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Management & Marketing (2009) Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 97-110.
THE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT
ANALYSIS OF ROMANIAN NAVAL INDUSTRY
WITH SWOT MODEL
Carmen GASPAROTTI
„Dunărea de Jos” University of Galaţi
Abstract. SWOT analysis is an effective method used for strategic planning to identify
potential, priorities and creating a common vision of achieving the development strategy for a
company. This should answer the question “Where are we?” involving the analysis of the
internal and external environment generally and specifically. It used to evaluate the company
environment factors.
Only by taking into consideration the components of general environment : economic
environment, social environment, political environment, legislation and pressure groups, a
company will be able to adopt the particular way of action, which will assure its performance
and advantages on present and potential competitors.
Keywords: opportunities, strengths, threats, weaknesses
1. Introduction
SWOT model (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats) represents
the established instrument used to analyze the internal and external environment,
which a company functions in. Based on this model, the company’s strategies can be
formulated by combining internal environment factors, which are: strengths and
weaknesses, with external environment factors: opportunities and threats.
A good knowledge of the environment, the interrelations between this one and
the organization, its evolution, represent the base of politics and strategies elaboration
and also, may be considered as a main condition for an efficient activity of the
organization.
Speaking about the strategically answer of the company towards competitive
environment, Reason showed that this answer has to satisfy three criteria (www-
denis.kearney@ul.ie):
to be adequate to competitive environment pressures;
to be satisfactory to shareholders;
to be reliable, which means the company must have the necessary abilities
and resources in order to generate the strategically answer asked for.
Strengths and weaknesses of the organization, internal environment, are
important for resources, programs and organization in key points such as (Catrinescu,
2002): sells/marketing/distribution, management system/survey report, production
efficiency/capacity, products /quality/price.
Management & Marketing
The opportunities and threats that a company confronts with may exist or may
develop in the next points:
the own company industry where structural changes may be produced;
the market place, which can be deteriorated by economical and social
factors;
competitiveness, where new dangers and opportunities may appear;
new technologies that may cause fundamental chances of products,
processes etc.;
The achievement and practical use of SWOT analysis require the following
steps (Catrinescu, 2002):
to identify strengths and weaknesses, as well as opportunities and threats;
to identify SWOT quadrant;
to formulate the concrete strategy.
SWOT quadrant identification can be realized in two different ways:
By placing the strategy, based on the elements of internal and external
environment of the company, in one of the four quadrants of SWOT
model; this placing is intuitively made by strategically managers and is
applicable only to small companies;
By placing the strategy in one of the four strategically quadrants of SWOT
model using the evolution matrix of company ‘s internal and external
factors, which consider the importance coefficients γ j and marks of each
Nj factor that are used to calculate their weighted marks γ j Nj and, finally,
the weighted score for all ∑γ N
j j factors.
Since SWOT quadrant is identified, the concrete strategy of the company can
be formulated and that will depend on the company’s concrete conditions.
SWOT analysis, as a model of total diagnosis, is also used to find out the
economical and financial situation of a company.
This analysis includes (www-denis.kearney@ul.ie):
Opportunities of favorable chances which are considered to be the events
and processes produced in the macro-environment and competitive
environment that create favorable conditions for local naval industry to
function and develop;
Threats or dangers which are considered to be the factors and events pro-
duced in the macro-environment and competitive environment that create
unfavorable conditions for local naval industry to function and develop;
Strengths, represented by resources and abilities in fields such as: marke-
ting, finance, human resources, technology and production, organization
and management, that give emphasis to the local naval industry;
Weaknesses represent those aspects of local naval industry function in
fields like marketing, finance, human resources, technology, production,
organization and management that limit the efficiency or prevent the
development of local naval industry.
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The internal and external environment analysis of Romanian naval industry
For this purpose diagnosis are synthesized on components (production,
quality, competition, rate of turnover, financial situation, management, staff etc.), by
pointing out the strengths and threats of company’s activity, as well as the malfun-
ctions and their causes that may appear in the company’s activity. The analysis uses
scores system which allows calculating an average mark based on which the company
may be placed in one of the following situations: economical viable or non-viable.
