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Kohls VRIO / VRIN Analysis | Assignment Help
What is VRIO / VRIN Analysis ?
VRIO stands for – Value of the resource, Rareness of the resource, Imitation Risk, and Organizational Competence.
VRIO is a resource focused strategic analysis tool.
To build a sustainable competitive advantage the resources that –casename— needs to be valuable, rare, and difficult to imitate. Secondly the –casename— needs to possess capabilities, organizational structure, and culture to optimize the available resources usage. VRIO analysis can help organizations such as Kohls to do better resource allocation and build a defensible value and supply chain.
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What is a Valuable Resource for Kohls? Defining Valuable in VRIO
A resource or capability is considered valuable for Kohls , if it allows the
Kohls to exploit opportunities or negate threats
emerging out of both the micro business environment and the macro environment. If a resource does not allow Kohls to minimize threats or exploit opportunities, than it doesn't contribute signficantly to building a sustainable competitive advantage for Kohls.
What are Rare Resources for Kohls? Defining Rare in VRIO
In an industry that Kohls operates in, valuable resources are held by number of competitors. So valuable resources themselves don’t provide a sustainable competitive advantage. Kohls require rare resources to compete in the industry. If Kohls don’t have rare resources that are required to succeed in the industry then Kohls won’t be able to compete successfully in the marketplace. Secondly holding rare resources can provide Kohls competitive advantage against players that don’t have those rare resources. HBR Case Study Solution
What is a Inimitable (Difficult to Immitate) Resource for Kohls? Defining Inimitable in VRIO
A valuable and rare resource can provide a competitive advantage to Kohls for certain period of time as all the competitors are going to try to imitate or replicate that resource. A sustained competitive advantage emerges, if the resource is difficult to imitate by the competitors. Kohls can create inmitability by innovating on the product side, reducing pain points on service delivery, and having an effective post sales servicing strategy.
Check out the SWOT analysis of Kohls
What is a Organization for Kohls? Defining Organization in VRIO
Even if the Kohls has all the valuable resources that are both rare and difficult to imitate, it won’t automatically result into a sustainable competitive advantage. The key to build the sustainable competitive advantage is to have organizational capabilities, expertise, and structure to exploit the resources. If Kohls is not organized based on its strengths then it won’t able to exploit all the resources that it possesses.
Resources | Value | Rare | Imitation | Organization | Competitive Advantage |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vision of the Leadership for Next Set of Challenges | Yes | No | Can't be imitated by competitors of Kohls | Not based on information provided in the case | Can Lead to Strong Competitive Advantage |
Supply Chain Network Flexibility of Kohls | Yes | Yes | Near competitors also have flexible supply chain and share some of the suppliers | Fully utilized by Kohls organizational structure and capabilities | Keeps the business running |
Intellectual Property Rights, Copyrights, and Trademarks | Yes, they are extremely valuable for Kohls to thwart competition | Yes, IPR and other rights are rare and competition of Kohls will find it extremely difficult to copy | Risk of imitation is low but given the margins in the industry disruption chances are high | So far the firm has not utilized the full extent of its IPR & other properties | Providing Strong Competitive Advantage |
Brand awareness of Kohls products and services | Yes, the brand awareness of Kohls products are high | Yes, Kohls has one of the leading brand in the industry | No | Kohls has utilized its leading brand position in various segments | Sustainable Competitive Advantage |
Access to Critical Raw Material for Successful Execution | Yes | Yes, as other competitors have to come to terms with Kohls dominant market position | Can be imitated by competitors | Yes | Providing Sustainable Competitive Advantage |
Access to Cheap Capital for Kohls | Yes, as a leading player in the industry and current macro economic conditions, Kohls has access to cheap capital | No | Can be imitated by the competitors of Kohls | Not been totally exploited | Not significant in creating competitive advantage |
Successful Implementation of Digital Strategy at Kohls | Yes, without a comprehensive digital strategy it is extremely difficult to compete | No, as most of the firms are investing into digitalizing operations | Can be imitated by competitors | One of the leading player in the industry | Digital strategy has become critical in the industry but it can't provide sustainable competitive advantage to |
Product Portfolio and Synergy among Various Product Lines of Kohls | Yes, it is valuable in the industry given the various segmentations & consumer preferences. | Most of the competitors are trying to enter the lucrative segments | Can be imitated by the competitors | The firm has used it to good effect, details can be found in case exhibit | Provide short term competitive advantage but requires constant innovation to sustain |
Global and Local Presence of Kohls | Yes, as it diversify the revenue streams and isolate company's balance sheet from economic cycles | Yes | Can be imitated by competitors of Kohls but at a relatively high cost | Yes, it is one of the most diversified companies in its industry | Providing Strong Competitive Advantage |
Track Record of Leadership Team at Kohls | Yes | Yes | Can't be imitated by competitors | Yes | Providing Strong Competitive Advantage |
Opportunities in the Adjacent Industries that Kohls can exploit & New Resources Required to Enter those Industries | Can be valuable as they will create new revenue streams | No | Can be imitated by competitors | All the capabilities of the organization are not fully utilized yet | Has potential |
Opportunities in the E-Commerce Space for Kohls - using Present IT Capabilities | Yes, the e-commerce space is rapidly growing and Kohls can exploit the emerging opportunities | No, most of the competitors are investing in IT to enter the space | The AI and inhouse analytics can be difficult to imitate | It is just the start for the organization | In the long run it can provide sustainable competitive advantage |
Kohls Customer Network and Loyalty | Yes, 23% of the customers contribute to more than 84% of the sales revenue | Yes, firm has invested to build a strong customer loyalty | Has been tried by competitors but none of them are as successful as Kohls | Kohls is leveraging the customer loyalty to good effect | Provide Kohls medium term competitive advantage |
Customer Community of Kohls | Yes, as customers are co-creating products | Yes, the Kohls has able to build a special relationship with its customers | It is very difficult for Kohls competitors to imitate the culture and community dedication | Going by the data, there is still a lot of upside in building on Kohls customers community ecosystem | Providing Strong Competitive Advantage |
Kohls SWOT Analysis, SWOT Matrix, Weighted SWOT Case Study Solution & Analysis
Books and References
Ahir Gopaldas and Anton Siebert (2022 July August) "What You’re Getting Wrong About Customer Journeys",
Harvard Business Review , 92
Linda A. Hill, Emily Tedards, and Taran Swan (2021) "Drive Innovation with Better Decision-Making", Harvard Business Review 86
Dyer, J. H., & Hatch, N. (2004). Using Supplier Networks to Learn Faster. Sloan Management Review, 45(3), 57–63
Barney, J. B. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17, 99–120
Dyer, J. H., Kale, P., & Singh, H. (2004, July–August). When to ally and when to acquire. Harvard Business Review, 109–115
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