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 Instructor’s Manual to accompany Economics of Strategy, Sixth Edition

CHAPTER 9: Strategic Positioning for Competitive Advantage

CHAPTER OUTLINE

1) Introduction
2) Competitive Advantage and Value Creation: Conceptual Foundations
• Competitive Advantage Defined
• Maximum Willingness-to-Pay and Consumer Surplus
• From Maximum Willingness-to-Pay to Consumer Surplus
• Value-Created
• Value Creation and “Win-Win” Business Opportunities
Example 9.1: The Division of the Value-Created in the Sale of Beer at a Baseball Game
• Value Creation and Competitive Advantage
• Analyzing Value Creation
Example 9.2: Kmart versus Wal-Mart
• Value Creation and the Value Chain
• Value Creation, Resources, and Capabilities
Example 9.3: Creating Value at Enterprise Rent-a-Car
Example 9.4: Measuring Capabilities in the Pharmaceutical Industry
3) Strategic Positioning: Cost Advantage and Benefit Advantage
• Generic Strategies
• The Strategic Logic of Cost Leadership
• The Strategic Logic of Benefit Leadership
Example 9.5: “Haute Pot” Cuisine in China
• Extracting Profits from Cost and Benefit Advantage
• Comparing Cost and Benefit Advantages
• “Stuck in the Middle”
Example 9.6: Strategic Positioning in the Airline Industry: Four Decades of Change
4) Diagnosing Cost and Benefit Drivers
• Cost Drivers
• Benefit Drivers
• Methods for Estimating and Characterizing Costs and Perceived Benefits
5) Strategic Positioning: Broad Coverage versus Focus Strategies
• Segmenting an Industry
• Broad Coverage Strategies
• Focus Strategies
6) Chapter Summary
7) Questions
8) Appendix: Methods for Measuring a Firm’s Benefit Position
9) Endnotes

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Instructor’s Manual Economics of Strategy, Sixth Edition

CHAPTER SUMMARY

The purpose of this chapter is to develop a conceptual framework for characterizing and analyzing a
firm’s strategic position within an industry. This framework employs simple economic concepts to
characterize necessary conditions for a strategic position to create a competitive advantage in the market.

This chapter is organized into the following sections. The first section explores the concept of
competitive advantage and argues that a firm can achieve a competitive advantage by creating more value
than its rivals create. A firm that creates more total value can simultaneously earn higher profits and
deliver higher net benefits than its competitors. The ability to create value depends on both the firm’s cost
position and its differentiation position relative to its competitors. Understanding how a firm creates
value and how it can continue to do so in the future is a necessary first step in diagnosing a firm’s
potential for securing a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Projecting a firm’s prospects for
creating value into the future also involves evaluating whether changes in market demand and technology
are likely to threaten how the firm (or the entire industry) creates value. This section also clarifies the
distinction between redistributing existing value and creating additional value.

The next section discusses the economic and organizational logic of two broad alternative approaches to
positioning: cost advantage and benefit advantage. This section compares the two strategies and
discusses when a cost advantage strategy is better than a benefit strategy, and vice versa. In general, a
position based on a superior cost position is appropriate when:
• Economies of scale and learning are potentially significant, but no firm in the market seems to be
exploiting them.
• Opportunities for enhancing the product’s perceived benefit, B, are limited by the nature of the
product.
• Consumers are relatively price sensitive and are unwilling to pay much of a premium for enhanced
product quality, performance, or image.
• The product is a search good, rather than an experience good.

Building a competitive advantage based on superior benefit is likely to be relatively more attractive when:
• A substantial segment of consumers is willing to pay a significant price premium for attributes that
enhance B.
• Economies of scale and learning are significant, and existing firms—because of their size or
cumulative experience—are already exploiting them.
• The product is an experience good, rather than a search good.

The final section covers the concept of broad versus focused strategies. It explores how a firm’s
positioning strategy also drives its operating strategies for its functional areas, such as marketing,
operations, and engineering. This section covers market segmentation and targeting strategies and how
these strategies are tied to a firm’s approach to creating value.

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APPROACHES TO TEACHING THIS CHAPTER

Chapter 13 introduces a framework to study a firm’s strategic position within an industry. The following
outline provides a useful starting place for lecturing about the chapter.

Competitive Advantage
A firm has a competitive advantage when it outperforms (i.e., earns higher rates of profitability than)
competitors who sell in the same market. This chapter defines competitive advantage more precisely than
it is defined in traditional strategic management literature. This definition emphasizes that a firm has a
competitive advantage if it is able to reap higher profits than other firms in the industry are, whereas other
definitions emphasize the ability of a firm to distinguish its products in the eyes of consumers.

Consumer Surplus and Value Created

In a given transaction:

Value Created = (Buyer’s Perceived Benefit – Price) + (Price – Cost)

= Consumer surplus + Profit
= (B – P) + (P – C)
= B–C

• B reflects the value consumers derive from consuming the product less any costs (other than purchase
price) of acquiring, using or maintaining the product. Thus, it is the maximum amount consumers are
willing to pay for the product.
• B – P is the net benefit from consumption and is called consumer surplus (synonymous with
“delivered value” in marketing texts.) Think of consumers choosing from among firms offering the
same product on the basis of consumer surplus.
• B in relation to C determines the magnitude of value-created, but the price P determines how much of
the value created is captured by the firm as profit, P – C, and how much is captured by consumers as
consumer surplus, B – P.
• Industry structure is a key determinant of P – C, and, thus, is a key determinant of the proportion of
total surplus captured by firms.
• In general, the level of B is determined by the attributes of a firm’s products (benefit drivers) and the
weight that consumers give to them.
• The level of C is determined by a combination of factors that we refer to as cost drivers (e.g.,
economies of scale, experience, input prices).

You might want to ask students the following questions: What is an example of an industry where there is
lots of surplus created, but not much captured by firms? To achieve competitive advantage, a firm must
create more value than competitors (higher B – C). Why? This leads into the next learning point.

Link between Competitive Advantage and Value Creation

As the chapter suggests, it is useful to think of competition among firms as an “auction” where firms
“bid” for consumers on the basis of consumer surplus. The firm that offers the highest consumer surplus

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will get the consumer’s business. If a firm creates more value (higher B – C) than its competitors, this
firm will be able to match consumer surplus bids of competitors and end up with higher profit on the sale.

This is best illustrated by a numerical example:

Firm A Firm B
Value Created (B – C) = $11 Value Created (B – C) = $6

If Firm B offers a price that makes consumer surplus = $4, it gets profit of $2 (Remember, CS + Profit =
Value Created, so Profit = Value Created – CS). If Firm A offers a price that makes consumer surplus =
$4, it gets profit of $7. For both firms to make sales, we must have consumer surplus parity. When that
happens, Firm A earns a higher profit than Firm B.

Diagnosing sources of competitive advantage is then a matter of diagnosing why a firm’s B – C is higher
than existing or potential competitors:
• Does firm offer higher B? (Differentiation Strategy)
• Does firm have lower C? (Cost Position)
• Or both? (Stuck in the middle)

Concepts for Thinking about Value Creation

Porter’s Value Chain: As illustrated in Figure 13.10, the value chain depicts the firm as a collection of
discrete, value-creating activities (inbound logistics, production operations, outbound logistics, and
marketing and sales) and four support activities (firm infrastructure activities, such as finance and
accounting, human resources management, technology development, and procurement). The value chain
is a useful tool for organizing one’s thinking when considering how different activities within a firm can
help create value.

Another way to think about value creation is to identify the activities that a firm performs better than its
rivals do. In other words, think about the distinctive resources and capabilities that a firm has. Resources
are firm-specific assets that a firm draws upon to help create value. Examples of resources include
patents, trademarks, human resources with firm-specific skills, experience, and reputation. Distinctive
capabilities are clusters of activities that a firm does particularly well in comparison to other firms (for
our purposes, think of these as synonymous with core competencies). Choose a firm and ask students:
What does this firm do especially well?