2. Romanian naval industry evolution during the last years
Romanian naval industry has 12 shipyards, 9 of them are centered on shipbuil-
ding and 3 of them on repairs. Regarding the employees number the size of these 12
shipyards is the following:
1 shipyard with more than 5000 employees (SN Damen Galati);
3 shipyards with 3000-5000 employees;
3 shipyards with 1500-3000 employees;
5 shipyards below 1500 employees.
The large number of employees from Romanian Shipyards is due to high level
of production integration, which can be compared with the level in Japan and Korea.
This level is different from those in European shipyards, which generally exercise
subcontracting.
In UE the most shipyards have below 1000 employees. Only 17 shipyards
have a number of 1000-2000 employees and 28 large shipyards have together 64 000
employees (AWES, 2005).
From achieved production, because the internal market does not offer
opportunities due to the capital lack, the ship production was orientated to the export,
its weight has increased from year to year, reaching to represent 99% from total
production of 2008 (ANCONAV, 2000-2008) (Figure 1).
Figure 1. The export weight in total naval production
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Management & Marketing
The evolution of shipbuilding production and repairs during 2000-2008 is
presented in Figure 2.
Figure 2. Romanian naval industry during 2000-2008
During 2000-2008 Romanian naval industry had an increasing evolution
(Figure 3).
Figure 3. The evolution of ship production value in Romania
Shipyards build maritime ships and river vessels, the production being
concentrated on ships such as: bulk carrier, port-containers, cargo tankers, LPG, and
LNG, chemical tankers, Ro-Ro, coastal fishing ships.
100
The internal and external environment analysis of Romanian naval industry
Romania had 2,4% from international orders portfolio in cgt (compensated
gross ton) at 01.07.2007 (ANCONAV, 2003-2008). Considering the ship type, the
weight is the following:
0, 9 % tankers;
2,2 % bulk-carriers;
0,1 % port-containers;
5,6 % cargo.
Work productivity in Romanian shipyards is below the eastern European
shipyards level (Stranschi, 2002; ANCONAV, 2003-2008) (Table 1).
Table 1
Work productivity for Romanian naval industry
Work productivity Romania Western Europe
(hours-men/tonne) 2000-2002 2003-2005 After 2006
Total, from which: 200-140 140-90 80 40
hulls 100-70 70-45 35 19
plant 75-40 50-35 25 13
painting 25-20 20-15 10 8
For the year 2006, the forecast announces that the Romanian productivity will
reach the Western European level, as a result of modern technologies and IT systems.
As a condition to UE accession, the average work productivity will have to become at
least equal with average work productivity of shipyards from the whole world, which
is 88 hours/men/cgt (CESA, 2006-2007).
In the international industry and economy, naval industry has a modest place,
by its weight in the industrial production value, PIB industry, active population and
export (Table 2).
Table 2
Naval industry in Romanian economy
Indicators Year Percentage
Weight to active population in industry 2006 1,02
2007 1,15
Weight to active population in the whole 2006 0,178
economy 2007 0,15
Weight to industrial production value 2006 0,712
2007 0,715
Weight to PIB industry 2006 1,08
2007 1,12
Weight to industry’s export 2006 2,49
2007 2,5
Weight to Romanian total export 2006 2,2
2007 2,3
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Management & Marketing
Considering the gradual increasing of maritime trading, as a result of the
world economical growth and the ship volume, which are to be disablement and lost,
as well as the implementation of some regulation concerning the safety of maritime
transport and pollution warning, different specialized institutions, famous in the world
(KSA, SAJ, AWES), concerning the external environment, that between 2005-2010
there will be an increase of ships demand, by almost 1% towards precedent period of
time. In the same time in the last years the ship market had known a decrease of ship
price, comparing to the precedent years, which had stimulated the increasing of new
ships orders. Considering all these global tendencies, can be anticipated a favorable
conjuncture for Romanian shipyards in the next periods (SAJ, 2007).
Regarding the ships structure KSA (Korea Shipbuilder’s Associations)
prognosis for the world level is the following:
Table 3
Prognosis for the ship market evolution, considering the types of ships (mil tdw)
Ship types/year 2009 2010 2012
Tankers 385,2 393,3 407,3
Bulk-carriers 290,5 293,4 302,4
Port-containers 85 87,8 90,6
Cargo 73 77,5 80,2
If we compare the world productivity at world level, we will discover some
differences between Japan and western European countries and between the last ones
and the new members of UE (Figure 4 and 5).
