Porter's Five Forces of Competitive Position Analysis were developed in 1979 by Michael E Porter of Harvard Business School as a simple framework for assessing and evaluating the competitive strength and position of a business organisation. Show
This theory is based on the concept that there are five forces that determine the competitive intensity and attractiveness of a market. Porter’s five forces help to identify where power lies in a business situation. This is useful both in understanding the strength of an organisation’s current competitive position, and the strength of a position that an organisation may look to move into. Strategic analysts often use Porter’s five forces to understand whether new products or services are potentially profitable. By understanding where power lies, the theory can also be used to identify areas of strength, to improve weaknesses and to avoid mistakes. Porter’s five forces of competitive position analysis:
The five forces are: 1. Supplier power. An assessment of how easy it is for suppliers to drive up prices. This is driven by the: number of suppliers of each essential input; uniqueness of their product or service; relative size and strength of the supplier; and cost of switching from one supplier to another. 2. Buyer power. An assessment of how easy it is for buyers to drive prices down. This is driven by the: number of buyers in the market; importance of each individual buyer to the organisation; and cost to the buyer of switching from one supplier to another. If a business has just a few powerful buyers, they are often able to dictate terms. 3. Competitive rivalry. The main driver is the number and capability of competitors in the market. Many competitors, offering undifferentiated products and services, will reduce market attractiveness. 4. Threat of substitution. Where close substitute products exist in a market, it increases the likelihood of customers switching to alternatives in response to price increases. This reduces both the power of suppliers and the attractiveness of the market. 5. Threat of new entry. Profitable markets attract new entrants, which erodes profitability. Unless incumbents have strong and durable barriers to entry, for example, patents, economies of scale, capital requirements or government policies, then profitability will decline to a competitive rate. Arguably, regulation, taxation and trade policies make government a sixth force for many industries. What benefits does Porter’s Five Forces analysis provide?Five forces analysis helps organisations to understand the factors affecting profitability in a specific industry, and can help to inform decisions relating to: whether to enter a specific industry; whether to increase capacity in a specific industry; and developing competitive strategies.
In practice:Porter's Five Forces of Competitive Position AnalysisAnalysis of the Indian business environment Download full case study In the June 2010 issue of Financial Management magazine, the Five Forces model was applied to the emerging Indian business environment in comparison with more developed markets. The analysis found that factors such as state protectionism and a lack of infrastructure are greater barriers to entry in India than they are in more developed nations, where market forces are more powerful. The analysis highlighted many issues affecting competition in emerging economies and compared them to those that are more prevalent in more developed markets. One factor that could play a crucial role in India is public opinion, which exerts a considerable influence on the government. A good example of this is a campaign by local retailers against Walmart, who feel that the arrival of the US retail giant could put them out of business. Walmart has made huge investments in India, but is having to find ways around stringent regulations that prevent it from doing things as basic as putting its brand name on stores. Michael Porter (Harvard Business School Management Researcher) designed various vital frameworks for developing an organization’s strategy. One of the most renowned among managers making strategic decisions is the five competitive forces model that determines industry structure. According to Porter, the nature of competition in any industry is personified in the following five forces:
FIGURE: Porter’s Five Forces model The five forces mentioned above are very significant from point of view of strategy formulation. The potential of these forces differs from industry to industry. These forces jointly determine the profitability of industry because they shape the prices which can be charged, the costs which can be borne, and the investment required to compete in the industry. Before making strategic decisions, the managers should use the five forces framework to determine the competitive structure of industry. Let’s discuss the five factors of Porter’s model in detail:
Strong buyers can extract profits out of an industry by lowering the prices and increasing the costs. They purchase in large quantities. They have full information about the product and the market. They emphasize upon quality products. They pose credible threat of backward integration. In this way, they are regarded as a threat. Strong suppliers can extract profits out of an industry by increasing costs of firms in the industry. Suppliers products have a few substitutes. Strong suppliers’ products are unique. They have high switching cost. Their product is an important input to buyer’s product. They pose credible threat of forward integration. Buyers are not significant to strong suppliers. In this way, they are regarded as a threat. Lesser the number of close substitutes a product has, greater is the opportunity for the firms in industry to raise their product prices and earn greater profits (other things being equal). The power of Porter’s five forces varies from industry to industry. Whatever be the industry, these five forces influence the profitability as they affect the prices, the costs, and the capital investment essential for survival and competition in industry. This five forces model also help in making strategic decisions as it is used by the managers to determine industry’s competitive structure. Porter ignored, however, a sixth significant factor- complementaries. This term refers to the reliance that develops between the companies whose products work is in combination with each other. Strong complementors might have a strong positive effect on the industry. Also, the five forces model overlooks the role of innovation as well as the significance of individual firm differences. It presents a stagnant view of competition. ❮❮ Previous Next ❯❯ Related Articles
View All Articles Authorship/Referencing - About the Author(s)The article is Written By “Prachi Juneja” and Reviewed By Management Study Guide Content Team. MSG Content Team comprises experienced Faculty Member, Professionals and Subject Matter Experts. We are a ISO 2001:2015 Certified Education Provider. To Know more, click on About Us. The use of this material is free for learning and education purpose. Please reference authorship of content used, including link(s) to ManagementStudyGuide.com and the content page url. What are the five forces of competition model?The Five Forces. Threat of New Entrants. The threat of new entrants into an industry can force current players to keep prices down and spend more to retain customers. ... . Bargaining Power of Suppliers. ... . Bargaining Power of Buyers. ... . Threat of Substitute Products. ... . Rivalry Among Existing Competitors.. What are the 5 elements in Porter's 5 forces?The five forces are:. Supplier power. An assessment of how easy it is for suppliers to drive up prices. ... . Buyer power. An assessment of how easy it is for buyers to drive prices down. ... . Competitive rivalry. The main driver is the number and capability of competitors in the market. ... . Threat of substitution. ... . Threat of new entry.. What are the five forces in the 5 forces model quizlet?the Five Forces model helps business people understand the relative attractiveness of an industry and the industry's competitive pressure in terms of buyer power, supplier power, threat of substitute products and services, threat of new entrants, rivalry among existing competitors.
What are the five forces of competition as recommended by Porter's?According to Porter, the nature of competition in any industry is personified in the following five forces: Threat of new potential entrants. Threat of substitute product/services. Bargaining power of suppliers.
|