37
Edexcel BTEC Higher National Diploma at NEU – Business Strategy – Individual Assignment 1 Hanoian Business Consultant Ltd To: Consultant Manager Date: November 11 th 2008 Introduction Nokia, a large Finnish industrial group, founded in 1966, started to expand in electronic product areas in the 1970s and became the world’s number one with estimated 38% share of global mobile device in 2007 with its over 110,000 employees, a net sales of over € 51 billion and an operating profit of € 8 billion (Nokia, 2008, p.4). Nokia, with Olli–Pekka Kallasvuo as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), has stated its mission and vision publicly, with quite detailed corporate objectives included. This report, was created from Huu Chien Nguyen; a Consultant Officer of Hanoian Business Consultant Ltd; to conduct, analyse and discuss about the following: The context of Nokia’s business strategy and the significance of its stakeholders analysis Nokia’s external environment and organisational audits Nokia’s SWOT analysis and the application of strategic positioning techniques about An analysis of the current external environment in Vietnam Huu Chien Nguyen – Class: IBD-2G – Student Nr.: 101.310.2146 1/20

7.1.1. BS 1

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: 7.1.1. BS 1

Edexcel BTEC Higher National Diploma at NEU – Business Strategy – Individual Assignment 1

Hanoian Business Consultant Ltd

To: Consultant Manager

Date: November 11th 2008

Introduction

Nokia, a large Finnish industrial group, founded in 1966, started to expand in electronic

product areas in the 1970s and became the world’s number one with estimated 38% share of

global mobile device in 2007 with its over 110,000 employees, a net sales of over € 51 billion

and an operating profit of € 8 billion (Nokia, 2008, p.4).

Nokia, with Olli–Pekka Kallasvuo as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), has stated its

mission and vision publicly, with quite detailed corporate objectives included.

This report, was created from Huu Chien Nguyen; a Consultant Officer of Hanoian

Business Consultant Ltd; to conduct, analyse and discuss about the following:

The context of Nokia’s business strategy and the significance of its stakeholders analysis

Nokia’s external environment and organisational audits

Nokia’s SWOT analysis and the application of strategic positioning techniques about

An analysis of the current external environment in Vietnam

Possible consideration for Nokia’s strategic analysis and

A strategic plan for the entity

The main source of reference on which this report is based its theoretical issues on is

the guideline of the syllabus Edexcel HNC & HND (2004), Business Strategy, Aldine House,

London.

Huu Chien Nguyen – Class: IBD-2G – Student Nr.: 101.310.2146 1/20

Page 2: 7.1.1. BS 1

Edexcel BTEC Higher National Diploma at NEU – Business Strategy – Individual Assignment 1

1. Nokia’s business strategy and stakeholder analysis

1.1 The context of Nokia’s business strategy

The following mission, vision, goals and objectives and business strategy are stated in the

official website of Nokia (2008):

“There is a progressive and continuous increase in consumer involvement in technology

and communications globally.

Social networks are becoming central for how people communicate.

Nokia is a consumer led company.

1.1.1 Mission

. To help people feel close to what is important to them

. People want to be connected, independent of time and place in a way that is very personal to

them: Nokia connects people in new and better ways

1.1.2 Vision

. Nokia’s vision is a world where every one can be connected

1.1.3 Goals and objectives

. Strong infrastructure business with Nokia Siemens Network

. Nokia’s competitive advantage is based on scale, brand and service: scale based assets and

capability; leading brand and build further competitive advantages by differentiating the

company’s offering through services

. Compelling consumer solution with devices and services

1.1.4 Nokia’s business strategy

.Trusted consumer relationship: maximise Nokia’s lifetime to consumers; enhance and

capture market growth in emerging markets

Huu Chien Nguyen – Class: IBD-2G – Student Nr.: 101.310.2146 2/20

Page 3: 7.1.1. BS 1

Edexcel BTEC Higher National Diploma at NEU – Business Strategy – Individual Assignment 1

. Best mobile devices everywhere: take share and drive value across price bands and

geographies

. Context enriched services: take share of the Internet market by delivering winning solutions;

take share of the business mobility market”

1.2 The stakeholder analysis of Nokia

Stakeholder analysis is crucial to improve the business environmental knowledge of the

organisation. It could show the likely effects that a proposed strategy would have on different

groups of stakeholder.

