The COVID pandemic that rapidly spread around the globe had a lasting and considerable impact on my small retail business. To begin, when a wave of lockdown came, I had to shut down my business and send employees home for a period of time. After the strictest measures were lifted, we were able to operate at a maximum amount of four hours per day with the minimum number of staff. We were only able to do curbside pickup and/or 1 person at a time inside our store, which ed t drastic decrease in profits at the same time considerably enhancing clients waiting time.
Another problem cause by the lockdown was the disruption of the supply chain due to the lack of supplies and delivery options. Our exclusive vendor had to shutdown, and we could not get his merchandise despite the fact that it was the only brand we sold. After some time, when supplied resumed, our retailer business could function a very slow pace, which resulted in constant delays of our merchandise to the clients.
The COVID-19 pandemic also brought forth health and safety concerns as the company had to make sure that no employees or clients are subject to unwarranted health risks. We had to find ways to prevent clients from handling merchandise on the shelves apart from the items they intended to buy. For this, we hang declarations asking clients to be aware of the health risks and not to take anything they were not willing as to buy. While the measures were effective in preventing COVID-19 contaminations, at the same time they led to the loss of some of our permanent clients who enjoyed handling the goods before making decision on whether to buy them. Gradually, the limitations were lifted; however, in COFID-19 pandemic, our small retail business lost some percentage of its marginality and some of its staunchest clients.
Product Offering, Target Market and Customer Service
Fair Dos is a non profit company. It offers cheap and unique products from third world countries which are not well-off economically. Therefore, underpinning its operations on fair trade, Fair Dos offers the populace from these countries a chance to trade their products. The companys range of products is not well-defined. This is considering the fact that the suppliers do not come from the same geographical locations.
Fair Dos, therefore, offers products ranging from compact discs, clothes, foods and beverages, and toys among others. It is crucial to note that these products are not modified, whatsoever. They are stocked in their original form in the shops. These shops are approved by the British Association for Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS) and/or the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) (Fair Do, 2011).
The suppliers of this small scale company are not distinct, either. This is because the company has a policy that guides its operations. It must source its products from suppliers or people who do not have well-off backgrounds. However, the company gets its products from Europe and the Americas sometimes.
It is important to note that creative products are the focus of Fair Dos. These products include designed pots from Africa, hand-made ornaments from Egypt, Somalia and Kenya, beauty products made from peoples hands, among others. This is in line with the fact that economics should be mixed with Fair Trade. This is the belief of the company, hence, its line of interest in suppliers and customers (Fair Do, 2011).
All these products are sold all over the world. But, mainly, the target market is developed countries. These countries are the focal point from which the market base of fair dos is situated. The company believes in putting people first. This includes its customer base, supply base, workers and volunteers. The argument is that they provide the company with the needed impetus in its policy application.
This explains the reason why the company is so particular with the quality and uniqueness of products it offers in the market. Its customer service is unique in its own way. There is also belief that the company offers products at different prices. Firstly, the price is fixed. However, a customer can offer to buy at a higher price going by the company needs to promote the direct producers from whom it buys the products (Fair Do, 2011).
Supply Chain Management and Logistics
Fair dos supply chain and logistics management is quite complicated. As noted earlier, the company does not offer products from specific suppliers. It only sources products from fair trade accredited companies. The accreditation is received from British Association for Fair Trade Shops (BAFTS) and/or the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO).
This essentially limits the planning of this department. Fair trade means that the company believes in paying a fair price to the suppliers. Hence, it cannot pass on the burden of supply costs to the suppliers. Therefore, although it is a company it essentially makes no profits. Most of the costs are associated with supply and logistics (Boyer, 2010).
The suppliers of these products are mainly from third world countries. These are the countries where the balance of trade is grossly against. However, there can be second tier suppliers who are also accredited for fair trading that can supply to fair do. However, these suppliers do not last long and may occasionally close down. An example is the recently closed shop where fair do was buying Peruvian hand made ceramics.
This partnership is also witnessed in its trade with Rwanda and Kenya. In Kenya there is a second tier supplier, Kazuri, which stocks the Masai and Kambas necklaces and hand products. In Rwanda the company coalesces with Cards for Africa, a company that sponsors orphans. These orphans make beautiful welsh cards. Once the company gets these products it stocks them mainly in its canton (Cardiff) based shop and in Wales. From there the company can buy the products (Fair Do, 2011).
From the above, it is notable that the companys supply chain is two pronged. This means it can buy directly from the makers of the products or from second tier suppliers (Chen, 2004). The company does not, however, depend on these suppliers so much. This is because they might get wearied by the fair trade requirement and closed own. Therefore, it establishes contacts with direct suppliers (producers) and customers to remain afloat (Larson, 2004).
Technology, Its Impacts and E-Commerce
Fair do has a remarkable online presence. Website provides the necessary transition for people who want to trade with the company online (Fair Do, 2011).The company as with most companies has a face book and twitter page. It has ensured that the page is interactive enough and has updated information concerning its operations (Haag, 2006).
Through these two internet applications the company keeps its customers and suppliers posted at almost no cost. It also is able to promote more involvement with fair trading: a concept the company upholds. A perfect example is the upcoming Easter holidays (Fair Do, 2011).
Fair dos has informed its stakeholders in advance of the imminent closure during that period. This is going to happen during the wedding of prince Williams and Kate (Fair Do, 2011).This is quite important as customers are able to make gift purchases in advance. It also improves the interactive nature that it operates. The company is very particular with its customers. Its customer service is unrivalled in Wales along with its product offering (Kouvelis et al. 2006).
The company has not exactly focussed on e commerce. Experts argue it is because of the complications that it may bring. The company will have to align itself with the policy of fair trade. This is quite hard when you do not know who you are dealing with. E commerce is usually faceless. This is only possible in the upstream side of the supply chain: where only selling takes place.
It is however almost impossible on the down stream side (suppliers) because accreditation is needed (Fair Do, 2011). Prove of accreditation and the risk of counterfeits is quite possible. Although the company can immensely reduce costs associated with direct dealing, it has other pressing needs to uphold. Hence, it opts out in that area. The impact is basically on costs and the issue of missed opportunities which can present competitive supplying to the company.
Technology is crucial in the growth of current businesses. This will keep the businesses relevant even in future. The company hence, plans to have a modified e commerce application to its business and to improve internet presence. This will present the company with insurmountable numbers of customer base and opportunities for expansion (Fair Do, 2011). Therefore, although it is a company it essentially makes no profits. Most of the costs are associated with supply and logistics (Boyer, 2010).
Store Design and Location
The companys physical location is in Cardiff in canton along 10 Llandaff Road. This is where you find the main office which is registered (Fair Do, 2011). However, the company is a federation of small businesses located in almost every part of England. These small businesses have a particular store design that they operate. This is to give fair dos an identity both from the customers and other stakeholders (Halldorsson, 2007).
The company has a theme where its stores are painted in happy colours. This is inline with the various unrelated products that the company offers. The size of the stores is always small. This is because the type of products stocked does not occupy large amounts of space. The company has two service people inside and a cashier. A customer has space for manoeuvre inside and this is crucial in the sampling of the various commodities (Fair Do, 2011).
Products are arranged according to origin. Products from Philippines, Kenya, Egypt and Somalia are kept in different places. It is also common to arrange them according to a large area of origin. This means products from east Africa, West Africa at cetera are kept together. This makes customer shopping experience greater. The products do not have price tags except for the most expensive ones (Hines, 2004).
The colours range is determined by the products. Basically, these products come from communities who use hands to make them. The raw materials range from sand, clay, ivory remains, bone among others (Fair Do, 2011). The paintings are also quite different inline with the diverse cultures of the people.
This is what the company essentially promotes in the design of its stores. Experts say that the company does it self proud by employing the sustainable mantra (Lavassani, 2009). What they argue is that the company is in tandem with the global call for sustainable development. This clarion call which asks organizations to go green has been received, or pioneered by fair dos. It is replicated in its store design also.
Pricing and Promotion
In actual business world, this is what would largely determine the success and or failure of a business. However, this is not the main factor for operation of fair do. The companys main focus is on sustainable development of economies (Fair Do, 2011). It also focuses on improving the lifestyles of people in less developed countries whose products do not find their way in mainstream markets. This is despite the fact they are unique products.
The pricing of the products at fair do is hence, focussed on this. This is considering the fact that the suppliers do not come from the same geographical locations. Fair do, therefore, offers products ranging from compact discs, clothes, foods and beverages, toys among others (Misiura, 2006).
In some cases the company prices its commodities highly. This is because they are unique products very suitable for expensive gifts and prizes. Therefore, people who love unique things especially artillery, ornaments and handicrafts find solace and perfect places for shopping at fair dos.
It is quite important as it is a two pronged approach which services the less privileged people in the world. It also works for the environment. These small businesses have a particular store design that they operate. This is to give fair dos an identity both from the customers and other stakeholders (Fair Do, 2011).
The company does not focus on making profits. The costs associated with the companies operations are staggering. This is especially true in the logistics and supply chain management. The company does not however make losses. This is offset by fair pricing (Fair Do, 2011).
The company believes in offering the best deal to both the customers and the suppliers. However, on the customer side it gets better deals by offering products at different prices. The company also invokes the human side of the customers with the message of helping the developing world (Nagurney, 2006).
Fair dos does not promote its products in the mainstream media. It, in fact does not promote products. This is because it does not have a distinct line of products. Therefore promotions may be an act in futility. The company however promotes its goal, mission and vision. This brings in volunteers from many departments.
It also works magic in word of mouth marketing. According to experts it is more productive when a company grows through buzz marketing than any other form of promotion. The company enjoys the services of students who work in the company for free. This way they reduce the overall overhead costs associated with operations. It is also important to note that the company will enjoy so much support form the government. This is inline with the governments plan to go green (Ketchen, 2006).
Reference List
Boyer, K. (2010) Operations & Supply Chain Management for the 21st Century. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.
Chen, I. (2004) Towards a Theory of Supply Chain Management: The Constructs and Measurements. Journal of Operations Management, 22.2: 119-150.
Fair Do. (2011) Fair Dos Siopa Teg, Fair Do Web. Web.
Haag, S. (2006) Management Information Systems for the Information Age. Canada: McGraw Hill Ryerson.
Halldorsson, A. (2007) Complementary Theories to Supply Chain Management. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 12.4: 284-296.
