Topic: Competitive Advantage

Search 500 + past questions and counting.
  • Filter by Professional Bodies

  • Filter by Subject

  • Filter by Series

  • Filter by Topics

  • Filter by Levels

SCS – Mar 2025 – L3 – Q3 – Competitive advantage, International financial

Analyze AML's employee management using IR Framework and evaluate the appropriateness of its diversification strategy into lithium mining.

a) Akosa Minerals Limited (AML) operates in both local and international mining markets, with operations spread across different regions, including Ghana, Mali and Burkina Faso. AML faces pressures for local adaptiveness, such as meeting the specific needs of employees in diverse communities, and global integration, which requires maintaining consistent HR policies and performance standards across all operations. The IntegrationResponsiveness (IR) Framework helps organisations determine how to balance these competing pressures to achieve strategic objectives.

Required:

i) Explain the Integration-Responsiveness (IR) Framework, and show how AML can manage its employees across various locations by balancing the pressures for local adaptiveness and global integration. (6 marks)

ii) Suggest TWO situations where AML should emphasise local adaptiveness and TWO where it should prioritise global integration. Provide examples to support your response. (4 marks)

b) AML diversified its operations by integrating lithium extraction into its core business. Diversification is appropriate in some situations but not in others.

Required: Explain FIVE reasons why the diversification strategy of AML is appropriate and THREE factors that could make the diversification strategy inappropriate. (10 marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

Report an error

You're reporting an error for "SCS – Mar 2025 – L3 – Q3 – Competitive advantage, International financial"

SCS – Nov 2024 – L3 – Q1a – Charles Handy’s Cultural Types

Discuss the application of Charles Handy's cultural types to BOGML's growth phases and analyze their impact.

Charles Handy identified four distinct categories of corporate culture (cultural stereotypes) that can exist within an organization. Since its formation, BOGML has exhibited all four categories of corporate culture during different phases of its growth.

Required:
Identify and explain the specific and appropriate category of corporate culture applicable, and discuss its impact on the company for each of the following phases of growth when Dr. Ayimadu Baffour:

i) Created the functional departments.
ii) Stated that BOGML is built around him and without him the company will not exist.
iii) Insisted on retaining all authority for decision-making.
iv) Emphasized getting work done through teamwork.

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

Report an error

You're reporting an error for "SCS – Nov 2024 – L3 – Q1a – Charles Handy’s Cultural Types"

SCS – Nov 2019 – L3 – Q1b – Competitive Advantage

Discuss the competitive advantage of Ghanalux in the tourism industry.

i) Discuss what you consider to be the main competitive advantage of Ghanalux in its industry.
(5 marks)

ii) Discuss how a balanced scorecard approach to performance measurement might help Ghanalux to improve its profitability.
(3 marks)

iii) Recommend performance measures that might be used by Ghanalux if it adopts a balanced scorecard system.
(8 marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

Report an error

You're reporting an error for "SCS – Nov 2019 – L3 – Q1b – Competitive Advantage"

SCS – MAR 2024 – L3 – Q2 – Competitive advantage

Apply and appraise Porter’s three strategies for sustaining competitive advantage for Prestige Designers Ltd.

A strategic clock can be used to consider different business strategies for gaining competitive advantage, based on providing a combination of price and perceived benefits. Porter has suggested three strategies for sustaining competitive advantage over rival firms and their products or services. They are a cost leadership strategy, a differentiation strategy, and a focus strategy.

Required:
Apply and appraise how effective the suggested three strategies for sustaining competitive advantage over rival firms would be useful to Prestige. (10 marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

Report an error

You're reporting an error for "SCS – MAR 2024 – L3 – Q2 – Competitive advantage"

SCS – Nov 2020 – L3 – Q3 – Competitive advantage

Apply Ansoff's Product/Market Growth Matrix to assess GGOH’s potential market development opportunities.

With the increasing competition in the hospitality industry, GGOH must adopt market development strategies to stay in or ahead of the competition. Apply Ansoff’s Product/Market Growth matrix to assess the extent of the potential market development opportunities available to GGOH. (10 marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

Report an error

You're reporting an error for "SCS – Nov 2020 – L3 – Q3 – Competitive advantage"

SCS – Aug 2022 – L3 – Q4 – Competitive Advantage

Explains the five primary activities of Porter's value chain and their relevance to Bazar's business processes.

Within an entity, there is a primary value chain and there are support activities (also called secondary value chain). Porter identified five primary value chain activities which can be applied to a retailing company such as Bazar.

Required:
Using the concept of the value chain, explain using a diagram the FIVE (5) primary value chain as explained by Porter to the management of Bazar highlighting their relevance. (10 marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

Report an error

You're reporting an error for "SCS – Aug 2022 – L3 – Q4 – Competitive Advantage"

SCS – May 2020 – L3 – Q3 – Competitive Advantage

Identify three key factors that must be addressed for Customer Focused Ltd to remain sustainable in the short term.

