STRENGTHS, WEAKNESS, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREAT ANALYSIS
This paper will present a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis, regarding the student’s personal strategic plan, to earn the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree. Towards the end of this paper, the student will be able to analyze his or her academic strengths, academic weaknesses, opportunities for achieving your goals, and threats to achieve the set goal. The preparation of the SWOT analysis will help the students to create an effective strategy on how to manage the workload and demands of the program.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths and Opportunities
DBA is more on applied research studies rather than theoretical research.
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Students can make a direct and concrete input in the organization to which he belongs.
The curriculum shows that the foremost knowledge regions cover primary professional organizations.
It highlights the assessment of the global environment and supply chain management schemes or functions and global logistics.
Used in the forecasting of demands and supply management.
Graduates of DBA, like me, can pursue a career in the field of consultancy.
I can also specialize in the field of leadership.
I can also use the chance to apply for teaching posts and share their knowledge and expertise to potential students.
I can engage in the field of supply management, which is my expertise
I can also enter the field of operations processes such as manufacturing and purchasing.
Weaknesses
Theoretical research is disregarded
Hybrid learning method combines interactive classroom and on-line teaching which can be a less effective method of teaching.
Heavy workload can cause time constraints.
Poor time-management to complete assigned tasks.
Preparation of thesis uses theoretical research, which has the tendency to limit the case study
Threats
Lack of focus
Procrastination in accomplishing the tasks.
Hybrid learning causes difficulty with sophisticated technologies.
The expectation the fewer classes meant less work.
Inadequate time management skills.
The Global Operations and Supply Chain Management Specialization Program focus more on the applied research studies rather than theoretical research, which is specifically required during the preparation of the dissertation project. In this study, the student must be able to make a direct and concrete input to the organization to which he or she belongs. The curriculum shows the foremost knowledge regions of primary professional organizations, highlights the assessment of the global environment, supply chain management scheme and functions, forecasting of demands and global logistics. Students who choose this field of specialization may also pursue the areas of consultancy, leadership, or teaching posts in various operations processes such as manufacturing, purchasing, supply chain, or other interrelated fields.
Since, I possess a wealth of information, I wanted to enhance the fullness of my capabilities and take it to the next level. The decision to go back to school to obtain a higher education and finish a doctorate in Business Administration was not a hard one for me. The years of experience working in an environment where I see myself, excelling has been the primordial influence to finalize my decision. After emerging from military background and years of experience in the Supply and Procurement field, the program offered by DBA is suited to my qualifications. I am confident that I have seen enough to know that there has to be a better way to run the operation of a business or an enterprise. After graduating from the program, I expect to learn a better way to run a successful operation. Supply has become a life-long passion of mine beside my dream of becoming a medical doctor. Supply chain management supports business-to-business interaction along the supply chain (Kurtz, 2012). In the same manner, the Supplier Relationship Management supports purchase and procurement processes (Kurtz, 2012).
The weaknesses and threats to the DBA program are that it covers hybrid learning or an on-line teaching method, which has a tendency to cause a less-effective method of teaching. In fact, DBA studies have shown, it was identified that students studying in hybrid-blended courses were unable to achieve good results or success, if they would not be well informed about the exact meaning of hybrid-blended courses. There are four identified key challenges that students encounter with blended courses. These are the following: First, the expectation the fewer classes meant less work; Second, inadequate time management skills; Third, problems with accepting responsibility for personal learning; and Fourth difficulty with more sophisticated technologies (Cleveland-Innes, and Garrison, 2010). Hence, I see the threat that on-line teaching has the tendency to cause students to procrastinate. Since there is also a heavy workload expected, I assume that time management will become one of my weaknesses.
My aspiration is to complete the DBA program. This is where I want to be and will help me to build better businesses to sustain a productive and self-sufficient economy. My ultimate objective is to become an owner of a consultancy business and bring in other consultants, so we can help hand-in-hand providing a service that offers self-sufficient goals for longevity sustainment.
In order to better understand what aspects I need to work particularly at when studying to obtain the degree, I conducted an interview with one of the leading specialists in a firm dealing with supply chain management. The main issues that we discussed were the qualities that make a supply chain management practitioner a good specialist in his field. We also discussed the methods and practices that allow a person to get an edge over the competitors.
The main conclusion that I can make based on our conversation is the necessity of intensive training for receiving the best results. I believe that the DBA program is exactly what I need here, which was supported by my interviewee as well. The corresponding degree can not only show your knowledge to others, but will also mean that your base of knowledge and experience is up-to-date and corresponds to the current needs and requirements in the area. It is especially important in my case, as I see the necessity of introducing new and effective methods in my supply chain management practices. This will allow me to be a better manager and to be able to use all the advances in the science and technology.
When we spoke about the experience that is especially helpful in our field, he told me that the most effective and useful kind of experience is the one of work on the mistakes you make and on improving your performance. He explained that it meant that 20 years of monotonous work experience without any actual progress or development is less valuable than 5 years of experience with intensive work on performance, its constant analysis and improvement. He emphasized the necessity of developing skills and characteristics constantly in the course of future work. If one gets satisfied with the knowledge base he possesses, the development stops and he starts his way of becoming a weak specialist. In order to be a strong professional, it is necessary to seek for the new ways of enhancing your performance on the constant basis, introducing more effective ways of dealing the known issues and inventing new ways of handling problems that haven’t been met in practice before.
Another important aspect that we discussed was the importance of professional’s appropriate evaluation of his capabilities and the value he can offer to the company hiring him. In particular, the expert told me that if a specialist were unaware of his value, he would not get the salary he wanted and would not get real satisfaction from the work. This aspect is directly related to the one described above, as such evaluation should be held constantly, and it can be only effective when the work on mistakes elimination is also performed. The best scheme that he described to me is the following: you evaluate your skills and qualities, see the problems that can prevent you from being a great specialist, find ways of improving those areas, become a qualified specialist and receive a lot of joy and money from your work.
Interview with the specialist was very useful for me, as I saw the main principles, in which my new knowledge can be applied. This will allow me to focus on those aspects of studying that are devoted to training the necessary skills and characteristics. Definition of priorities is one of the best outcomes of my conversation with the supply chain manager.
References
Capella University Website. Doctor of Business Administration. Retrieved from
http://www.capella.edu/schools_programs/business_technology/dba/global_ops_supply_mgmt.aspx
Cleveland-Innes, M. and Garrison, D. R. (2010). An Introduction to Distance Education: Understanding, Teaching and Learning in a New Era. New York : Routledge.
Kurtz, D. (2012). PeopleSoft for the Oracle DBA. USA: Apress Publishing.
Wilson, J. P. (2005). Human Resource Development: Learning and Training for individuals and
Organization. Sterling, VA: Kogan Page Publisher.
