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Eastside College Preparatory School SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution

Case Study Description of Eastside College Preparatory School


Eastside College Preparatory School was founded in 1996 to give students in the economically depressed communities of East Palo Alto and Menlo Park a viable option for high school education. This case describes the formation, management, and challenges of Eastside. It focuses on fundraising, performance measurement, faculty recruiting, growth, and managing culture.

Authors :: Bill Meehan, Pehr Luedtke

Topics :: Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Tags :: Innovation, Performance measurement, Social responsibility, SWOT Analysis, SWOT Matrix, TOWS, Weighted SWOT Analysis

Swot Analysis of "Eastside College Preparatory School" written by Bill Meehan, Pehr Luedtke includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Eastside Preparatory facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Eastside College Preparatory School case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Innovation, Performance measurement, Social responsibility and Innovation & Entrepreneurship.


Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Eastside College Preparatory School casestudy better are - – supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , geopolitical disruptions, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, technology disruption, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, etc



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Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Eastside College Preparatory School


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




Strengths Eastside College Preparatory School | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The strengths of Eastside Preparatory in Eastside College Preparatory School Harvard Business Review case study are -

Effective Research and Development (R&D)

– Eastside Preparatory 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 Eastside College Preparatory School - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.

Innovation driven organization

– Eastside Preparatory is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Eastside College Preparatory School Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.

Training and development

– Eastside Preparatory has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Eastside College Preparatory School 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.

Analytics focus

– Eastside Preparatory 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 Bill Meehan, Pehr Luedtke 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.

Ability to lead change in Innovation & Entrepreneurship field

– Eastside Preparatory 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 Eastside Preparatory in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.

Cross disciplinary teams

– Horizontal connected teams at the Eastside Preparatory 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.

Learning organization

- Eastside Preparatory 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 Eastside Preparatory is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Eastside College Preparatory School Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.

Low bargaining power of suppliers

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

High brand equity

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

Operational resilience

– The operational resilience strategy in the Eastside College Preparatory School 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.

Strong track record of project management

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

Highly skilled collaborators

– Eastside Preparatory has highly efficient outsourcing and offshoring strategy. It has resulted in greater operational flexibility and bringing down the costs in highly price sensitive segment. Secondly the value chain collaborators of the firm in Eastside College Preparatory School HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.






Weaknesses Eastside College Preparatory School | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The weaknesses of Eastside College Preparatory School are -

Products dominated business model

– Even though Eastside Preparatory 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 - Eastside College Preparatory School should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.

Workers concerns about automation

– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Eastside Preparatory 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.

Interest costs

– Compare to the competition, Eastside Preparatory 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.

Capital Spending Reduction

– Even during the low interest decade, Eastside Preparatory has not been able to do capital spending to the tune of the competition. This has resulted into fewer innovations and company facing stiff competition from both existing competitors and new entrants who are disrupting the industry using digital technology.

Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy

– From the instances in the HBR case study Eastside College Preparatory School, it seems that the employees of Eastside Preparatory don’t have comprehensive understanding of the firm’s strategy. This is reflected in number of promotional campaigns over the last few years that had mixed messaging and competing priorities. Some of the strategic activities and services promoted in the promotional campaigns were not consistent with the organization’s strategy.

Low market penetration in new markets

– Outside its home market of Eastside Preparatory, firm in the HBR case study Eastside College Preparatory School needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.

Ability to respond to the competition

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

Slow to harness new channels of communication

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

High dependence on star products

– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Eastside College Preparatory School 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 Eastside Preparatory has relatively successful track record of launching new products.

High bargaining power of channel partners

– Because of the regulatory requirements, Bill Meehan, Pehr Luedtke suggests that, Eastside Preparatory 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.

Increasing silos among functional specialists

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




Opportunities Eastside College Preparatory School | 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 Eastside College Preparatory School are -

Redefining models of collaboration and team work

– As explained in the weaknesses section, Eastside Preparatory is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Eastside College Preparatory School 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.

Better consumer reach

– The expansion of the 5G network will help Eastside Preparatory to increase its market reach. Eastside Preparatory will be able to reach out to new customers. Secondly 5G will also provide technology framework to build new tools and products that can help more immersive consumer experience and faster consumer journey.

Building a culture of innovation

– managers at Eastside Preparatory 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 Innovation & Entrepreneurship segment.

Creating value in data economy

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

Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities

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

Using analytics as competitive advantage

– Eastside Preparatory 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 Eastside College Preparatory School - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Eastside Preparatory to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.

Leveraging digital technologies

– Eastside Preparatory 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.

Developing new processes and practices

– Eastside Preparatory can develop new processes and procedures in Innovation & Entrepreneurship 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 Eastside Preparatory in the consumer business. Now Eastside Preparatory can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.

Finding new ways to collaborate

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

Increase in government spending

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

Learning at scale

– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Eastside Preparatory 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.

Reforming the budgeting process

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




Threats Eastside College Preparatory School External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis


The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Eastside College Preparatory School are -

Barriers of entry lowering

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

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 Eastside Preparatory business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.

Easy access to finance

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

Regulatory challenges

– Eastside Preparatory 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 Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry regulations.

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.

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. Eastside Preparatory needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.

Shortening product life cycle

– it is one of the major threat that Eastside Preparatory is facing in Innovation & Entrepreneurship sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.

Learning curve for new practices

– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Eastside College Preparatory School, Eastside Preparatory may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Innovation & Entrepreneurship .

Stagnating economy with rate increase

– Eastside Preparatory 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.

Consumer confidence and its impact on Eastside Preparatory 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.

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 Eastside Preparatory.

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. Eastside Preparatory 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.

Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution

– Eastside Preparatory has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Eastside Preparatory needs to keep up with the evolution of technology in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship 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 Eastside College Preparatory School 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 Eastside College Preparatory School 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 Eastside College Preparatory School 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 Eastside College Preparatory School 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 Eastside College Preparatory School 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 Eastside Preparatory needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.



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