Swot Analysis of "Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B" written by Lyn Purdy, James O Brien includes – strengths weakness that are internal strategic factors of the organization, and opportunities and threats that W12021 Jefferson facing as an external strategic factors. Some of the topics covered in Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B case study are - Strategic Management Strategies, Organizational culture, Strategy and Leadership & Managing People.
Some of the macro environment factors that can be used to understand the Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B casestudy better are - – increasing commodity prices, competitive advantages are harder to sustain because of technology dispersion, increasing transportation and logistics costs, wage bills are increasing, increasing energy prices, cloud computing is disrupting traditional business models, geopolitical disruptions,
digital marketing is dominated by two big players Facebook and Google, there is increasing trade war between United States & China, etc
Introduction to SWOT Analysis of Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B
SWOT stands for an organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats . At Oak Spring University , we believe that protagonist in Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B case study can use SWOT analysis as a strategic management tool to assess the current internal strengths and weaknesses of the W12021 Jefferson, and to figure out the opportunities and threats in the macro environment – technological, environmental, political, economic, social, demographic, etc in which W12021 Jefferson 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 Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B can be done for the following purposes –
1. Strategic planning using facts provided in Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B case study
2. Improving business portfolio management of W12021 Jefferson
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 W12021 Jefferson
Strengths Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Strengths in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The strengths of W12021 Jefferson in Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B Harvard Business Review case study are -
Ability to lead change in Leadership & Managing People field
– W12021 Jefferson 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 W12021 Jefferson in – penetrating new markets, reaching out to new customers, and providing different value propositions to different customers in the international markets.
Innovation driven organization
– W12021 Jefferson is one of the most innovative firm in sector. Manager in Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B Harvard Business Review case study can use Clayton Christensen Disruptive Innovation strategies to further increase the scale of innovtions in the organization.
Learning organization
- W12021 Jefferson 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 W12021 Jefferson is open place that encourages instructiveness, ideation, open minded discussions, and creativity. Employees and leaders in Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B Harvard Business Review case study emphasize – knowledge, initiative, and innovation.
Ability to recruit top talent
– W12021 Jefferson is one of the leading recruiters in the industry. Managers in the Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B are in a position to attract the best talent available. The firm has a robust talent identification program that helps in identifying the brightest.
Organizational Resilience of W12021 Jefferson
– The covid-19 pandemic has put organizational resilience at the centre of everthing that W12021 Jefferson does. Organizational resilience comprises - Financial Resilience, Operational Resilience, Technological Resilience, Organizational Resilience, Business Model Resilience, and Reputation Resilience.
Diverse revenue streams
– W12021 Jefferson is present in almost all the verticals within the industry. This has provided firm in Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B 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.
Low bargaining power of suppliers
– Suppliers of W12021 Jefferson in the sector have low bargaining power. Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B has further diversified its suppliers portfolio by building a robust supply chain across various countries. This helps W12021 Jefferson to manage not only supply disruptions but also source products at highly competitive prices.
Effective Research and Development (R&D)
– W12021 Jefferson 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 Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B - staying ahead in the industry in terms of – new product launches, superior customer experience, highly competitive pricing strategies, and great returns to the shareholders.
High switching costs
– The high switching costs that W12021 Jefferson 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 W12021 Jefferson 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.
Operational resilience
– The operational resilience strategy in the Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B 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.
Training and development
– W12021 Jefferson has one of the best training and development program in the industry. The effectiveness of the training programs can be measured in Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B Harvard Business Review case study by analyzing – employees retention, in-house promotion, loyalty, new venture initiation, lack of conflict, and high level of both employees and customer engagement.
Weaknesses Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B | Internal Strategic Factors
What are Weaknesses in SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The weaknesses of Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B are -
High cash cycle compare to competitors
W12021 Jefferson 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.
Slow decision making process
– As mentioned earlier in the report, W12021 Jefferson 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. W12021 Jefferson 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.
Employees’ incomplete understanding of strategy
– From the instances in the HBR case study Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B, it seems that the employees of W12021 Jefferson don’t have comprehensive understanding of the firm’s strategy. This is reflected in number of promotional campaigns over the last few years that had mixed messaging and competing priorities. Some of the strategic activities and services promoted in the promotional campaigns were not consistent with the organization’s strategy.
Workers concerns about automation
– As automation is fast increasing in the segment, W12021 Jefferson 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.
Compensation and incentives
– The revenue per employee as mentioned in the HBR case study Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B, is just above the industry average. W12021 Jefferson 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.
