1. What is a firm specific advantage?
Firm specific advantage is a particular advantage or strength a firm has that differ the firm from other firms which allow the firm to have competitive advantages.
2. What is Honda’s FSA?
In tangible resource, Honda has 8 R&D facilities worldwide, 57 factories all over the world, and has a very wide range of motorized machines.
3. What basic but important distinction does Verbeke make?
Between Location-bound FSAs and non-location-bound FSAs.
4. Why are some FSAs location bound?
Some FSAs are location bound because some of these FSAs are special and each of them cannot be duplicate which make them aren’t possible to be transferred abroad.
5. What does that mean “location bound”?
Location bound means that the FSAs can only be exploited in a speficic possible location and they lead to benefits of national responsiveness.
6. Can you give an example?
A firm makes decision about coordination between segments of its chain of value and also the efficient of global configuration. This skill represents a firm specific advantage which also demonstrate the skill to reduce transnational cost.
7. What part of Honda’s FSAs are location bound?
Honda’s R&D centres that are located in Japan.
8. What is the broader question that the field of International Business (IB) is concerned with?
How to develop these FSAs which can be transferred across borders without stopping creating value.
9. What does Verbeke mean when he talks about unique resources?
Resources that the firm can form a significant strategic advantae for the firm.
10.What unique resources does he list?
Human resources, upstream knowledge, physical resources, downstream knowledge, reputational resources, and financial resources.
11. Can you think of an example yourself?
Localised resources for example fishing sites or farming sites.
12. Verbeke describes the FSA as a unique resource which gives a firm an advantage, but an advantage compared to...