Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A)
Iqbal Quadir, a former New York investment banker, set about to bring universal telecommunications to his native Bangladesh. He was convinced that, GSM, the same advanced wireless technology that penetrated developed countries in Europe was also the right solution for Bangladesh. He assembled a critical group of partners in a venture, GrameenPhone, that included Scandinavian telecom operators, Grameen Bank, the microfinance pioneer, Bangladesh Railways as well as a Japanese investment firm. Each partner brought a different capability to the venture, but the coalition was fundamentally unstable. Quadir was facing roadblocks no matter which way he turned in his quest to assemble the venture. He came to a point where the rational decision seemed to be to abandon the venture and return to his secure investment banking job. This case highlights the role of bottlenecks and constraints in sparking innovations in business models by the creative entrepreneur.
Swot Analysis of "Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A)" written by Bhaskar Chakravorti, David Lane includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Quadir Bangladesh facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Entrepreneurship and Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) casestudy better are - – increasing commodity prices, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, increasing household debt because of falling income levels, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, increasing energy prices, increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%,
wage bills are increasing, technology disruption, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A)
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Quadir Bangladesh, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Quadir Bangladesh 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 Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Quadir Bangladesh
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 Quadir Bangladesh
Strengths Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Quadir Bangladesh in Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) Harvard Business Review case study are -
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Quadir Bangladesh in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Training and development
– Quadir Bangladesh has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) 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.
Strong track record of project management
– Quadir Bangladesh is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Quadir Bangladesh 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.
Ability to lead change in Innovation & Entrepreneurship field
– Quadir Bangladesh 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 Quadir Bangladesh in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Quadir Bangladesh 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.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Quadir Bangladesh has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Quadir Bangladesh 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.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry
– Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Quadir Bangladesh to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Quadir Bangladesh to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
High brand equity
– Quadir Bangladesh has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Quadir Bangladesh to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Innovation driven organization
– Quadir Bangladesh is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Quadir Bangladesh is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Digital Transformation in Innovation & Entrepreneurship segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Quadir Bangladesh digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Quadir Bangladesh 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.
Weaknesses Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) are -
High cash cycle compare to competitors
Quadir Bangladesh 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.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) 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 Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Quadir Bangladesh is planning to shift buying processes online.
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Quadir Bangladesh 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.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A), it seems that company is thinking about the frontier risks that can impact Innovation & Entrepreneurship 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.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Quadir Bangladesh 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 - Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
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 Quadir Bangladesh supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A), it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Quadir Bangladesh vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
High dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) 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 Quadir Bangladesh has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Lack of clear differentiation of Quadir Bangladesh products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Quadir Bangladesh needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Quadir Bangladesh 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.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, Quadir Bangladesh 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. Quadir Bangladesh 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.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A), it seems that the employees of Quadir Bangladesh 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.
Opportunities Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) | 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 Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) are -
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Quadir Bangladesh can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Quadir Bangladesh operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Innovation & Entrepreneurship sector.
Buying journey improvements
– Quadir Bangladesh can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) 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.
Loyalty marketing
– Quadir Bangladesh 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.
Manufacturing automation
– Quadir Bangladesh 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.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Quadir Bangladesh 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 Quadir Bangladesh to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Quadir Bangladesh can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
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. Quadir Bangladesh can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Quadir Bangladesh 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 Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Quadir Bangladesh to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Quadir Bangladesh in the field of marketing communication. It will bring down the cost of doing business, provide technology platform to build new products in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship segment, and it will provide faster access to the consumers.
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 Quadir Bangladesh 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.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Quadir Bangladesh is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) 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.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Quadir Bangladesh 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, Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A), to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Quadir Bangladesh to increase its market reach. Quadir Bangladesh 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.
Threats Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) are -
Consumer confidence and its impact on Quadir Bangladesh 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.
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 Quadir Bangladesh in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
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.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Quadir Bangladesh 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.
Environmental challenges
– Quadir Bangladesh 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. Quadir Bangladesh can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry.
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 Quadir Bangladesh.
Increasing wage structure of Quadir Bangladesh
– 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 Quadir Bangladesh.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A), Quadir Bangladesh 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 .
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. Quadir Bangladesh can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
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 Quadir Bangladesh business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Regulatory challenges
– Quadir Bangladesh 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.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Quadir Bangladesh 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.
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. Quadir Bangladesh 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.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) 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 Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) 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 Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) 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 Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) 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 Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A) 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 Quadir Bangladesh needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.