh Kumar

Email- [email protected]

Phone:

3. Module Pre-Requisites- The course draws from disciplines like strategyand economics. The students should have done the following courseswell, such as:

Basics of Economics

Basics of Marketing

Understanding Organization

Basics of Accounting

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4. Module Overview

Session

No

Topic Faculty

1 Introduction to The CompetitorPerspective

Rahul K. Mishra /

Dinesh

Kumar/Annumitro

Bhattachrayya

2 Reading: HBR Ten Must Reads on

Strategy

3 Competitor Intelligence

4 Preparing a memo for your company in

Indian Banking Industry

5 competitive advantage

6 Competitive advantage : Strategy the

India way

7. Case study: Nokia : The burning

platform

8 Competitive Strategies and Rules

9 case study- HCL Technologies

10 Slaying the giant

11 Article on Samsung and how they

defeated big companies

12 Reputation and Identity as advantage

and constraint

13 Case study : The House of Tata

14 Motivations of the rivals

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15 Activity on interpreting the strategic

decisions of the company

16 Competing and Co-operating

17 Activity

18 The Complexities of forming an

alliance

19 Case study Walmart- Bharti

20 Using consumer insights to gain

competitive advantage

21 social responsibility as competitive

advantage

22 Activity and Presentation

23 Rethinking the Game

24 Lecture 14- Debriefing the module

Summing up Key Learning- Application

in job interview

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5. Module Readings

It is important that you read widely for this course, to remain abreast of

latest developments in Competitive Environment. The prescribed books and

readings will provide a good theoretical construct in support of the course.This is further supplemented with reading of journals and web resources to

understand the complexity of Competition

5.1 Essential Readings

The Economics of Strategy by Besanko, Dranove, Shanley andSchaefer (BDSS), 5th ed.

HBR Ten Must Reads on Strategy ( To be available on Moodle)

Strategic Management : A south Asian perspective by Hitt, Ireland,Hoskisson, Manikutty

Competing for the future : Gary Hamel & C.K. Prahalad Crafting and Executing Strategy The Quest for Competitive

Advantage, Thompson, Strickland, Gamble and Jain, Sixteenth Edition, Strategic Management : Wheelen and Hunger and Kris Rangrajan

5.2 References

Strategy and the Business Landscape, Pankaj Ghemawat, 3rd ed.Pearson Education

Sharon Osters Modern Competitive Analysis

Co-opetition, Adam Brandenburger and Barry Nalebuff (BN)

Strategic Management by Saloner, Shepard and Podolony

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6.Session Plan

Session 1- Introduction to the competitor perspective

Learning Objective: An Introduction to the competitor perspective and toknow the business landscape through interplay of different players in thebusiness environment.

Essential Reading: Competition and Market Power, in Varian, Farrell and

Shapiro, The Economics of Information Technology, 2004 (Available on

Moodle in the course pack)

Learning Outcome: Students will be able to identify the key players for

competition and co-operation and the rationale of the module.

Session 2: Classic Articles of Harvard Business review

Session objective: In this session we will understand the concept ofcompetition and its relevance in today's competitive environment.

Essential Reading: HBR Ten Must Reads on Strategy (Available onMoodle in the course pack)

Desired Reading: Note on technique for analyzing Business Problem byMichael J Robert

Learning outcome: students will be able understand the classic article

on strategy and competition and key issues around it.

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surprise you in the sense that it does not fit into the overall pattern youshould alsopresent this.

Learning outcome: students will learn how to do competitors analysis and

understand the strength of the firm.

Session 5: Competitive Advantage

Learning objective: students will learn the concept of competitiveadvantage and its sources and how a firm acquires those advantages. Theywill also debate on the sustainability of these advantages.

Essential Reading: Creating Competitive Advantage by Pankaj Ghemawatand Jan Rivkin , Harvard Business School, article

Learning Outcome: students will have understanding of as how to createsustainable competitive advantage and also how to extend the advantagesin different businesses.

Session 6: Competitive Advantage : The India Way

Learning objective: to translate the concept of competitiveadvantage and its sources to Indian context. How Indian companiesdrive their competitive advantages

Essential Reading: Competitive Advantage: delivering the creative valueproposition : strategy the India way : Peter Cappeli , Harbir Singh, JitendraSingh, Michael Useem, Harvard Business Publishing

LEARNING OUTCOME: Students will get to know as how Indian firms arecreating competitive advantages in increasingly competitive environment.

Session 7: Case study on Nokia- the burning platform, HarvardBusiness publishing

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Learning objective: To discuss the case of Nokia and how the competitorsare cresting problems for the company.

Essential Reading: Nokia case study by Harvard Business publishing

LEARNING OUTCOME: To apply the theoretical concepts of competitive

advantages and how it helps companies to gain market share and

competitive advantages.

