Bogdanov Sergey Viktorovich

The article is devoted to the interpretation of conceptual approaches (market and resource) to the formation of competitive advantages of companies. The key features of the classic business environment and the prerequisites on which the market and resource approaches are based are formulated. The differences were revealed between two opposite approaches to competition (according to Porter) — “to be the best” or “to be unique”. The limitedness of the “being the best” approach is shown, and it is proved that strategy is responsible for the uniqueness (of a product or method), and uniqueness is achieved through innovation. Attention is drawn to the fact that companies make strategic choices simultaneously in the space of results and in the space of risks, so this can lead to both success and failure (this is the essence of the strategic paradox). And the conclusion was made that the more extreme (extreme) strategies the company adheres to, the greater the strategic risk it takes upon itself, and this can lead to both obtaining large profits and ending in bankruptcy. Michael Raynor’s rationale is given that companies seeking to avoid risk (implementing hybrid strategies) make a choice in favor of lower profits (in favor of mediocrity), but this statement in some cases does not find confirmation in reality. It has been proven in practice that if a company manages to quickly move from one wave of competitive advantage to another, then it can maintain a sustainable competitive advantage for a long time; an algorithm for such a transition is presented.

The article is devoted to the study of design thinking as a new approach used by modern companies to solve problems of various levels of complexity (and their comprehension), and the implementation of favorable opportunities. It presents a retrospective view on the development of design thinking, identifies priority sectors of its application, and reviews the definitions of the concept by leading researchers. It is shown that designers in the modern economy are beginning to play an increasingly important strategic role. This is due to the fact that the twenty-first century is becoming a century of constant innovation, and innovation for companies is becoming a survival strategy. The article provides a comparative description of two approaches (methods) to managerial decision-making (business thinking and design thinking) and discloses an algorithm for applying each of them on a specific example. The stages of the design thinking process (empathy, analysis, and synthesis, generation of ideas, prototyping, testing, storytelling) are singled out and a brief description of each of them is given. Particular attention is paid to the justification of the need to form a cross-functional team to achieve results, shows its participation in the implementation of a specific project, and formulates questions to improve the effectiveness of teamwork in business. The author analyzes the experience of applying design thinking in a particular company, which allowed it to take a leading position in its segment of the global market. It is concluded that design thinking helps company managers to rethink the essence of business, better understand the needs of their customers, identify the most profitable niches and implement appropriate innovative projects.