Case Study Description of Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note
This Note introduces the Module on Responsibilities to Customers taught in Leadership and Corporate Accountability, a required course in the Harvard Business School MBA program. The Note outlines the asymmetries inherent in the company-customer relationship and positions the economic, legal and ethical responsibilities of companies to their customers as ways of addressing these asymmetries.
Swot Analysis of "Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note" written by Lena G. Goldberg includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that Asymmetries Responsibilities facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Ethics, Leadership and Leadership & Managing People.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note casestudy better are - – challanges to central banks by blockchain based private currencies, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, banking and financial system is disrupted by Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, central banks are concerned over increasing inflation, digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, customer relationship management is fast transforming because of increasing concerns over data privacy, there is increasing trade war between United States & China,
supply chains are disrupted by pandemic , increasing commodity prices, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the Asymmetries Responsibilities, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which Asymmetries Responsibilities 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 Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of Asymmetries Responsibilities
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 Asymmetries Responsibilities
Strengths Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of Asymmetries Responsibilities in Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note Harvard Business Review case study are -
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note 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 Asymmetries Responsibilities
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that Asymmetries Responsibilities does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Successful track record of launching new products
– Asymmetries Responsibilities has launched numerous new products in last few years, keeping in mind evolving customer preferences and competitive pressures. Asymmetries Responsibilities 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 Asymmetries Responsibilities in the sector have low bargaining power. Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps Asymmetries Responsibilities to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
High brand equity
– Asymmetries Responsibilities has strong brand awareness and brand recognition among both - the exiting customers and potential new customers. Strong brand equity has enabled Asymmetries Responsibilities to keep acquiring new customers and building profitable relationship with both the new and loyal customers.
Highly skilled collaborators
– Asymmetries Responsibilities 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 Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note HBR case study have helped the firm to develop new products and bring them quickly to the marketplace.
Ability to recruit top talent
– Asymmetries Responsibilities is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note 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
– Asymmetries Responsibilities 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 Lena G. Goldberg 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.
Diverse revenue streams
– Asymmetries Responsibilities is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note 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.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that Asymmetries Responsibilities 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.
Cross disciplinary teams
– Horizontal connected teams at the Asymmetries Responsibilities 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.
Digital Transformation in Leadership & Managing People segment
- digital transformation varies from industry to industry. For Asymmetries Responsibilities digital transformation journey comprises differing goals based on market maturity, customer technology acceptance, and organizational culture. Asymmetries Responsibilities 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.
Weaknesses Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note are -
Low market penetration in new markets
– Outside its home market of Asymmetries Responsibilities, firm in the HBR case study Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note needs to spend more promotional, marketing, and advertising efforts to penetrate international markets.
Lack of clear differentiation of Asymmetries Responsibilities products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, Asymmetries Responsibilities needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
High cash cycle compare to competitors
Asymmetries Responsibilities has a high cash cycle compare to other players in the industry. It needs to shorten the cash cycle by 12% to be more competitive in the marketplace, reduce inventory costs, and be more profitable.
High operating costs
– Compare to the competitors, firm in the HBR case study Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note 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 Asymmetries Responsibilities 's lucrative customers.
Capital Spending Reduction
– Even during the low interest decade, Asymmetries Responsibilities 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.
Need for greater diversity
– Asymmetries Responsibilities 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.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of Asymmetries Responsibilities is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Leadership & Managing People segment. Asymmetries Responsibilities needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help Asymmetries Responsibilities to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note HBR case study mentions - Asymmetries Responsibilities 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.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note, is just above the industry average. Asymmetries Responsibilities needs to redesign the compensation structure and incentives to increase the revenue per employees. Some of the steps that it can take are – hiring more specialists on project basis, etc.
High 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 Asymmetries Responsibilities supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left Asymmetries Responsibilities vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Slow to harness new channels of communication
– Even though competitors are using new communication channels such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Snap, Asymmetries Responsibilities is slow explore the new channels of communication. These new channels of communication mentioned in marketing section of case study Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note 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 Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note | 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 Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note are -
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, Asymmetries Responsibilities can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that Asymmetries Responsibilities operates in. Secondly it can use opportunities from government spending in Leadership & Managing People sector.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– Asymmetries Responsibilities 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 Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help Asymmetries Responsibilities to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Manufacturing automation
– Asymmetries Responsibilities 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.
Leveraging digital technologies
– Asymmetries Responsibilities 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.
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 Asymmetries Responsibilities 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.
Building a culture of innovation
– managers at Asymmetries Responsibilities 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.
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 Asymmetries Responsibilities in the consumer business. Now Asymmetries Responsibilities can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Loyalty marketing
– Asymmetries Responsibilities 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.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for Asymmetries Responsibilities 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.
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. Asymmetries Responsibilities can explore opportunities that can attract volunteers and are consistent with its mission and vision.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects Asymmetries Responsibilities can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Buying journey improvements
– Asymmetries Responsibilities can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note 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.
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. Asymmetries Responsibilities can tie-up with other value chain partners to explore new opportunities regarding meeting customer demands and building a rewarding and engaging relationship.
Threats Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note are -
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. Asymmetries Responsibilities 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.
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 Asymmetries Responsibilities.
Increasing wage structure of Asymmetries Responsibilities
– 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 Asymmetries Responsibilities.
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.
Environmental challenges
– Asymmetries Responsibilities 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. Asymmetries Responsibilities can take advantage of this fund but it will also bring new competitors in the Leadership & Managing People industry.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that Asymmetries Responsibilities 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. Asymmetries Responsibilities can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
Barriers of entry lowering
– As technology is more democratized, the barriers to entry in the industry are lowering. It can presents Asymmetries Responsibilities with greater competitive threats in the near to medium future. Secondly it will also put downward pressure on pricing throughout the sector.
Increasing international competition and downward pressure on margins
– Apart from technology driven competitive advantage dilution, Asymmetries Responsibilities 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 Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note .
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 Asymmetries Responsibilities business can come under increasing regulations regarding data privacy, data security, etc.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– Asymmetries Responsibilities 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.
Trade war between China and United States
– The trade war between two of the biggest economies can hugely impact the opportunities for Asymmetries Responsibilities 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.
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– Asymmetries Responsibilities has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Leadership & Managing People industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, Asymmetries Responsibilities needs to keep up with the evolution of technology in the Leadership & Managing People sector. According to Mckinsey study top managers believe that the adoption of technology in operations, communications is 20-25 times faster than what they planned in the beginning of 2019.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note 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 Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note 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 Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note 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 Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note 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 Responsibilities to Customers, Module Note 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 Asymmetries Responsibilities needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.