Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Technology & Operations
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review
In August, 2002, Melody Johnson, the deputy superintendent of the Providence, Rhode Island, School District, was hastily appointed acting superintendent, in the wake of the resignation of her predecessor and close colleague Diana Lam. Lam and Johnson together had been embarked, over the previous three years, on an ambitious reform plan to upgrade the low-performing system. Despite some indicators of improvement, however, Johnson knew that there remained significant resistance to the changes-as evidenced, in part, by a bitter contract dispute recently settled with the system's teachers. This case describes the challenge facing Melody Johnson as she sought to gain rank-and-file support for reform, in the immediate months after her appointment as superintendent in her own right. It focuses on specific steps that she considered to gain that support, without compromising reforms including, radically, a day in which classes would be cancelled so that she and others could address the teaching force as a whole. This public leadership case is designed to highlight the choices and techniques of "adaptive leadership", as described in the work of Kennedy School professor Ronald Heifetz, "Leadership Without Easy Answers" (Belknap Press, September 1994). See also case # 1690.0. HKS Case Number 1689.0
Swot Analysis of "Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review" written by Susan Rosengrant includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Johnson Melody facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Communication, Government, Labor, Leadership, Project management, Social enterprise, Strategic planning and Technology & Operations.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review casestudy better are - – supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , technology disruption, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, increasing transportation and logistics costs,
wage bills are increasing, increasing commodity prices, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Johnson Melody, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Johnson Melody 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 Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Johnson Melody
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Technology & Operations field.
4. Making a Technology & Operations topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of Johnson Melody
Strengths Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Johnson Melody in Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review Harvard Business Review case study are -
Digital Transformation in Technology & Operations segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Johnson Melody digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Johnson Melody 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.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review 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.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Johnson Melody has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Johnson Melody has effective processes in place that helps in exploring new product needs, doing quick pilot testing, and then launching the products quickly using its extensive distribution network.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Johnson Melody 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 Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Ability to lead change in Technology & Operations field
– Johnson Melody 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 Johnson Melody in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Johnson Melody in the sector have low bargaining power. Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Johnson Melody to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Johnson Melody 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 Johnson Melody 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.
Innovation driven organization
– Johnson Melody is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Strong track record of project management
– Johnson Melody is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Johnson Melody 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.
Organizational Resilience of Johnson Melody
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Johnson Melody does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Weaknesses Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review are -
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review 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 Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Johnson Melody is planning to shift buying processes online.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
Johnson Melody 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.
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Johnson Melody 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.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Johnson Melody is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review HBR case study mentions - Johnson Melody 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.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review, is just above the industry average. Johnson Melody 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, Johnson Melody 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. Johnson Melody 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.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Johnson Melody, firm in the HBR case study Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
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 Johnson Melody supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Johnson Melody vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Johnson Melody has not been able to do capital spending to the tune of the competition. This has resulted into fewer innovations and company facing stiff competition from both existing competitors and new entrants who are disrupting the industry using digital technology.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review, it seems that company is thinking about the frontier risks that can impact Technology & Operations 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.
Opportunities Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review | 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 Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review are -
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Johnson Melody can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Johnson Melody 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.
Buying journey improvements
– Johnson Melody can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review 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.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Johnson Melody 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 Johnson Melody to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Identify volunteer opportunities
– Covid-19 has impacted working population in two ways – it has led to people soul searching about their professional choices, resulting in mass resignation. Secondly it has encouraged people to do things that they are passionate about. This has opened opportunities for businesses to build volunteer oriented socially driven projects. Johnson Melody can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Johnson Melody can still utilize the low interest rates to borrow money for capital investment. Secondly it can also use the increase of government spending in infrastructure projects to get new business.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Johnson Melody 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.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Johnson Melody 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 Technology & Operations segment.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Johnson Melody 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, Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
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 Johnson Melody in the consumer business. Now Johnson Melody can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Johnson Melody 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 Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Johnson Melody to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Finding new ways to collaborate
– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Technology & Operations industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Johnson Melody can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Johnson Melody has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Johnson Melody to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review case study. Johnson Melody can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Threats Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review are -
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 Johnson Melody.
Increasing wage structure of Johnson Melody
– 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 Johnson Melody.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Johnson Melody in the Technology & Operations industry. The Technology & Operations 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.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Johnson Melody 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.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Johnson Melody 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.
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. Johnson Melody needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Technology & Operations industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
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 dependence on third party suppliers
– Johnson Melody 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.
Regulatory challenges
– Johnson Melody 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 Technology & Operations industry regulations.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review, Johnson Melody may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Technology & Operations .
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.
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 Johnson Melody business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Johnson Melody with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review 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 Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review 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 Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review 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 Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review 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 Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review 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 Johnson Melody needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
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