Stakeholders are, by economists, divided into three groups as Internal–, Connected– and

External–stakeholders. Each of the groups would have different interests to defend and their

response risks. We quickly look into detail (the table was created based on the guideline in

Edexcel HNC & HND, 2004, Business Strategy, p.17):

Huu Chien Nguyen – Class: IBD-2G – Student Nr.: 101.310.2146 3/20

Page 4: 7.1.1. BS 1

Edexcel BTEC Higher National Diploma at NEU – Business Strategy – Individual Assignment 1

Stakeholder

(and related issues to Nokia)

Interests to defend Response risk

Internal

Managers & Employees

(manufacturing capacity)

(operating capacity)

. Jobs/Carriers

. Money

. Pursuit systems’ goals rather than

shareholder’s interests

. Promotion . Industrial action

. Benefits

. Satisfaction

. Negative power to impede implementation

. Refusal to relocate

. Resignation

Connected

Shareholders

(corporate strategy)

. Increase in shareholders’ wealth, measured

by profitability, P/E (price-earnings) ratios,

market capitalisation, dividends and yield

. Risk

. Sell shares

. Replace management

Bankers

(cash flows)

. Security on loans

. Adherence to loan agreements

. Denial to credit

. Higher interest charges

. Receiverships

Suppliers

(purchase strategy)

. Profitable sales . Refusal of credit

. Payment for goods . Court action

. Long-term relationship . Wind down relationship

Customers

(product-market strategy)

. Goods as promised

. Future benefits

. Buy elsewhere

. Sue

External

Government

(legal issues)

. Jobs, training, tax . Tax increases

. Regulation

. Legal action

Interest/pressure groups

(ecological environment)

. Pollution . Publicity

. Rights . Direct action

Huu Chien Nguyen – Class: IBD-2G – Student Nr.: 101.310.2146 4/20

Page 5: 7.1.1. BS 1

Edexcel BTEC Higher National Diploma at NEU – Business Strategy – Individual Assignment 1

(working environment)

. Other . Sabotage

. Pressure on government

Stakeholders have their roles, primarily divided into two categories as:

1) Performance role as they are directly involved the value system (suppliers, distributors

etc.), which adds values to the products/services through stages of itself.

2) Support role (banks, government etc.) as they support the adding value group.

Stakeholders possibly have the sufficient power to influence on the strategy choices of the

entity’s managements.

There are, refers to Edexcel HNC & HND (2004), two aspects of stakeholder risk listed to

date:

i) Strategic options affect the interests of different stakeholders in varying degrees and

ii) They may response in the ways to reduce the attractiveness of the proposed strategy.

Businesses depend on their stakeholders at any time. However, the degree of dependence

varies, based on:

a) Disruption: is the stakeholder able to disrupt the plan (withdrawing from investors etc.).

b) Replacement: is the relationship replaceable.

c) Uncertainty: to which degree could the stakeholder cause uncertainty towards the plan (e.g.

how important to the firm is that amount of investment by this investor).

Huu Chien Nguyen – Class: IBD-2G – Student Nr.: 101.310.2146 5/20

Page 6: 7.1.1. BS 1

Edexcel BTEC Higher National Diploma at NEU – Business Strategy – Individual Assignment 1

2. Nokia’s external environment and organisational audit

2.1 The external environment audit

There are two ways to conduct an external environment audit, based whether on the

PESTEL factors or the Porter’s five forces.

2.1.1 The audit on external environment in Finland based on the PESTEL model

PESTEL is an mnemonic, stand for: Political, Economic, Social and cultural,

Technological, Environmental/Ecological and Legal. Here is an external environment audit

for Nokia’s business in Finland based on the PESTEL model.

i/ Political

The political environment in Finland is quite stable instead of there are different parties in

power at different points of time. Laws in Finland, like any of other parliamentary republic

countries, are set by the Parliament. Finnish laws are consistently set in macro since decades

(right after the World War II) so that there has never been any political crisis since.

In January 2002, Finland fully jointed the European Union (EU) with the introduction of

the Euro currency. Finnish laws then had to have several changes to adopt to the EU laws and

regularly receive directives from the EU Parliament. However, these changes were not that

significant that Finnish political environment could be said to be unstable to date.

