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 - – wage bills are increasing, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, increasing energy prices, increasing transportation and logistics costs, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion,
supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , increasing commodity prices, 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 -
Ability to recruit top talent
– Akili Baluch is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
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.
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.
Sustainable margins compare to other players in Leadership & Managing People industry
– Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) firm has clearly differentiated products in the market place. This has enabled Akili Baluch to fetch slight price premium compare to the competitors in the Leadership & Managing People industry. The sustainable margins have also helped Akili Baluch to invest into research and development (R&D) and innovation.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Innovation driven organization
– Akili Baluch is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
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.
Organizational Resilience of Akili Baluch
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Akili Baluch does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
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.
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 -
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.
Interest costs
– Compare to the competition, Akili Baluch 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.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at Akili Baluch 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.
No frontier risks strategy
– After analyzing the HBR case study Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI), 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.
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.
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.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI), is just above the industry average. Akili Baluch 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.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) 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 Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as Akili Baluch is planning to shift buying processes online.
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.
High bargaining power of channel partners
– Because of the regulatory requirements, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Renee Vuillaume suggests that, Akili Baluch 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.
High dependence on star products
– The top 2 products and services of the firm as mentioned in the Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) 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 Akili Baluch has relatively successful track record of launching new products.
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 -
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Akili Baluch 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.
Harnessing reconfiguration of the global supply chains
– As the trade war between US and China heats up in the coming years, Akili Baluch 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, Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI), to buy more products closer to the markets, and it can leverage its size and influence to get better deal from the local markets.
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.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, Akili Baluch 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Redefining models of collaboration and team work
– As explained in the weaknesses section, Akili Baluch is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI) 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.
Developing new processes and practices
– Akili Baluch 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.
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. Akili Baluch can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
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. Akili Baluch 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. Akili Baluch 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.
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.
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 -
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.
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.
Environmental challenges
– Akili Baluch 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. Akili Baluch can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Leadership & Managing People industry.
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.
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.
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) .
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.
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.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Issa Baluch and the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative (AKILI), Akili Baluch 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 .
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.
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 Akili Baluch.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– Akili Baluch 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. Akili Baluch needs to understand the core reasons impacting the Leadership & Managing People industry. This will help it in building a better workplace.
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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