Marie Curie: Strategic Issues, Challenges, and Solutions Post-Pandemic

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the strategic issues and challenges faced by Marie Curie Foundation, a leading UK charity, in the wake of Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis employs strategic tools such as SWOT, PESTLE, VRIO, and McKinsey's 7-S model to identify key issues including funding challenges and the need for technological upgrades. The report discusses the impact of these events on Marie Curie's operations, highlighting weaknesses in market coverage and the need for service expansion. It also explores potential solutions and implementation strategies to address these challenges and improve the foundation's performance, ultimately aiming to enhance its ability to provide care and support to individuals with terminal illnesses and their families. Desklib offers a range of study tools and resources for students seeking similar reports and solved assignments.

COURSEWORK REPORT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Healthcare is one of the mature and well established sector but recently, UK has faced with two
major shocks that is, Brexit and outbreak of Covid – 19 and this has affect the performance of
almost all organizations of different sectors. The present report has evaluated the effect of Brexit
and Covid – 19 over the leading charity organization of UK that is, Marie Curie. Accordingly, it
has been found that in the post pandemic scenario Marie Curie is facing challenges of getting
sufficient funding and upgrading their technological base which is leading to inefficiency and
poor revenue generation within their Minternal processes.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
4.0 MAIN BODY.............................................................................................................................4
4.1 Strategic issue........................................................................................................................4
4.2 Challenges faced by Maries Curies Foundation..................................................................10
4.3 Solutions to Challenges that Marie Curie is facing.............................................................12
4.4 Implementation of solutions offered to Marie Curie...........................................................13
5.0 CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................13
6.0 RECOMMENDATIONS.........................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Strategic Issues are basically considered as foundations upon which strategies are developed
within the organization. These are those issues that affecting the overall policy choices and
procedures of company which have to be manage by business in order to stay competitive &
relevant in the market. The current report or coursework is based on Marie Curie Foundation.
Marie Curie Foundation is basically a registered charitable organization having operation in
United Kingdom (Dickson and et.al., 2018). The main purpose of the charity organization is to
provide care and support to the people with terminal illnesses along with their families. The
foundation was established in 1948. The report will cover the strategic issues and challenges
faced by Marie Curie. It will also cover the strategic performance of the Marie Curie Foundation
as comparison to its closest competitor MacMillan Cancer Support. Further, the report will also
discuss the various solutions available to Marie Curie Foundation with the help of which they
can solve their strategic issues and deal with the challenges they are facing. Further, the
implementation strategy will also be discussing in this current report (Stanley and et.al., 2019).
Lastly, the report will provide or recommend the effectual strategies with the help of which
Marie Curie Foundation enhance or improve their performance.
4.0 MAIN BODY
4.1 Strategic issue
Strategic analysis is helpful in evaluating business environment of an organization within
which it is operating. Accordingly, strategic issues will be identified and challenges that Marie
Curie is facing in modern business environment with reference to healthcare sector especially
due to the emergence of Covid -19 pandemic (Nwosu and et.al., 2019). There are certain models
that will be applied to the circumstances of Marie Curie in order to highlight different strategic
issues it is facing such as balanced scorecard, VRIO analysis, McKinsey's 7 S model, PESTLE
analysis and SWOT analysis.
Swot Analysis
This is known as strategic tool that help the organization in anglicising external and internal
factor that can affect overall growth of the firm. It is an acronym of strength, weaknesses,
opportunity and threat.
Strength: This include factor in which country is good at and it helps in increasing overall

growth of firm. Along with this, Mary cure has good brand image that has helped the company in
attracting large customer as well as to increase its brand image (Pan, Chen and Zhan, 2019). In
addition to this, Mary Curie make use of advance technology as well as have special expertise
that has contributed in keeping their customer by providing them with quality service.
Weakness: This factor is consisting of areas where the organization is poor and it is leading the
company in loss. Along with this, this health care firm is not covering large area of market and
due to that company has facing some strategic issues (Ursula, Skrypnyk and Vasylenko, 2019).
Moreover, the company need to increase more service in their plan so that it can attract large
customer as well as it will contribute in growth of firm.
Opportunity: This is external factor that allow organization to increase their growth as well as
to improve their performance. Along with this, Marie Curie has an opportunity to expand their
business in other states of UK as it will contribute in increasing their productivity as well as
raising their customer rate (Benzaghta and et.al., 2021). Although Marie curie is a charity
organization then expanding company will help in attracting investor. Along with this, it can also
establish treatment centre for terminal disease as well as specialized centre so that it can attract
medical tourism.
Threat: This type of factor is related external and internal that can have created hindrance in
growth of firm. Along with this, major threat that organization has faced is COVID -19 as due to
this company has invested more in raw material so that it can meet their needs. Thus, it has
affected finance of the company (Siddiqui,2021). Moreover, another potential threat that
company can face is change in government policy such as restriction on trade as it will affect
firm growth. High competition in company is threat to company as it has to come with
innovative idea in services in order to reduce its competition.
PESTLE
It is known as strategic tool that is used to analyse external market before launching new service
as well as product (Bismarck and et.al., 2018). Along with this, it plays important role in making
strategic decision-making as well as it is an acronym which stands for Political, legal, Social,
Economic, Technological and Environmental.
Political: This is consisting of rules and regulation that need to be followed by the organization
in order to sustain in competitive market. Along with this, during pandemic government has

