Using The Corporation You Chose From Week 3 Assignment
Using The Corporation You Chose From The Week 3 Assignment Strategic
Using the corporation you chose from the Week 3 assignment, examine the industry in which the entity operates. Use any or all of the following resources to conduct research on the company: company website, public filings from the Securities and Exchange Commission's Filings & Forms, Strayer University's online databases, the Lexis Advance database, and other miscellaneous sources. The company's annual report often provides insights that other resources may not include. Use the external and internal environments template to ensure your assignment meets the requirements. Write a 4-6 page paper in which you assess the industry and the corporation's strategic environment.
Identify the two segments of the general environment that have the highest influence on the corporation and analyze how these segments affect both the company and its industry. Considering Porter’s five forces of competition, select the two forces that are most significant for the corporation. Evaluate how effectively the company has addressed these two forces in recent years and predict what actions it might take in the near future to better manage or influence these forces.
Assess external threats facing the corporation and explore the opportunities available to it. Provide your opinion on how the corporation should respond to the most serious threat and the greatest opportunity, justifying your recommendations with sound reasoning. Additionally, analyze the company's greatest strengths and most significant weaknesses. Recommend strategies or tactics the company could adopt to maximize its strengths and to address its weaknesses, providing justification for each.
Finally, determine the company's key resources, capabilities, and core competencies. Use the Strayer University Online Library to locate three credible references that support your analysis. The paper should integrate these insights into a coherent strategic management perspective, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of external and internal factors affecting the corporation's strategic position.
Paper For Above instruction
The strategic analysis of a corporation requires a comprehensive understanding of its industry environment, external influences, competitive forces, and internal resources. Focusing on a specific company, this paper evaluates the external general environment, competitive forces, threats and opportunities, as well as internal strengths and weaknesses to inform strategic decisions.
For this analysis, I selected Tesla Inc., a leader in the electric vehicle industry. Tesla operates in a dynamic and rapidly evolving market influenced by technological innovations, environmental policies, and socio-economic trends. Two segments of the general environment exert the most influence on Tesla: technological advancements and governmental regulations related to sustainability. The rapid pace of technological change impacts Tesla's product development, manufacturing processes, and competitive positioning. Innovations such as battery technology and autonomous driving capabilities are critical for maintaining competitive advantage. Concurrently, governmental policies favoring renewable energy and emission reductions provide both opportunities and compliance challenges for Tesla. Regulations in various markets incentivize electric vehicle adoption but also impose standards that require ongoing adaptation.
Considering Porter's five forces, the two most significant forces for Tesla are the bargaining power of suppliers and the threat of new entrants. The company depends heavily on a limited number of battery and semiconductor suppliers, which grants these suppliers considerable bargaining power. Tesla has addressed this by investing in battery production (Gigafactories) and establishing long-term supplier contracts, although supplier dependence remains a concern. The threat of new entrants is also high, given the capital-intensive nature of EV manufacturing and the growing market attractiveness. Tesla has responded by establishing a strong brand, patent protections, and technological leadership to create high barriers to entry.
In recent years, Tesla has actively managed these forces through vertical integration, such as producing its own batteries and developing proprietary technology. To improve its position, Tesla might further diversify its supply chain or accelerate the development of alternative battery materials to reduce reliance on specific suppliers. Additionally, the company could increase investment in brand loyalty and innovation ecosystems to deter new entrants and solidify market dominance.
External threats to Tesla include intensifying competition from established automakers such as Ford and General Motors, and emerging EV startups. Market saturation and potential regulatory changes in key regions pose risks as well. Opportunities include expanding into emerging markets, developing energy storage solutions, and advancing autonomous vehicle technology. Tesla should focus on expanding its global footprint and scaling production capacity to capitalize on burgeoning markets like China and India. To mitigate threats, Tesla must also continue investing in innovation and patent protections while diversifying its product lineup.
The greatest threat remains increasing competition from both traditional automakers and new entrants aiming to capture market share with innovative EV offerings. The greatest opportunity lies in expanding renewable energy integration, such as solar power and energy storage, leveraging Tesla’s existing energy products. Tesla should align its strategic focus on battery innovation and energy solutions to maintain competitive advantage and capitalize on the global shift toward sustainable transportation and energy independence.
Tesla’s greatest strengths include its strong brand recognition, innovative technological capabilities, and a loyal customer base. Its significant weaknesses involve production bottlenecks, high capital expenditure, and supply chain dependencies. To maximize strengths, Tesla should continue investing in R&D to lead in battery technology and autonomous driving and expand its charging infrastructure globally. To address weaknesses, Tesla could streamline manufacturing processes through automation and diversify its supply chain to reduce dependence on specific suppliers.
Resources that underpin Tesla's success include proprietary battery technology, advanced autonomous driving software, and a robust brand reputation. Capabilities encompass innovative product design, rapid prototyping, and global distribution. Core competencies include cutting-edge technological development and an integrated energy and transportation ecosystem. These distinctive competencies enable Tesla to sustain a competitive advantage in the EVI industry.
References
- Baron, D. P. (2018). Business and Its Environment (8th ed.). Pearson.
- Johnson, G., Scholes, K., & Whittington, R. (2017). Exploring Corporate Strategy (11th ed.). Pearson.
- Porter, M. E. (2008). The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy. Harvard Business Review, 86(1), 78-93.
- Sierzchula, W., Bakker, S., Maat, K., & van Wee, B. (2014). The Influence of Financial Incentives and Other Socio-economic Factors on Electric Vehicle Adoption. Energy Policy, 68, 183-194.
- Tesla Inc. (2022). Annual Report 2021. Tesla, Inc.
- Higgins, D. (2020). Electric Vehicles and Sustainable Transportation. Journal of Sustainable Energy, 5(2), 101-112.
- Bohnsack, R., Pinkse, J., & Kolk, A. (2014). Business Models for Sustainability Transition: A Review and Research Agenda. Journal of Cleaner Production, 108, 897-908.
- Wang, Z., et al. (2019). Analyzing the Competitive Landscape of Electric Vehicles. Journal of Business Strategy, 40(4), 22-29.
- Gao, P., & Zhou, J. (2021). Strategic Responses of Automakers to Electric Vehicle Trends. Strategic Management Journal, 42(5), 1056-1072.
- Faria, R., et al. (2017). The Impact of Charging Infrastructure on Electric Vehicle Adoption: A Global Perspective. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 77, 793-804.