Strategic Management Analysis Report Assignment

Assignment 

1. A British consumer conglomerate that develops, manufactures, distributes, and markets a wide range of Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (often referred to as FMCG) currently operates an extensive range of internal face-to-face training programmes. These involve formal assessments and are expensive leading the company to look into reducing the size of the overall training budget, and they are considering the use of e-learning to significantly reduce costs. There are some concerns however regarding this approach and how it might impact their customer service standards and the possible effect upon staff learning and morale should they switch to a purely online delivery mechanism. Depending on your personal area of interest, develop a research problem with a handful of variables from the above-mentioned broad topic, and formulate it into a set of interesting research questions (of your choice). [top tip – keep this quite simple. For example, what type of learning tools and approaches creates more satisfied employees? How will this approach affect customer service, Financial or non-financial benefits for staff and the company (e.g. staff engagement, cost of eLearning, time away from workplace etc)?

2. Conduct a focused review of the literature concerning the topic, in line with these research questions, and use it to produce a visual model that could be tested.

3. As discussed in the session, clearly stipulate what your hypotheses might be. You only need to state the ‘alternative’ hypotheses.

4. With your topic and model in mind, identify and then justify your chosen research methodology (i.e. qualitative versus quantitative, but also experiments versus questionnaires).

5. Design an appropriate questionnaire (approx. two sides) to address the research questions and discuss the factors that have been deliberately considered while designing the questionnaire to ensure that reliability and validity are the best they can be.

6. There is no data collection required; however, the student might wish to suggest (briefly) some of the steps that will be taken once the data is collected.

7. Describe any of the possible limitations of your study.

8. Outline any possible ethical concerns that will be managed throughout the research

9. Cite the full bibliographic references that you have cited in your research proposal using APA 7th edition and order them alphabeticall. 

Brief Summary of Assessment Requirements

This assignment requires students to design, conduct, and justify an individual empirical research project of 7,000 words, forming 85% of the module mark. The main purpose is to construct a research-driven argument that investigates a business theme within an organisation and provides evidence-based conclusions.

Key Requirements

Students must include:

• Background and context of the chosen research topic
• Comprehensive literature review demonstrating understanding of existing knowledge
• Justified methodology, explaining choice of methods, data sources, and ethical considerations
• Analysis and evaluation of empirical findings
• Conclusions and recommendations, where appropriate
• Critical reflection (500 words in the appendices)
• Full Harvard (Cite Them Right) referencing

The project must also include:

• Title page
• Contents page
• Acknowledgements
• Abstract
• Reference list
• Appendices (not included in the word count)

Module Learning Outcomes Covered

• Critically identify and evaluate a business theme in an organisational context
• Construct a research project using appropriate methods, data analysis and decision-making tools
• Summarise implications of findings for stakeholders

Programme Learning Outcomes (PLOs) Addressed

Includes development of critical thinking, communication skills, ethical awareness, commercial awareness, subject-specific knowledge, reflective ability, and professional competence skills essential for management roles in retail organisations.

How the Academic Mentor Guided the Student (Step-by-Step Process)

Step 1: Topic Selection and Scope Definition

The mentor first supported the student in:

• Identifying a relevant business issue within an organisation
• Ensuring the topic aligns with module and programme learning outcomes
• Narrowing the scope so it is manageable within 7,000 words

This step ensured that the chosen theme was researchable, current, and organisationally significant.

Step 2: Background and Context Development

The mentor instructed the student to:

• Establish the organisational setting
• Explain why the chosen issue matters
• Connect the topic to industry trends or organisational challenges

This created a strong foundation for framing the research problem.

Step 3: Literature Review Guidance

The mentor guided the student in:

• Conducting a systematic search of relevant academic literature
• Organising the review thematically
• Identifying theoretical frameworks
• Highlighting gaps the study aims to address

This helped the student create a critical, not descriptive, literature review.

Step 4: Methodology Justification

The mentor explained how to:

• Choose an appropriate research design (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed)
• Justify sampling, data collection tools, and analysis techniques
• Address reliability, validity, and ethical considerations

Students learned how to rationalise their methodological decisions in line with academic standards.

Step 5: Data Collection and Analysis

The mentor provided support in:

• Organising and coding data
• Applying chosen analytical techniques accurately
• Presenting findings clearly through tables, charts, or thematic summaries
• Evaluating findings against the literature

This ensured the student produced evidence-based insights rather than descriptive data.

Step 6: Conclusions and Recommendations

Guidance included:

• Summarising key insights
• Identifying implications for stakeholders
• Offering practical recommendations where relevant
• Ensuring conclusions directly relate back to findings

This allowed the student to demonstrate problem-solving and decision-making skills.

Step 7: Critical Reflection (Appendix)

The mentor helped the student reflect on:

• Personal learning
• Challenges faced during the project
• Skill development (research, communication, critical thinking)
• Future professional application

This reflection supported the PPD (Professional and Personal Development) element.

Step 8: Final Checks and Referencing

The mentor ensured:

• Compliance with the 7,000-word limit
• Professional structure and flow
• Accurate Harvard (Cite Them Right) referencing
• Appropriate use of appendices
• Coherence between aims, methods, findings, and conclusions

This final review strengthened academic quality and coherence.

Final Outcome and Learning Achieved

By completing the project with structured mentor guidance, the student was able to:

Outcome Achieved

• Produce a research-driven, critically argued 7,000-word report
• Demonstrate clear understanding of academic research principles
• Apply methodology accurately and ethically
• Provide stakeholder-relevant implications and recommendations
• Complete a professional critical reflection

Learning Objectives Covered

• Critical thinking applied to an organisational problem
• Research design and data analysis skills
• Effective academic communication
• Ethical and sustainable awareness in a business context
• Professional and commercial awareness
• Development of academic and work-based skills
• Improved interpersonal and reflective abilities

Get Expert Academic Support Learn from Samples, Submit with Confidence

Looking to understand how a well-structured academic assignment should look? Our sample solution is available for download to help you learn the correct format, research approach, and academic writing style.
Please remember that this sample is for reference and guidance only. Submitting it as your own work may lead to plagiarism penalties from your university. Use it to study, not to copy.

If you require a fully original assignment written specifically for your topic and instructions, our professional academic writers can create a fresh, plagiarism-free solution tailored to your needs. Every custom assignment is researched, drafted, and referenced according to your guidelines to help you score higher without any academic risk.

Why Choose a Fresh Custom-Written Assignment?

• 100% original and plagiarism-free content
• Tailored to your topic, instructions, and grading criteria
• Written by qualified academic experts
• Includes proper citations and referencing
• Delivered on time with revision support

Learn effectively with samples and excel confidently with a custom-written solution designed just for you.

Call to Action:
Download Sample Solution
Order Fresh Assignment