what is swot analysis in educational institutions

Here’s Why Your School Needs a SWOT Analysis and How to Conduct One

School Leadership //

September 14, 2023

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) is a tool to evaluate your school, assess your current situation, and develop strategies for improvement. SWOT analyses are popular in the business world and are common in private school marketing.

Why might your school want to conduct a SWOT analysis? Digging into the categories of a SWOT analysis can help identify internal and external factors impacting your school’s performance and effectiveness. This is especially valuable when considering private school marketing strategies.

How to Conduct a SWOT Analysis

Before beginning a SWOT analysis, determine who will participate in the exercise. Include constituents from your school community: faculty, staff, administrators, students, parents, and others who are interested in your future. Find a time that works for everyone without interruption.

Once you set a time, gather all current research about your school, including academic statistics, enrollment data, completed surveys, and student retention rates. The more data you present, the more accurate the picture of your school will be.

Next, choose a template to organize your SWOT analysis discussion. This template will be used in all future decisions and references. Include the following elements.

#1—Highlight Strengths

First, list the internal aspects or characteristics that differentiate your school  from others. These are internal factors that give your school a competitive advantage. Delineating your school’s strengths allows you to make better decisions, resulting in the most benefit.

Consider what draws parents and students to your school. These might include college acceptance rates, modern facilities, dedicated teachers, and cocurricular activities. Keep these areas of strength in mind as ones to maintain and enhance.

#2—Recognize Weakness

Being honest with yourself about weaknesses can be difficult, but recognizing them is as important as identifying your school’s strengths. Weaknesses are areas where your school underperforms or is at a disadvantage.

These may also be items preventing your school from fulfilling its mission and purpose. Consider all areas when it comes to identifying your weaknesses.

• Does your school have sufficient faculty members across all disciplines?
• Is your curriculum up to date?
• How is your internal communication?
• Does your school struggle with student discipline?

Next, evaluate the severity of each problem. How can these weaknesses be addressed and corrected?

#3—Identify Opportunities

The third consideration is opportunities –external (and internal) circumstances that can lead to positive outcomes. In recognizing your opportunities, look for ways to turn challenges into actionable items.

In most instances, “opportunities” in a SWOT analysis are external forces beyond your control that can benefit you.

For example: A competitor school closing its doors. Population growth in your metro area. An alumnus selling a business at a huge profit.

#4—Be Prepared to Address Threats

Threats, like opportunities, can be both internal and external. Again, in most instances threats are external to your school and beyond your control. If not addressed, threats can create extensive problems. For example:

• A new school opens in the area.
• A declining school-age population.
• Bad PR from a scandal.
• Accidental death of a student or retirement of a favorite teacher .

Being aware of potential threats is crucial for developing plans to respond to or address them.

#5—Use the Analysis for School Improvement

Prioritize your lists based on your gathered information, insights, and notes. For future decisions about enrollment or private school marketing campaigns, refer to your SWOT analysis and ask these questions:

• How will this decision build on our school’s strengths?
• How will this decision address and counter our school’s weaknesses?
• How does this decision welcome and respond to opportunities?
• How does this decision shield against threats?

A SWOT analysis will provide you with a clearer understanding of how to reach your target market effectively , both internally and externally, while maximizing your school’s strengths, counteracting its weaknesses, and viewing opportunities and threats as a way to predict your future success.

ISM encourages an objective opinion to make the most informed decisions regarding your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Doing so will enable your school to move forward with the best recommendations to support your mission.

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SWOT analysis: digital transformation in education

July 05, 2021 •

7 min reading

The creativity & innovation of educational institutions is being challenged in these times. The consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic has required educational leaders to be creative in the way they provide and offer their services, causing an acceleration of digital transformation plans in all education institutions around the world. Access and affordability are also central ingredients for students and learners to be able to reap the benefits of these services. In this article, I offer practical advice to education leaders on how to carry out a SWOT analysis to decide whether an e-Learning solution is right for their education institution.

Introduction to e-Learning

The face-to-face teaching approach is still widely recognized as an effective way to facilitate knowledge and skills, and is also a good way to interact with peers and teachers. However, the pandemic has pushed institutions to re-invent the strategies for teaching and learning from key stakeholders in education . Governments, ministries, agencies, schools and universities worldwide have had to consider offering knowledge online via different e-Learning platforms. On one hand, scalability and non-boundaries to engage in constructive online discussions between facilitators and their students, but on the other hand, some challenges such as digital illiteracy, the e-divide and techno phobia.

When people refer to e-Learning, they refer to a system of learning that revolves completely around the online experience. Like a live class, students progress through the course in a sequential way and interact to varying degrees with their fellow classmates and their teacher, depending upon how the course has been set up. As education through the internet has become more common, two main formats of e-Learning have developed: Self-paced and online.

INVEST IN EDUCATION TOOLKIT With this 10-step process, you will have all the tools you need to master the critical areas of a successful school.

This article provides an example swot analysis for managers in education institutions to replicate when considering opting for an e-learning solution., what is swot analysis.

SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. In this case, strengths and weaknesses refer to internal digital issues that each facilitator needs to know. If your weaknesses are more than your strengths than you need to dig back into your strategy in order to reduce weaknesses before you implement your e-Learning approach.

Opportunities refer to situations that can be harnessed due to changes in the market (e.g. students with a new set of criteria) and the technology available to better respond to the new needs. Threats include anything that can negatively affect your growth from the outside, for instance, the implementation and smooth running of new digital systems, continued IT training of staff, or lack of formal accreditation of online courses. 

SWOT Analysis: How is your education institution scoring?

You should be scoring high on both strengths and opportunities when considering e-Learning implementation. Can your weaknesses and threats be turned into strengths and opportunities? How to effectively build the foundation for an effective e-Learning approach? Self-evaluation is key for all institutions looking to evolve. 

How is SWOT useful?

• Understanding where an organization is most effective.
• Identifying areas of improvement.
• Establishing strategic planning and goals.
• Assessing feasibility of the new initiative.
• Understanding how to implement the new technology.

Examination of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats can be applied when an in-depth evaluation is needed to make changes or improvements. It can help examine components of distance learning that are positive and negative, as well as help with the process of improvement and development of new e-Learning programs and opportunities.

SWOT analysis of e-Learning educational services and intentions must be looked at from 3 different perspectives:

• Institutions

1. Students

Recent data shows that most universities offer e-Learning degrees or certificates (undergraduate, graduate, doctorate and certificate programs). Universities are offering more types of e-Learning study every year.

Characteristics of the e-Learner

• Students are typically older, often have families and full time employment so flexibility is essential.
• 66% of e-Learners are female
• e-Learners are self-directed and motivated.
• They often seek education to increase work status, get promotion or to keep current employment.

Characterists of the e-Facilitator

• Technologically confident and proficient. 
• Student-centered teaching style that is inclusive and interactive.
• Understanding of e-Learners who are mostly adults and self-directed.
• Open to feedback, discussion & continuously engaged in improvement.
• Use of authentic learning material and apps (videos, podcasts, VR,).

3. Institutions

SWOT Analysis matrix

Recommendations from the EHL digital transformation experience

Excerpts from "Boosting a university's value: a digital transformation case study" by Maxime Medina, COO & Deputy CEO, EHL Group.

"The education sector has been a laggard of digital transformation, but Covid-19 turned many organizations’ long-term wish lists into essential needs overnight. In a whirlwind of a year, EHL has seen a huge acceleration of its digitalization. We were more fortunate than many education institutions, in having several digital transformation projects already planned. Our challenge was to realize multi-year projects within weeks.

Was the journey uncertain? Untested? At times, daunting? Certainly. Was it a success? Without a doubt. Faculty, students, management, contractors and many others took countless obstacles in their stride, found solutions, adapted to change, and shifted EHL firmly into the digital age. While our digitalization process continues, we are now working with education institutions around the world to share ideas, learning and insights from our own journey, to make theirs easier. Digital education is the future and we want to see all students benefit – at EHL and beyond."

References: 

• SWOT Analysis of Elearning Educational Services
• e-Journal of Business Education & Scholarship of Teaching
• http://www.examiner.com/article/distance-learning-an-equal-opportunity-education
• New Forms of Distance Education: Opportunities for Students, Threats to Institutions
• Effect of Instructor-Personalized Multimedia in the Online Classroom
• http://www.merlot.org/merlot/index.htm
• Forbes: How To Conduct A Personal SWOT Analysis
• An Interesting Profile-University Students who Take Distance Education Courses Show Weaker Motivation Than On-Campus Students
• The Origins of Distance Education and its use in the United States
• Report: digital learning compass enrollment 2017
• Faculty: The Neglected Resource in Distance Education
• CHLOE 2, THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE of ONLINE EDUCATION: A DEEPER DIVE
• Faculty Buy-in Builds, Bit by Bit: Survey of Faculty Attitudes on Technology

Sales & Marketing Manager at EHL Advisory Services

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SWOT Analysis for Schools: Unveiling Strategic Insights for Education

A SWOT analysis in the educational context is a strategic planning tool that can be a game-changer for your school. By breaking down the internal and external elements into Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats, you gain clear insights that can help you steer your institution toward success. Think of it as a compass guiding your school’s developmental strategies, ensuring you capitalize on your assets while mitigating the risks.

Imagine spotlighting every aspect of your school to reveal what’s working well and what might need more attention. Performing a SWOT analysis allows you to do just that—with an objective lens, you can uncover the potential within your school’s programs, resources, and community relations. Moreover, it challenges you to look beyond the walls of your classrooms to the larger landscape of education, where opportunities for growth and partnerships await. By considering the diverse factors that comprise your educational ecosystem , you set the stage for informed decision-making and strategic planning.

Key Takeaways

Understanding swot analysis, basics of swot analysis.

This strategic framework allows you to assess where your school stands and chart a future course. Consider the following factors:

Key Takeaway: A clear-eyed look at your school’s current state through a SWOT Analysis can reveal much about how to utilize or adjust resources and strategies.

Importance for Educational Institutions

Like any organization, educational institutions need strategic planning to thrive amidst a constantly changing landscape. Using SWOT can guide you in crafting actionable strategies to stay ahead of the curve.

Internal Factors: Strengths in Schools

In your school’s journey toward excellence, recognizing internal strengths is crucial. These inherent advantages, such as your dedicated staff, high-quality curriculum, and innovative teaching methods, form the backbone of your institution’s success.

Dedicated Staff and Faculty

Key Takeaway: Passionate and committed faculty are foundational to creating a positive and effective learning environment.

Quality of Curriculum

The strength of your school’s curricula lies in its relevance and rigor. A well-designed curriculum aligns with educational standards and prepares students for real-world challenges.

Key Takeaway : A strong curriculum is central to student achievement and adaptable to student needs and educational standards.

Innovative Teaching Methods

Key Takeaway: By embracing various teaching methods, your school can cater to all learners and keep education dynamic and engaging.

Internal Factors: Weaknesses in Schools

Exploring the internal aspects of schools often unveils specific weaknesses that can hinder the progression toward their educational goals. Let’s shed light on some critical areas that might need your attention.

Budgetary Constraints

Your school’s aspirations are often tethered by the budget available . With limited funds:

Outdated Facilities

The walls around you tell a story of times gone by. Outdated facilities pose a noteworthy challenge:

Limited Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities are essential for well-rounded development, but here’s the catch:

Key Takeaway: Expanding extracurricular options can help unlock students’ potential and enhance their school experience.

External Factors: Opportunities for Schools

Collaboration with community.

Key Takeaway: Strong community ties can transform outward resources into educational assets, providing students with unique, hands-on learning opportunities .

Technological Advancements

Building partnerships.

