Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Global Business
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004
Provides basic economic and social indicators for 145 countries, drawn from the World Bank's World Development Indicators (2004). The data include: population, land area, GNP per capita, real GDP growth, life expectancy, adult illiteracy, fertility rate, access to sanitation, and income inequality. Reports data from 2000 whenever possible and is largely based on Basic Statistics from World Bank's World Development Report 2002 (9-703-030).
Authors :: David A. Moss, Peter Epstein, Sarah Brennan
Swot Analysis of "Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004" written by David A. Moss, Peter Epstein, Sarah Brennan includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Indicators World facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Economics, Economy, Government and Global Business.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 casestudy better are - – central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, increasing transportation and logistics costs, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, there is backlash against globalization, technology disruption, increasing commodity prices, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion,
banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, wage bills are increasing, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Indicators World, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Indicators World 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 Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Indicators World
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 Indicators World
Strengths Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Indicators World in Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 Harvard Business Review case study are -
Innovation driven organization
– Indicators World is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Global Business industry
– Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Indicators World to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Global Business industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Indicators World to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Indicators World 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.
High brand equity
– Indicators World has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Indicators World to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Indicators World in the sector have low bargaining power. Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Indicators World to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Indicators World is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Diverse revenue streams
– Indicators World is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 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.
Learning organization
- Indicators World 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 Indicators World is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 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 Indicators World
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Indicators World does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Indicators World 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 Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Training and development
– Indicators World has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 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.
Weaknesses Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 are -
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004, it seems that company is thinking about the frontier risks that can impact Global Business 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.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 HBR case study mentions - Indicators World takes time to assess the upcoming competitions. This has led to missing out on atleast 2-3 big opportunities in the industry in last five years.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 that the firm needs to have more collaboration between its sales team and marketing team. Sales professionals in the industry have deep experience in developing customer relationships. Marketing department in the case Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Indicators World is planning to shift buying processes online.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 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 Indicators World 's lucrative customers.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
Indicators World 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 bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, David A. Moss, Peter Epstein, Sarah Brennan suggests that, Indicators World 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.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Indicators World 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 - Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Indicators World is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Indicators World is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Global Business segment. Indicators World needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Indicators World to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Lack of clear differentiation of Indicators World products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Indicators World needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, Indicators World 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. Indicators World 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.
Opportunities Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 | 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 Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 are -
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 Indicators World 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 Indicators World in the field of marketing communication. It will bring down the cost of doing business, provide technology platform to build new products in the Global Business segment, and it will provide faster access to the consumers.
Loyalty marketing
– Indicators World 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.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Indicators World 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.
Developing new processes and practices
– Indicators World 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.
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 Indicators World in the consumer business. Now Indicators World can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Indicators World can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Indicators World operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Global Business sector.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Indicators World can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
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. Indicators World can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Indicators World 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 Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Indicators World 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 Indicators World to increase its market reach. Indicators World 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.
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. Indicators World can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Manufacturing automation
– Indicators World can use the latest technology developments to improve its manufacturing and designing process in Global Business 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 Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 are -
Environmental challenges
– Indicators World 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. Indicators World can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Global Business 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.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Indicators World 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.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Indicators World has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Global Business industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Indicators World 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.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Indicators World 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 Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 .
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 Indicators World in the Global Business sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Indicators World 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.
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. Indicators World needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Global Business industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
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 Indicators World business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
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. Indicators World can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
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 Indicators World.
Increasing wage structure of Indicators World
– 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 Indicators World.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004, Indicators World 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 .
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 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 Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 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 Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 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 Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 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 Basic Statistics from the World Bank's World Development Indicators, 2004 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 Indicators World needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.