The origins of SWOT analysis have been enigmatic, until now. With archival research, interviews with experts and a review of the available literature, this paper reconstructs the original SOFT/SWOT approach, and draws potential implications. During a firm's planning process, all managers are asked to write down 8 to 10 key planning issues faced by their units. Each manager grades, with evidence, these issues as either safeguarding the Satisfactory; opening Opportunities; fixing Faults; or thwarting Threats: hence SOFT (which is later merely relabeled to Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, or SWOT). Subgroups of managers have several dialogues about these issues with the instruction to include the needs and expectations of all the firm's stakeholders. Their developed resolutions or proposals become input for the executive planning committee to articulate corporate purpose(s) and strategies. SWOT's originator, Robert Franklin Stewart, emphasized the crucial role that creativity plays in the planning process. The SOFT/SWOT approach curbs mere top-down strategy making to the benefit of strategy alignment and implementation; Introducing digital means to parts of SWOT's original participative, long-range planning process, as suggested herein, could boost the effectiveness of organizational strategizing, communication and learning. Archival research into the deployment of SOFT/SWOT in practice is needed.
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The origins of SWOT Analysis is obfuscated in the literature. This paper fills that void and reconstructs its early development in context. The empirical basis of SWOT started in 1952 within the Lockheed’s Corporate Development Planning Department. One of its thus far unknown pioneers, Robert Franklin Stewart, became the head of the Theory and Practice of Planning group at the Stanford Research Institute in 1962. In 1965, Stewart published the so-called SOFT Approach in a report that was used by many large companies worldwide. In it, he presented a logical set of steps (the so-called chain of reasoning) for corporate aim setting. First, stakeholders’ values are to be collected by staff planners. Then “each manager considers for each of his own activities”… “what must be done to safeguard the satisfactory in present operations;” “open de door to opportunities”; “fix the cause of faults” and ”avert the threats to future operations.” These value judgments are then transferred into senior management’s direction-giving statements of corporate purpose. In 1967, SOFT evolved into: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT Analysis). Stewart’s participatory aim setting ideas have faded from our collective memory as well; they might fit perhaps the ideas propelled by the Opening Strategy movement."
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Background: Digital health is well-positioned in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) to revolutionize health care due, in part, to increasing mobile phone access and internet connectivity. This paper evaluates the underlying factors that can potentially facilitate or hinder the progress of digital health in Pakistan. Objective: The objective of this study is to identify the current digital health projects and studies being carried out in Pakistan, as well as the key stakeholders involved in these initiatives. We aim to follow a mixed-methods strategy and to evaluate these projects and studies through a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis to identify the internal and external factors that can potentially facilitate or hinder the progress of digital health in Pakistan. Methods: This study aims to evaluate digital health projects carried out in the last 5 years in Pakistan with mixed methods. The qualitative and quantitative data obtained from field surveys were categorized according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended building blocks for health systems research, and the data were analyzed using a SWOT analysis strategy. Results: Of the digital health projects carried out in the last 5 years in Pakistan, 51 are studied. Of these projects, 46% (23/51) used technology for conducting research, 30% (15/51) used technology for implementation, and 12% (6/51) used technology for app development. The health domains targeted were general health (23/51, 46%), immunization (13/51, 26%), and diagnostics (5/51, 10%). Smartphones and devices were used in 55% (28/51) of the interventions, and 59% (30/51) of projects included plans for scaling up. Artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning (ML) was used in 31% (16/51) of projects, and 74% (38/51) of interventions were being evaluated. The barriers faced by developers during the implementation phase included the populations’ inability to use the technology or mobile phones in 21% (11/51) of projects, costs in 16% (8/51) of projects, and privacy concerns in 12% (6/51) of projects.
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This historical review uncovers the institutionalisation and diffusion of the SWOTanalysis by assessing academic literature, seminar materials, proprietary research reports and interviews with experts from the virus theory perspective. We suggest that reviews of the SWOT analysis using the management fashion theory perspective are inadequate in explaining the diffusion and rejection of ideas born in practice. The virus theory perspective starts at an organizational level and reveals that predominantly practitioners were instrumental in spreading the ideas like participatory planning and distinguishing between short term and long range planning in order to resolve the planning paradox in provisional planning. Due to mutations in practice by consulting firms, the 2x2 matrix of SWOT became a cognitive artefact on its own. Theoretical roots of the original SWOT analysis stem from psychology and behavioural sciences.It is questionable if current strategy textbooks reflect these theoretical backgrounds.
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The aim of this project & work package is to develop a European action plan on mental health at work. A major and essential ingredient for this is the involvement of the relevant stakeholders and sharing experiences among them on the national and member state level. The Dutch Ministries of Health and Social Affairs and Employment have decided to participate in this “joint action on the promotion of mental health and well-being” with a specific focus on the work package directed at establishing a framework for action to promote taking action on mental health and well-being at workplaces at national level as well.