Forming strategic partnerships can offer schools a wide array of benefits:

Key Takeaway: Partnerships can be a conduit for resources, expertise, and innovation, leading to symbiotic growth for schools and their partners.

External Factors: Threats to Schools

Competitive educational landscape, economic downturns.

Key Takeaway: Plan for lean times by creating a robust financial strategy to withstand economic pressures.

Changing Educational Policies

Key Takeaway: Adaptability and proactive engagement with educational policies can safeguard your school against regulatory surprises.

Strategic Planning for Schools

Setting clear objectives.

You’ll need a compass to navigate your school toward success—that’s where your objectives come in. They are not just any destinations but specific, meaningful end-points that direct every decision and action within your school.

Developing Long-Term Strategies

Key Takeaway : Your long-term strategies are the stable groundwork for your school’s progress and future. Think of them as securing the stepping stones that will carry your school across the river of challenges toward your objectives.

Maximizing School Resources

Effective resource management.

Managing your school’s resources goes beyond just keeping track of what you have. It’s about ensuring that every book, device, and space is used fully. Start by taking inventory of your resources across various departments—don’t overlook anything, be it laboratory equipment or library books.

Optimizing Budget Allocation

Key Takeaway : Wise budgeting isn’t just about cutting costs; it’s about investing in the right areas to foster sustainable growth.

Engaging Stakeholders in Schools

Parents and community involvement.

Establishing a strong connection with parents and the community goes a long way in fostering a nurturing educational setting.

Alumni Network and Support

The alumni network can be an untapped reservoir of support for your school.

Key Takeaway: Strengthening ties with your school’s alumni can unlock a supportive network contributing to the school’s growth and student achievement.

Measuring Performance and Improvement

Tracking academic progress.

Key Takeaway : Systematic tracking of student results helps identify trends and areas requiring attention or intervention.

Utilizing Feedback and Data

Remember, actionable feedback and clear data interpretation can lead to informed strategies for improvement.

Promoting a Competitive Advantage

Unique educational programs.

Your school can gain a competitive edge by offering specialized programs that cater to diverse interests and talents. Whether it’s a STEAM curriculum that integrates arts with sciences or a dual-language immersion for young global citizens, these programs can be your school’s hallmark. Here are a few tips:

Strong School Reputation

A sterling reputation is akin to a magnet pulling prospective families toward your school. Your reputation is shaped by academic excellence, community involvement, and positive feedback from current families. Let’s break it down:

Fostering Growth and Innovation

Embracing diversity and inclusivity, investing in modern facilities and technology.

Modern facilities and the latest technological advancements are not just add-ons; they’re integral to a school’s growth and competitiveness. Here’s how you can make this investment count:

Frequently Asked Questions

What are common strengths identified in a school’s swot analysis.

Consider what sets your school apart; these could be your key strengths.

How can a SWOT analysis contribute to school improvement strategies?

What are some typical threats that schools should include in their swot analysis.

Knowing these helps you anticipate and mitigate potential hurdles.

Can you provide examples of how SWOT analysis is utilized for students’ development?

What are the potential weaknesses a school might uncover in a swot analysis, how is swot analysis applied in evaluating the effectiveness of teachers.

This approach can guide you to bolster teaching practices and, ultimately, student learning.

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Swot Analysis for Educational Institutions: Strategies for Improvement

To utilize SWOT analysis for educational institutions and improve strategies, first, clearly define the institution’s objectives. Evaluate strengths and weaknesses, identify opportunities and threats, and then develop strategies and action plans accordingly.

Identifying Objectives For Swot Analysis

To conduct a SWOT analysis for educational institutions and develop strategies for improvement, it is crucial to identify the objectives beforehand. Evaluating strengths and weaknesses, as well as identifying opportunities and threats, will help in developing effective action plans.

• Identify objectives: Before conducting a SWOT analysis for your educational institution, it is important to clearly define your objectives.
• Evaluate strengths and weaknesses: Assess the strengths and weaknesses of your institution in terms of resources, faculty, facilities, curriculum, and student performance.
• Identify opportunities and threats: Identify external factors that can benefit or impact your institution, such as changes in the education system, technological advancements, competition, and economic factors.
• Develop strategies and action plans: Based on the SWOT analysis, develop strategies and action plans to leverage strengths, address weaknesses, seize opportunities, and mitigate threats. These strategies may include improving curriculum, enhancing faculty training, upgrading facilities, and implementing innovative teaching methods.

Evaluating Strengths And Weaknesses

When it comes to improving educational institutions, conducting a SWOT analysis is essential. This powerful tool helps in evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of an educational institution. To get started, it’s important to clearly define the objectives of the institution. This will provide a clear direction for the analysis.

Once the objectives are identified, the strengths and weaknesses of the educational institution should be evaluated. Strengths may include experienced and qualified faculty, state-of-the-art infrastructure, or a strong alumni network. Weaknesses, on the other hand, can be lack of resources or outdated curriculum.

Identifying opportunities and threats is the next step. Opportunities can range from partnerships with other institutions to advancements in technology. Threats may include competition from other educational institutions or changing regulatory requirements.

Based on the analysis, strategies and action plans can be developed. These strategies can focus on leveraging strengths, addressing weaknesses, capitalizing on opportunities, and mitigating threats. Regularly reviewing and revising the strategies is also crucial to ensure continuous improvement.

In conclusion, utilizing a SWOT analysis allows educational institutions to have a clear understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This knowledge helps in developing effective strategies for improvement and maintaining a competitive edge in the education sector.

Identifying Opportunities And Threats

SWOT analysis is a valuable tool for educational institutions to assess their current situation and identify areas for improvement. By clearly defining objectives, evaluating strengths and weaknesses, and identifying opportunities and threats, institutions can develop effective strategies and action plans for improvement.

Opportunities for improvement may include enhancing curriculum, implementing innovative teaching methods, or developing partnerships with other institutions. On the other hand, potential threats could arise from factors such as competition, changing market demands, or financial constraints.

By conducting a SWOT analysis, educational institutions can gain insights into their internal and external factors, enabling them to make informed decisions and take proactive measures to ensure continuous improvement and success.

Developing Strategies And Action Plans

In order to improve educational institutions, conducting a SWOT analysis is essential. By identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, strategies and action plans can be developed to enhance academic performance and address current challenges. This analysis helps in understanding the current situation and making necessary improvements for educational institutions.

Frequently Asked Questions On Swot Analysis For Educational Institutions: Strategies For Improvement

What is a swot analysis for a school improvement plan.

A SWOT analysis for a school improvement plan is a strategic tool used to assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of a school. It helps to identify areas of improvement and develop strategies to enhance the school’s performance.

What Is A Swot Analysis For Improving Academic Performance?

A SWOT analysis for improving academic performance helps you analyze your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in achieving your goals. Reflect on your teaching experience and skills to identify your strengths.

What Is Swot Analysis In Educational Institutions?

SWOT analysis in educational institutions is a strategic tool to assess and improve strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It helps identify objectives, evaluate current situation, and develop strategies for improvement in education.

What Is A Swot Analysis For Teaching Strategies?

Ur weaknesses. Consider areas where you can improve or need further development. Identify opportunities. Look for potential growth areas or new teaching methods to explore. Assess threats. Identify external factors that may hinder your teaching strategies or goals. Develop strategies.

Use the SWOT analysis to create action plans for leveraging strengths, improving weaknesses, capitalizing on opportunities, and mitigating threats.

How Can Swot Analysis Be Used To Improve Educational Institutions?

SWOT analysis can be used in educational institutions to assess strengths and weaknesses, identify opportunities and threats, and develop strategies for improvement.

In order to improve educational institutions, conducting a SWOT analysis is crucial. By identifying objectives, evaluating strengths and weaknesses, and identifying opportunities and threats, effective strategies can be developed. This analysis provides valuable insights for schools, colleges, and universities to make necessary adjustments and improvements.

By implementing the findings of the SWOT analysis, educational institutions can enhance their strengths, eliminate weaknesses, and ultimately create a more successful and thriving learning environment.

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SWOT Analysis for Education, Schools, Colleges and Universities

03/01/2018 by Mike Morrison 15 Comments

A SWOT analysis for schools is a tool that can provide prompts to the governors, management teachers and staff involved in the study of what is practical and less effective in the schools’ systems and procedures — often used in preparation for a plan of some form (that could be an audit, assessments, quality checks etc.).

A SWOT can be used for any planning or analysis activity which could impact future finance, planning and management decisions of the school or establishment. It can enable you (the governors and management) to carry out a more comprehensive analysis.

Definitions

• Strengths – Factors that are likely to have a positive effect on (or be an enabler to) achieving the school’s objectives
• Weaknesses – Factors that are likely to have a negative impact on (or be a barrier to) achieving the school’s objectives
• Opportunities – External Factors that are likely to have a positive effect on meeting or exceeding the school’s aims, or goals not previously considered
• Threats – External Factors and conditions that are likely to harm achieving the school’s objectives or making the objective redundant or unachievable.

Before starting any planning or analysis process, you need to have a clear and SMART goal or objective. What is it that you need to achieve or solve? Ensure that all key stakeholders (relevant to the issue being explored) buy into this objective or goal. The context for a SWOT and PESTLE analysis is everything.

Then undertake a PESTLE analysis (or PESTLE in Schools ), this will provide you with the external factors ( OT ).

Use the PRIMO-F model to ensure all internal factors are considered.

Conducting a SWOT Analysis for Schools, Colleges and Universities

One of the most effective ways to conduct a SWOT analysis for schools or within educational establishments is not to do it in isolation, but with a team effort. When the goal is shared, then a brainstorming session can be run.

Do this activity in several phases:

1) Share the goal

2) Data collection (no filtering or comments – record verbatim) consider all areas of PRIMO-F

3) Take a break of at least 1 hr

4) Filter, sort and analyse into the four areas – SWOT – be critical, and SMART avoid ambiguous statements or ideas at this stage

5) Prioritise the elements

Have a second session where the planning phase takes this data and puts it into a realistic plan.

IMPORTANT TIP for SWOT Analysis in Schools, Colleges and Universities

Do not hide or underestimate threats or weaknesses – if you ignore them or underplay them now they will come back to haunt you at some stage – probably when they can do the most damage!

The goal of any session like this is not necessarily to neutralise any weakness or threat – that is impossible – but to have it on your radar – and where possible, take avoiding action. To some extent, it is all about risk.

What sort of tasks and issues can a SWOT analysis for Schools be used for?

At its most sophisticated and comprehensive, it (SWOT Analysis) can be used for business planning. However, it is also of value to solving localised issues and challenges.

An Example of a SWOT analysis for schools, colleges and universities

We will use an example of a teacher working within a first school who want to improve the relationships with the parents of their pupils.

The school identified the following objective:

• To improve parent-partnership by encouraging parents to visit the school and become active members of the community.
• Outcome – to have more than 50% of parents spending one day in class per term

Currently, the school holds an open day once each year. It uses this as a way to encourage parents to visit the school and engage with school staff. The following is the initial SWOT Analysis for schools .

The next step is to develop a plan with interested stakeholders

SWOT Analysis templates for schools & education | colleges | universities

SWOT Analysis for Schools | colleges | universities Template / Worksheet – use these templates to start your SWOT process

Try our business SWOT analysis tool for free NOW – Or return to our main SWOT analysis page

SWOT Analysis for Schools | colleges | universities Template / Worksheet 2

SWOT Analysis for Schools |colleges|universities Template / Worksheet 3

Try our business SWOT analysis tool for free NOW Or return to our main SWOT analysis page A SWOT analysis for schools , colleges , universities or other educational establishments can be a simple and yet effective way of ensuring that all relevant factors are considered. In this environment, it is particularly important to use the PRIMO-F template to ensure that all elements have been found. Indeed ensure that under People – teachers, support staff, parents and children are considered along with third party people (police, local health etc. that can form a part of your community.

