Book Report On Sun Tzu: Art Of War And Management

A Peak from a Perspective

A deep breath. We’re waging a war. It seems that in any kind of business, there is somewhat of a battle to be fought, whether with the company itself or with other organizations vis-Ð" -vis the company. As to how to skate through the rocky atmosphere with a graceful land from a triple hoop axel jump is discussed in the book, Sun Tzu: Art of War and Management although in a different view. Through its different principles in war, each concept is translated as to how it can be used in the business showground. The principles begin from making a decision whether waging a war is practical or not. In business perspective, this translates to the idea whether entering into a business would be rational. The viability of the decision would then be evaluated through examination of different factors like the battlefield, strengths and weaknesses of your own relative to the possible enemies, the external and uncontrollable factors, and a whole lot more. From this evaluation, a plan can be formulated and the action or implementation would follow. So before engaging in a business, market structure should be assessed by the organization. There must be a thorough valuation of the present political leadership in the area, the physical and infrastructural factors, competitive edges over competitors, motivational factors, and the climate of the field of business the organization desires to enter.

When already in the competing stadium, neck to neck battle with the other companies, one should learn how to fight. Hence, the art of attacking. As a competing organization in a fierce market, sitting on the safe side wouldn’t help much in the success of one’s business. There must be an action beyond just being protective but being combative in its positive sense. War, as repeatedly said in the book, is not promoted by Sun Tzu. If unnecessary, waging a war shouldn’t be done. But if aggressiveness is the only way to the security of one’s army and territory, then hesitations should be put to oblivion. Here enters the principle of intelligence, cunningness, the idea of deception and espionage. Since the organization already entered the battlefield, the harms it poses should be swiftly conquered. The different adaptability in maneuvers should be thought through. One must also be aware whether the enemy is deceiving. Protection of the people, most especially the most vital in the organization should be observed. Because in any time, the rival would plan to lure these people if unnoticed. One also must be cautious with the competitors’ reactions towards one’s actions and the ever changing environment which cannot be controlled by the organization. These are but a few of the principles and concepts which are later expounded in this book report.

The objective of this book review is to highlight the concepts and principles mentioned in the text and to be able to apply some of these in a perspective not different from the book. Later in this review, we will cite some examples of organizations here and abroad that compete in the business industry, how they first examined the market environment, assessed information and formulated a plan as to enter the field. Then, examples of rivalry in companies such as Procter and Gamble and Unilever and many more are also mentioned in this review.

Better than me, are you?

Hi-Fern Marketing located in Hilongos, Leyte is a fertilizer and agri-chemical dealer. Before engaging in a business, the organization has to assess the market situation and it then formulates a detailed plan. As for Hi-Fern Marketing, it first ascertained the volume of the market. By doing this, it conducted a feasibility study by inquiring from the Department of Agriculture the number of irrigated and non-irrigated land areas that are planted to rice or the area of rice land in Hilongos and its neighbor towns. From the information gathered, the organization calculated the least amount of fertilizer to be applied. Consequently, it also identified its possible customers would not only be from Hilongos but also from Baybay, Inopacan, Hindang, Bato, Maasin, Sogod, Hinunangan, Hinundayan, and Silago. They realized that not only fertilizer was needed but also chemicals such as pesticides and insecticides to irrigate the farmland. They capitalized on the opportunity that the market is not yet fully saturated or occupied. This follows the concept of appraising the terrain, whether it is open or constricted. They don’t have much concern regarding their competitors because as long as they have cheaper sources of their products, they have an advantage over their rivals.

But unlike Hi-Fern Marketing which doesn’t have enemies in the battlefield of business, the fierce competition of Alto Broadcasting System-Chronicles Broadcasting Network (ABS-CBN) and Gozon Marketing Association (GMA) is one of the popular rivalries present in the country. Each network’s objective is high ratings which translate into a heftier slice of the multi-billion peso advertising pie. For quite a while, ABS-CBN had a commanding lead over GMA. The latter was content to be a strong number two. Ironically, GMA was the number one station during the martial law era in the 70s under the stewardship of current ABS-CBN chief operating officer Freddie Garcia. When the Lopezes got back ABS-CBN after the Edsa Revolt in 1986, the late Geny Lopez was able to convince Garcia to return to his mother station. This exemplifies the concept of headhunting under the various principles advocated by Sun Tzu. It was Garcia who lifted ABS-CBN from the cellar to the top of the heap after only a few months on the job. When Felipe Gozon took over the reins at GMA a few years ago, he told his team that he was no longer content being the runner-up in the lucrative business. His objective was to regain market leadership and trounce ABS-CBN. This meant committing more funds to the station’s operations so that it could produce more local shows and improve its facilities. The initial strategy was a sneak attack into non-primetime shows, the morning and afternoon slots which ABS-CBN seemed to have neglected. Since GMA already dominated the noontime slot with its variety shows Eat Bulaga, the network enticed its viewers to continue watching beyond the noontime slot with soaps and telenovelas1. This particular situation represents two concepts discussed in The Art of War and Management, namely, the concept of the need to attack under the principle of attack and the principle