Competition in the Precast Concrete Industry in Western Europe: The Case of a Finnish Multinational Company

摘要

The study examines how to establish a significant competitive position in the Western European precast concrete market. The objective of the study is to construct and to test a model for the development of alternative strategies valid in the Western European precast concrete market and for the choice among these alternative strategies. Topics in the study include growth and internationalization; competitiveness, competitive advantage and competition; and choice of competitive strategy. Empirically, the study is an explanatory case study. The unit of analysis is a Finnish company in the precast concrete industry which has grown from a domestic company into one of the multinational leaders in its industry. The suggested model was tested in the environment of the German precast concrete market. Evaluation between five alternative strategies was made by using the suggested choice model and a practical recommendation for action was given. A conclusion is made that the constructed model is valid for the development and choice of strategies for a company in the international precast concrete business.