imposed lockdown policy and it has negatively affected on charity and health care sector. Some
of the challenges faced by company is recruitment, retention, deployment and protection of
patient. Moreover, in order to sustain organization needed huge investment so that decent
working condition was ensuring while working (Patel, 2018).
Economical: This factor is consisting of disposable income people as well as economic rate of
the company. Along with this, the organization is conducting their business in good economic
condition then it will be able to earn high profit as well as to raise fund. Although due to COVID
income of the people were low and organization faced issue in raising fund for r running their
company (Kairos and et.al., 2020).
Social: Marie curie is a charity and non-profit organization that aims at providing social welfare
service to vulnerable sections of society. The company targets mainly people that are suffering
from any kind of terminal disease so that it can treat them. Moreover, the fundamental giving
nature of such organization create the importance for certain sections of society. Although
without aid of charities and non-profit many weaker section of the society will not survive
(Oyston and Bonnar, 2022).
Technology: The company can make use of advance tools and technology so that it can
improve their productivity. Along with this, organization can make use of digital technology like
social media in order to create awareness in the public. Moreover, the company can also use
advance tools so that it can give quality service to customer (Pan, Chen and Zhan, 2019).
Legal factor: This factor is consisting of laws made by the government in order to maintain
peace in the society. Along with this, it is following employment act policy as well as treat them
with respect. Moreover, the company is also following charity Act 2011 in order to regulate and
register their activity (Wahid and Zafar, 2021).
Environmental: This is one area where non- profit can play a big role in order to protect
environment from hazardous substance. Along with this, it can gather fund for building
awareness for environmental conservation and issue related to it (Herrmann Fischer and Held,
2018).
Vrio
This frame work evaluates the importance of resources of the firm that help them in reducing

competition. Along with this, it stands for Value of resources, Rareness, imitation risk and
organizational competences (Yudiono, Wilopo and Iqbal,2019). Thus, Marie Curie can make use
of this resources to build sustainable competitive advantage by understanding the role of
resources in charitable trust. It helps the company in making appropriate strategy for business
so that it can sustain in competitive market.
Value Rare Imitation Organization Competitive
advantage
yes no Can't be
imitated
Not based on
information
Can lead to
strong
competitive
advantage
Yes, firms are competing. No, every
organization
have different
marketing style
Pricing strategy
are often
copied by
others.
Yes, firm is
trying to hire
more experts
Temporary
competitive
advantage
Yes No It is available to
all the nearest
competitors
(Ariwibowo,Sa
putro and
Haryanto, 2021)
Organization
have sustainable
financial
position
Temporary
yes No Can be imitated Not been
totally
exploited
Do not play
important role
in creating
competitive
advantage.
yes No Can be initiated Yes, the
organization
provide quality
services to
customer
Temporary.

(Thompson and
et.al., 2018).
Yes, extremely important and
valuable
Yes, Copy
right and IPR
right is rare
Low risk
imitation
Firm has not
utilized fully
IPR
Strong
competitive
advantage
McKinsey 7-S Model
Another model which is used by Marie Curie Foundation, in order to analyse their
performance is McKinsey 7-S model. This model basically states the seven elements that Marie
Curie need to realign with their organization in order to improve the overall performance of
Foundation or charity (Boccia and et.al., 2019). The various internal aspects of organization are
as follows:
Strategy: The strategy is basically an organization plan with the help of which
organization maintain a competitive advantage over its competitors. For example, the strategy of
Marie Curie Foundation is to help more people and provide care to those people that deserve
better life (Gechkova and Kaleeva, 2020). The strategy of Marie Curie Foundation is to ask and
request donation for wealthy people and use them to provide care to terminal illness people.
Also, to make fast and effective improvements to service and hospitals environment via its
fundraising strategy.
Structure: This represents the ways in which business divisions and units are organized in
business. For example, Marie Curie Foundation uses Hierarchical organization structure in which
each staffs known their work and have supervisor to whom they need to report.
Systems: This state the whole process and procedure of the company along with the daily
activities and decisions. For example, the system of Marie Curie has focus on communication
system which they consider first at the time of implementing change and leading high
performance organization (Perry, 2018).
Skills: This is the third element of McKinsey model which state the skills that have to be
present in workforce in order to deal with organization change, new strategy or structure. For
example, the skills present in Marie Curie Foundation staffs is communication, patience, active
listening, critical thinking etc. But, implementing leadership skills in employees is a challenge
for Marie Curie charity organization.

