Strategies for Managing Internal Competition Net Present Value (NPV) / MBA Resources

Introduction to Net Present Value (NPV) - What is Net Present Value (NPV) ? How it impacts financial decisions regarding project management?

NPV solution for Strategies for Managing Internal Competition case study

At Oak Spring University, we provide corporate level professional Net Present Value (NPV) case study solution. Strategies for Managing Internal Competition case study is a Harvard Business School (HBR) case study written by Julian Birkinshaw. The Strategies for Managing Internal Competition (referred as “Competition Internal” from here on) case study provides evaluation & decision scenario in field of Organizational Development. It also touches upon business topics such as - Value proposition, Competitive strategy, Organizational structure.

The net present value (NPV) of an investment proposal is the present value of the proposal’s net cash flows less the proposal’s initial cash outflow. If a project’s NPV is greater than or equal to zero, the project should be accepted.

NPV = Present Value of Future Cash Flows LESS Project’s Initial Investment

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Case Description of Strategies for Managing Internal Competition Case Study

Internal competition evokes mixed feelings among senior executives. It is typically seen as wasteful, bad for morale, and indicative of a lack of strategic direction; but at the same time it can also be very beneficial--a way to create flexibility in the face of technological uncertainty as well as challenge the status quo. This article draws on a five-year study in ten companies to provide advice to executives on how to realize the benefits of internal competition. It describes two distinct forms of internal competition (competition among technologies and competition among lines of business) and the appropriate strategies for managing each one. It also identifies the criteria for deciding whether to allow competing units to coexist or whether their activities should be consolidated.

Case Authors : Julian Birkinshaw

Topic : Organizational Development

Related Areas : Competitive strategy, Organizational structure

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Calculating Net Present Value (NPV) at 6% for Strategies for Managing Internal Competition Case Study

Years	Cash Flow	Net Cash Flow	Cumulative     Cash Flow	Discount Rate @ 6 %	Discounted Cash Flows
Year 0	(10010998)	-10010998	-	-
Year 1	3445179	-6565819	3445179	0.9434	3250169
Year 2	3958093	-2607726	7403272	0.89	3522689
Year 3	3957670	1349944	11360942	0.8396	3322936
Year 4	3225629	4575573	14586571	0.7921	2555000
TOTAL			14586571		12650794

The Net Present Value at 6% discount rate is 2639796

In isolation the NPV number doesn't mean much but put in right context then it is one of the best method to evaluate project returns. In this article we will cover -

Different methods of capital budgeting

What is NPV & Formula of NPV,
How it is calculated,
How to use NPV number for project evaluation, and
Scenario Planning given risks and management priorities.

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Capital Budgeting Approaches

Methods of Capital Budgeting

There are four types of capital budgeting techniques that are widely used in the corporate world –

1. Internal Rate of Return
2. Net Present Value
3. Profitability Index
4. Payback Period

Apart from the Payback period method which is an additive method, rest of the methods are based on Discounted Cash Flow technique. Even though cash flow can be calculated based on the nature of the project, for the simplicity of the article we are assuming that all the expected cash flows are realized at the end of the year.

Discounted Cash Flow approaches provide a more objective basis for evaluating and selecting investment projects. They take into consideration both –

1. Timing of the expected cash flows – stockholders of Competition Internal have higher preference for cash returns over 4-5 years rather than 10-15 years given the nature of the volatility in the industry.
2. Magnitude of both incoming and outgoing cash flows – Projects can be capital intensive, time intensive, or both. Competition Internal shareholders have preference for diversified projects investment rather than prospective high income from a single capital intensive project.

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Formula and Steps to Calculate Net Present Value (NPV) of Strategies for Managing Internal Competition

NPV = Net Cash In Flowt1 / (1+r)t1 + Net Cash In Flowt2 / (1+r)t2 + … Net Cash In Flowtn / (1+r)tn
Less Net Cash Out Flowt0 / (1+r)t0

Where t = time period, in this case year 1, year 2 and so on.
r = discount rate or return that could be earned using other safe proposition such as fixed deposit or treasury bond rate. Net Cash In Flow – What the firm will get each year.
Net Cash Out Flow – What the firm needs to invest initially in the project.

