TOWS Matrix – Threats Opportunities Weaknesses Strengths Matrix

SWOT Analysis is a commonly used strategic management framework  which scans internal strengths and internal weaknesses of a product or service industry and highlights the opportunities and threats of the external environment. This will help to focus on the strengths, minimize weaknesses and take the greatest possible advantage of opportunities available by overcoming threats. SWOT Analysis becomes a useless exercise if it is not extended to TOWS Analysis where the strengths are used to capitalize on opportunities and to counter threats and, the weaknesses are minimized using opportunities and both weaknesses and threats are avoided. Read More: SWOT Analysis — A Strategic Planning Tool Weihrich developed TOWS Matrix in 1982, as the next step of SWOT Analysis in developing alternative strategies. TOWS Matrix is a conceptual framework for identifying and analyzing the threats (T) and opportunities (O) in the external environment and assessing the organization’s weaknesses (W) and strengths (S). Continue reading

Generation of Computers

It is important to realize that major changes and trends in computer systems have occurred during the major   stages-or generations-of computing, and will continue into the future. The first generation of computers developed in the early 1950s, the second generation blossomed during the late 1960s, the third generation took computing into the 1970s, and the fourth generation has been the computer technology of the 1980s and 1990s. A fifth generation of computers that accelerates the trends of the previous generations is expected to evolve as we enter the 21st century. Notice that computers continue to become smaller, faster, more reliable, less costly to purchase and maintain, and more interconnected within computer networks. First-generation computing involved massive computers using hundreds or thousands of vacuum tubes for their processing and memory circuitry. These large computers generated enormous amounts of heat; their vacuum tubes had to be replaced frequently. Thus, they had Continue reading

Pricing to Market Concept

One important aspect of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) doctrine is its espousal of law of one price, i.e. assuming one-way transport costs and tariffs.   A HMT watch will be priced the same whether it is sold either in Mumbai or New York.   But in the literature of international finance two stylized facts are prominently mentioned.   First, real exchange rate movements are seen to be very persistent at the aggregate level of the economy.   Second, individual prices of traded commodities tend to be sticky in terms of local currency at the micro level.   Engel (1993) has compared the relative prices of different commodities within the same country versus relative price of the same commodity across different countries and he has reached the conclusion that the former measure is less variable in all but a few cases such as primary commodities and energy.   Also Engel finds Continue reading

Identifying and Managing Project Risk

Risks are those events or conditions that may occur and whose occurrence has a harmful or negative impact on a project. Project risk management aims to identify the risks and then take actions to minimize their effect on the project. Project risk management entails additional cost. Hence project risk management can be considered cost-effective only if the cost of managing project risk is considerably less than the cost incurred if the risk materializes. Components of Project Risk Management Important components in project risk management are: Risk Assessment — The assessment and identification focuses on enumerating possible risks to the project. Identify the possible risks and assess the consequences by means of checklists of possible risks, surveys, meetings and brainstorming and reviews of plans, processes and products. The project manager can also use the process database to get information about risks and risk management on similar projects. Risk Control — Identify Continue reading

Becoming a Successful Learning Organisation: Case Study of Apple

When faced with the challenges and difficulties in business environment nowadays, business need to improve knowledge continuously to survive and remain competitive with other business. Meanwhile, “learning organization” and “best practices” are two important concepts that can help businesses succeed. From an unknown organization has now become a famous brand with business strategy, the way in breaking success, Apple is one of the business organization encourages continuous personal learning  to be able to overcome difficulties in the market today. We should study how organizations learn and practice such as Apple to see the strategic vision and ways of doing business that many companies in the world by surprise. How does Apple become a Learning Organization? Learning organization is one that sought to create their own future, said that learning is a continuous process and innovation for its members, and one in which the development, adaptation, and transform itself to meet Continue reading

Minimizing Resistance to Change through Discussions

When as many as possible of those people involved in a change  understand as much as possible about it and its consequences, resistance is likely  to be reduced. It is management’s job to develop this understanding. Resistance  will be prevented to the degree that the change agent help the change affected  people to develop their own understanding of the need for change, and an  explicit awareness of how they feel about it and what can be done about their  feelings. Such an understanding will occur only when the information provided  is sufficient, factual and accurate. Management can transmit information about a  proposed change and its probable consequences to those affected or concerned  in a variety of ways. Fundamentally, there are only three practical media for  communication; written material, audio-visual and oral. No single means,  however, should be relied on exclusively. The more complex the change, the  greater will be the Continue reading