Attempts to close the gaps between the industry and the individual firm in the context of micro-micro economics fail to confirm the only existing synthesis in the literature, as proposed by researchers such as Michael E. Porter at Harvard University. A number of the concepts used - such as the industry, the presence of strategic groups and the related entry, exit and mobility barriers - have been seriously criticized. Four-digit industries are undoubtedly too large and complicated to be comprehensively analysed in one single industry study. A much smaller unit, the competitive group, turns out to be the most appropriate unit for analysis. Accordingly, this book sets out to explain the process of competition among a group of firms in the Swiss Plastics Manufacturing Industry. The analytical concepts used in conducting the group study primarily come from management literature. The results obtained clearly show that research efforts should be directed towards this field if the process of competition is to be satisfactorily explained.
The public policy implications of this research project clearly confirm the need for appropriate instruments to deal with restrictive trade practices, the rise and abuse of market power, and consumer protection - a fact not readily appreciated in a country such as Switzerland.