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Questions and Answers
What is the primary goal of a business strategy?
In the prisoner’s dilemma, what is the optimal outcome if both prisoners cooperate?
What commonly happens in a Nash Equilibrium scenario?
Which example best illustrates the concept of the prisoner’s dilemma?
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Which of the following best describes the strategic decision that management must make?
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In which market setting can the prisoner’s dilemma scenario be effectively tested?
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What type of decision is NOT typically considered a strategic decision for management?
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Which of the following statements about betrayal in the prisoner’s dilemma is accurate?
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What concept describes the situation where average costs decrease when two goods are produced together?
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Which of the following best explains learning economies?
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During which decade did companies experience difficulty in coordinating decisions due to growing size and complexity?
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What significant shift occurred in the 1970s and 1980s related to corporate planning?
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What is the primary purpose of bringing a product from conception to distribution?
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Which principle states that competitive strategy is about being different?
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What do horizontal boundaries refer to in a company?
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What was a notable consequence of the oil shocks in the 1970s?
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Which of the following is an example of internal economies of scale?
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What is the primary focus of strategy analysis in the 1990s?
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What is a key characteristic of unrelated diversification?
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What can cause demotivation in a workforce?
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Which factor is NOT a consideration for determining the optimal limit of horizontal expansion?
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What defines diseconomies of scale?
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What is a potential consequence of economies of scope?
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Which strategy can a company use to achieve corporate boundaries?
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What is a key characteristic of strategy in the context of modern strategic management?
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Which principle is a crucial aspect of successful strategies in contemporary strategic management?
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What role does technology play in modern strategic management?
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According to modern strategic management principles, what happens in response to crises like the recession of 2008?
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What does 'strategic fit' refer to in the context of a firm's strategy?
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What component is NOT considered an essential element of successful strategies?
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Which definition of strategy emphasizes long-term goals and resource allocation?
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How does corporate social responsibility relate to modern business strategy?
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What is the main purpose of having a business strategy in a company?
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Which statement best differentiates between strategy and tactic?
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Which characteristic is NOT common to strategic decisions?
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At which level of the organization is corporate strategy primarily formulated?
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What type of strategy is characterized by a planned and rational process?
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Which of the following is an advantage of emergent strategies?
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Which question is primarily addressed by corporate strategy?
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What is a primary purpose of strategic analysis within an organization?
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Study Notes
What is Strategy?
- A set of actions that companies take to gain and sustain a competitive advantage by using their resources and capabilities.
- Helps a company outperform its competitors, leading to higher profits.
- Addresses major managerial decisions like internationalization, growth, new product launches, acquisitions, and building competitive advantage.
Prisoner's Dilemma
- A game theory scenario where two individuals acting in their self-interest result in a less ideal outcome for both.
- Two accomplices face the choice of betraying each other or remaining silent, with outcomes affecting their prison sentences.
- The optimal outcome is where both prisoners remain silent (2 years each), but the incentive to betray leads to a mutual betrayal (6 years each).
- Applies to real-life situations like public goods, traffic congestion, elections, climate change, sports doping, and overfishing.
Market Types
- Oligopolies - markets with a few companies having exclusive control - provide a testing ground for this dilemma.
Product Development & Boundaries
- Companies aim to increase production efficiency and deliver maximum value for the least cost.
- Business boundaries define the company's scope in terms of product market (horizontal), value chain (vertical), and different businesses (corporate).
Horizontal Boundaries
- Determine the company's size or the portion of the product market it serves.
- Factors influencing optimal horizontal expansion: economies of scale, scope, and learning.
Economies of Scale
- Average cost per unit decreases as production increases.
- Internal economies arise from factors within the company (e.g., bulk purchases, specialization).
- External economies occur due to external factors within the industry (e.g., cheaper suppliers).
Diseconomies of Scale
- Average cost per unit increases due to excessive production size.
- Caused by technical or organizational issues (e.g., demotivation, communication problems).
Economies of Scope
- Average cost per unit decreases by adding a new product to the company's portfolio.
- Total cost of producing two goods together is less than producing them separately.
Learning Economies
- Accumulating experience and knowledge leads to benefits like lower costs, higher quality, better pricing, and marketing.
- Continuous improvement in efficiency over time without reaching a fixed limit.
Evolution of Strategic Management
- 1950s-1960s: Focus on financial budgeting to manage growth and complexity.
- 1970s-1980s: Shift from corporate planning to strategic management, emphasizing competition and competitive advantage.
- 1990s: Analyzing internal resources and capabilities to identify company distinctiveness and design strategies that leverage those differences.
- 21st Century: Emphasis on adaptability, flexibility, and temporary advantages in a rapidly changing environment. Increased interest in corporate social responsibility, ethics, sustainability, and social legitimacy.
Strategic Management Today
- Strategy encompasses how individuals or organizations achieve their objectives.
- Key elements of successful strategy: clear goals, understanding the competitive environment, resource appraisal, and effective implementation.
- Strategy links the firm with its environment through the concept of strategic fit.
Levels of Strategy
- Corporate Strategy: Defines the scope of the firm across different industries and markets.
- Business Strategy: Focuses on how the firm competes within a specific industry or market.
Strategic Process
- Deliberate Strategy: Rational and planned process for formulating strategy.
- Emergent Strategy: Adapting to unforeseen events and responding to real-time challenges.
- In practice, most organizations employ a blend of both approaches.
Key Takeaways
- Strong strategies are essential for organizational success, increasing the chances of achieving desired outcomes.
- Understanding the competitive landscape and leveraging internal strengths are crucial for strategic effectiveness.
- Strategy encompasses both rational planning and adaptability to navigate complex and evolving business environments.
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Description
Test your knowledge on key concepts of business strategy, including competitive advantage and decision-making scenarios like the Prisoner's Dilemma. Explore how market types such as oligopolies influence business dynamics and real-world applications. Challenge yourself with questions that apply theoretical frameworks to practical situations.