"My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Communication
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee
Antar Al-Qawwee describes in vivid detail his first days on the job at his summer internship in Sales and Trading and reflects on the lessons he learned through careful observation. Among the lessons he identifies are (1) Speak up early and often; (2) Be flexible and adjust your style; (3) Fate favors the prepared; and (4) Be yourself. As important as these explicit lessons are, equally important are the skills of presence of mind, mindful self-awareness, and sensitive reading of people and situations that he demonstrates.
Swot Analysis of ""My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee" written by Elizabeth A. Powell, Antar Al-Qawwee includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Antar Qawwee facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Emotional intelligence, Financial markets, Psychology and Communication.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee casestudy better are - – increasing commodity prices, increasing household debt because of falling income levels, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, increasing transportation and logistics costs, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies,
increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, technology disruption, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Antar Qawwee, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Antar Qawwee 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 "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Antar Qawwee
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Communication field.
4. Making a Communication topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of Antar Qawwee
Strengths "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Antar Qawwee in "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee Harvard Business Review case study are -
High brand equity
– Antar Qawwee has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Antar Qawwee to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Communication industry
– "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Antar Qawwee to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Communication industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Antar Qawwee to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Antar Qawwee 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 "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Organizational Resilience of Antar Qawwee
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Antar Qawwee does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Innovation driven organization
– Antar Qawwee is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Antar Qawwee in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Digital Transformation in Communication segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Antar Qawwee digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Antar Qawwee 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.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Antar Qawwee in the sector have low bargaining power. "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Antar Qawwee to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Training and development
– Antar Qawwee has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee 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.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Antar Qawwee 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.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Antar Qawwee 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 "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Diverse revenue streams
– Antar Qawwee is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee 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.
Weaknesses "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee are -
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee HBR case study mentions - Antar Qawwee 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.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Antar Qawwee is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Communication segment. Antar Qawwee needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Antar Qawwee to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Antar Qawwee has not been able to do capital spending to the tune of the competition. This has resulted into fewer innovations and company facing stiff competition from both existing competitors and new entrants who are disrupting the industry using digital technology.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee, it seems that the employees of Antar Qawwee 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.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Antar Qawwee 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.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, Antar Qawwee 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. Antar Qawwee 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.
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Antar Qawwee 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.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee, in the dynamic environment Antar Qawwee has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Antar Qawwee has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Antar Qawwee is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee 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 cash cycle compare to competitors
Antar Qawwee 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 Antar Qawwee supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Antar Qawwee vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Opportunities "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee | 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 "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee are -
Finding new ways to collaborate
– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Communication industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Antar Qawwee can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Antar Qawwee to conduct training and development for its employees across the world. This will result in not only reducing the cost of training but also help employees in different part of the world to integrate with the headquarter work culture, ethos, and standards.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Antar Qawwee can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Developing new processes and practices
– Antar Qawwee can develop new processes and procedures in Communication industry using technology such as automation using artificial intelligence, real time transportation and products tracking, 3D modeling for concept development and new products pilot testing etc.
Use of Bitcoin and other crypto currencies for transactions
– The popularity of Bitcoin and other crypto currencies as asset class and medium of transaction has opened new opportunities for Antar Qawwee in the consumer business. Now Antar Qawwee can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Antar Qawwee to increase its market reach. Antar Qawwee will be able to reach out to new customers. Secondly 5G will also provide technology framework to build new tools and products that can help more immersive consumer experience and faster consumer journey.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Antar Qawwee 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 Communication segment.
Manufacturing automation
– Antar Qawwee can use the latest technology developments to improve its manufacturing and designing process in Communication 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.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Antar Qawwee can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Antar Qawwee operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Communication sector.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Antar Qawwee in the field of marketing communication. It will bring down the cost of doing business, provide technology platform to build new products in the Communication segment, and it will provide faster access to the consumers.
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. Antar Qawwee can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Buying journey improvements
– Antar Qawwee can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee 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 Antar Qawwee 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 Antar Qawwee to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Threats "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee are -
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. Antar Qawwee needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Communication industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Easy access to finance
– Easy access to finance in Communication field will also reduce the barriers to entry in the industry, thus putting downward pressure on the prices because of increasing competition. Antar Qawwee can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Antar Qawwee 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.
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 Antar Qawwee business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, 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. Antar Qawwee 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.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Antar Qawwee 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 international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Antar Qawwee 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 "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee .
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 Antar Qawwee.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee, Antar Qawwee may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Communication .
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Antar Qawwee is facing in Communication sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Regulatory challenges
– Antar Qawwee 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 Communication industry regulations.
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 Antar Qawwee in the Communication industry. The Communication 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.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee 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 "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee 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 "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee 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 "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee 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 "My Summer Internship" by Antar Al-Qawwee 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 Antar Qawwee needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.