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Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution

Case Study Description of Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom


China Telecom was a major provider of telecommunication services in China. It was organized into three layersa??Corporate HQ, Provincial companies, and city branches. Zhejiang Corporation, one of China Telecom's 31 provincial companies, adopted enterprise software to combat rising competition from wireless providers to its fixed line phone services. This case explores how Zhejiang Corp. centralized its database and key transactions to analyze data, create semi-customized promotions, and reach out into non-telephone services. Then, in May 2008, the Chinese government restructured the telecommunications industry, turning China Telecom into a national carrier and removing previous restrictions on its ability to provide mobile phone services. Now that China Telecom could offer full-blown mobile service, it had to develop a new strategy to market its portfolio of products.

Authors :: Seungjin Whang

Topics :: Organizational Development

Tags :: IT, Supply chain, SWOT Analysis, SWOT Matrix, TOWS, Weighted SWOT Analysis

Swot Analysis of "Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom" written by Seungjin Whang includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Zhejiang Telecom facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, IT, Supply chain and Organizational Development.


Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom casestudy better are - – there is backlash against globalization, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, increasing commodity prices, geopolitical disruptions, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, technology disruption, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, etc



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Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom


SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Zhejiang Telecom, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Zhejiang Telecom 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 Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Zhejiang Telecom
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 Zhejiang Telecom




Strengths Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The strengths of Zhejiang Telecom in Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom Harvard Business Review case study are -

Operational resilience

– The operational resilience strategy in the Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom Harvard Business Review case study comprises – understanding the underlying the factors in the industry, building diversified operations across different geographies so that disruption in one part of the world doesn’t impact the overall performance of the firm, and integrating the various business operations and processes through its digital transformation drive.

Cross disciplinary teams

– Horizontal connected teams at the Zhejiang Telecom 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.

Sustainable margins compare to other players in Organizational Development industry

– Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Zhejiang Telecom to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Organizational Development industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Zhejiang Telecom to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.

Analytics focus

– Zhejiang Telecom 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 Seungjin Whang 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.

High switching costs

– The high switching costs that Zhejiang Telecom 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.

Low bargaining power of suppliers

– Suppliers of Zhejiang Telecom in the sector have low bargaining power. Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Zhejiang Telecom to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.

Effective Research and Development (R&D)

– Zhejiang Telecom 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 Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.

Training and development

– Zhejiang Telecom has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom 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.

Learning organization

- Zhejiang Telecom 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 Zhejiang Telecom is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.

Highly skilled collaborators

– Zhejiang Telecom 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 Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.

Ability to lead change in Organizational Development field

– Zhejiang Telecom 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 Zhejiang Telecom 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

– Zhejiang Telecom is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.






Weaknesses Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The weaknesses of Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom are -

Ability to respond to the competition

– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom, in the dynamic environment Zhejiang Telecom has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Zhejiang Telecom has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.

Need for greater diversity

– Zhejiang Telecom has taken concrete steps on diversity, equity, and inclusion. But the efforts so far has resulted in limited success. It needs to expand the recruitment and selection process to hire more people from the minorities and underprivileged background.

Aligning sales with marketing

– It come across in the case study Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom 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 Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Zhejiang Telecom is planning to shift buying processes online.

No frontier risks strategy

– After analyzing the HBR case study Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom, 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.

Lack of clear differentiation of Zhejiang Telecom products

– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Zhejiang Telecom needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.

Low market penetration in new markets

– Outside its home market of Zhejiang Telecom, firm in the HBR case study Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.

Compensation and incentives

– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom, is just above the industry average. Zhejiang Telecom 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.

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 Zhejiang Telecom supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Zhejiang Telecom vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.

Workers concerns about automation

– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Zhejiang Telecom 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.

Increasing silos among functional specialists

– The organizational structure of Zhejiang Telecom is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Organizational Development segment. Zhejiang Telecom needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Zhejiang Telecom to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.

High cash cycle compare to competitors

Zhejiang Telecom 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.




Opportunities Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom | 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 Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom are -

Changes in consumer behavior post Covid-19

– Consumer behavior has changed in the Organizational Development industry because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of this behavior will stay once things get back to normal. Zhejiang Telecom 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. Zhejiang Telecom 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.

Redefining models of collaboration and team work

– As explained in the weaknesses section, Zhejiang Telecom is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom 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.

Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains

– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Zhejiang Telecom can build a diversified supply chain model across various countries in - South East Asia, India, and other parts of the world. This reconfiguration of global supply chain can help, as suggested in case study, Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.

Buying journey improvements

– Zhejiang Telecom can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom 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, Zhejiang Telecom 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.

Better consumer reach

– The expansion of the 5G network will help Zhejiang Telecom to increase its market reach. Zhejiang Telecom 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.

Leveraging digital technologies

– Zhejiang Telecom 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.

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 Zhejiang Telecom in the consumer business. Now Zhejiang Telecom can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.

Developing new processes and practices

– Zhejiang Telecom 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.

Loyalty marketing

– Zhejiang Telecom 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.

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 Zhejiang Telecom 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.

Increase in government spending

– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Zhejiang Telecom can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Zhejiang Telecom operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Organizational Development sector.

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. Zhejiang Telecom can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.




Threats Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis


The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom are -

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. Zhejiang Telecom 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.

Barriers of entry lowering

– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Zhejiang Telecom with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.

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. Zhejiang Telecom needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Organizational Development industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.

Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution

– Zhejiang Telecom has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Organizational Development industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Zhejiang Telecom needs to keep up with the evolution of technology in the Organizational Development 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.

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 Zhejiang Telecom business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.

Shortening product life cycle

– it is one of the major threat that Zhejiang Telecom is facing in Organizational Development sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.

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.

Stagnating economy with rate increase

– Zhejiang Telecom 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.

New competition

– After the dotcom bust of 2001, financial crisis of 2008-09, the business formation in US economy had declined. But in 2020 alone, there are more than 1.5 million new business applications in United States. This can lead to greater competition for Zhejiang Telecom in the Organizational Development sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.

Environmental challenges

– Zhejiang Telecom 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. Zhejiang Telecom can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Organizational Development industry.

Regulatory challenges

– Zhejiang Telecom 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 Organizational Development 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 Zhejiang Telecom.

Consumer confidence and its impact on Zhejiang Telecom demand

– There is a high probability of declining consumer confidence, given – high inflammation rate, rise of gig economy, lower job stability, increasing cost of living, higher interest rates, and aging demography. All the factors contribute to people saving higher rate of their income, resulting in lower consumer demand in the industry and other sectors.




Weighted SWOT Analysis of Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom 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 Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom 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 Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom 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 Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom 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 Zhejiang Corporation of China Telecom 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 Zhejiang Telecom needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.



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