BA (Hons) Business Management Fast Track
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://eresearch.qmu.ac.uk/handle/20.500.12289/7229
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Item An exploratory study, investigating the impacts zero-hour contracts have on the academic population within the higher education sector in Scotland(2019)The primary aim of this research is to undertake a critical investigation on the use of zerohour contracts within a Scottish higher education institution by exploring the impact zerohour contracts have on academic employees and students. This study will explore the use of zero-hour contracts from a management perspective and identify the reasons they are used. It will also look to understand the impacts zero-hour contracts have on academic employees and to conclude, will evaluate the outcome zero-hour contracts have on the students learning experience. The traditional casualisation of these contracts forms the focus for the research due to a general shortage of literature surrounding zero-hour contracts in the higher education sector. Furthermore, accessing a sizable population of academic employees who are employed on a zero-hour contract may have proved difficult. The research relies on qualitative, semi-structured interviews as the instrument for data collection in which organisational employees were questioned on the impacts zero-hour contracts have on academic employees and students. All participants in this study were employed in the chosen higher education institution and there was an equal mix of full-time and part-time employees, as a review of the literature on zero-hour contracts revealed that employees were the key resource for this research study (Brinkley 2013). The significant findings of the research revealed that the institution in question has zerohour contracts under a family of part-time work, of which the employees studied had varying levels of awareness. Furthermore, all participants within the study identified negative impacts zero-hour contracts have on all stakeholders, and all participants also recognised why such contracts can in opposition, be beneficial within the higher education sector.Item To Investigate the Notions behind Celebrity Endorsements from a Marketing Point of View, and the Conceptual Relationship with Consumer Behaviour(2019)The overarching arching aim of the research considers and investigates the notions behind celebrity endorsements from a marketing point of view, and its conceptual relationship with consumer behaviour. In accordance with achieving a defined understanding of the aim in question, subsidiary objectives are in place to attain an overall richer and compelling awareness of such a prominent marketing matter. The objectives set out include the examining of social media acting as the catalyst for celebrity endorsement, to explore the potential in marketing by using the free social networks as a platform for advertisement, and to explore and reach an understanding of the relationship between celebrity endorsements and consumer behaviour. The research conducts a thorough literature review into the main conceptual themes which surround the relationship between celebrity endorsements and consumer behaviour, considering the history and related theory of advertising, and the nature of consumer behaviour and its compelling insight into Maslow’s hierarchy. A content analysis was chosen to highlight and include real life celebrity endorsement practices which are seen every day on the social media platform Instagram. The content analysis provided the researcher the potential to showcase various forms of celebrity endorsements which occur, and the ability to capture real life consumer interactions towards this concept of online advertisements. This type of research also contributed to the findings relating to social media as a catalyst for marketing potentials and promotions. However, whilst utilising a content analysis, the researcher must maintain an unbiased approach concerning the data collection and analyses, ensuring no unfaithful or hindering judgements are made. The data collated involves different forms of celebrity endorsements, and statistics which highlight the influential nature of celebrities who are significantly responsible for consumer awareness to brands. The data also includes an insight into a dominant social media brand known as HiSmile, who utilise the strategy of endorsing celebrities as one of their main functions to attract consumers, which has independently boosted the online brands consumer following. The investigation into celebrity endorsements and its relationship and evident impact on consumer behaviour, highlights the conceptual framework of a brand community which is encouraged through celebrity engagement. Secondly, it uncovers the importance of Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs acting as a prominent implementation when targeting consumers through advertisements. And finally, the marketing transformation from old traditional methods, to free online marketing on platforms such as Instagram, has enhanced the overriding potential of advertisements in terms of reach and effectiveness, leading to brands such as HiSmile with an unprecedented amount of success.Item An investigation into the complaint handling procedures of Scotrail using twitter as a means of communication(2019)The primary aim for this research is to investigate the complaint handling procedures of Scotrail through the use of twitter. This study will explore the reasoning behind why complainants turn to twitter as a means to communicate with the organisation about their negative experience. It will also look at the number of responses provided by Scotrail, and measure to what extent their approach to complaint management is keeping up with the changing trend in today’s society. Finally, it will make recommendations on how Scotrail can effectively use social media to gather feedback and manage these complaints. The research objectives were achieved by analysing the twitter feed of Scotrail over a fourteen-day period and measuring the responses provided by the organisation. For this research, a quantitative research method was chosen to allow the researcher the ability to gather a vast amount of data and generalise the findings. The researcher determined that the use of quantitative content analysis was the most appropriate choice due to the selection of the social media network and the number of tweets required. Scotrail was selected as a case study to allow the opportunity to reflect on the current practises of an organisation. 