The fundamental strengths, skills, or capabilities that give an organization its competitive advantage and strategic focus.
Coined by business strategists C.K. Prahalad and Gary Hamel in their influential 1990 Harvard Business Review article. They argued companies should focus on what they do uniquely well rather than trying to excel at everything.
The biological metaphor is intentional - like an organism's vital organs, core competencies are what keep a business alive and thriving. Prahalad and Hamel chose 'core' over 'key' or 'main' to emphasize these aren't just important skills, but the essential DNA of organizational identity.
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