Alternative Approaches to Competitive Positioning: Cost vs. Benefits

Cost Advantage: Create more value than competitors by having lower C for the same B (benefit parity) or
not too much lower B (benefit proximity). A firm can exploit its cost advantage by charging a price P that
is low enough to offset its B disadvantage (if any) but high enough that the firm can earn higher profits than
competitors (see Figure 13.14).
Firms that achieve a competitive advantage by pursuing a low cost strategy can do so in many ways.
Potential sources of cost advantage include:
• Cost drivers related to firm size or scope, such as economies of scale; economies of scope, and
capacity utilization.

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• Cost drivers related to cumulative experience (i.e., learning curve).

• Cost drivers independent of firm size, scope, or cumulative experience: input prices; location;
economies of density; process efficiency; government policy.
• Cost drivers related to organization of transactions: organization of the vertical chain, agency
efficiency

Examples of firms that have built their competitive position on a cost advantage include DuPont in TiO2,
Yamaha in pianos, and Frito Lay in salty snack foods. Ask students to come up with their own examples
of firms that follow a cost advantage strategy.

Benefit Advantage: Create more value than competitors by having higher B for same B (cost parity) or
not too much higher C (cost proximity). A firm can exploit its differentiation advantage by charging a
price premium that is high enough to offset its C disadvantage (if any) but still low enough to maintain
consumer surplus parity with competitors, even if they respond with price cuts aimed at improving the
attractiveness of their products. (See Figure 13.15.)

The benefit a firm creates depends on product attributes (benefit drivers) and the weights consumers put
on them. Benefit drivers must always be viewed from the perspective of the consumer. Potential sources
of differentiation advantages include:
• Physical characteristics of product (e.g., performance, quality, features, aesthetics)
• Complementary goods or services (e.g., post-scale services, spare parts)
• Characteristics that shape consumer expectations of performance, quality, or cost in use (e.g.,
reputation, installed base)
• Subjective image (e.g., driven by advertising messages, packaging)

Examples of firms that have successfully pursued benefit strategies include Honda Accord vs. domestic
sedans, and Maytag in washers. Challenge students to come up with their own examples of firms that
follow a differentiation strategy.

Michael Porter has argued in his book Competitive Strategy that the pursuit of differentiation (benefit)
advantage is incompatible with the pursuit of cost advantage. You might want to pose the following
question to the class: Can a firm have both cost and differentiation advantages? What are some examples
of this? (e.g., Breyers’ ice cream) Short answer, yes… but tradeoffs do exist (quality is not often free).

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DEFINITIONS

Benefit Advantage: One approach to achieving competitive advantage. A firm that pursues a
differentiation advantage strategy seeks to offer a higher B, while maintaining a C that is comparable
to competitors.
Broad Coverage Strategy: A strategy that is aimed at serving all of the segments in the market by offering
a full line of related products.
Competitive Advantage: A firm has a competitive advantage when it outperforms (i.e., earns higher rates
of profitability than) competitors who sell in the same market.
Capabilities: Clusters of activities that a firm does especially well in comparison with other firms.
Consumer Surplus: The difference between what a consumer is willing to pay for a good and what she
actually pays.
Consumer Purchase Parity: Exists when firms’ price-quality positions line up along the same indifference
curve; that is, when firms are offering a consumer the same amount of consumer surplus.
Cost Advantage: One approach to achieving competitive advantage. A firm that pursues a cost advantage
strategy seeks to attain a lower C, while maintaining a B that is comparable to competitors.
Cost Driver: Source of cost advantage..
Focus Strategy: A strategy whereby a firm concentrates on either offering a single product or serving a
single market segment or both.
Indifference Curve: A curve that illustrates price-quality combinations that yield a constant level of
consumer utility. Consumers are indifferent among the different price-quality combinations offered
along this curve.
Key Success Factors: Refers to the skills and assets a firm must possess to achieve profitability in a
market. Possessing an industry’s key success factors is a necessary condition for achieving
competitive advantage, but it is not a sufficient condition.
Perceived Benefit: The highest price a consumer is willing to pay for a good.
Resources: Firm-specific assets, such as patents and trademarks, brand name reputation, installed base,
organizational culture, and workers with firm-specific expertise or know-how.
Strategic Groups: Set of firms within an industry that is similar to one another and different from firms
outside the group on one of more key dimensions of their strategy.
Value Created: The difference between the value that resides in the finished good and the value that is
sacrificed to convert raw inputs into finished products.

SUGGESTED HARVARD CASE STUDIES1

Hudepohl Brewing Company (HBS 9-381-092). Hudepohl is a private company. Presents the problem of
how an established regional brewer can survive the onslaught of national breweries, some of which are
being cross-subsidized by diversified parent companies. Requires detailed analysis of what operations are
profitable and unprofitable for Hudepohl, in addition to industry and competitive analysis. This case can
be taught with some combination of the following chapters: 2, 6, 9, 15, and 16. You may want to ask
students to think of the following questions in preparation for the case:

1
These descriptions have been adapted from Harvard Business School 1995–1996 Catalog of Teaching Materials.

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Economics of Strategy, Sixth Edition Instructor’s Manual

a) How well is H doing? Is Bob Pohl’s optimism about H’s future justified?
b) How have the fundamental economics of the beer business changed over the 20–30 years prior to the
time of the case? Have these changes helped or hurt H?
c) What are the markets that H competes in? Which are H’s strongest markets? Which are its most
profitable markets?
d) How efficient are H’s manufacturing and distribution facilities in comparison with other beer
companies? Which activities need to be changed or dropped?
e) What are H’s strengths? What resources or assets does H have that its competitors do not have?
Does Pohl’s strategy exploit H’s resources, capabilities, and competitive advantages?
f) What alternative strategies might Pohl adapt? More generally, how would you recommend that H
position itself in the beer market, given H’s resources and assets and given the strategies of its rivals
in the beer industry?
g) Profit Analysis by Segment: Calculate or estimate H’s production costs and profit margins for each
of its four “product lines” shown in Table B: (1) draft beer sold to independent distributors, (2) draft
beer distributed by H, (3) packaged beer sold to independent distributors, and (4) packaged beer
distributed by H.
h) Value Added: Using the above profit calculations, calculate the value added at each stage of H’s
vertical chain. Can you explain the differences in the profitability across these product lines?
i) Segment Analysis: To the extent possible, calculate H’s market share in each of its market segments.
(What are the criteria you are using to distinguish H’s different market segments?)

Prochnik: Privatization of a Polish Clothing Manufacturer (HBS 9-394-038). This case examines the
challenge of creating value when the environment changes dramatically. Prochnik, a Polish clothing firm,
became one of the first five state enterprises to be privatized by the Polish government and to be listed in
1991 on the newly formed Polish stock exchange. Prochnik’s old ways of creating value were no longer
effective and the firm had to develop new skills.

Tombow Pencil Co., Ltd. (HBS 9-692-011 and Teaching Note 5-693-027). This case illustrates how
another firm (in another country) struggles with a similar make-or-buy problem. While the most
prominent issues in the case are the “boundaries of the firm” questions, the case also raises issues related
to product market competition and the role of product variety, marketing channels, and organizational
issues involving the coordination of marketing, sales, and production inside Tombow. The case also
presents the differences between Keiretsu (networks of long-term relationships) and arms-length market
contracting. It introduces students to the idea that assignment of ownership rights can solve problems that
arise due to physical asset specificity (hold-up, human asset specificity). As with Nucleon (see Chapter 5),
it shows that there are strong relationships between production strategy, product market strategy, and the
make-or-buy decision. This case can be taught with some combination of the following chapters: 5, 6, 14,
16, and 17. You may want to ask students to think of the following questions in preparation for the case:

a) What is Tombow Pencil’s current financial position? Look at Tombow’s financial statement, and
compare their financial ratios to Mitsubishi’s. In particular what would the impact be on Tombow’s
profits if they could reduce their inventory/sales ratio to Mitsubishi’s level?

