Articles by Michael Porter
What Is Strategy?Michael Porter argues that the essence of strategy is choosing a unique and valuable position rooted in systems of activities that are much more difficult to match than just pursuing operational effectiveness alone. Porter thus traces the economic basis of competitive advantage down to the level of the specific activities a company performs. Using cases such as Ikea and Vanguard, he shows how making trade-offs among activities is critical to the sustainability of a strategy. While stressing the role of leadership in making and enforcing clear strategic choices, Porter also offers advice on how companies can reconnect with strategies that have become blurred over time.