National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Communication
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement
The National Hockey League's (NHL's) collective bargaining agreement was due to expire on September 15, 2004. As executive director of the NHL Players' Association, it is Bob Goodenow's responsibility to negotiate a new agreement in the players' best interests. The NHL has demanded that a salary cap be imposed in the next collective bargaining agreement and has threatened a lockout by owners if the Players' Association does not agree. The NHL has implemented a successful communications strategy and gained public support. Goodenow must decide how to proceed to gain a favorable position going into the negotiations and retain the loyalty of the fans on which the sport depends.
Authors :: Michael Sider, Jeremy Yip, Phil Ward, Steve Dempsey
Swot Analysis of "National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement" written by Michael Sider, Jeremy Yip, Phil Ward, Steve Dempsey includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Nhl Bargaining facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Compensation, Customers, Labor, Negotiations and Communication.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement casestudy better are - – wage bills are increasing, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, increasing household debt because of falling income levels, increasing transportation and logistics costs, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, increasing commodity prices, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies,
there is backlash against globalization, geopolitical disruptions, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Nhl Bargaining, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Nhl Bargaining operates in.
According to Harvard Business Review, 75% of the managers use SWOT analysis for various purposes such as – evaluating current scenario, strategic planning, new venture feasibility, personal growth goals, new market entry, Go To market strategies, portfolio management and strategic trade-off assessment, organizational restructuring, etc.
SWOT Objectives / Importance of SWOT Analysis and SWOT Matrix
SWOT analysis of National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Nhl Bargaining
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Communication field.
4. Making a Communication topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of Nhl Bargaining
Strengths National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Nhl Bargaining in National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement Harvard Business Review case study are -
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Nhl Bargaining in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Analytics focus
– Nhl Bargaining is putting a lot of focus on utilizing the power of analytics in business decision making. This has put it among the leading players in the industry. The technology infrastructure suggested by Michael Sider, Jeremy Yip, Phil Ward, Steve Dempsey can also help it to harness the power of analytics for – marketing optimization, demand forecasting, customer relationship management, inventory management, information sharing across the value chain etc.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Nhl Bargaining has highly efficient outsourcing and offshoring strategy. It has resulted in greater operational flexibility and bringing down the costs in highly price sensitive segment. Secondly the value chain collaborators of the firm in National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Nhl Bargaining has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Nhl Bargaining has effective processes in place that helps in exploring new product needs, doing quick pilot testing, and then launching the products quickly using its extensive distribution network.
Digital Transformation in Communication segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Nhl Bargaining digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Nhl Bargaining has successfully integrated the four key components of digital transformation – digital integration in processes, digital integration in marketing and customer relationship management, digital integration into the value chain, and using technology to explore new products and market opportunities.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Communication industry
– National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Nhl Bargaining to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Communication industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Nhl Bargaining to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
High brand equity
– Nhl Bargaining has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Nhl Bargaining to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Learning organization
- Nhl Bargaining is a learning organization. It has inculcated three key characters of learning organization in its processes and operations – exploration, creativity, and expansiveness. The work place at Nhl Bargaining is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Ability to lead change in Communication field
– Nhl Bargaining is one of the leading players in its industry. Over the years it has not only transformed the business landscape in its segment but also across the whole industry. The ability to lead change has enabled Nhl Bargaining in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Strong track record of project management
– Nhl Bargaining is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Nhl Bargaining are driving operational speed, building greater agility, and keeping the organization nimble to compete with new competitors. It helps are organization to ideate new ideas, and execute them swiftly in the marketplace.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Nhl Bargaining has innovation driven culture where significant part of the revenues are spent on the research and development activities. This has resulted in, as mentioned in case study National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Weaknesses National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement are -
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement, it seems that the employees of Nhl Bargaining don’t have comprehensive understanding of the firm’s strategy. This is reflected in number of promotional campaigns over the last few years that had mixed messaging and competing priorities. Some of the strategic activities and services promoted in the promotional campaigns were not consistent with the organization’s strategy.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Nhl Bargaining has some of the most successful products in the industry, this business model has made each new product launch extremely critical for continuous financial growth of the organization. firm in the HBR case study - National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Nhl Bargaining is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Communication segment. Nhl Bargaining needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Nhl Bargaining to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Lack of clear differentiation of Nhl Bargaining products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Nhl Bargaining needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
High dependence on existing supply chain
– The disruption in the global supply chains because of the Covid-19 pandemic and blockage of the Suez Canal illustrated the fragile nature of Nhl Bargaining supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Nhl Bargaining vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement, in the dynamic environment Nhl Bargaining has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Nhl Bargaining has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement has high operating costs in the. This can be harder to sustain given the new emerging competition from nimble players who are using technology to attract Nhl Bargaining 's lucrative customers.
