An analytic network process approach to operationalization of five forces model

The five forces model has been one of the most influential frameworks for strategic management. In contrast to its importance as a centerpiece of textbooks, however, it has attracted less attention from both academic researchers and practicing managers. This is due to its innate weakness, difficulty in operationalization. The vital requisites for operationalizing the five forces model are to deal with it as a complex system composed of interrelated forces and their sub-forces, and to prioritize them with consideration of their interdependency. The tenet of this study is the requisites can be achieved through the analytic network process (ANP). The ANP, which is a generalization of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), produces priorities of elements in a complex network model with consideration of interdependency among elements. The five forces model is transformed into a network model of the ANP. The ANP procedure is then carried out to obtain the priority weights of the forces. Combining the derived weights and ratings on the forces produces the state-of-industry-competition index (SICI) values that represent the overall competitive condition of a given industry. The working of the proposed approach is provided with the help of a case study example of the Web portal Industry of Korea. The proposed ANP approach is expected to expand the five forces model into a workable system of analysis by improving its analytical power.