McGraw Hill: Business Analysis and Strategic Solutions

This report focuses on the business problems faced by McGraw Hill and explores potential strategic solutions. It includes an analysis of Porter's Five Forces, SWOT, and PESTLE. The report also discusses the impact of these solutions on the organization's overall objectives. Subject: Business Analysis

McGraw Hill report
with business analyse

Table of Contents
Introduction .....................................................................................................................................3
Summary of assignment case study.................................................................................................3
Porter's Five Forces model with respect to McGraw Hill..........................................................3
SWOT Analysis for McGraw Hill.............................................................................................4
PESTLE Analysis for McGraw Hill..........................................................................................4
Exploration of business problem.................................................................................................5
Impact of potential strategic solutions........................................................................................6
Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................6
References .......................................................................................................................................7
Self reflection ..................................................................................................................................9
Action Plan.....................................................................................................................................10
.......................................................................................................................................................12

Introduction
The report revolves around developing an understanding of management concepts on the
basics of micro and macro economic concepts along with the decision-making process and
strategies for development that drives an organization towards their overall objectives. McGraw
Hill is one of the “big three” educational service provider that specializes in educational content,
software, modules and online study material. The organization falls under the category EMEA,
which means that they successfully carry out their operations in Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Although, McGraw Hill carries on their operations all over the globe but the major revenue are
generated from EMEA markets (Croitoru 2017). The education organisation specializes in
proving materials for study for major competition and entrance examinations all over the globe.
Their specially developed systems uses artificial intelligence technology and are impossible to
cheat in. The organization holds reputed credibility as well as accountability in market. This
report will include exploration of a business problem for McGraw Hill along with potential
strategic solutions developed in order to solve those problems.

Summary of assignment case study
Porter's Five Forces model with respect to McGraw Hill
Porter's five forces model includes customers, suppliers, substitute products, threat of
entrances and competitive threats. This report will focus of Porter's five forces model in
accordance to McGraw Hill as follows:
Bargaining power of Customers:Customers for McGraw Hill are teachers, students,
college universities, K-12 schools, general customers and business professionals and all of them
have low bargaining powers and therefore do not poses as a threat for the organisation
(ÖNEREN et al 2017).
Bargaining power of Suppliers: The suppliers for McGraw Hill revolves around authors,
editors, paper and labour who have very low bargaining power and therefore do not pose a threat
against the organisation. The power also depends upon packaging costs which have medium to
low power and therefore can be utilized easily along with transportation costs which poses high
bargaining power and therefore McGraw Hill have to create contingency plans for the same
(Baxter 2019).
Substitute products :The threat arising due to substitute products can be mitigated using
mentorship methodologies and McGraw Hill's internal financial analysis.
Threat of entrances : The threat of potential entry of new competitors can be mitigated by
earning customer loyalty and focusing on lower prices, advertising and promotions, capital,
economies of scale and high profile clientele (Baxter 2019).
Competitive threats : The biggest competitors of McGraw Hill are Reed Elsevier Group,
Peasrson PLC and Hougton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
SWOT Analysis for McGraw Hill
Strengths:
 Diversity in the organisation
(Elavarasan et al 2020).
 Commitment towards their corporate
responsibilities.
 Using digital landscape for sales.
Weaknesses:
 Units dealing with textbook are
becoming a liability for McGraw Hill
post rescission (Phadermrod et al
2019).
 Decline in their stock prices.
 $1.88 in Goodwill.

Opportunities:
 Involvement of emerging economies
like India and China (Leiber et al
2018).
 Increase in Global Population.
 Online education post COVID-19.
Threats:
 Declining education budgets.
 Rising competitors.
 Change in Indian Regulations.
PESTLE Analysis for McGraw Hill
Political: The organization have to take care of [political conditions in every country
where they operate. Dynamic political conditions in one country may effect the overall
operational efficiency of McGraw Hill (Nandonde 2019). In order to mitigate this threat the
organisation have to analyse the political environment of all the countries they operate in. India's
political environment is more vivid than of others and therefore the organisation needs to have
contingency policies for the same.
Economical: McGraw Hill have to adapt their global operations n accordance to massive
dynamics in international markets. Post COVID-19 situation there have been a rescission in
international markets and it effects every single organisation that operates globally (Gheibi et al
2018). McGraw Hill have to develop the understanding that they have adapt to the active
changes in international markets.
Social: Humans are social beings and have to live in accordance to the conventions of
human conventions and therefore McGraw Hill is an extension of society's will. Thus, the
organisation have to focus on fulfilment of their duties towards society. This stage also helps in
analysing the social status of their target customers and establish their campaigns accordingly.
Technological: McGraw Hill operates using digital landscape and therefore they have to
gain understanding of all the technological advancements in the sector and design their
operations accordingly. The McGraw Hill's website still lacks in technological advancements.
The organisation should plan on using artificial intelligence in their website to adapt itself in
accordance to the students calibre and capabilities reducing their high rates of customer
abandonment.