Teachers, Tutors, Lecturers, Professors, PTA (Parent Teacher Associations) management committees etc. all have a valuable contribution to make

A SWOT analysis for schools |colleges|universities  is just as useful as in any other organisation if done at a strategic level.

Under Resources, remember to include IT, and consumables that can be used as part of the process.

For an insight into psychology in education, check out our essay:

Thinking Beyond Your Brain

About Mike Morrison

Mike is a consultant and change agent specialising in developing skills in senior people to increase organizational performance. Mike is also founder & director of RapidBI, an organizational effectiveness consultancy. Check out his linkedin profile MikeMorrison LinkedIn Profile

Your presentations are so great. They are simplified for students that we refer to this site.

how we can ANALYSE THE CURRICULUM plz? http://www.ju.edu.jo UJ UJ

In what way? Looking at a curriculum is no different to doing a SWOT on any product or service.

SWOT analysis for schools and education http://t.co/0dcvgnvi

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Education SWOT Analysis Template

• Great for beginners
• Ready-to-use, fully customizable Task
• Get started in seconds

In the ever-evolving landscape of education, staying ahead of the curve is crucial. That's why educators are turning to ClickUp's Education SWOT Analysis Template to gain a comprehensive understanding of their institution's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

With this template, educational leaders can:

• Identify and leverage the unique strengths of their institution to drive success
• Address weaknesses and areas for improvement to enhance educational quality
• Capitalize on opportunities and adapt to the changing needs of students
• Mitigate threats and develop strategies to ensure institutional sustainability

Whether you're a school administrator, college department head, or university faculty member, this template will empower you to make data-driven decisions and propel your institution towards a brighter future. Give it a try today and see the impact it can make!

Benefits of Education SWOT Analysis Template

To ensure educational success, conducting a SWOT analysis is crucial for educational institutions. With the Education SWOT Analysis Template, you can:

• Identify strengths: Discover what sets your institution apart and leverage those strengths to attract more students and build a positive reputation.
• Address weaknesses: Pinpoint areas that need improvement, such as outdated curriculum or infrastructure, and develop strategies to overcome them.
• Seize opportunities: Stay ahead of the competition by identifying emerging trends, new technologies, or partnerships that can enhance your institution's offerings.
• Mitigate threats: Take proactive measures to mitigate risks such as declining enrollment, funding challenges, or changing government policies.

Main Elements of Education SWOT Analysis Template

ClickUp's Education SWOT Analysis template is perfect for conducting a comprehensive analysis of your educational institution's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Here are the main elements of this template:

• Custom Statuses: Keep track of the progress of each SWOT analysis task with custom statuses such as To Do, In Progress, and Completed.
• Custom Fields: Capture essential information about the analysis, including Worksheet Link, Completion Rate, Objective, and Timeline, to ensure all details are documented and easily accessible.
• Different Views: Utilize various views like List, Board, Calendar, and Gantt Chart to visualize the SWOT analysis tasks in different configurations, allowing for better planning and coordination.
• Collaboration: Collaborate with team members by assigning tasks, setting due dates, and leaving comments, ensuring seamless communication and efficient completion of the SWOT analysis.

How to Use SWOT Analysis for Education

Conducting a SWOT analysis for your educational institution can provide valuable insights and help you make informed decisions. Follow these steps to effectively use the Education SWOT Analysis Template in ClickUp:

1. Identify your objectives

Before you begin your SWOT analysis, clearly define your educational institution's objectives. This could include improving student retention, increasing enrollment numbers, enhancing academic programs, or expanding into new markets. Knowing your objectives will help you focus your analysis and identify relevant strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Use the Goals feature in ClickUp to set SMART objectives for your institution.

2. Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses

Start by identifying the internal factors that are within your control. These can be considered as strengths or weaknesses. Strengths are the areas where your educational institution excels, such as a strong faculty, state-of-the-art facilities, or a diverse range of academic programs. Weaknesses, on the other hand, are the areas that need improvement, such as outdated technology, limited resources, or a high student-to-teacher ratio.

Utilize the Board view in ClickUp to categorize and prioritize your strengths and weaknesses.

3. Identify opportunities and threats

Next, focus on the external factors that can impact your educational institution. Opportunities are favorable conditions or trends in the industry that you can take advantage of, such as increasing demand for online education or partnerships with local businesses. Threats, on the other hand, are external factors that may pose challenges to your institution, like changes in government regulations or competition from other educational institutions.

Use the Gantt chart in ClickUp to visualize and analyze the timeline and impact of opportunities and threats.

4. Develop strategies and action plans

Based on the insights gathered from your SWOT analysis, it's time to develop strategies and action plans to capitalize on your strengths, overcome weaknesses, leverage opportunities, and mitigate threats. For example, if one of your strengths is a strong faculty, you can develop professional development programs to further enhance their skills. If one of your weaknesses is limited resources, you can explore partnerships or grants to secure additional funding.

Create tasks and set deadlines in ClickUp to assign responsibilities and track the progress of your strategies and action plans.

By following these steps and utilizing the Education SWOT Analysis Template in ClickUp, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of your educational institution's internal and external factors, and develop effective strategies to achieve your objectives.

Get Started with ClickUp’s Education SWOT Analysis Template

Educational institutions can use this Education SWOT Analysis Template to assess their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and develop strategies for improvement.

First, hit "Add Template" to sign up for ClickUp and add the template to your Workspace. Make sure you designate which Space or location in your Workspace you'd like this template applied.

Next, invite relevant members or guests to your Workspace to start collaborating.

Now you can take advantage of the full potential of this template to conduct a comprehensive SWOT analysis:

• Use the Strengths View to identify and analyze the key strengths of your educational institution, such as experienced faculty, state-of-the-art facilities, or strong community partnerships.
• The Weaknesses View will help you identify and address the areas where your institution may be lacking, such as outdated curriculum, limited resources, or ineffective communication channels.
• Use the Opportunities View to explore potential opportunities for growth and improvement, such as new funding sources, emerging technologies, or partnerships with industry leaders.
• The Threats View will help you identify and mitigate any potential threats to your institution, such as declining enrollment, increasing competition, or changing regulations.
• Organize your analysis into different statuses, such as Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats, to keep track of each aspect.
• Update statuses as you gather data and insights to keep team members informed of progress.
• Monitor and analyze your SWOT analysis to develop strategies and initiatives that leverage your strengths, address weaknesses, capitalize on opportunities, and mitigate threats.

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Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in higher education: a SWOT analysis of Allama Iqbal Open University Islamabad (Pakistan)

Asian Association of Open Universities Journal

ISSN : 2414-6994

Article publication date: 3 November 2020

Issue publication date: 1 December 2020

The purpose of the study is to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in higher education regarding distance learning system in Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed-method research design was used in this study. The population of the study was all the previous students of research work and all the teachers of these students working at MPhil and PhD level in AIOU in Pakistan. Stratified random sampling technique was used in this study. This study used the questionnaire and interview technique to collect data. Data of questionnaire was in numbers and data of interview was narrative. So it was the need of the study that a mixed-method approach, i.e. both quantitative and qualitative techniques should be used in this study.

The findings of the study show that AIOU has also strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in higher education related to distance education like all the formal and distance universities of Pakistan and World. This study reflected that AIOU is a great blessing for those who cannot acquire their education regularly because of financial/family problems or they are job holders. But this study also described that at higher level students are facing a lot of problems especially there is a delay in research process and provision of no scholarships to students. The teachers have a low salary package than the other public universities of Pakistan and a lot of responsibilities to attend meetings, seminars, conferences and workshops. So they have less time for research work. And AIOU provides them fewer opportunities to go abroad for further studies or to attend conferences/seminars. This study recommended that there should be adopted such policies in AIOU that students could get their study materials, assignments duration, workshops schedule and degrees in time, the teachers of the concerned departments should allow to take more in numbers the students under their supervision, the pay package for the teachers working at MPhil and PhD level should be raised and the opportunities for the faculty members to go.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited to analyze the higher education system especially the distance learning system in Pakistan.

Practical implications

This study has indicated the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in higher education which the AIOU is facing recently and the policymakers can develop plans/strategies to make better the distance learning system especially at higher level in Pakistan. This study can be helpful for the stakeholders who are interested in distance learning system. This study was conducted at higher level in the distance learning system but it can open the ways for the other researchers to conduct research in other disciplines related to distance education, i.e. at matric level, F.A/F.SC, B.Sc programs, Master level and M.Sc programs at AIOU.

Social implications

Through this study, it can be acknowledged how the AIOU is providing the opportunity of education to a large number of people in the society who cannot study regularly in the formal institutions especially those who are job holders, some financial problems and women who have some family problems and above one million people are benefitting from AIOU in Pakistan and world.

Originality/value

This study is original in this respect because the data has been collected from the participants, i.e. students and teachers of AIOU. And it has also great value because this is the first SWOT analysis which has been conducted in this university to examine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing AIOU at present time. This study can also become a base for the stakeholders', i.e. policymakers, administration and higher education depart. of Pakistan in developing strategies to improve and amend the distance learning system of Pakistan especially at higher level in AIOU.

• Higher education
• SWOT analysis
• Distance learning system
• AIOU Pakistan

Nasreen, K. and Afzal, M.T. (2020), "Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in higher education: a SWOT analysis of Allama Iqbal Open University Islamabad (Pakistan)", Asian Association of Open Universities Journal , Vol. 15 No. 3, pp. 321-333. https://doi.org/10.1108/AAOUJ-11-2019-0052

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Khalida Nasreen and Muhammad Tanveer Afzal

Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

1. Introduction

Human capital plays a great role in the development of a nation and country. It is a fact that human capital can be obtained through proper education only. Educated people are more productive citizens because they can use the capital and new technology more effectively. So the human capital is directly related to the growth and development of a nation ( Bordoloi, 2018 ). Therefore, education, either basic or at higher level, plays an important role in the development of human capitals that raises the economic, social and political status of the country in the world. Higher education is a much better investment than any other alternative ( Bruner, 2012 ).

Higher education includes all types of education and research after the secondary level provided by universities or other educational institutions. These institutions are recognized as institutions of higher education by the authorities of the country ( World Declaration on Higher Education for the Twenty-First Century: Vision and Action, 1998 ). The developing countries like Pakistan that is socially, economically and culturally diverse country, higher education institutions and universities, providing education and conducting research, are the basis that can elevate the economic and social status of the country ( Husain and Malik, 2014 ).

But in Pakistan, like all the developing countries, the situation of higher education is not encouraging. Lack of good management, lack of budget and investment in research and development are the causes of poor higher education in Pakistan. According to Pakistan Education Statistics 2016–17, there are total 185 universities in both public and private sectors of education. According to QS World University rankings 2019, there was no Pakistani university at the top and only seven Pakistani universities are included among the top 1,000 universities. Pakistani universities are on the following numbers:

Table 1 gives information about the ranking of Pakistani universities in the world. It tells that Pakistan institute of engineering and applied sciences university was on 397 number, National university of sciences and technology on 447 number, Quaid-e-Azam university Islamabad on 551–560 number, Lahore university of management sciences on 701–750 number, COMSATS institute of information technology on 751–800 number, university of engineering and technology Lahore on 801–1000 number and university of Punjab on 801–1000 number in the ranking of universities in the world. This table also gives information that there was included no distance university of Pakistan in this ranking.

