Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Strategy & Execution
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait
Ibrahim Dabdoub, the Group chief executive of the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), reflects on his past 30 years at the helm of the Bank. Under his leadership, NBK grew from a small local bank to one of the preeminent financial institutions in the region. However, following the global financial crisis of 2008 and the Arab Spring, NBK had to slow its regional expansion. Dabdoub wonders if the Bank is positioned to thrive and fulfill its collective ambition to become the Arab regional bank by 2020.
Swot Analysis of "Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait" written by Linda A. Hill, Dana M. Teppert includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Dabdoub Nbk facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Growth strategy, Leadership, Leadership development, Leading teams, Strategy execution and Strategy & Execution.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait casestudy better are - – increasing commodity prices, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, increasing transportation and logistics costs, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , technology disruption, there is backlash against globalization, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings,
cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Dabdoub Nbk, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Dabdoub Nbk 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 Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Dabdoub Nbk
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 Dabdoub Nbk
Strengths Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Dabdoub Nbk in Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait Harvard Business Review case study are -
Successful track record of launching new products
– Dabdoub Nbk has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Dabdoub Nbk 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.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Strategy & Execution industry
– Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Dabdoub Nbk to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Dabdoub Nbk to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Learning organization
- Dabdoub Nbk 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 Dabdoub Nbk is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Organizational Resilience of Dabdoub Nbk
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Dabdoub Nbk does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Digital Transformation in Strategy & Execution segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Dabdoub Nbk digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Dabdoub Nbk 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.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Dabdoub Nbk in the sector have low bargaining power. Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Dabdoub Nbk to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Dabdoub Nbk in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Dabdoub Nbk 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 Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Dabdoub Nbk is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Diverse revenue streams
– Dabdoub Nbk is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait 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.
Ability to lead change in Strategy & Execution field
– Dabdoub Nbk 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 Dabdoub Nbk in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Analytics focus
– Dabdoub Nbk 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 Linda A. Hill, Dana M. Teppert 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.
Weaknesses Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait are -
Lack of clear differentiation of Dabdoub Nbk products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Dabdoub Nbk needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Dabdoub Nbk is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Strategy & Execution segment. Dabdoub Nbk needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Dabdoub Nbk to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Dabdoub Nbk is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait 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 dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait 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 Dabdoub Nbk has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Dabdoub Nbk 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.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Dabdoub Nbk 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.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Dabdoub Nbk 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.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Dabdoub Nbk 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.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Linda A. Hill, Dana M. Teppert suggests that, Dabdoub Nbk 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.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Dabdoub Nbk, firm in the HBR case study Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait, it seems that company is thinking about the frontier risks that can impact Strategy & Execution 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.
Opportunities Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait | 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 Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait are -
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Dabdoub Nbk to increase its market reach. Dabdoub Nbk 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.
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 Dabdoub Nbk in the consumer business. Now Dabdoub Nbk can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
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. Dabdoub Nbk 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. Dabdoub Nbk 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.
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. Dabdoub Nbk can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
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. Dabdoub Nbk can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Dabdoub Nbk 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.
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 Dabdoub Nbk 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.
Developing new processes and practices
– Dabdoub Nbk 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.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Dabdoub Nbk has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Dabdoub Nbk to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait case study. Dabdoub Nbk can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Dabdoub Nbk 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 Strategy & Execution segment.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Dabdoub Nbk 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.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Dabdoub Nbk 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 Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Dabdoub Nbk to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Dabdoub Nbk 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 Dabdoub Nbk to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Threats Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait are -
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Dabdoub Nbk has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Strategy & Execution industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Dabdoub Nbk needs to keep up with the evolution of technology in the Strategy & Execution 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.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Dabdoub Nbk 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 Dabdoub Nbk 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.
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 Dabdoub Nbk business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
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 Dabdoub Nbk.
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.
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 Dabdoub Nbk in the Strategy & Execution sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
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.
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. Dabdoub Nbk 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. Dabdoub Nbk needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Strategy & Execution industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Dabdoub Nbk is facing in Strategy & Execution sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Regulatory challenges
– Dabdoub Nbk 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.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait, Dabdoub Nbk 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 .
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait 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 Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait 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 Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait 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 Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait 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 Ibrahim Dabdoub at the National Bank of Kuwait 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 Dabdoub Nbk needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
