Universityof Colombo

Facultyof Management Finance and Postgraduate Mid - careerDevelopment & Unit

Master of Business Administrationin Marketing III Semester (Second-half) Examination* June,20IA

MBAMK 610: Strategic Marketing (03)hours Three

Answer four (04) questions including questionnumber one (01)

01.
i.
Strategic marketingmanagement dealswith such issuesas'where are we now?', where do we want to be?', 'how might we get there?','which wa)'is best?',and, 'how can we ensurearrival?'. Describe how the each of the major elementsof strategicmarketing management processhas beencentered all the aboveissuesto capturetheir domain. on ( 14 marks)

ll.

Assume that your company consistsof the corporatelevel, the division Level, the businessunit level, and the product level. Examining the differencesamong each level from theoreticalperspective,preparea businessplan for one of your strategicbusiness units with suitableassumptions. ( 18 marks)

iii.

The 'Market Attractiveness- BusinessPosition Matrix' provides a structuredway to evaluate business units on two key dimensions. Identify these two dimensions and explain how strategicanalysiscan be relatedto each of them. What are the very basic strategicinvestmentissuesthat can be addressed basedon this model? (08 marks) (Total 40 marks)

02.
i' An organizationcan be disaggregated terms of functionalizationfor the purpose in of internalanalysis.Some other thet-rretical model can also be applied for disaggregating a businessorganization internalanalysis.Analyzethis statement fbr ( l2 marks)

ii

Briefly explainthe implicationof the concept"StrategicWindow" explainedby Abell to a business orsanization.

Derek F.

(04 marks)

iii

Differentiate following pairsof concepts a. Downstream ,u,alue valuechainand upstream chain b. Marketingmyopia and competitor my,opia (04 marks) (Total 20 marks)

03.
Understanding competitiveposition of a businessfirm in the market place is very importantto classify firms by the roles they play in the target market. Classifythe by takingthe market shareas a criterion. Explain strategies that can be adoptedby the firm which playsthe challenger role in the marketplace. ( l0 marks) ii Explainthe potentialsources competition. of rolesplayedby the variousbusiness firms in a particularstrategic group

(05 marks)

iii.

Explain how the concept 'performanceSynergy' can be r e l a t e dt o the'scalar Principle'. (05 marks)

(Total 20 marks)

04.
/

Differentiate'Sustainable CompetitiveAdvantage'(SCA) from 'Key Success factors' (KSFs).How Can KSFs be classified? (04 marks)

ii.

Discussthe prerequisites creating an SCA. Explain how and why 'synergy' for betrveen SB[Jscan providean SCA that is truly sustainable. (08 marks)

lll.

Erplain the componentsof a businessstrategy.Discuss why implementationof a soundbusiness strategy shouldmaintaina congruence among other components the of organrzation using an appropriate model"

(08marks) (Total20 marks)

05.
i. Understandingcompetitors and their activities can provide several benefits to a marketer. To reaLize these benefits the marketer should have a comprehensive understanding about the elementswhich influencecompetitoractions.Elaborateon this statement. u. ( l0 marks)

'Vertical integration which are concerned strategies, with the downstreamand upstream provide both the benefitsand the movementson the value systemof the organrzation, coststo the organization.' Commenton this statement. ( 10 marks) (Total 20 marks)