Finally, Finland has pursued the policy of being neutral towards the East-West political

conflict since decades so that is unlikely that the country might run into any political

difficulty in the future.

ii/ Economic

Capital per head of Finland has breached the benchmark of $ 35,000 and brought total

GDP of the country to $ 246 billion in 2007, world rank 23 and 34, respectively. The

economics is expected to growth wealthy in the next 5 years period due to world’s

economists (International Monetary Fund, 2008).

The wealth of the Finnish economy as well as that of the Northern Europe and the Euro

zone as a whole are providing a stable background for high–tech businesses like Nokia. And

Huu Chien Nguyen – Class: IBD-2G – Student Nr.: 101.310.2146 6/20

Page 7: 7.1.1. BS 1

Edexcel BTEC Higher National Diploma at NEU – Business Strategy – Individual Assignment 1

that, fortunately, would be continued in the future due to analysis and forecasts of economists

around the world.

iii/ Social and cultural

Finland has had a long history of more than 1,500 years which has build up a strong

cultural base for its 62.5% urban population and mostly Lutheran protestant (Christian) today

(Cao L., 2007, p. 358). That means that business ethical and consumer commitments are of

vital important factor for any business to operate there.

Furthermore, consumers in such a developed economy have ever increasing complicate

demands so that Nokia is to give its best in order maintain the number one manufacturer even

in its home market.

iv/ Technological

Operating in the high–tech area, Nokia has a great deal of the high developed Finnish

technological infrastructure. There are plenty of highly qualified labour provided from the 5.3

million population of the country as well as a system of the best up–to–date technological

infrastructure such as telecommunication, electronics, energy industries etc.

However, that also means a hard competition between firms in the area of high–tech.

v/ Environmental/Ecological

Environmental has been a factor that Finnish government, like all the other three

neighbouring countries in Northern Europe (Sweden, Norway and Denmark), gave attention

to since long time ago (particularly since the acid rain in Sweden in the mid 80’s). Businesses

have to follow very strict environmental conditions by operating so that the production and

operation costs are seem to be high there compared with businesses operating in developing

economies.

On the other hand, Nokia has gain an environmental friendly brand in the mind of global

customers. It is a vital criterion nowadays for the sustainable growth in the long-term future.

vi/ Legal

Legal is mostly related to the political issue and was analysed above, in that the Finnish

laws are set by its Parliament with one or another changes due to directives from the EU

Huu Chien Nguyen – Class: IBD-2G – Student Nr.: 101.310.2146 7/20

Page 8: 7.1.1. BS 1

Edexcel BTEC Higher National Diploma at NEU – Business Strategy – Individual Assignment 1

Parliament. However, the Finnish legal system is stable to date and would most likely to

continue likewise in the long-term future.

2.1.2 The audit on external environment in Finland based on Porter’s five forces model

Michael Porter (1996) argued that there are competitive forces that influence

organisations in their competitive environment and these forces together will determine the

potential profit of the industry. He suggested a five forces model which consists of: the

threats of new entrants and substitute products/services, the bargaining powers of customers

and suppliers and the rivalry amongst current competitors.

i/ The threat of new entrants

It is unlikely that a new company, start from a scratch, would enter into the market of

Nokia in Finland or even any where in the global market due to the very high barrier of entry.

Specifically is that Nokia is operating as one of the oldest and most successful in its

mobile device industry so that it has already won lots of experiences, favoured access to raw

material and distribution channels as well as the economies of scale. These factors

collectively give Nokia great advantages in production and operating costs. Nokia’s highly

expected brand image is another significant point which would discourages new starters.

Finally, there is a great capital requirement for new entrants in such a high–tech area of

business.

Summarily, it is most unlikely that there would be any new entrant into the mobile device

manufacture market since all the potential competitors are already attended in Finland as well

as in Europe and any where else in the developed world.

ii/ The threat of substitute products/services

Substitute products (Motorola, Ericsson, etc.) and services (Apple, Voodoo Phone, etc.)

to Nokia’s ones are plenty on the market today so that there is a very hard competition in the

mobile device manufacture market with Nokia, Motorola and Ericsson fighting at the top and

Nokia versus Apple in the same matter of the 3G high–tech communication area.

