Market and Competitive Determinants of Strategy in the Process of Strategic Analysis – Toward Comprehensive and Integrated Approach

Key methodological problems, involving the process of analysis and selection strategies, now include: 1) high variability (dynamics) of a macro and microeconomic environment, 2) excess information and the ability to make its proper selection, 3) a large (and growing) number of tools of strategic analysis (including the analysis of markets, industries, competitors and strategic resources), as well as difficulties in selecting the most efficient methods and analysis tools in regard to the nature of the identified problem, 4) a lack of proposals to better integrate the results of various analyses (difficulties in comparing outputs coming from different studies, different methods, different models), 5) a transition of the analyses results regarding the instruments implementing the strategy. The indicated problems concern the crucial areas of the analysis of macro and micro environment, the competitive environment and the market, the company and its resources. The key problem seems to be here as well a lack of comprehensive analysis tools and strategic resources (the rules and criteria for the assessment of resource potential). Although the strategic management (as part of the discipline) has developed a relatively complex method of market and competitors analysis (an assessment of the scale and dynamics of demand, segmentation strategy, customer needs, business life-cycle, M.E. Porter model of industry analysis) these analyses are most often carried out independently and miss methodological proposals on how to connect (and confront) the two main areas of analysis. The aim of the article is to assess the possibilities of conducting a comprehensive analysis of the market and industry in the process of strategic analysis, and to establish general rules for the selection of analysis tools, as well as an assessment of the possibility (or necessity) to connect the results of analyses that come from different areas and models of strategic analysis processes. The considerations in the article are formed on the basis of methodological concepts and are not based on or verified in direct empirical studies (e.g. the use of analysis tools in practice), but rather on the study of literature and the methodology of business analysis (including its mainstream principles, methods and tools). The article at hand is a contribution to further discussions on new trends in light of the development of tools and methods of strategic analysis. It includes an assessment of the possibilities of better utilisation of the already known and widely used methods and tools of business environment analysis.