Assignment No.

1 Military Strategy and Business Strategy Comparison

Case Study: Group 6

Romeo Abila Jr.

Jessica Capistrano

Irysh Medina

Cerelina Reyes Vergara

Military Strategy (Excerpts from Sun Tzu’s The Art

S. No. Business Strategy
of War Writings)

War is a matter of vital importance to the state: a matter
1 of life or death, the road either to survival or ruin. Hence,
it is imperative that it be studied thoroughly
1. Like in business, it requires deeper study and knowledge, for in business success
and bankruptcy depend on how deep you know about it.
2. In business, it is not enough to just market our business, it is important to be
aware of your competition and create a strategy where all leaders and employees are
involved.

2 Warfare is based on deception. When near the enemy, 1. When it comes to business, one should know how to think out of the box, one
make it seem that you are far away; when far away, make should know how to turn problems or difficulties into opportunities.
it seem that you are near. Hold out baits to lure the 2. This is basically, fooling your enemies, and in business you can use deception to
enemy. Strike the enemy when he is in disorder. Avoid the make them feel overconfident and take their focus off what their goal really is.
enemy when he is stronger. If your opponent is of choleric 3. Misleading your competitors about your true intentions or plans, you can do this
temper, try to irritate him. If he is arrogant, try to by making false statements or hiding some information from them. By keeping your
encourage his egotism. If enemy troops are well prepared competitors in the dark, you can gain a strategic advantage over them.
after reorganization, try to wear them down. If they are
united, try to sow dissension among them. Attack the
enemy where he is unprepared, and appear where you are
not expected. These are the keys to victory for a
strategist. It is not possible to formulate them in detail
 beforehand.

1. "Strike while the iron is hot" is the best English saying I can link between the two
strategies whenever the opportunity came don't let it pass.
2. "weapons are blunted and morale depressed", in business, I can compare this with
A speedy victory is the main object in war. If this is long in
employees who can also get burnt out and become unproductive once they are
coming, weapons are blunted and morale depressed.
overworked. They also need their breaks and days off.
When the army engages in protracted campaigns, the
3 3. In business, if you compete for too long with other competitors, it may lead to
resources of the state will fall short. Thus, while we have
many expenses as competitive campaigns can be costly. Sometimes, a smart thing to
heard of stupid haste in war, we have not yet seen a
do is to use strategies that you know will give you a competitive advantage.
clever operation that was prolonged
4. Using the least minimum amount of time and resources to achieve the goal of the
organization by focusing your efforts on what is most important, and avoiding
spreading yourself too thin.

Generally, in war the best policy is to take a state intact;

1. The same in business, when your competitors are experiencing bankruptcy don't
to ruin it is inferior to this. To capture the enemy’s entire
be happy about it, instead buy their company as an expansion of your own.
army is better than to destroy it; to take intact a regiment,
2. It states here that sometimes ruining the enemy's army is not the best decision as
a company, or a squad is better than to destroy it. For to
4 it is better to show superiority and great leadership to try to subdue the enemy's
win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the
army. In business, you will be known if you are a leader that shows respect, inspires
acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the
others, and a person that people look up to and with these traits, your competitor's
supreme excellence. Those skilled in war subdue the
employees can be persuaded to join your team.
enemy’s army without battle.

1. In Business, it means always take advantage, you should have prepared all the
The art of using troops is this: When ten to the enemy’s
strategy required in every instances; the reason why in a business they use the
one, surround him. When five times his strength, attack
SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats) Analysis.
him. If double his strength, divide him. If equally matched,
5 2. You should know where your business stands. For example, you have enough
you may engage him with some good plan. If weaker, be
resources to create a product that you know will meet the customer's criteria then
capable of withdrawing. And if in all respects unequal, be
you should go for it, but if you know that you don't have enough resources then you
capable of eluding him.
should know to stay put and not risk wasting these resources for nothing.