Legal: Any business is bound to operate within the rules and regulations set by the
judicial system of a country. McGraw Hill have to analyse the legal protocols of every country
they operate in and modify their services accordingly.
Environmental: McGraw Hill have to develop and initiate as well as actively monitor
their sustainability policies. The organisation have to carry on their operations in accordance to
the environmental conditions of the target they operate in. These conditions may differ from
market to market and therefore the organization have to adapt their sustainability policies
accordingly (Christodoulou and Cullinane 2019.). In addition to that it is responsibility of
McGraw Hill to work in enhancing the quality of environment in which they operate in.
Exploration of business problem
The report focuses on the problems faced by McGraw Hill including both internal and
external dynamics. The report will revolve around the analysis of micro as well as macro factors
that can lay an outline for development of business. This report will focus on key problems based
on student feedbacks as well as analysis of organisation's strengths and weaknesses (Fozer et al
2018). The report will also focus on the impacts of the potential strategies that can be undertaken
by the organization as a means to overcome the problems that they are facing. This report
focuses on the external and external problems that creates difficulties in student interaction with
the website. McGraw Hill's website's inability to adapt in accordance to their customer's learning
capabilities create high levels of customer abandonment.
Impact of potential strategic solutions
In order to solve these problems McGraw Hill needs to reduce their organizational
complexity, develop their workplace in a manner that focuses on enhancement of interaction,
focusing on cluster management and using the approach of automated workflows. The
organisation can use accumulation of these strategies in order to overcome the challenges that
they are facing and over the organization towards their overall objectives.
Conclusion
The report revolves around the problems faced by McGraw Hill, along with an
understanding of management concepts based on micro and macro economy concepts that
establishes the outline for achievement of overall organizational objectives by McGraw Hill.
The report concludes that the organization is responsible for tackling the three major challenges

i.e. preparing students, retention of their customers as well as preparing the students in
accordance to their career preferences. The challenges faced by McGraw Hill are inefficient data
analytics, late response to the market and under-developed outlines for adapting in accordance to
the customers resulting in high customer abandonment levels.

References
Baxter, G., 2019. A strategic analysis of Cargolux Airlines International position in the global air
cargo supply chain using Porter’s Five Forces Model. Infrastructures. 4(1). pp.6.
Christodoulou, A. and Cullinane, K., 2019. Identifying the Main Opportunities and Challenges
from the Implementation of a Port Energy Management System: A SWOT/PESTLE
Analysis. Sustainability. 11(21). pp.6046.
Croitoru, A., 2017. Schumpeter, Joseph Alois, 1939,“Business Cycles: A Theoretical, Historical,
and Statistical Analysis of the Capitalist Process “, New York and London, McGraw–
Hill Book Company Inc.v Journal of comparative research in anthropology and
sociology. 8(01). pp.67-80.
Elavarasan, R.M., Afridhis, S., Vijayaraghavan, R.R., Subramaniam, U. and Nurunnabi, M.,
2020. SWOT analysis: A framework for comprehensive evaluation of drivers and
barriers for renewable energy development in significant countries. Energy Reports. 6.
pp.1838-1864.
Fozer, D., Sziraky, F.Z., Racz, L., Nagy, T., Tarjani, A.J., Toth, A.J., Haaz, E., Benko, T. and
Mizsey, P., 2017. Life cycle, PESTLE and multi-criteria decision analysis of CCS
process alternatives. Journal of cleaner production.147. pp.75-85.
Gheibi, M., Karrabi, M., Mohammadi, A. and Dadvar, A., 2018. Controlling air pollution in a
city: A perspective from SOAR‐PESTLE analysis. Integrated environmental
assessment and management. 14(4). pp.480-488.
Leiber, T., Stensaker, B. and Harvey, L.C., 2018. Bridging theory and practice of impact
evaluation of quality management in higher education institutions: a SWOT analysis.
European Journal of Higher Education. 8(3). pp.351-365.
Nandonde, F.A., 2019. A PESTLE analysis of international retailing in the East African
Community. Global Business and Organizational Excellence. 38(4). pp.54-61.
ÖNEREN, M., ARAR, T. and YURDAKUL, G., 2017. Developing competitive strategies based
on SWOT analysis in Porter’s five forces model by DANP. Journal Of Business
Research-Turk. 9(2). pp.511-528.
Phadermrod, B., Crowder, R.M. and Wills, G.B., 2019. Importance-performance analysis based
SWOT analysis. International Journal of Information Management. 44. pp.194-203.

