A major topic in the recent strategy literature relates to the emergence of superstar or mega firms – firms that operate in multiple markets, enjoy large market shares across the globe, experience persistent high growth over a long duration, exercise enormous market power, and hold a large amount of cash. Your task is to write an essay to:
- Characterise superstar firms,
- Explore the technological conditions, mechanisms and corporate growth strategies that have given rise to the emergence of superstar firms using relevant economic concepts and theories, and
- Suggest strategies that would enable the firms to maintain their high growth rate.
Important: You must draw on relevant concepts and theories to provide a systematic analysis. Failure to use theory and concepts can well lead to a very low mark. It is equally important to inform your analysis by referring to relevant data. Use of pee-reviewed academic journals is essential too.
Draw heavily on the slides on productivity, growth strategy and corporate design, attached in the materials, to develop a brief theoretical framework on what drives superstar frims, and then apply the framework to one or two superstar firms such as such as Amazon, eBay, Alphabet, Ali Baba.