Question Tag: Industry Analysis

a) Asawasi Company, a relatively new company, is in the business of designing and building farm equipment and machinery. Whilst it has been successful in its first few years of operation, sales are now in decline as competition in the industry has intensified and there is greater rivalry between the competing organisations.

A review undertaken by consultants has recommended that in order to gain sustained competitive advantage, the company needs to establish the basis on which it can compete more effectively against its rivals in the future.

Required:

i) Describe the concept of competitive advantage and include references to the different bases Asawasi Company could use to achieve competitive advantage.
(5 marks)

ii) Describe the factors that can create competitive rivalry between organisations.
(5 marks)

b) An introduction of a new technology is an introduction of a new business. This is a statement of fact and evidence abounds in many African economies. The introduction of mobile phones came with space-to-space business and eventually gave rise to mobile money services.

Required:

Using Porter’s Five Forces model, identify the competitive forces that influence the state of competition in the mobile money industry and the profit potential of the industry as a whole.
(10 marks)