Reflective Report: Competitive Advantage, Global Strategy, and MNE

This reflective report delves into the concepts of competitive advantage, distinctive capability, and core competence, drawing from lectures, seminars, and readings. It examines the ability to deliver value, achieve superior profits, and efficiently manage resources. The report explores the resource-based view, strategies of integration, and global efficiency, highlighting the importance of identifying opportunities and leveraging resources. The report also covers positioning perspective versus resource-based perspective, MNE growth processes, and the reasons for firm failures. Key topics include the resource-based view of the firm, core competence, strategic capabilities, Porter's value chain approach, strategic alliances, Porter's diamond, and value system analysis. It also discusses the drawbacks of global strategies and the significance of knowledge as a key resource. The report references several books and online resources to support its analysis.

REFLECTIVE REPORT

Table of Contents
Reflective report...................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES.....................................................................................................................................5

Reflective report
In this report I approached the 1st week's objectives after attending the lectures and seminars
and linked readings and reflections or the concept of the competitive advantage, distinctive
capability and core competence and also discuss the links between the resource based view and the
strategies of integration and global efficiency, moreover the reflect on the value of learning as an
organizational resource.
Lecture 1
Further discussing the concept of the competitive advantage, I examined in lecture 1 that it
has the ability to deliver: A combination of the price and performance valued by the target group of
buyers and it is better than the competition and also generating the superior profit levels and
moreover it has the advantage of an efficient management of the resources what they have and also
effective response to the customer preferences. Moreover I learned that the main perspective of the
linking of resource management and the environmental analysis and focus on the strategies of the
organization and these processes are begin with the identifying the opportunities in the business
environment and the MNE adapts its resources and competences so as to take advantage of these.
These strategies are to stretch and linked to the resource based perspective and in an organization
the strategies start by identifying the resources and competencies of the management (Frynas and
Mellahi, 2015). Global strategies involves a single strategy for the entire network of the partners of
many countries and investing synergies across many countries world wide. On the other hand, the
international strategy involve the large amount of businesses and their various strategies or a high
level of adaptation to the local businesses. MNE influence the global economy of the business
sectors and the largest MNE are very large in the medium size countries. Moreover, some countries
are controlled by the MNE like; computer, petroleum, automotive. However, many other have
strong barrier to globalization.
Week 2
Moreover I also gained the knowledge of the positioning perspective versus resource based
perspective in this topic I learned that the contrast between strategic fit and strategic stretch that
how firms illustrate their different views in the new global market trend and also how to compete
with the other organization and also stand in the competitive market (Hamel and Prahlad, 1993).
Moreover, the positioning perspective suggests that the opportunities should be the starting point of
the success of any firm and it is clear that for developing the business plan you have to make the
perfect strategies. On the other hand, the resource based perspective suggests that unique firm
resources should be the starting point for the developing the successful strategies and means of the

unique firm resources is like develop the unique idea to improve the productivity of the
organization and improving the growth rate of the firm (Leviäkangas, 2016).
After attending the lecture 2, I learned the MNE growth process in which they are aware for
the challenges of distance like key factor of the need of the customers and language or customs.
Moreover, I examine the reasons of the failure of the firms in which it includes lack of research
about the planning and lack of communication, key personnel, pay too much, lack of growth in
target market.
In the next point I learned the resource based view of the firm and in this theory it include
the inside-out approach and mainly focused on the value of investment in practical skills,
technologies, and distribution networks also understanding of the co-ordination of the firm and
collection of the various skills and streams of technologies or founded on organizational learning.
The concept of the core competence is that it is a rare resource based strengths that deliver
value to the customer more effectively than the competition and it is hard to simulate. Competences
can be investing and stretching to create the different value in different products across the
boundaries. Mainly in this report I learned a lot from the strategic capability like what is the basic
advantage of that and how it would be helpful for the organization and organization follows the
different terminology in their own perspective like how a firm employs its resources and how to
survive and sustain in the recent market trend(Ghemawat, 2001).
Lecture 5
Furthermore, I learned that the resource management using porter's value chain approach
and it includes that firm infrastructure, HRM, technology development. Value chain analysis is
basically includes that describe the main activities done inside the firm and aims to reveal the value
added among the different operations, and it helps to understand cost position and identify the
competitive strength and also understand the concept of value added in this manager must have to
understand the economic value of the firm and activities as well(Durand, Turkina and Robson,
2016).
After attending the lecture 5, I gained the basic knowledge of Strategic alliance; it is the
contract based commercial collaboration between the companies also in contrast with social
relationships like personal, high trust, informal. They remain separate business and making
alliances clear from mergers and acquisition. Moreover, I analyse the porter's diamond in the
business environment, it includes 4 type sections like factor conditions and demand conditions or
these can be affected by the government. It also affected by the supporting industries and the firm
strategy or competition.

Value system analysis is the more wider system to create the value which involve the
suppliers, distributors and customers. Comparative analysis includes the competitors to judge the
capability and values. Competitors intelligence is the systematic collection of the information and
also relate to the firms (Bartlett, Ghoshal and Birkinshaw, 1995). Benchmarking is the best practice
that will lead the performance of the company. Moreover I examine that the management of the
value chain is that consist of positioning and fit factors. Integration and global branding is the most
important analysis for the globalization strategy and to succeed they need to integrate their
subsidiaries worldwide. Value system consists of production, trading, marketing and this is the
example of global petroleum industry and it include innovation, flexibility, rapid response and
evaluation.
At the end of the lecture I examined the two drawbacks of the global strategies that it is not a
natural extension of generic business-level strategy at national level and resource strength are very
weak because of centralization and global standardization. The next global strategy drawbacks I
found that American firms are trying to become more team focused. The knowledge generated by
this learning is also a key resource(Stonehouse, 2009).

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Arnold, M. and Noonan, L., 2016. Banks begin moving some operations out of Britain. Financial
Times, June. 26(13). pp.64-73.
Bartlett, C.A., Ghoshal, S. and Birkinshaw, J.M., 1995. Transnational management: Text, cases, and
readings in cross-border management.
Durand, A., Turkina, E. and Robson, M., 2016. Psychic distance and country image in exporter–
importer relationships. Journal of International Marketing. 24(3). pp.31-57.
Frynas, J.G. and Mellahi, K., 2015. Global strategic management. Oxford University Press, USA.
Ghemawat, P., 2001. Distance still matters. Harvard business review. 79(8). pp.137-147.
Hamel, G., Doz, Y.L. and Prahalad, C.K., 1989. Collaborate with your competitors and
win. Harvard business review. 67(1). pp.133-139.
Kim, W.C. and Mauborgne, R., 2004. Blue ocean strategy. If you read nothing else on strategy, read
thesebest-selling articles. 10(2). pp.71-86.
Leviäkangas, P., 2016. Digitalisation of Finland's transport sector. Technology in Society. 47(6).
pp.1-15.
Scholes, K. and et.al., 2014. Exploring strategy: Text & cases. Pearson.
Stonehouse, G. and et.al., 2009. Global and transnational business: strategy and management. John
Wiley & Sons.
Yip, G.S., 1989. Global strategy... in a world of nations?. MIT Sloan Management Review. 31(1).
pp.29-36.
Online
Hamel, G. and Prahlad, C. K., 1993. Strategy as stretch and leverage. [Online]. Available through:
<https://hbr.org/1993/03/strategy-as-stretch-and-leverage>. [Accessed on 8th March 2017].
Hartman, C., 2016. Difference between a multi domestic and transnational company. [Online].
Available through: <http://smallbusiness.chron.com/differences-between-multidomestic-
transnational-company-33807.html>. [Accessed on 8th March 2017].