The Airbnb case struck me as fascinating for several reasons. They are relatively new to the ‘hotel’ industry; they started meagerly; they’ve grown exponentially; and they have issues others in the ‘hotel’ industry do not.
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The case: Airbnb: Disrupting the Hotel Industry
Beginning on page 73 of the text and continuing to page 109 of the text, this case discusses the growth of Airbnb from its founding in 2008 to having over 7 million listings in 220+ countries and regions.
The founders originally started with providing places to sleep during big major events (SXSW and the 2008 Democratic National Convention). However, the company did not have a sustainable business model until it obtained help through a Silicon Valley incubator. That experience prepared Airbnb to successfully enter the global hotel industry with its disruptive business model. In 2019 Airbnb was valued at $31 billion dollars even though still a private firm.
For general information, this link will take you to the Airbnb home page. As you scroll through this page, note the founders, the fast facts, and their timeline.
As part of your discussion, think about a PESTAL model, Porter’s Five Forces Model, co-opetition, the VRIO Framework and other concepts presented in Chapters 3 and 4 of the text. As always, you do not need to address each of these concepts in your discussion. You cannot within your limited time frame. You should touch on how one major concept from these two chapters applies to Airbnb through external analysis and internal analysis.
You must follow all of the guidelines for discussion as described in the instructions link and in your syllabus to receive full credit.
The post should be a minimum of 500 words. The thoughts and opinions expressed in your thread must be substantiated by research and literature. A minimum of two, reputable, external sources are required in the post. All in text references should be in correct APA style format and the references should be in APA format at the bottom of your post.
All original threads should: 1. Bring clarity to the issues being discussed. 2. Raise new and novel (yet relevant) points. 3. Rationally defend your stated position.
Each initial post in the class should be considered a mini case analysis. Pages 460-465 of the text is a review of How to Conduct a Case Analysis. In your initial post and in your responses to your classmates, you should follow the steps of the strategic management process. You should include (1) analysis of the problem; (2) proposal of one or more alternate solutions; and (3) justification for which solution you believe is best and why.
