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The Whistleblower at International Game Technology SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution

Case Study Description of The Whistleblower at International Game Technology


Robert Mayhem, a senior manager at International Game Technology, had filed a whistleblower report with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission alleging that the company has misstatements in its financial reports. Mayhem's report involved IGT's practice of refurbishing used parts in one of its reporting segments and then transferring those parts to another reporting segment. Mayhem indicated that IGT's method of determining the costs of the refurbished parts was inaccurate and resulted in profits being shifted from one segment to another. Prior to his report to the SEC, Mayhem had reported his concerns to his managers and to the company's internal compliance hotline. At about the same time, IGT announced that it had accepted an offer to be acquired by another large player in the industry which would soon move its incorporation out of the U.S. and into the U.K. What should IGT do regarding the whistleblower and his report?

Authors :: Aiyesha Dey, Jonas Heese, James Weber

Topics :: Finance & Accounting

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

Swot Analysis of "The Whistleblower at International Game Technology" written by Aiyesha Dey, Jonas Heese, James Weber includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Whistleblower Mayhem facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in The Whistleblower at International Game Technology case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Ethics, Government and Finance & Accounting.


Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the The Whistleblower at International Game Technology casestudy better are - – increasing energy prices, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, there is backlash against globalization, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , increasing commodity prices, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, etc



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Introduction to SWOT Analysis of The Whistleblower at International Game Technology


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




Strengths The Whistleblower at International Game Technology | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The strengths of Whistleblower Mayhem in The Whistleblower at International Game Technology Harvard Business Review case study are -

Sustainable margins compare to other players in Finance & Accounting industry

– The Whistleblower at International Game Technology firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Whistleblower Mayhem to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Finance & Accounting industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Whistleblower Mayhem to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.

Innovation driven organization

– Whistleblower Mayhem is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in The Whistleblower at International Game Technology Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.

Successful track record of launching new products

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

Learning organization

- Whistleblower Mayhem 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 Whistleblower Mayhem is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in The Whistleblower at International Game Technology Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.

Training and development

– Whistleblower Mayhem has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in The Whistleblower at International Game Technology Harvard Business Review case study by analyzing – employees retention, in-house promotion, loyalty, new venture initiation, lack of conflict, and high level of both employees and customer engagement.

Operational resilience

– The operational resilience strategy in the The Whistleblower at International Game Technology 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.

Organizational Resilience of Whistleblower Mayhem

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

High brand equity

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

Strong track record of project management

– Whistleblower Mayhem is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.

Cross disciplinary teams

– Horizontal connected teams at the Whistleblower Mayhem 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 Whistleblower Mayhem in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.

Effective Research and Development (R&D)

– Whistleblower Mayhem 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 Whistleblower at International Game Technology - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.






Weaknesses The Whistleblower at International Game Technology | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The weaknesses of The Whistleblower at International Game Technology are -

No frontier risks strategy

– After analyzing the HBR case study The Whistleblower at International Game Technology, 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.

Lack of clear differentiation of Whistleblower Mayhem products

– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Whistleblower Mayhem 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 Whistleblower Mayhem 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 operating costs

– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study The Whistleblower at International Game Technology 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 Whistleblower Mayhem 's lucrative customers.

Workers concerns about automation

– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Whistleblower Mayhem 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.

Low market penetration in new markets

– Outside its home market of Whistleblower Mayhem, firm in the HBR case study The Whistleblower at International Game Technology needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.

Increasing silos among functional specialists

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

Products dominated business model

– Even though Whistleblower Mayhem has some of the most successful products in the industry, this business model has made each new product launch extremely critical for continuous financial growth of the organization. firm in the HBR case study - The Whistleblower at International Game Technology should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.

Compensation and incentives

– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study The Whistleblower at International Game Technology, is just above the industry average. Whistleblower Mayhem 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.

Need for greater diversity

– Whistleblower Mayhem 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 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 Whistleblower Mayhem supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - The Whistleblower at International Game Technology, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Whistleblower Mayhem vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.




Opportunities The Whistleblower at International Game Technology | 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 Whistleblower at International Game Technology are -

Changes in consumer behavior post Covid-19

– Consumer behavior has changed in the Finance & Accounting industry because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of this behavior will stay once things get back to normal. Whistleblower Mayhem 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. Whistleblower Mayhem 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.

Learning at scale

– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Whistleblower Mayhem 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.

Manufacturing automation

– Whistleblower Mayhem 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.

Creating value in data economy

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

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. Whistleblower Mayhem can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.

Low interest rates

– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Whistleblower Mayhem 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.

Better consumer reach

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

Loyalty marketing

– Whistleblower Mayhem 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.

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 Whistleblower Mayhem 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.

Lowering marketing communication costs

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

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 Whistleblower Mayhem in the consumer business. Now Whistleblower Mayhem can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.

Buying journey improvements

– Whistleblower Mayhem can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. The Whistleblower at International Game Technology 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.

Building a culture of innovation

– managers at Whistleblower Mayhem 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.




Threats The Whistleblower at International Game Technology External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis


The threats mentioned in the HBR case study The Whistleblower at International Game Technology are -

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. Whistleblower Mayhem 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.

Stagnating economy with rate increase

– Whistleblower Mayhem 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.

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 Whistleblower at International Game Technology, Whistleblower Mayhem may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Finance & Accounting .

Consumer confidence and its impact on Whistleblower Mayhem 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 dependence on third party suppliers

– Whistleblower Mayhem 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. Whistleblower Mayhem needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Finance & Accounting industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.

Shortening product life cycle

– it is one of the major threat that Whistleblower Mayhem is facing in Finance & Accounting sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.

Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins

– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Whistleblower Mayhem 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 Whistleblower at International Game Technology .

Trade war between China and United States

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

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

– Whistleblower Mayhem has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Finance & Accounting industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Whistleblower Mayhem 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.

Easy access to finance

– Easy access to finance in Finance & Accounting field will also reduce the barriers to entry in the industry, thus putting downward pressure on the prices because of increasing competition. Whistleblower Mayhem can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.

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 Whistleblower at International Game Technology 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 Whistleblower at International Game Technology 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 Whistleblower at International Game Technology 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 Whistleblower at International Game Technology 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 Whistleblower at International Game Technology 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 Whistleblower Mayhem needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.



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