Session 8: Competitive Strategies and rules

Learning objective: To know the strategic options which are available for

the companies? We will consider pricing, product proliferation and vertical

contracts as entry deterrents. This class also explicitly introduces the state in

terms of anti monopoly rules framed by competition commission of India.

Essential Reading: A play book for strategy by A.G. Lafley and Roger Martin.HBR article

Learning outcome- students will be able to analyze different strategic options

available to them and also the effect of monopolies and trust laws.

Session 9 : Case study on HCL Technologies, Harvard Business

Publishing .

Learning Objective: Student will learn about the competitive strategies

followed by the one of the biggest IT companies in India. To analyze the

strategic options available to the company for the growth and to fight

increasing competiton.

Essential Reading : Case study on HCL Technologies, Harvard Business

Publishing

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Learning outcome: Students will explore the application of the theoretical

construct on the case and to discuss the range of options available to the

company.

Session 10: Slaying the Giant

Learning objective: In a number of markets, we see ways in which earlyentrants have an advantage. In this lecture, we will explore some of thereasons that early powerful firms sometimes end up losing the competitivebattle.

Essential Reading: The Rise of Samsung defeating SONY and otherestablished players in consumer durables industry, HBR article

Learning Outcome : Students will be able to explore the ways in whichestablished firms can be challenged and the nimbler and smaller firms canfind strategies to challenge the giant.

Session 11: Seminar on slaying the Giant

Learning Objective: To apply theoretical concepts of the strategies whichrelatively smaller companies and late movers can have to fight establishedplayers.

Essential Reading: Case study on Dabur, Harvard Business publishing

Learning Outcome: Students will know application of theory both in Indianand international perspective through an article and case.

Session 12: Lecture: Reputation and Identity as advantage andconstraint

Learning objective: Discussion on reputation and identity as a source ofcompetitive advantage and how to create that.

Essential Reading: Finding your strategy in a new business landscape byPankaj Ghemawat, Harvard Business Review.

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Learning Outcome: will learn how to leverage reputation and identity innewly emerging business landscape

Session 13 Seminar on Reputation and Identity as advantage and

constraint

Learning Objective: Application of theory and how the brand name of Tatabecame important for the group and how the group leveraged the brandname and identity to acquire global brands

Essential Reading: Harvard Business publishing case on House of Tatas

Learning Outcome: How important in an Indian context to createreputation of trust and leverage in the business context.

Session 14: Motivations of the Rivals

Learning Objective:The motivations of your rivals are important indetermining their actions. Common assumption in the economics literature isthat firms try to profit maximize, albeitwith some imperfections in the implementation, and as a first approximationprofitmaximization often turns out to work very well. The class discussion will gobeyond these commonly held assumptions.

Essential Reading : Game theory as strategy : Adam Brandenburger andBarry Nalebuff

Learning Outcome: Students will look explicitly at the motivations oforganizations of varying structures

Session 15 Motivations of the rival

Learning Objective: Before finalizing strategy , students need to seethe underlying motivation of the company.

Activity: Reflect on an organization you have been part of, either as workor in a board or volunteer capacity. Look at one decision that organizationhas made

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and use it to make inferences about the underlying motivations of thedecision makers inthat organization and make a small presentation in the class on that. Hasthis action been influenced by the decisions of the rivals.

Learning outcome : to go beyond the basic economic logic on themotivations of the company and try to see the underlying logic.

Session16 Competing and cooperating

Learning Objective:To know the both sides of engagement with therivals . what it takes to compete and how to decide on cooperation.

Essential Reading : Game theory as strategy by Adam Brandenberger andBarry Nalebuff.

Following questions need to be looked at :You are a manager for the HT media, the largest daily paper in Delhi. TheMail Today has entered your market. How can you best respond?How can banks (eg. HDFC and ICICI, Kotak Mahindra and Yes Bank) do abetter jobof cooperating with each other while competing? Where do they cooperate

today and what opportunities are they missing? How about Shell and Exxon, Microsoft and Oracle, Barnes and Noble andAmazon?How do you draw a bright line betyween legitimate cooperation andcollusion? What types of cooperation do you think will be easy and what types will behard?

Learning Outcome : students will look at cooperation as viable option forstrategy in which company gains than merely competing with the rivals.

Session 17 Competing and co operation

Learning Objective : To apply the question with real life business examplesto understand co-operation and competition

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Session 21 : Social Responsibility as competitive advantage

Learning objective: How socially responsible actions create competitive

advantage and to sensitize the impact of these actions as important aspectof strategy.

