The End of Core Competence: What the “Stars” Foretell

The core competence concept has proved to be an elusive one for management scholars and executives alike because of its ambivalence towards Japanese industrial history, selectivity towards corporate histories,and the amorphousness and porosity of its logical structure.

This note by P S Thomas tries to show how identification of core competences can be facilitated by complete reviews of the histories of two “star” corporations, viz., Matsushita Electric and Fujitsu Ltd. More such case studies may have to be undertaken and⁄ or discussed to facilitate the use of the core competence perspective for global competition.