Skills based hiring
– The stress on hiring functional specialists at W12021 Jefferson 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.
Lack of clear differentiation of W12021 Jefferson products
– To increase the profitability and margins on the products, W12021 Jefferson needs to provide more differentiated products than what it is currently offering in the marketplace.
Increasing silos among functional specialists
– The organizational structure of W12021 Jefferson is dominated by functional specialists. It is not different from other players in the Leadership & Managing People segment. W12021 Jefferson needs to de-silo the office environment to harness the true potential of its workforce. Secondly the de-silo will also help W12021 Jefferson to focus more on services rather than just following the product oriented approach.
Slow to strategic competitive environment developments
– As Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B HBR case study mentions - W12021 Jefferson 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.
Aligning sales with marketing
– It come across in the case study Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B 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 Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B can leverage the sales team experience to cultivate customer relationships as W12021 Jefferson is planning to shift buying processes online.
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 W12021 Jefferson supply chain. Even after few cautionary changes mentioned in the HBR case study - Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B, it is still heavily dependent upon the existing supply chain. The existing supply chain though brings in cost efficiencies but it has left W12021 Jefferson vulnerable to further global disruptions in South East Asia.
Opportunities Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B | 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 Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B are -
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. W12021 Jefferson 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. W12021 Jefferson 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.
Creating value in data economy
– The success of analytics program of W12021 Jefferson has opened avenues for new revenue streams for the organization in the industry. This can help W12021 Jefferson to build a more holistic ecosystem as suggested in the Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B case study. W12021 Jefferson can build new products and services such as - data insight services, data privacy related products, data based consulting services, etc.
Increase in government spending
– As the United States and other governments are increasing social spending and infrastructure spending to build economies post Covid-19, W12021 Jefferson can use these opportunities to build new business models that can help the communities that W12021 Jefferson 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, W12021 Jefferson is facing challenges because of the dominance of functional experts in the organization. Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B 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
– W12021 Jefferson 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.
Lowering marketing communication costs
– 5G expansion will open new opportunities for W12021 Jefferson 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
– W12021 Jefferson 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.
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 W12021 Jefferson in the consumer business. Now W12021 Jefferson can target international markets with far fewer capital restrictions requirements than the existing system.
Using analytics as competitive advantage
– W12021 Jefferson 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 Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B - to build a competitive advantage using analytics. The analytics driven competitive advantage can help W12021 Jefferson to build faster Go To Market strategies, better consumer insights, developing relevant product features, and building a highly efficient supply chain.
Buying journey improvements
– W12021 Jefferson can improve the customer journey of consumers in the industry by using analytics and artificial intelligence. Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B 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.
Reforming the budgeting process
- By establishing new metrics that will be used to evaluate both existing and potential projects W12021 Jefferson can not only reduce the costs of the project but also help it in integrating the projects with other processes within the organization.
Learning at scale
– Online learning technologies has now opened space for W12021 Jefferson 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.
Low interest rates
– Even though inflation is raising its head in most developed economies, W12021 Jefferson 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.
Threats Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B External Strategic Factors
What are Threats in the SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix / Weighted SWOT Analysis
The threats mentioned in the HBR case study Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B are -
Technology acceleration in Forth Industrial Revolution
– W12021 Jefferson has witnessed rapid integration of technology during Covid-19 in the Leadership & Managing People industry. As one of the leading players in the industry, W12021 Jefferson 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.
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. W12021 Jefferson can utilize it by borrowing at lower rates and invest it into research and development, capital expenditure to fortify its core competitive advantage.
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 W12021 Jefferson 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.
Regulatory challenges
– W12021 Jefferson 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.
High dependence on third party suppliers
– W12021 Jefferson 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.
Shortening product life cycle
– it is one of the major threat that W12021 Jefferson 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, W12021 Jefferson 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 Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B .
Consumer confidence and its impact on W12021 Jefferson 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.
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.
Stagnating economy with rate increase
– W12021 Jefferson 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.
Learning curve for new practices
– As the technology based on artificial intelligence and machine learning platform is getting complex, as highlighted in case study Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B, W12021 Jefferson 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 .
Increasing wage structure of W12021 Jefferson
– 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 W12021 Jefferson.
Weighted SWOT Analysis of Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B 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 Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B 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 Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B 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 Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B 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 Margaret Jefferson: Performance Issue at a Performing Arts Company B 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 W12021 Jefferson needs to make to build a sustainable competitive advantage.