Resource Based View for Kraft Foods
In the background materials section of this module, we discussed the process and utility of conducting an internal analysis as a means of critically assessing a company's strengths and weaknesses. One of the tools discussed in the background materials was the Resource Based View (RBV) analysis.
Required Reading
Refer to the required and optional readings on Internal Analysis, the theme for this module.Session Long ProjectIn this SLP, you will complete a modified RBV analysis of the Kraft Foods Company. You will incorporate this information into your Case analysis for this module.
Note: Throughout this course, you should complete the SLP before you undertake the case analysis.
Before you begin the SLP, you need to read the background materials thoroughly.Keys to the Assignment Step One: Resources are the inputs into a production process. They can be capital, equipment, patents, skill sets of individual employees and/or managers, financial resources, etc. Resources can be tangible or intangible. Individually, they may not necessarily lead to a competitive advantage - it is
how they are used and the synergies they create that make them strategically valuable. Give me as much information as you can find about the following as it relates to the Kraft Foods Company:
Tangible Resources
1. Physical Resources
2. Financial Resources
3. Human Resources
4. Other
Intangible Resources
1. Technical Resources
2. Intellectual Resources
3. Goodwill
4. Other (cultural, reputational, strategic alliances)Step Two: Distinctive capabilities are those competencies possessed by a firm that cannot be copied or can be replicated only with great difficulty or resources. Determine the distinctive capabilities of the Kraft Foods Company as it relates to as many of the following as you can:
1. Architecture,
2. Reputation, and
3. Innovation.
Step Three: Provide the above information in a 4-page paper (not including cover page or references).
Tips and Suggestions
Remember: You may need to speculate to the extent that information is not readily available. Doing so is fine - so long as you rely on the theory and your analysis is logical.Include a cover page and reference page, in addition to the 2-page requirement described above.Include headings for all papers greater than 2 pages (basically all papers), but do not use headings as "space fillers."
Cite and reference all sources that you use in your work, including those that you do not quote but paraphrase. This means include citations and quotation marks for direct quotes of more than 5 words, and citations for that information which you have "borrowed" or paraphrased from other sources.
Follow guidelines for well-written papers.Submit your analysis when it is completed.