Huu Chien Nguyen – Class: IBD-2G – Student Nr.: 101.310.2146 8/20

Page 9: 7.1.1. BS 1

Edexcel BTEC Higher National Diploma at NEU – Business Strategy – Individual Assignment 1

iii/ The bargaining power of customers

The bargaining power of customers raise together with the hardness of the competition in

the manufacture market since they have more options to choose and thus consequently

increase their degree of complexity in demands.

However, Nokia’s products’ quality and characteristic are factors that reduce these power

of its customers since they could not purchase from its competitors for having a personalise

mobile device in high quality like that would be by Nokia.

iv/ The bargaining power of suppliers

Bargaining power of suppliers of Nokia is not unexpectedly high since Finland has plenty

of raw materials resources in its 338,000 square kilometres. Furthermore, Nokia could obtain

raw materials cheaply from any of the two neighbouring countries, Russia and Sweden,

which both have large land area and low population density.

The supply of high qualified staffs, like discussed previously, has never been a matter in

the top developed area in the world of Northern Europe.

v/ The rivalry amongst current competitors

This is the most critical issue in this external environment audit. There are many, if not

too, rivalries manufacturer to Nokia in Finland as well as in the global market, significantly

out standing of them are Motorola and Ericsson who both shared each about 25 to 30% of

global mobile device market compared with 38% of Nokia in 2007.

The mega exit barriers (fixed assets break-up, redundancy payments, effects of

withdrawal and governments’ pressure) face these internationalised entities provide them no

way out but to compete aggressively.

However, the rapidly and stabile growth of personal high–tech communication market

would provide plenty of development chances to all competitors of in the battle and thus

reduce the hardness degree of the mortal competition.

Huu Chien Nguyen – Class: IBD-2G – Student Nr.: 101.310.2146 9/20

Page 10: 7.1.1. BS 1

Edexcel BTEC Higher National Diploma at NEU – Business Strategy – Individual Assignment 1

2.2 The organisational audit

2.2.1 The position audit, resources and limiting factors

Nokia has plenty of sources serve for its material inputs and highly qualified staffs

requirements like discussed just. It also has no difficulty in the matters of fixed assets,

working capital and finance with its successful businesses in the last decade which has

brought the company into the top of very few organisation with the net sales of more than $

65 billion globally in 2007 (ranked 64 between GDP of the countries, just 2 places behind

Vietnam, and about equal to Siemens, one of the Germany’s largest high-tech group).

Operated as one of the oldest in the industry, Nokia possesses the greatest knowledge in

product development, operating and production issues and a strong organisational culture

base. It furthermore has adopted a quite efficient and flexible organisation structure.

Human resources are effectively used by Nokia as it has regrouped its marketing and

R&D centres to work side by side in Geneva. Materials could also be used effectively with

production centres allocating around the world.

There is no limiting factor aroused to date to Nokia so that summarily, the position audit

seems to be favourable to the company.

2.2.2 Competences and critical success factors

Nokia’s core competences are the experiences in producing and marketing its products;

providing access to a wide variety of markets (developed, emerging and developing markets).

The personalise dimension of mobile communications is the distinctive competence of the

organisation.

The critical success factors of Nokia are technology and R&D.

Key tasks to be done to ensure that critical success factors are satisfied are the efficient

and effective uses of human and raw materials resources.

Priority is given to the R&D and marketing activities based on the unique characteristic of

the mobile device industry.

Huu Chien Nguyen – Class: IBD-2G – Student Nr.: 101.310.2146 10/20

Page 11: 7.1.1. BS 1

Edexcel BTEC Higher National Diploma at NEU – Business Strategy – Individual Assignment 1

2.2.3 The value chain

The value chain of Nokia is best developed with the newly supplemented organisation

structure, especially with the help of Nokia Siemens Networks, a separate company jointly

owned by Nokia and Siemens.

2.2.4 The product portfolio

Nokia is producing any type of personal mobile device with a number of communication

services like consumer Internet service and business mobility.

Nokia aims to continue on create winning devices, embrace consumer internet services,

deliver enterprise solutions, build scale in networks and expand professional services.

2.2.5 Organisational structure

Nokia is using different methods of co–ordination in its various organisational areas.

The Marketing and R&D centres co–operate as mutual adjustment as they are working

side by side.

