Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Strategy & Execution
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo'
After the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, President George W. Bush launched a military offensive in Afghanistan, which led to the capture of Al Qaeda operatives thought to be behind the attacks. Top US officials debated how to extract crucial information from them about Al Qaeda's future plans. The Central Intelligence Agency wanted to apply aggressive interrogation methods, which it argued were necessary to convince detainees to reveal what they knew. But CIA officials worried such techniques might violate both international treaties banning torture and "cruel, inhuman or degrading" treatment of prisoners of war and detainees and, more consequentially, the domestic laws that enforced them. To protect its agents, the CIA sought a clear statement from the Bush Administration on how far agents could go in efforts to force detainees to talk. These cases tell the story of OLC's legal findings and their consequences. Part A (1853.0)describes a series of OLC memoranda on the treatment of detainees in the "war on terror," culminating in an August 2002 opinion that became known as the "torture memo," which narrowly interpreted the legal meaning of torture but took a broad view of presidential wartime powers under the Constitution. Part A ends as Assistant Attorney General and OLC head Jay Bybee must decide whether to sign the opinion. Part B (1854.0) tracks the results of the torture memo, tracing the use of interrogation techniques it sanctioned from CIA detention centers overseas to the naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In the view of some, these harsher techniques eventually "migrated" to Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, where abusive treatment of detainees became an international embarrassment for the US. HKS Case Number 1854.0
Swot Analysis of "Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo'" written by Esther Scott, Philip Heymann includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Torture Detainees facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Leadership, Operations management, Regulation, Security & privacy, Social responsibility and Strategy & Execution.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' casestudy better are - – challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, technology disruption, geopolitical disruptions, increasing energy prices, there is backlash against globalization, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion,
there is increasing trade war between United States & China, increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo'
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Torture Detainees, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Torture Detainees 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 Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Torture Detainees
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 Torture Detainees
Strengths Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Torture Detainees in Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' Harvard Business Review case study are -
Diverse revenue streams
– Torture Detainees is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' 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 switching costs
– The high switching costs that Torture Detainees 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.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Torture Detainees in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' Harvard Business Review case study comprises – understanding the underlying the factors in the industry, building diversified operations across different geographies so that disruption in one part of the world doesn’t impact the overall performance of the firm, and integrating the various business operations and processes through its digital transformation drive.
Analytics focus
– Torture Detainees 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 Esther Scott, Philip Heymann 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.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Torture Detainees 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.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Torture Detainees in the sector have low bargaining power. Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Torture Detainees to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Strong track record of project management
– Torture Detainees 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 Strategy & Execution industry
– Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Torture Detainees to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Torture Detainees to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
High brand equity
– Torture Detainees has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Torture Detainees to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Learning organization
- Torture Detainees 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 Torture Detainees is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Digital Transformation in Strategy & Execution segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Torture Detainees digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Torture Detainees 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.
Weaknesses Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' are -
Lack of clear differentiation of Torture Detainees products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Torture Detainees needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Torture Detainees is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Torture Detainees has created an environment where the organization is dominated by functional specialists rather than management generalist. This has resulted into product oriented approach rather than marketing oriented approach or consumers oriented approach.
High dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' 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 Torture Detainees has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo', it seems that the employees of Torture Detainees don’t have comprehensive understanding of the firm’s strategy. This is reflected in number of promotional campaigns over the last few years that had mixed messaging and competing priorities. Some of the strategic activities and services promoted in the promotional campaigns were not consistent with the organization’s strategy.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Torture Detainees 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.
Need for greater diversity
– Torture Detainees 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.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo', is just above the industry average. Torture Detainees 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.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Torture Detainees has some of the most successful products in the industry, this business model has made each new product launch extremely critical for continuous financial growth of the organization. firm in the HBR case study - Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Torture Detainees 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.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo', in the dynamic environment Torture Detainees has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Torture Detainees has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
Opportunities Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' | 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 Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' are -
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Torture Detainees has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Torture Detainees to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' case study. Torture Detainees can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
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. Torture Detainees 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. Torture Detainees 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.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Torture Detainees 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.
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. Torture Detainees can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
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 Torture Detainees 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.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Torture Detainees 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, Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo', to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Loyalty marketing
– Torture Detainees 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.
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 Torture Detainees in the consumer business. Now Torture Detainees can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Torture Detainees to increase its market reach. Torture Detainees 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.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Torture Detainees 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.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Torture Detainees can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Buying journey improvements
– Torture Detainees can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' 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.
Developing new processes and practices
– Torture Detainees 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.
Threats Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' 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 Torture Detainees.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Torture Detainees has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Strategy & Execution industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Torture Detainees 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.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Torture Detainees 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 Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' .
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. Torture Detainees needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Strategy & Execution industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Environmental challenges
– Torture Detainees 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. Torture Detainees can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry.
Increasing wage structure of Torture Detainees
– 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 Torture Detainees.
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. Torture Detainees 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.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Torture Detainees with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Torture Detainees is facing in Strategy & Execution sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Torture Detainees 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.
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 Torture Detainees 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.
Aging population
– As the populations of most advanced economies are aging, it will lead to high social security costs, higher savings among population, and lower demand for goods and services in the economy. The household savings in US, France, UK, Germany, and Japan are growing faster than predicted because of uncertainty caused by pandemic.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' 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 Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' 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 Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' 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 Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' 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 Defining Torture in the War on Terror (B): The Trail of the 'Torture Memo' 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 Torture Detainees needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.