Hines, T. (2004) Supply Chain Strategies: Customer Driven And Customer Focused. Oxford: Elsevier.
Ketchen, J. (2006) Bridging Organization Theory and Supply Chain Management: The Case of Best Value Supply Chains. Journal of Operations Management, 25.2: 573-580.
Kouvelis, P. et al. (2006) Supply Chain Management Research and Production and Operations Management. Review, Trends, and Opportunities. In: Production and Operations Management, 15. 3: 449469.
Larson, P. (2004) Logistics versus Supply Chain Management: An International Survey. International Journal of Logistics: Research & Application, 7.1: 17-31.
Lavassani, K. (2009) Developments in Theories of Supply Chain Management: The Case of B2B Electronic Marketplace Adoption. The International Journal of Knowledge, Culture and Change Management, 9.6: 8598.
Misiura, S. (2006) Heritage Marketing. London: Elsevier, Burlington.
Nagurney, A. (2006) Supply Chain Network Economics: Dynamics of Prices, Flows, and Profits. London: Edward Elgar Publishing.
Harvey Norman has been in operations for 31 years since its formation in 1982 as a partnership between Gerry Harvey and Ian Norman. The retail venture started off as a single store before eventually registering significant success that led to a great expansion (Grant, 2003). The immense success of the pair resulted in the firm going public in 1987 in the Australian Stock Exchange.
The Harvey Normans mission statement is four-pronged in its objective, which includes getting recognition as the worlds leader in the retail service delivery within the fast moving consumer goods region. Additionally, it targets to generate superior returns to benefit its shareholders to create a workplace that is inspiring, as well as get welcomed within the communities that it operates.
Over the years, several changes and transformations have been witnessed in Harvey Norman. Its business portfolio was expanded for the first time in 1991 to include a computer superstore operation under its structure.
The first international expansion occurred in 1997 when Harvey Norman opened its doors in New Zealand, followed by another significant move in 1998 that saw the firm acquire The Joyce Mayne enterprise and Archie Martin Vox stores (Grant, 2003). Joyce Mayne mainly operated a furniture and appliance business chain.
In 1999, the retailer expanded its international growth further by entering the Singaporean market through a joint venture prior to acquiring the Electric City business chain in the country in 2001. The same year also saw Harvey Norman garner the majority control of the Rebel Sports, another retail chain in Australia.
Continued expansion led Harvey Norman to enter the Slovenian market in 2002 and both the Malaysian and Ireland domestic markets in 2003 (Grant, 2003). Presently, the firm operates in numerous business areas using its principal subsidiaries that include Achiever Computers Pty Ltd, Calardu Pty Ltd, P & E Sale Pty Ltd, and Space Furniture Ltd, among many other subsidiaries.
The Harvey Norman official logo. Source: Harvey Norman (2011)
Target Market
Demography and Psychographics
Harvey Norman deals with a large business portfolio that includes numerous products for the market. This has, in turn, widened its designated target market with a great deal to include male and female buyers.
The computer and tablet portfolio mainly targets youthful individual buyers from the early teenage years of 16 to 55 years old. This portfolio also targets corporate consumers, both middle-and large-scale, acquiring computers for their corporate use.
The individual consumers are seeking to keep pace with the fast growing technology and innovation in the information communication technology. A significant number of these consumers comprise of students intending to use the computers for their studies, gain fast and accurate information, as well as interact through the social media platform.
They have a higher demand for entertainment, such as listening to music, watching movies, and playing highly interactive online games. These buyers are innovators in their own right, constantly seeking to learn about any latest technology advancements and acquiring them to remain most modern. The power of interaction over the internet keeps them informed and inspires their urge to look for more information.
Corporate consumers are interested in enhancing operational efficiency through the use of computers. They intend to measure their activities and actions to obtain accurate results. Companies also target to network their premises to achieve fast and reliable communication amongst their workforce. They are mainly interested in latest advanced computer models that are an improvement of the previous models obtained.
Market Positioning
Their main focus entails delivering the latest high quality and high functional computers to their buyers. Harvey Normans business-to-business market segment seeks to ensure that its corporate clients, just like the individual buyers, enjoy a high quality performance of their computers and tablets. The company is among the leading computer retailers in Australia. It is expanding into the global arena to establish itself among the major international market players.
Competitors/Competitive Sustainable Advantage
The Australian superstore market that was pioneered by Harvey Norman has since expanded over the years to attract numerous players. Other retailer firms competing with Harvey Norman include Westel Group Ltd., Woolworths Ltd., Coles Supermarkets, Myer Holdings Ltd., James Richardson Corporation, as well as David Jones Ltd., and Strathfield Group Ltd., among many other players.
Woolworths, for instance, is Australias biggest supermarket chain that accounts for the countrys largest market share. The retailer has managed to build a strong customer loyalty that it relies upon to leverage its market competition.
David Jones, on its part, has sustained a great market differentiation focus by exclusively maintaining distribution agreements, agencies, and licenses. This has afforded David Jones a strong brand name.
Competitive advantage
Harvey Normans success borders on the resultant economies of scale involving the firms purchasing, as well as marketing activities. The distinct store approaches of franchising that the firm pursues equally enhance its competitive advantage in the market.
In this mode of practice, a given Harvey Norman store may house a furniture franchisee, computer products franchisee, as well as an electrical goods franchisee. Such an arrangement gives room for appropriate specialization for the sales staffs, giving the common motivation benefits that result from entrepreneurial franchisees.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Harvey Norman has established itself as Australias largest electrical, as well as the entertainments goods retailer. This strong establishment influences its market performance through the elaborate branch network and overall market presence.
Harvey has also expanded into the international market where it has set operations in Malaysia, Singapore, Slovenia, New Zealand, and Ireland. This is crucial for its business performance because it has provided an additional market opportunity that, in turn, increases revenues and profits.
The huge business magnitude enjoyed by the retailer enables it to afford attractive promotional offers without putting its operations into jeopardy.
The attractive promotions pull more customers and potential buyers into the companys numerous stores. This helps in acquiring a wider customer base. Harvey Norman also boasts of a large workforce exceeding 10,000 employees. This enables the company to serve its large number of customers effectively.
Weaknesses
The global retail market is challenging for Harvey Norman because of the characteristically stiff competition. This has seen the firm fail to register a significant growth in terms of the market share. The retailer has also previously faced damaging controversies following allegations that it engaged in illegal business practices. Such negative publicity discourages customers and business partners from associating with the company.
Opportunity
The companys huge business magnitude put it in a better position to sustain low prices while maintaining high product quality. The retailer can still achieve further expansion, particularly into the lifestyle product segment where it can leverage on its brand name.
Threats
Prices of the electric products have been falling gradually over the years. This tends to reduce the revenue potential of the company, which could as well affect its profit stance.
Mounting pressure from the market, especially within the consumer durable segment about brand name and quality, continues to pose a challenge to Harvey Norman. Equally, maintaining the number one position in the consumer durable segment is highly challenging owing to the stiff competition in the industry.
Current Climate
Harvey Norman has considerably failed in its local market rankings in 2013, which is a trend that began in 2012 (Reilly, 2013). Australian retailers are ranked by considering factors like financial prowess, as well as the how strong the brand name is. This determines the customers choice to buy.
The latest rankings place Harvey Norman in the fourth position behind industry rivals Woolworths that has maintained the lead for the second year running (Reilly, 2013). Others include Coles and Burning in positions two and three respectively. This implies that the firm is performing poorly, especially in terms of revenues and profits. This translates into a diminishing customer base.
The waning strength of the Harvey Norman brand name could be because of a weak differentiation strategy pursued by the firm. This could have failed, in turn, to convince buyers that they stand to benefit from a unique shopping experience when they purchase their products from a Harvey Norman store.
On the global market scene, Harvey Norman has equally failed to register convincing growth results. Apart from the New Zealand, Singapore, and Malaysian markets, the retailers performance in the Slovenian and Ireland markets has been less convincing over the years.
Overly, the global market suffered a slow growth rate following the global financial crisis that hit the entire global economy between 2008 and 2010. However, the aftershocks of the economic meltdown are still being felt in some parts of the world.
This could be the reason for the slow growth rate recorded by the retailer. Like in the domestic retail market, the global arena is also highly competitive as firms compete to gain market hold. The poor growth results could be as a result of Harvey Normans poor understanding of some of the foreign markets, which makes the retailer to commit strategic blunders in its approach.
The Retail Sector Overview
Environmental Factors
Harvey Norman has faced several criticisms over failure on its part to manage the environment. Its extensive business operations create a significant environmental damage, particularly from dumping of waste material (Markets for Change, n.d.).
However, the firm has a significant five-year action plan that highlights its resolutions on how it intends to tackle environmental management and related issues. On the environmental challenge caused by its packaging, Harvey Normans specific action plan entails prioritizing Reduce, Reuse, Recycle policy.
The firm focuses on availing recycling facilities and maintaining contracts with waste consultants to sustain the policy (Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd, 2012).
Harvey Norman goes a step further to equip its cashiers with knowledge on how to query customer on whether they would need their goods to be packaged in plastic bags. The manufacture of these plastic bags constitutes up to 50% of recycled material and it is degradable as well (Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd, 2012). The franchised retailers preferred packaging their goods in cotton bags.
This would promote the ease of re-use. The company is also involved in collecting polystyrene waste for recycling by outsourcing another firm to do the job. The resultant recycled material is either used in the manufacture of diesel fuel or as a poly resin used in picture frames (Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd, 2012).
Environmental degradation by Harvey Norman. Source: Markets for Change (n.d.)
Economic Factors
The franchise model has enhanced a unique shopping experience at Harvey Norman, enabling the retailer to achieve a significant value addition. The wide variety of products available at any of the retailers stores makes it easy to attract many consumers at the same time.
Shoppers are willing to purchase products from Harvey Norman at whatever cost because of the uniqueness and quality that is afforded to them by the numerous franchises housed in the same room. The large economies of scale advantages enjoyed by Harvey Norman make it easy for the firm to introduce and sustain product promotions that attracts price sensitive consumers.
However, the high competition in the industry forces Harvey Norman to maintain its prices as low as possible to outwit its industry rivals. Superstores manage to set their prices at lower rates. This helps the firm to achieve return-buy mainly due to the consistent promotional offers.
