Review CASE 7: Harley-Davidson, Inc. in 2018, p. 442 (from your textbook) and discuss the concept of differentiation advantage.
A case study is a puzzle to be solved, so before reading and answering the specific questions, develop your proposed solution by following these five steps:
-
Read the case study to identify the key issues and underlying issues. These issues are the principles and concepts of the course module, which apply to the situation described in the case study.
-
Record the facts from the case study which are relevant to the principles and concepts of the module. The case may have extraneous information not relevant to the current module. Your ability to differentiate between relevant and irrelevant information is an important aspect of case analysis, as it will inform the focus of your answers.
-
Describe in some detail the actions that would address or correct the situation.
-
Consider how you would support your solution with examples from experience or current real-life examples or cases from textbooks.
-
Complete this initial analysis and then read the discussion questions. Typically, you will already have the answers to the questions but with a broader consideration. At this point, you can add the details and/or analytical tools required to solve the case.
Case Study Questions:
-
Analyze the use of resources and capabilities to achieve a competitive advantage by Harley Davidson.
-
Are their differentiation advantages imitable by other companies? Why or why not?
-
How can opportunities for profitable differentiation be identified?
-
Can they effectively compete in the industry given the nature of the differentiation advantages that underpin their existing strategy?
Embed course material concepts, principles, and theories (which require supporting citations) in your initial response along with at least one scholarly, peer-reviewed journal article. Keep in mind that these scholarly references can be found in the Saudi Digital Library by conducting an advanced search specific to scholarly references. Use Saudi Electronic University academic writing standards and APA style guidelines.