Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Organizational Development
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair
Adrian Ivinson is the director of Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair (HCNR), a not-for-profit research center at the Harvard Medical School (HMS). The center was started in late 2000 with a gift of $37.5 million from an anonymous donor. Its mandate was to conduct research that could lead to actual treatments for neurodegenerative disease (i.e., ALS, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, MS, and Huntington's) and do so by encouraging collaboration among researchers in the HMS community. When Ivinson takes the helm in 2001, he finds a dysfunctional center with little organization or structure. In addition, he has little formal authority to make changes and he must navigate the complex culture of the HMS neurological research community as well as the HMS academic culture. Demonstrates Ivinson's efforts to develop HCNR as a catalyst for aligning scientific researchers in the HMS community by creating incentives for innovation and collaboration. Also, profiles the issues he faces as general manager at various stages of the organization's development--and how his style, priorities, and approach must change as the needs of the organization change. Provides an opportunity for action planning to address the major issues facing the HCNR at the end of 2005. Focuses on organizational culture, alignment, leadership style/fit, and change management.
Swot Analysis of "Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair" written by Robert Steven Kaplan, Ayesha Kanji includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Hms Hcnr facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Collaboration, Influence, Innovation, Leadership, Organizational culture, Social enterprise, Strategy and Organizational Development.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair casestudy better are - – increasing transportation and logistics costs, increasing energy prices, increasing household debt because of falling income levels, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, wage bills are increasing, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models,
customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Hms Hcnr, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Hms Hcnr 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 Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Hms Hcnr
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 Hms Hcnr
Strengths Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Hms Hcnr in Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair Harvard Business Review case study are -
High brand equity
– Hms Hcnr has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Hms Hcnr to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Learning organization
- Hms Hcnr 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 Hms Hcnr is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Innovation driven organization
– Hms Hcnr is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Hms Hcnr 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.
Strong track record of project management
– Hms Hcnr is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Hms Hcnr in the sector have low bargaining power. Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Hms Hcnr to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Ability to lead change in Organizational Development field
– Hms Hcnr 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 Hms Hcnr in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Organizational Resilience of Hms Hcnr
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Hms Hcnr does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Training and development
– Hms Hcnr has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair 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.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Hms Hcnr 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.
Digital Transformation in Organizational Development segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Hms Hcnr digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Hms Hcnr 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.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Hms Hcnr 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 Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair - 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 Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair are -
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair 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 Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Hms Hcnr is planning to shift buying processes online.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair, in the dynamic environment Hms Hcnr has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Hms Hcnr has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, Hms Hcnr has a very deliberative decision making approach. This approach has resulted in prudent decisions, but it has also resulted in missing opportunities in the industry over the last five years. Hms Hcnr even though has strong showing on digital transformation primary two stages, it has struggled to capitalize the power of digital transformation in marketing efforts and new venture efforts.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Hms Hcnr has borrowed money from the capital market at higher rates. It needs to restructure the interest payment and costs so that it can compete better and improve profitability.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Hms Hcnr 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.
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 Hms Hcnr supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Hms Hcnr vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair 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 Hms Hcnr 's lucrative customers.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Hms Hcnr has not been able to do capital spending to the tune of the competition. This has resulted into fewer innovations and company facing stiff competition from both existing competitors and new entrants who are disrupting the industry using digital technology.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair, it seems that the employees of Hms Hcnr 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.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Hms Hcnr is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Robert Steven Kaplan, Ayesha Kanji suggests that, Hms Hcnr is facing high bargaining power of the channel partners. So far it has not able to streamline the operations to reduce the bargaining power of the value chain partners in the industry.
Opportunities Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair | 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 Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair are -
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Hms Hcnr 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, Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Hms Hcnr can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Finding new ways to collaborate
– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Organizational Development industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Hms Hcnr can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Hms Hcnr 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
– Hms Hcnr can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair 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.
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. Hms Hcnr 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. Hms Hcnr 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, Hms Hcnr is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair 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. Hms Hcnr can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Hms Hcnr 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.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Hms Hcnr to increase its market reach. Hms Hcnr 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.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Hms Hcnr 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.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Hms Hcnr 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 Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Hms Hcnr to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Manufacturing automation
– Hms Hcnr can use the latest technology developments to improve its manufacturing and designing process in Organizational Development 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.
Threats Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair are -
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Hms Hcnr 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 Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair .
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. Hms Hcnr 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.
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 Hms Hcnr business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Hms Hcnr 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.
Regulatory challenges
– Hms Hcnr 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.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Hms Hcnr is facing in Organizational Development sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
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. Hms Hcnr needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Organizational Development industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
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.
Increasing wage structure of Hms Hcnr
– 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 Hms Hcnr.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Hms Hcnr 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.
Environmental challenges
– Hms Hcnr 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. Hms Hcnr can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Organizational Development industry.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair, Hms Hcnr 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 .
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.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair 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 Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair 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 Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair 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 Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair 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 Adrian Ivinson at the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair 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 Hms Hcnr needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