Know your enemy and know yourself, and in a hundred
battles you will never be defeated. When you are ignorant
6 of the enemy but know yourself, your chances of winning
or losing are equal. If ignorant both of your enemy and of
yourself, you are sure to be defeated in every battle.
He who occupies the field of battle first and awaits his
enemy is at ease, and he who comes later to the scene
and rushes into the fight is weary. And therefore, those
7 skilled in war bring the enemy to the field of battle and are
not brought there by him. Thus, when the enemy is at
ease, be able to tire him; when well fed, be able to starve
him; when at rest, be able to make him move.
Analyze the enemy’s plans so that you will know his
shortcomings as well as his strong points. Agitate him to
ascertain the pattern of his movement. Lure him out to
reveal his dispositions and to ascertain his position. Launch
8 analyze and react to information from various sources, both inside and outside the
a probing attack to learn where his strength is abundant
and where deficient. It is according to the situation that
plans are laid for victory, but the multitude does not
comprehend this.
1.The idea is that if you do not know yourself, you will always be at risk. if you know
yourself but not your opponent, you will lose as often as you win. The outcomes are
unpredictable. So in The business strategy, you have to gather data and information
against your competitor. in order to be successful in business, you have to take The
initiative to know your competitor, their weaknesses, and their strength So that you
can react and seize control of the situations to create your own opportunities.
2. Being aware of their strengths and weaknesses, and developing strategies that will
exploit their weaknesses while protecting your own strengths.
3. Knowing your self or business is an advantage, for whatever may come or happen
in the future business can continue and knowing your competitors especially their
weakness and strength is a bonus for you have an idea on how to play with their
game.
1. In business, you should always be one step ahead of your competitors because
being early to new ideas can give you advantages. For example, being first to market
can lead to being the pioneer of establishing a certain brand and you can also gain
trust from people as they see that your organization's ideas are first and original.
2. "Early birds catches early worm", this English saying is the one I can linked with
War strategy for business. Basically if your business was first in the market, sure you
have all the advantage, you'll gain all the experience, since you are first, you develop
a strong strategy on coping struggles and future ideas for diversity of your business.
Compare to newbie you can easily subdue them.
1. Like in business, you should also know your competitors and what their possible
plans are. You should know what their strengths and weaknesses are and use that
information to get above them.
2. Monitor your environment and put processes in place to collect, aggregate,
organization.
3. In businesses, analyzing gaps, weakness and strength of your competitor is
advantage for you, you'll know when and how to attack your opponent with a sure
win outcome.
 An army may be likened to water, for just as flowing water
avoids the heights and hastens to the lowlands, so an
army should avoid strength and strike weakness. And as
water shapes its flow in accordance with the ground, so an
9 army manages its victory in accordance with the situation
of the enemy. And as water has no constant form, there
are in warfare no constant conditions. Thus, one able to
win the victory by modifying his tactics in accordance with
the enemy situation may be said to be divine.
If you decide to go into battle, do not announce your
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intentions or plans. Project “business as usual.”
Unskilled leaders work out their conflicts in courtrooms
and battlefields. Brilliant strategists rarely go to battle or to
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court; they generally achieve their objectives through
tactical positioning well in advance of any confrontation.
1. It states here that "as water shapes its flow in accordance with the ground"
meaning water moves around an object and not through it. In business, you need to
adapt to a situation and know what changes are to be made with your plans to be
successful.
2. "As water has no constant form, there are in warfare no constant conditions." In
business, you can plan your move, but you should also know what other moves to
make depending on the situation.
3. Business should know how to adapt in the market place, embrace changes, know
how to come along what is in and what is not or else business will be left behind.
1. If you are facing conflict, do not informed the the rivals about it. You should be
consistent in doing strategy despite of difficulties or disturbances.
2. In business, you should also create a team of people who you can trust with your
business's classified information.
3. When putting up a business all information of the business should be keep in the
business only, No information should be out to avoid your competitors make
advantage with you.
1. Unskilled leader should not afraid to face problem arising in the business, because
you can learn lessons or think ideas which you can use in doing the business. While
the business is in struggling state, opportunities will arise and it should carefully
planned to minimize mistakes.
2. Selecting best alternative strategy will help the organization in the short term and
long term plan.
3. If you have a goal and a strategy to reach it, follow that strategy and never let
other competitors take your focus off your goal with conflicts.

When you do decide to challenge another company (or
12 army), much calculating, estimating, analyzing, and
positioning bring triumph. Little computation brings defeat.
Skillful leaders do not let a strategy inhibit creative
counter-movement. Nor should commands from those at a
13
distance interfere with spontaneous maneuvering in the
immediate situation.
When a decisive advantage is gained over a rival, skillful
leaders do not press on. They hold their position and give
14 their rivals the opportunity to surrender or merge. They do
not allow their forces to be damaged by those who have
nothing to lose.
Brilliant strategists forge ahead with illusion, obscuring the
area(s) of major confrontation, so that opponents divide
their forces in an attempt to defend many areas. Create
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the appearance of confusion, fear, or vulnerability so the
opponent is helplessly drawn toward this illusion of
advantage
1. In business, you are also calculating, estimating, analyzing, and positioning and
these are ways of planning and preparing and this important to be able to get the
exact data or information you need to have a competitive advantage.
2. The reason why we are making feasibility study to make sure that whenever we
are putting a business we will know what are the requirements or needed for the
business success.
3. It also states here that you should not underestimate your rival because you don't
know their tactics that bring triumph to his business
1. Like in business, leaders create strategies for one certain goal. They make sure
that the employee's understand the goal and how to reach it. With involving
employees, they are able to prevent actions that has nothing to do with reaching the
goal and they are not distracted from focusing on their main task.
2. In a business strategy was implemented from management down to rank and file,
the reason why they have the KPI to make you sure that every one is align in one
common goal.
1. In business, if they see that their competitors are not thriving or if they don't see
them as a threat, they will not use their energy or resources to outdo them, instead,
they stay relaxed and give opportunities to people who want to join them.
2. It's all about timing, this means you should know when to take action and when to
hold back.
3. For a strategy to be effective in business, leaders and involved employees should
make sure that this strategy does not create conflict.
1. Making it look like your business is vulnerable can attract other competitors to
quickly plan and use all their resources to try and be above your business. A quick
plan results in poor ideas and using up resources can result in more costs which can
give your competitor a disadvantage.
2. In business we must know the strategy to deceive the enemy, this is an effective
way for him to change his focus and so we can focus on the new strategy where we
can subdue him.