Sunday, November 14, 2010

Location-specific advantage

Location-specific advantage- the ability of an individual, company, or economy to conduct an activity better than another for reasons related to location.  For example, having a restaurant near the water compared to a restaurant in the city will attract more customers due to the location.  Certain locations have geographical features that other cannot match.  Since different locations have different benefits, it is important that a company or firm match its company goals to its location.  The four strategic goals are:

Natural resource seeking: easy access to natural resources and related transport.
Market seeking: Strong market demand and abundance of customers.
Efficiency seeking: Low cost factors.
Innovation seeking: innovative individuals, firms, and universities.

Since natural resources have been decreasing over the years, the once "100% made in Germany", BMW, has moved factories in other countries.  As years progress, companies have to consider more options on where to locate, because depending on the resources, they may have to relocate. 
http://www.marcbowles.com/courses/adv_dip/module11/chapter4/amc11_ch4_four6.htm