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Academic libraries do not operate in a vacuum; they must co-exist with change and competition on all levels. In order to succeed, they must know their internal strengths in order to take advantage of opportunities, whilst avoiding threats and addressing weaknesses. A SWOT analysis of Jamaican academic libraries can yield strategic insights for academic library praxis in Jamaica, the Caribbean, and the globe. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Survey and discussion group were engaged for the five local academic libraries in higher education in Jamaica.

Human resources and support are the most recurrent themes in the reported strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

This paper focused on local academic libraries in higher education (university level) in Jamaica. A survey of academic libraries at all levels, and using more detailed strategic analytical tools, would be a useful follow up.

This paper provides academic library managers and the national/regional library associations with a situational analysis of Jamaican academic librarianship, which can be used to inform future planning and management of library and information services. Additionally, the findings can inform the Latin America and Caribbean section of international library documents on trends, issues and future position of academic libraries globally.

This paper is of value as it is the first published scholarly documentation on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in academic librarianship in Jamaica. In this regard, it makes a useful contribution to the dearth of literature on SWOT analyses of academic libraries per country. It may also represent a starting point for looking at solutions and emerging challenges in a Caribbean academic library environment and should help to focus on the need for continuing innovation.

Stemming from the resource-based view (RBV) approach, this article overcomes the limits of the conventional strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis, setting the basis for the model actual–potential, positive–negative, internal–external (APPNIE). This paper enacts a new framework demonstrating how strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of SWOT can be replaced by actual or potential, positive or negative elements, considered in a dynamic way.

The traditional SWOT analysis provides only a partial view of the environment and adopts incorrect terminology that can confuse the user, preventing a clear understanding of the factors affecting the organisation’s situation. The authors developed a new tool to help managers in their decision-making processes.

This study proposes a new tool for assessing the quality of management, resources and environment, which is useful in understanding the economic and social scenario in which a firm is embedded. From a practical point of view, the new tool is applied in the case study, and it shows how managers and students can use it while choosing between alternative options (different strategies, markets, technologies, etc.).

The APPNIE model introduces a new dimension that the SWOT analysis does not consider. Moreover, for each element of the new matrix, the authors propose a plan of action, which is another valuable benefit of the APPNIE model.

The purpose of this paper is to counter-propose a new approach of SWOT analysis, which can be used in the strategic planning of the contemporary organizations.

This paper, after presenting the conceptual context of the existing (conventional) SWOT analysis, presents the existing criticism within the international literature. Then, it articulates gradually the new evolutionary and correlative SWOT analysis, by using the approaches and the literature of evolutionary economics, and the Stra.Tech.Man approach in business dynamics. In conclusion, it presents the new conceptual framework on which a new correlative SWOT analysis can be based.

Main finding of this research is that the interpretation of the conventional SWOT analysis tends to study the strengths and the weaknesses of the business with an analytical dichotomy. The conventional SWOT analysis conceptualizes, usually implicitly, the opportunities and threats of the external environment as having the same impact to all the socioeconomic agents, without exception. However, by using a correlative interpretation of SWOT analysis, we understand that the opportunities and threats are always “potential,” depending on the organization’s strategic capability to exercise its comparative strengths and weaknesses.

In the existing literature of SWOT analysis, despite the growing criticism, there is no critique that can give systemic and correlative answers to the articulation of business strategy in SWOT terms. The Stra.Tech.Man approach, also, is a conceptual framework to study the evolutionary adaptation of all the kinds of socioeconomic organizations.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) that a host city can experience to utilize these for future strategy planning and event leveraging.

Five phone interviews were conducted with administrators of the Athens Olympic Games. Respondents were asked four questions relating to the SWOT of hosting the Olympic Games. Responses collected were transcribed and analyzed using a content analysis.

Findings suggest that the strengths lie in having certain infrastructures in place, volunteers, a strong economy and good political standing. Weaknesses stem from a lack of infrastructure, the size of the country, uncertain political and economic stability. Opportunities included the growth of the tourism industry, business developments, increase in the quality of life, the use of legacies post‐event, and the improvement and development of infrastructures. Threats included the cost of the event, pollution, relying on the event to rejuvenate the economy and the displacement of residents.

The SWOT analysis conducted in this paper laid the foundation for strategic planning for future host cities' organizers while taking into consideration the weaknesses and problems that have been experienced by the organization of former Olympic Games host cities. Moreover, the SWOT analysis conducted in this paper goes one step further by incorporating Chalip's leveraging model in order to identify what strengths and weaknesses need to be addressed in order for a host city to leverage the opportunities and threats of hosting a sport event.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis is a powerful approach for evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of an organization with an internal perspective. The approach also takes into account the opportunities and the threats from an external point of view. These features make SWOT a commonly used approach in strategic management. The purpose of this paper is to propose an integrated SWOT analysis with multiple preference relations technique, to show the application of the proposed methodology, to prioritize the strategic factors and to present alternative strategies for ABC, a case company, which is targeting to use social media more effectively.

In this study, expert opinions are used to identify SWOT factors of ABC on social media. The obtained findings are evaluated and each factor is prioritized by means of the multiple preference relations technique.

The proposed evaluation model has four main groups, namely, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, under which 17 factors are identified. As a result of the evaluations, “O2: Opportunity to contact a large number of users simultaneously at affordable cost” has the highest importance level among other factors. Alternative strategies are developed based on the obtained results.

