1. Lessons from Competitve ExperiencesW.A. Fischer
CEIBS, Shanghai
February 1, 19996/7/20181William A. Fischer
2. Understanding Rivalry:The Heart of the Competitive Equation6/7/20182William A. Fischer
3. The Nature of Economic Inquiry ?the focus of economics [from a
Western, market-oriented perspective]
has largely been on how well an
economy allocates resources, given
preferences and technologies.Richard R. Nelsonespecially where firms are the principal
allocating agents 6/7/20183William A. Fischer
4. The Nature of the Players ?economists tend to see firms as
players in a multi-actor economic game
...Richard R. Nelson6/7/20184William A. Fischer
5. The Nature of Rivalry The essence of rivalry is a striving
for potentially incompatible positions
?Frederic M. Scherer ?the jockeying for share by
firms within a market.Besanko, Dranove & Shanley6/7/20185William A. Fischer
6. Who are these 揻irms?and what are their roles? Some fundamental assumptions搮 an entity run by agents of the
capital-owning principals with the
sole objective of maximizing the
profits of the latter 厰Ronald Dorethus, in 搈odern?market economy, we can separate
management from ownership...6/7/20186William A. Fischer
7. Other Underlying Assumptionsprofits [surpluses] being seen as a signal of performance in a market
a faith in market allocation of resources in complex situations over government allocation -- because the customer is voting with their purchases
the maximization of the overall social welfare function by the accumulation of numerous personal decisions -- the customer being seen as being in the best position to determine what they want6/7/20187William A. Fischer
8. Establishing the Arena[A market is] that set of suppliers and
demanders whose trading establishes
the price of a good.George Stigler & Robert SherwinCustomersSuppliers
Rivalry6/7/20188William A. Fischer
9. In such a classical market setting, it is important to consider economies of scaleThe history of the industrial revolution was one of economies of scale.6/7/20189William A. Fischer
10. The Centrality of Scale EconomiesThe Economics of the Industrial RevolutionStatic Economies Dynamic EconomiesCost per UnitRated Capacity of FacilityCost per UnitCumulative Production of A Standardized ItemTheoretical6/7/201810
11. In such a classical market setting, it is important to consider economies of scaleThe history of the industrial revolution was one of economies of scale.
In markets where consumers are price sensitive, larger firms can use their cost advantage to gain an appreciable advantage over smaller firms.
In the US, it has been shown that firm size is positively correlated with profitability.
However, cause and effect are not well-established.
Also, larger shares for some, mean lower shares for others.6/7/201811William A. Fischer
12. In such a classical market setting, it is important to consider economies of scaleThe history of the industrial revolution was one of economies of scale.
But even in such a non-complex setting, bigger was not always better.
In fact, in studies in the US, mid-century, minimum optimal plant/firm size appeared to be small relative to market size [single-digit].6/7/201812William A. Fischer
13. The Centrality of Scale EconomiesThe Economics of the Industrial RevolutionStatic Economies Dynamic EconomiesCost per UnitRated Capacity of FacilityCost per UnitCumulative Production of A Standardized ItemTheoretical & Empirical6/7/201813
14. In such a classical market setting, it is important to consider economies of scaleBut even in such a non-complex setting, bigger was not always better.
One of the lessons of the Japanese manufacuring triumphs of the last three decades has been the importance of learning, through repetitive manufacturing, which is different than just being bigger or smarter.6/7/201814William A. Fischer
15. The Centrality of Scale EconomiesThe Economics of the Industrial RevolutionStatic Economies Dynamic EconomiesCost per UnitRated Capacity of FacilityCost per UnitCumulative Production of A Standardized ItemTheoretical & Empirical6/7/201815
16. In such a classical market setting, it important to consider economies of scaleOne of the lessons of the Japanese manufacuring triumphs of the last three decades has been the importance of learning, through repetitive manufacturing.
