Embedding SWOT Across Strategy Processes, Levels, and Implementation

Abstract

In contemporary strategic management, integrating SWOT analysis—strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats—across the formulation and implementation spectrum presents an evolving challenge and opportunity. This paper critically examines the integration of SWOT within the processual, hierarchical, and executional dimensions of strategic management. By combining theoretical exploration with a qualitative synthesis of current literature, this study unveils how SWOT contributes not only to environmental scanning but also to shaping dynamic strategy frameworks. Drawing on Schermerhorn’s (2019) management principles and Porter’s competitive advantage model, we analyze how SWOT’s embeddedness in all strategic levels—corporate, business, and functional—enhances strategic coherence and responsiveness. The study reveals that while SWOT offers simplicity and accessibility, its strategic utility hinges on alignment with organizational vision and adaptive feedback loops. Moreover, SWOT's integration at the implementation stage enables firms to respond to turbulence with agility and resource alignment. This paper fills a critical gap by thematically bridging conceptual models and practical strategy execution. It concludes with implications for managers seeking adaptive, insight-driven strategic pathways and recommends a reflexive approach to integrating SWOT across organizational decision-making strata.