Overview: You will prepare an analysis of the organization’s internal strengths and weaknesses in Section I of this chapter while Section II will offer an analysis of the opportunities and threats associated with the organization’s external environment. This discussion of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats will
form the basis of a SWOT analysis for the organization. Finally, Section III of this chapter will offer an evaluation of the SWOT analysis. You will reference this analysis again in Chapter 5 when formulating recommendations for the organization. While conducting this analysis, recall the Hill & Jones advice on how to proceed:
•Remember that the SWOT analysis is the key to a solution
•Balance strengths/weaknesses against opportunities/threats
•Based on the overall balance, include your evaluation of the company’s positive or negative position
•Determine, in this evaluation, if the company can remain profitable
•Further evaluate whether it can it turn its weaknesses to strengths & threats to opportunities
You should again refer to “A SWOT Checklist†(Table 1 in Appendix C4, Hill & Jones) to help in preparing a comprehensive SWOT analysis in this section. Include references to business concepts and theories learned in the BAS program. Your analysis will consider the following factors:
•Planning
•Organizing
•Leading
•Controlling
•Porter’s Five Forces Model
•Macro-environment forces
To streamline the preparation of the SWOT analysis, you may regard any Leadership or Control problem as an internal weakness. On the other hand, Planning or Organizing problems may relate to either an internal weakness or an external threat. For example, a company may be aware of its external threats but it could fail to upgrade its planning function or avoid a needed reorganization. You may evaluate this “failure†to address a known external threat as an internal weakness. If you see evidence of internal problems due to a failure to address the external environment, be sure to discuss them later in Section II (the external analysis portion) of this chapter.

To simplify further, you will focus on one primary weakness or threat while offering only a cursory review of the other elements in this SWOT analysis. For example, your research question and hypothesis might point to a problem with leadership (an internal weakness) so you aimed the majority of your literature review at leadership issues. Here, you will assign a negative evaluation to the leadership component and focus much of your SWOT analysis on this primary internal weakness. Subsequently, you will assign a “positive†evaluation to the other components (planning, controlling, organizing and external issues) while offering only a brief (perhaps one paragraph each) discussion for them.

Finally, SWOT analysis discussions (particularly those focused on the thesis) should again include brief references to the theories or concepts learned throughout the BAS program. Refer to the resource guide entitled Theories & Concepts Associated with Learning Outcomes (provided with this course) for assistance in recalling or categorizing this information.

Details for Section I–Internal Weaknesses and Strengths: In preparing this section, you will outline the four major elements of the management process and demonstrate how each function is related to a strength or weakness in the company. For this first section specifically, you will outline evidence for problems (weaknesses) or strong points (strengths) in the following components.
•Leading: If leadership is the primary internal weakness identified in the thesis, focus much of the SWOT analysis on this section. If not, a brief discussion with a “positive†evaluation is appropriate here. Include observations, comparisons, and contrasts of at least two leaders in the organization—perhaps executives or lower-level managers.
You should:
oExamine traits, skills behaviors and effectiveness o Explore motivational effectiveness
oEvaluate communication effectiveness (upward and downward) o Compare their situational leadership and empowerment strategies o Include any emotional intelligence or gender-related leadership traits if appropriate

The discussion should assess each component for each leader either positively (as a strength) or negatively (as a weaknesses)

•Controlling: If organizational control is the primary internal weakness identified in the thesis, then focus much of the SWOT analysis on this section. If not, a brief discussion with a “positive†evaluation is appropriate here. At a minimum, the organizational control discussion should: o You discussed financial documents (Income Statements and Balance Sheets) in Chapter 3. If you have decided that Organizational Control is the primary internal weakness, then simply mention that information from your Chapter 3 analysis and add a few standard stability measures and/or financial ratios here. Refer to pages C8 to C12 in the Case Study section of the Hill and Jones text to assist in this analysis.
oExamine productivity controls in place
oEvaluate quality practices such as TQM, 6-Sigma, ISO, or other systems o Investigate the type and effectiveness of the organization’s information technology
oThe discussion should assess each component of organizational control either positively (as a strength) or negatively (as a weaknesses).

