Case Study Description of Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search
MBA student Doyle Williams searches for his ideal job in a private equity group and uses his negotiation skills to try to attain the best possible compensation package. A rewritten version of an earlier case.
Swot Analysis of "Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search" written by James K. Sebenius includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Doyle's Doyle facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Compensation, Hiring, Negotiations and Strategy & Execution.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search casestudy better are - – increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, increasing energy prices, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs,
supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Doyle's Doyle, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Doyle's Doyle 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 Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Doyle's Doyle
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Strategy & Execution field.
4. Making a Strategy & Execution topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of Doyle's Doyle
Strengths Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Doyle's Doyle in Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search Harvard Business Review case study are -
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Doyle's Doyle 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.
Learning organization
- Doyle's Doyle 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 Doyle's Doyle is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Ability to lead change in Strategy & Execution field
– Doyle's Doyle 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 Doyle's Doyle 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
– Doyle's Doyle is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Doyle's Doyle 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 Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Doyle's Doyle has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Doyle's Doyle 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.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Doyle's Doyle 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.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Doyle's Doyle in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Analytics focus
– Doyle's Doyle 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 James K. Sebenius 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.
Digital Transformation in Strategy & Execution segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Doyle's Doyle digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Doyle's Doyle 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.
High brand equity
– Doyle's Doyle has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Doyle's Doyle to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Doyle's Doyle is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Weaknesses Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search are -
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 Doyle's Doyle supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Doyle's Doyle vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Doyle's Doyle 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.
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Doyle's Doyle 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.
Need for greater diversity
– Doyle's Doyle 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.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Doyle's Doyle 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.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Doyle's Doyle, firm in the HBR case study Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search HBR case study mentions - Doyle's Doyle 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.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, Doyle's Doyle 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. Doyle's Doyle 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.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Doyle's Doyle is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Strategy & Execution segment. Doyle's Doyle needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Doyle's Doyle to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search, in the dynamic environment Doyle's Doyle has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Doyle's Doyle has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
High dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search HBR case study still accounts for major business revenue. This dependence on star products in has resulted into insufficient focus on developing new products, even though Doyle's Doyle has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Opportunities Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search | 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 Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search are -
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Doyle's Doyle 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, Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search, 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 Doyle's Doyle 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 Doyle's Doyle to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Buying journey improvements
– Doyle's Doyle can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search 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. Doyle's Doyle can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Developing new processes and practices
– Doyle's Doyle can develop new processes and procedures in Strategy & Execution 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.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Doyle's Doyle 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.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Doyle's Doyle in the field of marketing communication. It will bring down the cost of doing business, provide technology platform to build new products in the Strategy & Execution segment, and it will provide faster access to the consumers.
Changes in consumer behavior post Covid-19
– Consumer behavior has changed in the Strategy & Execution industry because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of this behavior will stay once things get back to normal. Doyle's Doyle 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. Doyle's Doyle 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.
Manufacturing automation
– Doyle's Doyle can use the latest technology developments to improve its manufacturing and designing process in Strategy & Execution 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.
Finding new ways to collaborate
– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Strategy & Execution industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Doyle's Doyle can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Doyle's Doyle can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Doyle's Doyle operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Strategy & Execution sector.
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 Doyle's Doyle 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.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Doyle's Doyle has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Doyle's Doyle to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search case study. Doyle's Doyle can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Threats Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search are -
Regulatory challenges
– Doyle's Doyle 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 Strategy & Execution industry regulations.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Doyle's Doyle with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Increasing wage structure of Doyle's Doyle
– 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 Doyle's Doyle.
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 Doyle's Doyle in the Strategy & Execution sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Doyle's Doyle 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.
Easy access to finance
– Easy access to finance in Strategy & Execution field will also reduce the barriers to entry in the industry, thus putting downward pressure on the prices because of increasing competition. Doyle's Doyle can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Doyle's Doyle 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 Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search .
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 Doyle's Doyle.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Doyle's Doyle 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.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Doyle's Doyle in the Strategy & Execution industry. The Strategy & Execution 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.
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.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search, Doyle's Doyle may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Strategy & Execution .
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 Doyle's Doyle business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search 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 Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search 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 Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search 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 Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search 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 Doyle's Dealmaking Dilemma (A): Negotiating the Job Search 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 Doyle's Doyle needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.