Porter's Sustainable Competitive Advantage

GLOBAL BUSINESS STRATGEY

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................1
BRIEF BACKGROUND OF MARKS AND SPENCER......................................................................1
INTERNAL ANALYSIS.......................................................................................................................1
SWOT analysis..................................................................................................................................2
EXTERNAL ANALYSIS.....................................................................................................................3
DETERMINING SUSTAINABLE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE...................................................5
Competitive advantage......................................................................................................................5
Competitive advantage Model...........................................................................................................5
STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION..................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION.....................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES......................................................................................................................................8

TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Porter's sustainable competitive advantage model.....................................................5

INTRODUCTION
The success and failure of the business at the internal level is being determined
through global business strategy in this modern era. Global business strategies are nothing but
an action plan that supports the firm in achieving their mission, values, and objectives as well
as vision. Each and every business are required to create some strategies in order to operate
effectively as well as to accomplish the desired goals (Foss, 2007). The current research
report is also based on Marks and Spencer, a multinational retailer of UK. They are
specialized in sale of home products, luxury foot items and clothing services. The report will
analyse the strategic management concepts and theories in relation with the M &S and will
analyse their internal and external environment as well. The study will also determine
sustainable competitive advantage of the firm and provide strategic recommendation on the
basis of analysis and discussion.
BRIEF BACKGROUND OF MARKS AND SPENCER
Throwing light in relation with the Marks and Spencer, it is one of the leading
multinational retailer in UK offering high quality clothing food and home products to the
customers. The number of customers visiting the store every week is approaching the figure
of 21 million. Around 2000 suppliers takes the accountability of delivering high quality
products all across the globe in order to contend their valuable customers. The key elements
behind the business i.e. innovation, services, trust, quality and value are equally vital from the
day company started its operations that is 25 years ago until now. The main vision of M&S is
to provide great value, service and quality to their clients (Retail Week, 2016). Further, they
have around 300 stores in UK and occupy around 17 percent of clothing market of the nation.
The ultimate goal of the firm is to become one of the most sustainable major retailer. Other
than this, Marks and Spencer also follows the top-down management approach and being
watched by the former CEO closely. However, in the later part of 1990, the overall sales of
the firm was declined and the performance of the firm was as also distressed. To cater this,
numerous strategies were being adopted to achieve sustainable growth and success.
INTERNAL ANALYSIS
The degree of fit amid the strategies and environment can be analysed by making use
of SWOT analysis. Based upon this evaluation, strength as well as opportunities can be
utilized for the profit of the business and company can be protected against the threats and
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