Your task for your write-up is to do a resource analysis of Niantic Inc. (Links to an external site.) -AS INCLUDED IN THE CASE BELOW [i.e. no need to do research- and only to the time of the case]. To do that, you can follow the following steps.
- Reread your chapter on internal analysis and view the video linked below.
- List ALL the resources and capabilities of Niantic Inc. [The company AFTER it became independent from Google- and not before]. I have not counted them but there may be up to TWO DOZZENS. Think of which resources and capabilities the firm owns, and which is borrows/get right to use via its partnerships but that it does not own or cannot guarantee perpetual use or need to pay for. DO NOT LOOK ON THE WEB for information about the company. It will only confuse you as I base my grade on YOU FINDING THE Resources and Capabilities IN THE CASE.
- Then follow the guidelines in this
. which gives you guidance on how to use VRIN to value resources.
4.Read and identify each of dozzens of resources and capabilities identified.
- Make sure to do a VRIN analysis on EACH of the resource or capability identified. Your first step will be to explain WHY this resource or capability is valuable:
- Remember here that some may be very valuable and others less so.
- Pay attention to which resources are OWNED by the company and which are borrowed/rented.
- Make sure to pay attention to which will remain valuable in the future.
- Remember that the RIN part of the VRIN requires using a lots of personal judgment and an understanding of gaming. If you don’t play video games ask your friends who do what makes a video game company (A) and a video game (B) successful (i) and successful in the long run (ii). So that is 4 answers you are seeking Ai, Aii, Bi, Bii. You can also do research on this part in the press or analyst’s reports.
- Here is an example: For example, one of FIU’s College of Business is a high level of competence in international business (a capability). It is evident in the high level of research publications of faculty in top international business journals. It is also evident in the high level involvement of faculty in the profession (many are famous and do highly visible activities..). The school also offers lots of courses with international and global content. All this culminates in a high ranking of the college in international business. This is valuable because it increases the knowledge of students in ib and also the value of their degree in the marketplace… It is rare and hard to imitate because not many schools have been able to achieve a top 5/10 ranking or stay there but it could be substituted with other schools attracting students and employers by being the best in other fields such as entrepreneurship. For example Babson specializes in being one of the best in entrepreneurship. Columbia one of the best in finance..Note that in the RIN part you are benchmarking to competitors. Another resources is its global reputation in IB. While the reputation is valuable, the problem is that not everyone, even in Miami, knows how amazing and highly ranked the school in. So the value of the reputation is not as high as it could be.
- Based on the above, identify THREE possible strategies that the firm could be used to create, maintain or sustain competitive advantage. Make sure to tie these strategies to the resources and capabilities analysis you just did. Talk about the PROS and CONS of each of these strategies. For example, FIU can remain focused on IB but advertise to increase the general and global population’s interest in IB and make sure it’s reputation for excellence in IB is well know locally and globally. This would capitalize on its excellence in IB (a capability) and improve one of its weaker resources: its global reputation in IB. The pros could be an increase in its reputational capital that would attract more resources and students to the school and increase even more the value of their degree. The con would be the cost of marketing and global marketing that is in an era where budgets are cut and many universities are cutting out faculty and staff to survive… ANOTHER OPTIOn would be to develop a new expertise in entrepreneurship. The pros would be to build an important skill local entrepreneurs could benefit from…. the cons would be that it diverts the limited college resources away from its current core competency which is IB…
- CHOOSE one of your three strategic options you identified to recommend to the CEO. SAY WHY this is better than the other two you proposed. Tell the CEO about the risk associated with the strategy and how they could be dealt with if they arise..
- You can submit up to 4 pages with as many attachments/graphs/figures as you want. You can use bullet points for your arguments and tables for oyur VRIN analysis.
Best.
