Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh)
As the smallest of 4 partners in a unique wireless telephony venture in Bangladesh that he initiated and helped grow, Iqbal Quadir is trying to acquire a larger stake in the venture when one of the partners wants to sell his shares. However, Quadir faces stiff resistance from the other two partners, who also want to acquire the shares.
Authors :: Daniel J. Isenberg, David Lane, Carin-Isabel Knoop
Swot Analysis of "Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh)" written by Daniel J. Isenberg, David Lane, Carin-Isabel Knoop includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Quadir Iqbal facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Entrepreneurial finance, Entrepreneurial management, International business, Negotiations and Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) casestudy better are - – competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, wage bills are increasing, there is backlash against globalization, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, increasing household debt because of falling income levels,
technology disruption, increasing transportation and logistics costs, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh)
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Quadir Iqbal, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Quadir Iqbal 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 Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Quadir Iqbal
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 Iqbal
Strengths Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Quadir Iqbal in Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) Harvard Business Review case study are -
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Quadir Iqbal 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.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Quadir Iqbal 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 Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry
– Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Quadir Iqbal to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Quadir Iqbal to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Quadir Iqbal is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Quadir Iqbal 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
- Quadir Iqbal 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 Quadir Iqbal is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Quadir Iqbal in the sector have low bargaining power. Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Quadir Iqbal to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Diverse revenue streams
– Quadir Iqbal is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) 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.
Digital Transformation in Innovation & Entrepreneurship segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Quadir Iqbal digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Quadir Iqbal 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.
Training and development
– Quadir Iqbal has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) 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
– Quadir Iqbal 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 Daniel J. Isenberg, David Lane, Carin-Isabel Knoop 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.
Innovation driven organization
– Quadir Iqbal is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Weaknesses Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) are -
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh), in the dynamic environment Quadir Iqbal has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Quadir Iqbal has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
Need for greater diversity
– Quadir Iqbal 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, Daniel J. Isenberg, David Lane, Carin-Isabel Knoop suggests that, Quadir Iqbal 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.
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 Iqbal supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh), it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Quadir Iqbal vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh), 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.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Quadir Iqbal is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh), is just above the industry average. Quadir Iqbal needs to redesign the compensation structure and incentives to increase the revenue per employees. Some of the steps that it can take are – hiring more specialists on project basis, etc.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) HBR case study mentions - Quadir Iqbal 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.
High dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) 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 Iqbal has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Quadir Iqbal has created an environment where the organization is dominated by functional specialists rather than management generalist. This has resulted into product oriented approach rather than marketing oriented approach or consumers oriented approach.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
Quadir Iqbal 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.
Opportunities Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) | 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 Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) are -
Buying journey improvements
– Quadir Iqbal can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) 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.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Quadir Iqbal 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 Iqbal to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Loyalty marketing
– Quadir Iqbal 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.
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 Iqbal can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Developing new processes and practices
– Quadir Iqbal 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.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Quadir Iqbal 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.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Quadir Iqbal 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, Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh), to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Quadir Iqbal 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 Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Quadir Iqbal to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
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 Iqbal can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Quadir Iqbal operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Innovation & Entrepreneurship sector.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Quadir Iqbal 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.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Quadir Iqbal is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) 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.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Quadir Iqbal has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Quadir Iqbal to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) case study. Quadir Iqbal can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Quadir Iqbal to increase its market reach. Quadir Iqbal 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 Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) 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.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Quadir Iqbal in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry. The Innovation & Entrepreneurship 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.
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 Iqbal.
Increasing wage structure of Quadir Iqbal
– 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 Iqbal.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Quadir Iqbal has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Quadir Iqbal 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.
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 Iqbal in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Instability in the European markets
– European Union markets are facing three big challenges post Covid – expanded balance sheets, Brexit related business disruption, and aggressive Russia looking to distract the existing security mechanism. Quadir Iqbal 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.
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 Iqbal can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
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. Quadir Iqbal needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Environmental challenges
– Quadir Iqbal 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 Iqbal can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry.
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 Iqbal business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Regulatory challenges
– Quadir Iqbal 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.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Quadir Iqbal 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 Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) .
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) 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 Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) 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 Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) 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 Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) 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 Iqbal Quadir, Gonofone, and the Creation of GrameenPhone (Bangladesh) 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 Iqbal needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.