Figure 4. Work productivity of world naval industry (2007)
102
The internal and external environment analysis of Romanian naval industry
Source: www.nobe.pl
Figure 5. Work productivity of the new members of UE (compared with
Germany=100%)
The production cost in shipyards is high in European countries, USA and
Japan and low in China and the South East of Asia (KSA, 2007) (Table 4).
Table 4
Production cost in shipyard (2007, world average = 100 %)
Country Production cost (index)
China 60
SUA 175
Western Europe 150
Japan 160
Korea 130
Scandinavian countries 152
South Europe 140
Balkan countries 125
South East of Asia 82
England 142
Middle Orient 105
Poland 128
Shipyards adjustment to external environment is realized through complex
actions pointed to 4 factors: the ship-product, shipyard hierarchical position, the ship
promotion in order to attract potential clients, the price for which the ship is accepted.
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Management & Marketing
Beside these 4 factors, there are others, including political and
macroeconomic factor, from which, the most important once are the market price, the
trade rate, demand and competition.
These are the factors which marketing strategies are centered on.
3. SWOT analysis of Romanian naval industry
The analysis was made based on the information concerning Romanian naval
industry.
Opportunities
Macro-economical situation
stable macro-economical environment;
favorable economical growth.
Competitive situation
growth tendencies for world export and international maritime and river
transport;
favorable market conjuncture;
favorable geographical position (coming out of the Black Sea and over
1.000 km of Danube river);
specialized ships demand increase.
Strengths
Marketing
great stock of orders, all addressed to the export;
competitive prices;
the image of a reliable partner with traditional knowledge of ship
building;
operation as western shipyards sub-contractor.
Finance
good profit (3-5%);
financial stability.
Human resources
qualified work force, famous abroad.
Technology-production
very good facilities: dry docks, shipways, sincrolift
specialized ship building abilities
abilities for ships overhauling and conversion
integrated I.T. system: projection – production –management
flexible organization
good management
utilization of other countries shipyards (Ukraine) as sub-contractor for
Romanian shipyards
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The internal and external environment analysis of Romanian naval industry
Threats
Macro-economical situation
lack of a banking system specialized in shipping;
lack of some mechanisms specialized in financing and bank guarantees;
slight tendency of national currency devaluation.
Competitive situation
aggressive market strategies of many countries (Korea, China, Croatia) for
their development on the world ship market;
material expense increase tendency;
increase the cost of manual work as a result of the accession to European
Union;
low possibilities to have access to the capital and money market.
Weaknesses
Marketing
lack of an aggressive market strategy.
Finance
difficulties in getting financing;
lack of monetary liquidity.
Technology-production
sub-utilization of the present production capacities;
low manual work costs;
constant investments increase (9-10% /year).
Organization management
low labor productivity;
low level of sub-contractors use a smaller development of environment
protection management.
In table 6 are presented the grand strategies of general companies which
include the quadrants of SWOT model (Stăncioiu and Militaru, 1999).
Table 5
Grand strategies of complex company’s general level
SWOT Grand Concrete strategies
quadrant strategies Name Application directions
– On a market share
Concentration
– On a product
Ι Growth
Mergers and firms – Peacefully
acquisition – forced
Traction forces – in the branch
Horizontal diversify
in risky conglomerate
ΙΙ
external Mergers and firms – Peacefully
environment acquisition – forced
– Readjustment
ΙΙΙ Restriction Reorganization – Assets sale
– Shut down factories
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Management & Marketing
SWOT Grand Concrete strategies
quadrant strategies Name Application directions
– Moratorium
Bankruptcy
– forced liquidation
– National
Joint Venture
– international
– Upstream
Vertical integration
Exceeding – Downstream
ΙV
weakness – Conglomerate
Horizontal diversify
Mergers with other – Peaceful consolidation
firms
The next step is to draw out the evaluation matrix for internal and external
factors.
The importance coefficients γ j of factors have received values between (0)
and (1) depending on factors considered influence over the naval industry success, so
∑
that γ j = 1 .
