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The Turnaround of General Electric SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution

Case Study Description of The Turnaround of General Electric


For almost forty years, the General Electric Company (GE) was considered to be one of the world's best-managed global firms. But by 2017, GE was in the rifle sights of shareholder activists, like Nelson Peltz, because it had become the lowest-performing company in the Dow Jones Industrial Index. Investors wanted a turnaround. Turning GE around could mean the abandonment of GE's traditional conglomerate strategy of organic growth and astute acquisitions, as well as an end to many of the elements of organizational structure, managerial systems, and decision-making processes that had defined how GE implemented its corporate strategy. CEO John Flannery hinted that GE was considering breaking itself up into smaller pieces, possibly going as far as to spin off its three "core" businesses. But since GE had owned some of the businesses on its short list for divestiture for many years, it would face huge tax liabilities in an outright sale of assets instead of doing a spin-off to shareholders. Ripping apart the GE family also had implications for the value of the corporate office's contributions to each respective line of business and its ability to renew itself organically.

Authors :: Kathryn Harrigan

Topics :: Strategy & Execution

Tags :: , SWOT Analysis, SWOT Matrix, TOWS, Weighted SWOT Analysis

Swot Analysis of "The Turnaround of General Electric" written by Kathryn Harrigan includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Ge Spin facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in The Turnaround of General Electric case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, and Strategy & Execution.


Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the The Turnaround of General Electric casestudy better are - – customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, increasing commodity prices, there is backlash against globalization, technology disruption, etc



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Introduction to SWOT Analysis of The Turnaround of General Electric


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




Strengths The Turnaround of General Electric | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The strengths of Ge Spin in The Turnaround of General Electric Harvard Business Review case study are -

Digital Transformation in Strategy & Execution segment

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

Strong track record of project management

– Ge Spin 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 Strategy & Execution industry

– The Turnaround of General Electric firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Ge Spin to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Ge Spin to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.

Ability to lead change in Strategy & Execution field

– Ge Spin 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 Ge Spin 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 Ge Spin in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.

Organizational Resilience of Ge Spin

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

Innovation driven organization

– Ge Spin is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in The Turnaround of General Electric Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.

High brand equity

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

Low bargaining power of suppliers

– Suppliers of Ge Spin in the sector have low bargaining power. The Turnaround of General Electric has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Ge Spin to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.

Ability to recruit top talent

– Ge Spin is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the The Turnaround of General Electric are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.

High switching costs

– The high switching costs that Ge Spin 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.

Successful track record of launching new products

– Ge Spin has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Ge Spin 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.






Weaknesses The Turnaround of General Electric | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The weaknesses of The Turnaround of General Electric are -

Increasing silos among functional specialists

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

Ability to respond to the competition

– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study The Turnaround of General Electric, in the dynamic environment Ge Spin has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Ge Spin has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.

Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy

– From the instances in the HBR case study The Turnaround of General Electric, it seems that the employees of Ge Spin 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.

Low market penetration in new markets

– Outside its home market of Ge Spin, firm in the HBR case study The Turnaround of General Electric needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.

High bargaining power of channel partners

– Because of the regulatory requirements, Kathryn Harrigan suggests that, Ge Spin 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.

High operating costs

– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study The Turnaround of General Electric 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 Ge Spin 's lucrative customers.

High cash cycle compare to competitors

Ge Spin 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.

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 Ge Spin supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - The Turnaround of General Electric, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Ge Spin vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.

Lack of clear differentiation of Ge Spin products

– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Ge Spin needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.

Skills based hiring

– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Ge Spin has created an environment where the organization is dominated by functional specialists rather than management generalist. This has resulted into product oriented approach rather than marketing oriented approach or consumers oriented approach.

Slow to harness new channels of communication

– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Ge Spin is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study The Turnaround of General Electric can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.




Opportunities The Turnaround of General Electric | 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 Turnaround of General Electric are -

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. Ge Spin can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.

Reforming the budgeting process

- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Ge Spin can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.

Increase in government spending

– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Ge Spin can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Ge Spin operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Strategy & Execution sector.

Creating value in data economy

– The success of analytics program of Ge Spin has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Ge Spin to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the The Turnaround of General Electric case study. Ge Spin can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.

Using analytics as competitive advantage

– Ge Spin 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 Turnaround of General Electric - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Ge Spin to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.

Low interest rates

– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Ge Spin 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.

Lowering marketing communication costs

– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Ge Spin in the field of marketing communication. It will bring down the cost of doing business, provide technology platform to build new products in the Strategy & Execution segment, and it will provide faster access to the consumers.

Leveraging digital technologies

– Ge Spin 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.

Better consumer reach

– The expansion of the 5G network will help Ge Spin to increase its market reach. Ge Spin 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.

Building a culture of innovation

– managers at Ge Spin 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.

Redefining models of collaboration and team work

– As explained in the weaknesses section, Ge Spin is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. The Turnaround of General Electric 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.

Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities

– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Ge Spin 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 Ge Spin to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.

Manufacturing automation

– Ge Spin 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.




Threats The Turnaround of General Electric External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis


The threats mentioned in the HBR case study The Turnaround of General Electric are -

Consumer confidence and its impact on Ge Spin 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.

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 Turnaround of General Electric, Ge Spin 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 .

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.

Regulatory challenges

– Ge Spin needs to prepare for regulatory challenges as consumer protection groups and other pressure groups are vigorously advocating for more regulations on big business - to reduce inequality, to create a level playing field, to product data privacy and consumer privacy, to reduce the influence of big money on democratic institutions, etc. This can lead to significant changes in the Strategy & Execution industry regulations.

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. Ge Spin can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.

High dependence on third party suppliers

– Ge Spin 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.

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 Ge Spin in the Strategy & Execution sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.

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 Ge Spin.

Trade war between China and United States

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

Shortening product life cycle

– it is one of the major threat that Ge Spin is facing in Strategy & Execution sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.

Barriers of entry lowering

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

Environmental challenges

– Ge Spin 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. Ge Spin can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Strategy & Execution industry.

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.




Weighted SWOT Analysis of The Turnaround of General Electric 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 Turnaround of General Electric 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 Turnaround of General Electric 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 Turnaround of General Electric 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 Turnaround of General Electric 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 Ge Spin needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.



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