[solved] Week 7 Individual SWOT and Strategic Objectives paper
SWOT to TOWS assigned readings
Assignment Overview: This week, each individual will use the group's SWOT matrix to generate strategies for
overcoming business risks and exploiting business opportunity in the recommended country. You have already
developed a competitor strategy, so the focus this week is on other business risks and opportunities and how your
client might use its strengths and weaknesses to gain strategic advantage (corresponds to Section 8iii of Business
Plan Template).
When the SWOT matrix is used for strategy generation, a TOWs matrix is initially generated to organize the SWOT
data into an expanded matrix (TOWs matrix) . The TOWs is an organizing tool to ensure that the strategies developed
will effectively utilize the client's strengths to mitigate the most critical risks and exploit the most important
opportunities. The TOWS matrix is merely an expanded SWOT matrix with quadrants to be used for strategy idea
generation, as described in this link:
http://www.driveyoursuccess.com/2011/09/strategic-business-planning-use-tows-to-move-swot-to-an-action-
plan.html
You can see an example of strategy formulation from TOWS in this link: http://www.volunteerhub.com/blog/the-tows-
matrix-putting-a-swot-analysis-into-action/
.
Assignment Objectives: The objectives are to use the SWOT data to propose specific business strategies (TOWS
strategies) that will (1) mitigate the identified risks (threats and weaknesses) for your client company’s entry into the
selected country; and (2) exploit the identified external opportunities.
Step One: Preparation: This is your idea generation step and reflects your primary analysis. Develop the TOWS
matrix, specifying the risk mitigating strategies and the opportunity exploiting strategies needed in each of the TOWS
quadrants.
For example, if your previous analysis identified political ties as necessary to compete in this country (external
Threat), but your client does not have those ties (internal Weakness), consider WT mitigation strategies (TOWS
quadrant WT). Perhaps a specific type of partner (politically connected/experienced) or some specific activity (like
political lobbying) might mitigate this risk for your client.
Similarly, for the primary external opportunity support factors for this country, specify a strategy that might leverage
your firm’s Strengths (quadrant OS strategies). For example, if your PESTEL analysis found an opportunity support
factor in the country's positive attitudes toward U.S. companies, consider how an OS strategy might leverage the U.S.
identity of your firm (its Strength) in order to exploit that opportunity (e.g., perhaps by sponsoring an athletic event
and/or by using product packaging that highlights U.S. origins or culture)
10/18/2017 Individual SWOT and Strategic Objectives paper - DMBA 630 9047 Marketing and Strategy Management in the Global Marketplace (2178)
https://learn.umuc.edu/d2l/le/content/287341/viewContent/10484330/View 2/3
For each of the TOWS quadrants, identify potential strategies that will help your firm to operate successfully in this
external environment of specific O’s and T’s. Limit the potential strategies to no more than 3 in each quadrant of
the TOWS matrix, focusing on the most important threats to be mitigated and opportunity factors to be realized. This
summary matrix should be included as an appendix to the formal paper.
Step Two: Write a formal paper explaining your strategy recommendations and referring to the TOWS data on which
those recommendations are based.
Paper Assignment Requirements/format:
1. Introduction. After the statement of purpose, the Introduction to this paper should be the same as in your
team's week 6 paper (updated with any feedback), PLUS a very brief description of the target Buyer and the
size and growth of the target market (from your team's week 6 paper).
2. The Body of the paper (10-12 pages) is solely your own writing:
List those external Opportunity and Threat factors that you consider the most important and therefore will
address with recommended strategies.
Recommend your strategies, explaining the rationale for each and why you consider the recommended
strategies the most critical/important.
The TOWs matrix should be in an appendix, and you can refer to it, but your text should stand
alone with sufficient written explanation for your strategy ideas and recommendations.
Propose mitigating strategies for country and industry Threats;
Propose exploiting strategies for Opportunity and Opportunity Support factors.
Write a Conclusion to your analysis that summarizes all the strategic actions you are recommending to
mitigate risk and exploit opportunity, including the competitor strategy previously agreed upon by the group
(this summary statement of competitive strategy will be the same for all group members, taken from what the
group has already developed).
3. Include :
Title page with your name
Approximately a 2 page Executive Summary that summarizes the entire paper (including the introduction
materials)
Table of contents
*The body of the paper should have page numbers, starting with page one.
Reference list, including proper APA format for all in-text citations.
The SWOT/Tows matrix as an appendix.
Post the assignment in your individual assignment folder AND in the group locker by the end of the week and
title it “SWOT and TOWS Strategies.” The team will proceed with next week's assignment, using all individual
members' analyses, without waiting for faculty feedback/grading.
Where you are now: With the completion of this assignment, you have addressed all risks and opportunity and
opportunity support factors. Each team member has now recommended specific risk mitigation and opportunity
exploitation strategies that will help your firm optimally operate in country, and the team has previously agreed
upon a competitive strategy for operating in country. The Team must now agree on which strategies to recommend
from these individual member analyses. Once the team has agreed on the strategies that must be implemented, the
team should update the draft business plan with these recommended strategies (constituting sections 11 and 12 of
the business plan template).
Looking ahead: Next week, the team will develop and compare two alternative entry strategies (business structure
and organizational structure) that will help your firm to realize the desired business strategies you have developed in
this TOWS analysis., . A corporate level entry strategy consists of both a business structure (the entry vehicle) and an
organizational structure for how your firm will operate in country. You will want to design an entry strategy that will
be best at implementing the desired risk mitigation and opportunity exploitation strategies..
Note: Some of the risk mitigation strategies that individual members have developed here may lead directly to a
type of entry vehicle ; e.g., if the country requires a joint venture with a local firm, that entry barrier has to be
10/18/2017 Individual SWOT and Strategic Objectives paper - DMBA 630 9047 Marketing and Strategy Management in the Global Marketplace (2178)
https://learn.umuc.edu/d2l/le/content/287341/viewContent/10484330/View 3/3
Due October 29 at 11:59 PM
mitigated with a specific vehicle (joint venture is the business structure that is required, and you would identify
the type of partner and define the partner responsibilities in an organizational structure).
Other mitigation strategies may lead less directly to an entry vehicle. For example, if team member(s) have
determined that a local presence will mitigate some political risk and/or mitigate a competitor's in-country
advantage, the team may consider what type of business structure (entry vehicle) could best provide that local
presence (e.g., an alliance with a local firm, a contract with a local distributor, hiring locals to staff a branch
sales office).
