A Major US

question 48

Essay

A major U.S. automaker from 1902 to 1966, Studebaker Corp. prospered in the late 1940s and into the 1960s. Its advertising after World War II emphasized quality of design and production. The corporation also used the stability of its work force in its advertisements, often featuring pictures of father and son working side by side in its factories.

Required:
(a) From just this brief description of Studebaker Corporation, which type of competitive strategy-cost leadership or differentiation, would you guess Studebaker was using? Explain your choice.
(b) Given your answer in Part (a), speculate on what market factors might have caused the corporation to go into bankruptcy and cease production in the mid-1960s.

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Definitions:

Equipment Account

A financial account that tracks the acquisition cost and depreciation of a company's equipment.

Ordinary Repairs

Routine maintenance and repair costs that are expensed in the period incurred to keep an asset in its normal operating condition.

Physically Extracted

The process of removing materials or resources from the natural environment through manual or mechanical means.

Act Of Nature

Events caused by natural forces that are beyond human control, like earthquakes, hurricanes, or floods, affecting businesses and individuals.