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Instructor’s Manual Economics of Strategy, Sixth Edition

b) Is the Japanese pencil industry profitable? Are there some segments that are more profitable than
others?
c) Compare the vertical chains for wooden pencils and the Object EO pencil (which will be our
metaphor for mechanical pencils in general). Are the differences in the vertical scope/vertical
boundaries in these two chains consistent with the underlying economics of make or buy decisions?
Why does Ogawa feel the need to reexamine the production system for the EO pencil, given that
Tombow’s vertical relationship have served them well for so long?
d) What recommendations would you make for Tombow? Consider both the market position (product
line, quality, price point, etc.) the horizontal and vertical scope, and the organization of the company.

Creating Competitive Advantage (Product Number: 9-798-062, 1/25/98, rev. 2/25/06). A firm such as
Schering-Plough that earns superior, long-run financial returns within its industry is said to enjoy a
competitive advantage over its rivals. This note examines the logic of how firms create competitive
advantage. It emphasizes two themes: First, to create an advantage, a firm must configure itself to do
something unique and valuable. The firm must ensure that, were it to disappear, someone in its network of
suppliers, customers, and complementors would miss it and no one could replace it perfectly. The first
section uses the concept of "added value" to make this point more precisely. Second, competitive
advantage usually comes from the full range of a firm's activities—from production to finance, from
marketing to logistics—acting in harmony. The essence of creating advantage is finding an integrated set
of choices that distinguishes a firm from its rivals. The second section shows how managers can analyze
the full range of activities to understand the sources of added value.

EXTRA READINGS

The sources below provide additional resources concerning the theories and examples of the chapter.

Christensen, K., and L. Fahey, “Building Distinctive Competencies into Competitive Advantage,”
Strategic Planning Management, February 1984, pp. 113–123.
Ghemawat, P., Commitment: The Dynamic of Strategy, New York, Free Press, 1991.
Henderson, R. and I. Cockburn, Measuring core Competence? Evidence from the Pharmaceutical
Industry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Working Paper, January 1994.
Miles, R., and C. Snow, Organizational Strategy, Structure and Process, New York, McGraw-Hill, 1978.
Miller, D., and P. Friesen, Organizations: A Quantum View, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Prentice-Hall, 1984.
Nelson, R. R., and S. G. Winter, An Evolutionary Theory of Economic Change, Cambridge, MA,
Belknap, 1982.
Porter, Michael, Competitive Advantage, New York, Free Press, 1985.
Stalk, G., and T. Hout, Competing against Time: How Time-Based Competition is Reshaping Global
Markets, New York, Free Press, 1990.
Stewart, G. B., Quest for Value: A Guide for Senior Managers, New York, Harper Business, 1991.

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 Economics of Strategy, Sixth Edition Instructor’s Manual

SUGGESTED ANSWERS TO END-OF-CHAPTER QUESTIONS

1. A firm can outperform its rivals through cost leadership or benefit leadership, but not through
price leadership. Explain.
A firm that follows a strategy of cost leadership seeks to achieve a cost advantage over rival firms by
offering a lower C for the same, or perhaps lower B, but B – C is still higher than before aligning with
this strategy. A firm may also follow a strategy of benefit leadership that seeks to achieve a benefit
advantage over rivals by offering products with a higher B for the same, or perhaps higher C, yet still
obtaining a higher B – C thsn before. A price leadership position assumes either the firm charges a
higher C without any resulting increase in B (thus reducing quantity sold), or a lower C without any
reduction in production costs due to economies; both of which result in a lower B –C for the firm.

2. This chapter describes the importance of B – C in competitive industry. Is B – C equally

important in other market structures?
Yes. When B – C is positive a firm, any firm regardless of market structure, can profitably purchase
inputs from suppliers, convert them into a finished product, and sell it to consumers.

3. How do economies of scale affect positioning?

Economies of scale affect positioning because they are one of the cost drivers in a firm’s production
mixture. Firms that realize economies of scale have reduced production costs and therefore can
outperform rivals though cost leadership by offering products at a lower C, resulting a higher B – C
than its competitors. The realization of economies of scale allow a firm to position itself as a cost
leader.

4. How can the value chain help a firm identify its strategic position?
The value chain is a technique for describing the vertical chain of production. The value chain is also
a useful device for thinking about how value is created in an organization. The value chain depicts
the firm as a collection of value-creating activities, such as production operations, marketing and
distribution, and logistics. Each activity in the value chain can potentially add to the benefit (B) that
consumers get from the firm’s product and each can add to the cost (C) that the firm incurs in
producing and selling the product. A firm creates more value than competitors only by performing
some or all of these activities better than they do. We can often categorize strategic positions into two
broad categories, either a cost advantage or a differentiation advantage. If a firm outperforms other
firms in activities that generate superior B (differentiation) or in activities that generate a lower C
(cost), the firm’s strategic position should rely on these activities.

5. Two firms, Alpha and Beta, are competing in a market in which consumer preferences are
identical. Alpha offers a product whose benefit B is equal to $100 per unit. Beta offers a
product whose benefit B is equal to $75 per unit. Alpha’s average cost C is equal to $60 per
unit, while Beta’s average cost C is equal to $50 per unit.
a) Which firm’s product provides the greatest value created?
Alpha Beta
BA = $100 BB = $75

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CA = $60 CB = $50
VA = $40 VB = $25
B = Perceived Benefit, C = Cost, and V = Value Created.
Firm Alpha creates more value than Beta.

b) In an industry equilibrium in which the firms achieve consumer surplus parity, by what dollar
amount will the profit margin, P – C, of the firm that creates the greatest amount of value
exceed the profit margin of the firm that creates the smaller amount of value? Compare this
amount to the difference between the value created of each firm. What explains the
relationship between the difference in profit margins and the difference in value-created
between the two firms?
In an industry equilibrium in which the firms achieve consumer surplus parity, the profit margin (P-
C) of firm Alpha will exceed the profit margin of firm Beta by $15. Consumers will be willing to pay
up to $15 more for firm Alpha’s product. Note that this amount is the same as the difference in value-
created by the two firms. Firm Alpha can raise its price to the point just below where its unit price
equals its unit cost plus the additional benefit it creates relative to firm Beta: PA = CA + (VA — VB)

6. The following table summarizes information about U.S. pancake syrup products:

Brand Average Consumer

Willingness to Pay Price Average Costs
(Cents/Ounce) (Cents/Ounce) (Cents/Ounce
Hungry Jack 20 15 14
Aunt Jemima 21 19 17
Log Cabin 28 24 20
Mrs. Butterworth 21 18 14

Assume the following apply to the time period relevant for the question:
• Demand remains stable
• No new firms enter and no new products are introduced
• No changes in advertising are made
• Firms have constant returns to scale and input prices are constant

(a) Given current prices, which brand do you expect to gain share in the next few months?
Based on the table, Hungry Jack has the highest B – C at 5 cents per ounce. Based on this, consumers
will purchase this brand as they realized the greatest gain from the high B – C, and Hungry Jack will
increase its market share.

(b) Which brand can earn the highest profits in the longer run (assuming prices can be
changed)?
In the longer run, assuming prices can be changes, Log Cabin should earn the highest profits. By
raising its price to the average consumer willingness to pay of 28 cents/ounce, it will realize a profit
of 8 cents per ounce. This exceeds the potential profit per ounce of all other firms assuming they also
raised their prices to the consumer willingness to pay for their product.

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 Economics of Strategy, Sixth Edition Instructor’s Manual

7. Consider a market in which consumer indifference curves are relatively steep. Firms in this
industry are pursuing two positioning strategies: Some firms are producing a basic product
that provides satisfactory performance; others are producing an enhanced product that
provides performance that is superior to that of the basic product. Consumer surplus parity
currently exists in the industry. Are the prices of the basic and the enhanced product likely to
be significantly different or about the same? Why? How would the answer change if the
consumer indifference curves were relatively flat?
Indifference curves illustrate price—quality combinations that yield the same consumer surplus. The
fact that the indifference curve is steep means that consumers are willing to pay significantly more for
a good that is of higher quality. Therefore, the prices of the basic and the enhanced product are likely
to be significantly different. On the other hand, the prices of the two goods would be about the same
if the consumer indifference curves were relatively flat. Flat indifference curves mean that consumers
are not willing to pay much more money for a higher benefit.

