Porter, Michael E.

(b. 1947) Gen Mgt

U.S. academic and consultant. Known for his theories such as the value chain designed to help businesses examine their competitive capabilities. In Competitive Strategy (1980), Porter argued that to gain competitive advantage, an organization needs to perform the activities in the value chain more cheaply or in a better way than its competitors. More recently, in response to thinkers such as Gary Hamel, he advised on using the value chain to achieve differentiation from other players in a market.

     Porter studied at Harvard, and at the age of 26 he became one of the youngest tenured professors in the school’s history. He has served as a counselor on competitive strategy to many leading U.S. and international companies and plays an active role in economic policy with the U.S. Congress, business groups, and as an advisor to foreign governments.