The production area have its standardised working processes and outputs.

Employees are indoctrinated with the mission and vision of the company as they have to

remember the overall impression of the list of attributes.

Conclusively, Nokia has a efficient and effective organisational structure, supports by a

strong organisational culture.

2.2.6 Marketing audit and the customer base

The size of the customer base in Nokia’s home market is not great due to low population

but it is very large in the global level, most of them are individuals using Nokia’s personal

mobile devices.

The net sales of € 51 billion and a gross profit of € 8 billion reached in 2007 has shown

the great sales revenue and profitability of the organisation (a gross profit margin of 15.69%

compared to the 2.5% nominal interest of the Euro currency).

The main segment which generates the major profit of Nokia is the export market with

personal mobile devices, consumer Internet services and business mobility.

Huu Chien Nguyen – Class: IBD-2G – Student Nr.: 101.310.2146 11/20

Page 12: 7.1.1. BS 1

Edexcel BTEC Higher National Diploma at NEU – Business Strategy – Individual Assignment 1

The organisation is having the greatest market share in mobile devices globally and the

market is showing a brightly potential growth in short–, middle– as well as far–future.

The only main point not in best favour to the organisation is the ever increasing degree of

complexity of demand of customers due to the ever increasing living standard.

Huu Chien Nguyen – Class: IBD-2G – Student Nr.: 101.310.2146 12/20

Page 13: 7.1.1. BS 1

Edexcel BTEC Higher National Diploma at NEU – Business Strategy – Individual Assignment 1

3. Nokia’s SWOT analysis and strategic positioning techniques

3.1 The SWOT analysis

3.1.1 Strengths

Nokia has its greatest strength in financial results from its successful business in the last

decade which has bough a great amount of retained earning from the highly profit margin

earned as to be a pioneer in the mobile device market.

Expertise and marketing skills are another strengths of the organisation as it was one of

the firsts operating in the mobile device area.

Finally, reputation and customer loyalty are factors that Nokia has won through its

business history which greatly discourage new entrants into its operating markets.

3.1.2 Weaknesses

As the organisation has growth to be too large like it is today, it increasingly become

inflexible so that it would become more and more difficult for the organisation to adopt to the

ever quicker change of the high–tech environment today.

There is a risk that customers tend to try “different” as a trade mark becomes too popular,

which is the current situation of Nokia.

3.1.3 Opportunities

There are great opportunities for Nokia provided from the current developed and

emerging markets as well as from the potential developing market.

The ever increasing living standard that subsequently increase the demand for high–tech

products also provides a good opportunity for Nokia present and future alike.

3.1.4 Threats

The attractiveness of the current and potential high-tech market on the other hand attracts

new entrants and encourages current competitors to compete harder to win market share.

Huu Chien Nguyen – Class: IBD-2G – Student Nr.: 101.310.2146 13/20

Page 14: 7.1.1. BS 1

Edexcel BTEC Higher National Diploma at NEU – Business Strategy – Individual Assignment 1

Finally, the globalising financial crisis which initiated from the US’s estate market is

threatening to be worse and thus tends to affect businesses in every aspects of operation.

3.2 The strategic positioning techniques

However, a strong financial based business like Nokia could turn the threat of the global

financial crisis into its opportunity as raw materials, land and labour costs together have the

trend to decrease at once so as to strongly down turn the overall cost of inputs.

Potential attracted new entrants to the high–tech market; apart from the high entry

barriers of capital investments, legislation, reputation, experiences and customers loyalty;

could be discouraged from brand names created from Nokia itself to serve certain uncovered

segments of the market like it did with Vertu in the luxury mobile device market. Another

example of an alike successful strategic move is the brand name of Lexus created from

Toyota in the last decade.

The opportunities provided by the emerging and developing markets could be exploited in

that Nokia as a manufacturing and service providing organisation try to expand its

contribution channel paralleling with marketing activities to enhance its reputation and to

establish its brand name in these markets.

The increasing living standard; instead of slowing down in the developed world, is still

significant in others; could be exploited by Nokia with new created brand names (not

necessarily be in the luxury segment like Vertu, but also in middle quality level or even in a

bit lower one). New created brand names also lighten the weakness of Nokia that it is now

becoming too popular so that customers might want to try “different”.

