A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Strategy & Execution
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel
This case sequel is a shorter, more focused, "decision-forcing" version of The Turnaround Artist: Craig Coy Tackles Political Influence at Massport (Case Program, 1896.0). Like its more comprehensive counterpart, it addresses a set of decisions facing Craig Coy, a business executive, retired Coast Guard officer, and former White House security adviser, when he was named executive director of the Massachusetts Port Authority, or "Massport," on April 11, 2002. The appointment came at a time of significant turmoil at Massport, the state authority responsible for managing Boston's Logan International Airport and several other regional transportation resources. The two airline jets hijacked in the attack on the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001 had departed from Logan. Massport had not been responsible for the security practices that had allowed the terrorists to board the jetliners with weapons, but the authority had, in recent years, repeatedly come under fire for political excesses and patronage. These long-tolerated vagaries-when vaulted into the national spotlight-suddenly appeared tawdry and intolerable to state officials and lawmakers. Coy's mandate, when hired a few months later, was to stop to the excesses of the past, to improve safety and security, to run the Authority in businesslike fashion-in sum, to effect a "cultural turnaround." This case describes a string of choices Coy had to make early in his tenure that pertained to the people-management side of his challenge. For example, Coy had to decide the extent to which he wanted to fire top managers at the authority and bring in his own team. He had to find a way to signal the shift to new priorities. And he had to decide what to do when elected officials-whose support was crucial to Massport in a number of respects-called up and asked the authority to hire their constituents. HKS Case Number 1901.1
Swot Analysis of "A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel" written by Roger Porter, Pamela Varley includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Massport Coy facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Decision making, Government, Leadership, Security & privacy, Strategic planning and Strategy & Execution.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel casestudy better are - – increasing commodity prices, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, increasing transportation and logistics costs, geopolitical disruptions, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , increasing household debt because of falling income levels, wage bills are increasing,
talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Massport Coy, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Massport Coy 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 A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Massport Coy
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 Massport Coy
Strengths A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Massport Coy in A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel Harvard Business Review case study are -
Diverse revenue streams
– Massport Coy is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel 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
– Massport Coy has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel 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.
Ability to lead change in Strategy & Execution field
– Massport Coy 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 Massport Coy in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
High brand equity
– Massport Coy has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Massport Coy to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel 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.
Digital Transformation in Strategy & Execution segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Massport Coy digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Massport Coy 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.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Massport Coy 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 A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Massport Coy has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Massport Coy 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.
Innovation driven organization
– Massport Coy is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Learning organization
- Massport Coy 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 Massport Coy is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Massport Coy is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Organizational Resilience of Massport Coy
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Massport Coy does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Weaknesses A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel are -
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel, it seems that the employees of Massport Coy 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.
Need for greater diversity
– Massport Coy 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.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Massport Coy is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Strategy & Execution segment. Massport Coy needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Massport Coy to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel 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 A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Massport Coy is planning to shift buying processes online.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel HBR case study mentions - Massport Coy takes time to assess the upcoming competitions. This has led to missing out on atleast 2-3 big opportunities in the industry in last five years.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Massport Coy is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, Massport Coy has a very deliberative decision making approach. This approach has resulted in prudent decisions, but it has also resulted in missing opportunities in the industry over the last five years. Massport Coy even though has strong showing on digital transformation primary two stages, it has struggled to capitalize the power of digital transformation in marketing efforts and new venture efforts.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Massport Coy, firm in the HBR case study A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Massport Coy 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.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel, 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.
Lack of clear differentiation of Massport Coy products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Massport Coy needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
Opportunities A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel | 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 A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel are -
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Massport Coy is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel case study suggests that firm can utilize new technology to build more coordinated teams and streamline operations and communications using tools such as CAD, Zoom, 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. Massport Coy 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. Massport Coy 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.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Massport Coy 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.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Massport Coy has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Massport Coy to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel case study. Massport Coy can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Massport Coy 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 A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Massport Coy to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Massport Coy 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.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Massport Coy 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, A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Massport Coy can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Massport Coy can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Massport Coy operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Strategy & Execution sector.
Manufacturing automation
– Massport Coy can use the latest technology developments to improve its manufacturing and designing process in Strategy & Execution segment. It can use CAD and 3D printing to build a quick prototype and pilot testing products. It can leverage automation using machine learning and artificial intelligence to do faster production at lowers costs, and it can leverage the growth in satellite and tracking technologies to improve inventory management, transportation, and shipping.
Finding new ways to collaborate
– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Strategy & Execution industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Massport Coy can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Massport Coy 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.
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. Massport Coy can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Threats A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel are -
Consumer confidence and its impact on Massport Coy 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.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Massport Coy is facing in Strategy & Execution sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Massport Coy has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Strategy & Execution industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Massport Coy 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.
Environmental challenges
– Massport Coy 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. Massport Coy can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry.
Regulatory challenges
– Massport Coy 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.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Massport Coy 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.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Massport Coy 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.
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. Massport Coy 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 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. Massport Coy needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Strategy & Execution industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
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 Massport Coy in the Strategy & Execution sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Increasing wage structure of Massport Coy
– 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 Massport Coy.
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.
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 Massport Coy business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel 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 A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel 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 A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel 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 A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel 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 A Tricky Mandate: Craig Coy and the Problem of Patronage Hiring at Massport, Sequel 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 Massport Coy needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
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