MGCR 423 STUDY GUIDE
External Environment - Answers - Understanding industry forces, opportunities &
threats (O/T in SWOT).
Internal Organization - Answers - Assess resources, capabilities, core competencies
(S/W in SWOT) → source of competitive advantage.
Business-Level Strategy - Answers - How a single business competes: cost leadership,
differentiation, focus, integrated.
Corporate-Level Strategy - Answers - Scope decisions across businesses:
diversification (horizontal/vertical/geographic), synergy.
Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) - Answers - Buy/merge to change scope; know why,
risks, integration approaches.
Cooperative Strategy - Answers - Strategic alliances as a lighter, flexible alternative to
M&A.
Porter's Five Forces - Answers - Rivalry, entrants, substitutes, suppliers, buyers.
VRIN framework - Answers - Resources, capabilities, and core competencies.
Value Chain analysis - Answers - A method to analyze the activities that create value in
a business.
Outsourcing - Answers - Benefits & risks associated with contracting out business
functions.
Cost Leadership - Answers - A business strategy to become the low-cost producer in an
industry.
Differentiation - Answers - A strategy to offer unique products or services to attract
customers.
Focused Strategy - Answers - A strategy that targets a specific market segment.
Integrated Strategy - Answers - Combining cost leadership and differentiation
strategies.
Diversification - Answers - Horizontal, vertical, and geographic expansion of a business.
External Environment - Answers - Understanding industry forces, opportunities &
threats (O/T in SWOT).
Internal Organization - Answers - Assess resources, capabilities, core competencies
(S/W in SWOT) → source of competitive advantage.
Business-Level Strategy - Answers - How a single business competes: cost leadership,
differentiation, focus, integrated.
Corporate-Level Strategy - Answers - Scope decisions across businesses:
diversification (horizontal/vertical/geographic), synergy.
Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) - Answers - Buy/merge to change scope; know why,
risks, integration approaches.
Cooperative Strategy - Answers - Strategic alliances as a lighter, flexible alternative to
M&A.
Porter's Five Forces - Answers - Rivalry, entrants, substitutes, suppliers, buyers.
VRIN framework - Answers - Resources, capabilities, and core competencies.
Value Chain analysis - Answers - A method to analyze the activities that create value in
a business.
Outsourcing - Answers - Benefits & risks associated with contracting out business
functions.
Cost Leadership - Answers - A business strategy to become the low-cost producer in an
industry.
Differentiation - Answers - A strategy to offer unique products or services to attract
customers.
Focused Strategy - Answers - A strategy that targets a specific market segment.
Integrated Strategy - Answers - Combining cost leadership and differentiation
strategies.
Diversification - Answers - Horizontal, vertical, and geographic expansion of a business.