The presence of many other retail chains in the market, which also stock the same range of products, makes it challenging to own particular buyers. The low switching costs, which in some instances are non-existent, makes it easy for buyers to visit other retail brands and make their purchases from there.
The Competitive Pressures
The Australian retail market comprises of close to 140,000 retail enterprises (Productivity Commission Inquiry Report, 2011). In the recent past, the industry has faced new international entrants who have further intensified the scope of competition. As a way of containing the competitive pressures, most players in the industry have turned into online retailing to enhance shoppers convenience.
Price is the most critical aspect upon which competition in the retail industry is maintained. Players offer numerous price promotions as a way of attracting new customers while hoping to maintain their already existing buyers (Productivity Commission Inquiry Report, 2011).
There are minimal barriers to entry in the industry. This eases the process of joining the market for any willing new firm. For instance, the rate of entry into the retail industry in the country was marked at 13.4% between 2008 and 2009. This highlights the highly dynamic nature of the related competition (Productivity Commission Inquiry Report, 2011).
In a bid to combat the ever-rising market competitive pressures, established retailer brands, such as Woolworths and Coles have resorted to aggressive market acquisitions (Apotolou, 2011). This strategy seeks to increase market share for the specific retail brands. Woolworths, for instance, has acquired Macro Foods and Cellarmasters and pursued branded expansion to increase its market presence (Apotolou, 2011).
The competitive pressures appear to have focused more on achieving close interaction with buyers because virtually all the retailers in Australia are operating or planning to initiate online retailing initiative.
The retail stores are seeking to make the shopping experience a more interactive and convenient exercise to win over and maintain the clientele. Further expansion within Australia seems to be a less strategic move as the market appears saturated. The established players are considering expansion into the international market as the new platform to sustain their competitive wars.
Changing Demographics and Buying Preferences
The Australian population is described as ageing given the progressive rate at which the population is growing older. According to government statistics, the current percentage rate of Australian aged at least 65 stands at 13%, with the figure set to reach the 25% mark by 2050 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2012).
This means that the Echo Boomers or the Internet Generation presently constitutes a significant portion of Australian shoppers. As a result, Australias general buying preferences is set to border mainly on fashion, as well as popular cultural trends (Daniels, 2007).
The new emerging shoppers are more optimistic and realistic compared to the baby boomers generation. They are well educated and widely travelled. This affects their purchase decisions a great deal (Daniels, 2007). Their independent, sophisticated, and non-traditional nature eliminates the significance and power of word of mouth in persuading or convincing them.
Instead, the greater online communities that they are part of influence their buy decisions largely. The new generation is more inclined to do their shopping while accompanied by friends. They also spend a considerable amount of time browsing through various stores. This makes their shopping no longer an instant act of making purchases (Daniels, 2007).
These trends are likely to become more pronounced as the older generation gradually exits their active shopping era, while the younger generation enters into this phase properly. In essence, Harvey Norman will need to transform its marketing strategies and adopt new approaches that will accommodate the younger generation effectively.
Online retailing remains as one of the best strategies to accommodate this new pressure, but the retailer will need to explore other significant ways to ensure that it positions itself strategically to serve these demanding shoppers.
Young generation shoppers in one of Harvey Normans stores. Source: Porter (2012)
Consumer Behaviour Issues
Most consumers are affected by the global economic uncertainty that has affected their buying decisions. The rising interest rates, as well as the high fuel prices have resulted in higher costs of living. This, in turn, reduces the consumers buying power.
The highly unpredictable economic situation has affected the sale of non-basic commodities, such as entertainment appliances and computers, as consumers grow wary of their spending behaviour.
Consumers have also grown more inquisitive and cynical as they seek to achieve value for their money. Quality remains as one of the leading priorities for the buyers and any retailer appearing to forfeit this crucial aspect risks losing the market. These consumer behaviour issues, in general, indicate the growing importance for consumer information and knowledge.
Buyers want to understand more before they can eventually make the purchase decisions. Therefore, it is up to Harvey Norman to ensure that such knowledge is availed to buyers readily to help them make informed choices fast.
E-commerce and Technology Influence
E-commerce has been critical in helping firms to increase their overall sales, while improving on their value addition. More consumers can now purchase products from the stores without necessarily appearing physically in the stores. This has increased convenience in the shopping experience as a whole.
It has also increased the level of interaction between customers and retailers because buyers can easily make direct contacts and make special requests. The improved overall customer experience has also enhanced customer loyalty and trust as buyers feel they are being served in a special and customised way.
On the other hand, technology as a whole has helped in increasing the level of efficiency in service delivery by the firms. Communication takes place at a fast rate and more efficiently. This makes it possible for the retailers to maintain low operating costs. The retail industry no longer holds inventory within the store premises because interconnection between suppliers and the stores enables the delivery of stock to happen in real time.
Retail Market Strategy
Retail Format
Harvey Norman runs its business using the department store format. This strategy enables the firm to stock a wide variety of products in its stores and attract a huge customer base. Harvey Norman allocates sales space, sales personnel, and a manager to each of the department stores under its roofs.
This makes it easy for the firm to cater for the special market needs of each of the distinct departments. As a result, each of the departmental stores is performing excellently well as they focus their attention on the specific customer needs.
Location Strategy in the Market Place
Harvey Norman stores are specifically located in the cities and major urban centres in Australia. The company chose these locations mainly as a strategy to tap the high spending urban dwellers who demand for stylish and high quality shopping experience. The cities and urban towns are mostly inhabited by middle class residents. Most of these residents are also relatively youthful in age.
The store locations are easily accessible for the targeted customer base because the stores are mostly situated in popular hot spots within towns and their immediate neighbourhoods. Revellers find such places more appealing because of the convenience involved. Most offices are situated in or around the town areas, thus visiting the stores after the duty is easier.
Retail Mix
Harvey Norman stocks a wide variety of products that include computers, tablets, TVs, home theatres, iPods, cameras, and mobile phones. The electronics and computer equipment vary in many aspects, including size, colour, brands, and models.
The retailer allows the electronic and computer manufacturers to deliver their latest models whenever they are announced to further present the consumers with a wider product selection. The retailer strictly stocks high quality products manufactured both by national and private companies.
The pricing strategy involves both premium and low prices. The retailer stocks high quality high premium products that mainly target high spending consumers. It also stocks high quality, but low priced products.
The high competition in the retail industry has seen the retailer focus more on the low pricing strategy to attract more consumers. This pricing strategy is more justified given that the firm has to make considerable efforts to attract and maintain a wider market, especially for the price-sensitive customers.
Quality/Level of Customer Service
Harvey Norman offers a comprehensive customer service that includes the manufacturers warranty, installation, delivery, TV recycling, refund, return and repair policy, as well as consumer guarantees, among many others (Harvey Norman, 2011).
The extensive customer service ensures that almost all customer care needs are catered for effectively. The retailer should expand the levels of the customer service even further to achieve a greater competitive edge. This would enhance the overall quality.
CRM/Customer Loyalty Program
Harvey Norman has a customer relationship management (CRM) program in place. It uses the program to maintain good relations and interactivity with its customers (Harvey Norman, 2011). This is a strategic business tool that the firm must continue to support to help it build the necessary customer loyalty and trust. The customers use CRM mainly to influence the performance of the retailer to match with their expectations.
However, with its wide customer base and market reach, CRM may prove to be expensive to the overall operations of the firm. Implementing all the demands raised by customers may not be an easy thing to achieve. On the other hand, customers whose demands fail to be fulfilled may feel neglected by the firm and consider the firm less responsive to its market.
Communication Mix
Harvey Norman uses advertising, sales promotion, and public relations for its communications in its marketplace and the market space. These elements are consistent because they all work towards creating market awareness and attracting more buyers to the firm.
Store/Website Layout, Design and Visual Merchandising
Harvey Norman stores are planned according to departments where products with the same characteristics are grouped together. The website layout also groups common merchandise together, making it easy for buyers to navigate with little challenge. There is consistency in both channels because the retailer uses high technology that captures details in real time, thus displaying accurate information at all times.
Recommendations
The international market remains to be the most significant for players as the retail industry continues to experience high innovation and competition. The Australian market is saturated, thus the profit margins will remain poor for a long period. Harvey Norman must, therefore, consider increasing its operations in the international market if it seeks to achieve substantial growth.
However, the international market is potentially tricky and the retailer must approach it with caution. The best strategy would involve forming partnerships and associations with already existing local players to provide the firm with ample opportunity to learn the market.
The emerging economies of China, India, and Brazil are lucrative markets and the firm should consider venturing into them ahead of other international retailers. The middle class in these economies is growing at a high rate, implying that the demand for retail shopping is high.
References
Apotolou, N. (2011). Australias retail revolution. Charter Magazine. Web.
Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd (2012). Action Plan July 2010 to June 2015. Web.
Markets for Change. Biomassacre: Logging forests for Bioenergy Report. Web.
Porter, C. (2012). Hypocrite Harvey goes stormin into cyberspace. Web.
Productivity Commission Inquiry Report (2011 November 4). Economic structure and performance of the Australian Retail industry, No. 56. Australian Government. Melbourne.
Reilly, C. (2013). Retail brand rankings show a steep drop at Harvey Norman. Web.
Generation Y (Millennials) have confused many informed retailers for longer than a decade. They are characterized as those born within the early 1980s and the late 1990s (Fry, 2020). Most importantly, Millennials are currently the largest generation (Fry, 2020). Overall, about seventy-five million United States residents are part of this group, representing a broad collection of preferences. There is a stereotype that members of this group are poor and remain living with their parents until the late 30s. However, these kinds of people constitute a small fragment of the sort. To learn lessons for offline and online retailers, it is essential to examine what members of the Millennial Generation have in common, misunderstandings about the group, and their segments. Lastly, untouchable products of the economy can provide more context for successful business owners.
Main text
Numerous Millennials are homeowners, married, have children, and are interested in expenses and university savings instead of playing computer games. Despite differences, such as the broad spectrum of race, gender, and interests, all Millennials are similar in connectedness to the digital world (Berman & Evans, 2017). Even though this generation was not entirely born in the age of the Internet, they went through their essential years of social and cognitive development using smartphones, computers, and more (Berman & Evans, 2017). Notably, Millennials have spent their adult years buying items, paying invoices, and banking through the Internet.
