Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Organizational Development
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B)
This is a Darden case study.With the assistance of a temporary graduate student, the director of corporate research uses multiattribute decision analysis to find a plan with greatly improved projected performance (see UV0528). The methodology for eliciting probabilities, assessing trade-offs and risk preferences, and finding the most desirable plan is detailed. (A follow-up case, which takes place four years later, is UV0531.)
Swot Analysis of "Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B)" written by Jeffrey L. McNair, Samuel E Bodily includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Study.with Uv0528 facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Budgeting, Decision making and Organizational Development.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) casestudy better are - – cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, there is backlash against globalization, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, increasing household debt because of falling income levels, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, there is increasing trade war between United States & China,
increasing energy prices, increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B)
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Study.with Uv0528, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Study.with Uv0528 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 Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Study.with Uv0528
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 Study.with Uv0528
Strengths Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Study.with Uv0528 in Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) Harvard Business Review case study are -
Learning organization
- Study.with Uv0528 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 Study.with Uv0528 is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
High brand equity
– Study.with Uv0528 has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Study.with Uv0528 to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Diverse revenue streams
– Study.with Uv0528 is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) 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.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Study.with Uv0528 in the sector have low bargaining power. Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Study.with Uv0528 to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Strong track record of project management
– Study.with Uv0528 is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Organizational Development industry
– Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Study.with Uv0528 to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Organizational Development industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Study.with Uv0528 to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Analytics focus
– Study.with Uv0528 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 Jeffrey L. McNair, Samuel E Bodily 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.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Study.with Uv0528 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 Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Study.with Uv0528 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 Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Digital Transformation in Organizational Development segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Study.with Uv0528 digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Study.with Uv0528 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.
Training and development
– Study.with Uv0528 has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) 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.
Ability to lead change in Organizational Development field
– Study.with Uv0528 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 Study.with Uv0528 in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Weaknesses Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) are -
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B), 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 bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Jeffrey L. McNair, Samuel E Bodily suggests that, Study.with Uv0528 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.
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 Study.with Uv0528 supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B), it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Study.with Uv0528 vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) 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 Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Study.with Uv0528 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 Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B), in the dynamic environment Study.with Uv0528 has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Study.with Uv0528 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, Study.with Uv0528 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. Study.with Uv0528 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, Study.with Uv0528 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 Study.with Uv0528 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.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) HBR case study mentions - Study.with Uv0528 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.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B), is just above the industry average. Study.with Uv0528 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.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Study.with Uv0528 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.
Opportunities Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) | 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 Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) are -
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 Study.with Uv0528 in the consumer business. Now Study.with Uv0528 can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Study.with Uv0528 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.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Study.with Uv0528 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, Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B), to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Study.with Uv0528 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 Study.with Uv0528 to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Study.with Uv0528 can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Study.with Uv0528 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.
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. Study.with Uv0528 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. Study.with Uv0528 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.
Buying journey improvements
– Study.with Uv0528 can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) 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.
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. Study.with Uv0528 can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Study.with Uv0528 to increase its market reach. Study.with Uv0528 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.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Study.with Uv0528 is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) 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.
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 Study.with Uv0528 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.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Study.with Uv0528 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 Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Study.with Uv0528 to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Threats Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) are -
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 Study.with Uv0528.
Increasing wage structure of Study.with Uv0528
– 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 Study.with Uv0528.
Regulatory challenges
– Study.with Uv0528 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.
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. Study.with Uv0528 can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
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. Study.with Uv0528 needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Organizational Development industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Study.with Uv0528 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.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Study.with Uv0528 has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Organizational Development industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Study.with Uv0528 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.
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 Study.with Uv0528 in the Organizational Development sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B), Study.with Uv0528 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.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Study.with Uv0528 with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Study.with Uv0528 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.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Study.with Uv0528 is facing in Organizational Development sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) 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 Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) 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 Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) 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 Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) 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 Whirlpool Research and Engineering Division (B) 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 Study.with Uv0528 needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.