Categories: Strategy

Strategic Position and Action Evaluation (SPACE) Matrix

&NewLine;<&excl;-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v&period; 2&period;0&period;95 -->&NewLine;<div class&equals;"quads-location quads-ad1" id&equals;"quads-ad1" style&equals;"float&colon;left&semi;margin&colon;0px 0px 0px 0&semi;">&NewLine;&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<blockquote>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify"><strong>Internal Dimensions<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify"><strong>Financial Strength<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify">•    Return of investment<br &sol;>&NewLine;•    Financial and operating leverage<br &sol;>&NewLine;•    Liquidity<br &sol;>&NewLine;•    Working capital<br &sol;>&NewLine;•    Cash flows<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify"><strong>Competitive Advantage<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify">•    Market share<br &sol;>&NewLine;•    Quality<br &sol;>&NewLine;•    Product life cycle<br &sol;>&NewLine;•    Customer preference<br &sol;>&NewLine;•    Technological innovation<br &sol;>&NewLine;•    Sound supply chain<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify"><strong>External Dimensions<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify"><strong>Environmental Stability<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify">•    Technological changes<br &sol;>&NewLine;•    Inflation<br &sol;>&NewLine;•    Demand elasticity<br &sol;>&NewLine;•    Competitor’s price ranges<br &sol;>&NewLine;•    Barriers to entry<br &sol;>&NewLine;•    Competitive pressure<br &sol;>&NewLine;•    Ease of exit<br &sol;>&NewLine;•    Price elasticity of demand<br &sol;>&NewLine;•    Risk exposure<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify"><strong>Industry Strength<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify">•    Growth potential<br &sol;>&NewLine;•    Profit potential<br &sol;>&NewLine;•    Financial stability<br &sol;>&NewLine;•    Resource availability<br &sol;>&NewLine;•    Ease of entry<br &sol;>&NewLine;•    Capacity utilization<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;blockquote>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify">2&period;Assign a numerical value ranging from &plus;1 &lpar;worst&rpar; to &plus;6&lpar;best&rpar; to each of the variable that comprise the financial stability and industry strength dimensions&period; On the other hand assign a numerical value ranging from -1 &lpar;best&rpar; to -6&lpar;worst&rpar; to each of the variables that consist of environmental stability and competitive advantage dimensions&period; It is to note that on the financial stability and competitive advantage side comparison is made to competitors whereas on the environmental stability and industry strength side comparison is made to other industries&period;&lbrack;large&rsqb;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify">3&period; In the third step the average of the values assigned to each variable above is computed by adding the values and dividing by the number of variables included in the analysis&period; This average is calculated for each dimension&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify">4&period;Now the average values calculated in the step 3 are plotted on the appropriate axis in the SPACE Matrix&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify">5&period;Add the two values on x-axis &lpar;competitive advantage and industry strength&rpar; and plot the resultant value on x-axis&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify">6&period; Add the two values on y-axis &lpar;financial strength and environmental stability&rpar; and plot the resultant value on y-axis&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify">7&period; An intersection of the new xy points is to be drawn in the next step&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&excl;-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v&period; 2&period;0&period;95 -->&NewLine;<div class&equals;"quads-location quads-ad2" id&equals;"quads-ad2" style&equals;"float&colon;none&semi;margin&colon;0px 0 0px 0&semi;text-align&colon;center&semi;">&NewLine;&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify">8&period; In the last step a directional vector should be drawn from the origin of the SPACE Matrix&period; This directional vector represents the strategies to be pursued i&period;e&period; aggressive&comma; conservative&comma; defensive&comma; or competitive&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h3>Practical example of SPACE Matrix<&sol;h3>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify">Following example for SPACE Matrix is presented&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify">1&period; In the first step we need to establish variables for each dimension of SPACE Matrix&period; We assume the above enlisted variables as similar for each dimension for ABC also&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify">2&period; In the 2nd step we assign them values according to their importance as worst and best as briefed above&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify">&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify"><a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;mba-tutorials&period;com&sol;&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2010&sol;12&sol;spacematrix&period;jpg"><img style&equals;"display&colon; inline&semi; border&colon; 0px&semi;" title&equals;"space matrix" src&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;mba-tutorials&period;com&sol;&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2010&sol;12&sol;spacematrix&lowbar;thumb&period;jpg" alt&equals;"space matrix" width&equals;"500" height&equals;"755" border&equals;"0" &sol;><&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify">3&period;    The average values of each dimension are calculated which are&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify"><a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;mba-tutorials&period;com&sol;&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2010&sol;12&sol;image2&period;png"><img style&equals;"display&colon; inline&semi; border&colon; 0px&semi;" title&equals;"image" src&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;mba-tutorials&period;com&sol;&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2010&sol;12&sol;image&lowbar;thumb2&period;png" alt&equals;"image" width&equals;"504" height&equals;"112" border&equals;"0" &sol;><&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify">4&period;In the next subject we will plot the average values on the appropriate axis in the shape&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify">5&period;Now the x-axis values &lpar;competitive advantage and industry strength&rpar; are added which comes to &lpar;-3&period;3&plus;2&period;8&rpar; &equals; -0&period;5 and y-axis values &lpar;financial strength and environmental stability&rpar; are added which comes to &lpar;2&period;6&plus;&lpar;-3&period;9&rpar;&rpar;&equals; -1&period;3<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify">6&period;In the final step -0&period;5 is to be plotted on x-axis and -1&period;3 on y-axis&period; The directional vector from the origin of SPACE Matrix is drawn&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify">7&period; The directional vector reveals that the firm should adopt defensive strategies as it is suffering from weak competitive position&comma; negative growth&comma; and financial distress&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify">&lbrack;linkunit&rsqb;Above analysis clearly suggests that directional vector of the SPACE Matrix is the basis of strategy selection&period; This vector is based on the average values of each dimension&period; The average values are computed from individual values assigned to each variable in the dimensions&period; Apparently the Matrix depends on the phenomena that how much these values are near to the reality and represent the quantification of the factors appropriately&period; It is required that values should be assigned after careful thought process by the individuals closely in touch with the organization’s key fundamentals&period; A well organized process of discussion and debates before working on the SPACE Matrix is also indispensable&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p align&equals;"justify">If organized professionally the SPACE Matrix can provide an opportunity for a deeper insight into the organizations key strengths and weaknesses&period; The strengths can accordingly be exploited to reap the fruits from further opportunities and appropriate measure can be taken to improve the deficiencies&period;&NewLine;<&excl;-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v&period; 2&period;0&period;95 -->&NewLine;<div class&equals;"quads-location quads-ad3" id&equals;"quads-ad3" style&equals;"float&colon;none&semi;margin&colon;0px&semi;">&NewLine;&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;&NewLine;

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kasi

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  • In step 2 of your practical example, you state to assign a value based on the "importance" of the factor. Should they not be ranked by how well the organization is performing in each factor??

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