Case Study Description of How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock
Like most managers, you probably have some ideas about how to grow your organization. You may even suspect that one or two of them could turn into something big. Unfortunately, you don't have the data to prove that your ideas will be needle-movers, and the 'numbers guys' insist on proof before any financial support can come your way. If this sounds familiar, you are caught in what the author calls 'growth gridlock' - a frustrating place where the corporate entrepreneur's optimism and need for speed collide with the organization's skepticism and need for control. However, she has found that there are people within organizations - whom she calls 'catalysts' - who manage to achieve sustainable growth despite the odds. The author describes their attributes and explains how their leadership initiates a near-chemical reaction that generates significant top-line results.
Swot Analysis of "How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock" written by Jeanne M. Liedtka includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Gridlock Catalysts facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Innovation, Psychology and Strategy & Execution.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock casestudy better are - – increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, increasing household debt because of falling income levels, increasing commodity prices, increasing transportation and logistics costs, wage bills are increasing, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies,
talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Gridlock Catalysts, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Gridlock Catalysts 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 How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Gridlock Catalysts
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 Gridlock Catalysts
Strengths How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Gridlock Catalysts in How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock Harvard Business Review case study are -
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Gridlock Catalysts in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Gridlock Catalysts is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Gridlock Catalysts 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.
Digital Transformation in Strategy & Execution segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Gridlock Catalysts digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Gridlock Catalysts 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.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Gridlock Catalysts 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 How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Training and development
– Gridlock Catalysts has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock 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.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock 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.
Diverse revenue streams
– Gridlock Catalysts is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock 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
– Gridlock Catalysts 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 Gridlock Catalysts in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
High brand equity
– Gridlock Catalysts has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Gridlock Catalysts to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Organizational Resilience of Gridlock Catalysts
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Gridlock Catalysts does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Learning organization
- Gridlock Catalysts 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 Gridlock Catalysts is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Weaknesses How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock are -
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock, it seems that the employees of Gridlock Catalysts 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 bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Jeanne M. Liedtka suggests that, Gridlock Catalysts 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, Gridlock Catalysts 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 Gridlock Catalysts supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Gridlock Catalysts vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock, 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.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Gridlock Catalysts 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 cash cycle compare to competitors
Gridlock Catalysts has a high cash cycle compare to other players in the industry. It needs to shorten the cash cycle by 12% to be more competitive in the marketplace, reduce inventory costs, and be more profitable.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Gridlock Catalysts is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Strategy & Execution segment. Gridlock Catalysts needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Gridlock Catalysts to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Need for greater diversity
– Gridlock Catalysts 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 How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock, is just above the industry average. Gridlock Catalysts 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.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Gridlock Catalysts 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.
Opportunities How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock | 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 How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock are -
Developing new processes and practices
– Gridlock Catalysts 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 Gridlock Catalysts 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 Gridlock Catalysts 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.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Gridlock Catalysts to increase its market reach. Gridlock Catalysts 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.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Gridlock Catalysts 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.
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. Gridlock Catalysts can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Use of Bitcoin and other crypto currencies for transactions
– The popularity of Bitcoin and other crypto currencies as asset class and medium of transaction has opened new opportunities for Gridlock Catalysts in the consumer business. Now Gridlock Catalysts can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Gridlock Catalysts 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, How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Gridlock Catalysts can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Gridlock Catalysts operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Strategy & Execution sector.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Gridlock Catalysts can still utilize the low interest rates to borrow money for capital investment. Secondly it can also use the increase of government spending in infrastructure projects to get new business.
Loyalty marketing
– Gridlock Catalysts 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.
Manufacturing automation
– Gridlock Catalysts 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.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Gridlock Catalysts has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Gridlock Catalysts to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock case study. Gridlock Catalysts can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Threats How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock are -
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. Gridlock Catalysts needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Strategy & Execution industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Gridlock Catalysts 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.
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. Gridlock Catalysts can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
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 Gridlock Catalysts in the Strategy & Execution sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
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 Gridlock Catalysts.
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 Gridlock Catalysts business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Increasing wage structure of Gridlock Catalysts
– 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 Gridlock Catalysts.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Gridlock Catalysts 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 Gridlock Catalysts 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.
Environmental challenges
– Gridlock Catalysts 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. Gridlock Catalysts can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry.
Regulatory challenges
– Gridlock Catalysts 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.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Gridlock Catalysts can face lack of demand in the market place because of Fed actions to reduce inflation. This can lead to sluggish growth in the economy, lower demands, lower investments, higher borrowing costs, and consolidation in the field.
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.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock 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 How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock 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 How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock 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 How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock 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 How Corporate Catalysts Conquer Growth Gridlock 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 Gridlock Catalysts needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.