Yet, learning, especially when based on repetition, comes with the risk of rigidity if the focus is too-much on consistent cost-reduction.6/7/201816William A. Fischer
17. The Importance of Market Maturityempirical research on 113 US manufacturing firms by CEIBS faculty ?nearly one half of the revenues generated
by the 11 most successful firms ?came from
mature markets. However, 77 percent of revenues
for 15 of the least successful firms came from
mature markets.Capon, Farley & Hoenig6/7/201817William A. Fischer
18. but, markets are changing;they are no longer classical nor simple6/7/201818William A. Fischer
19. The History of Competition was marked by successive Industrial Revolutions6/7/201819William A. Fischer
20. Tomorrow抯 Marketswill be characterized by:* Increasingly demanding customers
* An emerging global arena
* An amalgamation of markets and resource pools [EU, NAFTA, etc.]
* The appearance of adversarial trade
* Neo-Kondratieffian technology changes
* The quickening of the product life-cycle
* The emergence of the knowledge-based information economy
* An acceptance of new organizational formats [Alliances, jvs, wofes, etc.]6/7/201820William A. Fischer
21. The Death of Firms A dying company does not lead; it follows. It is losing
market share, it is losing capabilities, it has the wrong set of
competencies, it is demoralized, its activities have little impact.
In fact, all around us we can observe companies that are in a
state worse than death - they have joined the living dead, aware
(or not) that whatever they do makes little difference to their
situation, and yet they feel compelled to keep on acting,
producing, carrying on.
Death is most often a long drawn out affair. Even with
inept management, it still takes a long time to destry a large
company with once strong, if currently obsolete capabilities.
Death is no stranger to the ranks of once powerful
manufacturing companies. Every industry has its share of
the dead, as well as the terminally ill and the walking wounded.Tom Vollmann:6/7/201821William A. Fischer
22. Death Signals of the non-competitivestaying level of falling behind the competition
risk aversion
bureaucracy
losing capabilities
erosion of what were once distinctive competencies
internal focusing of corporate attention
limited knowledge of the customer
panic decisions to reduce short-run costs
not developing people
? Tom Vollmann 6/7/201822William A. Fischer
23. In Hyper-competitive MarketsSuch as those characterizing global markets in the late
20th century, that are filled with 搒urprises?
1. the ability to navigate from one product generation
to another is the basis for sustained competitive
advantage. Think about Wang!
2. great organizations are necessary to produce great
products (more than once), while great products do not
guarantee great organizations.
3. 揌igh returns are not sustainable in a particular market,
but the process of generating high returns can be sustainable.
last quote is from: Capon, Farley & Hoenig6/7/201823William A. Fischer
24. Early Lessons from In Search of ExcellenceExcellent firms are characterized by (among other
things:Bias for Action
Close to the Customer
Autonomy & Entrepreneurship
Focus
Simple form, Lean staffPeters & Waterman6/7/201824William A. Fischer
25. More recent findings from EuropeExcellent European firms are characterized by (among other
things):Devolving leadership (without losing control or direction)
Driving radical change (in the entire corporate system, not
just in its parts)
Reshaping culture
Dividing to rule (winning the rewards of smallness while
staying or growing large)
Keeping the competitive edge (in a world where the old ways
of winning no longer work)
Achieving constant renewalRobert Heller6/7/201825William A. Fischer
26. Determinants of Financial Performancecompeting in relatively concentrated markets with higher market share
competing in growing markets
high investment in developing new products & services
high involvements in markets outside of US
low debt levels
an entreprenurial atmosphereempirical research on 113 US manufacturing firms by CEIBS facultyCapon, Farley & Hoenig6/7/201826William A. Fischer
27. Comparing High & Low Performersempirical research on 113 US manufacturing firms by CEIBS facultyHigh-Performing High-Share Focused Innovatorsconcentrate capital investment in growing international markets
generate new products from high R&D budgets
are highly vertically integrated have little diversification have low debt
highly specialized in their organizationHigh-Performing Focused World Consumeristsfocus less internationally spend heavily on advertising
have low debt diversification almost nonexistentCapon, Farley & Hoenig6/7/201827William A. Fischer
28. Comparing High & Low Performersempirical research on 113 US manufacturing firms by CEIBS facultyLow-Performing Diversified Indentured Industrialistsspend little on R&D
were frequently involved in mergers conducted under duress
are highly diversified
have high debt
only average on international investmentCapon, Farley & Hoenig6/7/201828William A. Fischer
29. Navigating Resources & InformationInformation
ComplexityHighLowResource ScarcityLowHighLawrence & DyerDevelopment Paths for
a Typical Industry6/7/201829William A. Fischer
30. this will mean changing the ways in which we do business6/7/201830William A. Fischer
31. Dimensions of TransformationSpeedFastSlowScopeBroadNarrowDoing
Different
ThingsDoing the
Same
Things
BetterTurnaroundTransformationReengineeringContinuous
ImprovementSource: Tom Vollmann6/7/201831William A. Fischer
32. and, changing the businesses we do6/7/201832William A. Fischer
33. Industry Restructuring as Value Migration Market Value is a measure of the power of a business
design to create and capture value. Adrian J. Slywotzky
Customers make choices based on their priorities.
