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SWOT ANALYSIS

Swot Analysis

Tanisha Durrant-Higgin

Wilmington University
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SWOT ANALYSIS

Even though non-profit organizations are operating to offer critical social services to at-

risk population, and their end goal is not to make profit, it is keen that the organization examine

its operating environment to identify opportunities, strengths and weaknesses. According to Noe,

et al., (2006), internal analysis attempts to identify the organization’s strengths and weaknesses.

It focuses on the quality and quantity of resources available to the organization. These resources

can be financial, capital, technological, and human resources.

It is important that the organization accurately assess each resource to determine whether

it is a strength or weakness. External analysis consists of examining the organization’s operating

environment to identify the strategic opportunities and threats (noel, et al). Opportunities can

include population that has not been served, services that have not been offered, technological

advancement that can aid the organization, and labor pool that has not been tapped (noel et al).

Threats include potential labor shortage, new competitors entering the market, and pending

legislation that can adversely affect the company (Noel). Internal and external analysis combined

constitute what we now know to be a SWOT analysis. Carrying out an analysis using the SWOT

framework helps you to focus your activities into areas where you are strong and where the

greatest opportunities lie.

Strengths:

The domestic violence program offered through Child’s Inc. offers services to the entire

family. Unlike other programs offered through other organizations who only offer services to

women, women and children or just children, Child’s Inc offers services to the entire family

including male as well. Child’s Inc treats the family as a unit, and domestic and intimate partner
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SWOT ANALYSIS

violence just does not affect one individual, but the entire unit. Men with or without children

may need crisis shelter to escape an abusive partner(childinc.com).

Child’s Inc has set itself apart from other competitors by being the only program in the

New Castle County area to offer domestic violence services to single males and males with

children. Domestic violence was once understood as gendered violence and is an abuse of power

within a relationship (heterosexual or homosexual) or after separation, and a larger majority of

cases having the offender as a male and the victim female (Healey, 2014). More up to date

reports have revealed that more males are victims of abuse than it was led to believe, and the

male counterparts are more reluctant to report this abuse due to shame and the stigma that is

associated with this issue.

Another strength identified within the domestic violence program is that the Domestic

Violence Treatment Program (DVTP) provides structured counseling interventions for both men

and women who have committed acts of intimate partner violence or abuse (childinc.com).

Participation in the intervention services can be either voluntary or court mandated. With Child’s

Inc. being one of two organizations within the New Castle county area, and one of four certified

treatment programs in Delaware; they are set apart from other like programs in the state.

The organization having its own visitation centers is another one of the strengths of the

organization. A variety of family situations necessitate the use of the visitation centers including

intimate partners violence, a history of difficulties surrounding child visitation or exchange,

parental substance use or lack of suitable visitation space, among others (childinc.com) Services

include on-site multifamily group supervised visits, monitored exchange or individually

supervised visits. Child’s Inc. provides a variety of services throughout Newcastle, Kent, and

Sussex County in Delaware which has created an impact on the communities within the state.
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SWOT ANALYSIS

This is a strength of the organization, unlike its counterparts who are operating in one area of the

state, Child’s Inc. have offices within all 3 counties to serve a wider population.

The organization has also created a reputation for itself over the years as a highly

respected and important part of the community. Child Inc. has been helping children and families

since 1963 and originally started as a boy’s home, but later expanded its services and re-branded

under the name Child Inc. in 1973 (childinc.com). As Child, Inc endeavored to treat the entire

family, the agency quickly learned that in many of these families there were high incidences of

domestic violence. Since services for victims of domestic violence were non-existent during the

mid-seventies, Child, Inc. began developing programming for these families (childinc.com).

Weaknesses:

Child Inc. over the years has had a high turnover rate from staff and has been a weakness

for the organization. High turnover rate in an organization can be due several factors such as:

employees not being recognized for their hard work, Employees are overworked, pay and

benefits does not equate to the work that is contributed. According to (Noe, et al., 2006), If the

job conditions cannot be changed, a dissatisfied worker may be able to solve the problem by

leaving the job. If the source of dissatisfaction relates to organization policies such as lack of job

security or below-market pay levels, organizational turnover is most likely (Noe, et al., 2006).