Nokia’s weakness of to be too large could be lighten in that it adopts the de–layering

strategy which reduces levels of managements in the organisation and increase delegation and

employees empowerments that improves the flexibility and effectiveness of the entity.

Financial strength of Nokia could help the organisation to take the chances of overtaking

small competitors in this difficult time of businesses. Expertise, marketing skills, reputation

and customers loyalty are factors that help Nokia to maintain its leader position in the

operating markets.

Huu Chien Nguyen – Class: IBD-2G – Student Nr.: 101.310.2146 14/20

Page 15: 7.1.1. BS 1

Edexcel BTEC Higher National Diploma at NEU – Business Strategy – Individual Assignment 1

Huu Chien Nguyen – Class: IBD-2G – Student Nr.: 101.310.2146 15/20

Page 16: 7.1.1. BS 1

Edexcel BTEC Higher National Diploma at NEU – Business Strategy – Individual Assignment 1

4. The external environment in Vietnam

Again, there will be PESTEL and Porter’s five forces analysis, but this time they are done

based on the external environment in Vietnam.

4.1 Vietnam’s external environment audit with PESTEL model

i/ Political

Political environment in Vietnam is very stable to date since more than 30 years and

together with the opening market policy of the Vietnamese government, they collectively

provide an attractive market to world’s investors. As making investments in Vietnam, Nokia

would have no trouble with political issues like nationalisation and so on.

ii/ Economic

The booming economy together with low input costs on land, labour and raw materials

factors also attract foreign investors. It is an ideal market for Nokia to invest into to take

advantages of these growth potential and low cost factors, added from a large population base

(about 86 million in 2007, ranking 13 in the world).

iii/ Social / cultural

The reach in tradition culture of Vietnam makes it a typical Far East social that

accordingly needs its appropriated marketing activities.

Impulse buying, a typical behaviour of Vietnamese customers (Nguyen, 2007, pp 70–87)

should also be considered in Nokia’s strategic marketing activities.

An unfavourable factor in the social aspect in Vietnam for a high–tech company like

Nokia is that the labour market might not be sufficient enough by providing high skilled

labours due to the current lack of that.

iv/ Technological

This is another unfavourable factor for Nokia as well as for other investors with an

underprovided infrastructure due to the still being low level of economics development [$835

per capital in 2007 (Nguyen & Nguyen, 2008, p.23)].

Huu Chien Nguyen – Class: IBD-2G – Student Nr.: 101.310.2146 16/20

Page 17: 7.1.1. BS 1

Edexcel BTEC Higher National Diploma at NEU – Business Strategy – Individual Assignment 1

However, the matter seems to be strongly improved with mega investments of the

Vietnamese government and its strategic partners [15 energy bases with total power of more

than 20 GWh in 5 years, highway and super-railway worth $ 46 billion together with Japan,

HCM City’s road infrastructure worth $ 14 billion and that of Hanoi worth $ 11 billion etc.

(various sources)].

v/ Ecological / Environmental

Vietnam is as large as Finland in land area (330,000 km2 and 338,000 km2, respectively)

but it is much more crowded (86 million population or 260 inhabitants/km2 compared with

that 5.3 million population or 16 inhabitants/km2 of Finland) so that there are less

environmental resources per head to use. That means that the Vietnamese environmental

standard would going to be stricter each day so that it becomes a considerable factor for a

long–term industry investor like Nokia.

vi/ Legal

Perhaps, using the very economic environmental strategy like Vedan, a South–Korean

company, could help Nokia to deeply cut its manufacturing costs, but there are also legal

issues to take consideration of.

There are various legislation set by Parliament in Vietnam which Nokia has to take

consideration of. Particularly, in the field of economics, there are law’s components in power

on trade, investment, estate, labour, environment etc.

These regulations will affect Nokia’s activities in trading, investing, recruiting, operating

and so on, in any point of time that it is operating in the country.

4.2 Vietnam’s external environment audit with Porter’s five forces model

i/ Threat of new entrants

The threat of new entrants does not really exists in the Vietnamese mobile device market

since all of Nokia’s potential competitors such as Motorola, Sony Ericsson and Samsung,

Phillips, Siemens are already attended. The very high barrier of capital investment would

furthermore prevent new entrants into the industry.

