industry analysis for the online footwear retail segment

industry analysis for the online footwear retail segment

MGMT490 Group Case 2 Write-up Questions and Scoring Guide (90 points)

Please register as a student and use the following link to access the cases (You should have obtained both cases already):

https://hbsp.harvard.edu/import/672653

Zappos.com 2009 (HBS case number: 9-610-015):

1. Total 10 points: In overviewing the online retail industry with footwear offerings before the early 2000s, please utilize the five-force model to conduct an industry analysis for the online footwear retail segment. Please clearly identify the suppliers, buyers, rivalry, and substitutes before you make evaluations and draw a conclusion.
2. Total 16 points: Overview of Zappos.com:

What kind of corporate level strategy that we have discussed in this course best describes the corporate level strategies of Zappos.com before and after 2006? (2 points) Any changes? (1 point)Why did Zappos make the change? (1 point)

What is the core competency of Zappos? Company culture? Customer service? Or both? (2 points) Use the VRIS framework to analyze whether the core competency of Zappos can help the firm obtain sustainable competitive advantage. (10 points)

3. Total 10 points: The organizational structure of Zappos before it was acquired by Amazon:

What kind of organization is Zappos? Mechanistic? Organic? (2 points)

What organizational structure does Zappos employ? Simple structure? Functional structure? Or M-form? (3 points)

What are the benefits that the organizational structure of Zappos can bring to help implement the company’s corporate and business level strategies? (3 points)

Do you see any potential drawbacks? (2 points)

4. Total 10 points: The impact of company culture:

How does Zappos ensure its company culture contribute to its competitive advantage? (5points) How does Zappos instill its company culture into its employees? (5 points)

5. Total 10 points: Contributions of operations to customer services:

What are the main differences between the Zappos call center and that of its competitors? (5 points)

How does the warehouse of Zappos contribute to its core competency? (5 points)

6. Total 10 points: How does Zappos use strategic control and reward systems to maintain its competitive advantage:

What is the main behavioral control mechanism (lever) that Zappos relies on? (2 points) Why? (2 points)

What are major criteria that Zappos uses to measure the performance of its employees?(3 points)

How does Zappos reward its employees? (3 points)

7. Total 10 points: SWOT analysis of Zappos?
8. Total 10 points: What are the benefits that Amazon and Zappos can potentially obtain after Amazon acquires Zappos and keeps Zappos as a strategic business unit? (6 points) What are the potential draw backs? (4 points)
9. Total 2 points : No grammatical mistakes/typos.
10. Total 2 points : Proper citations/references.

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