It is a fact that in Pakistan, the allocation of GDP on research and development in both public and private sector is very low and only 0.25% whereas the average allocation of GDP in developing countries like Korea and Japan is 4.23 and 3.28% (Research and development expenditure % of GDP- country Ranking, 2014 ). But in Pakistan, the expenditure on research and development is very low that is why, Pakistan has been ranked 109 among the 126 countries in the Global Innovative Index 2018 ( Khan, 2018 ). In the entire world, there are two functions of universities, i.e. teaching and research. All the international ranking system in the world checks the performance of universities based on quality research products. But in Pakistan, educational institutions and universities are limited only toward the function of teaching and there is little attention to research work. The basic causes of this trend are lack of funds for research work, good policies and preferences of national planners.

It is the need of the hour that there should be clearly developed strategy and vision for the provision of higher education. The policies should be developed after examining the current needs of the institutions. A strategic plan stresses on whatever is necessary to help the institution to reach its vision and its purpose is to determine how resources will be allocated for a particular period (3, 5 or 10 years) to achieve the vision ( Hinton, 2012 ). The main function of strategic planning is to understand the situation through SWOT analysis. SWOT analysis serves fundamental role in strategic planning that helps in scanning the institutional environment ( Ahmad et al. , 2017 ). Therefore, the study aimed to perform the SWOT analysis of higher education being provided by AIOU.

SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. SWOT analysis is a study of an institution's internal strengths and weaknesses, its opportunities for improvement and the threats the external environment presents to its survival ( GretZky and Harrison, 2010 ). SWOT at first was developed for business but now is being used by all types of organizations and educational institutions.

So, SWOT is a broadly used instrument for exploring the internal factors, i.e. strengths and weaknesses and external factors, i.e. threats and opportunities of an institutional environment. In Pakistan, all the educational institutions and universities at higher level whether these are working in public or private or distance learning system are facing the same situation of SWOT. This study is conducted at higher level in public sector and distance learning system. Currently, there are two universities in Pakistan which are working through distance learning system, i.e. AIOU and Virtual university in Pakistan, whereas Higher Education Commission is working for the development of Open Distance Learning policy for the provision of higher education in all three modes like face to face, distance learning/e-learning and blended learning.

The present study was conducted at higher level provided by AIOU, being first distance learning university in Pakistan and Asia and the second in the world. Currently having 1.3 million enrollment, students are enrolled not only from Pakistan but also from the Middle East. The university is providing education to those who cannot study through formal education system because of poverty and job especially women who are job holders and having other responsibilities of the family. The study is beneficial for higher education sector in exploring the SWOT related to distance learning system at higher level in AIOU. The results may be utilized by higher education authorities in decision-making and planning at higher level in distance learning system especially in AIOU.

The objective of the study was to identify the SWOT in the provision of higher education by Allama Iqbal Open University Islamabad at MPhil and PhD levels.

2. Review of related literature

2.1 higher education.

Higher education plays an important role in the economic and social development of the country, also its role cannot be denied in human capital development. According to Kromydas (2017) , educated individuals take part in a better way in the socio-economic development of the country. Higher education not only is helpful in the socio-economic development of the individuals and country but at the same time it has also a lot of advantages for human life and development. Higher education provides greater career opportunities, improves quality of life, provision of high social status, development in knowledge and wisdom, reduction in unemployment ( Bruner, 2012 ). Therefore, there is a dire need to promote higher education in developing countries and especially in Pakistan. AIOU has a great potential to promote higher education in the country, at present many programs are being offered at MPhil and PhD levels but there is a need to perform analysis and inform policymakers for future improvements.

2.2 Higher education in Pakistan

The situation of higher education is not satisfactory in developing countries and especially in Pakistan. Only 4% of people are availing the opportunity of higher education in Pakistan, while in India and China it is 11 and 20% respectively.

Pakistan cannot compete with the progressive countries in all fields' especially in higher education and its higher education system is not considered strong in the world. A British Ranking Agency, Quacquarelli Symonds, in 2018 compared the strong higher education system of 50 countries in the world. In this ranking, Pakistan was on 50 as compared to India which was ranked 26. This report declared the higher education system of Pakistan was weak in the world, whereas the top countries were United States and United Kingdom ( QS higher education system strengths ranking, 2018 ). The ranking systems are based on system strength, access, performance and economic context. We may not compete with developed countries in the higher education system because of above criteria as our focus is teaching at higher education rather than research contributions and another reason may be research culture. In Pakistan, access to higher education is low only 4% and financial investment is 0.2%. Most of the research carried out in Pakistan is academic and theoretical and it does not work for the welfare of the society. Its standard of quality is not at the international level. Mismanagement from the Govt. and lack of investment in research and development are responsible to a great extent the dismal situation of higher education in Pakistan ( Khan, 2017 ). Because of all this, Pakistan's higher education system has been placed at the lowest level in the world.

For the development and progress of any country, the quality of higher education is the basic element (HEC, 2014). To strengthen the quality of higher education in Pakistan, the govt. should evaluate the current situations of higher education institutions. Each institution has some strengths and at the same time, it has also some weaknesses. Each institution has also some opportunities and it is also facing some threats. For this purpose the SWOT analysis is necessary.

2.3 SWOT analysis

A SWOT analysis for schools, colleges and universities is a tool that guides the governors, management teachers and staff, who are taking part in this analysis, and tells them what is effective and less effective in the system of the educational environment. In fact, a SWOT is used for any planning activity which can affect the future finance, planning and management decisions of the educational institutions ( Morrison, 2018 ). SWOT analysis is used with strategic planning and it is considered as one of the success factors in a strategic planning process ( Tolba, 2015 ). The strategic planning process is considered to be a powerful tool and guideline for helping all levels of higher educational institutions to develop their strategic plan and to find their competitive advantage and place within their environment ( Shu-Hsiang and Ana, 2015 ).

Thus, to achieve first position in the ranking and to compete with the progressive countries in the field of higher education, the higher education institutions have to expand their vision, mission, goals, objectives and strategies beyond the current practices to fulfill new functions to assure sustainable development in education (Chen Shu- Hsiang et al. , 2015). It is possible only that the present situation of higher education institutions should be seen through SWOT analysis. The present study was also a SWOT analysis at a higher education institution and it was conducted in Pakistan.

2.4 Distance learning system

Distance learning system is that in which the learning occurs through correspondence study materials, tutorials, assignments, workshops, seminars and conferences. In Pakistan, there are two universities providing education through distance/virtual mode of learning, i.e. AIOU and Virtual University. The present study was conducted in AIOU and it was a SWOT analysis.

2.5 Technical education in India: a SWOT analysis

Singh and Solanki (2017) analyzed the SWOT in technical education in India. Data was narrative in nature and it was collected through different reports and views of the people. Conclusion was given that if India has to compete with the world, then Indian govt. should redesign all the institutions and policies related to technical education in India.

2.6 SWOT of university of Maryland

This research/SWOT analysis was conducted at the University of Maryland (UMD). It is a public research university in United States. This research work was done by Dennis in 2011. The methodology of this research work was quantitative in nature. The population of the study was students of the UMD and these were both male and female. The questionnaire was developed on a Likert-type scale. The results were also prepared by using statistical method, i.e. average. This SWOT analysis proved useful for developing strategies regarding SWOT in UMD.

2.7 SWOT of Punjab university

SWOT analysis was conducted in Punjab University (Pakistan) in 2016 by Husain, Ahmad, and Khalil. Punjab University is a public sector university providing education using formal system. A survey was done to identify the SWOT in the university. For this purpose, a questionnaire was used to get the students' responses. This research was quantitative in nature. The results indicated that there was no significant difference in the male and female opinions regarding SWOT in the university.

2.8 Queensland government –conducting a SWOT analysis

The objective of SWOT analysis

Understanding/research about the concerned work

Make a list of research strengths

Make a list of research weaknesses

Make a list of research opportunities

Make a list of research threats

Make a list of priorities from the SWOT

To make a strategy to overcome these issues

The present research work was also SWOT analysis conducted by utilizing above steps. So for this purpose a questionnaire and interview schedule was developed to get information. The most valid and relevant sources were the students and teachers therefore were included in population of the study. The researchers have identified the SWOT.

3. Methodology

The present study was a SWOT analysis and it used mixed-method research in which both the quantitative and qualitative methods were used. The objective of the study was to identify the SWOT in higher education – SWOT analysis of AIOU. To achieve this objective, survey and interview techniques were used. The data of questionnaire was quantitative in nature and data of interview was narrative form. A good SWOT analysis also requires that both types of techniques, i.e. quantitative and qualitative should be used.

3.1 Population

The population of the study was all the students of MPhil and PhD levels at AIOU and the teachers of these students working at higher level in AIOU. So all the research students of the previous five years and teachers at MPhil and PhD levels were the population of the study.

3.2 Sampling technique

The population of the study was divided in two strata, i.e. students and teachers. There are four faculties in university, departments offering MPhil and PhD were selected at first stage, list of students completed MPhil and PhD from the departments along with their supervisors were collected. 100 students and 10 teachers from each faculty were randomly selected as sample of study. Overall 400 students and 40 teachers were sampled, whereas 370 students responded the survey and all 40 teachers were interviewed but there was variation in the quality of responses, and some of the teachers were not having enough time for interview. So interview data of 37 respondents was analyzed.

3.3 Instruments of the study

The researchers developed instruments according to the demand of the study, i.e. it was developed according to the distance education system in AIOU. The questionnaire consisted of two parts. The first part consisted of demographic information (faculty, department and number). Likert-type scale was used to determine the respondents view points as strongly agree (4), agree (3), uncertain (2), disagree (1) and strongly disagree (0) regarding SWOT for programs offered by AIOU. An interview was conducted with the faculty members/teachers to know about the SWOT in higher education programs offered by AIOU.

3.4 Validation of the instruments

The instruments were validated by five experts in the field of distance education. The necessary changes were made based on the suggestions of the experts. Final tools were administered for data collection.

3.5 Reliability of the instruments

For the reliability, questionnaire was pilot tested on a sample of 20 students, not included in the sample of the study. The coefficient alpha for consistency of the statements of the questionnaire was 0.85. The pilot interviews of two faculty members were conducted to ensure the suitability and consumption of time for the interview. Interview questions were rephrased accordingly.

3.6 Analysis of data

Data of the questionnaire was analyzed by using a statistical method, i.e. mean and standard deviation and data of interview was in narrative form and it was analyzed by the researchers by using thematic analysis technique.

3.7 Results

There were 400 students selected as a sample of study. But the 30 students did not respond to the questionnaire. So results of the study were drawn from 370 responses of the students. The analysis of the students’ data is as follows.

3.7.1 Analysis of questionnaire data

Table 2 presents the analysis of the data on the responses of strengths of AIOU as perceived by the students of MPhil and PhD programs.

Table 2 shows that statements regarding provision of learning environment, competence of the faculty in supervision of research and physical facilities for learning at main campus are rated high by the research students at higher education level. So these may be considered as strengths of AIOU. The mean score of the other statements also shows that the students agreed means that AIOU has strengths regarding competent workers, variety of disciplines and positive interaction.

There were 11 statements to assess the weaknesses of AIOU in the views of research students at higher education level. The analyses of the responses are summarized below.

Table 3 tells about the weaknesses of AIOU. Most of the students highlighted that fewer times from faculty members due to workload, slow research process, nonexistence of an academic advisory body and slow communication as major weaknesses in the conduct of research at higher education level. AIOU also needs to improve the areas like provision of scholarships for students and faculty, the stress of faculty on teachers, not provision of necessary services by AIOU, shortage of funds and their improper use and strict process of issuing degrees and result cards and different no objections and approvals for the conduct of research.

