他的所有理论都建立在全面细致的科学调研的基础之上，极富操作性。从1985年开始出版，《竞争优势》已重刊35次。此外，竞争优势的定义是一个企业或国家在某些方面比其他的企业或国家更能带来利润或效益的优势。

所谓的竞争优势无非是利用多种多样的IS以及其他的Business 工具去获得更低的成本，更高的利润。当然这是costly的，也就是说不是大公司很难建立起完善的competitive advantage，所以对于大公司来说，保持CA是一个非常重要的business goals；对于其它竞争者，努力获取CA是一个目标。

——来自香港科技大学商学院

相较于竞争对手拥有的可持续性优势：优势资源、先进的运作模式、更适合市场需求的产品和服务。通过上述某个领域或者是多个领域相互作用形成优于对手的核心竞争力。

优势资源包括：社会资源、人力资源、自然资源、财力资源等，如石油、矿产。

运作模式包括：管理、商业模式、创新力等，如阿里巴巴开创性商业模式。

产品和服务包括：高价值、优势价格、独特性等，如茅台，麦肯锡咨询。

Competitive advantage is a position of a company in a competitive landscape that allows the company earning return on investments higher than the cost of investments. Competitive advantage should be relevant, unique, and sustainable.

A set of unique features of a company and its products that are perceived by the target market as significant and superior to the competition.

英文： competitive advantage

分类：1. cost competitive advantage

从下面几方面减少：Experience curves 经验曲线

Efficient labor 有效率的劳动者

No-frills goods and services 减少包装

Government subsidies **补助

Product design 产品设计

Reengineering 业务流程再设计

Production innovations 产品改良

New methods of service delivery 新的服务传送方式

2. product/ service differentiation competitive advantage

3. niche stragegies

Competitive advantage is a theory that seeks to address some of the criticisms of comparative advantage. Michael Porterproposed the theory in 1990. Competitive advantage theory suggests that states and businesses should pursue policies that create high-quality goods to sell at high prices in the market. Porter emphasizes productivity growth as the focus of national strategies. Competitive advantage rests on the notion that cheap labor is ubiquitous and natural resources are not necessary for a good economy. The other theory, comparative advantage can lead countries to specialize in exporting primary goods and raw materials that trap countries in low-wage economies due to terms of trade. Competitive advantage attempts to correct for this issue by stressing maximizing scale economies in goods and services that garner premium prices (Stutz and Warf 2009).

Competitive advantage occurs when an organization acquires or develops an attribute or combination of attributes that allows it to outperform its competitors. These attributes can include access to natural resources, such as high grade ores or inexpensive power, or access to highly trained and skilled personnel human resources. New technologies such as robotics and information technology either to be included as a part of the product, or to assist making it. The term competitive advantage is the ability gained through attributes and resources to perform at a higher level than others in the same industry or market (Christensen and Fahey 1984, Kay 1994, Porter 1980 cited by Chacarbaghi and Lynch 1999, p. 45). The study of such advantage has attracted profound research interest due to contemporary issues regarding superior performance levels of firms in the present competitive market conditions. “A firm is said to have a competitive advantage when it is implementing a value creating strategy not simultaneously being implemented by any current or potential player” (Barney 1991 cited by Clulow et al.2003, p. 221). Successfully implemented strategies will lift a firm to superior performance by facilitating the firm with competitive advantage to outperform current or potential players (Passemard and Calantone 2000, p. 18). To gain competitive advantage a business strategy of a firm manipulates the various resources over which it has direct control and these resources have the ability to generate competitive advantage (Reed and Fillippi 1990 cited by Rijamampianina 2003, p. 362). Superior performance outcomes and superiority in production resources reflects competitive advantage (Day and Wesley 1988 cited by Lau 2002, p. 125).

Above writings signify competitive advantage as the ability to stay ahead of present or potential competition, thus superior performance reached through competitive advantage will ensure market leadership. Also it provides the understanding that resources held by a firm and the business strategy will have a profound impact on generating competitive advantage. Powell (2001, p. 132) views business strategy as the tool that manipulates the resources and create competitive advantage, hence, viable business strategy may not be adequate unless it possess control over unique resources that has the ability to create such a unique advantage. Summarizing the view points, competitive advantage is a key determinant of superior performance and it will ensure survival and prominent placing in the market. Superior performance being the ultimate desired goal of a firm, competitive advantage becomes the foundation highlighting the significant importance to develop same.

