MAPP Working Papers,
University of Aarhus, Aarhus School of Business, The MAPP Centre

Abstract: Executive summary

1. To an increasing degree Danish food companies believe that market orientation is a decisive factor, if they want to remain competitive. But what does it actually mean to be competitive, and what are the specific market demands that Danish food companies have to live up to?

2. The purpose of this study is – on the basis of the MAPP Centre’s extensive research results – to identify central market demands which Danish food companies face and present the food companies’ conception of these demands. Moreover, the purpose is to convey food companies’ ideas about which competences are required to fulfil the market demands.

3. An extensive literature study of the MAPP Centre’s research produced a number of central market demands, which Danish food companies face on various European markets – 13 market demands relating to consumers and 14 to the retail trade.

4. Three workshops with managers from the food industry helped translate the market demands into company competences. The managers discussed and concluded what is required of a company to fulfil these market demands. A total of 28 competences were identified and the connection to each market demand was illustrated and discussed. Product development, customer relations, flexibility, strategy and market analysis competence are the five bull’s eye competences, as they are mentioned in connection with many of the market demands.

5. Seeing that the identified market demands are perceived as central, the identified competences can also be perceived as central to the Danish food companies. Therefore the study gives a valuable contribution to food companies’ endeavours to select and build competences, as the study identifies areas in which food companies can and ought to build competences.

Keywords: Competitive power; Food industry; Managerial cognition; Denmark

69 pages, December 1, 1999

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