What term refers to industry-specific factors that separate one strategic group from another?

Mobility barriers refer to the obstacles that prevent companies from moving between different strategic groups within an industry. Each strategic group consists of firms that have similar business models or competitive strategies. The barriers that separate these groups can be influenced by a variety of industry-specific factors, such as differences in pricing strategies, distribution channels, or regulatory environments.

Such barriers often dictate the competitive landscape and influence how easily firms can transition from one strategic group to another. For instance, a premium group focused on high-quality products might have mobility barriers in terms of branding and customer loyalty that prevent lower-priced competitors from entering their market space easily. Understanding these mobility barriers is crucial for strategic management as it helps firms to identify their competitive position and assess the potential for strategic moves within their industry.

In contrast, the other terms like competitive advantages, market dynamics, and economic forces have different focuses and do not specifically address the industry-specific factors that differentiate strategic groups from one another. Competitive advantages pertain to the unique benefits a firm has over its competitors, market dynamics refer to the disruptive forces affecting market conditions, and economic forces analyze broader macroeconomic factors rather than group-specific factors.