•Planning: If planning is the primary internal weakness causing a failure to address external threats (as identified in the thesis), then focus much of the SWOT analysis on this section. If not, a brief discussion with a “positive†evaluation is appropriate here. At a minimum, review the short-term and long-term planning processes to o Determine if the organization has planning in place for the current and future competitive environment
oEvaluate the planning process for weaknesses in addressing industry environment changes political or legal forces, changing ethical and environmental requirements, or technological forces and changes

oAs mentioned previously, you may be able to relate some of these internal weaknesses to the company’s failure to address (plan for) its external threats or opportunities, so mention this issue again with respect to the organization’s threats in Section II. The discussion should assess each planning component positively (as a strength) or negatively (as a weaknesses).

•Organizing: If organizing is the primary internal weakness associated with a failure to address external threats (as identified in the thesis), then focus much of the SWOT analysis on this section. If not, a brief discussion with a “positive†evaluation is appropriate here. At a minimum, analyze various aspects of the company’s organization. Elements include the following: o Examine the overall organizational design (functional, divisional, matrix, product, etc.) to determine if the chosen system is creating problems.
oAnalyze any issues surrounding job design or descriptions
oInvestigate any human resource factors such a salary and wage scale issues or collective bargaining concerns
oEvaluate any issues with organizational culture, especially with respect to flexibility for future necessity to change.

As mentioned previously, you may be able to interpret some internal organizational weaknesses as a failure to address (that is, re-organize for) external threats or opportunities. For example, perhaps the company has failed to circumvent a threat because it overlooked an opportunity to integrate vertically or horizontally to gain an advantage. If you suspect this to be the case, mention the issue again with respect to the threats in Section II. The discussion should assess each organizational component positively (as a strength) or negatively (as a weaknesses).

Section II–External Opportunities and Threats: After considering the above internal components, you will concentrate on the challenges inherent in the external environment. If these threats represent the primary concerns confronting the organization (as identified in the thesis), then focus much of the SWOT analysis on this section. If not, a brief discussion with a “positive†evaluation is appropriate here. At a minimum, incorporate the following concepts outlined in the Hill & Jones text:
•Consider “Porter’s Five Forces Model†including o Bargaining power of suppliers o Risk of entry by potential competitors o Bargaining power of buyers o Threat of substitutes
oIntensity of rivalry among competitive firms

•Consider the role of the macro-environment forces and how each factor is relevant o Global forces o Demographic forces
oPolitical & legal forces including changing ethical and environmental requirements
oTechnological forces and changes o Social forces

The discussion should assess each of the above environmental factors either positively (by finding the opportunity) or negatively (by detecting the threat).

Section III: Evaluating the SWOT Analysis (leading to future recommendations)
You will discuss the company’s ability to achieve a competitive advantage by referring to the above analysis as well as the discussions of structure, controls, and corporate and business level strategies. For example, evaluate the ability of the company to address threats without making any changes. If you determine that the company must change leadership, controls, organizational structures, or strategic plans, then discuss this opinion as well. Consider this discussion again in Chapter 5 when preparing final recommendations.
Objectives and Expectations. In performing the leadership analysis in Section 1, you will address LO-1 by analyzing “the strategies leaders use to motivate and evaluate individuals and teams.†You will also demonstrate an ability to “comprehend and apply ethical practices in professional activities†as defined by the organization’s leaders (LO-2); and, finally, you will demonstrate an ability to “analyze strategies and frameworks used by leaders to initiate change in organizations†as described in LO-5. In performing the planning analysis in Section 1, you will demonstrate LO-6, the ability to “apply information management practices to the health care organization environment and adapt to future technology changes.†In performing the organizing analysis in Section I, you will demonstrate LO-4 (“management theories and practices in program and resource managementâ€). You will also exhibit an aptitude for “apply(ing) the framework underlying the principles of finance, budgeting and accounting†(LO-3). Finally, you will also reveal proficiency at “applying skills acquired in management, international business, managed care, health care marketing, business law, accounting, finance, economics, and management information systems to different business environments†as expressed in LO-8-B2. In each section (Sections I, II, and III), you will also demonstrate “the knowledge acquired in the Supervision & Management program to analyze a business to identify its strengths and weaknesses and develop an improvement plan†(LO-8-B1).

Length: Research Paper Chapter 4 is 8 pages (2400words). You may exceed these targets if required to address the subject thoroughly.

Chapter 5: Summary, Recommendations, and Conclusion

Overview: You will summarize the research and present a series of recommendations based on the SWOT analysis findings.

