Final answer:
Price elasticity of demand is not a primary factor in determining competitive rivalry among industry members; instead, it reflects consumer behavior. Factors like industry growth, number of competitors, product differentiation, and threat of substitutes more directly affect competitive intensity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to the factors that determine the intensity of competitive rivalry within an industry, which is a central topic in business strategy and market structure analysis. Among the options listed, Price elasticity of demand (E) is NOT primarily a factor that determines the strength of competitive rivalry. Instead, it is more related to consumer behavior and the sensitivity of demand in response to price changes.
The other factors listed such as industry growth rate, the number of competitors, product differentiation, and threat of substitute products closely tie into how fiercely companies compete with one another in the market. These factors affect how much market power firms possess, product similarity, barriers to new entrants, and the competitive strategies firms might adopt, such as competing on price or product feature.