There were 10 statements to assess the conditions or situations that are considered to have positive impact in creating a conducive teaching learning environment and opportunities in the conduct of research. The summary of the responses is presented below.

Table 4 describes that AIOU students consider natural conducive environment, beautiful location and comprehensive MPhil and PhD enrollment process as opportunities. It also highlights that use of instructional media and technologies, delivery of instructions through multimedia, having equipped study centers, science laboratories and access to library recourses are great opportunities to learners interested in conduct of research.

There were nine statements to assess the level of external threats to AIOU. The responses of the research students regarding threats are elicited in the table below.

Table 5 shows most of the students were agreed that AIOU has threats related to lack of financial support, delay in research process, lack of public support and attitude, not good management system, more competitors and increasing fee structures. Another threat about which the majority of the students were agreed was employing formal education rules for distance learners.

3.7.2 Analysis of interview data for faculty members/teachers

Interviews were conducted to elicit the faculty views regarding SWOT to AIOU higher education programs. Initially it was planned to conduct 40 interviews, but three faculty members were not available at day of interview due to their engagement in official or personal commitments. Also few other interviews were very short in nature and almost agreed to our point of view. Many of the faculty members took good interest and provided their insight that helped researchers to align quantitative data with qualitative input. Most of the teachers were performing many responsibilities, i.e. to attend meetings, seminars, conferences and to conduct workshops. In addition, they also have to give time to their research students. Most of the teachers stated that they have not been given enough opportunity to go abroad for further studies or to attend conferences/seminars and their salary package is not high that they may manage of their own. Majority of the teachers told that their research students belong to remote areas of Pakistan and they have less time for their studies especially about research work because of financial/family/job problems. These students continue their research work after short breaks of time. In this way, there is delay in the research process. Every faculty member has only four or five students and HEC allows them to take maximum eight students. When these students become late, there is no space for the new comers and these new students have to go other universities/supervisors. In this way, these students face a lot of difficulties and get their degrees late.

Most of the teachers were of the view that students do not attend their workshops and submit assignments in time. In this way, they spend many years in one program and their thesis that delays their degree. They stated that like the formal universities, AIOU sends thesis/research work to other universities for external evaluation. This process also takes many months, i.e. at least six months or above and it also slows the research work. Majority of the teachers who were the coordinators of the courses told there is less time, i.e. only five or six days to complete the course work while conducting workshop of the course.

Most of the faculty members demanded that the AIOU should provide them more opportunities for professional development. In this way, they will learn new methods of teaching and learning. AIOU should also increase the number of faculty members and their qualifications as well. There is also a great stress on the faculty of workload and other responsibilities that consume most of their time. Faculty members agreed that increasing fees and mushroom growth of distance learning institutions without maintaining the standards are capturing students and are threats to AIOU. They also viewed that there should be separate rules for distance learners; credit calculation should include the weight and age for self-study. And the workload of the faculty members should be calculated by considering their effort on unit writing and course development and their salary package is also not high. HEC of Pakistan should also allow developing new rules/policies for the regulation of open distance learning in Pakistan. They viewed that the faculty of AIOU is skilled and experienced, their skill and experience may be utilized for the professional development of other institutions.

4. Discussion

The present study aimed to conduct SWOT analysis of higher education programs offered by AIOU, Pakistan. This study found that like all the formal and distance universities of Pakistan and world, AIOU has also SWOT regarding distance education system. But if the Government policymakers and HEC adopts such strategies in the light of the SWOT, AIOU has potential to become a leading distance university at all levels especially at MPhil and PhD levels. It was found that AIOU has comprehensive rules for regulating open distance learning across the country. The students face communication problems but Internet and social media usage have made it easier for many of the learners. Some students living in remote areas, not having Internet facilities miss admission schedules, their workshops, assignments and examination. This creates a problem and their duration of studies become lengthy and cause a delay in the research process.

But at the same time, it is also a fact that the majority of learners are jobholders and have family commitments as well, especially female students living in remote areas having financial problems are getting educational benefits from AIOU.

Although time and space are flexible for learning, the strict admission criteria is a barrier for students living in remote areas. There is a need to expand the programs of higher education across the country by increasing the number of admissions each semester.

The important aspect to consider is that most of the learners think that delay in their research work is due to their supervisor as he/she is not having enough time for the students. But on the other hand, faculty think that students delay their work due to other commitments, like family and job. AIOU can make this situation better, as most of the faculty members of AIOU are competent and expert in research work.

One of the most common complaints of the research students is that supervisors do not conduct frequent meetings due to busy schedules of department or teaching responsibilities, more numbers of students under their supervision or out of university because of some faculty/university work ( Spear, 2000 ). So it is the duty of the policymakers/educational leaders to give/provide higher education according to students’ needs that will help in the development of educated people with a progressive, logical and skillful mind ( Bordoli, 2018 ).

AIOU library has good Internet system and it has provided many books in all disciplines and purchased many research articles for the students' needs at MPhil and PhD levels. The hostel facility is also good in AIOU. So these are considered as opportunities to learners and strengths of AIOU, learning environment. Fee enhancement is a threat to enrollment as at higher education level conduct of research is costly and students are facing problems, therefore enhancement in fee and other charges created difficulty for research students. If fee and charges will be the same as that of formal institutions, students may prefer formal institutes instead of open distance mode of learning. We should think to reduce the cost of learning and provide maximum flexibility to the learners, without compromising the quality of programs.

It is the need of the hour that the government, policymakers and HEC should adopt such strategies in the light of the present SWOT. Careful consideration of factors identified in this research AIOU can become a leading distance university at all levels.

5. Conclusions

The important aim of Open and Distance institution is to provide an opportunity to students for study by overcoming the geographical, race, gender, age differences, socio-economic and other boundaries/restrictions. As Jeong (2018) has also stated that open universities all over the world are based on open and distance educational institutions and follow this particular objective. AIOU is also playing its role in respect of distance learning system and is following this objective. This study was about AIOU (a distance university in Pakistan) and the research was conducted at higher level. Higher education is important because it plays a great role in the development of individuals and the country. Higher education should be of such type that it should play a great role in the development of human resources by raising the number of educated population that will take part in the socio-economic mobility, peace and development in society ( Bordoli, 2018 ).

This study highlighted that AIOU has beautiful, attractive buildings and especially main campus, a good system of delivery of books and assignments and paper schedule. But the great concern is at higher education level. The criteria for admissions at this level are strict but the research work creates a lot of trouble for students at this level. The students feel a great difficulty even many months in approving the topic of their research work and in the selection of supervisors. AIOU supervisors are competent and efficient but they have less time for their research students because of other responsibilities, i.e. meetings, conferences, seminars and workshops. Spear states that supervisors should read the students written work completely and suggest some critical points on his/her written work. It plays an important role in the intellectual development of students ( Spear, 2000 )’ most of the AIOU faculty is doing this and guiding students appropriately.

In the distance learning system, fee charges should not be such or like the other formal universities as the people could not afford them and some scholarships/financial aid should be given to needy/bright students. Every institution formal/private/distance indeed has SWOT; AIOU is also not free from this situation. The special aim of the AIOU is to provide quality higher education to Pakistani peoples living in rural and isolated parts of the country ( Ally and Khan, 2015 ). Therefore, AIOU authorities/policymakers should act according to this aim/objective and make such changes/steps that all levels of education especially the higher level should be perfect and according to students’ needs and abilities.

In AIOU, there is also a strict process of issuing result cards and degrees at higher level. A student can get his/her PC, if she/he has all the original degrees. Unfortunately, if any student has not one original degree, he/she will not be able to get his/her result card. In this difficult process, he/she can miss admission in PhD, special allowance from the Government (If he/she is job holder) and cannot get opportunity of applying jobs at higher level. So the researchers demand that the degree section of AIOU system should make some flexible rules of issuing result cards at higher level, i.e. the AIOU should verify itself own the students other degrees from the other universities and the students should be responsible for paying its fee or should take such steps that the students could get their result cards and degrees in time.

The Government, the policymakers and the administrative officers of AIOU should adopt careful strategic planning/policies/decisions at higher level according to institution/students' needs and especially should take special measures to strengthen the research culture. In this way, AIOU can also become a leading distance university at all levels especially at higher level not only in Pakistan but also in the whole world. The doors of education will be opened for all which is the slogan of AIOU “Education for All” and those individuals will also be prepared who can take part in the process of progress and development of the country. The researchers considered that it should not be the destiny of the AIOU students that they have to remain behind not only from the students of other formal universities of Pakistan but also in the world.

6. Recommendations

AIOU should make better corresponding system by sending study materials in time and informing them about assignment, workshops and exam schedules.

AIOU should reconsider fee package at all levels especially at MPhil and PhD levels and the charges should bring at moderate level.

AIOU should increase the number of faculty members and their qualification should be at least PhD. Faculty professional development programs may be initiated to enhance the skill and competence of faculty.

AIOU may bind research scholars that they should select their supervisors from their own department.

AIOU may adopt such a strategy that the research work of students should not be late, i.e. in guidance of the selection of research topics and supervisors.

AIOU should make such a system that the necessary information about AIOU system could reach every individual well in time. Student support services may be vibrant to address all issues of distance learners.

HEC in Pakistan should make such policies in all the formal universities and especially in the AIOU that time for external evaluation of research work may not exceed more than three months.

AIOU may develop such strategies that the problems that coordinators face during conducting the workshops should be minimized.

AIOU authorities may appoint an advisor from the faculty members that his/her contact should be with the students to solve their problems especially about the research work, i.e. in the selection of research topic and supervisor and also help them with the assignment and workshop schedule.

AIOU degree section/examination department should adopt some flexible rules in issuing degrees and result cards to reduce the students' problems.

Ranking of Pakistani universities as per QS world university ranking

Internal characteristic of AIOU as weaknesses in views of students

Internal conditions that have a positive impact on AIOU system as perceived by research students

External conditions as threats to AIOU

Ahmad , S. , Husain , A. , Khalil , A. and Misbah , M. ( 2017 ), “ A SWOT analysis on institutional environments of university of the Punjab ”, International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences , Vol. 11 No. 4 , pp. 62 - 66 .

Ally , M. and Khan , B. ( 2015 ), International Handbook of E-Learning Volume 2:…Implementation and Case Studies , 1st ed., Kindle ed. , Rutledge international handbook of Education .

Bordoloi , R. ( 2018 ), “ Transforming and empowering higher education through open and distance learning in India ”, Asian Association of Open Universities Journal , Vol. 13 No. 1 , pp. 24 - 36 .

Bruner , B. ( 2012 ), “ The role on one's own higher education ”, Management Education , Rankings. UVADARDEN. available at: https://blogs.darden.virginia.edu/brunerblog/2012/10/the-role-on-ones-own-higher-education/ .

GretZky , W. and Harrison , J.P. ( 2010 ), Strategic Planning and SWOT Analysis , Chapter 1 , Health Administration Press , p. 91 .

Hinton , K.E. ( 2012 ), A Practical Guide to Strategic Planning in Higher Education , Society for College and University Planning (Integrated Plans for Higher Education) , ISBN 978-1-9937724-13-9 , p. 50 .

Husain , E. and Malik , A.A. ( 2014 ), “ Role of universities in the development of Pakistan ”, Daily Times , available at: https://dailytimes.com.pk/102856/role-of-universities-in-the-development-of-pakisan .

Jeong , H. ( 2018 ), “ Rethinking the rationale of open and distance education: a case of the UK open university ”, Asian Association of open Universities Journal , Vol. 13 No. 2 , pp. 169 - 179 .

Khan , T. ( 2017 ), “ The sad dilemma of higher education and research in Pakistan ”, available at: blogs.Dunyanews.tv/17430/ .