Decision-makers who have different backgrounds or ideas can state their preferences in different formats. Multiple preference relations technique is used to combine different assessments. SWOT analysis with multiple preference relations technique with a group decision-making perspective is proposed. This is the first time the method is used in the social media-related literature. With this study, the most appropriate social media strategic factors are selected for ABC and alternative strategies are determined based on the results.

This paper elicits information, an excess of information and the stakeholders’ role in the use of information. The purpose of this paper is to create a “C5 model” (clients, connectivity, content, copyright and cost) for the consortium management to support and improve its academic and administrative decision-making skills and optimize returns.

The methodology used for this study was “strength, weakness, opportunity and threat” (SWOT) analysis. As a tool, it was used as one of the strategic analytical techniques to evaluate various aspects of consortium management. The purpose of choosing this method was to derive a set of strategies for comparing the internal (strengths/weaknesses) and external (opportunities/threats) forces of the “C5 model” of consortium management.

From the SWOT analysis of the “C5 model,” it was observed that four combinations, maxi-maxi (strengths/opportunities (SO), mini-maxi (weaknesses/opportunities (WO), maxi-mini (strengths/threats (ST)) and mini-mini (weaknesses/threats (WT)), were drawn to derive a set of strategies to benefit the consortium management. The SO strategies such as building a client-centric resource management system, centralized gateway, collaborative acquisition model, common copyright communication and clearance center and cost-benefit analysis were built on the basis of the strengths and opportunities identified. Likewise, the WO strategies such as organizational planning, equality in ICT infrastructure facilities, quality content, public disclosure of copyright obligations and effective economic models were drawn to minimize the weaknesses of each component by taking advantage of the identified opportunities. The ST strategies were worked out using strengths of the model to possibly mitigate its threats. Similarly, the WT strategies were created to minimize the weaknesses and avoid the threats as much as possible. However, these strategies would not only help consortium management in the decision-making process, but also optimize returns and improve the intellectual outcome of organizations.

Not many research studies have been developed regarding the SWOT analysis of the “C5 model” for consortium management. This study attempts to benefit a large community of library and information science professionals, consortia and their clients.

The purpose of this strengths or weaknesses, and its external opportunities or threats (SWOT) analysis study on Halal logistics industry in Malaysia is to identify SWOT in the Halal logistics environment and to uncover strategies to leverage on the strengths and opportunities and rectifying the weaknesses as well as overcoming the threats.

This study comprises two methods: literature review and interviews. Extensive literature reviews were obtained from leading databases and the articles recorded matches or related with the keywords. In addition, the respondents from the interviews consist of middle- and top-level managers with reputable knowledge, expertise and experience in the Logistics and Halal industry. After the literature was reviewed and information was transcribed from the interviews, reduction techniques were used to group and summarize the variables into the four SWOT categories.

The SWOT categories, consisting of SWOT, are generated from the literature reviews and supported by the respondents’ views and vice versa. Examples of SWOT analyses done are as follows: strength (strong government support), weakness (inconsistent Halal definition), opportunity (Muslims’ population growth) and threat (no uniformity on Halal standards).

The SWOT analysis done for this study only demonstrates the internal and external environments and not the assumption that they are certain to be correct, as they contain every imaginable matter in relation to Halal logistics. Plus, the analysis done does not show how to achieve competitive advantage, merely as a guideline and the SWOT analysis done may be outdated as the environments are constantly changing.

The study hopes to contribute in future studies and act as a guide for the Halal logistics players to have better understanding in their business environment.

This study is the first of its kind, to incorporate SWOT and Halal logistics. Hence, this study will add in more value to the existing academic research done on SWOT analysis and broadening the Halal and logistics business understanding, not only in Malaysia but globally as well.

This chapter focusses on analysing the origins and evolution of the SWOT analysis. It explains the drivers and limitations of the conventional SWOT analysis, laying the groundwork for new decision-making models that can aid researchers and practitioners in comprehending both the external landscape and the internal characteristics of a company. This chapter demonstrates how the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the SWOT analysis can be approached dynamically. Conventional SWOT analysis offers only a limited perspective on the environment and employs terminology that can confuse users, hindering their clear understanding of the factors that influence an organisation’s situation. This chapter provides a concise literature review of tools for evaluating quality management, its resources, and the surrounding environment, which serves as a valuable means to grasp the economic and social context within which a firm operates.

This paper aims to assess information technology (IT) managers' perception of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of using social networking sites (SNS) for group work at government organizations. According to the research, SNS provide considerable potential and can be a valuable technology for group work in government, public and/or non-profit organizations.

This study adopted a Delphi technique to assess the SWOT from IT managers in government organizations in Oman, a developing Middle Eastern country. One of the main roles of IT managers is to develop a short-term and long-term IT strategy, and identify opportunities in new technologies. SWOT analysis is a very useful tool to strategically analyze and understand an organization's current position in any IT deployment. As an exploratory study, Delphi technique is utilized as it produces the most reliable consensus of a group of experts. Data was collected through a web-based questionnaire.

The results suggest that there are more strengths than weaknesses and more opportunities than threats. However, some weaknesses and risks are critical as they relate to security and privacy controls and breaches. The study illustrates IT managers' perception about the use of SNS in government organizations.

For government organizations, prior research was mainly on the use of SNS to improve communication between government organizations and citizens. Not much is known about organizations' use of public technologies for a challenging process such as group collaboration. Results can be utilized by researchers and practitioners to improve SNS use for group work and to raise organizations' and individuals' awareness about implementing some controls that eliminate the critical threats. Results also can be utilized by IT policy and strategy makers in Oman and government organizations to develop overall national policy and guidelines for the use of SNS by government organizations.