The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Strategy & Execution
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems
Solving wicked problems involves mobilizing different actors, ways of thinking, forms of knowledge and practices. In short, it requires messy solutions. The authors argue that Mary Douglas's Cultural Theory can guide the selection of problem-solving approaches for wicked problems. Having analyzed 20 problem-solving approaches from Organizational Studies, they present six that-based on Cultural Theory's focus on combining Individualistic, Egalitarian, Hierarchichal and Fatalistic elements-are best suited to tackling wicked problems, including Design Thinking, Future Searches and 21st Century Town Meetings.
Swot Analysis of "The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems" written by Steven Ney, Marco Verweij includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Wicked Solving facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Leadership, Managing organizations, Marketing, Strategy and Strategy & Execution.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems casestudy better are - – banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, geopolitical disruptions, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, increasing energy prices, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, increasing transportation and logistics costs,
supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Wicked Solving, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Wicked Solving 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 The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Wicked Solving
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 Wicked Solving
Strengths The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Wicked Solving in The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems Harvard Business Review case study are -
Successful track record of launching new products
– Wicked Solving has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Wicked Solving 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.
Strong track record of project management
– Wicked Solving is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Analytics focus
– Wicked Solving is putting a lot of focus on utilizing the power of analytics in business decision making. This has put it among the leading players in the industry. The technology infrastructure suggested by Steven Ney, Marco Verweij can also help it to harness the power of analytics for – marketing optimization, demand forecasting, customer relationship management, inventory management, information sharing across the value chain etc.
Learning organization
- Wicked Solving 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 Wicked Solving is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Ability to lead change in Strategy & Execution field
– Wicked Solving 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 Wicked Solving in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Wicked Solving in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Strategy & Execution industry
– The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Wicked Solving to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Wicked Solving to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Wicked Solving 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 The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Wicked Solving 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 The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems - 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
– Wicked Solving has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems 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.
Innovation driven organization
– Wicked Solving is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Wicked Solving is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Weaknesses The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems are -
Need for greater diversity
– Wicked Solving 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.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Wicked Solving 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.
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Wicked Solving needs to come up with a strategy to reduce the workers concern regarding automation. Without a clear strategy, it could lead to disruption and uncertainty within the organization.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Wicked Solving, firm in the HBR case study The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Steven Ney, Marco Verweij suggests that, Wicked Solving 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.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Wicked Solving 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.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems 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 Wicked Solving 's lucrative customers.
High dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems 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 Wicked Solving has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Lack of clear differentiation of Wicked Solving products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Wicked Solving needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
Wicked Solving 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 Wicked Solving is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Strategy & Execution segment. Wicked Solving needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Wicked Solving to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Opportunities The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems | 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 The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems are -
Manufacturing automation
– Wicked Solving 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.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Wicked Solving is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems 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.
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 Wicked Solving 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.
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. Wicked Solving can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Developing new processes and practices
– Wicked Solving 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.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Wicked Solving 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 The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Wicked Solving to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Wicked Solving 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.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Wicked Solving 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.
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. Wicked Solving 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. Wicked Solving 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.
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. Wicked Solving can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Wicked Solving can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Wicked Solving operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Strategy & Execution sector.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Wicked Solving to increase its market reach. Wicked Solving 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.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Wicked Solving 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.
Threats The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems are -
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Wicked Solving 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 The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems .
Environmental challenges
– Wicked Solving 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. Wicked Solving can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Wicked Solving 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.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Wicked Solving is facing in Strategy & Execution sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Wicked Solving 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.
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 Wicked Solving in the Strategy & Execution sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Regulatory challenges
– Wicked Solving 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
– Wicked Solving 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.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Wicked Solving with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Increasing wage structure of Wicked Solving
– 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 Wicked Solving.
Technology disruption because of hacks, piracy etc
– The colonial pipeline illustrated, how vulnerable modern organization are to international hackers, miscreants, and disruptors. The cyber security interruption, data leaks, etc can seriously jeopardize the future growth of the organization.
Aging population
– As the populations of most advanced economies are aging, it will lead to high social security costs, higher savings among population, and lower demand for goods and services in the economy. The household savings in US, France, UK, Germany, and Japan are growing faster than predicted because of uncertainty caused by pandemic.
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. Wicked Solving needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Strategy & Execution industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems 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 The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems 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 The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems 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 The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems 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 The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems 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 Wicked Solving needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