8. In the value-creation model presented in this chapter, it is implicitly assumed that all
consumers get the identical value (e.g., identical B) from a given product. Do the main
conclusions in this chapter change if consumer tastes differ, so that some get more value than
others?
The main conclusions of this chapter are as relevant if consumer tastes differ as when all consumers
get identical value. If every consumer obtained a different B from a particular good, there would still
exist meaningful segments that would be profitably served by particular firms—rather than each
consumer enjoying the same consumer surplus, each would obtain a different surplus. Consumers
would purchase as long as their consumer surplus was positive—this is true whether consumers have
the same valuation or not. The fact that the level of surplus consumers received was different across
consumers does not fundamentally change the analysis.

9. Identify one or more experience good. Identify one or more search goods. How does the
retailing of experience goods differ from the retailing of search goods? Do these differences
help consumers?
An experience good is a product whose quality can be assessed only after the consumer has actually
consumed the product. For example, a buyer could not decide if he likes the taste of a particular
beverage until the buyer actually consumes the beverage. Sometimes the product has to be used for a
while in order to understand fully how satisfying is consumption of the good. For example, a
consumer may not be able to evaluate the quality of his automobile until he has driven that
automobile for several weeks.

A search good is one whose objective quality attributes the typical buyer can easily access at the time
of purchase. For example, a consumer could determine all the important attributes of a diamond at the
time of purchase—wearing the diamond as an owner of the diamond does not generate any additional
information.

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With search goods, the potential for differentiation lies largely in enhancing the product’s observable
features. When a firm is selling a search good that possesses attributes the seller wants the customer
to know about, the customer does not have to take the seller at his word—the customer can observe
the attributes. The seller must only provide an opportunity for the consumer to fully observe the good.
Sellers who do not reveal the attributes of their products at the time of sale will lose sales to sellers
who are willing to reveal their products fully to buyers or these sellers would have to heavily discount
their prices. The seller’s reputation, however, is not in question—the attributes of the good speak for
themselves.

When selling an experience good, sellers must often send signals to buyers that the good will not
disappointment the buyer post-purchase. Since the buyer does not get to fully appreciate the good
until after the good is consumed, the buyer buys under uncertainty. The seller’s reputation for
delivering products that perform as promised becomes an important feature of the purchase process.

The selling processes associated with ‘search and experience’ goods help insure that consumers
purchase goods closer to their “ideal” good. Both processes reduce the risks of buying under
uncertainty—the attributes of search goods are revealed at the time of purchase and reputation and
other credible signals are used to guide consumers in their purchases of experience goods.

10. Identify firms that offer good but not outstanding products at reasonable but not especially low
prices. Do these firms disprove Porter’s ideas about being “stuck in the middle?”
Generally, firms that offer good but not outstanding products at reasonable but not low prices are
stuck in the middle and struggle because of unfocused decision making in either the benefit or cost
areas. However, some firms can be successful by positioning themselves in the middle, but with a
higher B – C than competitors. For example, the retailer Kohls offers a lower quality shopping
experience than Nordstroms, yet better than Walmart, at prices higher than Walmart, yet lower than
Nordstroms. Kohl’s B and C are lower than Nordtroms, but its B – C is higher. Contrawise, its B
and C are higher than Walmart, yet still its B – C is higher.

11. Recall from Chapter 2 Adam Smith’s dictum, “The division of labor is limited by the extent of
the market.” How does market growth affect the viability of a focus strategy?
Under a focus strategy, a firm concentrates either on offering a single product or serving a single
market segment or both. Four examples of focus strategies are:
1. Product specialization: The firm concentrates on producing a single type of product of a variety
of different market segments.
2. Geographic specialization: The firm offers a variety of related products within a narrowly defined
geographic market.
3. Customer specialization: The firm offers a variety of related products to a particular class of
customers.
4. Niche strategy: A firm produces a single product for a single market segment.

The basic economic logic of a focus strategy is that the firm is sometimes able to achieve deep
economies of scale by concentrating on a particular segment or a particular product that is would be
unable to exploit if it expanded beyond the segment or product it is concentrating on. The growth of

13-12 Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

 Economics of Strategy, Sixth Edition Instructor’s Manual

a market can make a focus strategy that at one time was not feasible become a very profitable
opportunity. Growth might also increase the benefits of economies of scale for the focuser. If a
market grows to the point where a firm’s economies of scale are exhausted, the firm might have to
worry about entry.

12. “Niche strategies are generally more profitable than “mass-market” strategies because they
usually imply weaker price competition.” Comment.
Niche strategies (focus strategies) often insulate a firm from competition. If the focuser’s industrial
segment is small – either because it offers a narrow set of product varieties or serves a narrow set of
customers, or does both – it may face little competition and earn substantial returns. Fewer
competitors reduces price competition and allows the niche firm be more flexible in its pricing
strategy.

13. “Firms that seek a cost advantage should adopt a learning curve strategy; firms that seek to
differentiate their products should not.” Comment on both of these statements.
A learning curve strategy is one in which a firm seeks to reduce costs by learning. This is but one of
many ways in which a firm can achieve a cost advantage. Other cost drivers include economies of
scale, economies of scope, capacity utilization, economies of density, process efficiency, government
policy, and a firm’s location.

Learning curves can also confer quality advantages. If there is a first mover advantage in establishing
a particular quality position (say the goods are experience goods), then it may pay to push
aggressively down the learning curve to gain that quality advantage. Therefore, pursuing a learning
curve strategy could be advantageous to both firms that seek a cost advantage and firms that seek to
differentiate their products.

14. Suppose that two firms compete in a market where consumers have identical preferences. The
benefits and costs of the two firms are B1, C1 and B2, C2 respectively, where B1 – C1 > B2 – C2.
What price should firm 1 set so that it can capture the entire market and maximize profits.
With firm 1 already having a better (higher) B – C, its product price should be set below that of firm
2. Since consumers have equal preference for both products, with firm 1 already having a B – C
advantage, setting its price below that of firm 2 will increase consumer surplus for its product and
ultimately capture the entire market.

15. Consumers often identify brand names with quality. Do you think branded products usually
are of higher quality than generic products and therefore justify their higher prices? If so, why
don’t all generic product makers invest to establish a brand identity, thereby enabling them to
raise prices?
There are two possible outcomes when comparing barns products to generics. In the first, assume
consumers view the brand product of higher quality than the generic. In this case, the B is higher and
so is the C. However, B – C may be a lower result than achieved by the lower B and lower C generic
product. This result leads the generic producer to continue its strategy and not invest in brand
identity. In the second case, assume consumers view the brand product and generic as having the
same quality. In this case the brand product will recognize a lower B – C since its C is higher, while

Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 13-13

Instructor’s Manual Economics of Strategy, Sixth Edition

the lower C product recognizes a higher B – C. Again there is no reason for the generic producer to
invest in building a brand identity.

13-14 Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Another random document with
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d’haver ramor. Si no hi viu un desanimat com jo, no ho habita ningú;
si no ho ven per pedras ningú li compra. Me sembla qu’ha fet mal
negoci, D. Magí.

—Sempre feu mals abaranys de lo que més vos agrada.

—Sí, á fé de Deu, ja li dich qu’es ben galdós pera que un se n’enamori.

Un hom s’hi mor de fret y de por. Com no estiga mellor abaix!…

—Sí, sí, anem per abaix —interpretá Da. Tuyas cada cop mes
capficada.

—Oh, abaix! Abaix s’está molt bé —exclamá’l Notari.

Y baixaren, y com la gran cuyna estés ben acondicionada y un xich

provehida, y notés l’Olaguer que la pelada establa era de fácil omplir
ab un paller que treya’l cap per demunt de la tanca del hort allí á
duas passas, ja’s vejé á coll.

—Hont dormiréu avuy, Olaguer?

—Ab lo matxo, velhi aquí. Jo ab un feix de palla’n tinch prou per

avuy; demá ja m’arreglaré.

—Y la palla, d’hónt eixirá?

—Home, m’ha de deixar la del paller.