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Nhl Bargaining needs to come up with a strategy to reduce the workers concern regarding automation. Without a clear strategy, it could lead to disruption and uncertainty within the organization.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
Nhl Bargaining has a high cash cycle compare to other players in the industry. It needs to shorten the cash cycle by 12% to be more competitive in the marketplace, reduce inventory costs, and be more profitable.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement, is just above the industry average. Nhl Bargaining needs to redesign the compensation structure and incentives to increase the revenue per employees. Some of the steps that it can take are – hiring more specialists on project basis, etc.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement HBR case study mentions - Nhl Bargaining takes time to assess the upcoming competitions. This has led to missing out on atleast 2-3 big opportunities in the industry in last five years.
Opportunities National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement | External Strategic Factors
What are Opportunities in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The opportunities highlighted in the Harvard Business Review case study National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement are -
Changes in consumer behavior post Covid-19
– Consumer behavior has changed in the Communication industry because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of this behavior will stay once things get back to normal. Nhl Bargaining can take advantage of these changes in consumer behavior to build a far more efficient business model. For example consumer regular ordering of products can reduce both last mile delivery costs and market penetration costs. Nhl Bargaining can further use this consumer data to build better customer loyalty, provide better products and service collection, and improve the value proposition in inflationary times.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Nhl Bargaining can leverage digital technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate the production process, customer analytics to get better insights into consumer behavior, realtime digital dashboards to get better sales tracking, logistics and transportation, product tracking, etc.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Nhl Bargaining to increase its market reach. Nhl Bargaining will be able to reach out to new customers. Secondly 5G will also provide technology framework to build new tools and products that can help more immersive consumer experience and faster consumer journey.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Nhl Bargaining to expand its talent hiring zone. According to McKinsey Global Institute, 20% of the high end workforce in fields such as finance, information technology, can continously work from remote local post Covid-19. This presents a really great opportunity for Nhl Bargaining to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Manufacturing automation
– Nhl Bargaining can use the latest technology developments to improve its manufacturing and designing process in Communication segment. It can use CAD and 3D printing to build a quick prototype and pilot testing products. It can leverage automation using machine learning and artificial intelligence to do faster production at lowers costs, and it can leverage the growth in satellite and tracking technologies to improve inventory management, transportation, and shipping.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Nhl Bargaining is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement case study suggests that firm can utilize new technology to build more coordinated teams and streamline operations and communications using tools such as CAD, Zoom, etc.
Identify volunteer opportunities
– Covid-19 has impacted working population in two ways – it has led to people soul searching about their professional choices, resulting in mass resignation. Secondly it has encouraged people to do things that they are passionate about. This has opened opportunities for businesses to build volunteer oriented socially driven projects. Nhl Bargaining can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Nhl Bargaining can still utilize the low interest rates to borrow money for capital investment. Secondly it can also use the increase of government spending in infrastructure projects to get new business.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Nhl Bargaining to conduct training and development for its employees across the world. This will result in not only reducing the cost of training but also help employees in different part of the world to integrate with the headquarter work culture, ethos, and standards.
