SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Organizational Development
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders
Describes the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's 2003 proposal to allow shareholders to nominate a "short slate" of directors for the board of listed companies. Includes comment letters for and against the proposal.
Swot Analysis of "SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders" written by Jay W. Lorsch, Ashley C. Robertson includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Proposal Nominate facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Corporate governance, Government and Organizational Development.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders casestudy better are - – increasing household debt because of falling income levels, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, increasing energy prices, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, geopolitical disruptions, there is increasing trade war between United States & China,
increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Proposal Nominate, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Proposal Nominate 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 SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Proposal Nominate
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Organizational Development field.
4. Making a Organizational Development topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of Proposal Nominate
Strengths SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Proposal Nominate in SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders Harvard Business Review case study are -
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Organizational Development industry
– SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Proposal Nominate to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Organizational Development industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Proposal Nominate to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Training and development
– Proposal Nominate has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders Harvard Business Review case study by analyzing – employees retention, in-house promotion, loyalty, new venture initiation, lack of conflict, and high level of both employees and customer engagement.
Diverse revenue streams
– Proposal Nominate is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders case study a diverse revenue stream that has helped it to survive disruptions such as global pandemic in Covid-19, financial disruption of 2008, and supply chain disruption of 2021.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Proposal Nominate 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 SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Proposal Nominate in the sector have low bargaining power. SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Proposal Nominate to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
High brand equity
– Proposal Nominate has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Proposal Nominate to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Proposal Nominate 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.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Proposal Nominate has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Proposal Nominate 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.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Proposal Nominate is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Innovation driven organization
– Proposal Nominate is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Proposal Nominate 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 SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Proposal Nominate has built up over years in its products and services combo offer has resulted in high retention of customers, lower marketing costs, and greater ability of the firm to focus on its customers.
Weaknesses SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders are -
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Proposal Nominate has created an environment where the organization is dominated by functional specialists rather than management generalist. This has resulted into product oriented approach rather than marketing oriented approach or consumers oriented approach.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Proposal Nominate is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Organizational Development segment. Proposal Nominate needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Proposal Nominate to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Proposal Nominate 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.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Proposal Nominate is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders HBR case study mentions - Proposal Nominate 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.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders, it seems that the employees of Proposal Nominate 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.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders, it seems that company is thinking about the frontier risks that can impact Organizational Development strategy. But it has very little resources allocation to manage the risks emerging from events such as natural disasters, climate change, melting of permafrost, tacking the rise of artificial intelligence, opportunities and threats emerging from commercialization of space etc.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
Proposal Nominate 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.
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 Proposal Nominate supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Proposal Nominate vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
High dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders HBR case study still accounts for major business revenue. This dependence on star products in has resulted into insufficient focus on developing new products, even though Proposal Nominate has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders that the firm needs to have more collaboration between its sales team and marketing team. Sales professionals in the industry have deep experience in developing customer relationships. Marketing department in the case SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Proposal Nominate is planning to shift buying processes online.
Opportunities SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders | 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 SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders are -
Reconfiguring business model
– The expansion of digital payment system, the bringing down of international transactions costs using Bitcoin and other blockchain based currencies, etc can help Proposal Nominate to reconfigure its entire business model. For example it can used blockchain based technologies to reduce piracy of its products in the big markets such as China. Secondly it can use the popularity of e-commerce in various developing markets to build a Direct to Customer business model rather than the current Channel Heavy distribution network.
Developing new processes and practices
– Proposal Nominate can develop new processes and procedures in Organizational Development industry using technology such as automation using artificial intelligence, real time transportation and products tracking, 3D modeling for concept development and new products pilot testing etc.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Proposal Nominate has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Proposal Nominate to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders case study. Proposal Nominate can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, 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. Proposal Nominate can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Proposal Nominate can make experimentation a productive activity and build a culture of innovation using approaches such as – mining transaction data, A/B testing of websites and selling platforms, engaging potential customers over various needs, and building on small ideas in the Organizational Development segment.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Proposal Nominate can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Proposal Nominate operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Organizational Development sector.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Proposal Nominate can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Proposal Nominate 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
– Proposal Nominate can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders 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.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Proposal Nominate 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.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Proposal Nominate 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.
Loyalty marketing
– Proposal Nominate has focused on building a highly responsive customer relationship management platform. This platform is built on in-house data and driven by analytics and artificial intelligence. The customer analytics can help the organization to fine tune its loyalty marketing efforts, increase the wallet share of the organization, reduce wastage on mainstream advertising spending, build better pricing strategies using personalization, etc.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Proposal Nominate 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 Proposal Nominate to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Threats SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders are -
Easy access to finance
– Easy access to finance in Organizational Development field will also reduce the barriers to entry in the industry, thus putting downward pressure on the prices because of increasing competition. Proposal Nominate can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Proposal Nominate 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 SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders .
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 Proposal Nominate.
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 Proposal Nominate business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Environmental challenges
– Proposal Nominate needs to have a robust strategy against the disruptions arising from climate change and energy requirements. EU has identified it as key priority area and spending 30% of its 880 billion Euros European post Covid-19 recovery funds on green technology. Proposal Nominate can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Organizational Development industry.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Proposal Nominate in the Organizational Development industry. The Organizational Development 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.
Increasing wage structure of Proposal Nominate
– 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 Proposal Nominate.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders, Proposal Nominate may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Organizational Development .
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.
Aging population
– As the populations of most advanced economies are aging, it will lead to high social security costs, higher savings among population, and lower demand for goods and services in the economy. The household savings in US, France, UK, Germany, and Japan are growing faster than predicted because of uncertainty caused by pandemic.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Proposal Nominate 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.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Proposal Nominate with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Proposal Nominate can face lack of demand in the market place because of Fed actions to reduce inflation. This can lead to sluggish growth in the economy, lower demands, lower investments, higher borrowing costs, and consolidation in the field.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders 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 SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders 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 SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders 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 SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders 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 SEC Proposal for Nomination of Directors by Shareholders 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 Proposal Nominate needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