—Demaneu més qu’un pobre.

—Y que no veu que ja es podrida?

—Ben bé’s deu menjar lo matxo la que li heu dat al entrar.

—Home, per avuy hont vol que vaja á buscarla? Cóm vol que’m fassa
un jas? En aquesta casa no hi ha un mal llit.

—Be, vaja, per avuy…

—Pensi á escriure al Pere, D. Magí.

—Ja está fet; en aquestas horas la carta ja camina.

Y aixó dihent, se despedí’l matrimoni, y del brancal de la porta lo

seguí l’Olaguer ab la vista, fins que vegé’ls caps enfonzarse per la
relliscosa devallada ab moviments expressius que denotavan viva y
picada conversa. Da. Tuyas se n’havia dut una impresió dolentíssima
del castell: conceptuava com l’Olaguer qu’havian fet un mal negoci,
deya qu’era un casalot, qu’era massa gran, car de foch y d’escombras
pera habitarlo, y grunyia ja per no anarhi á viure de cap de las
maneras. Sóls perque no fos dit, D. Magí, qu’interinament no
desconeixia la rahó, sostenia no obstant lo contrari: ab molt poch
gasto s’apariava alló magníficament; podrian criar porch, coloms y
gallinas; tindre una cabra pera la llet; l’hort, que’l podrian conrehar
ells mateixos los diumenges per entreteniment, los provehiria de
verdura; si tant convingués, llogarian los baixos; en una paraula,
ficats allí serian uns reys, lo castell los hi faria la vida. Després,
devant de la tossuderia de la seva dona y per no donar qué parlar, un
cop dins la vila, s’avení á vendre’l: de segur que li compraria,
pagantho bé, en Vives, aquell vanitós de la Granja.
V. Lo castell fou la perdició de D. Magí. Aquella carronya de Da.
Tuyas li tirava á la cara cada día com una gran disort, com un
disbarat que sóls podía ocórrer á un home negat de sentit comú,
incapás de menar una familia, de dur lo pondu d’una casa. Y no
bastava que’l Notari oposés á tals agravis, que’l primer pas d’aquella
adquisició’s debía precisament á qui tant lo recriminava.

—Jo no conexío’l castell més que per de fora.

—Ni jo, gens més.

—Tu tenías obligació de mirarho mellor; aquéstas no son cosas de

donas, peró si deber vostre. Y ja estich cansada de sentirme que la
culpa es meva: jo no vaig aconsellarte sinó que li deixesses los
primers trescents duros al vint per cent, y tu encare los hi vas
bestreure al dotze. Tu, y ningú més, ne té la culpa; tu, que tota la vida
has sigut un somniador y res més; que sense mi no haurías fet res de
positiu; disbarats sobre disbarats y sempre disbarats. Estaríam
carregats de terra pera engreixar pagesos y nosaltres cantant los
goigs de Sant Prim.

—Peró, dona, aixó’s vendrá; aquell vanitós de la…

—Tornemhi ab lo vanitós. Lo vanitós ets tu, qu’has somniat tota la

vida ab propietats. Sempre’m surts ab lo vanitós de la Granja, com
un melindro pera ferme callar: ¿que’t pensas que soch una nena
que’s mama’l dit? Alló no t’ho comprará ningú sino á preu de pedra…
¡Sembla impossible que la gent te confíen escriptures y testaments!
Pobre de tu que jo’t faltés; que ben ennavegat estarías.
Y un día, y un altre día, á la hora de dinar, á l’hora de sopar, á l’hora
de anar al llit, sempre aqueixos gemechs, sempre las meteixas
inculpacións, fregían las sanchs del pobre Notari, y sa salut
decandida ne venía á menos. Semblava que li havía ficat un clau al
cor y que cada día li enfonzava més y més á novas martelladas. D.
Magí anava fonent greix, gastant paciencia, ascoltant cap-moix tants
vituperis, restituhint á solas lo dinar ab la bilis remoguda, fins una
certa nit que tant y tant las enfilá Da. Tuyas, que l’home no pogué
més:

—Prou! —va dir— prou! Recórdat lo qu’eras ans de casarte ab mi: la

meva criada. Recorda qué vas durme en dot: la roba que jo t’havía
regalat… Recorda que vaig tornarte ab lo casament: jo no ho vull dir;
prou ho sabs tu. Recorda quí’ls ha fet los diners que tens, que
m’amagas fins pera menjar… Jo, jo, ab lo meu travall. Tu no’m pots
demanar comptes, tu no hi tens cap dret. Calla de un cop, y si no
estás bé al meu costat…

No pogué acabar la frase; las camas se li blincaren, perdé’l mon de

vista y caygué extés á terra. Un cop de sangs al cap lo matá en dos
días; morí en brassos de son escribent y d’un vehí.

Inmóvils restaren un y altre bona estona, contemplant al finat dins la

recollida alcova hont los dos fils de sol que s’escorrian pe’ls mal
ajustats finestróns arribavan fosos en llum grisa. Inútil era llur recel,
róssech de la darrera esperansa á que’ls vius s’arrapan per’envá
retindre’l vol del esperit: era mort, ben mort. Sos ulls envidriats, la
boca oberta y fosca, l’inflada má sobre’l llensol, tenían la trista
inmovilitat de la pedra. La grogor de la pell, en aquella claror, prenía
un tint blavench que feya més cantelludas las apófissis, y ombras
amoratadas semblavan demacrar més, per moments, tota la faç.

Convensuts de la trista veritat, eixí l’escribent á darne part á la viuda,

ab l’encongiment que causa missatge consemblant. Lo pobre home
havía perdut l’esma del temps y creya que fins la dels llòchs; ja que
no trobava á Da. Tuyas en cap sala ni cambra. Per fi arribá al
menjador y topá ab ella, dinant tranquilament. No ans de badar
boca, que prou li obrí la sorpresa de cop, peró si ans de posar en joch
los llabis, lo feu tornar enrera la viuda, pronunciant ab posat y veu
imponents las següents paraulas:

—No vull saber res. Es hora de dinar y dino. Després me dirá lo que
hi haja.

Lo pobre escribent, ab tot y conéixer l’egoisme d’aquella dona y

d’haver presenciat la fredor dels darrers dias, quedá espalmat, com
devant de una trahició alevosa. Y encorregut y aclaparat de pena,
torná al costat de son company y mirá al mort ab major dolor.

—¿Qué fém? Se refredará… l’hem de vestir.

—Esperém una estona —respongué ab tremolosa veu, l’escribent. Y’ls

colors que li pujaren á la cara, lo privaren de delatar ni indirectament
á Da. Tuyas.

Passava’l temps y’l vehí insistía ab natural indiscreció; peró son

company callá ab tota la fermesa d’un cor honrat, fins que, sentint
ramors per allá fora, cregué arribat l’instant d’eixir, y ho feu, mal que
li costés, pera no enviarhi al altre.
—Ja pot pensar —digué ab veu aspre que no pogué endolsir— que no
vinch á durli cap nova, sinó á demanarli roba pera vestirlo.

Da. Tuyas tragué, sens inmutarse, un paper plegat que mostrá al

escribent.

—Véu: es de lletra d’en Magí, que vosté coneix, aquí hi há la seva

firma, que vosté coneix… donchs aixó es son codicil, hont disposa…
llegeixi… que son enterro siga de pobre. Amortállinlo ab lo llensol.

Y dit aixó, girá l’esquena, deixant altre cop al escribent més espalmat
que may.

Peró aquell vespre, Da. Tuyas, quan entrá per primera volta á l’alcova
pera apagar la xinxeta, única llum que permeté encendre al costat del
mort, vegé ab sorpresa qu’aquést no estava amortallat ab lo llensol,
sino vestit de negre. Atansá l’llum, palpá la roba, y al sospitar qu’era’l
vestit bo del escribent, no pogué evitar que’l fòch de la vergonya li
encengués la cara. Y quan sos ulls caygueren sobre l’esquerdalench
rostre del difunt, hont semblava haverse petrificat l’emprenta del
martiri, un crit de la conciencia li feu bategar lo cor y exclamar ab
veu confosa.

