Home Depot Swot Analysis Paper

The retail industry is fickle and businesses within the industry must become resilient in order to succeed. Businesses are dependent on the economy just as much as consumer demands. Each business must fight to keep up with the everchanging world and establishing a sense of entrepreneurship for success. Many businesses have underestimated the ebb and flow of the industry, and some have been more than successful. The modern successful business is required to embrace a fast growing and relatively new piece to the industry, which is technology.

The Home Depot started to losing its share of the market to businesses with modernized operational and logistical processes. Many of these businesses were fully engrained in serving the online customer,

The constant need for change is often based on the economy, environmental changes and technological advancements. However, constant change is not realistic or attainable and can be damaging to the moral of the business (Todnem). There is no doubt a lack of support, according to Bridges theory, for The Home Depot team exists. The company by and far manages from the top down, which is a break even from its own core values. For example, a few of The Home Depot’s core values are: Taking Care of Our People, Building Strong Relationships, and Entrepreneurial Spirit. Abiding by the first core value should include providing the proper support through change, especially if the change is foreseen, such as this case. Further, creating a communicative approach from bottom up and allowing input at all levels reinforces the second and third values

These changes can be seen not only in the restructure of the learning and developmental programs for leadership, but also in training and development for all employees. Approximately five years ago the company installed a leadership program specifically designed for women. Along with this training program subtle changes in leadership practices have been installed, a change to theory Y concepts. Concepts more feminine and related to softer day to day leadership skills. But even those changes are minimal, slow and at times offensive. Most recently the leadership development programs installed specifically to develop women into leaders have changed. The changes now are scripted to accommodate all people for potential leadership roles. This has been seen as both positive and negative and again the communication surrounding the change has been limited and shielded from all people.

In order to continue as a world leader in the home improvement and retail business, The Home Depot must concede to a constant state of change readiness. This involves the installation of softer approaches, maybe not to the extreme of William Bridges, but to at least accommodate for all associates and eliminating expendable views. A strong suggestion would be to incorporate a conscious approach to change, accepting it rather than waiting for it to be thrust upon the business. As well as this, they must establish a fluid blend of both Beer’s