Self reflection
In order to prepare myself against the ever changing dynamics in the future trends I undertook
VARK analysis. The future employability structure is based on dynamics which are changing
quickly. Employers are looking for skills we didn't even knew existed few months back. In order
to prepare for future employment criteria, I plan on following my action plan in order to prepare
myself against in accordance to these skills. I took VARK Analysis and the results were as
follows:
VARK Analysis is a questionnaire based analysis that revolves around using questions I order to
figure out the skills that one have. During my analysis I was asked several questions which
mostly focused on what course of action will I take in many situations, based on the responses I
selected the above results were developed. Which meant that I earned 16 points in visual skills,
14in Aural, 14 in reading and writing skills and 15 in Kinaesthetic skills. This analysis helped
me understand the need of all the skills that I need to develop in order to prepare myself against
the employability criteria that employers have. I will continue focusing on objectives that I set
using the SMART methodological framework. My objectives are specific, measurable at any
point of time, achievable, relevant and based on maximum timelines. I plan on developing my
communication skills by Reading and writing, reading books to enhance vocabulary, watching
documentaries to master fluency, active practices to develop the habit. I plan on developing my
numeracy skills by Analysing annual reports of companies, practising Microsoft Excel, studying
case studies, practising other statistical tools, practising different charts, developing
understanding of collection and interpretation of data. I plan on developing my problem solving
skills by reading case studies, reading literature about the same, taking part in team projects. I
plan on developing my analytical skills by Reading case studies, watching videos on YouTube,

Taking tutoring sessions online, taking help of BNU E-Library, taking online courses by
McGraw Hill. I plan on developing my research skills by Taking part in research, making
reports, conducting surveys, researching online, practising web-surfing. Along with that I plan on
learning at least one foreign language in the course of next 12 months. I plan on mastering
Microsoft Excel in the course of next 3 months which will help me in fulfilling my future
employability criteria. In addition to that Belbin and Tuckman theory and model in order to
develop my team participation and leadership skills. A good team player is required by every
organisation. Having team management and participation in increasing the chances of promotion
in future as well. In my experience it helps in maintaining the overall quality of overall projects
and synchronises all the efforts of all the team members and pushes it towards the common
organisational objectives. A team player always have better chance of getting the promotions as
e is already well aware about the management strategies. I plan on developing these skills in
order to enhance my leadership capabilities. I have always dreamt of being a leader, the one who
leads a team towards their success, who solves problems of his team and whose team can always
count on him. I want to understand the concept of leadership more and want to become an ideal
leader. Above promotions, I plan on gaining this skill because it helps me in achieving my goal
of becoming an ideal leader in future. I plan on developing these skills in order to prepare myself
for future purposes. Emergence of technologies have changed the employability criteria, artificial
intelligence can now do work that humans used to do before. In order to prepare myself against
these uncertainties I will focus making myself flexible and adaptable to foreign environment.
The employability criteria is based on factors which are extremely dynamic in nature and
therefore adaptability to changes is the key to have a safe and secure future employment. I plan
to update my action plan by using active monitoring techniques in accordance to employability
needs.
Action Plan
Fields or skills where
improvement is
needed
Starting and end date Procedures Outcome
Communication skills 16/12/2020 –
01/06/2021
Reading and writing,
reading books to
Good communication
skills helps in

enhance vocabulary,
watching
documentaries to
master fluency, active
practices to develop
the habit.
personality
development. It is
must have skills when
it comes to day to day
life or employment.
Numeracy Skills
01/12/2021 –
31/03/2021
Analysing annual
reports of companies,
practising Microsoft
Excel, studying case
studies, practising
other statistical tools,
practising different
charts, developing
understanding of
collection and
interpretation of data.
Numeracy Skills will
help me in
employability as it is
required by almost
every organisation all
over the globe. In
addition to that, I've
always been interested
in market trends which
I will be able to
analyse Once I gain
this skill.
Problem solving skills
01/12/2021 –
31/03/2021
Reading case studies,
reading literature
about the same, taking
part in team projects.
Problem solving skills
are helpful in
employability and they
are really helpful in
day to day life.
Analytical skills 01/12/2021 –
31/03/2021
Reading case studies,
watching videos on
YTaking part in
research, making
reports, conducting
surveys, researching
online, practising web-
In order to analyse
dynamics this skill is
important as it lays the
foundation for
decision-making
process. It is must
required skill for

surfing. ouTube,
Taking tutoring
sessions online, taking
help of BNU E-
Library, taking online
courses by McGraw
Hill.
employers as well.
Research skills
01/12/2021 –
31/03/2021
Taking part in
research, making
reports, conducting
surveys, researching
online, practising web-
surfing.
In order to reach a
solution for a problem,
it is necessary to
collect every available
piece of information
about it and therefore
this skill will enhance
my decision-making
by making them time
effective.