Essential Reading: Tatas website on CSR activities done by Tata as GroupCompany

Learning outcome: How to incorporate and leverage CSR activities asdifferentiating factor

Session 22- Social responsibility as competitive advantage

Learning Objective : To apply the theoretical concept on thecompanies

Activity: Read Annual reports of HUL, ITC, Tata Group of companies, Reckitt-Benkiser, ICICI Bank Bharti-Airtel , HCL Technologies and Asian Paints.Groups will make presentation on CSR activities of above mentionedcompanies and also how these companies are using this as differentiatingfactor

Learning outcome: To incorporate the strategy to gain competitiveadvantage.

Session 23: Rethinking the Game

Learning Objective use of game theory and other essential factors for thecompany to reconfigure the game of competition

Essential Reading Game as strategy by Adam Branderburger and BarryNalebuff

Learning outcome to broaden the concept of competition and how tosurvive in an uncertain

Environment.

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Session 24- Wrapping up the subject , key applications of theknowledge and skills in job interview, interconnectedness of alltopics.

7. Assessment Plan

o Individual Case Analysis & written submission (20 marks)

o Group Activity and Presentation( 10 Marks)

Details of Assessment

Individual Case Analysis & written submission (20 marks)

Case analysis is tool to develop students abilities to select,evaluate and apply concepts, models and theories covered in thecourse. It is mandatory for all students to read and analyze andwrite the case mentioned before the scheduled day of submission.The write up has to be submitted before the case discussion inclass. The word limit is of 1000 words. This will be given in hardcopy.

The business situations presented in the cases may be complexand frequently involve a series of interrelated problems.Therefore, the students are expected to follow these guidelines:

Read the case twice

Identify the key issues;

Do an analysis by looking at the data and the hard facts and

apply the concepts covered in the lectures Identify the various alternative solutions that the company

could potentially pursue

Propose your solution to the problems which have beenidentified. You should back up your argument based onhard facts given within the case or from outside sourcesbut relevant to the case.

The two cases which will be taken up for thispurpose are HCL Technologies and Bharti-Walmart.The write up is for 7 marks each and classparticipation is for 3 marks each. Session 9 and 19will be used for this purpose.

Group Activities and presentation (10marks)-The group activitiesin session 4 and 22 are going to be marked. The groups of 4 willmake presentation for five minutes based on five important pointsidentified by the group. The written submission has to be given before

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presentation. The word limit is 500 words. Each activity has been given5 marks for this purpose.

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8. Assessment

8.1 Assessment Map

This table shows main assessment methods which are used across

module and its stages:

Methods of Assessment

Module A1 A2 A3 A4 A5

Competito

r

* *

Notes:

A1: Individual test/ Assignment A2: Group Assignment/ Project

A3: Open Book Examination A4: Close Book Examination

A5: Group Presentation

8.2 Teaching Map

This table shows main delivery methods which are used across module and

its stages:

Methods of Delivery

Module T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6

Competito

r

* * * *

Notes:

T1: Lectures T2: Seminar/ Tutorials

T3: Live Projects & Presentations T4: Case Discussion

T5: Guest Lectures/ Industrial Visits T6: Lab Session

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8.3 Curriculum Map

This table shows the main learning outcomes which are developed and/or

assessed in this module:

Methods of Delivery

Module L1 L2 L3 L4 L5 L6 L7 L8 L9

The

Competitor

* * * * * * * *

Notes:

L1: An understanding of organizations, their external context and their

management.

L2: An awareness of current issues in business & management which is

informed by research & practice in the field.

L3: An understanding of appropriate techniques sufficient to allow

investigation into relevant business & management issues.

L4: The ability to acquire & analyze data and information.

L5: The ability to apply relevant knowledge to practical situation.

L6: The ability to work & lead effectively in a team based environment.

L7: An improvement in both oral & written communication skills.

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L8: Be cognizant of the impact of their individual & corporate actions on

society and recognize ethical business practices.

L9: Be sensitive to the social economic and environmental responsibilities of

business.

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CaseNo.

Title TopicDiscusse

d

No ofpages

Shared/isolated

Cases

1. Nokia : the burning platform 9 Isolated

2 HCL Technologies, Harvard BusinessPublishing

20

3. Dabur India , Harvard Business Publishing 20

4. House of Tatas 22

5. Bharti-Walmart 22

.

91

Essential Readings

1. HBR Ten Must Reads on Strategy 2 276

2. Competition and Market Power, in Varian,Farrell and Shapiro, The Economics ofInformation Technology, 2004

1 10

3. Mirror, Mirror: How to enhance the executionPremium process with competitive intelligence byLeonard Fuld

3 4

4. Creating Competitive Advantage by PankajGhemawat and Jan Rivkin , Harvard BusinessReview, article

5 8

5. Competitive Advantage: delivering thecreative value proposition : strategy theIndia way : Peter Cappeli Harbir Singh

7 15

Documents

Competitor Manual - The Right Version