Khan , A. ( 2018 ), “ Global innovative Index revealed ”, Daily Times , available at: https://dailytimes.com.pk/293504/global-innovation-index-2018-revealed/ .

Kromydas , T. ( 2017 ), “ Rethinking higher education and its relationship with social inequalities: past knowledge, present state and future potential ”, Palgrave Commun , Vol. 3 No. 1 , doi: 10.1057/s41599-017-0001-8 .

Morrison , M. ( 2018 ), SWOT Analysis for Schools/Education/Colleges/Universities , RAPID BI (knowledge, understanding and action) , available at: https://rapidbi.com/swot-analysis-for-schools-and-education .

QS Higher Education System Strengths Rankings ( 2018 ), available at: https://www.topuniversities.com/system-strength-rankings/2018 .

Ranking ( 2014 ), Ranking of Pakistani Higher Education Institutions , available at: hec.gov.pk/englishservices/universities/ranking/2014/Documents/2014%20doc .

Shu-Hsiang , C. , Jaitip , N. and Ana , D. ( 2015 ), “ From vision to action- strategic planning process model for open educational resources ”, Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences , Vol. 174 , pp. 3707 - 3714 .

Singh , Y. and Solanki , M. ( 2017 ), “ Technical education in India: a SWOT analysis ”, Journal for Social Research , Vol. 13 No. 12 .

Spear , R.H. ( 2000 ), Supervision of Research Students: Responding to Students Expectations , The Australian National University , Canberra .

Tolba , S., A. ( 2015 ), “ SWOT analysis-A great strategic planning tool ”, Strategic Plan Process , available at: https://www.Linkedin.com/pulse/swot-analysis-great-strategic=planning-tool-ahmad-samir-tolba .

World Declaration on Higher Education for the Twenty-First Century: Vision and Action ( 1998 ), World Conference on Higher Education , UNESCO , Paris .

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SWOT Analysis in Educational Institution

Education plays a major role for every country development, in particular engineering education. There are various Institutes like vocational training, Polytechnic, and engineering colleges which offers different programs such as Diploma, Undergraduate, Postgraduate, and Doctoral programmes. Every year all the institutes they produced huge number of technicians and engineering graduates, carrying out and seeking employment opportunities. SWOT analysis is a systematic method used to analyze the educational institution in an operational environment. The purpose of this study is to conduct a Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threats (SWOT) in an educational institution and collected telephonic survey from faculty members, students, teaching, and non-teaching staff and finally to assist the management for improving the quality education in the institution. The analysis made in this research perspective reveals several factors leading to selection of right choice of educational institutions.

Authors: P. Ramasubramaniam, D. Pushgara Rani, S. Deivanayagi, S. Hariharan, P. Senthilkumar

Published in: World Congress on Sustainable Technologies (WCST-2021)

• Date of Conference: 7-9 December 2021
• DOI: 10.20533/WCST.2021.0011
• ISBN: 978-1-913572-41-9
• Conference Location: Virtual (London, UK)

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SWOT Analysis in Educational Sector

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Fiji’ General Election 2018 is around the corner, and the Fiji Government is conducting various Post Budget Road Shows on 2018-2019 at various educational institutions. Thus analysis of educational sector becomes paramount as large numbers of young voters will vote this year. Their feedback on educational themes is highly beneficial for strategic planning. The most valid step under strategic planning is ‘SWOT Analysis’, which will be studied in this article.

This article makes a review of the ‘SWOT Analysis’ in respect of Strategic planning in education; and also highlight the strength and the weakness of SWOT analysis in educational planning

SWOT Analysis

SWOT stands for ‘ s trengths’, ‘ w eakness’, ‘ o pportunities’ and ‘ t hreats’ of a structural planning scheme that evaluates the element of any particular project, course of action and policy of an organization.

SWOT analysis is identified as primary element of the strategic management/planning process that consist of analysis, decisions and actions of an organization.

Thompson et al. (2007) described SWOT Analysis “is a simple but powerful tool for sizing up an organization’s resource capabilities and deficiencies, its market opportunities, and the external threats to its future”.

Role of SWOT Analysis in Stability of the Educational Planning Process

Educational Planning in broadest term is defined as “the application of rational, systematic analysis to the process of educational development with the aim of making education more effective and efficient in responding to the needs and goals of its students and society” (Coombs, 1970).

When strategic planning model is applied to education, it begins steps such as the plan to plan; forming mission/vision; goes on to situation analysis [SWOT and Data collection]; statement of Goals; selection of strategies; developing the Strategic plan; implementation; and monitoring and evaluation (Tokai, 2005).   This planning depends on the actions of key stakeholders, so it is impertinent to have consultation and participation of stakeholders in every planning step; as they are likely to support and contribute to implement if they are involved in steps of planning for positive impact. Strategic planning promised educational leaders to help the schools to think and act strategically, develop effective strategies, clarify future directions, establish priorities, improve organizational performances, build team and expertise and efficiently deal with changing environment (Cook, 1990). R.J. Jasparro’ research concluded that strategic planning has been beneficial in some sectors of education while not in all, in terms of effective process for conducting school reforms; it is not a “quick fix” to solving contemporary complex educational reforms as it depends on the varied school environmental factors (Jasparro, 2006).

It is believed that educational planning process evolves from different stages of planning, i.e. long-range planning, budgeting, educational sector strategic planning and strategic management (Hax and Majluf, 1984). SWOT analysis in educational planning framework, assist in fulfilling the strategically planned objectives with the help of reliable data. This is a method through which there is a transformation of problem into objective which helps analyzing some existing problems into main agenda by examining the cause-effect relationship and assist in improvising of collective methods of systematic study of the educational planning (Chang, 2006).

In modern day changing scenario, SWOT analysis played vital role in assessing the external and internal environment to enhance opportunities and minimize threats after demarcating the weakness and strengths in educational context for enhancement of future positive outcomes (Robinson et al., 2003).

  Strengths and Weaknesses of SWOT Analysis in Educational Planning

Strategic planning is unique to each organization, but it needs involvement of people especially in implementation; this should be a top down, bottom up and horizontal process. SWOT Analysis as an analytical tool in general perspective to give general solutions; although specific detail issues are not the focus of SWOT analysis. Educational planning is based on positive relationship between performance and planned activities.

Scholar suggest that SWOT Analysis is a popular and versatile tool but it involves a lot of subjective decision making at each stage, thus one should use it as a guide rather than iterative process. One needs to be mindful, that there is no definitive SWOT analysis for every educational institution. This method is valuable as decision making tools that support the notion of the organizational strategic planning formulation, implementation and evaluation efforts.  It makes a macro evaluation possible, which provides the opportunity to focus on positive and negative aspects of internal and external environment of the organization. It uncovers the opportunities to take the advantage; and by understanding weaknesses, threats can be managed and eliminated (Gurel and Tat, 2017). This process substructures the strategic decisions as limit the agenda in the steps of information gathering and interpretation.

SWOT analysis promotes group discussion about strategic issues and development, that includes creative participatory technique of group meetings and brain storming that enhanced knowledge. It is based on discussion of future and setting goals of the organization by thinking beyond daily problems. SWOT Analysis is related to identification of strategic factors that could enhance the strengths, lead to improvement in the identified weakness and limit the existing threat and exploiting on the basis of available opportunities (Dyson, 2004).

Strategic planning weakness is that formal planning does not produce effective strategies and spending too much time and energy in advance planning has every chance of fallibility. SWOT Analysis does not clearly depict the interrelationship between the internal and external factors. Sometimes it fails to provide appropriate solution to strategic planning and analysis as this analysis is only the beginning and fail to provide efficient ending solution. Framing the strength of the organization on paper is easy task in comparison to testing them in practical. In the changing and dynamic environmental the testing of SWOT Analysis become difficult. Scholars have listed the SWOT analysis as “strengths may not lead to an advantage. An organization’s strengths and capabilities, no matter how unique or impressive, may not enable it to achieve competitive advantage in the marketplace…SWOT Analysis focuses on environment which is too narrow. Strategist who rely on traditional definitions of their industry and competitive environment often focus their sights too narrowly on current customers, technologies and competitors… A key weakness of SWOT is that it is primarily a static assessment. It focuses too much of an organization’s attention on one moment in time.” (Gurel and Tat, 2017).

Since last fifty years, SWOT Analysis framework has assist the educational planners in identify the approaches that are pivotal for achieving goals. It aims to identify and analyze the strength, weaknesses, threats and opportunities that the educational planning requires.

Educational sector helps in developing human capital that will contribute in the production of goods and services, thus it become vital for planning and control. Educational planning develop the educational opportunities, introducing curriculum in respect to prospective economic values, creating government support for educational sector, preparing strategic plan for education for all, raising the quality of education, assessing the sustainable education and develop future educational programmes to enhance quality of delivery of education. SWOT analysis can be applied to different analyatical levels: individual, organizational, national and international. SWOT Analysis consists of determining the objectives of educational planning and to identify the internal and external factors that assist in achieving the set objectives.

Disclaimer: Dr Sakul Kundra is an assistant professor in history at the College of Humanities and Education of the Fiji National University.  Ph.D History from Jawaharlal Nehru University, M.Phil History, MA History, PG Diploma in Journalism, PG Diploma in Book Publication and PG Diploma in Education (Dec 2018). The views expressed are his own and not of this newspaper or his employer. For comments or suggestions, email. [email protected]

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PESTLE Analysis

Insights and resources on business analysis tools

PEST Analysis: Examples and Meaning in Business

Last Updated: Apr 8, 2024 by Jim Makos Filed Under: PEST Analysis

What is a PEST analysis, and what are its four parts? What is the difference between PESTLE analysis and PEST, and why is it important for every business? As a business student, analyst, manager or owner, you are called to conduct a PEST analysis sooner or later. In the next 10 minutes, I’ll go through everything you need to know about PEST analysis and how you can do a PEST analysis of an organization starting from scratch. I promise you’ll know more about PEST analysis than 99% of people out there, as I’m explaining everything as concisely as possible. Let’s start with the PEST analysis definition.

What is a PEST Analysis?

PEST analysis is a strategic tool for organizations to identify and assess how Political, Economic, Social, and Technological external factors impact operations so that they can gain a competitive edge. A PEST analysis helps you determine how these factors will affect a business’s performance and strategy in the long term. It is often used in collaboration with other analytical business tools. For example:

• A combination of PEST and SWOT analysis usually gives a clearer understanding of a situation with related internal and external factors
• PESTLE analysis is an extension of PEST analysis that covers legal and environmental factors

I’m going to explain the PEST analysis as simply as possible with examples and a template for better understanding. I will also show how to do a PEST analysis starting from scratch, even for people without any business education like me!

Why Do a PEST Analysis

It’s simple: to succeed. For a business to be successful, they need a few things:

• A solid product
• Marketing plan
• Identifiable brand
• Happy customers
• Thorough budget
• An investor or two
• Unique selling position
• And a whole lot of research

Throughout the endless market research, customer acquisition costs, and project risk assessments, business managers could forget about outside influences ( we call these external factors in this type of analysis). Aside from the company’s internal resources and industry factors, PEST’s macroeconomic factors can impact a company’s performance in a big way.

By being aware of external factors, managers can aid their business. But if they don’t know them, they can cripple their business before it begins. That’s how advantageous PEST analysis is .

What are the four parts of PEST analysis?

Now, let me explain each of the four parts of a PEST analysis more thoroughly. You’ll better understand what each of these external factors in this analysis is all about.