Moreover, they communicate with each other through social media and are very knowledgeable about Internet jargon. In terms of retail, Millennials find it particularly important for companies to have a strong internet presence and do not tolerate businesses that struggle with technology. This is good for most retailers capable of competing with other companies with an online presence. The possibility to sell goods and services online enables businesses to sell regardless of the time of the day, weather, traffic, and infrastructure that might be negatively influencing offline sales.
Some aspects of the Millennial generation are misunderstood, such as the periods of late-blooming and a substantial debt burden. They are described as late bloomers because of a high possibility of living at home for a more extended period, waiting longer to get married, having children, and buying their own house. Moreover, modern households are dealing with substantially higher student loan debt (Berman & Evans, 2017). All of the above creates a false image of Millennials being too poor for retailers to be interested in such a market. However, in reality, the Millennial generation is spending money using a different cost-benefit analysis (Berman & Evans, 2017). They prefer paying more for experiences and will more likely inherit wealth from other generations.
Maven is a category of Millennials that are more mature and financially independent. High-earning young parents experience several lifestyle changes. Thus, a full-time job and a more significant constant revenue reduced monetary dependencies on their families and limitations of undergraduate life, including the obligation of sharing their living space (Srivastava & Culen, 2019). This process tends to be affected by decisions and patterns of purchase of personal belongings and furnishings. Therefore, it is best to appeal to them by highlighting the quality and reliability of products, as these Millennials can afford dependable commodities. Moreover, I would like to emphasize the furnitures materials focusing on comfort and sustainability, as these aspects are essential for this type of customer.
Furthermore, the group of Millennials called Up and Comers is similar to the previous group because of their high income. They are characterized by not living in a traditional family unit and by usually being male and single (Srivastava & Culen, 2019). Moreover, this category usually possesses a low-awareness level about products. Thus, it is essential to present a product as accessible as the target audience may perceive a product like electronics as complicated. The emphasis of the appeal should be on the exclusivity and the experiences a person might get from purchasing a product (Srivastava & Culen, 2019). Moreover, statistically, Millennials are particularly interested in such electronics brands as Apple, Samsung, and Sony, which might be the best companies for appealing to them (Srivastava & Culen, 2019). Overall, targeting this group can be done by drawing attention to comfort, exclusivity, accessibility, experiences, and focusing on the mentioned three companies.
Additionally, offline and online retailers have different tactics that can positively influence Millennials. First, this generation is predominant in the sharing economy sector, as they tend to be fond of renting products or buying those that propose short-term use (Srivastava & Culen, 2019). Thus, they are more likely to use services or goods that provide an opportunity to be rented or borrowed. Therefore, offline businesses can consider this trend and enable such services within their companies. Second, research suggests that such customers gain more pleasure in experiences than in physical possessions (Srivastava & Culen, 2019). Overall, Millennials focus more on the authenticity of their purchases rather than on the idea of luxury. Therefore, businesses can learn to adapt their marketing strategies to emphasize the uniqueness of their products, making them worth buying. Third, most Millennials trust their acquaintances and social media channels rather than conventional advertising (Srivastava & Culen, 2019). Thus, businesses need to build trustworthy, long-term relationships with their clients and use non-traditional advertisement techniques to seem more credible.
Moreover, online retailers need to learn more about Millennials to satisfy their needs. Berman and Evanss (2017) study estimated that 47% of the generations members preferred shopping online, and more than a half would choose a business with an instant delivery option. Therefore, the first lesson is to provide such customers with an opportunity to arrange quick delivery because the Millennial generation does not enjoy waiting for their products. In addition, Millennials are regularly overwhelmed with excessive volumes of information on various electronic devices and media outlets. Thus, online businesses should appeal to them with concise information that is easy to access. Lastly, digital retailers should use a simple design for their web pages because these individuals prefer to get data and purchases in a fast manner.
Furthermore, market trends are dynamic, as specific industries can be considered expendable or untouchable. Consumers declare products such as a new piece of clothing, eating in upscale restaurants, and purchasing expensive makeup, or a high-end handbag to be expendable. In contrast, untouchable services and goods are described as the most essential. Figure 1 in the Appendix presents that on the top of the list of untouchable items are digital services, mobile technologies, video-streaming providers, and more (as cited in Berman & Evans, 2017). Overall, these trends are beneficial to online retailers rather than offline ones because the economy is shifting towards Internet-related businesses.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Millennial generation is a unique and valuable member of the modern market. This group of individuals tends to be active on the Internet, which is suitable for retailers as it brings various advantages to their businesses. Furthermore, even though the stereotypical image of a Millennial does not include high income, it is widely a misconception. Moreover, Millennials are divided into various subgroups, including Maven and Up and Comers, all of which need an individualistic marketing approach based on their distinct features. Offline and online retailers should learn from trends associated with this generation to be more successful in business. Finally, digital services are considered to be untouchable, which is less beneficial to offline companies.
References
Berman, B., & Evans, J. R. (2017). Retail management: A strategic approach (13th ed). Macmillan.
Fry, R. (2020). Millennials overtake Baby Boomers as Americas largest generation. Pew Research Center. Web.
Srivastava, S., & Culén, A., L. Implications for transitions to sustainable consumption: Finding Millennials behaviour archetypes. IASDR 2019 (International Association of Societies of Design Research Conference). Web.
SuperValue retail chain of groceries has been in operation for 135 years offering a wide range of products that include grocery, Pharmacy and supply chain operations across the country. It operates approximately 2500 stores and about 2500 affiliated retail shops through the companys supply chain operations. Currently the chain stores are grappling with the effects of current recessions and inroads by discounters such as Wal-Mart, Target, Sams Club and newcomers such as Tesco, and Fresh and Easy Neighborhood markets among others in what has been viewed as their traditional turf.
Target Market
Competitor Analysis
Competition in the grocery industry is very fierce with each store trying any marketing gimmick available at their disposal to lure customers onto their shelves. Such an environment will call for very creative strategies in order for superValue to remain afloat. The battle for the control of the grocery industry is set to get stiffer with the entrant of Aldi, an international Discount grocer who are already warming up to pitch tent in an already highly competitive market. Company Sources indicate that Aldi offers prices as low as 50% lower than the prices at the existing super markets as reported by Fickenscher (2009). This move is expected to intensify price wars in the industry as other chains readjust themselves to retain their market share. Mui & Neil (2009) suggest that plunging commodities prices have forced grocers to continue adjusting their prices downwards. They add that the competition for customers will continue driving down grocery prices which is a significant departure from the market trends over the recent past. The renewed focus on price will further be accelerated by the global economic downturn. As one of their main rivals Target lowers its prices by 25%, Wal-Mart is set to heat up the rivalry with the opening of additional super centers carrying a full range of groceries in the region. As much as the price cuts lead to increased sales volumes due increase demand, it is also likely to depress revenue if not carefully approached. Consequently, Safe ways recorded a 6.5% slump in revenue compared with the previous year as a result.
Other competitors have even diversified their methods of sales promotions to include revolutionary delivery services to their customers. For instance, Wal-Mart has expanded its prescription mail-delivery initiative across America to provide customers with more affordable prescription medicines through a convenient, free mail delivery system as noted by Nolan (2009). Customer service has also been given considerable attention as a market gimmick to lure in customers. Some supermarket chains including Winn Dixie and SuperValue are training their meat cutters on how to cook the chops and fillets they create in order to pass the same to their customers, a move which is expected to improve customer service at the meat counters. Along the training kit are lessons on how to greet customers as Martin (2009) observes.
Market segmentation
Market segmentation is one of the best marketing strategies available to marketers today. Success in marketing is thus largely dependent on the success in which we are able to segment the market. This enables one to know whom to market a certain product to and the methods to be applied. Consumers grocery buying decisions are largely personal and are mainly influenced by among others family traditions, ones ethnicity, geographical location and brand loyalty. Theoretical approach, symbolism and market behavior suggests the manner in which consumers purchase grocery and what is manifested in who they are in their buying. It is with this in mind that SuperValue decided to put extra energy towards meeting customers needs by providing a variety of merchandise and service demanded by each unique market in which they operate.
Marketing Strategy
The bullish marketing environment should however not dampen hopes for SuperValue as it also presents an opportunity for the store to refocus its strategies to outshine its competitors by offering superior services and products. One of the options open to the store is to adopt cost cutting measures so as to reduce the cost of business operation. Deterring the use of personal checks by customers is one of the avenues in which they save significant money. The issue of bouncing checks and check clearance is an expensive affair to the stores that leads to loss of revenue. It has been seen in many chains to encourage bad checks and also fraud. It also comes with enormous cost in terms of labor, time and check clearance costs. Customers should be encouraged to continue using cash, debit cards and credit cards as they are commonly used by most of them. Whole foods and Fresh and Easy have already adopted this in their operations as reported by Hirsch (2009).
In the midst of economic recession and subsequent decreased consumer spending, the store could also lay particular emphasis on ready to eat meals and fresh and environmentally friendly products. These will resonate well with the many customers who are eager to save to the last cent and also go along the green concept (eco friendly) which is fast catching up with the public. To further strengthen their position in the market they can opt for possible merger with another retail store to ward off competition from retail giants such as Wal-Mart and Tesco that are quickly eating into their market share. Improving customer care will also translate into a higher customer retention rate. Sales men and other staff need to be trained on etiquette and also how to cross sell products when dealing with their customers.
Conclusion
As price wars intensify, competitive pricing and discounted pricing will endear the stores more to consumers. Cash strapped shoppers are increasingly seeking the best deals as Martin (2009) observes in the Wall street journal. Customers are shifting purchases to the lower priced stores, a move that cost SuperValue 30% of its customers in July. A sharp price decline in many food commodities, including milk and grains, as well as marked reductions in shipping expenses because of a drop in oil prices in 2008 should provide a reprieve during the price deduction to minimize losses in revenue as Hirsch (2009) remarks. Safe ways has gone a step further by sacrificing some profit to reduce prices particularly in key markets such as Washington. Their major price cuts included $3 declines in the price of large laundry detergent and a large can of Folgers coffee. The Stores are now showcasing the new prices with eye-catching yellow tags. This has resulted to a marked rise in the average number of items per transaction. Several stores are expected to follow suit to match the fierce ranging competition.
Reference
Fickenscher, Lisa (2009). International Discount Grocer to Open in NYC Web.
