Life Cycle Approach to Competitive Advantage

Life Cycle Approach to Competitive Advantage

Rita Gunther McGrath and Ian C. MacMillan in MITSloan Management Review Vol 50 No 3 mention the term Transient Competitive Advantage. I looked up the term "transient" and it means "valid for a limited time". The authors do not see Competitive Advantage as an ON/OFF phenomenon (in which you either have a competitive advantage or you don't), but as a wave, following a kind of product life cycle, with following phases: Launch, Ramp up, Exploitation and Erosion.
During the wave your competitive advantage varies in strength: it is weak in the beginning (launch and ramp up) then strong (exploitation) and then declines again (erosion).

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		2 Juergen Peterke Management Consultant, Germany
	Transient Competitive Advantage I found these 4 phases mentioned by McGrath and MacMIllan as Transient Competitive Advantage very interesting. Thank you.

		3 Goodnews Cadogan, South Africa
	Life-cycle Approach to Competitive Advantage I support the transient approach to competitive ad...