加拿大課程dissertation：蘋果公司如何采用差異性戰略來享受市場領導地位

蘋果一直采用的成功的差異化戰略，以享受市場領導地位，個人電腦和消費電子業務

How Apple has been using the Successful Differentiation Strategy to Enjoy Market Leadership in Personal Computer and Consumer Electronics Business

Table of Contents 目錄

1. Introduction 1

2. Environmental Analyses: 3

a. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis: 3

i. Power of Suppliers 4

ii. Power of the Buyers: 4

iii. Threats of Substitute: 5

iv. Competitive Rivalry: 6

v. Barriers to Entry: 6

b. PESTEL Analysis: 7

i. Political Factors: 7

ii. Economic Factors: 7

iii. Sociological Factors: 8

iv. Technological Factors: 8

v. Environmental Factors: 8

vi. Legal Factors: 8

c. Porter’s Value Chain Analysis: 9

d. SWOT Analysis: 9

i. Strengths: 9

ii. Weaknesses: 10

iii. Opportunities: 11

iv. Threats: 12

3. Porter’s Generic Strategies: 13

4. Recommendations: 15

5. Conclusion: 17

6. Works Cited 18

Appendix A – Porter’s Five Forces Analysis: 23

Appendix B – Porter’s Value Chain Analysis: 24

Secondary Activities: 24

Primary activities: 25

Appendix C - Porter’s Generic Strategies: 27

1.Introduction 簡介

Apple has been dominating the consumer electronics and personal computer industry and undoubtedly, one may argue that the major reason behind the Apple's domination is the consistent new product development (Apple, 2012). The significance of creativity and innovation increases in an organisation like Apple, because the industries where the organisation has been operating enjoy considerably low product life cycle. In such sorts of conditions, successful product innovation and consistently adding new features is the major way to lead the industry. Apple has been doing so throughout the past. 蘋果一直獨霸消費電子和個人電腦行業,毫無疑問,有人會說,主要原因是蘋果統治一致的新產品開發(蘋果,2012)。創造力和創新的重要性增加一個組織像蘋果,因為產業組織一直操作享受相當低的產品生命周期。在這種類型的條件,成功的產品創新和持續添加新特性是主要的方法來引導該行業。蘋果一直這樣做在過去。

The main content of this report can be divided into three parts: through application of five forces model, SWOT analysis and PESTLE analysis, the first part aims to analyse the competitive environment of Apple. The five forces model is to evaluate suppliers bargaining power, buyer bargaining power, potential new entrants, threat of substitute product, and the rivalry among competing sellers; PESTLE analysis is a tool used to analyse macro-environment through politics, economy, society, and technology. To evaluate the internal environment of the organisation, the model that will be utilized in the report is Porter’s generic strategy model. The SWOT analysis will present the summary of the firm’s strength, weakness, opportunity and threats that will be mainly based on the env  http://ukthesis.org/scxzy ironmental analysis presented first in the paper.  Porter’s generic strategies will be used in order to understand what factors are contributing to the Apple’s success and how the organisation has been accruing competitive advantage. Then, based on Porter’s generic strategy, the second part is to evaluate Apple’s differentiation strategy. At last, the three parts will provide some suggestions for the implementation of Apple’s differentiation strategy.

3.Porter’s Generic Strategies: 波特的通用戰略

According to Michael Porter (1980), an organisation could accomplish market leadership either through focusing on cost effectiveness or through successful differentiation efforts. The Porter’s generic strategies, which states that if the competitive advantage of the firm is wider, the firm could accomplish either the cost leadership and differentiation advantages (Hitt, et al., 2000). On the other hand, an organisation could also accomplish the mention advantage having a narrow focus in which case it could accomplish focused low cost advantage or focused differentiation advantage in the market (Johnson & Scholes, 2005). 

Taking into consideration the Porter’s generic strategies and how it leads an organisation to enjoy market leadership, one may argue that Apple has been using the broader differentiation strategies that has enabled the firm to successfully differentiate its offering in the market and enjoy market leadership in the personal computer and the consumer electronics industry (Knnear, et al., 2008). 

5.Conclusion: 總結

Apple, being a truly customer’s centric organisation has been successfully using the differentiation strategies to dominate the personal computer and consumer electronics business (Apple, 2012). The differentiation strategy has been enabling the firm to dominate the market as customers in the market are more interested in different features rather than just low price. However, as the competition in the market is intensifying with the passage of time, the success of the firm in the years ahead depends on how successful the firm sustains its differential advantage. The recommendations presented in the paper including upping the R&D support, working in the green technology field, and enhancing team based structure to foster creativity could enhance Apple’s performance in the market and could help the firm in sustaining its position in the market.