Buying journey improvements
– Nhl Bargaining can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement suggest that firm can provide automated chats to help consumers solve their own problems, provide online suggestions to get maximum out of the products and services, and help consumers to build a community where they can interact with each other to develop new features and uses.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Nhl Bargaining has spent a significant amount of money and effort to integrate analytics and machine learning into its operations in the sector. This continuous investment in analytics has enabled, as illustrated in the Harvard case study National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Nhl Bargaining to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Use of Bitcoin and other crypto currencies for transactions
– The popularity of Bitcoin and other crypto currencies as asset class and medium of transaction has opened new opportunities for Nhl Bargaining in the consumer business. Now Nhl Bargaining can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Finding new ways to collaborate
– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Communication industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Nhl Bargaining can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Threats National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement are -
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Nhl Bargaining high dependence on third party suppliers can disrupt its processes and delivery mechanism. For example -the current troubles of car makers because of chip shortage is because the chip companies started producing chips for electronic companies rather than car manufacturers.
Backlash against dominant players
– US Congress and other legislative arms of the government are getting tough on big business especially technology companies. The digital arm of Nhl Bargaining business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Nhl Bargaining has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Communication industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Nhl Bargaining needs to keep up with the evolution of technology in the Communication sector. According to Mckinsey study top managers believe that the adoption of technology in operations, communications is 20-25 times faster than what they planned in the beginning of 2019.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement, Nhl Bargaining may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Communication .
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Nhl Bargaining with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Nhl Bargaining can face downward pressure on margins from increasing competition from international players. The international players have stable revenue in their home market and can use those resources to penetrate prominent markets illustrated in HBR case study National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement .
Increasing wage structure of Nhl Bargaining
– Post Covid-19 there is a sharp increase in the wages especially in the jobs that require interaction with people. The increasing wages can put downward pressure on the margins of Nhl Bargaining.
Technology disruption because of hacks, piracy etc
– The colonial pipeline illustrated, how vulnerable modern organization are to international hackers, miscreants, and disruptors. The cyber security interruption, data leaks, etc can seriously jeopardize the future growth of the organization.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Nhl Bargaining in the Communication industry. The Communication industry is already at various protected from local competition in China, with the rise of trade war the protection levels may go up. This presents a clear threat of current business model in Chinese market.
Instability in the European markets
– European Union markets are facing three big challenges post Covid – expanded balance sheets, Brexit related business disruption, and aggressive Russia looking to distract the existing security mechanism. Nhl Bargaining will face different problems in different parts of Europe. For example it will face inflationary pressures in UK, France, and Germany, balance sheet expansion and demand challenges in Southern European countries, and geopolitical instability in the Eastern Europe.
Regulatory challenges
– Nhl Bargaining needs to prepare for regulatory challenges as consumer protection groups and other pressure groups are vigorously advocating for more regulations on big business - to reduce inequality, to create a level playing field, to product data privacy and consumer privacy, to reduce the influence of big money on democratic institutions, etc. This can lead to significant changes in the Communication industry regulations.
Capital market disruption
– During the Covid-19, Dow Jones has touched record high. The valuations of a number of companies are way beyond their existing business model potential. This can lead to capital market correction which can put a number of suppliers, collaborators, value chain partners in great financial difficulty. It will directly impact the business of Nhl Bargaining.
High level of anxiety and lack of motivation
– the Great Resignation in United States is the sign of broader dissatisfaction among the workforce in United States. Nhl Bargaining needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Communication industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement Template, Example
Not all factors mentioned under the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats quadrants in the SWOT Analysis are equal. Managers in the HBR case study National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement needs to zero down on the relative importance of each factor mentioned in the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats quadrants.
We can provide the relative importance to each factor by assigning relative weights. Weighted SWOT analysis process is a three stage process –
First stage for doing weighted SWOT analysis of the case study National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement is to rank the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. This will help you to assess the most important strengths and weaknesses of the firm and which one of the strengths and weaknesses mentioned in the initial lists are marginal and can be left out.
Second stage for conducting weighted SWOT analysis of the Harvard case study National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement is to give probabilities to the external strategic factors thus better understanding the opportunities and threats arising out of macro environment changes and developments.
Third stage of constructing weighted SWOT analysis of National Hockey League Collective Bargaining Agreement is to provide strategic recommendations includes – joining likelihood of external strategic factors such as opportunities and threats to the internal strategic factors – strengths and weaknesses. You should start with external factors as they will provide the direction of the overall industry. Secondly by joining probabilities with internal strategic factors can help the company not only strategic fit but also the most probably strategic trade-off that Nhl Bargaining needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.