Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution

Case Study Description of Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise

Very little has been written about women business leaders in the Middle East. Fatima Al Jaber is the Chief Operating Officer of a multibillion-dollar family owned company in Abu Dhabi. The case traces her personal history, highlights the challenges faced by family businesses in the region, and focuses on the distinctive strengths and leadership styles of Muslim businesswomen. The case will prompt discussion about work-life balance, the significance of culture, and the traditional and transitional roles and responsibilities of women in a rapidly evolving geopolitical context. It can also be used more broadly to compare leadership and gender in Western cultures to more traditional Middle Eastern cultures.

Authors :: Ebba Abdon, Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries, Elisabet Engellau, Elizabeth Florent-Treacy

Topics :: Innovation & Entrepreneurship

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

Swot Analysis of "Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise" written by Ebba Abdon, Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries, Elisabet Engellau, Elizabeth Florent-Treacy includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Jaber Fatima facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise casestudy better are - – customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, there is backlash against globalization, increasing household debt because of falling income levels, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, increasing commodity prices, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , there is increasing trade war between United States & China, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, increasing energy prices, etc

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Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise

SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Jaber Fatima, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Jaber Fatima 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.

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SWOT Objectives / Importance of SWOT Analysis and SWOT Matrix

SWOT analysis of Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Jaber Fatima
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 Jaber Fatima

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Strengths Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The strengths of Jaber Fatima in Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise Harvard Business Review case study are -

High brand equity

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

Successful track record of launching new products

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

Effective Research and Development (R&D)

– Jaber Fatima 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 Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.

Highly skilled collaborators

– Jaber Fatima 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 Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.

Analytics focus

– Jaber Fatima 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 Ebba Abdon, Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries, Elisabet Engellau, Elizabeth Florent-Treacy 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.

Digital Transformation in Innovation & Entrepreneurship segment

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

Learning organization

- Jaber Fatima 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 Jaber Fatima is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.

Training and development

– Jaber Fatima has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise 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.

Cross disciplinary teams

– Horizontal connected teams at the Jaber Fatima 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.

Strong track record of project management

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

Innovation driven organization

– Jaber Fatima is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.

Organizational Resilience of Jaber Fatima

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

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Weaknesses Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The weaknesses of Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise are -

Slow to harness new channels of communication

– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Jaber Fatima is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise 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 operating costs

– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise 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 Jaber Fatima 's lucrative customers.

Slow to strategic competitive environment developments

– As Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise HBR case study mentions - Jaber Fatima 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.

Low market penetration in new markets

– Outside its home market of Jaber Fatima, firm in the HBR case study Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.

Products dominated business model

– Even though Jaber Fatima 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 - Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.

Interest costs

– Compare to the competition, Jaber Fatima 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.

Need for greater diversity

– Jaber Fatima 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 bargaining power of channel partners

– Because of the regulatory requirements, Ebba Abdon, Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries, Elisabet Engellau, Elizabeth Florent-Treacy suggests that, Jaber Fatima is facing high bargaining power of the channel partners. So far it has not able to streamline the operations to reduce the bargaining power of the value chain partners in the industry.

Workers concerns about automation

– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Jaber Fatima 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.

High cash cycle compare to competitors

Jaber Fatima 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 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 Jaber Fatima supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Jaber Fatima vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.

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Opportunities Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise | 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 Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise are -

Better consumer reach

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

Increase in government spending

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

Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities

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

Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains

– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Jaber Fatima 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, Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.

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 Jaber Fatima 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.

Building a culture of innovation

– managers at Jaber Fatima 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.

Low interest rates

– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Jaber Fatima 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.

Learning at scale

– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Jaber Fatima 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.

Changes in consumer behavior post Covid-19

– Consumer behavior has changed in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of this behavior will stay once things get back to normal. Jaber Fatima 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. Jaber Fatima can further use this consumer data to build better customer loyalty, provide better products and service collection, and improve the value proposition in inflationary times.

Creating value in data economy

– The success of analytics program of Jaber Fatima has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Jaber Fatima to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise case study. Jaber Fatima can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.

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. Jaber Fatima can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.

Developing new processes and practices

– Jaber Fatima 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.

Manufacturing automation

– Jaber Fatima can use the latest technology developments to improve its manufacturing and designing process in Innovation & Entrepreneurship 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.

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Threats Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise are -

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.

Barriers of entry lowering

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

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 Jaber Fatima.

Consumer confidence and its impact on Jaber Fatima 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.

Environmental challenges

– Jaber Fatima 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. Jaber Fatima can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry.

Learning curve for new practices

– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise, Jaber Fatima 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 .

Regulatory challenges

– Jaber Fatima 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 dependence on third party suppliers

– Jaber Fatima 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.

Increasing wage structure of Jaber Fatima

– 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 Jaber Fatima.

Stagnating economy with rate increase

– Jaber Fatima 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.

Shortening product life cycle

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

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. Jaber Fatima 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.

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Weighted SWOT Analysis of Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise 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 Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise 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 Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise 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 Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise 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 Fatima Al Jaber and Al Jaber Group: Traditions and Transitions in a United Arab Emirates Family Enterprise 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 Jaber Fatima needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.

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