Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Organizational Development
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives
Supplement to case NTU163. In 2001, the Singapore government decided to withdraw from the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) investment. The rival Suzhou New District (SND) project had mastered Singapore's approach to developing industrial parks and began to improve its own infrastructure and administrative practices. The Singapore team was a willing teacher to transfer knowledge but the Suzhou municipal officials had engaged in competitive learning behaviour. They did not learn the "why", only the "what" and "how". As a result, SNP faced many problems due to various "software" issues. The Suzhou officials wanted to explore the possibility of selling the problem-ridden SND to Singapore.
Swot Analysis of "Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives" written by Cheng Boon Koh includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Suzhou Snd facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Cross-cultural management, Leadership, Policy, Strategy and Organizational Development.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives casestudy better are - – increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, increasing transportation and logistics costs, there is backlash against globalization, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, increasing household debt because of falling income levels, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, geopolitical disruptions,
technology disruption, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Suzhou Snd, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Suzhou Snd 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 Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Suzhou Snd
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Organizational Development field.
4. Making a Organizational Development topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of Suzhou Snd
Strengths Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Suzhou Snd in Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives Harvard Business Review case study are -
High brand equity
– Suzhou Snd has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Suzhou Snd to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Organizational Development industry
– Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Suzhou Snd to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Organizational Development industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Suzhou Snd to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Suzhou Snd 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.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Suzhou Snd in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Suzhou Snd has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Suzhou Snd 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.
Ability to lead change in Organizational Development field
– Suzhou Snd 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 Suzhou Snd in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Innovation driven organization
– Suzhou Snd is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Suzhou Snd in the sector have low bargaining power. Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Suzhou Snd to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Learning organization
- Suzhou Snd 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 Suzhou Snd is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Digital Transformation in Organizational Development segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Suzhou Snd digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Suzhou Snd 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.
Diverse revenue streams
– Suzhou Snd is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives 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.
Analytics focus
– Suzhou Snd 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 Cheng Boon Koh 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.
Weaknesses Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives are -
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Suzhou Snd has borrowed money from the capital market at higher rates. It needs to restructure the interest payment and costs so that it can compete better and improve profitability.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Suzhou Snd, firm in the HBR case study Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Suzhou Snd 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.
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 Suzhou Snd supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Suzhou Snd vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, Suzhou Snd 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. Suzhou Snd 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.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives, it seems that company is thinking about the frontier risks that can impact Organizational Development 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.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives, it seems that the employees of Suzhou Snd 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.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Cheng Boon Koh suggests that, Suzhou Snd 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.
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Suzhou Snd 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
– Suzhou Snd 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.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives, is just above the industry average. Suzhou Snd 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.
Opportunities Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives | 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 Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives are -
Finding new ways to collaborate
– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Organizational Development industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Suzhou Snd 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 Organizational Development industry because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of this behavior will stay once things get back to normal. Suzhou Snd 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. Suzhou Snd 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.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Suzhou Snd has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Suzhou Snd to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives case study. Suzhou Snd can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Suzhou Snd 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, Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives, 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, Suzhou Snd can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Suzhou Snd operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Organizational Development sector.
Developing new processes and practices
– Suzhou Snd can develop new processes and procedures in Organizational Development 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.
Loyalty marketing
– Suzhou Snd has focused on building a highly responsive customer relationship management platform. This platform is built on in-house data and driven by analytics and artificial intelligence. The customer analytics can help the organization to fine tune its loyalty marketing efforts, increase the wallet share of the organization, reduce wastage on mainstream advertising spending, build better pricing strategies using personalization, etc.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Suzhou Snd 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 Suzhou Snd to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Suzhou Snd 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
– Suzhou Snd can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives 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.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Suzhou Snd 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 Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Suzhou Snd to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Suzhou Snd to increase its market reach. Suzhou Snd 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.
Manufacturing automation
– Suzhou Snd can use the latest technology developments to improve its manufacturing and designing process in Organizational Development 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 Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives are -
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Suzhou Snd 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 Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives .
Easy access to finance
– Easy access to finance in Organizational Development field will also reduce the barriers to entry in the industry, thus putting downward pressure on the prices because of increasing competition. Suzhou Snd can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Suzhou Snd has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Organizational Development industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Suzhou Snd needs to keep up with the evolution of technology in the Organizational Development 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.
Regulatory challenges
– Suzhou Snd 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 Organizational Development industry regulations.
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 Suzhou Snd.
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. Suzhou Snd 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.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Suzhou Snd 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.
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. Suzhou Snd needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Organizational Development industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Suzhou Snd 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.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Suzhou Snd with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Suzhou Snd is facing in Organizational Development sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
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 Suzhou Snd in the Organizational Development sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives 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 Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives 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 Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives 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 Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives 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 Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives 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 Suzhou Snd needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
Feel free to connect with us if you need business research.
You can download Excel Template of Case Study Solution & Analysis of Cross-Cultural Connection in the Suzhou Industrial Park (B): Different Perspectives