Customer Focused Ltd has updated its management accounts (Exhibit 1) to produce a
forecast for the year 2020 and these have indicated some significant problems. The business
owners are unsure what to do next.
Required:
You are acting as an advisor to the company and they ask you to:

Based on your work in Questions 1 and 2, identify and explain three key factors which must be addressed for Customer Focused Ltd to be sustainable over the short term.

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

Report an error

You're reporting an error for "SCS – May 2020 – L3 – Q3 – Competitive Advantage"

SCS – Apr 2022 – L3 – Q3 – Competitive advantage

Analyse how HPC can achieve competitive advantage using Porter’s six principles when expanding to Nigeria and Togo.

Consistent with its strategic ambition to expand its business into other countries, HPC is considering expanding to Nigeria and Togo.

Required:
Using Porter’s six principles of strategic positioning, analyse how HPC can achieve sustainable competitive advantage if it decides to expand the business to Nigeria and Togo. (10 marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

Report an error

You're reporting an error for "SCS – Apr 2022 – L3 – Q3 – Competitive advantage"

SCS – March 2023 – L3 – Q3 – Competitive advantage

Discusses the pros and cons of mergers and acquisitions and uses SWOT analysis to evaluate the business strategy

LCH is facing very stiff competition from both public and private health facilities. You have suggested that LCH consider either acquisition or mergers or both as a strategic move to survive in the industry.

a) Discuss FIVE (5) advantages and FIVE (5) disadvantages of a decision to consider acquisition and merger as a survival strategy.
(10 marks)

b) Using SWOT analysis, identify and discuss key factors that might affect LCH’s business strategy.
(10 marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

Report an error

You're reporting an error for "SCS – March 2023 – L3 – Q3 – Competitive advantage"

SCS – Nov 2023 – L3 – Q1b – Competitive advantage

Application of Johnson and Scholes’ six-step approach to achieve competitive advantage in the Shito industry.

Mr. Martinson highlights the company’s CSFs to include lasting customer satisfaction, consistent taste, unrivaled quality, operational efficiency, and compliance with regulatory requirements. These are very essential considering the highly competitive environment within which NSL operates.

Required:
Using Johnson and Scholes’ six-step approach to using CSFs, explain the six-step approach NSL could employ to effectively achieve competitive advantage in the Shito industry.
(10 marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

Report an error

You're reporting an error for "SCS – Nov 2023 – L3 – Q1b – Competitive advantage"

SCS – Mar 2025 – L3 – Q3 – Competitive advantage, International financial

Analyze AML's employee management using IR Framework and evaluate the appropriateness of its diversification strategy into lithium mining.

a) Akosa Minerals Limited (AML) operates in both local and international mining markets, with operations spread across different regions, including Ghana, Mali and Burkina Faso. AML faces pressures for local adaptiveness, such as meeting the specific needs of employees in diverse communities, and global integration, which requires maintaining consistent HR policies and performance standards across all operations. The IntegrationResponsiveness (IR) Framework helps organisations determine how to balance these competing pressures to achieve strategic objectives.

Required:

i) Explain the Integration-Responsiveness (IR) Framework, and show how AML can manage its employees across various locations by balancing the pressures for local adaptiveness and global integration. (6 marks)

ii) Suggest TWO situations where AML should emphasise local adaptiveness and TWO where it should prioritise global integration. Provide examples to support your response. (4 marks)

b) AML diversified its operations by integrating lithium extraction into its core business. Diversification is appropriate in some situations but not in others.

Required: Explain FIVE reasons why the diversification strategy of AML is appropriate and THREE factors that could make the diversification strategy inappropriate. (10 marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

Report an error

You're reporting an error for "SCS – Mar 2025 – L3 – Q3 – Competitive advantage, International financial"

SCS – Nov 2024 – L3 – Q1a – Charles Handy’s Cultural Types

Discuss the application of Charles Handy's cultural types to BOGML's growth phases and analyze their impact.

Charles Handy identified four distinct categories of corporate culture (cultural stereotypes) that can exist within an organization. Since its formation, BOGML has exhibited all four categories of corporate culture during different phases of its growth.

Required:
Identify and explain the specific and appropriate category of corporate culture applicable, and discuss its impact on the company for each of the following phases of growth when Dr. Ayimadu Baffour:

i) Created the functional departments.
ii) Stated that BOGML is built around him and without him the company will not exist.
iii) Insisted on retaining all authority for decision-making.
iv) Emphasized getting work done through teamwork.

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

Report an error

You're reporting an error for "SCS – Nov 2024 – L3 – Q1a – Charles Handy’s Cultural Types"

SCS – Nov 2019 – L3 – Q1b – Competitive Advantage

Discuss the competitive advantage of Ghanalux in the tourism industry.

i) Discuss what you consider to be the main competitive advantage of Ghanalux in its industry.
(5 marks)

ii) Discuss how a balanced scorecard approach to performance measurement might help Ghanalux to improve its profitability.
(3 marks)

iii) Recommend performance measures that might be used by Ghanalux if it adopts a balanced scorecard system.
(8 marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

Report an error

You're reporting an error for "SCS – Nov 2019 – L3 – Q1b – Competitive Advantage"

SCS – MAR 2024 – L3 – Q2 – Competitive advantage

Apply and appraise Porter’s three strategies for sustaining competitive advantage for Prestige Designers Ltd.

