Individual Research Report Every Student Conducts Research

Individual Research Report every Student Conducts Research On Hishe

Every student conducts research on his/her employer for this assignment. The goal is to solve a problem the company faces and provide strategic recommendations to improve its performance. The report should include analyses such as identifying the company and industry, corporate and business-level strategies, core competencies, and an analysis using the VRIS framework to identify strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, the report must state the specific problem to be addressed, summarize recommendations, justify these with strategic analysis tools, and explain how these recommendations will enhance the company's competitive advantage.

The report should follow a structured format with a cover page including the student’s name and section number. The main content should not exceed three pages excluding the cover and appendix. Use 2-line spacing, Times New Roman 12-point font, and 1-inch margins all around on 8.5 x 11 inch paper. Include page numbers, proper APA citations, and footnotes where necessary. All exhibits and graphs should be placed in the appendix. Adherence to formatting rules is mandatory; violations will result in grade penalties.

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

The strategic positioning of Kodak in the evolving photography industry exemplifies how historical innovation, core competencies, and strategic responses influence corporate sustainability. Founded in 1888, Kodak was once a dominant force in the photographic film industry, known for its innovative products such as the Kodak camera and film that revolutionized photography. Over the years, Kodak's fortunes have fluctuated amid technological changes and aggressive competition, especially from digital photography entrants. Recognizing these challenges and opportunities is central to devising strategic recommendations that can restore its competitive edge and sustain growth in contemporary markets.

Company and Industry Analysis

Kodak operates primarily within the imaging and photographic equipment industry. Historically, the company specialized in photographic film, cameras, and related consumables but has diversified into digital imaging, printing, and advanced materials. The industry has been fundamentally disrupted by digital imaging technology, which rendered traditional film products obsolete and intensified competition from digital camera manufacturers like Canon and Nikon, as well as smartphone camera technology integrating high-quality imaging capabilities.

The industry landscape has transitioned from physical film to digital solutions. This shift led to significant revenue decline for Kodak during the early 2000s, culminating in bankruptcy protection in 2012. Currently, Kodak is repositioning itself within digital printing, commercial imaging, and innovative materials for healthcare and industrial applications, reflecting strategic shifts in response to industry transformations.

Corporate and Business-Level Strategies

Kodak’s corporate strategy has evolved from being primarily a consumer imaging firm to a diversified enterprise focusing on diversified business units such as commercial printing, packaging, functional printing, and healthcare imaging. Its diversification strategy aims to leverage its core competencies in imaging technologies across various industrial and commercial markets.

At the business level, Kodak employs differentiation and niche strategies. It emphasizes product innovation—particularly in high-margin industrial and commercial sectors—differentiating through quality, proprietary technology, and customer-specific solutions. The company's focus on B2B markets and industrial imaging reflects targeted strategies to secure stable revenue streams while reducing dependence on declining consumer markets.

Core Competencies and VRIS Analysis

Kodak’s core competencies majorly include its extensive intellectual property portfolio related to imaging, advanced material science capabilities, and manufacturing processes. Its patents in digital imaging, photonics, and industrial printing provide a competitive advantage and barriers to entry for competitors.

Applying the VRIS framework—Valuable, Rare, Inimitable, and Non-substitutable—reveals that Kodak’s patents (valuable and rare) underpin its technological edge. However, weaknesses include underleveraged organizational resources in digital transformation and limited agility in the rapidly evolving digital space. Its core competencies are valuable but face threats from quicker innovation cycles and digital entrants, which could in time inimitate or substitute Kodak's technological advantages.

Identified Problem

The core issue facing Kodak is its struggle to fully capitalize on its technological and patent assets while adapting swiftly to digital transformation and industry shifts. Although Kodak retains valuable intellectual property, its organizational inertia and limited presence in high-growth digital markets diminish its potential to sustain competitive advantage.

Strategic Recommendations

The primary recommendation is for Kodak to intensify its digital transformation initiatives by investing in R&D for digital imaging technologies, forming strategic alliances with digital technology firms, and expanding its industrial digital printing solutions. Additionally, Kodak should leverage its patent portfolio to establish licensing agreements, generating revenue while broadening technological influence.

Concurrently, Kodak should focus on developing its organizational capabilities in agility and innovation management. This can be achieved through workforce development, adopting lean and agile methodologies, and fostering a culture of rapid innovation to respond to dynamic industry trends.

The strategic approach should also include diversification into emerging markets where imaging technology is critical, such as healthcare diagnostics and augmented reality. This aligns with leveraging core competencies in imaging science while opening new revenue streams.

Rationale and Strategic Justification

The recommended strategies are underpinned by the strategic analyses performed. The VRIS analysis demonstrated that Kodak’s patents (valuable and rare) are underutilized, and licensing can monetize this core asset. Its corporate repositioning aligns with multisector diversification principles, reducing dependence on declining consumer markets (Porter, 1985). Emphasizing digital innovation responds to threats identified through industry analysis (Christensen, 1997). Additionally, adopting agile practices fosters flexibility necessary for survival amid rapid technological change, supported by literature highlighting organizational agility as vital in high-tech industries (Teece, Peteraf, & Leih, 2016).

Strategic Advantages

Implementing these recommendations will enhance Kodak’s competitive advantage by maximizing its core competencies—particularly its patent portfolio—and aligning its organizational structure to support rapid innovation and diversification. Expanding digital offerings and leveraging partnerships will help Kodak regain market relevance, stabilize revenue streams, and establish a sustainable growth trajectory in high-value industries, thus ensuring long-term viability.

References

  • Christensen, C. M. (1997). The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail. Harvard Business Review Press.
  • Porter, M. E. (1985). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. Free Press.
  • Teece, D. J., Peteraf, M., & Leih, S. (2016). Dynamic capabilities and organizational agility: Risk, uncertainty, and strategy in the innovation economy. California Management Review, 58(4), 13-35.
  • Gavetti, G., & Levinthal, D. (2000). Looking Forward, Looking Back: Low-Probability Search and Learning. Administrative Science Quarterly, 45(4), 100-130.
  • Hitt, M. A., Ireland, R. D., & Hoskisson, R. E. (2017). Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases. Cengage Learning.
  • Li, L., & Atuahene-Gima, K. (2001). Product Innovation Strategy and the Performance of New Technology Venture Firms. The Academy of Management Journal, 44(6), 1123-1134.
  • Mahoney, J. T., & Pandian, J. R. (1992). The Resource-Based View Within the Conversation of Strategic Management. Strategic Management Journal, 13(5), 363-380.
  • Chesbrough, H. (2003). Open Innovation: The New Imperative for Creating and Profiting from Technology. Harvard Business School Press.
  • Barney, J. B. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99-120.
  • Schoemaker, P. J., & Teece, D. J. (2018). Innovation, Strategy, and Organizational Change: Insights from the Strategic Management Literature. Research Policy, 47(8), 1433-1440.

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