Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Leadership & Managing People
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI)
A veteran of the freight forwarding industry, Issa Baluch wanted to transform the education space in Africa by introducing hands-on practical teaching in agriculture and agribusiness. In the summer of 2015 his vision of a practical learning institute for African agriculture workers had finally found its footing as the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI). Several African countries were interested in having AKILI branches; however, Baluch and his team were still working hard to design a concrete model for AKILI and figure out the best possible expansion strategy.
Swot Analysis of "Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI)" written by Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Renee Vuillaume includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Akili Baluch facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Financial management, Generational issues, Innovation, Knowledge management, Leadership, Strategy, Sustainability and Leadership & Managing People.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) casestudy better are - – banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, there is backlash against globalization, wage bills are increasing, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, increasing transportation and logistics costs,
talent flight as more people leaving formal jobs, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI)
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Akili Baluch, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Akili Baluch 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 Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Akili Baluch
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 Akili Baluch
Strengths Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Akili Baluch in Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) Harvard Business Review case study are -
Digital Transformation in Leadership & Managing People segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Akili Baluch digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Akili Baluch 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.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Akili Baluch 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 Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Akili Baluch in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) 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.
High brand equity
– Akili Baluch has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Akili Baluch to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Learning organization
- Akili Baluch 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 Akili Baluch is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Analytics focus
– Akili Baluch 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 Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Renee Vuillaume 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.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Akili Baluch 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.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Akili Baluch 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.
Ability to lead change in Leadership & Managing People field
– Akili Baluch 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 Akili Baluch in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Akili Baluch has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Akili Baluch 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.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of Akili Baluch in the sector have low bargaining power. Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Akili Baluch to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Weaknesses Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) are -
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) HBR case study mentions - Akili Baluch 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.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Akili Baluch, firm in the HBR case study Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Akili Baluch is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Akili Baluch is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Leadership & Managing People segment. Akili Baluch needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Akili Baluch to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI), it seems that the employees of Akili Baluch 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.
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Akili Baluch 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.
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 Akili Baluch supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI), it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Akili Baluch vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Akili Baluch 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 - Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, Akili Baluch 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. Akili Baluch 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.
Need for greater diversity
– Akili Baluch 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.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Akili Baluch 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.
Opportunities Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) | 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 Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) are -
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 Akili Baluch in the consumer business. Now Akili Baluch can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of Akili Baluch has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Akili Baluch to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) case study. Akili Baluch can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Akili Baluch 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 Leadership & Managing People segment.
Better consumer reach
– The expansion of the 5G network will help Akili Baluch to increase its market reach. Akili Baluch 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.
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Akili Baluch 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 Akili Baluch to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Akili Baluch can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Akili Baluch operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Leadership & Managing People sector.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Akili Baluch 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 Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Akili Baluch to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
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 Akili Baluch 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.
Loyalty marketing
– Akili Baluch 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. Akili Baluch can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Manufacturing automation
– Akili Baluch 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.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Akili Baluch 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.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Akili Baluch 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.
Threats Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) are -
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Akili Baluch with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
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.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Akili Baluch 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.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Akili Baluch 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.
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. Akili Baluch needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Leadership & Managing People industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Akili Baluch 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.
Easy access to finance
– Easy access to finance in Leadership & Managing People field will also reduce the barriers to entry in the industry, thus putting downward pressure on the prices because of increasing competition. Akili Baluch can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Akili Baluch 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 Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) .
Increasing wage structure of Akili Baluch
– 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 Akili Baluch.
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.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Akili Baluch is facing in Leadership & Managing People sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
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 Akili Baluch business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Regulatory challenges
– Akili Baluch 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.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) 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 Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) 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 Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) 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 Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) 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 Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) 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 Akili Baluch needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
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