A strategic clock can be used to consider different business strategies for gaining competitive advantage, based on providing a combination of price and perceived benefits. Porter has suggested three strategies for sustaining competitive advantage over rival firms and their products or services. They are a cost leadership strategy, a differentiation strategy, and a focus strategy.

Required:
Apply and appraise how effective the suggested three strategies for sustaining competitive advantage over rival firms would be useful to Prestige. (10 marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

Report an error

You're reporting an error for "SCS – MAR 2024 – L3 – Q2 – Competitive advantage"

SCS – Nov 2020 – L3 – Q3 – Competitive advantage

Apply Ansoff's Product/Market Growth Matrix to assess GGOH’s potential market development opportunities.

With the increasing competition in the hospitality industry, GGOH must adopt market development strategies to stay in or ahead of the competition. Apply Ansoff’s Product/Market Growth matrix to assess the extent of the potential market development opportunities available to GGOH. (10 marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

Report an error

You're reporting an error for "SCS – Nov 2020 – L3 – Q3 – Competitive advantage"

SCS – Aug 2022 – L3 – Q4 – Competitive Advantage

Explains the five primary activities of Porter's value chain and their relevance to Bazar's business processes.

Within an entity, there is a primary value chain and there are support activities (also called secondary value chain). Porter identified five primary value chain activities which can be applied to a retailing company such as Bazar.

Required:
Using the concept of the value chain, explain using a diagram the FIVE (5) primary value chain as explained by Porter to the management of Bazar highlighting their relevance. (10 marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

Report an error

You're reporting an error for "SCS – Aug 2022 – L3 – Q4 – Competitive Advantage"

SCS – May 2020 – L3 – Q3 – Competitive Advantage

Identify three key factors that must be addressed for Customer Focused Ltd to remain sustainable in the short term.

Customer Focused Ltd has updated its management accounts (Exhibit 1) to produce a
forecast for the year 2020 and these have indicated some significant problems. The business
owners are unsure what to do next.
Required:
You are acting as an advisor to the company and they ask you to:

Based on your work in Questions 1 and 2, identify and explain three key factors which must be addressed for Customer Focused Ltd to be sustainable over the short term.

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

Report an error

You're reporting an error for "SCS – May 2020 – L3 – Q3 – Competitive Advantage"

SCS – Apr 2022 – L3 – Q3 – Competitive advantage

Analyse how HPC can achieve competitive advantage using Porter’s six principles when expanding to Nigeria and Togo.

Consistent with its strategic ambition to expand its business into other countries, HPC is considering expanding to Nigeria and Togo.

Required:
Using Porter’s six principles of strategic positioning, analyse how HPC can achieve sustainable competitive advantage if it decides to expand the business to Nigeria and Togo. (10 marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

Report an error

You're reporting an error for "SCS – Apr 2022 – L3 – Q3 – Competitive advantage"

SCS – March 2023 – L3 – Q3 – Competitive advantage

Discusses the pros and cons of mergers and acquisitions and uses SWOT analysis to evaluate the business strategy

LCH is facing very stiff competition from both public and private health facilities. You have suggested that LCH consider either acquisition or mergers or both as a strategic move to survive in the industry.

a) Discuss FIVE (5) advantages and FIVE (5) disadvantages of a decision to consider acquisition and merger as a survival strategy.
(10 marks)

b) Using SWOT analysis, identify and discuss key factors that might affect LCH’s business strategy.
(10 marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

Report an error

You're reporting an error for "SCS – March 2023 – L3 – Q3 – Competitive advantage"

SCS – Nov 2023 – L3 – Q1b – Competitive advantage

Application of Johnson and Scholes’ six-step approach to achieve competitive advantage in the Shito industry.

Mr. Martinson highlights the company’s CSFs to include lasting customer satisfaction, consistent taste, unrivaled quality, operational efficiency, and compliance with regulatory requirements. These are very essential considering the highly competitive environment within which NSL operates.

Required:
Using Johnson and Scholes’ six-step approach to using CSFs, explain the six-step approach NSL could employ to effectively achieve competitive advantage in the Shito industry.
(10 marks)

Login or create a free account to see answers

Find Related Questions by Tags, levels, etc.

Report an error

You're reporting an error for "SCS – Nov 2023 – L3 – Q1b – Competitive advantage"

Oops!

This feature is only available in selected plans.

Click on the login button below to login if you’re already subscribed to a plan or click on the upgrade button below to upgrade your current plan.

If you’re not subscribed to a plan, click on the button below to choose a plan