THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
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Case Study Description of THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry
Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry for product #PON443.Two-party, multi-issue, scoreable negotiation regarding a prenuptial agreement, calling for a balance of substantive and relationship concerns. Marlene Mayberry and Jacques Parker are young adults planning their marriage. After dating for 3 years, they have prepared a list of 10 assets that they have decided to include in a prenuptial agreement. The items include a joint checking account, a car, an apartment, furniture, an art gallery, Jacques' artwork, a portrait of Marlene, California real estate, a $1 million inheritance, and a pet dog. Jacques and Marlene are given confidential instructions that outline specific point values and resistance points for these items. They will each be awarded "Tangible Points" for the assets they claim for themselves in the prenuptial agreement. This is a role play case.
Swot Analysis of "THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry" written by Nicholas Sabin includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Marlene Mayberry facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Conflict, Financial analysis, Negotiations and Strategy & Execution.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry casestudy better are - – increasing transportation and logistics costs, geopolitical disruptions, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, wage bills are increasing, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion,
customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Marlene Mayberry, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Marlene Mayberry 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 STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Marlene Mayberry
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 Marlene Mayberry
Strengths THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Marlene Mayberry in THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry Harvard Business Review case study are -
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Marlene Mayberry 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.
Analytics focus
– Marlene Mayberry 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 Nicholas Sabin 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.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Marlene Mayberry 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 STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Digital Transformation in Strategy & Execution segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Marlene Mayberry digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Marlene Mayberry 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.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Strategy & Execution industry
– THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Marlene Mayberry to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Marlene Mayberry to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Marlene Mayberry has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Marlene Mayberry 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.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry 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.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Marlene Mayberry 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.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Marlene Mayberry 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 STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Marlene Mayberry in the sector have low bargaining power. THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Marlene Mayberry to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Marlene Mayberry in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Organizational Resilience of Marlene Mayberry
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Marlene Mayberry does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Weaknesses THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry are -
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry 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 Marlene Mayberry 's lucrative customers.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Nicholas Sabin suggests that, Marlene Mayberry 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.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry HBR case study mentions - Marlene Mayberry 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.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry, 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.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry, is just above the industry average. Marlene Mayberry 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.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Marlene Mayberry, firm in the HBR case study THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
Need for greater diversity
– Marlene Mayberry 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.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry, in the dynamic environment Marlene Mayberry has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Marlene Mayberry 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, Marlene Mayberry 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 dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry 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 Marlene Mayberry has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Marlene Mayberry 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 STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
Opportunities THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry | 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 STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry are -
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 Marlene Mayberry 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, Marlene Mayberry can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Marlene Mayberry operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Strategy & Execution sector.
Manufacturing automation
– Marlene Mayberry 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.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Marlene Mayberry has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Marlene Mayberry to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry case study. Marlene Mayberry can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Marlene Mayberry 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.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Marlene Mayberry 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.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Marlene Mayberry 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.
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. Marlene Mayberry can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
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 Marlene Mayberry in the consumer business. Now Marlene Mayberry can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
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. Marlene Mayberry 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. Marlene Mayberry 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.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Marlene Mayberry to increase its market reach. Marlene Mayberry 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.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Marlene Mayberry can build a diversified supply chain model across various countries in - South East Asia, India, and other parts of the world. This reconfiguration of global supply chain can help, as suggested in case study, THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Marlene Mayberry is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry 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.
Threats THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study THE STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry are -
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Marlene Mayberry 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 STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry .
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.
Environmental challenges
– Marlene Mayberry 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. Marlene Mayberry can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry.
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 Marlene Mayberry business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Marlene Mayberry 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 Marlene Mayberry is facing in Strategy & Execution sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
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 STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry, Marlene Mayberry 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. Marlene Mayberry 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.
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. Marlene Mayberry can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Marlene Mayberry 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 Marlene Mayberry 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.
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 Marlene Mayberry in the Strategy & Execution sector and impact the bottomline 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. Marlene Mayberry 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 STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry 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 STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry 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 STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry 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 STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry 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 STAKES OF ENGAGEMENT - Confidential Instructions for Marlene Mayberry 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 Marlene Mayberry needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
