Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Leadership & Managing People
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios
This is a Darden case study.Managing conflict and differences has always been an essential, but challenging, skill to master for effective leadership. This case was designed to build expertise in developing external and internal relationships and dealing with conflict. Grounded in the pedagogy of experiential learning, the case consists of three role-play scenarios that exemplify three challenging education situations. In each scenario, two individuals are faced with a possible difference in perspective or goals. The role-play requires students to assume the role of one of the individuals, and each scenario requires one student to initiate the follow-up discussion. Please note: This case should be printed single-sided only.
Swot Analysis of "Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios" written by Ryan W. Quinn includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Scenarios Scenario facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Difficult conversations, Education, Leadership, Organizational culture and Leadership & Managing People.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios casestudy better are - – there is increasing trade war between United States & China, geopolitical disruptions, increasing transportation and logistics costs, increasing government debt because of Covid-19 spendings, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , technology disruption, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation,
digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Scenarios Scenario, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Scenarios Scenario 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 Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Scenarios Scenario
3. Assessing feasibility of the new initiative in Leadership & Managing People field.
4. Making a Leadership & Managing People topic specific business decision
5. Set goals for the organization
6. Organizational restructuring of Scenarios Scenario
Strengths Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Scenarios Scenario in Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios Harvard Business Review case study are -
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Scenarios Scenario 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 Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios Harvard Business Review case study comprises – understanding the underlying the factors in the industry, building diversified operations across different geographies so that disruption in one part of the world doesn’t impact the overall performance of the firm, and integrating the various business operations and processes through its digital transformation drive.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Scenarios Scenario in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Organizational Resilience of Scenarios Scenario
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Scenarios Scenario does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Analytics focus
– Scenarios Scenario 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 Ryan W. Quinn 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.
Learning organization
- Scenarios Scenario 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 Scenarios Scenario is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Diverse revenue streams
– Scenarios Scenario is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios 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 Scenarios Scenario 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
– Scenarios Scenario is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Scenarios Scenario has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Scenarios Scenario 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.
Innovation driven organization
– Scenarios Scenario is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Scenarios Scenario 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.
Weaknesses Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios are -
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios, it seems that company is thinking about the frontier risks that can impact Leadership & Managing People 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 cash cycle compare to competitors
Scenarios Scenario 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.
Ability to respond to the competition
– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios, in the dynamic environment Scenarios Scenario has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Scenarios Scenario has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.
Lack of clear differentiation of Scenarios Scenario products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Scenarios Scenario needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Scenarios Scenario is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios 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 dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios 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 Scenarios Scenario has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Ryan W. Quinn suggests that, Scenarios Scenario 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.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios 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 Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Scenarios Scenario is planning to shift buying processes online.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios, is just above the industry average. Scenarios Scenario 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.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios has high operating costs in the. This can be harder to sustain given the new emerging competition from nimble players who are using technology to attract Scenarios Scenario 's lucrative customers.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Scenarios Scenario 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 Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios | 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 Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios are -
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Scenarios Scenario 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 Scenarios Scenario to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
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. Scenarios Scenario can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Changes in consumer behavior post Covid-19
– Consumer behavior has changed in the Leadership & Managing People industry because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some of this behavior will stay once things get back to normal. Scenarios Scenario can take advantage of these changes in consumer behavior to build a far more efficient business model. For example consumer regular ordering of products can reduce both last mile delivery costs and market penetration costs. Scenarios Scenario can further use this consumer data to build better customer loyalty, provide better products and service collection, and improve the value proposition in inflationary times.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Scenarios Scenario can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Scenarios Scenario 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.
Loyalty marketing
– Scenarios Scenario 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.
Buying journey improvements
– Scenarios Scenario can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios 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.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Scenarios Scenario can leverage digital technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate the production process, customer analytics to get better insights into consumer behavior, realtime digital dashboards to get better sales tracking, logistics and transportation, product tracking, etc.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Scenarios Scenario can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Scenarios Scenario operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Leadership & Managing People sector.
Finding new ways to collaborate
– Covid-19 has not only transformed business models of companies in Leadership & Managing People industry, but it has also influenced the consumer preferences. Scenarios Scenario can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Scenarios Scenario 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, Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Manufacturing automation
– Scenarios Scenario can use the latest technology developments to improve its manufacturing and designing process in Leadership & Managing People 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.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Scenarios Scenario to increase its market reach. Scenarios Scenario 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 Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios are -
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Scenarios Scenario 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.
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 Scenarios Scenario in the Leadership & Managing People sector and impact the bottomline of the organization.
Increasing wage structure of Scenarios Scenario
– 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 Scenarios Scenario.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Scenarios Scenario is facing in Leadership & Managing People sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Regulatory challenges
– Scenarios Scenario 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 Leadership & Managing People industry regulations.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Scenarios Scenario in the Leadership & Managing People industry. The Leadership & Managing People 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.
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 Scenarios Scenario business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
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. Scenarios Scenario needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Leadership & Managing People industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
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.
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. Scenarios Scenario 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.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios, Scenarios Scenario may face longer learning curve for training and development of existing employees. This can open space for more nimble competitors in the field of Leadership & Managing People .
Technology disruption because of hacks, piracy etc
– The colonial pipeline illustrated, how vulnerable modern organization are to international hackers, miscreants, and disruptors. The cyber security interruption, data leaks, etc can seriously jeopardize the future growth of the organization.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Scenarios Scenario has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Leadership & Managing People industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Scenarios Scenario needs to keep up with the evolution of technology in the Leadership & Managing People 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.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios 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 Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios 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 Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios 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 Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios 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 Learning in Real Time: Role-Plays in Educational Scenarios 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 Scenarios Scenario needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.