Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Strategy & Execution
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology
Despite the differences between their fields, ecologists have produced many insights that are potentially useful to strategic management. The authors show that Ecology and Strategy have much to learn from one another, and that an exchange between the fields can lead to the development of a richer and more compelling understanding of organizational strategy. They identify and describe three particular areas for cross-pollination between the disciplines: demography and competition; positional advantages; and inertia and change.
Authors :: Joel Baum, Stanislav Dobrev, Arjen van Witteloostuiju
Swot Analysis of "Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology" written by Joel Baum, Stanislav Dobrev, Arjen van Witteloostuiju includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Ecology Fields facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Psychology, Strategic thinking and Strategy & Execution.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology casestudy better are - – technology disruption, wage bills are increasing, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, increasing commodity prices, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%,
increasing energy prices, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Ecology Fields, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Ecology Fields 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 Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Ecology Fields
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 Ecology Fields
Strengths Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Ecology Fields in Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology Harvard Business Review case study are -
Successful track record of launching new products
– Ecology Fields has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Ecology Fields 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.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Ecology Fields 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 Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Organizational Resilience of Ecology Fields
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Ecology Fields does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Learning organization
- Ecology Fields 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 Ecology Fields is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology 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.
Training and development
– Ecology Fields has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology 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 recruit top talent
– Ecology Fields is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Strategy & Execution industry
– Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Ecology Fields to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Ecology Fields to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Ecology Fields in the sector have low bargaining power. Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Ecology Fields to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Ability to lead change in Strategy & Execution field
– Ecology Fields 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 Ecology Fields in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Ecology Fields 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.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Ecology Fields 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.
Weaknesses Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology are -
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Ecology Fields is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Ecology Fields 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.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Ecology Fields 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 - Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
High dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology 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 Ecology Fields has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Ecology Fields 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
Ecology Fields 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.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology, is just above the industry average. Ecology Fields 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.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology 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 Ecology Fields 's lucrative customers.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology 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 Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Ecology Fields is planning to shift buying processes online.
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 Ecology Fields supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Ecology Fields vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology HBR case study mentions - Ecology Fields 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.
Opportunities Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology | 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 Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology are -
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Ecology Fields is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology 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.
Manufacturing automation
– Ecology Fields 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.
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 Ecology Fields 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.
Buying journey improvements
– Ecology Fields can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology 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.
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 Ecology Fields in the consumer business. Now Ecology Fields can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Ecology Fields 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.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Ecology Fields can leverage digital technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate the production process, customer analytics to get better insights into consumer behavior, realtime digital dashboards to get better sales tracking, logistics and transportation, product tracking, etc.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Ecology Fields 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.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Ecology Fields 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.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Ecology Fields 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 Ecology Fields to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
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. Ecology Fields can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Ecology Fields 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 Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Ecology Fields to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Ecology Fields can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Ecology Fields operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Strategy & Execution sector.
Threats Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology are -
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. Ecology Fields 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.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology, Ecology Fields 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 .
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. Ecology Fields can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
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 Ecology Fields.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Ecology Fields is facing in Strategy & Execution sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Ecology Fields with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Ecology Fields 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 acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Ecology Fields has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Strategy & Execution industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Ecology Fields 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.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Ecology Fields 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.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Ecology Fields 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 Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology .
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.
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. Ecology Fields needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Strategy & Execution industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
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 Ecology Fields business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology 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 Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology 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 Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology 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 Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology 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 Strategic Ecology: What Management Can Learn from Ecology 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 Ecology Fields needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
