Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Sales & Marketing
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations?
The emerging concept of corporate citizenship entails membership in a global community where citizens have duties to respond to the needs of their fellow citizens. The author puts forth a 'statement of a minimal moral obligation' (SMMO) for firms in industries such as pharmaceuticals, who have the ability to address rampant health risks in developing countries. He defines corporate obligation as consisting of three elements, and argues that the emerging concept of corporate and business citizenship supports recognition of the duty established in his SMMO. By supporting the global community, he argues, firms will be helping to maintain a supportive environment for business activity.
Swot Analysis of "Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations?" written by Thomas W. Dunfee includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Smmo Obligation facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Emerging markets, Ethics, Leadership, Social responsibility and Sales & Marketing.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? casestudy better are - – there is backlash against globalization, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, there is increasing trade war between United States & China,
increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, geopolitical disruptions, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations?
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Smmo Obligation, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Smmo Obligation 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 Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Smmo Obligation
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Sales & Marketing field.
4. Making a Sales & Marketing topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of Smmo Obligation
Strengths Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Smmo Obligation in Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? Harvard Business Review case study are -
Training and development
– Smmo Obligation has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? 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.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Smmo Obligation in the sector have low bargaining power. Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Smmo Obligation to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Learning organization
- Smmo Obligation 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 Smmo Obligation is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Smmo Obligation 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.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Smmo Obligation is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Smmo Obligation 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 Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Smmo Obligation has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Smmo Obligation 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.
Analytics focus
– Smmo Obligation 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 Thomas W. Dunfee 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.
Diverse revenue streams
– Smmo Obligation is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? 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.
High brand equity
– Smmo Obligation has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Smmo Obligation to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Strong track record of project management
– Smmo Obligation 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 Sales & Marketing industry
– Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Smmo Obligation to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Sales & Marketing industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Smmo Obligation to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Weaknesses Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? are -
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations?, in the dynamic environment Smmo Obligation has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Smmo Obligation has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Smmo Obligation is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? 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, Thomas W. Dunfee suggests that, Smmo Obligation 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.
Need for greater diversity
– Smmo Obligation 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.
Lack of clear differentiation of Smmo Obligation products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Smmo Obligation needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? HBR case study mentions - Smmo Obligation 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.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Smmo Obligation is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Sales & Marketing segment. Smmo Obligation needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Smmo Obligation to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? 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 Smmo Obligation 's lucrative customers.
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 Smmo Obligation supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations?, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Smmo Obligation vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
Smmo Obligation 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.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? 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 Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Smmo Obligation is planning to shift buying processes online.
Opportunities Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? | 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 Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? are -
Developing new processes and practices
– Smmo Obligation can develop new processes and procedures in Sales & Marketing 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.
Manufacturing automation
– Smmo Obligation can use the latest technology developments to improve its manufacturing and designing process in Sales & Marketing 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.
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 Smmo Obligation 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.
Loyalty marketing
– Smmo Obligation 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 Smmo Obligation 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 Smmo Obligation to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Smmo Obligation in the field of marketing communication. It will bring down the cost of doing business, provide technology platform to build new products in the Sales & Marketing segment, and it will provide faster access to the consumers.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Smmo Obligation 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 Sales & Marketing segment.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Smmo Obligation is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? 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.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Smmo Obligation 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.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Smmo Obligation has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Smmo Obligation to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? case study. Smmo Obligation can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Smmo Obligation 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.
Finding new ways to collaborate
– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Sales & Marketing industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Smmo Obligation can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
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 Smmo Obligation in the consumer business. Now Smmo Obligation can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Threats Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? 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 Smmo Obligation.
Increasing wage structure of Smmo Obligation
– 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 Smmo Obligation.
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 Smmo Obligation business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Smmo Obligation 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
– Smmo Obligation 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 Sales & Marketing industry regulations.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Smmo Obligation has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Sales & Marketing industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Smmo Obligation needs to keep up with the evolution of technology in the Sales & Marketing 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.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Smmo Obligation is facing in Sales & Marketing sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
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. Smmo Obligation 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.
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 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. Smmo Obligation needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Sales & Marketing industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
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 Smmo Obligation in the Sales & Marketing sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Smmo Obligation 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.
Environmental challenges
– Smmo Obligation 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. Smmo Obligation can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Sales & Marketing industry.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? 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 Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? 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 Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? 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 Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? 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 Do Firms with Unique Competencies Have Special Obligations? 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 Smmo Obligation needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.