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Strategic action generation: A comparison of emphasis placed on generic competitive methods by U.S. And Japanese managers
Author(s) -
Kotha Suresh,
Dunbar Roger L. M.,
Bird Allan
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
strategic management journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 11.035
H-Index - 286
eISSN - 1097-0266
pISSN - 0143-2095
DOI - 10.1002/smj.4250160305
Subject(s) - competitor analysis , contrast (vision) , strategic management , set (abstract data type) , action (physics) , space (punctuation) , business , position (finance) , marketing , computer science , artificial intelligence , operating system , physics , finance , quantum mechanics , programming language
The paper identifies similarities and differences in the emphases and patterns that U.S. and Japanese managers attribute to a set of 22 generic competitive methods. It highlights the different ways that Japanese and American managers combine these methods to form general business strategies. Using factor analyses and smallest space analyses, the study shows differences in business strategy patterns between managers in Japan and the U.S. Such differences reflect the organizing principles underlying the strategy approaches in U.S. and Japanese firms. The organizing principle underlying U.S. responses is the desire to find way to differentiate a firm from its competitors. In contrast, the organizing principle underlying Japanese responses is a desire to establish a comprehensive, stable and defensible position. The paper discusses the implications of these results for strategic management and suggests directions for future U.S. and Japanese comparative strategy research.