—Deu t’haja perdonat, Magí.

Bufá la xinxeta y, ab un llum á la má, eixí tota esgroguehida, en tant

que sobre’l mort queya la negror de las tenebras.
 VI.
Era de massa bon natural en Pere de las Borjas, pera no aceptar
l’avinensa proposada pel Notari. Passat lo bull de la sang, arribá á
sentir com pietat delescanya-pobres, á qui havía bofetejat
impunement, se n’empenedí com si hagués pegat á un malalt.
Rebrotá, per altra banda, son amor envers la terra que tants anys há
conreava, y sóls ab greu de la conciencia hauría sabut alluyarsen
sense tindre corrents los comptes. Alló de no pagar, afrontant fins lo
presiri,’s diu al cop de la disputa; convertirho en fets, quan ánima y
cos tenen igual nivell de bondat, ja es diferent.

Per aixó tothom restá en son lloch, llevat del Aloy, qu’era, en efecte,
geperut de cos y ánima. Aquést no estava per cosas, si’l veya per allí,
s’hi perdria; sóls terra entre mitj podia lliurarlo d’un cop de venjansa
que potser costaria car á tots dos. Y en havent parlat per aquest estil,
se penjá’l farsell á coll, lligat al cap del bastó, y abandoná La Coma,
asmirat de que tots los altres fossen tan baixos y perdularis.

Peró per la lógica prepotent dels fets, aquella avinensa promoguda

per l’escanya-pobres produhí un capgirell en l’orde social dels
avinguts, verament inesperat. Cap d’ells lo veya venir y tan natural
com era, donchs que consistí en aixecar al fort y anorrear al feble. Lo
masover obtingué un nou cavall, cobrá las despesas fetas, y sense
aixecar la veu ni menos los punys, de las-horas ensá, allí en La Coma,
era l’amo; l’escanya-pobres, si no’l mosso, un súbdit. Tota l’autoritat
moral qu’aquést hi havía perdut l’havía guanyada l’altre.

Se comprén l’odi qu’aquesta humillació havía d’engendrar en

l’escanya-pobres, qui, de llavors ensá, estalviá tot lo possible las
anadas á La Coma, ab goig y benhauransa dels masovers. No podent
prescindir d’aquéstos, tot lo desitj del avaro fou despossehirse de la
mesada; pero’l dimoni del carril ho feya més impossible cada día,
com qui diu xuclantse á la gent rica pera portarla á Barcelona. Ben
segur que no l’hauría dada á mal preu, pero ni á mal preu trobava
comprador.

Ah! que bé deya’l Notari “aixó es peste pera’ls pobles!” Pratbell

s’abaltia de pobresa de sang, y com tots los atacats d’un mal crónich,
se alimentava d’esperansas ilusorias qu’ab lo consegüent desengany
la consumían més y més. Avuy se parlava d’una fábrica, demá d’unas
minas, un altre día era una font miraculosa lo qu’havía de remontar
la vila; peró ni la font, ni las minas, ni la fábrica apareixían en altre
mon qu’en l’imaginari, consol dels desenfeinats y empobrits. Lo real
era’l carril, aquells convoys de riquesa que desfilavan á la vista de
tots, pera fugir sorollosos y ab crits d’ergull d’aquell recó de miseria
que’ls hi dava pas!

L’Olaguer ja no podía passar pe’l carrer de La Roca sense trencarli’l

cor la vista de son antich magatzém ab la porta tancada; anava al
hostal de Sant Roch, y envá hi cerva tot aquell aixám de carreters
sempre mancats d’un’hora, d’un pam de corda y de diners, qu’ell
bestreya ab tant profit. L’ensopiment que regnava per tot arreu’l
consumía com á La Coma, sense que Las Paradas ni l’hort dels
Mínims poguessen darli consol, perque’ls tenía arrendats. La mort
del Notari acabá d’aixafarlo, perque ab ella quedá sens conseller y
amenassat d’alguna etzaguellada de la Tuyas que me’l plantés fora
del castell, ahont ja’s trobava com lo peix al aygua.

Lo castell, sí,’l castell era son únich consol. Tants escarafalls com ne
feu á primera hora y tanbé com s’hi trobá després. Per’aquell home
esquerp, cap edifici com aquell, apartat de la vila per una costa
perillosa y sóls visitat, de lluny en lluny, per algún foraster que no
més se preocupava de las pedras. Aprofitant l’indiferentisme, pera no
dirne odi, ab que sos amos lo miraren á causa de las disputas,
l’escanya-pobres s’ensenyorí de tot lo casal, l’escorcollá de cap á cap,
trobanthi un sens fi d’amagatalls que feyan sas delicias. Feu mudar lo
pany de la porta forana, trobá en l’hort una bona soca de cirerers
pera barrot, apuntalá fortament las finestras més sotmogudas, y aixís
assegurat, sense més company que’l matxo mossegós, no temé ja
entregarse á una lley de jòch per demés estrany. Consistía en
distribuhir las talegas per diversos amagatalls, de distints pisos y en
passarse llargas horas de la matinada y vespre recontant las unsas y
dobletas, mudant los saquets de lloch cada día. Tan aviat la talega
qu’havía entafurat abaix al celler passava á ocupar lo recó de biga de
la golfa d’hont n’extreya un altra, com aquésta era col·locada al cau
del celler ó en un forat del primer pis, ó sota la rejola del quarto
fosch, sinó entre la palla de l’estable ó en lo munt de la cendrera.
Aixis las visitava d’una á una, las hi feya estacións ab fervor religiós,
hont desplegava tota l’idolatría de que parla Sant Pau, las portava
una estoneta sobre’l cor, y ab llur trasbals y diferencia, notada al
contar, se feya l’ilusió d’esser més rich. Sense cercar gayre, trobá
encar per golfas y magatzéms, portas vellas, trossos de biga,
despullas de mobles corcats que li servían de llenya pera coure las
farinetas, aixís com los llibres de D. Guillém pera encendre’l fòch.
Descobrí també mitja gerra d’oli ranci ab que alimentar son llum de
ganxo fins qui sab quán, y en sos escorcollaments, contragué la deria
de buscar los tresors que per forsa hi havía d’haver soterrats en lo
castell. No hi hagué un pam de paret que no truqués, primer ab los
nusets dels dits, després ab una massa de ferro, ni una cana de terra
dels baixos que no sotmogués ab son magall.

D’aquí qu’ab los sorrolls sotmorts y ab los viatges llum á la má que

clarejava en negra nit per los esberlats finestróns de tots los pisos,
comensessen los vehins del carreró á dir que hi havía ramor al
castell, á forjars’hi fantasmas y esgarrifosas historias, quan lo home
més content y tranquil hi estava. Y si algú no s’ho creya, feya com que
sí, tan sóls per’ajudar á traures d’aprop l’escanya-pobres. Aixís la veu
s’escampá més aviat per la vila que no’n fou ell sabedor.

Quan la nova arribá á Da. Tuyas, li causá un tropell. —¡Adeu, are sí

que ni’l llogo, ni’l vench may més! Are si que ni jo puch ja mudarmhi!

Feya tres mesos que D. Magí era difunt, y ofegats ja’ls antichs
ressentiments qu’á primer’hora li feren aceptar, aquella perdua com
un gran guany, Da. Tuyas comensava á sentir lo defalliment d’esperit
de tota viuda. Un oncle del difunt l’amenassava ab plets, la soletat
més gran la rodejava, l’honrat escribent no volgué trepitjar més
aquell escriptori, qu’hagué de confiar á qui menós confiansa li
mereixía; los honoraris que per conveni ab lo substitut havía de
cobrar, eran font qu’anava estroncantse y s’estroncaría del tot lo dia
que’l notari nou s’emportaría’ls manuals. La manía d’esser robada li
creixía per moments, y reduhida, pera viure, á gratar los curts
productes que tocava del escriptori, veya, esgarrifantse, arribar lo día
de no poder estalviar los rédits del diner bestret qu’era son capital.
De la plassa, del vestir, de sas necessitats diarias, no’n podía ja traure
res aquella miserable; un sol estalvi li restava á fer, lo de lloguer de
pis; y estava disposada á ferlo desseguida que perdés lo manual,
trasladantse al castell si no trobava arrendatari ó comprador. Aquella
nova, donchs, havía d’aclapararla, y per’eixir de duptes, enviá á
cercar al Olaguer.