Hirsch, Jerry (2009). Stores giving check use the bounce; In a cost-cutting move, Whole Foods may emulate Fresh & Easy in accepting only cash and cards at checkout. Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, Calif. B1. Available via ProQuest. Web.
Omnichannel may be regarded as a completely new term in the sphere of digital marketing. At the same time, this cross-channel content strategy will play a highly significant role in the development of stores in the future. The development of online retailing and the emerging of additional digital channels that include social media and mobile retailing have considerably changed the traditional models of business. In general, omnichannel may be defined as the idea of the companys use of all its channels to create an all-embracing space and a unified experience for consumers. Omnichannel may include both digital and traditional channels, in-store, point-of-sale, and online experiences.
The functioning of omnichannel marketing implies the creation of a seamless message adjusted through the companys sales funnel to its customers based on their behavior, providing a unique personalized customer experience. As a matter of fact, omnichannel retailing currently takes a broader perspective on traditional and digital channels and how consumers are influenced and conducted through these channels in their buying process (Verhoef, et al., 2015). In addition, omnichannel marketing implies the use of traditional and digital marketing channels to send relevant and informative messages to the customers of a particular brand, regardless of their engagement with this brand.
Omnichannel Marketing and Its Implementation by Companies
The non-implementation of the strategies of omnichannel marketing by traditional retailers may substantively limit their business growth in the future. According to a Harvard Business Review survey that involved 46,000 consumers in evaluating their preferences and shopping experience, only 7% of them were online-only clients while 20% preferred store-only shopping (Sopadjieva, et al., 2017). At the same time, 73% of respondents admitted that they use multiple channels (Sopadjieva, et al., 2017). In addition, recent studies of omnichannel marketing illustrate its efficiency as companies with strong omnichannel strategies that imply customer engagement retain almost 90% of clients ( Why an omnichannel strategy matters, 2013). In turn, organizations with weak strategies of omnichannel marketing attract only 30% of consumers ( Why an omnichannel strategy matters, 2013). In general, the fusion of the shopping experience across digital and traditional channels is economically valuable. With the help of multichannels, traditional retailers synchronize their physical and digital areas to provide clients with a seamless experience.
Although this result demonstrates the significance of omnichannel retailing, from a personal perspective, the development of certain strategies that reflect the organizations engagement in it should be necessary for large multinational brands. In fact, such strategies as online advertising and consumers targeting require substantive capital investments. Local businesses and new online-only sites oriented on a particular population frequently have a limited budget that does not allow them to maintain multiple channels. At the same time, small workshops may produce exclusive products that are highly valued among appraisers and feel no need for advertising or an increasing number of customers. However, with stable business growth, small enterprises may start to implement various channels to enter the national and international retail markets in the future.
Omnichannel Customers
Omnichannel marketing changes the companies perception of consumers and the consumers perception of stores and shopping in general as well. Omnichannel customers who use multiple channels for their shopping are currently regarded as 4-5 times better than monochannel customers as they traditionally buy more (Traub, 2013). In fact, omnichannel customers spend an average of 4% more on every shopping occasion in the store and 10% more online than single-channel customers (Sopadjieva, et al., 2017, para. 7). Moreover, consumers who use additional channels spend more money in traditional stores in comparison with those shoppers who use only one channel.
In general, such an attitude to omnichannel clients is understandable as they have more opportunities for making purchases and contribute to the companys growth. For instance, the consumers who see local retail information on the Internet and find it helpful visit stores more frequently in the future. Moreover, according to other results of a Harvard Business Review survey, deliberate searching beforehand led customers to greater in-store purchases (Sopadjieva, et al., 2017, para. 8). Omnichannel marketing implies the emerging of showrooming when traditional consumers search products in stores and subsequently buy them online. In addition, omnichannel customers are regarded as more loyal comparing with monochannel ones. In order to have bigger shopping baskets, they frequently repeat their shopping trips and recommend stores to their family members, relatives, and friends.
Strategies of Omnichannel Marketing
As a matter of fact, traditional department and chain stores may employ certain strategies in order to promote their brands through multiple channels. First of all, these channels include desktop ecommerce sites that respond appropriately on mobile devices, messaging and dedicated smartphone applications, social media, relevant marketplaces, and pop-up or physical stores. The maintenance of these channels will allow customers to add products to cart with the help of a mobile application and complete their purchase later on the desktop with items delivery. Moreover, modern technologies help people to browse a pop-up or physical store, scan items via a mobile application to add them to the online cart and buy later at home.
For the brands efficient promotion through multiple channels, department and chain stores should be assured that all offline and online channels are relevant to their target market. They are responsible for the integration of order statuses and shopping carts in order to guarantee constituency across all channels. Moreover, they may design interactive catalogs to offer necessary information concerning the products availability and characteristics for customers all over the world. In general, omnichannel customers love using the retailers touchpoints, in all sorts of combinations and places (Sopadjieva, et al., 2017, para. 8). They traditionally use smartphone applications to download coupons or compare prices and buy online and pick their items up in stores or buy in stores and order shipments.
Examples of Omnichannel Retailers
Victorias Secret, Burberry, Sephora, and American Eagle may be undoubtedly regarded as leading companies in omnichannel marketing. They definitely deserve this accolade as they apply all possible multiple channels in order to established reliable contacts with their customers. The maintenance of these channels allows people to search these companies products in social media, buy them on the stores mobile site, collect arrived items from a locker, and subsequently return unsuitable products in-store. Moreover, these companies actively promote their brands in all popular social networks and directly connect with clients concerning all questions related to products and customer-oriented activities.
Starbucks and Oasis may be regarded as other retailers that successfully implement omnichannel strategies. Starbucks customers may check the balance of their Starbucks card and reload it through their phones, the official website, or in stores. Any earned rewards and profile changes are automatically updated in real-time and reflected in the users accounts. Concerning payments, consumers may pay using their phones or physical reward cards. In turn, Oasis, a UK fashion retailer, uses multiple channels, such as physical locations, mobile application, an ecommerce site. It aims to give customers all the essential information concerning their products availability in a time-sensitive manner. That is why the company provides iPads for its in-store associates to communicate with consumers.
Competitive advantage refers to the ability of a company to make profits or returns more than the amount that it should make with regard to its capability and competencies that gives it an edge over its rivals (Kurtako, 2004, p.7). For a company to be said to have a competitive advantage it must be able to sustain its growth and should also be relevant and unique when compared to the other companies in the field. In competitive advantage, scholars and analysts seek to address criticisms that have been brought forward against comparative advantage (Hoecklin, 1994, p.65). The argument behind comparative advantage is that businesses, as well as countries, should only consider strategies and policies that aim at increasing the quality of goods produced and then sell the goods at a high market price (Kurtz, MacKenzie & Snow, 2009, p.34).
On the other hand, competitive advantage argues that an economy can do without natural resources and that labor in itself is somewhat ubiquitous (Dickens, 1992, p.62).
If comparative advantage is followed by companies as well as countries, it might lead to the exportation of primary goods (Bendell, Boulter &Kelly, 1993, p. 6). When a company or country is enjoying a comparative advantage, it is able to outperform all its competitors. This is attained by having an adequate supply of resources at a lower cost and having a highly trained human resource. New and efficient technology can also lead to a competitive advantage (Porter, 1998, p.53). This paper analyzes aero-engine and global retailing markets with the intention of comparing their competitive advantages.
Portfolio 1
George Yip (1992) identified a four-model approach to drivers of internationalization. Each driver acts in its favorable scale of a market environment created by major enterprises to sustain international trade. Some drivers classify as market-oriented globalization drivers, cost-related globalization drivers, government globalization drivers, and other drivers emanating from competitive trends in international markets (Jessica, 2010, p.1).
While comparing global grocery retailing and civil aerospace engine manufacturing industries, we analyze the strength of each driver in intensifying international strategy. The four factors act in synergy to create strength capable of moving industrial activity in any sector of the economy from the low level of production that meets only the domestic market to that which meets international market demands (Sexana, 2005, P.4). Thus far, technological factors acting in the interface between cost and market drivers as well social and economic factors perpetuated by various systems of governments have intensified the growth of airlines.
This segment of strength analysis in airlines forms the basis of analysis in the comparing competitive advantage of aero-engines manufacture and global grocery. While civil aero-engine manufacturers enjoy high levels of competitive advantage in Yips model, demographic factors and political/legal restrictions motivated by government and market forces yield minimal advantage for traders in international grocery retailing. Since such enterprises are subject to many social and economic restrictions in international markets, the competitive advantage of global grocers remains in the realm of market drivers and cost-effective means and competitive strategies characterized by financial strengths and technological aspects of the drivers to internationalization.
This latter view yield to the notion that aero-engine manufacturers have a more competitive advantage given the developments in automated devices mounted on aerospace engines to help in monitoring faults that may occur in its usage. Similarly, the four approach model proposed by Yip (1992, p 5) indicates a strong effect on the factors motivating internationalization drivers in civil aero-space than global retail grocers. In sum, the government, market, and cost drivers tend to create a retrogressive effect in the retail groceries potential for internationalization. In the government sustained drivers to strengths of competitive advantage of aero-engines and international retail groceries, the massive investments by governments in airline industries by making huge financial outlay in nationalized companies involved in the manufacture of aerospace engines, results in its weak relative potent compared to the global groceries in international production and trade.
Portfolio 2
The competitive advantage of the Aero-engine market
Of all sealing environments, the aircraft engines stand out to be the most demanding. This is occasioned by the safety requirements that need to be met by those involved in the oil engine business. The designers of these engines must be very careful not to risk component failure. The aero-engine industry has seen huge progress in the last few years which has mainly come about as a result of improvements in technology. Fuel crisis being experienced in the world today has given room for the development of new aircraft that are more fuel-efficient (Nordenstreng, Vincent & Trabert, 1999, p. 81). This has also come as a benefit as this would work very well in dealing with future expansion in the airlines business. The industry has seen continuous development of new technologies, airframe seals that provide greater fuel efficiency, reliability, and safety from fire hazards. For example, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, a company in the aero-engine industry has developed solutions that go along well in matching the specifications by customers in terms of performance and safety standards (TSS, n.d, para 15). Most of the airspace manufacturing takes place in the US, UK, France, Denmark and Sweden. These innovative sealing options have given the industry and the market a competitive advantage through the improved engine efficiency and the low costs of operating (Sexana, 2005, p. 4).