Staffs: This represent the total number of staffs or employee that work with the
organization and how company will recruit, trained and motivate them. For example, the total
number of employees work with the Marie Curie Foundation is 40000 people across UK (What
new research tells us about the impact of COVID-19 on charities. 2021). The foundation also
provides face-to-face as well as virtual training to its staffs for asking donors for people care
support (Bismark and et.al., 2018).
Style: This represent the management style of company managers and leaders with the
help of which they interact with the staffs and patients. For example, the management style uses
by Marie Curie Foundation is coaching style. It is because the management wants to unlock the
potentials of their employees with the help of which they can understand their work and
complete it with their own power. As per this style, the management of Marie Curie believes that
every staffs have power within themselves and ability to achieve their outcome (White and et.al.,
2018).
Shared Values: This is last element of model which have to be consider by organization
for their performance improvement. For example, in case of Marie Curie charity, the employees
can share their ideas and values with each other and top management without any hesitation
(Charities in Britain. 2021). It is because the norms and standards that guide employee
behaviours are foundation of Marie Curie.

On the basis of above chart, it has been analysed that the enegry consumption and offshore
emissions of Marie Curie foundation has reduced from 2020 to 2021 (Marie Curie Foundation
Annual Report and Accounts 2020/ 2021). This indicate that Marie Curie plays its part in
improving environment situation.
Balanced Scorecard: This strategic tool is of great use for health care organization like Marie
Curie in an attempt to list out the outcomes of healthcare care services as a part of their approach
of continuous quality improvement (White and et.al., 2018). With the help of this tool, key
performance metrics are being set by healthcare organization, so that better quality of care can be
offered to their patients. The four main areas that are taken into account while setting
performance metrics through balanced scorecard are as follows:
Customer: From this perspective, Marie Curie is conscious about offering quality,
compassionate and convenient health care services to their patients. Accordingly, Marie Curie is
determined in terms of having the highest level of supportive staff and employing emerging
technologies associated with healthcare sector (Ehrlich, McKenney and Elkbuli, 2020).
Financial: From the financial perspective, Marie Curie has set 10% higher targets towards

growing revenue and 5% lower costs by managing them effectively and efficiently. However,
their inability to adapt with changing technological environment of healthcare sector such as
adoption of virtual care and effective leadership style, their revenue and profitability gets lower
even more with the emergence of Covid – 19 pandemic (How charities can weather the Covid
storm. 2021).
The reserver policy of Marie Curie Foundation state that if the reserve of foundation exceed its
target of 115% that the management will prepare the plan of action (Marie Curie Foundation
Annual Report and Accounts 2020/ 2021).
Financials based on Marie Curie’s financial performance and position from 2018 to 2020
Particulars 2018 2019 2020
Profit margin 1.01 2.55 5.19
Return on capital
employed
1.48 3.45 7.03
Liquidity ratio 1.45 1.63 1.7
Gearing ratio 5.88 5.21 4.21

Both net profit margin and return on capital employed of Marie Curie foundation has improved
in last three years which indicates that the company was profitable and generating greater
revenue from core business activities. Also, liquidity ratio of Marie Curie Foundation has
increased in last three years which indicates that the business’s ability in meeting its short term
obligations has improved. At last, the gearing ratio of the company has reduced in last three
years which indicates that the company is paying off their debts and utilizing more of equity
sources ub financing their operations (Marie Curie Foundation Annual Report and Accounts
2020/ 2021).
Internal process: To improvise their internal processes, Marie Curie is concentrating on three
major areas that is, improved access, quality of care to patients and excellence in research for
funding and teaching for their staff. Within these areas they are concentrating on improving their
patient's access to MD, accessing patients at different geographic regions, attract more funding,
development of their staff to become tomorrow's leaders, etc. With reference to internal
processes, Marie Curie is facing issues in creating efficient rooms for operations due to poor
funding and less talented staff available, accordingly, they are not able to achieve required level
of clinical outcomes within their areas of specialities (Hammoda and Durst, 2022).
Learning & Growth: From the perspective of growth and learning, Marie Curie is targeting to
recruit and retain highly talented staff and doctors by setting expectations and holding staff
accountable for inefficiencies and poor quality of services as a result of their ignorance. In order