Competitions Books

Michael Porter is a guru on competition and strategic planning. His article "How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy" is so powerful and incisive that any serious manager wishing to devise strategies to cope with competition in his/her industry needs to read, understand and be fully conversant with the five basic forces which Porter states determines the state of competition in an industry.

According to Porter, competition in an industry is rooted in its underlying economics. There are forces that go beyond the established rivals in a particular industry. The five forces are:

* The bargaining power of customers
* The bargaining power of suppliers
* The threats of new entrants
* The threat of substitute products and services
* Rivalry among the existing competitors.

The collective strengths of the five forces determine the ultimate profit potential of an industry. The task of the corporate strategist is to find a position in the industry where his/her company can best defend itself against the forces or can influence them in his favour. The strongest competitive force or forces determine the profitability of an industry and these are very essential in strategy formulation.

Every industry has an underlying structure that give rise to the five competitive forces. The strategist needs to know what drives the industry if he/she is to position the firm to effectively cope with the environment or influence the environment.

After assessing the forces affecting competition in an industry and their underlying causes, the strategic planner can identify the company's strengths and weaknesses. Strategy can be viewed as building defences against the competitive forces or finding positions in the industry where the forces are weakest.

This is an excellent article which is well presented. It is recommended reading for managers as it will certainly assist them in analysing competitive forces in their industry. I also recommend the article to students studying management, business studies or doing and MBA.

Michael E. Porter is a Harvard Business School professor and a leading authority on competition. He has written several important novels and articles in the field of competition and strategic management. This article, published in the March-April 1979 issue of Harvard Business Review, meant the start of a great string of articles by Michael E. Porter. More importantly, it was the start of the positioning school in the field of strategic management.

"The essence of strategy formulation is coping with competition. ... intense competition in an industry is neother coincidence nor bad luck." The state of competition in an industry depends on five basic forces: (1) jockeying among current competitors, (2) threat of new entrants, (3) bargaining power of suppliers, (4), bargaining power of customers, and (5) threat of substitute products or services. The author describes each force in detail and its consequence on competition. The collective strength of these forces determines the ultimate profit potential of an industry, and it is the goal to find a position in the industry where the company can best defend itself against these forces or can influence them in its favor. The company needs to identify its strengths and weaknesses, and compare these against the underlying causes of each force. Then the company can devise a plan of action that may include (1) positioning the company, and/or (2) influencing the balance of the forces through strategic moves, and/or (3) exploiting industry change before opponents recognize it.

This article was awarded with the McKinsey Award (= best article in Harvard Business Review that year) and no reader will be surprised. It is a truly great article, and I must admit one of my all-time favorites. It will be remembered most for its introduction of the five competitive forces. Some people have criticized Michael Porter's framework(s) for being too static, but he has responded to those critics in his 1996-article 'What is Strategy?'. I would recommend this article to anybody in management and certainly all MBA-students. This is the first article you should read on strategic management! And to be followed up with Michael Porter's 1980-classic 'Competitive Strategy'. The article is written in simple US-English.

Judy Richter's book is excellent, everything that an aspiring rider needs to know to get going..

I found this book a great help in improving my riding skills . And ride my spooky horse and know what to do when she did spook . I know this would be a great book for any level of riding . I think Judy writes her words so that its hard to put the book down.

This book about dogs is so cute for young and old alike. Great for a laugh or two or three and more. Also great pictures.

I rec'd this book as a Christmas gift from someone who knows how much I love and enjoy my own dog. What a great read - fun and laugh out loud funny. But for dog lovers. If you're not, you won't get it. Perfect gift for the pet-lover in your life. Cute pictures, hilarious quotes and a real "feel good" book.

Butler Shaffer's scholarly interpretation of the political attitudes and actions most prevalent among America's business leaders in the two critical decades following World War I is uniquely satisfying. The author, a professor of law, reveals himself to be well grounded also in economics, history, and philosophy, as well as possessed of an insider's feel for the political agnosticism of large corporations and industry associations. Given his talents and his apt approach to the subject, Shaffer has made an important contribution to the literature.

[Shaffer] clearly demonstrates that the postwar period was not, as commonly depicted, the final hurrah of laissez-faire. On the contrary, "with the war concluded, leaders from a number of industries undertook a campaign on behalf of a system of 'cooperation' and 'self-regulation' for American industry" (p. 28). In a virtual summation of his book, he writes, "World War I may not have made the world safe for democracy, but it did give encouragement to some business leaders that a system of 'business cooperation,' subject to legal enforcement by the government, could become a functional reality in order to make competition safe for business" (p. 28).

The 1920s were marked by a political tug-of-war over business policy. On one side were corporate leadersand career politicians, such as Herbert Hooverwho saw in the War Industries Board the precise mechanism they craved to control competition and to force "order" on the economy. On the other side were advocates not of laissez-faire, but of so-called self-regulation. Trade association "codes of ethics," developed by most industries during or after the war, were intended to achieve identical goals through voluntary restraints on competition. The Harding and Coolidge administrations tended to be very receptive to the latter approach. The now-predictable result, of course, was that without enforcement authority, industry leaders spent their energy excoriating the "ten-percenters," who refused to cooperate, or trying to outlaw one example after another of "unfair competition." Almost every imaginable method of competition was attacked during the 1920s.

