技术与竞争优势外文翻译.docVIP

外文翻译 原文 Technology and Competitive Advantage Material Source: 《Competitive Advantage》 Author: Michael E.Porter Technological change is one of the principal drivers of competition. It plays a major role in industry structural change, as well as in creating new industries. It is also a great equalizer, eroding the competitive advantage of even well-entrenched firms and propelling others to the forefront. Many of todays great firms grew out of technological changes that they were able to exploit. Of all the things that can change the rules of competition, technological change is among the most prominent. Despite its importance, however, the relationship between technological change and competition is widely misunderstood. Technological change tends to be viewed as valuable for its own sake-any technological modification a firm can pioneer is believed to be good. Competing in high technology industries is widely perceived as being a ticket to profitability, while other industries that are low-technology are viewed with disdain. The recent success of foreign competition, much of it based on technological innovation, has encouraged companies even more to invest in technology, in some cases uncritically. Technological change is not important for its own sake, but is important if it affects competitive advantage and industry structure. Not all technological change is strategically beneficial; it may worsen a firms competitive position and industry attractiveness. High technology does not guarantee profitability. Indeed, many high-technology industries are much less profitable than some low-technology industries due to their unfavorable structures. Technology, however, pervades a firms value chain and extends beyond those technologies associated directly with the product. There is, in fact, no such thing as a low technology industry if one takes this broader view. Viewing any industry as technologically mature often leads to strategic disaster. Moreover, many important