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Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution

Case Study Description of Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc.


Yahoo! faces a number of governance and strategic challenges in late 2011 as it tries to compete with rivals such as Google and find ways to monetize its shareholding and business links with Alibaba Group in China and Yahoo! Japan. The company is now valued at almost half the offer that Microsoft had made in its acquisition offer in 2008. The depth of the challenge is underscored by the frequent CEO changes the company has had, culminating in the recent firing of the latest CEO, Carol Bartz. The case examines the successes and failures at Yahoo! and the decisions now facing its board as it encounters investor pressure to improve performance.

Authors :: Krishna G. Palepu, Suraj Srinivasan, David Lane, Ian McKown Cornell

Topics :: Strategy & Execution

Tags :: Financial analysis, Internet, Mergers & acquisitions, SWOT Analysis, SWOT Matrix, TOWS, Weighted SWOT Analysis

Swot Analysis of "Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc." written by Krishna G. Palepu, Suraj Srinivasan, David Lane, Ian McKown Cornell includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Yahoo Bartz facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Financial analysis, Internet, Mergers & acquisitions and Strategy & Execution.


Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. casestudy better are - – supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , increasing transportation and logistics costs, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, wage bills are increasing, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, there is backlash against globalization, etc



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Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc.


SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Yahoo Bartz, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Yahoo Bartz 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 Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Yahoo Bartz
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 Yahoo Bartz




Strengths Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The strengths of Yahoo Bartz in Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. Harvard Business Review case study are -

Strong track record of project management

– Yahoo Bartz is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.

Digital Transformation in Strategy & Execution segment

- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Yahoo Bartz digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Yahoo Bartz 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.

Innovation driven organization

– Yahoo Bartz is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.

Analytics focus

– Yahoo Bartz 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 Krishna G. Palepu, Suraj Srinivasan, David Lane, Ian McKown Cornell 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.

Operational resilience

– The operational resilience strategy in the Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. 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

– Yahoo Bartz has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. 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

– Yahoo Bartz is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.

High brand equity

– Yahoo Bartz has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Yahoo Bartz to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.

Low bargaining power of suppliers

– Suppliers of Yahoo Bartz in the sector have low bargaining power. Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Yahoo Bartz to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.

Organizational Resilience of Yahoo Bartz

– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Yahoo Bartz does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.

Superior customer experience

– The customer experience strategy of Yahoo Bartz in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.

Cross disciplinary teams

– Horizontal connected teams at the Yahoo Bartz 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 Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The weaknesses of Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. are -

Increasing silos among functional specialists

– The organizational structure of Yahoo Bartz is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Strategy & Execution segment. Yahoo Bartz needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Yahoo Bartz to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.

No frontier risks strategy

– After analyzing the HBR case study Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc., 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.

Need for greater diversity

– Yahoo Bartz 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.

Low market penetration in new markets

– Outside its home market of Yahoo Bartz, firm in the HBR case study Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.

Workers concerns about automation

– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Yahoo Bartz 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.

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 Yahoo Bartz supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc., it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Yahoo Bartz vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.

Skills based hiring

– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Yahoo Bartz 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.

Compensation and incentives

– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc., is just above the industry average. Yahoo Bartz 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.

Ability to respond to the competition

– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc., in the dynamic environment Yahoo Bartz has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Yahoo Bartz has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.

Interest costs

– Compare to the competition, Yahoo Bartz 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.

Slow to harness new channels of communication

– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Yahoo Bartz is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.




Opportunities Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. | 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 Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. are -

Developing new processes and practices

– Yahoo Bartz 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.

Low interest rates

– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Yahoo Bartz 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.

Buying journey improvements

– Yahoo Bartz can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. 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.

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 Yahoo Bartz 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.

Increase in government spending

– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Yahoo Bartz can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Yahoo Bartz 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 Yahoo Bartz to increase its market reach. Yahoo Bartz 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.

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 Yahoo Bartz in the consumer business. Now Yahoo Bartz can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.

Lowering marketing communication costs

– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Yahoo Bartz 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.

Using analytics as competitive advantage

– Yahoo Bartz 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 Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Yahoo Bartz to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.

Creating value in data economy

– The success of analytics program of Yahoo Bartz has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Yahoo Bartz to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. case study. Yahoo Bartz can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.

Redefining models of collaboration and team work

– As explained in the weaknesses section, Yahoo Bartz is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. 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.

Leveraging digital technologies

– Yahoo Bartz 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 Yahoo Bartz 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.




Threats Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis


The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. 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 Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc., Yahoo Bartz 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 .

Barriers of entry lowering

– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Yahoo Bartz with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.

Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins

– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Yahoo Bartz 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 Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. .

Trade war between China and United States

– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Yahoo Bartz 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.

Consumer confidence and its impact on Yahoo Bartz 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.

Stagnating economy with rate increase

– Yahoo Bartz 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 Yahoo Bartz is facing in Strategy & Execution sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.

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 Yahoo Bartz business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.

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. Yahoo Bartz needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Strategy & Execution industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.

Increasing wage structure of Yahoo Bartz

– 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 Yahoo Bartz.

Regulatory challenges

– Yahoo Bartz 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.

Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution

– Yahoo Bartz has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Strategy & Execution industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Yahoo Bartz 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.




Weighted SWOT Analysis of Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. 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 Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. 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 Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. 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 Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. 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 Strategy and Governance at Yahoo! Inc. 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 Yahoo Bartz needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.



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