Swot Analysis of "Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (B)" written by Bhaskar Chakravorti, David Lane includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Grameenphone Iqbal facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (B) case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, 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 (B) casestudy better are - – challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, wage bills are increasing, increasing energy prices, increasing household debt because of falling income levels, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic ,
central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, increasing commodity prices, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (B)
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 (B) case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Grameenphone Iqbal, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Grameenphone 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 Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (B) can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (B) case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Grameenphone 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 Grameenphone Iqbal
Strengths Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (B) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Grameenphone Iqbal in Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (B) Harvard Business Review case study are -
High brand equity
– Grameenphone Iqbal has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Grameenphone Iqbal to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Diverse revenue streams
– Grameenphone Iqbal is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (B) 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.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Grameenphone 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.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Grameenphone Iqbal is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (B) are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Training and development
– Grameenphone Iqbal 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 (B) 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.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Grameenphone Iqbal in the sector have low bargaining power. Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (B) has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Grameenphone Iqbal to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Innovation driven organization
– Grameenphone Iqbal is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (B) Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Grameenphone Iqbal has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Grameenphone Iqbal 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.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Grameenphone Iqbal in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Ability to lead change in Innovation & Entrepreneurship field
– Grameenphone Iqbal 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 Grameenphone Iqbal 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 Grameenphone 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.
Organizational Resilience of Grameenphone Iqbal
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Grameenphone Iqbal does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Weaknesses Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (B) | 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 (B) are -
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (B), 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.
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 Grameenphone Iqbal supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (B), it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Grameenphone Iqbal vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Lack of clear differentiation of Grameenphone Iqbal products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Grameenphone Iqbal needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (B), it seems that the employees of Grameenphone Iqbal 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.
Need for greater diversity
– Grameenphone 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 cash cycle compare to competitors
Grameenphone 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.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (B), is just above the industry average. Grameenphone 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.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Grameenphone Iqbal 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 (B) should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (B) 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 (B) can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Grameenphone Iqbal is planning to shift buying processes online.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Bhaskar Chakravorti, David Lane suggests that, Grameenphone 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.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Grameenphone Iqbal 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.
Opportunities Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (B) | 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 (B) are -
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Grameenphone 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 Grameenphone Iqbal to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Grameenphone Iqbal is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (B) 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.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Grameenphone 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 Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (B) - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Grameenphone Iqbal to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Grameenphone 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.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Grameenphone Iqbal 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.
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 Grameenphone Iqbal in the consumer business. Now Grameenphone Iqbal can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Grameenphone 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, Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (B), 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 Grameenphone Iqbal 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.
Buying journey improvements
– Grameenphone Iqbal 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 (B) 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.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Grameenphone Iqbal has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Grameenphone Iqbal to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (B) case study. Grameenphone Iqbal can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Developing new processes and practices
– Grameenphone 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.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Grameenphone 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.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Grameenphone Iqbal to increase its market reach. Grameenphone 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 Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (B) 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 (B) are -
Regulatory challenges
– Grameenphone 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.
Environmental challenges
– Grameenphone 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. Grameenphone Iqbal can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry.
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. Grameenphone Iqbal can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Grameenphone Iqbal is facing in Innovation & Entrepreneurship sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Grameenphone 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.
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
– Grameenphone Iqbal 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.
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 Grameenphone Iqbal.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Grameenphone Iqbal 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.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Grameenphone 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 Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (B) .
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 Grameenphone Iqbal in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship sector and impact the bottomline 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. Grameenphone Iqbal needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Innovation & Entrepreneurship industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
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 (B), Grameenphone Iqbal 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 .
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (B) 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 (B) 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 (B) 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 (B) 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 (B) 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 Grameenphone Iqbal needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.