General Electric, the largest manufacturer of jet engines has developed engine control software. This makes it have an upper hand among its competitors. This gives General Electric a competitive advantage over the other firms in the market. The main competitors for GE are Rolls-Royce and Pratty &Whitney (Rolls-Royce, n.d, para 7). The three companies operate in an oligopolistic environment globally in an industry that requires massive capital to venture into. Any unique development that requires a lot of research and development puts any of the three giants in a position where it enjoys a competitive advantage over the others. This aids in propelling the concept of entrepreneurship (Shane, 2003, p.27).
Portfolio 3
Carrefour and Wal-Mart have continually sought to tap into the Chinese market potential through various expansion strategies. As a typical example of the international retail market, Wal-Mart is involved in a wide-scale franchising and networking business to ensure that its products penetrate the Chinese market. Given its capability and competencies in the national and international grocery trade, the supermarket adopts chain stores in various parts of the world and presumes that the same can create positive feedback in China. Similarly, through franchising and alliances with other chain stores distributors in china, Wal-Mart seeks to initiate a takeover program of Chinese Medium and large-scale enterprises by first tasting the waters while sharing the cost with Chinese holdings in the line of groceries and ender-user consumable products.
Wal-Mart and Carrefour market analysts predict that a significant market share for both corporations has the ability to promote trade of both stores in china albeit minimal competitive advantage in the first stages. In the next subsequent stages of the companys operations in China, their vast investment coupled with the economic factors dispensable in China would lead to heightened competition with Wal-Mart importing products in the country from other countries while reaping the benefits accruing to such business strategy. Business managers generally admit that the population of china presents a great opportunity for business in terms of its labor and sales market. Large western retailers often suffer major shocks of business drawbacks in the Western markets. Consequently, if a large western retailer such as Wal-Mart, Tesco, Carrefour, and Woolworths chose to stay out of the Chinese market, their ability to sustain risks as a result of global recessionary tendencies would increase (Johnson, Scholes &Whittington, 2006, P.23). On the other hand, venturing into the Chinese market would make them less susceptible to such risks as the giant retailers spread risks to the ventures overseas.
Global retailing market
On the other hand, global retailing markets success depends on the business as well as the customers view of the commodity on offer (Jessica, 2010, p.2). Apparently, most retailers have a clear knowledge and understanding of their customers well. But for the case of a global retailer, this is made impossible by the fact that the customers are a bit much diversified. In this industry, the competitive advantage usually emerges from factors such as information transparency, the need to provide more value at a lesser cost, and the access to good and quality capabilities through the use of specialists (Transtod, 1995, P.6). During the last half of the 20th century, the industry saw the emergence of retail shops such supermarket at a very high rate which has mainly dominated the food industry (Peteraf, 1993, p.3). Shoppers nowadays seek convenience and the development of new tastes. Any supermarket that manages to offer these considerations to the customers wins the competitive advantage over the rivals (Jaynie, 2005, p.7).
Research has shown that the largest 200 global retailers in the world account for more than 30% of demand globally. This comes out of the disposable income of the buyers coupled with the willingness of the buyers to make a purchase. The competitive advantage in the global retail market may also come about as a result of developing good distribution and information systems for the goods and customers respectively (Deloitte, 2003, para 25).
Portfolio 4
This section of the portfolio introduces us to the analysis of information in Tescos website about their core purpose and strategy in the light of ideas about vision, mission, and objectives and the link between those and actual strategies pursued by a company. In their presentation, Tesco communicates their intention to create value for its customers so that they can afford their long-term loyalty (Frayling, 2009, p. 4). On their website, they continue to emphasize the significance of their staff and customers in their successes from time to time as a function of the roles these groups of people play in their hyper and supermarkets. Tesco maintains that their progress depends on the interest of their customers and staff in their activities. As embedded in their values, the investment operators express their actual objectives to serve their members and derive the benefits thereof.
On the part of the clients, Tesco claims that it would wish to make shopping an enjoyable experience for customers each time they go shopping in their outlets. Since its endeavors remain at the forefront of meeting a large customers needs, it outlines its intentions to treat customers and its pools of stakeholders and suppliers just how they would want to be treated. In essence, it attempts to instill into the customers the opinion that, it is committed to providing the best service with favorable terms and conditions to its customers. In reality, Tescos customers testify having enjoyed special treatment in the hands of staff when they shop in various outlets. In addition, Tesco has had a little disagreement with its staff in the last decade as opposed to other giant retailers who have had employee-related suits filed against them. Thus, Tescos web content is near reality reflection of its actual objectives.
Tescos objectives illuminate a suitable strategy for the holding amid its plans to undergo progressive expansion programs. Liberalization policies in international developing markets and new trends in globalization inspire Tesco to be a successful international retailer and be a strong provider of both food and non-food items (Baron & David, 2008, p. 4). It also speculates the growth of the UK core business. Moreover, it intends to put the community at the center of its activities. In all its strategies, Tesco aims at expanding its operations in the UK and the rest of the world through a people-oriented strategy. This has a high likelihood of giving Tesco a sustainable growth path while providing a real guarantee for a cost-driven competitive edge ahead of its rivals.
Portfolio 5
Roll Royce is a public limited company that is established within the UK aerospace and defense industry. The firm has been specializing in manufacturing aircraft engines since it was established in 1906. Some of the products that the firm specializes in producing include military and civil aero engines, power generation equipment, and marine propulsion systems. In its operation, the firm has incorporated the concept of internationalization which has enabled it to operate on a global scale. This has been attained by adapting the concept of strategic alliances with its suppliers. The firms management team has integrated this strategy within its supply chain. This arises from increased quality consciousness amongst the customers (Monika, 2003, p.54). According to Kaufmann (2009, p. 205), there has been an increment in the rate at which firms are incorporating multi-company alliances in their operation. Roy-Royce Company has formed alliances with a number of companies.
Strategic alliances are not simple or easy to create, develop and support. According to Monczka, Petersen, Handfield and Ragatz (1998, p.3), strategic alliance with the suppliers requires a high degree of coordination. The selection of the partner is also important since it contributes towards a high level of efficiency within the alliance (Parmigiani &Will, 2009, p.1065). In addition, the two parties must derive substantial value from the alliance. Monczka (1998, p. 3), posits that there are two criteria through which the success of strategic suppliers alliance can be measured. These include soft methods such as supply chain integration and competitive technology. On the other hand, hard strategies include cycle time, cost and quality delivered. There are a number of success factors in the strategic alliance developed between suppliers and buyers (Chen, 1999, p.54). One of these includes commitment. Commitment entails the willingness amongst the two parties to act towards building the relationship. This means that the two parties in the contract have to devout resources either in form of money, time, or human capital towards strengthening the relationship. Strategic supplier relationship is also built under trust and organization. Efficiency in information sharing is also vital. Monczka (1998, p. 3) defines information sharing as the efficiency with which information is transmitted across the two parties supply chain. This information may relate to financial health, overhead cost, and ability to grow. This information is important since it enables the two parties to plan on the expected growth. In order for the alliance to be successful, Roy Royce has formulated comprehensive purchasing policies. The core objective is to maintain the quality of the products and services it purchases across the globe.
According to Elimuti and Kathawala (2001, p.206), there are a number of reasons why firms enter into strategic alliances. One of the key reasons is to improve organization performance thus enhancing its competitive advantage. Some firms also form strategic partnerships for promotional purposes, gain access to certain markets that prove difficult to penetrate through other strategies such as green investment, obtaining necessary technology, and reducing political and financial risk. Strategic alliances can also improve organizational performance through the attainment of effectiveness and efficiency in the process of research and development via sharing the cost (Peteraf & Barney, 2003, p. 5).
Strategic alliances projects often fail because of tactical errors made by management. This may relate to the poor formulation of goals and objectives, lack of trust, and poor coordination amongst the management teams.
Conclusion
Attaining competitive advantage is paramount in the success of a firm considering the intensity of competition (Brown & McDonald, 1994, p.63). This can be attained through various strategies such as internationalization. Internationalization has not only become a concern for large enterprises but also amongst small and medium enterprises (Alasadi & Abderahim, 2007, p. 130). In addition, firms should formulate effective strategies that act as guidelines in their operation. Through internationalization, a firm is able to attain a relatively high competitive advantage compared to its competitors. This arises from the fact that the firm is able to attain a high profit which enables it to implement its strategies successfully. In selecting the country to venture into, a firms management team needs to conduct an assessment of the external environment (Grant, 1948, p.52). Roy Royce Company has managed to venture into the international market successfully. This has made the firm attain a high competitive edge.
There are various ways through which competitive advantage can be attained. One of these ways is through Roy-Royce Company has attained this is via formation of strategic alliances with the suppliers. This alliance enables the firm to supply high-quality products and services resulting in a high level of customer satisfaction. Strategic alliances enable firms to attain effectiveness in venturing markets that would be difficult to enter, attain technological efficiency hence its performance. However, they should be conducted with caution in terms of management to eliminate the chances of failure (Rantanen, 2005).
Reference list
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Working in a sphere of retail has always been a questionable endeavor in terms of employee engagement in the work process and inner motivation. Thus, there is a common tendency today to assume that working in retail is mostly encouraged by financial rewards and the necessity to find a job, with the absolute minority of applicants having the actual aptitude for sales. For this reason, many employers nowadays pay specific attention to job candidates to prevent a negative pattern of human resource turnover, which leads to considerable financial losses and disruption in the workflow.
One of the vivid examples of how a company can manage the retail department work patterns is the managerial strategy at the Container Store enterprise. Due to the enterprises peculiar manufacture choices, its major responsibility is placed on the sales managers who would be able to present the product most beneficially, displaying professionalism and involvement. For this reason, the employers secure stable profit and job satisfaction within the workplace, given the worker is, indeed, a great specialist in the field, removing good employees from the list. The staff team of the company implies long-term cooperation with the enterprise, limiting the turnover rate to the absolute minimum with the help of various interview stages before hiring a retailer. Among other peculiarities of employment, information transparency and extensive training programs should be as well outlined.
Answers
To begin with, the question of the turnover resource efficiency paradigm should be analyzed. According to the case study, the company described has incredibly low turnover rates, providing it with various beneficial opportunities. To begin with, the process of human resource supply forecasting becomes easier and precise due to stability within the team. Generally speaking, human resource supply stands for the managements demand to calculate the patterns of employment within the company to make predictions for the companys efficiency in the long term. Thus, one might outline the regularity, according to which the companys product demand and human resource supply will have minimal discrepancy when one of the formula constituents provides barely any possibility of resource losses during the process.
