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What are common competitive actions?

Published on March 30, 2023   7 min

A selection of talks on Management, Leadership & Organisation

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0:00
Hello, I'm Jeremy Short. G. Brint, Ryan chair in Entrepreneurship at the University of North Texas. And I'm here to talk about what are common competitive actions.
0:13
Many ideas relevant to the study of strategic actions of firms can be traced back to classic military strategies. These concepts tied to the ideas of competition and competitive dynamics. And they inform how firms respond to their rivals when striving to fight for new customers and defend existing markets. One of the most influential books that informs competitive strategy is that of Sun Tzu classic work the Art of War. Ideas such as attaining a first-mover advantage in working to acquire as many wins as possible without fighting can all be seen in his classic book about military strategy. So I'd like to walk you through a few of these ideas and explain how many of these ideas are relevant today, while others might need to be considered in light of more recent research findings when applied to the competitive strategies of firms.
1:03
Sun Tzu argued that those who arrive first to the battlefield are often more at ease. And perhaps there is no better-known catchphrase in business jargon than the concept of a first-mover advantage. But not all first-movers strikes in the business world lead to long-term success for example RC Cola was the first to introduce many innovations in the soft drink industry, such as aluminum cans, 16-ounce drinks, and low-calorie and caffeine-free drinks, but these innovations could be quickly copied by larger rivals.
1:37
A disruptive innovation is one that dramatically changes the competitive landscape in the idea of disrupting your opponent can be found in the ideas of Sun Tzu as well. Classic examples of disruptive innovation occur when a new product that makes an existing technology no longer relevant. Examples include computers replacing typewriters and digital media, replacing CD.

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