Distinctive competence is one of the key drivers of powerful business decisions that could contribute to the development of a well-defined strategy and in-depth market research. Hence, it can be safe to say that competitors play an important role in the development of any organization because they provide the much-needed balance and mediate offers made by the management (Palacios-Marqués et al., 2019). If one chooses to ignore the competition while trying to develop a distinctive competence, they are going to fail time after time due to not recognizing their own inherent strengths and weaknesses. Sun Tzu’s quote represents an almost textbook reflection of the problem of outrunning the competition by learning from it and applying that experience to real-life scenarios. Accordingly, an organization that studies the competition and knows its ways of managing rivalry might become an exceptional leader in the industry owing to its ability to take inspiration from solid competitors instead of replicating every idea.
Thus, one of the primary reasons to study competition in an attempt to gain a distinctive competence is to log all the successes and failures of the closest rivals. When there is an organization that offers immaculate customer service, it will make sense for the team to excel without copying the competition. Business leaders should recognize the implications of not being able to escape similarities while trying to improve the state of affairs by replicating others (Fernandez et al., 2018). This is also a hint at the fact that the organization could become more successful if the administration chose to follow the latest industry trends. Any of the previous failures experienced by the competition should be reviewed rigorously in order to help the organization avoid crucial mistakes (Ahmad & Ramadan, 2018). Sun Tzu’s quote also hints at how one should learn about their own flaws in order to capitalize on them instead of ignoring the inevitable.
Speaking of organizational defects, the discussion could be extended even further, proving that distinctive competences cannot be achieved without strong competitor research. The greatest advantage one may have is to be able to recognize how their flaws could affect the outcomes of competing against stronger, innovation-driven rivals (Ocasio & Joseph, 2018). Sun Tzu’s quote provides the necessary insight into this issue by showing that no steps forward can be made if one does not recognize their strong and weak suits. From manufacturing to consumer relationships, everything should be nearly perfect in order for the organization to benefit from the competition and create a thorough image. Consistent with Palacios-Marqués et al. (2019), distinctive competences could be harder to acquire with an organization where loopholes are ignored for the sake of maximized profit. This is why many brands fail to keep up when merely focusing on their own product mix and marketing strategy.
Eventually, it should be concluded that Sun Tzu’s quote is closely linked to the issue of developing a distinctive competence due to the growing pressure generated by the competition in the market. Without knowing the rivals and their approaches, the organization could experience issues connected to the lack of room for improvement. At the same time, the organization that does not perform internal research cannot be considered consistent and worth attaining a distinctive competence either. No unique selling points are going to appear unless the management takes the time to study the competition while paying attention to the organization’s very own flaws and past experiences.
References
Ahmad, S. B., & Ramadan, H. I. (2018). The relationship among distinctive capabilities, business strategy, environment, and performance: A proposed model of manufacturing SMEs in Palestine.Journal for Global Business Advancement, 11(5), 610-629. Web.
Fernandez, A. I., Lara, P. R., Ugalde, M. C., & Sisodia, G. S. (2018). Distinctive competencies and competency-based management in regulated sectors: A methodological proposal applied to the pharmaceutical retail sector in Spain. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 42, 29-36. Web.
Ocasio, W., & Joseph, J. (2018). The attention-based view of great strategies. Strategy Science, 3(1), 289-294. Web.
Palacios-MarquĂ©s, D., GarcĂa, M. G., Sánchez, M. M., & Mari, M. P. A. (2019). Social entrepreneurship and organizational performance: A study of the mediating role of distinctive competencies in marketing.Journal of Business Research, 101, 426-432. Web.