Total

TOTAL S.A.
Contents

1. Introduction 3
1.1 Historical Background 3
1.2 Organisation 4
1.3 Environmental record 4
2. Industry Analysis 5
2.1 The petroleum industry 5
2.2 Porter’s 5(+1) Forces analysis 6
3. Internal analysis 9
3.1 The role of resources and capabilities in strategy formulation 9
3.2 Total’s strategy 13
4. Competitive strategy 15
4.1 What is the competitiveadvantage of Total: Cost or differentiation? 15
4.2 Implementation of total’s advantage into its strategy 16
5. Strategies and the industry life cycle 19
5.1 The industry life cycle 19
5.2 Adapting to changes over the life cycle 20
5.3 Competitive advantage in technology-based industries 21
5.4 Total view as a leader in innovations 21
6. Total vertical integration and scope of afirm 22
6.1 Total’s integrated business model 22
6.2 Justification for Total’s vertical integration 23
7. The Diversified Firm 25
7.1. Motives for diversification 25
7.2 Diversification and performance 25
7.3 The competitive advantage from diversification 26
8. International strategies 27
8.1 Implications of international competition for industry analysis 27
9. Growth of the firm.Mergers and acquisitions 29
10. Strategic alliances 30
10.1 Frist title 30
10.2 Second title 30
10.3 Third title 30
Sources 31

1. Introduction

“Total is a global energy producer and provider,
helping to meet energy demand responsibly
while promoting lower use and tackling climate change”

Total is one of France largest multinational corporations and is supplying its customerswith three different energies namely Oil, natural gas and alternative energy (mainly solar energy). The main focus of Total at the moment is on the Oil sector. Total is the fifth largest publicly-traded integrated international oil and gas company. The company operates in the entire oil and gas chain starting from exploration and production of oil fields up to transportation and refining as well asdistribution, trading and marketing of the final product. In addition Total is a big player as well in the field of chemical manufacturing.
The company is managed by a board of administration and an executive committee. Since 2007 Christophe de Margerie is the executive director of Total which has its head office in the Tour Total in the La Défense district in Courbevoie, close to Paris. TheTotal group employs over 90’000 workers in more than 130 countries all over the world. In Europe Total operates 12'062 petrol stations in France, Belgium, Holland, Luxemburg, Germany and England.

1.1 Historical Background
The company was founded after World Word I because the French Prime Minister at that time did not want to accept a partnership with Royal Dutch Shell. Therefore there was a needfor a French company which was founded in March 1924 under the name French petroleum company. The company was operating in the private sector from the beginning and went public in 1929 when the French petroleum company was listed for the first time in the French stock market.
1991 the company changed its name into Total but only until 1999. After the takeover in 1999 of Petrofina the company wascalled Total Fina. The company’s name changed again in 2000 after the acquisition of Elf Aquitaine into Total Fina Elf. Finally in 2003 the company was called again just Total. In the last decades Total acquired many other firms in the whole petroleum business chain and became a big integrated company. In 2010 Total increased its amount of sales up to 159.3 billion euros and was at the end of theyear the company with the largest capitalization on the Euronext Paris and the Euro zone with a total value of 93.2 billion euros.

1.2 Organisation
The Total group is divided into several different divisions and companies which are responsible in different stages of the business chain. Total operates mainly in three fields within the petroleum industry. In the upstream sector which includes...