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 - – technology disruption, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, increasing household debt because of falling income levels, increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, geopolitical disruptions,
central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, increasing energy prices, 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.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Wicked Solving in the sector have low bargaining power. The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Wicked Solving to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Wicked Solving 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.
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.
Organizational Resilience of Wicked Solving
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Wicked Solving does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
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 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.
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.
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.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Wicked Solving 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.
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.
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 -
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems, in the dynamic environment Wicked Solving has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Wicked Solving has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems, it seems that the employees of Wicked Solving 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.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems 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 The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Wicked Solving is planning to shift buying processes online.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems, is just above the industry average. Wicked Solving 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.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, Wicked Solving 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. Wicked Solving 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.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems HBR case study mentions - Wicked Solving 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.
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.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Wicked Solving 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 - The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems, 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.
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.
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.
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 -
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Wicked Solving in the consumer business. Now Wicked Solving can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
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.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Wicked Solving has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Wicked Solving to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems case study. Wicked Solving can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
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.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Wicked Solving 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 Wicked Solving to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Wicked Solving 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.
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.
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.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Wicked Solving 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.
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 -
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.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study The Upside of Messiness: Clumsy Solutions for Wicked Problems, Wicked Solving 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 .
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. Wicked Solving 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. Wicked Solving needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Strategy & Execution industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
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. Wicked Solving can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Wicked Solving has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Strategy & Execution industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Wicked Solving 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.
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.
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.
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 Wicked Solving.
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 Wicked Solving business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
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.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Wicked Solving 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.
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.
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.