IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

Case Study SWOT Analysis Solution

Case Study Description of IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners

IBM's Corporate Citizenship office created an innovation in public education through a business-school partnership for widespread replication and diffusion. In 2012, while P-TECH (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) was still in its first year operating, Stanley Litow, IBM's Vice President of Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs and President of the IBM International Foundation, found himself overwhelmed by interested parties who wanted to replicate the model. Chicago Mayor Emanuel, the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation in Idaho, the New York City Department of Education, and New York Governor Cuomo were all in various stages of implementing the concept. Chicago launched five schools in 2012 that were inspired by the P-TECH model, with IBM partnering with one school. New York City developed five more schools; two were scheduled to open in fall 2013 and three more in fall 2014. New York launched a Request for Proposal with plans to open 16 of these schools in fall 2014. Meanwhile IBM remained engaged at the federal level to help accelerate the replication through policy changes. This case explores the challenges and complications of replication.

Authors :: Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Ai-Ling Jamila Malone

Topics :: Leadership & Managing People

Tags :: Joint ventures, Leadership, Social enterprise, Social responsibility, Technology, SWOT Analysis, SWOT Matrix, TOWS, Weighted SWOT Analysis

Swot Analysis of "IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners" written by Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Ai-Ling Jamila Malone includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Ibm Replication facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Joint ventures, Leadership, Social enterprise, Social responsibility, Technology and Leadership & Managing People.

Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners casestudy better are - – increasing inequality as vast percentage of new income is going to the top 1%, supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , increasing commodity prices, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, there is backlash against globalization, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, etc

---

---

---

---

Introduction to SWOT Analysis of IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners

SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Ibm Replication, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Ibm Replication 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 IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Ibm Replication
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 Ibm Replication

---

Strengths IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The strengths of Ibm Replication in IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners Harvard Business Review case study are -

High switching costs

– The high switching costs that Ibm Replication 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.

Successful track record of launching new products

– Ibm Replication has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Ibm Replication 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

– Ibm Replication is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.

Cross disciplinary teams

– Horizontal connected teams at the Ibm Replication 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

– Ibm Replication is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.

Analytics focus

– Ibm Replication 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, Ai-Ling Jamila Malone 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.

Low bargaining power of suppliers

– Suppliers of Ibm Replication in the sector have low bargaining power. IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Ibm Replication to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.

Digital Transformation in Leadership & Managing People segment

- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Ibm Replication digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Ibm Replication 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)

– Ibm Replication 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 IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners - 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 IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners 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.

Organizational Resilience of Ibm Replication

– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Ibm Replication does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.

Sustainable margins compare to other players in Leadership & Managing People industry

– IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Ibm Replication to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Leadership & Managing People industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Ibm Replication to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.

---

---

Weaknesses IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The weaknesses of IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners are -

Slow decision making process

– As mentioned earlier in the report, Ibm Replication 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. Ibm Replication 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.

Ability to respond to the competition

– As the decision making is very deliberative, highlighted in the case study IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners, in the dynamic environment Ibm Replication has struggled to respond to the nimble upstart competition. Ibm Replication has reasonably good record with similar level competitors but it has struggled with new entrants taking away niches of its business.

Aligning sales with marketing

– It come across in the case study IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners 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 IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Ibm Replication is planning to shift buying processes online.

Lack of clear differentiation of Ibm Replication products

– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Ibm Replication needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.

Compensation and incentives

– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners, is just above the industry average. Ibm Replication 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.

Interest costs

– Compare to the competition, Ibm Replication 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.

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 Ibm Replication supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Ibm Replication vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.

High dependence on star products

– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners 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 Ibm Replication has relatively successful track record of launching new products.

Low market penetration in new markets

– Outside its home market of Ibm Replication, firm in the HBR case study IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.

Products dominated business model

– Even though Ibm Replication 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 - IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners should strive to include more intangible value offerings along with its core products and services.

Slow to harness new channels of communication

– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Ibm Replication is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners can help to provide better information regarding products and services. It can also build an online community to further reach out to potential customers.

---

Opportunities IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners | 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 IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners 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 Ibm Replication in the consumer business. Now Ibm Replication can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.

Increase in government spending

– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Ibm Replication can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Ibm Replication operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Leadership & Managing People sector.

Remote work and new talent hiring opportunities

– The widespread usage of remote working technologies during Covid-19 has opened opportunities for Ibm Replication 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 Ibm Replication to hire the very best people irrespective of their geographical location.

Creating value in data economy

– The success of analytics program of Ibm Replication has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help Ibm Replication to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners case study. Ibm Replication can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.

Learning at scale

– Online learning technologies has now opened space for Ibm Replication 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.

Using analytics as competitive advantage

– Ibm Replication 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 IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Ibm Replication to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.

Building a culture of innovation

– managers at Ibm Replication 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 Ibm Replication to increase its market reach. Ibm Replication 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.

Redefining models of collaboration and team work

– As explained in the weaknesses section, Ibm Replication is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners 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.

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. Ibm Replication can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.

Manufacturing automation

– Ibm Replication 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.

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. Ibm Replication can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.

Lowering marketing communication costs

– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Ibm Replication 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.

---

Threats IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis

The threats mentioned in the HBR case study IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners are -

Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins

– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Ibm Replication 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 IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners .

Shortening product life cycle

– it is one of the major threat that Ibm Replication is facing in Leadership & Managing People sector. It can lead to higher research and development costs, higher marketing expenses, lower customer loyalty, 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. Ibm Replication 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.

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 Ibm Replication business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.

Regulatory challenges

– Ibm Replication 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.

Increasing wage structure of Ibm Replication

– 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 Ibm Replication.

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. Ibm Replication needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Leadership & Managing People industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.

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.

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 Ibm Replication 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.

Stagnating economy with rate increase

– Ibm Replication 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.

Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution

– Ibm Replication has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Leadership & Managing People industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Ibm Replication 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.

Learning curve for new practices

– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners, Ibm Replication 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 .

---

Weighted SWOT Analysis of IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners 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 IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners 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 IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners 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 IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners 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 IBM and the Reinvention of High School (B): Replicating & Scaling P-TECH and Partners 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 Ibm Replication needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.

--- ---