(1)先前或已获得的资源。这里的资源，是独特的、竞争对手不具备的资源，并且竞争对手难以复制这种资源。

(2)革新能力。一些公司在革新方面比其他公司有更强的能力，这些公司理所当然具备竞争优势。革新能力是非常重要的，通过它常常能够找到获取竞争优势的真正突破点，而使竞争者在长期的竞争中处于不利地位。

(3)真正的竞争差距。实际上，任何资源相对于竞争者来说，都存在真正的优势。仅仅强调识别出存在真正强势的资源是不够的，还必须比对手的更具竞争力。比如，仅仅拥有“低成本，高质量”是不够的，还必须使成本比竞争者的更低，质量比竞争者的更高。

(4)替代能力。如果资源不能被替代，那么它通常就拥有更大的竞争力。有时独特的资源能够被全新发明的资源所代替，这种情形一旦出现，竞争优势就会消失。

(5)合适性。任何一种资源，都必须能够把它本身的优势传递给公司，而且尽量不能让竞争对手及他人获得。资源具备优势，并不意味着它的所有者将会获得这一优势，这就是合适性问题，拥有不是最重要的，最重要的是拥有而且合适。

(6)经久力。有用的资源以及其他竞争优势，必须能够持续一定的时期。不具备可持续性的资源是没有意义的。而且在未来时期内，具有竞争力的优势通常是不可再生的竞争优势，比如，柯达所拥有的商标优势就具有持久力，并且是不可再生的。

(7)模仿力。资源如果具备竞争优势，就不易被模仿。尽管许多资源最终都会被复制，但可以通过下述途径延迟被模仿的过程：

①有形的特色。一些特殊形式的差异，例如一种商标，或一个特殊的地理位置，或得到专利的保护，这都将延迟被模仿的过程。

②因果关系的模糊性。模糊性即不让竞争者了解是哪种资源创造了竞争力，它对于竞争对手来说是很难学到或者不易获得的。

③投资障碍。当市场很有限或增长前景不明朗时，如果公司实施的新战略进行了大规模投资，就能够很好的阻止竞争者进入该市场，尤其是当推出新产品和新服务需要大量资本或重大的营销活动时。

该工具主要应用于下列五种情形：

(1)培育竞争优势时。

(2)研究现有竞争态势时。

(3)研究竞争对手的优势时。

(4)制定进攻型战略时。

(5)制定防卫型战略时。

1、成本领先战略（Cost Leadership）

2、差异化战略（Differentiation）

3、通过扩大或收缩这两项战略，则形成第三个竞争优势战略 - 聚焦集中战略（Focus）

竞争优势第一战略： 成本领先（低成本优势）

* 实现成本领先，意味着企业成为行业内的低成本制造者。

* 尽管成本领袖依靠低成本实现竞争优势，但它在价格上也要达到平价水平，至少也应该结合使用差异化战略。

* 如果超过一个公司致力于成为行业内的成本领导者，那将是一场灾难。

* 价格领导优势往往通过经济规模来实现。

竞争优势第二战略： 差异化

* 实现差异化，意味着企业在行业内占据独一无二、无人取代的地位，并且广泛地被顾客接受和欣赏。

* 差异化企业也不能忽视其成本地位， 在不影响差异化战略的情况下， 企业应该尽可能降低成本； 在差异化领域，产品成本应该至少低于企业从买方手中收取的价格溢价。

* 可以实现差异化的领域有： 产品、渠道、销售、市场、服务、企业形象，等等。

竞争优势第三战略： 聚焦集中

* 实现聚焦集中，意味着企业成为某一细分市场或行业中的最佳企业。

* 两个变形： 集中成本和集中差异化。

* 力争中游

o 对于那些利润绩效低于行业平均水平的企业来说，这个方子是开给他们的。

o 只要行业整体水平表现不错，即便是中游企业的利润回报也是比较诱人的。

o 企业选择余地很小。

o 对那些运用聚焦战略的企业来说，最危险的事情莫过于成功之后开始忽视他们所聚焦的对象。 他们必须寻找新的聚焦对象， 而不是放任他们的聚焦战略效能减弱。