Introduction
Porter's generic strategies framework constitutes a major contribution to the development of the strategic management literature. Generic strategies were first presented in two books by Professor Michael Porter of the Harvard Business School (Porter, 1980, 1985). Porter (1980, 1985) suggested that some of the most basic choices faced by companies are essentially the scope of the markets that the company would serve and how the company would compete in the selected markets. Competitive strategies focus on ways in which a company can achieve the most advantageous position that it possibly can in its industry (Pearson, 1999). The profit of a company is essentially the difference between its revenues and costs. Therefore high
There is the evident danger that the niche may disappear over time, as the business environment and customer preferences change over time.
Stuck in the middle
According to Porter (1980), a company's failure to make a choice between cost leadership and differentiation essentially implies that the company is stuck in the middle. There is no competitive advantage for a company that is stuck in the middle and the result is often poor financial performance (Porter, 1980). However, there is disagreement between scholars on this aspect of the analysis. Kay (1993) and Miller (1992) have cited empirical examples of successful companies like Toyota and Benetton, which have adopted more than one generic strategy. Both these companies used the generic strategies of differentiation and low cost simultaneously, which led to the success of the companies.
How to write a Good Porter's Generic Strategies Analysis?
Firms can choose from one of the three generic strategies to compete in the marketplace, regardless of the context of industry (Porter, 1980). Note that companies that are successful at making use of the cost leadership strategy are often positioned to capitalize on a value proposition which emerges from their low cost emphasis, like the classic success story of Tesco , in the UK. These companies typically focus their efforts on value-oriented customers in the market. Tesco , Value products are focused on providing value-oriented customers