Huu Chien Nguyen – Class: IBD-2G – Student Nr.: 101.310.2146 17/20

Page 18: 7.1.1. BS 1

Edexcel BTEC Higher National Diploma at NEU – Business Strategy – Individual Assignment 1

ii/ Threat of substitute products/services

Nokia is now providing only products in the Vietnamese market.

The minimum threat of new entrants has the negative effect of maximising the number of

substitute products which are offered from all the attending competitors. The booming

demand help the competition to become a bit cooler, but it is becoming harder and harder

each day.

iii/ Bargaining power of customers

Increase together with the number of substitute products offered on the market since they

have more to chose from.

Note that there are not only brand substitutes such as Motorola and Sony Ericsson, but

also product substitutes such as the 3Gs from Apple and O2; product class substitutes such as

Television set and DVD player and finally want substitutes such as Holiday package and Spa

resort etc.

iv/ Bargaining power of suppliers

Similarly to that of customers, the bargaining power of suppliers are likely to increase

with the number of firms operating in the area, in this particular case, the mobile device

market in which Nokia is operating in. Suppliers tend to be more strict on trade credit issue,

delivery terms and so on as there are plenty of customers to chose on their side.

v/ Rivalry amongst current competitors

Nokia’s competitors are highly concentrated in Vietnam with all possible brand name

from Elitek (China) to O2 (UK) in every city of the country. The crowded density makes the

competition to become increasingly hard each day, each of them try to offer as quick as

possible new models to win customers’ awareness and market share.

Huu Chien Nguyen – Class: IBD-2G – Student Nr.: 101.310.2146 18/20

Page 19: 7.1.1. BS 1

Edexcel BTEC Higher National Diploma at NEU – Business Strategy – Individual Assignment 1

5. The strategic plan for Nokia

Nokia has started to operate in Vietnam since almost a decade so that the market is

nowadays not a new one for the organisation so that there are two strategic options left for it

to chose on.

Both of these remaining options should be use by Nokia in the relevant context as

explained as follow.

5.1 Market penetration (growth) / Consolidation (maintain)

Market penetration means to slowly gain market share through widely vertical

investments (in distribution channel and show rooms and so on) and through offer products

with low profit margin. This should be the most preferred strategy by Nokia at establishing in

Vietnam.

However, after a decade of using market penetration as the main business strategy, Nokia

has reached the Vietnamese mobile device market share of 71% at the end of 2007 from that

50% of 2006 (Technology News, 2008). The 70%, based on various study and research of

economists, is said to be the ideal market share for an organisation. Trying to get more out of

the market would cost the organisation much by using aggressive marketing strategy and

might not be worthwhile even since there are always a certain proportion of the population

who do not want to use brand names which has become too popular.

That means that the market penetration strategy has now finished is mission and the main

task for Nokia now is how to maintain its current market share in the Vietnamese mobile

device market. The task of maintaining market share is called as the consolidation strategy by

economists.

Consolidation means to mostly stop further investments for growth and to stay relatively

competitive in price to competitors so as to maintain market share. That would be the most

appropriate strategy for Nokia in its current situation in the Vietnamese mobile device

market.

Go along side with these price and investment strategy components, an appropriate

marketing strategy should also be use that do not unnecessarily spend budget on advertising

Huu Chien Nguyen – Class: IBD-2G – Student Nr.: 101.310.2146 19/20

Page 20: 7.1.1. BS 1

Edexcel BTEC Higher National Diploma at NEU – Business Strategy – Individual Assignment 1

as an attempt to gain more market share but to relatively maintain current position to

competitors.

5.2 Product development

New products should perhaps be developed as a vital factor for the success of the

company. New products such as the 3G phone Nokia 6650, the first build-in camera Nokia

7650 and the first video capture phone Nokia 3650 has brought significant success to the

company in the past and such new products should be continually developed to contribute to

the success of the company likewise in the future.

Apart from the overall penetration strategy using competitive prices to slowly but

enduring gain market share, new products individually could be sell in their introductory

phase using skimming strategy (high price and profit margin) to quickly cover the related

R&D costs. Skimming strategy naturally goes along with aggressive marketing activities to

support sales of the particular new products individually.