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Municipalities play an important role in tackling city logistics related matters, having many instruments at hand. However, it is not self-evident that all municipalities use these instruments to their full potential. A method to measure city logistics performance of municipalities can help in creating awareness and guidance, to ultimately lead to a more sustainable environment for inhabitants and businesses. Subsequently, this research is focused on a maturity model as a tool to assess the maturity level of a municipality for its performance related city logistics process management. Various criteria for measuring city logistics performance are studied and based on that the model is populated through three focus fields (Technical, Social and Corporate, and Policy), branching out into six areas of development: Information and communication technology, urban logistics planning, Stakeholder communication, Public Private Partnerships, Subsidisation and incentivisation, and Regulations. The CL3M model was tested for three municipalities, namely, municipality of Utrecht, Den Bosch and Groningen. Through these maturity assessments it became evident the model required specificity complementary to the existing assessment interview, and thus a SWOT analysis should be added as a conclusion during the maturity assessment.
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SMEs represent a very important part of the European economy today, and within this SME group the creative sector is recently one of the fastest growing sectors. Our paper studies the innovation management of 105 creative SMEs in Flanders and the Netherlands, based on the innovation diagnostic instrument, developed by Mazzarol & Reboud (2006). On the side of the „innovation climate‟ we identified many stimulating factors such as the well developed infrastructure and proximity of logistics and suppliers and an innovative and stimulating life style in the global area of Flanders and the Netherlands. However, we identified many restricting legislations and regulations that seem to hamper seriously most creative SMEs. Above that, many creative SMEs fail to find sufficient access to capital to invest in their growing innovative activities. We observe that the Dutch creative SMEs find more easily access to external financial resources and governmental support and subventions than their Flemish colleagues. Finally, the use of managerial tools like a SWOT analysis or setting up a solid financial or business plan seems very uncommon but required among creative SMEs.
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Context When the pandemic hit the world, teachers were forced to change their education from onsite to virtual overnight Understandably, teaching quality decreased in the beginning, as there was little experience in how to adapt the educational design Zuyd University of Applied Sciences ( recognized the problem that teachers were on different didactic and pedagogical levels when it comes to online education Unfortunately, the pandemic made it hard for teachers to connect with each other In the Domain of Health and Welfare, this led to the idea of establishing a professional learning community A professional learning community ( can be seen as an informal group of people who share knowledge and experiences among each other on a common topic they are all highly interested in Zuyd’s vision “passion for development” sets a good basis for the start of such a community. Steps we took In order to find out how a professional learning community can look like in Zuyd, the following steps were taken Firstly, we collected and evaluated literature and best practices around the topic Based on our findings we developed an interview guideline and conducted interviews with eight teachers from the Domain of Health and Welfare Throughout the whole report a SWOT analysis was performed with the literature and best practices filling opportunities and threats and the interviews providing content for strengths and weaknesses Main findings From these sources, we derived enablers for a successful learning community, which led to recommendations for Zuyd on how to strategically position, implement and organize a PLC One of our major recommendations is to make didactic and pedagogical skills an important topic within Zuyd in order to strategically implement the learning community into Zuyd’s strategy Furthermore, we recommend giving the lead in organizing and facilitating the PLC to the blended learning task force To collect a diverse set of interested employees to the core group, the educational managers should personally approach teachers that might be interested The sense of urgency around the topic needs to be addressed regularly through the directors of the Domain, the task force of blended learning, as well as the PLC itself In this way, interest in the topic of didactic and pedagogical skills and blended learning can be enhanced In the report we go into greater detail on how to organize and apply these recommendations. We are convinced that implementing these steps will pay off in the future and will successfully enhance competencies on blended learning and didactic and pedagogical skills through knowledge exchange.
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Cultural heritage buildings and sites are threatened by the effects of climate change, especially in coastal zones. Risks not only include floods and submersion, but also less visible risks such as effects of moisture levels or, alternatively, drought. At the same time, it is important to involve people in the care of heritage buildings and sites, to stimulate them to cherish, admire, and to enrich their lives with the heritage locations, buildings and stories.This paper aims to contribute to our knowledge on the application of valuation approaches. The topic of heritage and sustainability calls for an approach that encompasses a broad range of values. Theoretically, this paper relies on the approach of ‘Design for Values’. This approach starts with the identification of the values that are aspired to in a design project. These values are connected to norms, which describe how the identified value can be reached. On a more technical or concrete level, requirements are noted down, which specify the precise conditions a design must fulfill. In this way, a ‘value hierarchy’ can be outlined, which forms a guide for the designing process. In a value hierarchy, the levels are connected in two ways: downward by ‘specification’, and upwards, by the phrase ‘for the sake of’. After the design is finalized, a verification step is needed to ascertain if the aspired values indeed have been achieved in the design.The empirical case study for this paper is provided by the investigations of the Wisloujcsie Fortress and surrounding area at the SOS-workshop in Gdansk in October 2022. In our investigation of the site several problems and challenges came to light, which we summarized in a SWOT-analysis. For sustainable development of the area and the conservation of cultural and natural heritage we identified values connected to heritage, water, public access, and social values, see figure 1. In the paper, we will further elaborate on the norms and requirements that follow from each of these values. Also, we want to reflect on a preliminary verification step. We conclude that to produce designs that successfully achieve the climate and sustainability goals of the SOS-Climate Waterfront project, a ‘model valuation framework’ could be a useful guide for the design process. The first elements of such a framework are presented in our paper. Applying such a valuation framework stimulates ethical reflection during the design process and evaluation of the result. It thereby strengthens the connections between sustainability goals and urban design.
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