The election of Herbert Hoover (derisively called "Wonder Boy" by Calvin Coolidge) and the subsequent crash of the stock market provided both a rationale and the support for business to regain the wartime mechanisms for controlling competition. One Hoover administration initiative after another garnered strong support from the business community, but as economic conditions worsened, the demands for intervention grew more radical. Then, with the worsening of the Great Depression and the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the support and the rationale both soared to new heights. The National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) of 1933, far from a program passed over the objections of business, was actually the culmination of fifteen years of special pleading by business leaders. Shaffer's book dispels any remaining doubts about its genesis as a plan endorsed and lobbied for by business. The facts and the quotations are numerous; their impact is overwhelming.

This book is an excellent study of how business collaborated with government during the New Deal era. The origins of the NRA and how it stifled trade and raised prices for consumers is a key part of this book.

Most business-self-help-type books put me to sleep pretty fast. I appreciate the direction, examples, and insight given by this book. It points out many issues I have seen at past employers and gave me a lot to think about as far as 'the right ting to do' as far as technology implementations go.

From the trenches, all I usually saw was 'how do I sell this to my boss to get funding'. By changing my perspective a little, I am able to see a much bigger picture.

The problem is not too hard, it just needs to be approached with the proper respect and consideration by all parties involved. Accountability, governance, common sense, leadership, communications and honesty -- it all takes work, but it is the only way to achieve excellence.

A key Microsoft vice president and a skilled author of the business world (among other venues) combine their talents to present In Search of Business Value, a management self-help book for both corporate and IT leaders that offers real-life examples showing how best to extract the maximum business value from technology. Framing the achievement of business value as a leadership issue, not a technology issue, chapters address how to make a business case for types of technology, the role governance can play in order to improve the useage of IT, how to cope with controversy and miscellaneous problems, and much more. A no-nonsense guide to steering clear of trouble and gaining optimum benefit, written especially for managers and lay people who themselves may be only minimally familiar with the latest technological innovations.

These views are personal! This book is comparable and on equal footing with the "International Business" by Czinkota, Ronkainen & Moffet. One is complementary of the other.Some of the subjects are overlapping. I am in the opinions both are focusing on the topics for the benefits of the readers, especially for MBA students. Both are a great & wonderful books. By the way, I have only read Mr Hill's 1st edition book. I have not read his latest edition (1998)Thank you.

Having purchased this book for a class on World Business, it was required reading. We have worked mostly with the text jumping around a bit.

The book has proven to be highly educational. Covering both macro and micro aspects of World Business, the book is easy to read for anyone with some knowledge of economics.

In-depth case studies throughout the book make it quite enjoyable, and emphasize the authors points.

I have to second another review in saying that I wish this book wasn't out of print! I'm borrowing a friend's copy, and these pictures are incredibly moving, beautiful, and powerful. Seek this book out and you won't be disappointed.

This book is great. The photos are of amazing quality. Every photo touches you so deeply, every photo really says something. I couldn't find a single bad side to this book. Some topics of photography include: Nature - animals, extinsion, natural life, family. Radiation - photos of places that been hit by radiation, every photo is AMAZING! Human made disasters - pollution, radiation, wars, recylcing, cutting out forests.

Every single subject that touches us all in some way is mentioned. The photos are so good, that you can't let go of this book. Unfortunately I only have a library copy. I would buy this book the moment I could, and I would recomend everyone to do the same.

The book was delivered to me complete and in the condition that it was sold to me in. I would recommend and use this seller for future transactions.

It was in excellent condition when I received the item; it was exactly what I asked for and it was shipped in a very timely manner! Thanks!

This 624 page volume 2 is a most worthy companion to volume 1. Jaguar and historic racing fans can enjoy the authoritative, detailed text, along with hundreds
of photographs (some never seen before in print). Extensive coverage is given to
Jaguar D-types, the XKSS, E1A & E2A prototypes, early E-types, Jaguar and private
owner involvment in motor racing...and more! This is a book to be treasured and
enjoyed again and again.

This book is huge! If you like the E-types,D-types,XJS,
Group A,group C this book is for you.Superb color and B&W photos and detailed text will impress any Jaguar lover.
Published by "Hayne's" books and the Author,the Late Andrew Whyte.Add this book to your collection.

The United States has the ability to be the one of the biggest players in the oil industry, but how does it level the playing field and stay competitive, while remaining mindful of environmental concerns? "Leveling the Carbon Playing Field: International Competition and US Climate Policy Design" is a scholarly and educated examination of the oil industry and how American policy affects both the oil trade and related environmental issues. Packed with smart ideas and advice, "Leveling the Carbon Playing Field" should be considered essential reading for anyone in the center of these vital issues. A good choice for community library environmental and social issues collections.

In seventy-eight pages, the authors provide one of the most complete and thoughtful analyses of the complex strategies for reducing carbon emissions internationally.

As nations struggle with the competing demands of economic competition and the dire threat of globla warming, one of the most critical needs is to develop viable strategies for reducing carbon emissions without destroying the economic viability of developed nations and threatening to destroy the economies of the underdeveloped nations.

For the past 50 years, the US has enjoyed being at the top of the economic pyramid. With the emergence of China, India and other large economies, the need for international cooperation is essential.

This small volume provides a framework for understanding this issue and formulating effective policies.
Hugh McIsaac.
Santa Cruz, Calif.