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Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution

Case Study Description of Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition


Founded in 1996, China Minsheng Banking Corporation Limited ("Minsheng") was the first private commercial bank in China. By 2006, Minsheng had acquired almost US$130 billion in total assets and established almost 330 banking offices across the nation. The Banker magazine consistently praised Minsheng's development, ranking it number 310 in its top 1,000 business banks in the world in 2004, number 287 in 2005, and number 247 in 2006. In early March 2008, Minsheng obtained the green light from the China Banking Regulatory Commission to buy a 4.9% stake in US-based banking holding company, UCBH Holdings, Inc. ("UCBH") for US$95.7 million. The deal would eventually take Minsheng's stake in UCBH to 9.9%, totalling around US$200 million. The acquisition not only distinguished Minsheng as the first Chinese mainland institution to invest in a US bank, but was also viewed as a milestone for Chinese banks entering the US and international markets. On the flip side, UCBH would soon use this opportunity to make its own moves into China, leveraging its affiliation with Minsheng to totalingacquire other Chinese banks. This case examines the process of international expansion through acquisitions in the banking industry and the positioning of a growing bank in the global market, covering issues such as value creation, impact of government regulation and international barriers, the Chinese banking industry and its development, and the associated risks.

Authors :: Ricky Lai, Gerald Yong Gao, Jiangyong Lu, Hung Gay Fung

Topics :: Global Business

Tags :: Growth strategy, International business, Mergers & acquisitions, Risk management, SWOT Analysis, SWOT Matrix, TOWS, Weighted SWOT Analysis

Swot Analysis of "Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition" written by Ricky Lai, Gerald Yong Gao, Jiangyong Lu, Hung Gay Fung includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Minsheng Ucbh facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Growth strategy, International business, Mergers & acquisitions, Risk management and Global Business.


Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition casestudy better are - – increasing household debt because of falling income levels, increasing transportation and logistics costs, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, etc



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Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition


SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Minsheng Ucbh, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Minsheng Ucbh 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 Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Minsheng Ucbh
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Global Business field.
4. Making a Global Business topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of Minsheng Ucbh




Strengths Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The strengths of Minsheng Ucbh in Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition Harvard Business Review case study are -

Analytics focus

– Minsheng Ucbh 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 Ricky Lai, Gerald Yong Gao, Jiangyong Lu, Hung Gay Fung 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 brand equity

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

Training and development

– Minsheng Ucbh has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition 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.

Ability to recruit top talent

– Minsheng Ucbh is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.

Operational resilience

– The operational resilience strategy in the Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition 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.

Ability to lead change in Global Business field

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

Digital Transformation in Global Business segment

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

Low bargaining power of suppliers

– Suppliers of Minsheng Ucbh in the sector have low bargaining power. Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Minsheng Ucbh to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.

High switching costs

– The high switching costs that Minsheng Ucbh 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.

Diverse revenue streams

– Minsheng Ucbh is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition 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.

Innovation driven organization

– Minsheng Ucbh is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.






Weaknesses Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The weaknesses of Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition are -

Slow decision making process

– As mentioned earlier in the report, Minsheng Ucbh 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. Minsheng Ucbh 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.

Increasing silos among functional specialists

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

Workers concerns about automation

– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Minsheng Ucbh 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.

Ability to respond to the competition

– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition, in the dynamic environment Minsheng Ucbh has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Minsheng Ucbh has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.

Lack of clear differentiation of Minsheng Ucbh products

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

Products dominated business model

– Even though Minsheng Ucbh 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 - Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.

Interest costs

– Compare to the competition, Minsheng Ucbh 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.

High cash cycle compare to competitors

Minsheng Ucbh 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 star products

– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition HBR case study still accounts for major business revenue. This dependence on star products in has resulted into insufficient focus on developing new products, even though Minsheng Ucbh has relatively successful track record of launching new products.

Compensation and incentives

– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition, is just above the industry average. Minsheng Ucbh 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.

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 Minsheng Ucbh supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Minsheng Ucbh vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.




Opportunities Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition | 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 Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition are -

Redefining models of collaboration and team work

– As explained in the weaknesses section, Minsheng Ucbh is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition 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.

Low interest rates

– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Minsheng Ucbh 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.

Building a culture of innovation

– managers at Minsheng Ucbh 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 Global Business segment.

Leveraging digital technologies

– Minsheng Ucbh 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.

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 Minsheng Ucbh 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.

Changes in consumer behavior post Covid-19

– Consumer behavior has changed in the Global Business industry because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of this behavior will stay once things get back to normal. Minsheng Ucbh 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. Minsheng Ucbh 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.

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. Minsheng Ucbh can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.

Better consumer reach

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

Developing new processes and practices

– Minsheng Ucbh can develop new processes and procedures in Global Business 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.

Finding new ways to collaborate

– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Global Business industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Minsheng Ucbh can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.

Reforming the budgeting process

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

Buying journey improvements

– Minsheng Ucbh can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition 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.

Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains

– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Minsheng Ucbh 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, Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.




Threats Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis


The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition are -

High dependence on third party suppliers

– Minsheng Ucbh 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 Minsheng Ucbh in the Global Business sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.

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. Minsheng Ucbh 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.

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 Minsheng Ucbh business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.

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. Minsheng Ucbh needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Global Business 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.

Regulatory challenges

– Minsheng Ucbh 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 Global Business 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 Minsheng Ucbh.

Learning curve for new practices

– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition, Minsheng Ucbh may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Global Business .

Trade war between China and United States

– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Minsheng Ucbh in the Global Business industry. The Global Business 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.

Easy access to finance

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

Increasing wage structure of Minsheng Ucbh

– Post Covid-19 there is a sharp increase in the wages especially in the jobs that require interaction with people. The increasing wages can put downward pressure on the margins of Minsheng Ucbh.

Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution

– Minsheng Ucbh has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Global Business industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Minsheng Ucbh needs to keep up with the evolution of technology in the Global Business 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 Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition 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 Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition 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 Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition 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 Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition 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 Minsheng Bank: Penetrating The US Market Through Acquisition 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 Minsheng Ucbh needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.



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