Those choices develop potential value for the businesses
from which they buy. At any given time, the pattern of
those choices allocates value to various business designs.
As customers?priorities change and new designs present
customers with new options, they make new choices. They
reallocate value. These changing priorities, and the way in
which they interact with new competitors?offerings, are
what trigger, enable, or facilitate the Value Migration
process. Adrian J. Slywotzky 6/7/201833William A. Fischer
34. Value Migration today in China?..The firms that are winning in the China market are those that control their value-chains, especially down-stream from manufacturing!
Building brands makes the difference in competing on factors other than price: brand & customer service requires value-chain discipline. National brands are being built today, as in the past, by value-chain control.6/7/201834William A. Fischer
35. in China, value migration results in ...Focusing solely on transport costs may ignore 75% of the distribution costs.
In China, nearly 2/3 of distribution costs comes in product loss & damage, and the associated inventory costs.
Customer service & accounts receivable both benefit from value-chain control.Business China 12/07/986/7/201835William A. Fischer
36. Industry Restructuring & Value MigrationValue Migration is not new. Value migrated away
Ford抯 vertically integrated, single-car-focused business
design toward GM抯 price-laddered business design in the
1920s. It moved from grocery store chains to supermarkets
in the 1930s, from fragmented merchandisers to national
catalogue sales in the 1890s (Sears), and to national
merchandise chains in the 1920s (Sears again). Adrian J.
Slywotzky
There are always winners and losers in the Value
Migration process.6/7/201836William A. Fischer
37. We Must Re-etablish the Arena [there is a big difference between] defining competitors as 搕hose companies that do the same thing that we do 厯 [and] defining them [instead] as those business designs that customers can choose from in satisfying their priorities.Adrian J. Slywotzky[Where] a business design is the totality of how a company
selects its customers, defines & differentiates its offerings,
defines the tasks it will perform ? configures its resources,
goes to market, creates utility for its customers and earning
a profit from that activity. 6/7/201837William A. Fischer
38. The Broader Version of RivalryThreat of New EntrantsCustomersSuppliers
SubstitutesRivalrymore of 搕hose companies that do
the same thing that we do 厯those [other] business designs that customers
can choose from in satisfying their priorities.6/7/201838William A. Fischer
39. Industry Policy & Organizational Choices Much of the present-day debate over industrial policy is implicitly a debate over organizational patterns and structures. Richard N. Langlois & Paul L. Robertson6/7/201839William A. Fischer
40. Determining Organizational Forms ?devising and learning to use effectively a
significantly new organizational form involves much the
same kind of uncertainty, experimental groping, and
learning by making mistakes and correcting them that
marks technological ?innovation. New modes of
organization aren抰 simply 揷hosen?when circumstances
make them appropriate. They ?evolve in a manner that
is foreseen only dimly. And even when a firm makes a
conscious decision to change organization, it may take a
long time before it is comfortable and effective in its new
suit of clothes. Richard R. Nelson 6/7/201840William A. Fischer
41. The Nature of RivalryGeorge Stigler抯 Survival principle:
?competition of different sizes of
firms sifts out the more efficient
enterprises.Just as the fittest species surive in their natural environments,
the fittest firms survive in their market environments.6/7/201841William A. Fischer