The learning project in this course is comprised of analytical reports on yahoo/ AOL lost of a competitive advantage (Learning Lost Competitive Advantage Report).

Requirements:

1. Select a different company that has lost its competitive advantage. This may be a firm that is still in operation (perhaps facing different degrees of current struggle) or it may be a firm from the past that is no longer in operation.

2. Prepare a 6-8 page APA format report on the following:

a. Introducing the selected company that has lost its competitive advantage. Describe your company (or the specific business unit/division of the company you are focusing on, if applicable).

Identify a particular point in time, and describe the firm's (now lost) competitive advantage at that time. What was the essence of the competitive advantage? Explain in detail why the capability you describe qualifies as (having been) a true competitive advantage (as opposed to just a strength, for example).

b. Providing an external analysis at the time of their competitive advantage loss. Your external analysis should examine patterns and trends in the segments of the general external environment that may be most relevant to the firm's loss of competitive advantage.

Your external analysis should also identify the industry, industry participants (major competitors, buyers, and/or suppliers), and should apply the Five Forces model to assess the underlying drivers of each competitive force to determine which forces were/are stronger/weaker and why.

c. Providing an internal analysis at the time of their competitive advantage loss. Identify firm tangible and intangible resources, capabilities, and core competencies.

Use the four factors of sustainable competitive advantage to prepare a detailed justification of firm core competencies and competitive advantage(s) as valuable, rare, inimitable, and nonsubstitutable.