Discussion Post: SWOT Analysis

Do you think organizations differ from each other when placing importance on areas of the
SWOT analysis? Describe a real-world example of an organization that would place more
importance on one area of the SWOT analysis compared to another area.
Yes. Companies, I believe, vary due to the components of the SWOT analysis that they
value higher. Firms may focus on specific SWOT aspects during the strategy formulation process
while disregarding or leveraging the others to a lesser level. In some cases, a strong segment in a
company can be enough to mask a weak section or make it appear out of context. Other SWOT
variables can offset external risks, allowing the organization amid these threats. For example,
companies can leverage their inherent unique strengths like technological innovation, ownership
rights, strong R&D, and tactical and strategic commercial positioning to mask or neutralize
external threats like competition. This is because its competitive edge is built on its strengths and
distinctiveness (Bright et al., 2019). Thus, the corporation can avoid being outpaced in the
market by its competitors. In a company with the strengths listed above, the risk of losing market
share is minimal. As a result, businesses will place a greater emphasis on securing new market
expansion prospects based on their competitive advantages.
On the other hand, some firms have no choice but to concentrate more on their negative
SWOT aspects: weaknesses and external threats. This is particularly typical in saturated
marketplaces where companies lack a competitive edge that allows them to stand out from their
competitors. In such instances, a lot of effort is directed at recognizing and fixing issues that
reflect a company’s weaknesses and external threats before they happen or are disclosed. If a
company’s flaws are ignored or not addressed swiftly, competitors can capitalize on them to
dominate the market.

3
Dell is an example of a firm that prioritizes certain SWOT aspects over other factors. The
company principally focuses on the strengths of the SWOT tool to gain a competitive advantage.
For example, Dell has centered on enhancing and expanding its brand equity, configuration, and
technical skills in recent years (Sweet, 2022). These are all distinct advantages that help it
maintain its position as a leader in developing superior modern gadgets. By focusing on such
aspects, flaws like high productions costs and incompatibility with some applications on the
market can be overlooked. Dell’s product market was unaffected by these weaknesses/flaws, and
the business has still been able to seek new market prospects without having to struggle as much
as its key rivals. Despite these flaws and risks, Dell’s cutting-edge tech and unique style features
have aided the company’s success.

4

References

Bright, D. S., et al. (2019). Principles of management: Online access: Center for Open
Education Textbook Library. OpenStax.
Sweet, T. (2021, June 22). Sweet on Dell Technologies: Opportunity, growth, and value creation.
Dell Technologies. https://www.dell.com/en-us/blog/sweet-on-dell-technologies-
opportunity-growth-and-value-creation/