Section I: Summary offers a restatement of your research. You will remind the audience of the thesis developed in Chapter 2 and discuss the idea based on the research findings. Recall that one of our example thesis statements was, “While the XYZ Company has enjoyed some internal progress, continued weaknesses in its strategic planning function will limit its ability to meet competitive threats and lead to a significant loss of profit.†Based on this thesis, a summary at this point might look something like this:

This paper researched the possibility that the XYZ Company was exhibiting a weakness in its strategic planning functions, making it vulnerable to threats in the industry’s competitive environment. This research has demonstrated that at least three competitors have entered the marketplace and are operating successfully in the environment while XYZ’s market share is falling. The research underscores the fact that XYZ Company lacks timely strategic planning, is failing to capture opportunities in the marketplace, and is ignoring threats in the competitive environment. Without a concerted effort to improve its strategic planning function to address these threats, the company will not achieve a competitive advantage in the future.

Section II: Recommendations, you will offer your recommendation to resolve the company’s problems. Format the recommendations as an action plan with appropriate time schedule for each suggestion you will implement. As the Hill & Jones text suggests, they should extend logically from your overall discussions and remain consistent with the SWOT analysis. Remember to:
•Recall any recommendations you began to uncover in earlier Chapters
•Refer again to the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and build upon the summary statement to offer alternatives to the predictions
•Specifically explore the company’s ability to address external threats without changes. If you decide it cannot, recommend how it should change business level strategies to succeed and achieve profitability goals.
•In addition, investigate the company’s ability to address internal weaknesses without changes. If you decide it cannot, recommend the changes necessary to succeed and achieve profitability.

As summarized in the Hill & Jones text, recommendations usually center on issues such as changing functional, business, or corporate strategies. They could also focus on changing organizational structure and control to improve performance. Other examples include recommendations that address questions such as:
•Should the company increase R & D spending? If so, how will your company derive the funding?
•Should the company divest business divisions?
•Should the company change from unrelated to related diversification?
•Should the company improve the integration between divisions?
•Should the company change the organizational structure to adopt a new business strategy? How soon?

In each of these considerations, be specific. For example, if you suggest that the company should change its business strategy, explain exactly which new strategy it should adopt, why it should adopt it, how it will help, and when the implementation occurs on the timeline.

At this point, make sure you discuss funding for any of these changes. Remember, you are presenting to a CEO or the board so you must offer a convincing, practical argument for the changes. Simply stating, “we must increase R&D spending to retain a competitive advantage†is an obvious conclusion that the CEO already understands and likely would have implemented had the funding been available. Try to offer an innovative solution that also addresses internal funding (efficiency improvement, force reduction, etc.). This will convince your CEO that you have identified a practical solution or recommendation exhibiting a measured—but acceptable—level of risk.

Section III: Conclusions in the last several paragraphs of the chapter. These final statements should briefly review the research methods, describe the results of the analysis, and offer a personal opinion regarding the company’s viability. In other words—based on your knowledge of the company’s leadership—do you believe the business is likely to adopt your recommendations for achieving future success? Support your claims and opinions here as well.
Objectives and Expectations The primary program outcomes relevant to this section are LO-8-B1 (integrating “the knowledge acquired in the Supervision & Management program to analyze a health care organization to identify its strengths and weaknesses and develop an improvement planâ€) and LO-4 (applying “management theories and practices in program and resource managementâ€).
Length: Research Paper Chapter 5 is 2 or 3 pages. You may exceed these targets if required.

Research Paper References
You must prepare a comprehensive APA-style Reference Page with proper formatting and all appropriate information with a minimum of 10 approved references. As you conclude and submit Chapter 5, this list will include cumulative information for all references in Chapters 1-5. You may refer to and list as many textbooks as required but only 3 texts will be counted toward the 10 required references. Business books, corporate records, and appropriate internet sources are appropriate as well. Finally, you must include at least 5 academic journal articles, 3 of which were dated within the last five years. They may be online or hard copy versions and should be directly pertinent to the research requirements. Refer to Chapter 20b in the Howard & Taggart text for steps to preparing an APA-style Reference List. You may observe a typical reference list from a scholarly journal on page 25 of this document. This one is formatted in 2 columns for publication (format yours with just one column).
Length: A typical length for 10 or more references is two pages, properly formatted

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