Another question tackled in the case study concerns the relevance of information transparency within the team. While some people assume that such information has no specific effect on the employees work, others realize the importance of honesty in the 21st-century market. Thus, although some employees do not fully understand the information provided, the psychological factor of trust makes them feel more committed to the workplace. Moreover, such politics within an enterprise encourages management to avoid any unfairness in the workplace. For this reason, the decision to make the information access an integral part of communication is a beneficial way to reduce the workers turnover. Once applied to the vast majority of enterprises, the overall tendency of running a successful business will obtain a completely different perspective.
Finally, when speaking of the questions that should be asked during an interview, it is important to emphasize the importance of questionnaire balance, talking to candidates behavioral, situational, and opinion questions. Thus, examples of the questions might be outlined as follows:
What is good customer service?
What are your primary expectations of working for the Container Store? What was the reason for applying?
For how long are you planning to work here if hired?
A customer with a sophisticated temper disagrees with you every time you try to defend the companys interests. How would you respond to the situation to handle the conflict?
Why, in your opinion, do our customers choose the Container Store?
Conclusion
Taking everything into consideration, it might be concluded that the notion of sales and retail are now frequently disregarded within a company. As a result, many enterprises suffer from high employee turnover rates and financial losses. The companies like Container Store serve as role models for others in terms of hiring and communication patterns. The complexity of employee choice proves to be one of the most successful strategies to ensure security and job satisfaction.
Work is the integral part of the human life today, and it has always been so throughout the history of the mankind. Some scholars, among whom Marxists dominate, even believe that work was the factor that influenced the transition that the human being experienced in its evolution from a simian to a human being as such. But, at the same time, the eternal desire to work and the necessity to do it in order to satisfy one’s personal needs and the needs of people that a certain person is responsible for, makes the conflict between the time people spend on work and the time they are allowed to have to spend on the families or on any other private purposes.
The ability to control the balance between these two sides of the human life, i. e. work and personal life, is vital especially in the modern society when the speed of life increases and people have less time for themselves.
What is demanded from the modern companies and other enterprises that employ people is that they should understand and encourage the team spirit of their workers through paying attention to preserving the work life balance in their organizational culture.
Since such an understanding is the basis of success of any modern enterprise, this paper aims at studying the state in which work life balance is preserved, if at all, in the UK retailers that include Tesco, Asda, Alsi, etc. through the prism of previous academic research on the topic and through the conduct of direct interviews and questionnaire analyses of data gathered from the certain number of sales assistants employed in the stores by the aforesaid retail companies. The comprehensive analyses of all the sources mentioned will provide the actual picture of work life balance in these companies today.
Literature Review
Background
Needless to say, the initial and basic part of any research is the review of the previous research works that have been conducted by scholars in the past. This step allows the researcher to have the clear focus of the topic, have a good command of the knowledge already retrieved on the topic and be aware of the so-called blank spots, i. e. the areas of the work life balance study that still demand research. In other words, the review of the relevant literature on the topic of work life balance will allow this research to have the originality and novelty which are lacked by some academic works in case if their authors have not been attentive enough to consider what has been done in the area and what still is to be done in it.
Thus, to start with, the basic notions of the work life balance have been studied by a number of scholars including Maslow (1943), Michael (1975), Walster, Walster & Bershcheid (1978), Stanfield and Routledge (1993), Montana and Charnov (2008), etc. These researchers retrieved a lot of experiment based data on the principles of the successful work-life balance in various enterprises and in the general theoretical framework.
For example, Maslow (1943), Michael (1975), Walster, Walster & Bershcheid (1978) did much work on finding out the most fitting theories of work life balance including the needs theory, motives theory, expectancy, theory, etc. At the same time, scholars like Bedeian, Burke, and Moffett (1998), Cockman, Evans and Reynolds (1999), etc. deal with the basic definitions of the work life balance study and outline main ways to do qualitative and quantitative research including the need to focus on either precise figures or facts and hidden reasons of certain phenomena.
Terms Definitions
However, the literature review would be incomplete without the more detailed analysis of the basic terms and notions that scholars have singled out as dominant for work life balance studies. These terms are rather numerous and include such ones as organization, work, employment, employee, work life balance, etc. but in this section of our work we are to focus on the latter two notions. Thus, the definitions of employee are rather numerous and dependant upon the context the word is used in. A number of scholars including Maylor and Blackmon (2005), Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill (2006) agree on the pure legal definition of the term which is clearly laid out in the LLL internet page:
EMPLOYEE – A person who is hired by another person or business for a wage or fixed payment in exchange for personal services and who does not provide the services as part of an independent business; Any individual employed by an employer (LLL, 2009).
Nevertheless, other and broader definitions of the term exist to suggest, for example, the difference between the terms employee, worker, and self-employed which are often used interchangeably or misused. To avoid these misunderstandings, scholars like Locke (2001), Kopelman, Prottas, Thompson, and Jahn (2006), etc. have agreed to define employee as any person “working under a contract of employment. A contract need not be in writing – it exists when you and your employer agree terms and conditions of employment. It can also be implied from your actions and those of the person you are working for” (Directgov, 2009).
The definition of the work life balance is more uniform as the majority of scholars agree on the following comprehensive definition formulated by the academic workers of Broadband Cornwall:
Work life balance (WLB) – Work life balance is about people having a measure of control over when, where and how they work. It is achieved when an individual’s right to a fulfilled life inside and outside paid work is accepted and respected as the norm, to the mutual benefit of the individual, business and society (Actnow, 2009).
Based on the definitions coined by the mentioned researchers it is possible to see that employee and work-life balance are the integrally connected notions as they refer to each other as a single whole to its part and vice versa. The basic theories of work life balance study are also based on this relation and on the attempts of scholars to explain the relationships that employees and employers have between each other and what effect the most updated work life balance practices have on work efficiency and productivity in various organizations.
Basic Theories
As far as the essence of the work life balance lies in the relatively equal amount of time that a person spends at work and outside it, the major theories coined by previous scholars concern the relations between the needs of people and the ways their employers find to satisfy those needs. For example, in 1943 the first theory of the kind was formulated by Maslow (1943), who singled out 5 levels of needs that people have including psychological, safety, belonging, esteem, and self-actualization needs.
People try to satisfy them level by level in all spheres of life including work, and thus the ability of the employee to do it and the ability of the employer to assist in it is vital for the fruitful cooperation of both (Maslow, 1943). Another interesting theory of the factors that make people look for the most fitting work-life balance is the need theory by McCelland (1987) (Kopelman, Prottas, Thompson, and Jahn, 2006). Its essence is close to Maslow’s theory in the dominant role of needs in the life development, but McCelland attributed more importance to the acquired, or learnt, needs that include the needs of achievement, affiliation, and power.
The theory of a different direction is the expectancy theory formulated by Vroom in 1964 (Montana and Charnov, 2008). It is focused on the issue of choice and the expected outcome that an employee plans to get from choosing this or that option in a working process. In other words, the option of getting a reward for the successful performance at work provides for the increase in productivity as people start working better when they clearly see what this might give them (Montana and Charnov, 2008).
Equity theory is the closest to this one as it focuses on the importance of the positive atmosphere in the working team. In other words, the author of this theory, John Adams (1962), stresses that people work better in the environment of equality and fair treatment, especially from the side of higher officials. Such equity of all the employees creates the effective work life balance in a company or an enterprise (Walster, Walster & Bershcheid, 1978).
The theory that seems to combine the best features of all the aforesaid ones is the goal setting theory by Edwin Locke (1968), who argues that the higher and the more difficult the goal an employee set for him or herself is, the greater success it can bring and the greater progress it can mean for that employee (Locke, 2001). Thus, according to Locke (1968; 2001), the more difficult the goals are, the more they facilitate the performance of employees, while the simpler goals reduce the efficiency of work and worsen the work life balance in a company as employers demand employees to spend more time on work to fulfill the same amounts of it.
In an attempt to apply these theories to the specific object of study in our research work, we can say that all the theories mentioned can be applied to the work life balance study in retailer stores like Tesco, Asda, Alsi, etc. to a different extent. According to Maslow’s theory (1943), we can try to find out what needs the employees pursue working, for instance, for Tesco. The same can be said about the application of the theory by McCelland (1987), while the expectancy theory is a bit harder to apply as we currently do not posses the specific information on the rewards system in Tesco stores, etc (Montana and Charnov, 2008).
Equity theory is also applicable but only after the present research clears up the organizational culture of Tesco, Asda, and other British retail stores (Walster, Walster & Bershcheid, 1978). Goal setting is also an interesting theory concerning the work life balance for retail store employees, and the proposed research work aims at finding out the basic work life balance policies and practices used by the mentioned retailers in their Human Resources Management (Locke, 2001). Thus, the theories outlined help us formulate the specific research objectives and the questions that the work will answer.
Research Objectives
Accordingly, the objectives of the proposed research are driven by both the importance and novelty of the topic and the necessity to explain the motivation of employees and employers for organizing the work life balance in retail stores like Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda, Alsi, Iceland, Morrisons, Wilkinson. Moreover, the most important point about the novelty of the work is the attempt to consider the work life balance issues from the worker’s point of view as compared to the numerous studies considering the pure management point of view. Therefore, the aim of the research is to study the employee perspective of work life balance in the stores of Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda, Alsi, Iceland, Morrisons, Wilkinson. Accordingly, the objectives of the proposed research will be as follows:
To carry out the detailed review of literature on the specified topic in order to understand the possible scope of the research work and make the reasonable use of the data already retrieved by previous scholars;
To conduct the primary research on the specified sample of respondents (sales assistants in the largest UK retail stores) in order to analyze their answers to questions concerning the work life balance;
To find out the possible similarities and differences between the data of previous research and the data obtained during the very research through the interviews, questionnaires, and focus groups involving the workers of Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda, Alsi, Iceland, Morrisons, Wilkinson.
Research Question
Accordingly, the research question of the proposed study will be focused on the work life balance development in the specified UK retail stores. To avoid any ambiguities and the possible biases of the research, the question should be formulated as an alternative one thus allowing the research outcomes to answer it either positively or negatively. Therefore, the research question is:
Is the work life balance development in stores of Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda, Alsi, Iceland, Morrisons, Wilkinson at the proper level of its development according to the workers’ points of view or not?