• Political – Here, government regulations and legal factors are assessed in terms of their ability to affect the business environment and trade markets. The main issues addressed in this section include political stability, tax guidelines, trade regulations, safety regulations, and employment laws.
• Economic – Next, businesses examine the economic issues that have an impact on the company. This would include factors like inflation, interest rates, economic growth, the unemployment rate and policies, and the business cycle followed in the country.
• Social – At this stage, businesses focus on the society and people. Elements like customer demographics, cultural limitations, lifestyle attitudes, and education come into play here. This part allows a business to understand how consumer needs are shaped.
• Technological – This may come as a surprise, but technology may not always be an ally for businesses. Depending on the product, technology may affect the organization positively but also negatively. In PEST’s last section we find technological advancements, the role of the Internet, and how an industry’s innovation creates winners and losers.

Every business is different. Some factors may not affect a firm or industry as they would with others. But it’s beneficial to have a well-rounded view of the many factors that could affect them. Along with the ones that will affect them.

This is why we do PEST analysis for a business — to be aware of risks, opportunities, influences, and limitations. Let’s go deeper into these external factors that impact the success of a business. I’ll also briefly mention a specific example for each of them.

Political Factors

Political factors in PEST analysis refer to the extent to which the government and political actions in a country influence the business climate. Here are some examples that will occasionally make it into the (P) of my PEST analysis:

• Tax policies
• Tax incentives
• Political tensions
• Employment laws
• Import restrictions
• Health and safety laws
• Consumer protection laws
• Tariff and Trade restrictions
• Regulation and deregulation

For instance, a country’s foreign policy often plays an important role in determining trade regulations. This can either result in trade restrictions or trade incentives and can affect an organization’s operations. Read my dedicated page on political factors with more examples here .

Economic Factors

In the (E) part of PEST Analysis, we run into how the economy affects the organization. I consider the following economic factors when doing a PEST analysis:

• Interest rate
• Inflation rates
• Exchange rates
• Unemployment rate

For instance, exchange rates affect a global organization by influencing the cost of imported and exported goods. Furthermore, interest rates influence the cost of capital available to the organization. Thus they are significant in the expansion and growth of a business. Find more economic factors and examples of how they affect businesses here .

Social Factors

Social factors include different cultural and demographic aspects of society. These can affect the macro-environment in which the organization operates.

In the ‘S’ part of the PEST analysis I usually examine:

• Age distribution
• Cultural diversity
• Demographics shifts
• Population growth rate
• Health consciousness and trends
• Changing consumer lifestyles and preferences

A study of these factors can help organizations understand the dynamics of existing and emerging potential markets along with future customer needs.

Social factors are more unpredictable than economic and political factors, simply because people are unpredictable. But every business needs customers. And what and how they buy has an immediate effect on an organization’s profitability.

Based on these social factors, marketers create buyer personas. These avatars are necessary for businesses to target the ideal customer.

For example, if you’re selling whey powder, you go after fitness enthusiasts and bodybuilders. You are looking for people that follow an active lifestyle. Hence, a declining trend in health consciousness doesn’t seem encouraging.

That’s the tip of the iceberg. Learn more about social factors here .

Technological Factors

Technological factors aren’t important only for tech-related businesses. The (T) part in PEST analysis may affect even the most old-school organization that’s been operating for a century.

Technology is evolving at a rapid pace and consumers are becoming extremely tech-savvy. With the advent of new technology, older technology gets outdated and obsolete. If an organization does not look out for technological changes, it can lag behind its competitors.

I often include the following technological factors when conducting a PEST analysis:

• Cybersecurity Threats
• Emerging Technologies
• Big data and computing
• AI and Machine Learning
• Supply Chain Automation

Let’s consider the advancements in computing; more specifically, networking.

If a business offers the latest and fastest Wi-Fi in their store, it’s an added luxury. It’s annoying if it still operates on 3G speeds, but won’t ruin sales. However, if they handle all receipts in an online database and that goes offline because they didn’t keep their network infrastucture up-to-date then they have a major problem. Especially in big holidays like Black Friday.

Again, this is about impact on the business operation. How will ‘X’ technology affect the business in the long and short term? That’s what we’re trying to figure out with PEST analysis.

A ton more technological factors can be found here .

PEST Analysis Examples

Here is a hypothetical PEST analysis example that can give you a clear understanding of how this works:

Here at PESTLEanalysis.com I rarely limit myself to PEST analysis. I almost always go the extra mile and include the Legal and Environmental factors when I initiate a PEST analysis. This leads to a more detailed analysis called PESTLE.

PESTLE Analysis: An extension of PEST Analysis

PESTLE analysis is an extension of PEST that is used to assess two additional macroeconomic factors. These factors are the  Legal and Environmental conditions that can have an impact on a organization. Examples of PESTLE analysis are similar to those of a PEST analysis, but they will include factors such as these:

• Discrimination laws
• Copyright and patent laws

Environment:

• Waste management
• Changes in weather and climate
• Laws regarding pollution and recycling
• Use of green or eco-friendly products and practices

So, if you want to assess a business situation comprehensively, a PESTLE analysis is a definite must. You can find more about that analysis here .

Why PEST Analysis Is Important For Every Business

So, now that we did a PEST analysis, how’s that going to help the business?

What does a five-year business plan look like? Or a ten-year plan? It likely involves growth.

Whether it’s the expansion of a product line or opening stores in new locations, business changes need proper preparation. And that’s where the PEST analysis comes in.

PEST analysis is the foolproof plan for business expansion !

Both new business owners and veterans should include PEST analysis in their business plan. By breaking down the critical influences in the P.E.S.T. categories, businesses get a better understanding of whether their next business move is strategic or doesn’t make sense.

For example, politics isn’t just about political tensions, unrest and elections. Politics are also about trade policies, regulations and taxation. Companies doing business worldwide have to consider laws in the countries they operate, as well. Even if they aren’t doing international trade yet, it could be a possibility in the future, and going in blind is a good way to toss success out the window.

PEST analysis helps people become aware.

Aware of how political parties and regulations can impact a business. And how the economy (past, present, and future) affects an industry. It allows people to understand consumers — who they are, what they buy, and why they don’t buy. And finally, it identifies what technology is necessary for the development and success of a product, business, or industry.

It’s almost like an outline. It shows people what influences impact the quality, success, or devastation of businesses and industries. You can’t stop the four influences, but if you’re aware of them and their impact, you can plan around, against, or with them.

PEST analysis is often used by business analysts, marketers, students, and business owners, since it’s super important for every business!

All you need to do a proper PEST analysis is time. And the payoff is worth every second.

How PEST analysis works

PEST analysis requires research and data, sometimes ten years old, sometimes only a couple. The more information I have to go through, the more accurate my final results will be. By looking into the past and the present, I can make predictions for the future.

By studying these recent developments through a PEST analysis lens, organizations are deciding whether to jump into this for the long haul or for the time being.

You want to look at your industry in a similar light. Ten years ago, did it exist? Has it slowed down within the last two years or are more companies diving in? More competition can be a strong sign an industry is booming, but it could also be the first sign of oversaturation.

Break down your assessment into the four categories of PEST analysis. Start with politics and work your way through the remaining factors. Or start from the bottom. Whatever gets the job done and makes the analysis enjoyable.

How to Do a PEST Analysis From Scratch

I’ve written dozens of PEST analyses over the last couple of years. Below I document my process on how to do a PEST analysis , even when you’ve never written one before.

You should have a topic in mind. Most PEST analyses are about a specific business, industry, or product. However, they can also be applied to countries, too. You can’t start without a topic, though, so have it ready.

Where to find information for your PEST analysis

It’ll be easier to find and segment information if you break your analysis down into four sections, like the acronym implies:

• Technological

Each section will require its own information. However, some of this information will overlap.

For instance, the economy is often closely tied to political (in)stability. And the state of the economy always affects consumers (social). You don’t need to look for these patterns specifically— it’ll become apparent as you discover new information.

Start with the history

You should be familiar with your topic. If you’re not, read about its history. Learn how it was established, how long it has been around, and who founded it. Read about any major achievements on the organization in question over the last few years. Jot down notes whenever something that seems relevant or important pops up.

After this informational primer, it’s time to start on the four sections. I do my PEST analysis in order of the acronym because the information often bleeds into the next section.

Finding Political Information

Political information is easier to find than in other sections of the analysis (social and technological, specifically). Here, you’ll want to investigate the current political climate.

For instance, if the organization originates from America, you’ll research the current political parties. Who is in charge? Has this affected business operations in any way?

If your topic (business, product, industry) was established years ago, what was the political climate like then? Are different parties in power now? If this is the case, then you’ll want to compare how things have changed for your topic from then to now.

This is also the section where you’ll look into laws and regulations affecting business. Remember the list we went through in the beginning.

I find this information with a simple Google search. Such as “tariff laws USA” (plug in the country you’re searching for if it’s not the United States).

It’s best to get this information from a government site. These sites end in .gov. You may also find information from organizations (websites ending in .org) but not all of these sites are legitimate organizations. Be wary while you research.

Honestly, most of the information you’ll find is dense. But it’s easier if you have a goal. Look for signs of:

• Government (in)stability
• Possible political corruption
• New bills/regulations that may impact your topic
• Any issues your topic has had with current/former regulations or political parties

If your topic is a company, finding the right information may be easier. Search for “company name + political issues” or “company name + policies” and see what comes up. Avoid any information from untrustworthy sites and sites with no legitimate source.

Finding Economic Information

While you’re researching political information, you may come across connections to the current economy. For instance, political instability often leads to economic instability. This causes unemployment rates to rise and employee strikes. This affects how much disposable income people have.

You may have already found information in your political section that confirms economic problems. But if you haven’t, search government sites for current tax rates, interest rates (if your topic involves international business), and the current state of the economy. Is it good? Thriving? Or bad and declining?

Again, use government websites. Search for economic statistics over the last few years. If your topic is an industry, see how many companies (startups) have started within the last few years.

If your topic is a business that has international stores, look into the relationship between the country of origin and each country the company does business. If the relationship is good, it’s often a good outlook for the company. But if it’s bad, it may lead to problems. What problems? Do a bit of digging online.

Also, if your PEST analysis is for a company, you may look into stocks . Have they been declining? On the rise? Because if it’s the former, then the business may not be looking good. And you’ll want to find out why .

If my topic is a business, I sometimes check out the competition. I’ll look into how that other company has been fairing economically, specifically how its sales have risen or fallen over the last couple of years. If it’s dropped products, shifted marketing efforts, etc., I want to know why . A competitor analysis isn’t always necessary , but it can shed light on possible problems your topic may face.

Finding Social Information

This section is a bit trickier. Political and economic sectors rely heavily on data and evidence. You can find this information on government websites. News sites too, even. And although you can find databases about demographics and population growth for this section — all applicable in a PEST analysis — I wouldn’t stop there.

In the social section, I often examine how consumers are impacted by political and economic factors. You can draw conclusions based on the information you’ve already gathered from your political and economic segments.

For instance, if there is political instability and the economy is on the fritz, then consumers may feel uneasy. They may have fewer job options. And that means they’re less likely to spend frivolously. If your topic is a luxury product, it may mean the company that makes it may have lower sales this year.

But you also want to learn about how consumers feel about your topic. If it’s a company, do consumers generally like it? Or is public opinion souring? There should be a reason for why.

Consider Facebook. The company’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has consistently been in hot water over the years. If not for data breaches affecting millions of users, but for their shady involvement with fake news and political tampering.

This has led many consumers to shy away from using Facebook. And this affects businesses that use Facebook to reach new customers.

In this section of the PEST analysis, I’m more likely to search for my topic on news sites and publications. The more popular the topic, the easier it’ll be to find articles written about it. But if the topic has ever been in the news, you’ll likely find it online.