There are many aspects of people and the organization that can cause dissatisfaction among

employees; managers and HR professionals need to be aware of these because they are the levers

which can raise job satisfaction and reduce employee withdrawal and turnover (Noe, et al.,

2006).
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SWOT ANALYSIS

Another weakness identified within the organization is that staff members are

overworked. This vulnerability to vital staff members may cause staff members to become

unavailable or overwhelmed due to shortage of staff. When staff members are overworked, it is

hard for the employees of find a healthy work-life balance which can cause employees to

become stressed, not just at work but also at home. Once an individual becomes stressed, this can

lead to chronic health conditions to develop, and or mental distress from working beyond one’s

capacity. According to Whalen (2017), working extended hours is just plain unhealthy and can

mentally drain employees. Employees who are not given the time they need to fully recharge and

unwind from a stressful workweek, will cause the stress to just continue to accumulate.

It is the employer’s responsibility to make sure the company promotes the health of the

employee (Whalen, 2017). If the company demands that employees put in overtime hours over

an extended period of time, it’s time to make some changes for both the sake of the employee

and the company (Whalen, 2017). Long work hours automatically equate to less sleep, and

according to Whalen (2017, employees are more likely to make mistakes when they are tired.

Lack of sleep keeps the brain from functioning properly, causing troubles with memory,

concentration, and attention span. With all these side effects of lack of sleep, work performance

will ultimately decrease when employees are pushed past their limit.

Opportunities:

Child’s Inc. partnered with Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence (DCADV),

through a collaborative effort where focus is placed on improving the safety and health outcomes

of survivors in the community. This community-based service seeks to meet survivors where

they are, connecting with them where they feel safe and comfortable, and engaging them in care
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coordination, counseling and supportive services, and education and empowerment. The

opportunity exists to remain as a partner on this initiative, while the program goes into phase two

of its operation. The company also has an opportunity to create better opportunities for

individuals who are enrolled in their program to identify permanent housing opportunities. Most

of the individuals who go through the domestic violence program are individuals who are

dependent on their partner financially and oftentimes require employment and housing solutions.

The organization has the opportunity to provide services to clients that will help them gain their

independence and also educate them on how to improve their quality of life. As professionals in

the field and a social service provider it should be the goal of the organization to improve the

quality of life for individuals while helping to promote their self-determination.

The organization also has the opportunity to bring more awareness to domestic violence

and the signs to look out for when issues of violence are developing. Oftentimes individuals are

unaware of the signs that exist that they are victims of abuse, especially if the abuse is not

physical. With the platform that Child Inc. has, it is so much easier for the organization to bring

awareness to individuals enrolled in their programs as well as individuals in and around the

community that they serve.

Threats:

With the current economic and environmental climate, more organizations are entering

into the market offering the same or similar programs that are offered by Child Inc. Other

organizations who have more human resource and technological advancement, can and will be

able to provide services more efficiently and effectively to clients. With more organizations

entering the market, it means more aggressive competitions for limited resources to fund the
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domestic violence programs. Because these programs are funded through federal and private

grants, there are benchmarks that have to be met to secure renewal. If the company is not able to

meet renewal standards, funders can always choose to fund another program offered by another

company.
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SWOT ANALYSIS

References

Batterers' Intervention Certification Panel. (2019). Retrieved from

https://dvcc.delaware.gov/committees/batterers-intervention-certification-panel/

Domestic Violence Services. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.childinc.com/domestic-violence-

services/

Healey, J. (2014). Domestic and family violence. The Spinney Press.

https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/wilmcoll-ebooks/reader.action?docID=1593879

Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B., & Wright, P. M. (2006). Human resource

management: Gaining a competitive advantage (5th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin.

Whalen, R. (2017). The Dangerous Link Between Overworked Employees and Their Health.

Retrieved from https://info.totalwellnesshealth.com/blog/the-dangerous-link-between-

overworked-employees-and-their-health

Why Use a SWOT Analysis? (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://wilmu.instructure.com/courses/18116/assignments/285898?

module_item_id=763116
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