Consider the attached Case Study \u2013 entitled \u201cThe Evolution of the Small Package Express Delivery Industry, 1973-2010\u201d<\/p>\n
Assignment Task<\/p>\n
1. Identify and explain the initial business level strategy of Federal Express, at the time it
\nsought to commence operations in 1973.
\n? Your answer should include identification of the competitive advantage sought
\nby Federal Express and how it intended to realise this competitive advantage.
\n2. Identify and explain the various strategies (or strategic responses) adopted by Federal
\nExpress as it responded to the challenges and opportunities that arose in the Small
\nPackage Express Delivery industry in the period 1973 to 2010. Furthermore, as part
\nof your answer you must explain why the strategic response in each case was an
\nappropriate response.
\nIn summary format, the major challenges and opportunities you need to consider are:
\n? deregulation of the US air cargo industry in 1977
\n? the entry of major new competitors in the period 1979 to 1982, including
\nEmery Worldwide, Airborne Express and UPS
\n? the slowing in the growth of demand for air express delivery services in the
\nlate 1980s
\n(Note: As part of your answer you need to identify why there was a slowing in
\nthe growth of demand for these services in the US through this period)
\n? the 1990-91 recession
\n? innovation in product offering by both major competitors and by Federal
\nExpress itself, particularly through the late 1980s, including:
\n* second day delivery
\n* premium services
\n* logistics services
\n* information systems
\n* bundling
\n? the growth of a global market for the express delivery of small packages
\nthrough the second half of the 1980s and into the 1990s
\n? the 2001 recession and the Global Financial Crisis (which began in 2008\/09
\nonwards)
\nBUSN3055, BUSN9032 Assignment Page 2
\n(Note: As part of your answer you need to recognize that the strategic
\nresponse of Federal Express was different on these occasions than it had been
\nto the 1990-91 recession. You need to identify and explain why it was
\ndifferent.)
\n? the significant expansion of ground networks by all the major carriers in the
\nlate 1990s and early 2000s
\n(Why did this occur? That is, what was the strategic reason for the expansion
\nof ground services?)
\n? the entry of DHL into the US market
\n? the various shifts in demand patterns throughout the 1990s and the 2000s due
\nto changes in technology and management practices
\n3. Explain why the longer term outlook for profitability for Federal Express (now called
\nFedEx) and the other major firms in the US Small Parcel Express Delivery industry
\nwas better at the end of 2010 than it had been through much of the 1980s and 1990s.
\nYou should apply Porter\u2019s Five Forces model in attempting to answer this question.
\nMore on the Assignment Task
\nThere are a number of things to note about undertaking this assignment task:
\ni. While the case study considers the evolution of the overall small package express
\ndelivery industry the assignment questions are focused on identifying and
\nunderstanding the strategies of one particular firm in the industry, namely Federal
\nExpress (now known as FedEx).
\nii. The assignment questions are also focused primarily on the U.S.A. small package
\nexpress delivery service industry, rather than the global industry. (Although, this is
\nnot to say that one doesn\u2019t affect the other.)
\niii. The assignment is an exercise in analysis and in applying the concepts studied in this
\ntopic. Particularly relevant in properly analyzing the case study and in correctly
\nanswering the assignment questions are an appreciation of the dynamic nature of
\nindustry competition and a good understanding of Porter\u2019s Five Forces Model.
\nComment \u2013 A Challenging Assignment!
\nThis is a challenging assignment. Do not leave it until the last minute to attempt it. All of the
\nconcepts and principles that you will need to have an understanding of to be able to properly
\nattempt this assignment will have been discussed in lectures prior to the mid-semester break.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Consider the attached Case Study \u2013 entitled \u201cThe Evolution of the Small Package Express Delivery Industry, 1973-2010\u201d Assignment Task 1. Identify and explain the initial business level strategy of Federal Express, at the time it sought to commence operations in Read More …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-238098","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.benedictsol.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238098","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.benedictsol.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.benedictsol.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.benedictsol.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.benedictsol.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=238098"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.benedictsol.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238098\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.benedictsol.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=238098"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.benedictsol.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=238098"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.benedictsol.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=238098"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}