Precisament feya tres dias que, contra sa costum, l’escanya-pobres

tornava á La Coma, hont passava llargas horas. Era á mitj juny; los
camps estavan plens d’ufana, los cirerers y pereras de Sant Joán
carregats de fruyt; l’horta tenía un abundós esplet de tomáquets,
pebrots, auberginias, monjetas y alls; la vinya comensava á verolejar,
y, dins del barri, los masovers batían las rossas garbas de blat á la
llum enlluhernadora d’un sol esplendent y entre una atmósfera d’or.
Ja no era aquella terra morta del hivern, tan avara en dar com cara
de mantindre; era tot’ella un doll de riquesa qu’entendría al Olaguer.
Allí contava de primer los caballóns, després las garbas, després las
quarteras de grá, y per fi las doblas d’or á que veya reduhit llur preu.
En lo desvari de sa passió, ja las apilava, ja las cosia en talegas y las
portava de dalt á baix del castell ben apretadetas sobre’l cor. Aquést
se li aixamplava devant de tanta abundó, l’arrastrava á travallar ab
dalit y á ferlo altre cop sociable. Mentres los masovers dinavan,
desfermava son matxo, y enfonzantse fins á genoll en la batuda
preparada á l’era, comensava á batre, tot cantant y aixeribit, ab
l’afany de enllestir feyna y tocar diner. L’odi contret ja se li apagava,
tornava á conversar ab las donas, á mostrarse afable ab los nens, á
trobar bella á la Sileta, á somniar ab lo matrimoni, y son major goig
era á las tardes, quan tornantse’n á Pratbell ab los corns de sarria
plens de fruyta y verdura, pensava en los guanys ja próxims de la
cullita y en la que pera després prometía la vinya encara. L’arreplech
fet á La Coma li estalviava la despesa del hostal; no menjava sinó
verduras, cireras y peras, y com home previsor, omplía l’sostre de la
cuyna de restalleras de pebrots y bitxos que s’assecarían pera
l’hivern.

Quan la criada de Da. Tuyas vegé barrada la porta del castell desde’l
cap de la costa, torná enrera tota joyosa de no haver de trepitjar
aquella casa de la ramor. Da. Tuyas, rosegada d’una corcor que la
consumía, hagué d’insistir dos cops més, enviantli, lo derrer, una
carta que la criada tirá per la gatonera, arrencant á córrer tot seguit.

Llavors l’escanya-pobres se presentá, ascoltá ab atenció las penas y

travalls d’aquella viuda y restá tot d’una pessa al sentirli dir lo de la
ramor. Sa primera impresió fou molt semblant á la experimentada en
lo magatzém.

¡Es á dir que ja’s tornan á fixar en mí! pensá. S’esgroguehí, quedá
capficat una estona, y, arreu, ab una mirada guspirejant de goig, en
la que la mateixa Da. Tuyas, menos possehida d’ira, hauria llegit un
sobtat descobriment, respongué qu’era veritat.

—Cóm! —exclamá la viuda— Y goseu dirmho!

—Per qué m’ha enviat á cercar, vosté? pera que l’enganyi?

—Y goseu dirho!… —torná á fer Da. Tuyas, roja com un tomáquet.

—Ja ho veurá, parlém clar: qué vol dir ab aquestas exclamacions?
que creu vosté que jo ho faig?

—Si, ras y curt, aixó mateix. Vos desitjeu eternisarvos allí per una
miseria, robant lo pa d’una pobra viuda; y fent por á la gent,
escampeu aixís, ja no sóls á llogaters y compradors, sinó á la mateixa
mestressa, qu’os hi faria nosa.

L’escanya-pobres ascoltava badant son morret de furó y, en acabant,

replicá ab l’intenció d’una amenassa esglayadora:

—Be, donchs, tréguime’n. Ja veurém qui hi anirá á estar.

—Se quedará tancat á pany y clau.

—Que li deixá gayre’l baró, ab tot y esser un beneyt del cabás? Que
per ventura’s creu la gent que so jo qui fa la ramor?

—Ho esbombaré, jo —interposá la viuda ab l’imprudencia d’una dona

fora de sí.

—D’aixó ja se’n guardará com de caure —exclamá l’escanya-pobres,

fent un pas endavant pera dar major forsa á l’amenassa. Y, arreu,
endolsint lo tó: —Me sembla —prosseguí— que va mal aconsellada
vosté; si la gent té por al castell, no’l deixi sol, perque… hi calarán
foch.

Y en lo “hi calarán”, á Da. Tuyas li semblá entendre “hi calaré”,

quedant espalmada, retuda.
—Are, fassi’l que vulga. ¿No se li ofereix pas res mes? —afegí
l’escanya-pobres, veyentse vencedor.

La vella rodá’l cap, sens gosar á aixecarlo, consumint en silenci las

llágrimas de despit que l’ofegavan. Y darrera d’una pausa
embarrassosa, sentí que son enemich, posantli la má á la espatlla,
aixís parlava:

—Pe’l be que li vuy, ascóltim. Un dia,’l seu marit, Deu l’hagi

perdonat, me deya: “Olaguer, t’has de casar”. Lo seu consell me va
sobtar de debó, y ell, pera ferme agradós lo matrimoni, me va pintar
las virtuts de vosté, com estalviadora y dona de sa casa. Ni aixís vaig
volguer ascoltarlo per duas rahóns: perque ni’m feyan falta las donas,
ni personas estalviadoras y del bon seny de vosté’s troban per tot
arreu. Es, aném al dir, tan difícil com trobar homes de la meva lley…
y vosté era casada. Donchs bé; després hi he pensat molts cops: don
Magí tenia rahó; ni l’home ni la dona, quan tenen alguna cosa que
perdre, poden viure sols… y la dona menos encare, molt menos…
Créguim á mi: senyora Tuyas, casis.

L’aludida per fi aixecá’l cap, y topant ab la mirada traydora del

Olaguer, digué ab falsa rialleta:

—Es á dir que vos sabeu un modo de capitular?

—Crech que vosté m’ha entés.

—Y llavors no hi haurá ramor?

—May n’hi ha haguda.

—Donchs que deyau ara meteix?

—La gent veig que s’ho creu, y essent aixís es més fácil ferli sentir de
debó… Are falta saber, que jo un servey lo pago ab un altre servey.

—Sou ben dolent! Tinch set mesos pera pensarm’hi.

L’escanya-pobres arronsá las espatllas ab un cop nerviós, y ficantse

las mans á las butxacas, eixí escala avall, deixant á la vella pensativa.
 VII.
Durant aquells set mesos, lo defalliment de la viuda aná aumentant
al compás de las contrarietats que, per tots cantóns, li eixian. Queyan
rédits, y’ls deutors, uns apurats de debó, altres envalentonats per la
falta de D. Magí, de qui no gosaren riures com á curial qu’era, no
pagavan; los manuals havian desaparegut ja á mans del Notari nou;
l’oncle del difunt seguia en cartas y més cartas amenassant ab acudir
als tribunals si no se li restituhia la part de llegítima gravada, y no cal
dir que’l castell continuava en poder delescanya-pobres y ben lluny
del pensament de compradors ni llogaters. Da. Tuyas sentia
l’engunia de qui ha caigut al mitj del mar y no veu sino un baixell al
horitzó, peró lluny, lluny, que potser ni á temps arribarà pera
lliurarla de las famolencas onas. Que’l baixell sia gran ó xich, hermós
ó lleig, tant se val; lo cas es que vinga, que’l malhaurat agonisant
puga aferrarse á la soga y lliurarse de la mort. Per sórt seva,’l baixell
anava atansantse, tot ensemps que’l contraposat onatje empenyia á
ella cap al baixell salvador, com moguda d’invisible imán. Era una
atracció d’afinitat molecular, empenta, per un cantó y altre, de
necessitats aparelladas.