Internal factors have received an Nj mark between (1) and (4) depending on
the factor type: weak or strong. This way, Nj=1 for very weak factors; Nj=2 for weak
factors; Nj=3 for strengths; Nj=4 for very strong factors.
In table 6 and table 7 are presented the evaluation matrix of internal factors
and respective, the evaluation matrix of external factors which characterize the
Romanian naval industry.
Table 6
Evaluation matrix of some internal factors (strengths, weaknesses)
Importance Granted
CN Factor name coefficient mark γ j Nj
γj Nj
Great stock of orders, all
1 0,08 4 0,32
addressed to the export
2 Competitive prices 0,10 4 0,4
3 Qualified work force 0,08 4 0,32
Very good facilities: docks,
4 0,05 3 0,15
shipway, sincrolift
Modern technological
5 0,12 4 0,48
processes
6 Low manual work costs 0,10 3 0,30
Specialized ships building
7 0,05 3 0,15
abilities
Integrated IT system:
8 projection- production- 0,14 4 0,56
management
9 Good ship quality 0,09 3 0,27
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The internal and external environment analysis of Romanian naval industry
Importance Granted
CN Factor name coefficient mark γ j Nj
γj Nj
Sub-utilization of production
10 0,05 2 0,10
capacities
Lack of an aggressive
11 0,02 1 0,02
market strategy
A smaller development of
12 environment production 0,02 1 0,02
management
Weighted score γ j Nj
- 1 - 3,09
Evaluation matrix of external factors was made using the same algorithm,
considering a particular way of granting Nj marks, which is: Nj=1 for major dangerous
factors, Nj=2 for medium influence factors, Nj=3 for factors whose answer for naval
industry is over average, Nj=4 for factors to which the company responds accordingly.
Table 7
Evaluation matrix of some external factors (opportunities, threats)
Importance Granted
CN Factor name coefficient mark γj
γj Nj Nj
Stable macro-economical
1 0,10 3 0,30
environment
Favorable market
2 0,15 4 0,60
conjuncture
Specialized ships demand
3 0,10 3 0,30
increase
Favorable geographical
4 0,05 2 0,10
position
Growth tendency of world
5 export and international 0,10 3 0,30
transport
Lack of some mechanisms
6 specialized in financing and 0,10 3 0,30
banking guarantees
Material expense increase
7 0,10 1 0,10
tendency
Low possibilities to have
8 access to the capital and 0,10 2 0,20
money market
Aggressive market strategies
9 0,10 1 0,10
of some countries for their
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Management & Marketing
Importance Granted
CN Factor name coefficient mark γj
γj Nj Nj
development on the world
ship market
Increase the cost of manual
10 work as a result of European 0,10 2 0,20
Union accession
Weighted score
- 1 - 2,50
γ j Nj
After the weighted scores for evaluation matrix of internal and external factors
were obtained, the next step was to settle the SWOT model quadrant in order to
establish the Romanian naval industry position.
4. Conclusion
As a result of placing it in the SWOT model, the Romanian naval industry was
situated in the first quadrant. The identification of the SWOT quadrant facilities the
move to the final analysis’s step - to formulate the concrete strategy.
According to grand strategies of complex companies’ general level, there are
four major strategies corresponding to the first quadrant, which are (Stăncioiu and
Militaru, 1999):
1) concentration on a market share;
2) concentration on a product;
3) mergers and peaceful firms acquisitions;
4) mergers and forced firms acquisitions.
It is the responsible person’s problem to decide which one of these strategies
will be chosen.
The strategy which Romanian naval industry must choose is the concentration
on a market share.
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The internal and external environment analysis of Romanian naval industry
Ι - Growth strategies;
ΙΙ - Propelling strategies under risk conditions;
ΙΙΙ - Restriction strategies;
ΙV – Exceeding weaknesses strategies
Figure 6. SWOT model utilization in order to identify the strategically quadrant where
the Romanian naval industry is situated
References
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forecast, Annual Report, pp. 87-121
Association of West European Shipbuilders and Ship repairers (AWES) (2005) Average
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Catrinescu, Gh. (2002) Romanian Shipbuilding Industry, Present and Some
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Galaţi, România
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109
Management & Marketing
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***SWOT Analysis from www-denis.kearney@ul.ie
***Statistical Annuar of Romania (2007)
110
