Samsung Group - South Korea

Samsung Group is a southern Korean international industry and it has grown tremendously since its inception in 1938 by Lee Byung-Chull who started a small family business. The company deals with electronics and varied other businesses including securities, insurances and many other major subsidiaries. The industry entered into electronic division in 1960s and telecommunication hardware in 1980s; thus it has diversified their services globally. It manufactures varied electronic products and one of the major consumer products, which have made the company successful, is the tablets. The company is now taking the world in creative new directions because of their reliable and innovative products and services.

Key Industry Opportunity
    The growth of tablets market has become one of the key opportunities for achieving a competitive advantage in the competitive global business world. The tablet market is anticipated to increase immensely in twofold digits for the next decades. The industry has a strong position in tablet market and it could also extend it by launching innovative and improved quality tablet products.  Moreover, their key to achieving competitive advantage is the large portfolio of patents being obtained through acquisitions. The company has also achieved a growing demand for smartphones and tablets, which are consumed at a higher rate; thus benefiting from a lucrative market.

Risk Factors
    Despite the phenomenal growth experience of tablets, the company is under great threat and this might put the business under risk. One of the risk factors that might impact effective business performance is rapid technological change.  Samsung and other tech industries are facing serious threat due to ever changing technology. The company is under pressure to release innovative products faster; thus the company may fail in case they cannot keep up the pace with technology change (Ryan and Jones, 2009). Secondly, breached patent by competitors are ever increasing and this makes it hard for the industry to benefit from their innovative consumer products.  Lastly, there are increased price wars and this is because the industry has allowed gross margin for most of their consumer products. The company is selling most of their consumer products at a significant price cuts and these may enable other competitors to follow price cutting strategy too; thus inducing price wars, which could also erode the profit margin of the company.

Major Trends Affecting the Industry in the States and Possibly Internationally
The industry is going through a massive transition because of fierce competition and global crisis; thus impacting the performance of the industry. One of the major trends affecting the industry is the threat to security and this is because cases of identity theft have been reported. Secondly, there is also decline in general satisfaction, with the gap between consumer expectations and real service experience, which is widening.  Thirdly, there are always a potential for the newcomer who joins the crowd and threatens the providers by offering current technologies at lower prices; thus threatening the industry.  Lastly, although cell phone markets are relative mature in the states and possibly internationally, the numbers of subscribers nonetheless tend to be those on lower cost plans.

Strategic Implications of Both Opportunity and Risk Factors
    Strategic decision making at each of the business management level can affect business activities.  However, effective strategic business management such as employing SWOT analysis can enable the company to achieve its intended objectives effectively (Hooley, Piercy and Nicoulaud, 2011). For instance, assessing both opportunities and risk factors can enable the company to develop strategic plan vital for controlling external environmental factors that might impact the business performance.