L’estiu, l’abundós estiu, havia passat, ab sas cullitas, ab tota

s’atmósfera d’or, pera deixarne una altre de plom més miserable y
aygualida; los brassos del pagés ja no s’obrian per no poder gayre bé
abastar las dauradas garbas ni las sucosas portadoras de most;
devant del amo, estava com un pobre, sempre parant la má, pidolant
sempre per abonos y conreus, com un sagristá per ciris, que l’amo no
veya lluhir; la terra tornava á estar pelada, vidriosa, morta, y á
Pratbell s’havia apagat lo burgit de vida que’l trasport de cullitas li
doná per un moment, abaltintse altre cop ab la tristesa dels dias
curts y’l remorós trontoll dels trens que seguian passant
d’esquitllébit, tan mofetas y ergullosos com sempre.

Altra vegada, donchs, estava l’escanya-pobres reclós en lo castell,

adorant sas unsas, devorat per la passió, y morint de frisansa cada
cop qu’havia d’abandonar la vila per’adinerar fruyts, perque temia
més y més aquell ditxós cop de má. Una dona pera férlashi centinella
li mancava; ja ho havia dit: “lo Notari tenia rahó”. Y si per cas,
somniant aixís, recordava á la Sileta, abaixava’l cap al pes del
impossible, y’s quedava aquella estrella pampallugant no més, en lo
cel boyrós de la passió, entelada y moribunda. Tot son amor, totas
sas tendresas, eran pe’l or, ¿á qué, donchs, la bellesa, la juventut ni
cap dels encisos que porta en si la dona per l’enamorat? De segur que
seria malgastadora, má-foradada, com la majoría. De segur que li
duria fills, un reguitzell de necessitats costosas de que fins are s’havía
passat. Ja ho insinuá aváns: ab una centinella’n tenia prou; y pera tal
ofici cap tan barata e idónea com la Tuyas. Si era carronya y
reganyosa, ja la posaria á rotllo, y després ni un guant. Ademés era
rica, un altre mitjot pera contar, novas talegas que aparellaria, qu’un
dia serian sevas, totas sevas.

Ab tals intents, lo garnéu del Olaguer procurá amanyagar á la vella,

arreu d’haverla esparverada. La visitava sovint, li parlava sempre
d’interessos, fentse, com qui no se n’adona,’l rich, pera enllepolirla, li
dava consells pera tráurela d’apuros, y, algun cop, al consell afegí sos
bons oficis, logrant arrancar de malpagadors los rédits desitjats. Y
si’s parlava d’aquell oncle ó d’algún deutor tossut, ben prompte
saltava ab sa deria sempiterna: “es perque la veuhen sola; una dona
no fa por.”

Aixís y sense una paraula d’amor, aná guanyant á l’interesada vella,

que, per sa part, buscava rasser y també talegas. Havent dominat al
Notari, ¿per qué desesperar d’un nou triomf? La gota forada la
penya, poch á poquet se vá lluny, y tal moltó escuat aná per llana y
torná esquilat. Aixís anaren ablanintse un y altre, y potser arribaren
á creure y tot que s’estimavan, al menos ella, lo dia que, concertant
las esposallas, la viuda li digué Olagueret y ell mastegá la paraula
Tuyetas.

Passats, donchs, los deu mesos de lley, lo casament se realisá. Ells no

volgueren pompas ni caramadas, no per avaricia ¡qu’es cas! sinó pera
evitarse esquellots, y rendir un tribut al dir de la gent que veya á la
viuda encare ab vestit tintat de negre, y de més á més sabia per boca
d’ells que’ls contrayents, si no eran pobres, poch se’n mancava.

Era una matinada d’Abril, xamosa y riolera per lo ras qu’estava el cel,
la fortor de rosas que duya’l ayre, la cantadissa de aucells que hi
havia per arbres y teuladas… y, en fi, perque xamosa y riolera la
veyan aquells sos sérs qu’anavan á assolir desitjos somniats. La vila
gayre be dormia encare, quan la benehida parella ja eixia de l’iglesia;
vestida de negre la nubia, peró ab la perruca un xich més lluhenta, la
mantellina posada ab més pretensións, una mica més encastat al cos
lo mocador gran, l’esguart més aixeribit, menos arrugat lo front,
menos caygudas las vermellas galtas y un poch més aprimat lo nas;
potser xuclant la fragancia de l’atmósfera. Lo nubi, que semblava fill
d’ella, anava en cambi com avergonyit, coto’l cap que cobria un bolet
fins á las orellas (un bolet del difunt), una americana ampla y curta
(americana del difunt), una armilla de quadros y un pantalón d’esca,
que tot Pratbell coneixia com prendas del difunt, closos los llabis
d’aquell morret de furó, las mans creuhadas al derrera, com si portés
grillets.

Sí, era una matinada d’Abril, xamosa y riolera, per lo ras qu’estava’l
cel, la fortor de rosas que duya’l ayre, la cantadissa de aucells que hi
havia per arbres y tauladas… y en fi perque’l Diable n’havia fet una de
las sevas.

Lo pis del notari Xirinach quedá tancat, ab papers als ferros dels
balcóns. Tots los mobles foren trasladats al castell, feta excepció de la
despintada taula de bayeta y cadira de brassos del escriptori, qu’ab
llur producte serviren pera pagar la muda. Aixís, quan la parella
arribá al palau de sos amors, tingué taula hont regalarse ab un
chocolate ab secalls servit per la coixeta, ab repiquets y tot de crossa.

Era, la coixeta, una hórfana de solemnitat que, cansada de parar la

má al portal de l’iglesia, mudava d’ofici, desafiant la por á las
fantasmas que l’antiga criada no pogué vencer.

—Oh, si no fos la costa! —havia dit la mestressa— fins d’aquésta me’n

passaria! Si no fa proba, ja anirá á plassa l’Olaguer.

L’Olaguer sortí á dar un tom per si topava ab un dels deutors més

tossuts, ferli saber, ensenyantli las dents, que d’aquella hora ensá
era’l marit de la Tuyas. Aquésta’s passá tot lo matí arreglant las
pessas de dalt, hont havian posat molta part dels mobles del Notari.
Mes tart baixá y’s tancá de part de dins en lo dormitori nupcial
qu’era al cap del corredor inmediat á la cuyna, altre temps destinat
als porters. Peró’ls nous senyors estavan més per viure á peu plá que
no per muntar escalas y atravessar aquellas salassas hont se perdian
com formigas. Per altra part, com qu’aquell dormitori dels porters
havia sigut habitat fins á darrera hora pe’ls guardians que hi tingué’l
baró, estava ben apariat de vidres y fustas, y aixó estalviava gastos;
donava á mitjdia y aixó’l feya calent com un turró sens necessitat de
braser; s’asqueya sota d’una torra ab volta de pedra per trespol, y
aixó’l posava á cobert de fòch y de lladres. La coixeta dormiria en la
cambreta del costat del rebost qu’era darrera la llar, y aixís, tancant
la cuyna, quedavan tancats y barrats per una porta més: tres,
contanthi la forana. Reunint aytals condicions, be podian donchs
escullir aquell dormitori, prescindint de si la cals de las parets era ja
un xich massa rossa y escrostonada en certs indrets com mostrant
llagas de pedra, y fent cas omís de las dimensions de l’alcova, qu’ab
lo llit de matrimoni tot arrambat á un cantó en prou feynas permetia
una cadira. A la saleta, en cambi, se n’hi encabian tres, la calaixera de
la Tuyas, demunt de la qual posava son tocadoret de calaix, un bagul,
un tres-peus pera rentarse, y penjada en un clau de ganxo, la
carrabina del Olaguer. ¿Qué més podria desitjar un matrimoni
senzill?

Dinaren frugalment, perque era primavera, y després donaren

comiat á la criada.

—Avuy s’hi ha de conéixer —li digué donya Tuyas, que de la mort del
Notari ensá per tothom havia perdut lo Don, llevat de las minyonas—