The model of the Five Competitive Forces was developed by Michael E. Porter in his book „Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance“ in 1980. Since than it has become an important tool for analyzing an organizations industry structure in strategic processes. The Porters Five Forces model is actually one of the best-known tools for […]
Beyond Porter – A Critique of the Critique of Porter
The writings of the American management-guru and Harvard-Professor Michael E-Porter are considered to be among the most influential of their subject – and among the most critiqued ones.
The Boston Box, also known as Growth-Share-Matrix
The Boston Box is a well-known tool for corporate portfolio management. It is striking for its simplicity. All information needed is easily obtainable and the conclusions are straightforward. However, it is exactly this simplicity that makes the Boston Box – or Growth-Share-Matrix – a false friend. This article explains the theory, discusses strategies to be […]
Management models and tools – what they can do and what they cannot do
Management models and tools – as the SWOT or the 7s-Model – are discussed controversially. Some people use them as important tools for analyzing businesses and developing strategies. Others call them “buzzwords”, used by consultants to boost their profile. The truth about the value of management models probably lies somewhere in between. So what should […]
Porters Diamond – Determining Factors of National Advantage
Increasingly, corporate strategies have to be seen in a global context. Even if an organization does not plan to import or to export directly, management has to look at an international business environment, in which actions of competitors, buyers, sellers, new entrants of providers of substitutes may influence the domestic market. The Porters Diamond model […]
Conceptual Management Tools
Conceptual Management Tools – A Guide to Essential Models for Knowledge Workers: This 38 pages paper provides an in –depth analysis of management tools in the context of knowledge workers.
The PEST Analysis
The PEST analysis has proven to be a flexible and easy to understand tool in the context of strategic planning. As with any other tool, the real value of the PEST analysis depends on the way it is used. Hence, the following article not only describes the content of this tool, it also provides advice […]
Japanese management practices
Japanese Management 20 years on – This report discusses the contemporary relevance of Japanese management practices to managers, policymakers and academic researchers.
The SWOT Model
By Dagmar Recklies Strengths – Weaknesses – Opportunities – Threats When I started to write this paper about the SWOT-model, I compiled theory and researched literature. This is part 1 of this paper. However, after several years of practical experience with the SWOT, I found this was not enough. I have worked as a consultant […]
The 7 S Model – Summary and Application
The 7 S Model is better known as McKinsey 7 S. This is because the two persons who developed this model, Tom Peters and Robert Waterman, have been consultants at McKinsey & Co at that time. Thy published their 7 S Model in their article “Structure Is Not Organization” (1980) and in their books “The […]