Websites to search include :

• Consumer Reports
• Local news websites
• Other reputable sources

If you know your topic has been in the news for something bad, you can search the topic + the problem.

Although the information may overlap, take keynotes here. See how the problem is affecting consumer opinion. You may even want to take a look at the comments (if there are any) and see what people are saying. It’s coming straight from the lion’s mouth (consumers).

I think many PEST analyses favor numbers too much. We live in a world where anyone with an opinion can be heard, thanks to the internet. And enough of those voices can cause a business to change its policies and products. It can even cause the company to collapse.

So it’s important to search for how consumers feel about your topic too.

Finding Technological Information

This section of the PEST analysis is a bit abstract as well. You’re looking into how new technological advancements has affected your topic positively or negatively. You should also look into what technology your topic uses (currently). And what technology they may want to incorporate.

You may want to look at competitors if your topic is a product or business. See what others are using. And think about why they are.

Press releases

It may be beneficial to search for press releases involving your topic, if possible. If your company is using new technology, they may have announced it through a press release. You can search “company name + press release” or search through these press release websites:

• PR NewsWire
• NPR: National Public Radio

You may also find other information here for the other sections of the PEST analysis. Which is just an overall bonus. If all else fails, check if your topic has a website (unless it’s an industry or country). Discuss how they use social media (if they don’t, then… discuss that too!). In this section, you’re assessing what your topic uses, what it doesn’t, and why.

Putting it all together in a final PEST analysis

You’ll likely have heaps of information at hand. For some it’ll feel like too much — but that’s never the case for a PEST analysis. As you begin to read through each section’s notes, incorporate the most interesting, pressing, or surprising information. If anything overlaps with other sections, include that too.

I write each section of a PEST analysis at a time. I take my notes and create coherent sentences. Sometimes I make a list of the most important points and include them that way. If the section is long, I’ll use subheadings to break up the information.

Work on each section separately. And then if there are overlapping themes, incorporate those in. You may want to use those at the end of each section to connect to the next.

Once you’ve done this, you’ve completed your PEST analysis! Most of the work is in finding the information and making it coherent. The last 10-20 percent is putting it all together. So, once the research phase is done, you’re basically done too!

Understanding PEST Analysis: Taking Action

In conclusion, developing an understanding of what is PEST analysis becomes even more important when a company is about to launch a new business or a new product. In general, when they are about to change something drastically. That’s when all these factors play an important role in determining the feasibility and profitability of the new venture.

Therefore, developing an understanding of PEST analysis is useful for organizations for analyzing and understanding the ground realities of the environment they have to operate in.

Realizing what is PEST and knowing how to take this analysis into consideration, the organization can be in a better position to analyze the challenges, environment, factors, opportunities, restrictions and incentives it faces. In case an organization fails to take into account any one of these factors, it may fail to plan and operate properly.

But don’t PEST analysis stop you. Here are some variations that may come in handy when assessing how the external environment affects an organization:

• STEEP Analysis
• STEEPLED Analysis
• SWOT Analysis

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The Post‑Pandemic Shift in Retirement Expectations in the U.S.

Felix Aidala, Gizem Kosar, and Wilbert van der Klaauw

One of the most striking features of the labor market recovery following the pandemic recession has been the surge in quits from 2021 to mid-2023. This surge, often referred to as the Great Resignation , or the Great Reshuffle, was uncommonly large for an economic expansion. In this post, we call attention to a related labor market change that has not been previously highlighted—a persistent change in retirement expectations, with workers reporting much lower expectations of working full-time beyond ages 62 and 67. This decline is particularly notable for female workers and lower-income workers.

The Great Resignation

After an initial decline in the quit rate during the pandemic recession, which saw the unemployment rate climb to 14.8 percent in April 2020, the quit rate rose sharply in 2021 and remained high into early 2023. Estimates of the exact magnitude of the wave of resignations vary somewhat across data sources, with employer-provided data on quits from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) showing much greater increases in the quit rate than those computed using data from the Current Population Survey (CPS). However, there is broad agreement about the nature of the resignations: While there was a temporary surge in exits from the labor market, including an increase in early retirements, most of the quits represented switches to other (presumably better) jobs or transitions into self-employment. Furthermore, a large fraction of the workers who dropped out of the workforce, including many of those who retired early, subsequently reentered the labor market.

What caused this unusual surge in quits? Questions remain about their relative importance, but contributing factors proposed by economists include labor shortages and an increased confidence about finding new jobs; pandemic-related factors such as health concerns, lack of childcare, stimulus payments, and moratoria on mortgage, rent, and student loan payments; and changes in attitudes toward the purpose and desirability of work more generally. Some of the increase could also reflect pent-up resignations among those who postponed and held on to their jobs during the early days of the pandemic.

An important feature of the upswing in resignations is that it was particularly large for low-skilled workers. A shortage of workers, high job vacancy rates, and additional fiscal support in the form of economic impact payments and forbearance programs allowed workers to be choosier about their next job and to negotiate higher wage increases with current and new employers. After years of relative wage stagnation, greater worker power fueled an acceleration in wage growth, especially among low-skilled workers .

The Post-Pandemic Change in Retirement Expectations

In this post, we document an important related development not previously highlighted—a post-pandemic change in retirement expectations. Our analysis is based on data from the Survey of Consumer Expectations’ (SCE) triannual Labor Market Survey. Over its decade-long life the SCE, a foundational dataset of the Center for Microeconomic Data, has produced many valuable insights into consumer expectations about a wide range of economic behaviors and outcomes. The SCE is a nationally representative, internet-based survey of a rotating panel of approximately 1,300 household heads. Respondents participate in the panel for up to twelve months, with a roughly equal number rotating in and out of the panel each month. The SCE Labor Market Survey module, fielded triannually since March 2014, provides information on consumers’ experiences and expectations regarding the labor market. Our analysis in this post is based on two specific questions in the survey. The first asks respondents below age 62 “Thinking about work in general and not just your present job (if you currently work), what do you think is the percent chance that you will be working full-time after you reach age 62?”. A similar second question is then asked about working full-time beyond age 67, to those younger than age 67. The questions are similar to those asked in the University of Michigan’s  Health and Retirement Study .

The left panel in the chart below displays retirement-age full-time employment expectations. Up to the eve of the pandemic, these expectations had been fairly stable. But starting in March 2020 they began a persistent decline, with the March 2024 reading of the average likelihood of working full-time beyond age 62 representing a new series low at 45.8 percent. While these expectations averaged 54.6 percent over the six years leading up to the pandemic, they have averaged 49.4 percent over the four years since, with the 5.2 percentage point decline equating to a 9.5 percent decrease in expected future full-time employment. The decline is broad-based across age, education, and income groups, with workers under age 45, without a college degree, and with annual household incomes below $60,000 showing slightly larger declines than their peers. However, the decline in the average probability of working full-time beyond age 62 is much more pronounced for female workers (6.5 percentage points) than for male workers (3.8 percentage points).

Average Likelihood of Working Full-Time Past 62

We find similar, though somewhat more attenuated, patterns for expectations about working full-time past age 67, with declines in average probabilities falling by 2.9 percentage points overall (equating to an 8.2 percent decline in future post-67 full-time employment). Again, we find larger declines for female workers (3.8 percentage points), and also for those with annual household incomes below $60,000 (4.0 percentage points), with the difference in declines between income groups being larger than for expectations about working past age 62.

Average Likelihood of Working Full-Time Past 67

Drivers and Implications

The pandemic and the pandemic-induced recession are behind us and the recovery of the U.S. economy is continuing, but longer-term effects of this experience linger. Although wage growth has begun to moderate, vacancies are down, and layoff and quit rates are back to pre-pandemic levels, our survey responses reveal a persistent decline in expectations of working full-time beyond ages 62 and 67. Given improvements in health and increases in life expectancy, this may be somewhat surprising. It is unclear what factors or combination of factors are driving this persistent decline: an increased preference of part-time over full-time employment; a cultural shift characterized by a rethinking of the value of work; a reflection of increased household net wealth; increased confidence about future growth in earnings and income and future financial health; a greater optimism about reaching retirement saving goals; or increased uncertainty about life expectancy post-pandemic. This represents an important topic of future research.

The pandemic-induced change in retirement expectations may continue to affect the labor market in years to come. It also can have important macroeconomic implications when consumers act on their expectations in making consumption and saving decisions. To the extent that these expectations signal actual future retirement behavior, they also have implications for future decisions by consumers about the timing of claims for social security benefits and the receipt of those benefits.

Our finding of a post-pandemic shift in retirement expectations is a prime example of the type of new consumer insights the SCE has been providing over the last decade.

Felix Aidala is a research analyst in Household and Public Policy in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Research and Statistics Group.

Gizem Kosar is a research economist in Consumer Behavior Studies in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Research and Statistics Group.

Wilbert van der Klaauw is the economic research advisor for Household and Public Policy Research in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Research and Statistics Group.

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How to cite this post: Felix Aidala, Gizem Kosar, and Wilbert van der Klaauw, “The Post‑Pandemic Shift in Retirement Expectations in the U.S.,” Federal Reserve Bank of New York Liberty Street Economics , May 9, 2024, https://libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2024/05/the-post-pandemic-shift-in-retirement-expectations-in-the-u-s/.

Disclaimer The views expressed in this post are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or the Federal Reserve System. Any errors or omissions are the responsibility of the author(s).

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Training of Future Specialists in Law in Higher Education Institutions of the PRC for the Protection of Intellectual Property as a Problem of Pedagogical Theory and Practice

• Published: 10 May 2024

Cite this article

• Pei Dong 1 , 2  

Intellectual property rights are a catalyst for the process of creation, development, and dissemination of innovations. In recent years, the role of the innovation economy has become increasingly important in China. Against this background, the role of education in the field of intellectual property protection is increasing. This study is aimed at analyzing the accumulated research results and information from official sources to identify challenges for the educational system of the PRC regarding the training of specialized legal specialists in the field of intellectual property and copyright. The results of the study give reason to say that currently the training of specialists in this profile, except specialized universities, is carried out rather limitedly. Preference is given to courses at the secondary educational level and training of specialists in non-legal specialties. Besides that, currently, there is no special arrangement about intellectual property rights in the curriculum of university students. Based on the obtained results and conducted analysis, the authors formulate certain recommendations regarding the directions for further improvement of education in the field of intellectual property in China. Specifically, there is a need to address inconsistencies in existing curricula and certification programs, as well as to develop a currently lacking clear regulatory framework that would assist higher education institutions in the development of educational programs. Considering the scarcity of qualified specialists in the field of intellectual property (IP), enhancing the teaching standards would be unattainable without the implementation of a comprehensive training program aimed at bridging the existing gap. Furthermore, a paradigm shift in teaching methodologies is warranted, ensuring the continual update of materials in alignment with industry changes, exposing both educators and students to international best practices, and actively involving business representatives and practicing professionals in the educational process. This involvement would entail structuring the practical component of the curriculum around real-life legal case studies, thereby fostering a more immersive learning experience. It seems reasonable to assert that, taking into account the set political goals for the development of the field of intellectual property, Chinese education will have to expand the scope of teaching in the IP specialty beyond the limits of exclusive jurisprudence. The obtained results will also prove beneficial to researchers from other nations where education in the field of intellectual property (IP) is undergoing developmental stages. An analysis of the issues, their causes, and approaches to their resolution in China will facilitate a better understanding of potential problem origins in other countries, thus inspiring valuable insights for the advancement of the field.

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Dong, P. Training of Future Specialists in Law in Higher Education Institutions of the PRC for the Protection of Intellectual Property as a Problem of Pedagogical Theory and Practice. J Knowl Econ (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-024-02049-x

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Received : 13 February 2024

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-024-02049-x

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