Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Strategy & Execution
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B)
Details the strategy followed by Dayton Hudson Corp. once the decision had been made to approach the governor of Minnesota with the request that he call a special session of the state legislature specifically to consider strengthening the state's corporate takeover statute. A videotape (9-891-501) is available for use with this reprint. Not advertised -- reprint -- per Case Records.
Swot Analysis of "Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B)" written by On Council, Council On Foundations includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Reprint Dayton facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Government, Social responsibility and Strategy & Execution.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) casestudy better are - – there is increasing trade war between United States & China, increasing transportation and logistics costs, technology disruption, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, geopolitical disruptions, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion,
banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, increasing energy prices, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B)
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Reprint Dayton, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Reprint Dayton 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 Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Reprint Dayton
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 Reprint Dayton
Strengths Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Reprint Dayton in Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) Harvard Business Review case study are -
Diverse revenue streams
– Reprint Dayton is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) case study a diverse revenue stream that has helped it to survive disruptions such as global pandemic in Covid-19, financial disruption of 2008, and supply chain disruption of 2021.
Training and development
– Reprint Dayton has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) Harvard Business Review case study by analyzing – employees retention, in-house promotion, loyalty, new venture initiation, lack of conflict, and high level of both employees and customer engagement.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Strategy & Execution industry
– Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Reprint Dayton to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Reprint Dayton to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Reprint Dayton 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 Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Reprint Dayton in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Ability to lead change in Strategy & Execution field
– Reprint Dayton 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 Reprint Dayton in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Organizational Resilience of Reprint Dayton
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Reprint Dayton does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Reprint Dayton 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.
High brand equity
– Reprint Dayton has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Reprint Dayton to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Reprint Dayton is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Reprint Dayton in the sector have low bargaining power. Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Reprint Dayton to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Innovation driven organization
– Reprint Dayton is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Weaknesses Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) are -
Products dominated business model
– Even though Reprint Dayton 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 - Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
Need for greater diversity
– Reprint Dayton 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.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) 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 Reprint Dayton 's lucrative customers.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) HBR case study mentions - Reprint Dayton 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.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, On Council, Council On Foundations suggests that, Reprint Dayton 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.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Reprint Dayton 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.
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 Reprint Dayton supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B), it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Reprint Dayton vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Reprint Dayton is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) that the firm needs to have more collaboration between its sales team and marketing team. Sales professionals in the industry have deep experience in developing customer relationships. Marketing department in the case Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Reprint Dayton is planning to shift buying processes online.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B), it seems that the employees of Reprint Dayton 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.
High dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) 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 Reprint Dayton has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Opportunities Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) | External Strategic Factors
What are Opportunities in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The opportunities highlighted in the Harvard Business Review case study Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) are -
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Reprint Dayton can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Reprint Dayton operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Strategy & Execution sector.
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 Reprint Dayton in the consumer business. Now Reprint Dayton can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Loyalty marketing
– Reprint Dayton 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.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Reprint Dayton 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, Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B), to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Developing new processes and practices
– Reprint Dayton 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 Reprint Dayton 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.
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 Reprint Dayton 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.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Reprint Dayton 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.
Manufacturing automation
– Reprint Dayton 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.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Reprint Dayton to increase its market reach. Reprint Dayton 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.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Reprint Dayton 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 Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Reprint Dayton to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
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. Reprint Dayton 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. Reprint Dayton 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.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Reprint Dayton 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 Reprint Dayton to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Threats Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) are -
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Reprint Dayton with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
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 Reprint Dayton.
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 Reprint Dayton business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
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. Reprint Dayton can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
Increasing wage structure of Reprint Dayton
– 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 Reprint Dayton.
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 Reprint Dayton in the Strategy & Execution sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
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. Reprint Dayton 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.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Reprint Dayton 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.
Environmental challenges
– Reprint Dayton 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. Reprint Dayton can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Reprint Dayton 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.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B), Reprint Dayton 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 .
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Reprint Dayton 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 Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) .
Regulatory challenges
– Reprint Dayton 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.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) Template, Example
Not all factors mentioned under the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats quadrants in the SWOT Analysis are equal. Managers in the HBR case study Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) needs to zero down on the relative importance of each factor mentioned in the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats quadrants.
We can provide the relative importance to each factor by assigning relative weights. Weighted SWOT analysis process is a three stage process –
First stage for doing weighted SWOT analysis of the case study Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) is to rank the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. This will help you to assess the most important strengths and weaknesses of the firm and which one of the strengths and weaknesses mentioned in the initial lists are marginal and can be left out.
Second stage for conducting weighted SWOT analysis of the Harvard case study Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) is to give probabilities to the external strategic factors thus better understanding the opportunities and threats arising out of macro environment changes and developments.
Third stage of constructing weighted SWOT analysis of Dayton Hudson Corp.: Conscience and Control (B) is to provide strategic recommendations includes – joining likelihood of external strategic factors such as opportunities and threats to the internal strategic factors – strengths and weaknesses. You should start with external factors as they will provide the direction of the overall industry. Secondly by joining probabilities with internal strategic factors can help the company not only strategic fit but also the most probably strategic trade-off that Reprint Dayton needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