Step 1 – Understand the nature of the project and calculate cash flow for each year.
Step 2 – Discount those cash flow based on the discount rate.
Step 3 – Add all the discounted cash flow.
Step 4 – Selection of the project

Why Organizational Development Managers need to know Financial Tools such as Net Present Value (NPV)?

In our daily workplace we often come across people and colleagues who are just focused on their core competency and targets they have to deliver. For example marketing managers at Competition Internal often design programs whose objective is to drive brand awareness and customer reach. But how that 30 point increase in brand awareness or 10 point increase in customer touch points will result into shareholders’ value is not specified.

To overcome such scenarios managers at Competition Internal needs to not only know the financial aspect of project management but also needs to have tools to integrate them into part of the project development and monitoring plan.

Calculating Net Present Value (NPV) at 15%

After working through various assumptions we reached a conclusion that risk is far higher than 6%. In a reasonably stable industry with weak competition - 15% discount rate can be a good benchmark.

Years	Cash Flow	Net Cash Flow	Cumulative     Cash Flow	Discount Rate @ 15 %	Discounted Cash Flows
Year 0	(10010998)	-10010998	-	-
Year 1	3445179	-6565819	3445179	0.8696	2995808
Year 2	3958093	-2607726	7403272	0.7561	2992887
Year 3	3957670	1349944	11360942	0.6575	2602232
Year 4	3225629	4575573	14586571	0.5718	1844264
TOTAL					10435191

The Net NPV after 4 years is 424193

(10435191 - 10010998 )

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Calculating Net Present Value (NPV) at 20%

If the risk component is high in the industry then we should go for a higher hurdle rate / discount rate of 20%.

Years	Cash Flow	Net Cash Flow	Cumulative     Cash Flow	Discount Rate @ 20 %	Discounted Cash Flows
Year 0	(10010998)	-10010998	-	-
Year 1	3445179	-6565819	3445179	0.8333	2870983
Year 2	3958093	-2607726	7403272	0.6944	2748676
Year 3	3957670	1349944	11360942	0.5787	2290318
Year 4	3225629	4575573	14586571	0.4823	1555570
TOTAL					9465546

The Net NPV after 4 years is -545452

At 20% discount rate the NPV is negative (9465546 - 10010998 ) so ideally we can't select the project if macro and micro factors don't allow financial managers of Competition Internal to discount cash flow at lower discount rates such as 15%.

Acceptance Criteria of a Project based on NPV

Simplest Approach – If the investment project of Competition Internal has a NPV value higher than Zero then finance managers at Competition Internal can ACCEPT the project, otherwise they can reject the project. This means that project will deliver higher returns over the period of time than any alternate investment strategy.

In theory if the required rate of return or discount rate is chosen correctly by finance managers at Competition Internal, then the stock price of the Competition Internal should change by same amount of the NPV. In real world we know that share price also reflects various other factors that can be related to both macro and micro environment.

In the same vein – accepting the project with zero NPV should result in stagnant share price. Finance managers use discount rates as a measure of risk components in the project execution process.

Sensitivity Analysis

Project selection is often a far more complex decision than just choosing it based on the NPV number. Finance managers at Competition Internal should conduct a sensitivity analysis to better understand not only the inherent risk of the projects but also how those risks can be either factored in or mitigated during the project execution. Sensitivity analysis helps in –

What are the uncertainties surrounding the project Initial Cash Outlay (ICO’s). ICO’s often have several different components such as land, machinery, building, and other equipment.

What are the key aspects of the projects that need to be monitored, refined, and retuned for continuous delivery of projected cash flows.

What can impact the cash flow of the project.

Understanding of risks involved in the project.

What will be a multi year spillover effect of various taxation regulations.

Some of the assumptions while using the Discounted Cash Flow Methods –

Projects are assumed to be Mutually Exclusive – This is seldom the came in modern day giant organizations where projects are often inter-related and rejecting a project solely based on NPV can result in sunk cost from a related project.

Independent projects have independent cash flows – As explained in the marketing project – though the project may look independent but in reality it is not as the brand awareness project can be closely associated with the spending on sales promotions and product specific advertising.

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Negotiation Strategy of Strategies for Managing Internal Competition

References & Further Readings

Julian Birkinshaw (2018), "Strategies for Managing Internal Competition Harvard Business Review Case Study. Published by HBR Publications.