Competition demystified

Columbia Business School professor Greenwald offers a new theory of competition for strategic planners to apply in the real world. He argues that there is only one essential factor in determining competitive advantages: how easy it is for competitors to enter or expand in a given market. If a company can erect strong barriers to entry--through customer captivity, lower production costs, or economies of scale--it can manage these advantages, anticipate competitors' moves, or achieve stability through bargaining and cooperation. Greenwald draws on game theory to explain what you should do if…