In 1980 Michael E Porter gave us the 5 forces model for analyzing industry attractiveness. These forces have their own individual determinants, but being behaviorally determined, they are obviously subject to the history and culture of the social fabric in which they operate. The paper looks at each of the forces and isolates non market influences like history, religion and culture that have influenced the competitive positioning of firms in specific markets. The instances discussed are obviously not completely exhaustive in their determination of the competitive positioning, but suggest a methodology that may be adopted for looking at the international attractiveness of foreign markets. It may thus be used to support and verify market entry decisions for MNCs.
Competition, industry analysis, culture and religion
