Competitive Advantage : Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance

Rating:
Summary: A classic to which one should now return
Review: The second of the gospels according to Porter and the more useful of the two. This book gives a framework for allocating costs and assets among business activities which can then be used to seek drivers for cost advantage or differentiation. The later chapters may at first blush seem repetitive, but they are useful elaborations on the the basic search criteria for finding and exploiting value.If one had read this in 1995, their stock portfolio would have many fewer worthless e-commerce shares...

Rating:
Summary: Five stars for the content, trey stars for the writing style
Review: This book covers the practical aspect of "management" from the competitive veiwpoint. The treatment is quite pragmatic and never high-flown. Thus it is useful as a startpoint and/or a template in studying such subjets as SCM, ERP, and (to somewhat less extent) CRM. However, the reading tends to be heavy-going (partly because of the nature of the subject but) mainly due to the authour's writing style: Porter prefers narrative statements where summarization into tables and figures would do much better. I believe that this book should have been written in a more easy-to-read fashion, considering the supposed audience.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent reading - top level book
Review: This book is the continuum to the first book of M. Porter: Techniques for analyzing industries and competitors. A must-be read book, in deep analysis proving an absolute mastery on this complex subject of strategy establishing, sustaining and improving.

Rating:
Summary: A vital classic that rewards careful reading and re-reading
Review: This is the second of the classic volumes by Michael Porter. The first was Competitive Strategy and it outlined the general methods and industry analysis. This volume, Competitive Advantage, is more complex and offers methods for understanding what a firm is and does and how it creates value. We all know the term value-chain; it was introduced here.

The complexity comes from trying to define firms when no two businesses (firms) are alike. Then add to that considerations about how do these firms compete with each other, to what degree, and in which ways?

The book is 15 chapters grouped in four parts. The four parts are:
1)Principles of Competitive Advantage
2)Competitive Scope Within an Industry
3)Corporate Strategy and Competitive Advantage
4)Implications for Offensive and Defensive Competitive Strategy

Chapter 15 is entitled "Attacking an Industry Leader". This is the culmination of the book and lets you know that it does have a practical focus. Of course, as a more practical book of theory (seems like an oxymoron, doesn't it?), it cannot discuss every situation or approach. Nevertheless, this is an important book. It not only deserves a place on every businessperson's shelf, it rewards careful reading and re-reading.
This is the second of the classic volumes by Michael Porter. The first was Competitive Strategy and it outlined the general methods and industry analysis. This volume, Competitive Advantage, is more complex and offers methods for understanding what a firm is and does and how it creates value. We all know the term value-chain; it was introduced here.

The complexity comes from trying to define firms when no two businesses (firms) are alike. Then add to that considerations about how do these firms compete with each other, to what degree, and in which ways?

The book is 15 chapters grouped in four parts. The four parts are:
1)Principles of Competitive Advantage
2)Competitive Scope Within an Industry
3)Corporate Strategy and Competitive Advantage
4)Implications for Offensive and Defensive Competitive Strategy

Chapter 15 is entitled "Attacking an Industry Leader". This is the culmination of the book and lets you know that it does have a practical focus. Of course, as a more practical book of theory (seems like an oxymoron, doesn't it?), it cannot discuss every situation or approach. Nevertheless, this is an important book. It not only deserves a place on every businessperson's shelf, it rewards careful reading and re-reading.


Rating:
Summary: The Original
Review: Uncountable dot com companies failed due to failing 'business model'. Michael Porter's work on Competitve Strategy and Competitive Advantage reinforce the point that 'business model' is trivial without defining a clear way to establish sustainable competitive advantage through competitive strategy. Porter's work has proven to be both original and timeless.

Rating:
Summary: THE BOOK ON COMPETITION
Review: While Competitive Strategy covered the environment of the company, Competitive Advantage explores different aspects of the individual company. One could say that his first book was makro-economics strategy, and this one is mikro-economics strategy. If you believe like me, that a company has to concentrate on sustainable competitive advantage nomather what the environment, than that's the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: Remedial
Review: While I was lured into purchasing this book by the positive comments on Amazon, I was disappointed after reading this book. Although it is in its 60th printing, the information has already been communicated via other authors in other books. The remedial concepts discussed do not go into practical applications, and remind me of one of my MBA professors droning on senselessly.
If you have garnered exposure to strategic planning and actually conduct any competitive analysis, please only purchase this as a reference guide to replace the books that you have already cashed in at the University Library.

Rating:
Summary: Remedial
Review: While I was lured into purchasing this book by the positive comments on Amazon, I was disappointed after reading this book. Although it is in its 60th printing, the information has already been communicated via other authors in other books. The remedial concepts discussed do not go into practical applications, and remind me of one of my MBA professors droning on senselessly.
If you have garnered exposure to strategic planning and actually conduct any competitive analysis, please only purchase this as a reference guide to replace the books that you have already cashed in at the University Library.