The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Finance & Accounting
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B)
Supplement to case UV7329. This follow-up to "The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (A)" (UVA-F-1781) explores how well the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 addressed the issues exposed by the panic of 1907, as well as providing further food for thought about financial reform.
Swot Analysis of "The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B)" written by Robert F. Bruner includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that 1907 Panic facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Financial management, Government and Finance & Accounting.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) casestudy better are - – there is increasing trade war between United States & China, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, geopolitical disruptions, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , technology disruption,
there is backlash against globalization, wage bills are increasing, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B)
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the 1907 Panic, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which 1907 Panic 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 Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of 1907 Panic
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Finance & Accounting field.
4. Making a Finance & Accounting topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of 1907 Panic
Strengths The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of 1907 Panic in The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) Harvard Business Review case study are -
Successful track record of launching new products
– 1907 Panic has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. 1907 Panic 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.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the 1907 Panic 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
– 1907 Panic 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 Robert F. Bruner can also help it to harness the power of analytics for – marketing optimization, demand forecasting, customer relationship management, inventory management, information sharing across the value chain etc.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that 1907 Panic 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.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– 1907 Panic 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 Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Highly skilled collaborators
– 1907 Panic 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 Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Strong track record of project management
– 1907 Panic is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Finance & Accounting industry
– The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled 1907 Panic to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Finance & Accounting industry. The sustainable margins have also helped 1907 Panic to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Ability to lead change in Finance & Accounting field
– 1907 Panic 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 1907 Panic in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of 1907 Panic in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Ability to recruit top talent
– 1907 Panic is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of 1907 Panic in the sector have low bargaining power. The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps 1907 Panic to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Weaknesses The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) are -
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 1907 Panic supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B), it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left 1907 Panic vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
1907 Panic 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.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, 1907 Panic 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.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of 1907 Panic is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Finance & Accounting segment. 1907 Panic needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help 1907 Panic to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Lack of clear differentiation of 1907 Panic products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, 1907 Panic needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B), it seems that company is thinking about the frontier risks that can impact Finance & Accounting strategy. But it has very little resources allocation to manage the risks emerging from events such as natural disasters, climate change, melting of permafrost, tacking the rise of artificial intelligence, opportunities and threats emerging from commercialization of space etc.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) 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 1907 Panic 's lucrative customers.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) that the firm needs to have more collaboration between its sales team and marketing team. Sales professionals in the industry have deep experience in developing customer relationships. Marketing department in the case The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as 1907 Panic is planning to shift buying processes online.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B), in the dynamic environment 1907 Panic has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. 1907 Panic has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, 1907 Panic 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. 1907 Panic 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.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Robert F. Bruner suggests that, 1907 Panic 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.
Opportunities The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) | 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 Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) are -
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, 1907 Panic 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 Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B), to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, 1907 Panic can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that 1907 Panic operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Finance & Accounting sector.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of 1907 Panic has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help 1907 Panic to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) case study. 1907 Panic can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Developing new processes and practices
– 1907 Panic can develop new processes and procedures in Finance & Accounting 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.
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 1907 Panic 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.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help 1907 Panic to increase its market reach. 1907 Panic 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.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– 1907 Panic has spent a significant amount of money and effort to integrate analytics and machine learning into its operations in the sector. This continuous investment in analytics has enabled, as illustrated in the Harvard case study The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help 1907 Panic to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects 1907 Panic can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, 1907 Panic can still utilize the low interest rates to borrow money for capital investment. Secondly it can also use the increase of government spending in infrastructure projects to get new business.
Manufacturing automation
– 1907 Panic can use the latest technology developments to improve its manufacturing and designing process in Finance & Accounting 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.
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. 1907 Panic can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at 1907 Panic 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 Finance & Accounting segment.
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 1907 Panic in the consumer business. Now 1907 Panic can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Threats The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) 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 1907 Panic.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, 1907 Panic 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 Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) .
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 1907 Panic in the Finance & Accounting sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– 1907 Panic 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.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for 1907 Panic in the Finance & Accounting industry. The Finance & Accounting 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.
Regulatory challenges
– 1907 Panic 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 Finance & Accounting industry regulations.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents 1907 Panic with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Environmental challenges
– 1907 Panic 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. 1907 Panic can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Finance & Accounting 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 1907 Panic business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Consumer confidence and its impact on 1907 Panic 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. 1907 Panic needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Finance & Accounting industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
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.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– 1907 Panic has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Finance & Accounting industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, 1907 Panic needs to keep up with the evolution of technology in the Finance & Accounting 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 The Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) 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 Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) 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 Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) 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 Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) 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 Panic of 1907 and the High Tide of Progressivism (B) 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 1907 Panic needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.