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 - – cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, increasing commodity prices, increasing household debt because of falling income levels, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, there is backlash against globalization, increasing energy prices, geopolitical disruptions,
increasing transportation and logistics costs, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, 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 -
Diverse revenue streams
– Johnson Melody is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review case study a diverse revenue stream that has helped it to survive disruptions such as global pandemic in Covid-19, financial disruption of 2008, and supply chain disruption of 2021.
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.
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.
High brand equity
– Johnson Melody has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Johnson Melody to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
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.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Johnson Melody is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review 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
– 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.
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.
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.
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.
Learning organization
- Johnson Melody 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 Johnson Melody is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders 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 emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
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 -
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Susan Rosengrant suggests that, Johnson Melody 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.
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.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review, in the dynamic environment Johnson Melody has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Johnson Melody has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
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.
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.
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.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances 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 seems that the employees of Johnson Melody 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.
Lack of clear differentiation of Johnson Melody products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Johnson Melody needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
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.
Need for greater diversity
– Johnson Melody 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.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, 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 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 Johnson Melody 's lucrative customers.
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 -
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.
Changes in consumer behavior post Covid-19
– Consumer behavior has changed in the Technology & Operations industry because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of this behavior will stay once things get back to normal. Johnson Melody 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. Johnson Melody 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.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Johnson Melody in the field of marketing communication. It will bring down the cost of doing business, provide technology platform to build new products in the Technology & Operations segment, and it will provide faster access to the consumers.
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.
Manufacturing automation
– Johnson Melody can use the latest technology developments to improve its manufacturing and designing process in Technology & Operations 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.
Developing new processes and practices
– Johnson Melody can develop new processes and procedures in Technology & Operations 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.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Johnson Melody is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Winning Hearts and Minds: Reforming the Providence School District: Superintendent Dr. Melody Johnson, December 10, 2002 (DVD Supplement) Review 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.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Johnson Melody to increase its market reach. Johnson Melody 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 Johnson Melody in the consumer business. Now Johnson Melody can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 -
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.
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.
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. Johnson Melody 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.
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.
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 Johnson Melody in the Technology & Operations sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Johnson Melody has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Technology & Operations industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Johnson Melody needs to keep up with the evolution of technology in the Technology & Operations 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.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Johnson Melody is facing in Technology & Operations 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 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 .
Easy access to finance
– Easy access to finance in Technology & Operations field will also reduce the barriers to entry in the industry, thus putting downward pressure on the prices because of increasing competition. Johnson Melody can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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