Research Strategy
Methodology
Based on the aforesaid information, the research proposed demands a clear strategy showing what steps will be taken, when and why they will be taken and what results are expected from all those steps. Research methodology, thus, is of vital importance as stressed by Adamantios and Schlegelmilch (2000), Bogdan and Taylor (2005), etc. Drawing from the need of an empirical research whose data are retrieved from both previous research works and our research through questionnaire analyses, interviews, etc. the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods seems to be the most fitting methodology for our work.
The main argument supporting the usage of the qualitative research method in this study is that, according to the interpretative paradigm of relations, social reality is a sum of subjective experiences of people who participate in it (Smith, 1998). In this case, it is necessary to use a qualitative method of research because only this method allows seeing the reasons and the underlying facts of a certain phenomenon (Smith, 1998).
As far as the study of Tesco, Asda, etc. work life balance will be carried out through interviews with individual workers, this methods proves to be the fitting one. Furthermore, the following strengths of the qualitative method will be enumerated so that to make the usage of this approach completely grounded:
ability to interact directly with the subject of the research;
This advantage is enumerated here because the data obtained from people who are directly participating in the phenomenon one studies is much more reliable than the conclusions that one can make from figures obtained from statistical surveys carried out by some other researcher (Matveev, 2001).
usage of various tools and instruments while conducting research without limiting on figures, percentage, etc.;
due to the two above mentioned factors ability to get the full picture of the phenomenon under consideration (Matveev, 2001).
However, the quantitative method also has its advantages that will be of great use for the analysis and conclusion parts of our research work. The quantitative method, according to Smith (1998),is aimed at finding out the rate at which this or that phenomenon may occur the quantity of this or that phenomenon occurrences for a certain period of time (Matveev, 2001). Thus, based on the analysis of questionnaire answers results we would be able to see the frequency of certain answers and make conclusions about this or that phenomenon present in the work life balance development in retail stores by Tesco, Asda, Iceland, etc.
The very data collection procedures will be divided into the questionnaire work for which 200 sales assistants from the seven largest retail stores of UK (Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda, Alsi, Iceland, Morrisons, Wilkinson) will be sampled. The second data collection activity will be the work in a focus group of 200 more respondents from the same set of stores. The analysis of data will be carried out through the descriptive statistics method in order to see the frequency of answers given and draw conclusions from the percentage relations of those answers to each other. All these activities will be carried out within the limits of the specific timeframe presented below.
Work Plan
Basic Resources
The specific plan of the research work proposed comprises to major sections. The first one deals with the outline of the major resources that are planned for use during the work, while the second section specifies the timeframe of the activities planned to make the research clear and fast. Thus, the first section is about the primary and secondary sources that we are planning to use during the study of the employee perspective of the work life balance in the largest UK retail stores.
First of all, to organize the proper research it is necessary to know the basics of writing research papers and conducting studies using the combination of the qualitative and quantitative methods. To obtain the necessary data on it, the works by Adamantios and Schlegelmilch (2000), Bogdan and Taylor (2005), Blumburg (2008), Easterby-Smith, Thorpe, and Jackson (2008), Fisher (2009), etc. will be used. These sources allow clear understanding the basic principles of academic research works and writing, while the next part of sources provides the study with the main definitions and terms used while studying work life balance.
These sources include the works by Actnow (2009), Cockman, Evans, and Reynolds (1999), Directgov (2009), Duxbury and Higgins (2001), Kopelman, Prottas, Thompson, and Jahn (2006), etc. Finally, the sources on the basic theories of work life balance and working motivation will be used to back up the theoretical framework of the research (including Maslow, 1943; Kopelman, Prottas, Thompson, and Jahn, 2006; Montana and Charnov, 2008, etc.), and the specific data of the work life balance in Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda, Alsi, Iceland, Morrisons, Wilkinson will be gathered both from the questionnaires and from the official online and printed sources of the stores mentioned.
Milestone Dates
The following table presents the second part of the work plan dealing with the basic activities to be taken up and the time periods of the fulfillment. The whole research work is scheduled to be completed within the three months beginning from June, 2009 and ending in August, 2009. Therefore, there are activities that demand relatively little time, like for example putting the research results into tables and writing research conclusions, as well as those activities that will take much more time (from a week to half a month), so it is necessary to schedule them properly to have enough time for all of them:
Timeline
Activity
Start date
Duration
Completion date
Literature review
June 20, 2009
10 days
June 30, 2009
Developing the questionnaire for the study
June 30, 2009
3 days
July 2, 2009
Developing the activities for work in focus groups
July 2, 2009
3 days
July 5, 2009
Survey carried out through the questionnaire on the sample of 200 sales assistants
July 6, 2009
2 days
July 8, 2009
Survey results analyzed
July 8, 2009
6 days
July 14, 2009
Focus groups work
July 14, 2009
6 days
July 20, 2009
Pilot study carried out to gather preliminary data
July 20, 2009
2 days
July 22, 2009
Basic data collection procedures
July 22, 2009
7 days
July 29, 2009
Data analysis and putting the analyzed data in tables for better visualization of the research results
July 29, 2009
2 days
July 31, 2009
Preparing the conclusions section of the research work
August 1, 2009
3 days
August 4, 2009
Completion of the dissertation
August 4, 2009
14 days
August 18, 2009
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Blumburg, B 2008, 2nd edition, Business Research Methods. London: McGraw-Hill.
Bogdan, R., & Taylor, S.J. (2005). Introduction to qualitative research methods. New York: John Wiley.
Booth, W.C., Colomb, G.G., and Williams, J.M 2003, The Craft of Research, (2nd edition) University of Chicago Press.
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Brewerton, P. and Millward, L. 2001, Organizational Research Methods. London: Sage.
Bryman, A. and Bell, E. 2007, 2nd edition, Business Research Methods. Oxford: OUP.
Cockman, P. Evans, B and Reynolds, P. 1999, Consulting for Real People, McGraw Hill.
Directgov 2009, Are you a “worker”, “employee”, or “self-employed”? Employment. Web.
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When it comes to selling clothes retail marketing is never easy. Since most people have their own self-image, as well as the image of an ideal self, it is very hard to find a model that can help promote clothes to any kind of target audience.
While it is clear that most clothes look well enough on slim models, displaying clothes only with the help of slim models will mean negligence and even infringement of the rights of large people; hence, the need to introduce larger models arises.
Gender is another tricky aspect; putting a clothing item that suits both men and women on a female model can possibly avert the male audience from the given item. That said, it is necessary to figure out what influence different means of promotion have on the target audience.
Research Methods
Since the given research presupposes the analysis of the efficiency of the existing marketing methods carried out with the help of questionnaires, it can be considered that the basic method of the given paper is quantitative research.
It is also worth mentioning that, to evaluate the efficiency of the current marketing strategy, extensive statistical data have been derived from the created questionnaires and conducted opinion polls. The research offers statistics on a number of demographic characteristics, as well as on the opinions of the chosen type of demographics.
Participants
Speaking of the participants of the research, one has to mention that the research was conducted among students. However, the opinion of the older people was also taken into account. Therefore, the age in the participants’ group varies from 18 to 78. Hence, the mean age of an average participant in the research made 28.5 years (SD = 16, appr.), which means that the number of the young people prevailed in the given research.
The research was conducted in a mixed group; therefore, both men and women were invited to participate. It is also worth bringing up that each of the participants had to evaluate the look of each model, i.e., both the models of the same and the opposite sex. Of the total number of people, 36% were men (N=90), and 64% were women (N=162).
Materials and Procedure
It is important to mention that in the course of the research, the online server Qualtrix was used to analyze the research data. The study was carried out with the help of a mixed (quantitative and qualitative) analysis. The participants of the research were offered questionnaires to fill in. Later on, the answers were gathered and analyzed.
Research Results
Analyzing the research conclusion, one must mention that the expected results do not differ considerably from the ones obtained in the course of the research. A one-way ANOVA was used to analyze the differences in the answers of the research participants.
As a reminder, the research revolves around two key variables, which are:
how a person rates him-/herself with respect to thin model selection (You thin);
how a person rates him-/herself with respect to curvy/heavy model selection (You curvy).
That said, the results of the research are quite predictable, given the modern idea of being thin as the key principle of beauty. According to the research, the Pearson correlation concerning the You thin model remained mostly within the 0.5 range (F(1; 254) = 0.002, DS = 0.2733, p<0.5), which means that there is no major difference between the opinion of men and women concerning the attractiveness of the clothes when they are put on the You thin model.
The same cannot be said, however, about the attractiveness of the model itself; as the research shows, F(1;254) = 0.002, SD = 0.2033, p > 0.5, which means that there are different opinions on the You thin model. Finally, when answering whether the clothes on the You thin model could look just as good on them, the participants of the research responded mostly positive (F(1; 254) = 0.002, SD =.3979, p < 0.5).
As for the You curvy model, the opinions vary even more. It is noteworthy that in case of liking the clothing out on the curvy model, p equals 0.38, which means that most of the respondents would rather try the clothes on the You-thin model as well. Therefore, it can be concluded that the You thin model correlated with the participants’ ideal self-image.
The same cannot be said, however about the You-curvy model. Though the given variable featured the same set of options, the choices were less definite. It is impressive that the appeal of the clothes was increased (F (1; 254) = 0.5365, SD = 0.3480, p > 0.5 for model attractiveness, F (1; 254) = 0.5365, SD = 0.846, p < 0.5 for clothes attractiveness on the model and F (1; 254) = 0.5365, SD = 1.1, p < 0.5 for clothes attractiveness on the participant.
Therefore, it can be deduced that the You curvy model, which did not relate to the modern ideal of beauty, destroyed the participants’ ideal self-image, thus, ruining the effect that the clothes produced.
It is also impressive that the standard deviations in the You thin and You curvy models differ greatly; while in You thin model, the standard deviation is rather low, which means that the participants have more or less similar viewpoints concerning the look of the clothes, the model and themselves in these clothes, the standard deviation is very high.
The given information means that there has been a considerable difference between the answers that the respondents gave. Therefore, it can be concluded that the You curvy model contributes to shaping a negative (“curvy,” “large”) image of the respondents’ selves, which results in a low “grade” for the You curvy model.
