KapStone Paper & Packaging 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 KapStone Paper & Packaging to do better resource allocation and build a defensible value and supply chain.

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VRIO / VRIN Analysis

What is a Valuable Resource for KapStone Paper & Packaging? Defining Valuable in VRIO


A resource or capability is considered valuable for KapStone Paper & Packaging , if it allows the KapStone Paper & Packaging to exploit opportunities or negate threats emerging out of both the micro business environment and the macro environment. If a resource does not allow KapStone Paper & Packaging to minimize threats or exploit opportunities, than it doesn't contribute signficantly to building a sustainable competitive advantage for KapStone Paper & Packaging.

What are Rare Resources for KapStone Paper & Packaging? Defining Rare in VRIO


In an industry that KapStone Paper & Packaging operates in, valuable resources are held by number of competitors. So valuable resources themselves don’t provide a sustainable competitive advantage. KapStone Paper & Packaging require rare resources to compete in the industry. If KapStone Paper & Packaging don’t have rare resources that are required to succeed in the industry then KapStone Paper & Packaging won’t be able to compete successfully in the marketplace. Secondly holding rare resources can provide KapStone Paper & Packaging competitive advantage against players that don’t have those rare resources. HBR Case Study Solution

What is a Inimitable (Difficult to Immitate) Resource for KapStone Paper & Packaging? Defining Inimitable in VRIO


A valuable and rare resource can provide a competitive advantage to KapStone Paper & Packaging 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. KapStone Paper & Packaging 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 KapStone Paper & Packaging

What is a Organization for KapStone Paper & Packaging? Defining Organization in VRIO


Even if the KapStone Paper & Packaging 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 KapStone Paper & Packaging 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
Opportunities in the Adjacent Industries that KapStone Paper & Packaging 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
Financial Resources of KapStone Paper & Packaging Yes No Financial instruments and market liquidity are available to all the nearest competitors KapStone Paper & Packaging has reasonably sound financial position KapStone Paper & Packaging has relatively sustainable Competitive Advantage
Brand Positioning of KapStone Paper & Packaging in Comparison to the Competitors Yes No Can be imitated by competitors but it will require big marketing budget Yes, the firm has positioned its brands based on consumer behavior Temporary Competitive Advantage
Talent to Manage Regulatory and Legal Obligations Yes No Can be imitated by competitors Yes Not critical factor
Vision of the Leadership for Next Set of Challenges Yes No Can't be imitated by competitors of KapStone Paper & Packaging Not based on information provided in the case Can Lead to Strong Competitive Advantage
Distribution and Logistics Costs Competitiveness Yes, as it helps KapStone Paper & Packaging in delivering lower costs No Can be imitated by competitors of KapStone Paper & Packaging but it is difficult Yes Medium to Long Term Competitive Advantage
Opportunities in the E-Commerce Space for KapStone Paper & Packaging - using Present IT Capabilities Yes, the e-commerce space is rapidly growing and KapStone Paper & Packaging 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
Pricing Strategies of KapStone Paper & Packaging Yes, KapStone Paper & Packaging has sound pricing strategies No Pricing strategies are regularly imitated in the industry Yes, firm has a pricing analytics engine It can only provide KapStone Paper & Packaging with a Temporary Competitive Advantage
Global and Local Presence of KapStone Paper & Packaging Yes, as it diversify the revenue streams and isolate company's balance sheet from economic cycles Yes Can be imitated by competitors of KapStone Paper & Packaging 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 KapStone Paper & Packaging Yes Yes Can't be imitated by competitors Yes Providing Strong Competitive Advantage
Supply Chain Network Flexibility of KapStone Paper & Packaging Yes Yes Near competitors also have flexible supply chain and share some of the suppliers Fully utilized by KapStone Paper & Packaging organizational structure and capabilities Keeps the business running
Product Portfolio and Synergy among Various Product Lines of KapStone Paper & Packaging 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
Position among Retailers and Wholesalers – KapStone Paper & Packaging retail strategy Yes, KapStone Paper & Packaging has strong relationship with retailers and wholesalers Yes, KapStone Paper & Packaging has dedicated channel partners Difficult to imitate though not impossible Yes, over the years company has used it successfully Sustainable Competitive Advantage
Customer Community of KapStone Paper & Packaging Yes, as customers are co-creating products Yes, the KapStone Paper & Packaging has able to build a special relationship with its customers It is very difficult for KapStone Paper & Packaging competitors to imitate the culture and community dedication Going by the data, there is still a lot of upside in building on KapStone Paper & Packaging customers community ecosystem Providing Strong Competitive Advantage


KapStone Paper & Packaging 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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