R&D must be adequately invested in by Nokia as it is like by any of its competitors to

stay by step with the ever quicken development of technology today. More over that, Nokia’s

R&D has its additional task as of to maintain the pioneer position of the company by making

new deals for life with the company’s products.

Sincerely yours,

Huu Chien Nguyen

. Consultant Officer .

- Hanoian Business Consultant Ltd -

Huu Chien Nguyen – Class: IBD-2G – Student Nr.: 101.310.2146 20/20

Page 21: 7.1.1. BS 1

Edexcel BTEC Higher National Diploma at NEU – Business Strategy – Individual Assignment 1

Conclusion

The report, created from Huu Chien Nguyen, a Consultant Officer of Hanoian Business

Consultant Ltd, has analysed the context of Nokia’s strategy and its stakeholders analysis in

the first part.

The second part followed with Finland’s external environment audits based on PESTEL

and Porter’s five forces models and a Nokia’s organisational audit that has discussed on

various factors such as position audit, resources, limiting factors, competences, critical

success factors, value chain, product portfolio, organisational structure, marketing audit and

the customer base.

Nokia’s SWOT analysis and strategic positioning techniques are then discussed in the

third part of the report. The fourth part was analysis on the current external environment in

Vietnam based on PESTEL and Porter’s five forces models.

The last part has then considered on possible strategic plan for Nokia in the current

Vietnamese mobile device market, which has finally considered the overall strategy of

consolidation and product development strategy for individual new products as appropriate.

Related documents and sources of information referred to in the report are to be found in

the References.

Huu Chien Nguyen – Class: IBD-2G – Student Nr.: 101.310.2146 21/20

Page 22: 7.1.1. BS 1

Edexcel BTEC Higher National Diploma at NEU – Business Strategy – Individual Assignment 1

References

Books

. Edexcel HNC & HND (2004), Business Strategy, Aldine House, London.

. Cao L. (2007), Histories of 200 countries and territories in the world, Labour Publisher,

Hanoi.

. Nguyen T. T. M., (2007), Consumer values and behaviours in Vietnam, a transitional

economy, Publishing Industry National Economics University, Hanoi.

. Nguyen V. T. & Nguyen K. T. (2008), Vietnam Economy 2007 – The first year of joining

WTO, Publishing Industry National Economics University, Hanoi.

Newspaper

. Nguyen L. (2007), Building road infrastructure in 2 metropolises, Vietnam Economic

Times, Nr 291 (2287), Wednesday 05th December 2007.

Internet

. International Monetary Fund (October, 2008), World Economic Outlook Database [online].

Retrieved: October 19th 2008, from:

http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2008/02/weodata/index.aspx

. Nokia, (August 2008), Vision and strategy [online]. Retrieved: November 10th 2008, from:

http://www.nokia.com/A4126317

. Technology News, (06 March 2008), The bustling mobile device market at the New Year

[online]. Retrieved: 22nd December 2008, from:

http://www.thongtincongnghe.com/article/4115

Other

. NEU-Tyndale (2008), Nokia – Building a powerful technology brand, Assignment Topic,

National Economics University, Hanoi.

Huu Chien Nguyen – Class: IBD-2G – Student Nr.: 101.310.2146

Page 23: 7.1.1. BS 1

Edexcel BTEC Higher National Diploma at NEU – Business Strategy – Individual Assignment 1

TABLE OF CONTENT

(Word count 4,918)

Introduction............................................................................................................................1

1. Nokia’s business strategy and stakeholder analysis......................................................2

1.1 The context of Nokia’s business strategy.....................................................................2

1.2 The stakeholder analysis of Nokia...............................................................................3

2. Nokia’s external environment and organisational audit..............................................6

2.1 The external environment audit....................................................................................6

2.2 The organisational audit.............................................................................................10

3. Nokia’s SWOT analysis and strategic positioning techniques...................................13

3.1 The SWOT analysis...................................................................................................13

3.2 The strategic positioning techniques..........................................................................14

4. The current external environment in Vietnam ..........................................................15

4.1 Vietnam’s external environment audit with PESTEL model.....................................15

4.2 Vietnam’s external environment audit with Porter’s five forces model....................18

5. The strategic plan for Nokia..........................................................................................18

Conclusion

References

Huu Chien Nguyen – Class: IBD-2G – Student Nr.: 101.310.2146