Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
Leadership & Managing People
Strategy / MBA Resources
Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution
Case Study Description of Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries
This is an issues-oriented note designed to stimulate discussion of the ethical aspects of the sale of pesticides which are not approved for any use or only for restricted use in the United States to less developed countries. It is organized as follows: the problem, some examples, what a pesticide is, the pesticide industry, benefits of pesticides, risks to humans, the industry response, and regulation of pesticides.
Authors :: Kenneth E. Goodpaster, David E. Whiteside
Swot Analysis of "Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries" written by Kenneth E. Goodpaster, David E. Whiteside includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Pesticides Pesticide facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Ethics, Globalization, Health, Social responsibility and Leadership & Managing People.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries casestudy better are - – wage bills are increasing, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, geopolitical disruptions, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google,
increasing household debt because of falling income levels, there is backlash against globalization, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Pesticides Pesticide, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Pesticides Pesticide 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 Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Pesticides Pesticide
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 Pesticides Pesticide
Strengths Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Pesticides Pesticide in Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries Harvard Business Review case study are -
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– Pesticides Pesticide 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 Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
Digital Transformation in Leadership & Managing People segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Pesticides Pesticide digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Pesticides Pesticide 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.
Learning organization
- Pesticides Pesticide 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 Pesticides Pesticide is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Innovation driven organization
– Pesticides Pesticide is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Pesticides Pesticide 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 Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Diverse revenue streams
– Pesticides Pesticide is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries 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.
Analytics focus
– Pesticides Pesticide 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 Kenneth E. Goodpaster, David E. Whiteside 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.
Ability to lead change in Leadership & Managing People field
– Pesticides Pesticide 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 Pesticides Pesticide in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Superior customer experience
– The customer experience strategy of Pesticides Pesticide in the segment is based on four key concepts – personalization, simplification of complex needs, prompt response, and continuous engagement.
Strong track record of project management
– Pesticides Pesticide is known for sticking to its project targets. This enables the firm to manage – time, project costs, and have sustainable margins on the projects.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Pesticides Pesticide 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.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Leadership & Managing People industry
– Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Pesticides Pesticide to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Leadership & Managing People industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Pesticides Pesticide to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Weaknesses Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries are -
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Pesticides Pesticide 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.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries 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 Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Pesticides Pesticide is planning to shift buying processes online.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Pesticides Pesticide 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.
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 Pesticides Pesticide supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Pesticides Pesticide vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries 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 Pesticides Pesticide 's lucrative customers.
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, Pesticides Pesticide 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.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Pesticides Pesticide is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Leadership & Managing People segment. Pesticides Pesticide needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Pesticides Pesticide to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Pesticides Pesticide 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.
Products dominated business model
– Even though Pesticides Pesticide 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 - Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Pesticides Pesticide, firm in the HBR case study Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
High dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries 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 Pesticides Pesticide has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
Opportunities Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries | 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 Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries are -
Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities
– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Pesticides Pesticide 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 Pesticides Pesticide 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, Pesticides Pesticide can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Pesticides Pesticide operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Leadership & Managing People sector.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Pesticides Pesticide is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries 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.
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 Pesticides Pesticide in the consumer business. Now Pesticides Pesticide can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
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 Pesticides Pesticide 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.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Pesticides Pesticide 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, Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries, to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Pesticides Pesticide 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.
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. Pesticides Pesticide 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. Pesticides Pesticide 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.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Pesticides Pesticide in the field of marketing communication. It will bring down the cost of doing business, provide technology platform to build new products in the Leadership & Managing People segment, and it will provide faster access to the consumers.
Manufacturing automation
– Pesticides Pesticide 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.
Developing new processes and practices
– Pesticides Pesticide can develop new processes and procedures in Leadership & Managing People 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, Pesticides Pesticide 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.
Buying journey improvements
– Pesticides Pesticide can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries 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.
Threats Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries are -
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 Pesticides Pesticide business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries, Pesticides Pesticide 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 .
Regulatory challenges
– Pesticides Pesticide 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.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Pesticides Pesticide with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Consumer confidence and its impact on Pesticides Pesticide 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.
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. Pesticides Pesticide 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 Pesticides Pesticide is facing in Leadership & Managing People sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, etc.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Pesticides Pesticide 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 Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries .
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 Pesticides Pesticide.
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.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Pesticides Pesticide 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.
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. Pesticides Pesticide needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Leadership & Managing People industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
Environmental challenges
– Pesticides Pesticide 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. Pesticides Pesticide can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Leadership & Managing People industry.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries 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 Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries 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 Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries 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 Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries 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 Note on the Export of Pesticides from the United States to Developing Countries 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 Pesticides Pesticide needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.