Porter's Five Forces

Porter's five forces was developed in 1979 by the Harvard professor Michael E. Porter, and is a valuable tool for understanding the competitive structure of a given industry. It is based on the observation that, given that all companies evolve in a competitive environment, differentiation is essential if businesses want to attract and retain customers and avoid losing market share.

In this book, you will discover how Porter's five forces can help your business, identify the variables affecting your industry, and use your findings to develop and preserve your competitive advantage. A clear explanation of the benefits and potential drawbacks of the method, a discussion of a practical case study, and an introduction to related models will give you the tools you need to tailor your approach to your situation.

• Porter's Five Forces
• Theory — The Concept
• Bargaining Power of Customers
• Bargaining Power of Suppliers
• Threat of Substitute Products
• Threat of New Entrants
• Intra-Industry Rivalry
• Limits and Extensions of the Model
  • Limits and Criticism of the model
  • Extensions and Related Models
  Application of the Concept
• Advice and Best Practice
• Case Study — E-Reader Industry
• Summary

A decent guide to the Five Forces concept. It also addresses some of the criticism it has got over the years.

Misses some opinions to make a Good book…