990 tweets were selected using probability sampling, which all mentioned or replied to Scotrail between 28/01/19 and 09/02/19. The main finding of the research was that Scotrail are struggling to keep up with social media complaint handling. With low response rates and a lack of acknowledgment within company guidelines of their prominence on twitter, the organisation have steps to take in order to utilise this space to the best they can. On the other hand the results of the study showed that when responding through Twitter, Scotrail try to remain personal, and are attempting to build positive relationships with complainants.Item An Investigation into John Lewis and Partners plc and Whether Being a “Partner” at Different Levels of Management Has an Effect Upon Employee Motivation(2019)Purpose The aim of conducting this research is to discover the effects and motivations behind being a co-owner in an employee owned firm, and whether this differs with the seniority of role being performed by the employee. The case study for this research is John Lewis and Partners. Research Process The process began through a reviewing of the relevant literature which obtained the themes around the study including organisational structure and motivation. As well as this, sub-themes such as culture, commitment, satisfaction, empowerment and employee development were also identified as being factors that could impact an employee’s behaviour and motivation within an employee owned firm. An evaluation of these themes was conducted in order to understand the importance of which ones to consider and evaluate through the chosen method. Method The researcher felt that with the different environmental pressures and the current changes undertaken by John Lewis and Partners, a qualitative approach would allow the collation of opinions and genuine feelings that a quantitative approach would miss. It was understood that this would take up more time and would mean interviewing a smaller number of Partners in comparison to what could be collated through a quantitative approach. Through the use of interviews, 5 Non-Management Partners, and 4 Management Partners took part in this study. Findings The research concluded that working in an employee owned firm can provide an employee with motivation. Further to this, it was found that source of motivation can differ dependent on the seniority of role performed by an employee. This was found through non-management partners focus on motivation through money, whereas management partners gained motivation through development opportunities. Limitations Overall, only 9 partners took part in this study, and only one branch out of the 400 branches held by JLP was involved in the process, so the results produced cannot be generalised. As well as this, there wasn’t an investigation into other types of employee owned firms and the effects from these.Item Case study analysis of the extent to which the social media marketing strategy influences B2B sales(2018)This dissertation aims to critically investigate and develop an understanding of the use of social media marketing strategies by companies selling to businesses. The research has been designed as a case study, focusing on the Twitter platform of a selected business while assessing the content posted on social media and its impact on buyer behaviour. The literature suggests that the use of social media marketing in business to business commerce is still relatively uncommon, determining the need for a greater understanding in order to successfully and effectively implement a social media marketing strategy. Qualitative research has been selected for this case study. Since it is treated as an exploratory study, qualitative data has provided the researcher with the opportunity for an inductive and interpretivist approach. The criteria for inclusion were being employed by the selected organisation and being involved in the social media marketing strategy. Due to the geographical location of the selected respondents, semi-structured e-mail interviews were chosen for data collection. This was deemed appropriate since the topics and circumstances are not considered sensitive. The data was analysed by reviewing and comparing themes developed in the literature against themes matured in the data. This has allowed for interpretation and an enhanced understanding of the phenomenon on the basis of the participants’ views. The research has determined an urgency among B2B organisations to exhaust a SMM strategy that will effectively communicate and sell to experienced industry buyers. As this is an exploratory study, the findings have served as a starting point for future research and definitive conclusions cannot be described.Item An investigation of Corporate Social Responsibility in the Polish automotive industry; a corporate perspective of importance and effects on consumer behaviour(2018)Purpose: The research aim was to determine the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility to automotive businesses operating in the Polish market. This study also aimed to identify and discuss the reasons for CSR’s emergence and growth in the Polish markets. Further, this thesis progressed to determine and evaluate the effects of CSR on the behaviour of Polish consumers. Relevant research has been carried out previously on the issue of CSR and buying patterns in other sectors only. Methodology: The research was based on a qualitative approach, with an element of quantitative research being used to provide basic statistical descriptions. Semi-structured individual interviews and structured and unstructured questionnaires were employed. Data was gathered via the Internet some respondents were approached in the streets of Warsaw. Findings: The investigation of corporate perspective discovered that the involvement in CSR activities of companies operating in the Polish automotive industry is increasing. Corporate responsibility was found to indirectly affect customer behaviour by enhancing product stimuli. Effects on buying patterns differ between markets due to varied market maturity, nature of the product and consumer welfare. Implications: The socio-economic view on CSR appears to find application in the contemporary markets. Executive activism and human social responsibility are developing and business practices are becoming socially inclusive. Originality/Value: This research can contribute to the corporate understanding of consumer behaviour and support business strategies and marketing activities. The study can also allow customers to evaluate their purchase behaviours and to increase their consumer awareness.Item A Comparative Study of Gender Equality and Organizational Equality Policy.(2018)This study is intended to investigate the topic of gender equality between male and female employees within a higher education establishment. The traditional, binary gender divide forms the focus of this research to the exclusion of transgender and gender-fluid employees, due to a general lacking in literature surrounding this topic. That which exists, such as McCann and Sharek (2016) generally focuses on the scientific and health related aspects of transgender issues and little literature on transgender people within organizations exists. Furthermore, accessing a sizable population of transgender people may have proved difficult. The research relies on qualitative, semi-structured interviews as the instrument for data collection, in which organizational employees were questioned on the effectiveness of their organization’s gender equality policy. All participants in this study were female, as a review of the literature on gender equality in organizations revealed that women generally suffer inequalities more often than men (Davis 2011). It was found that the organization in question operates a less than robust gender equality policy, of which the employees studied had varying levels of awareness. Furthermore, some aspects of this policy appeared to exist for academic purposes only and were not enacted in many circumstances. The aims of the study were; to ascertain the extent to which men dominate the institution’s (at the centre of the study) upper echelons, to discover whether gender inequality is prevalent in the organization and to draw conclusions as to the effectiveness of gender its equality policy in reducing inequalities.Item An investigation into the perceived impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives on customers’ purchase intentions in Scottish financial institutions(2018)The purpose of this exploratory study is to investigate whether perceived corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives branded by Scottish financial institutions influence customers’ purchase intentions. For this research a qualitative design methodology was favoured because it allowed the researcher to interpret customers’ opinions and beliefs in regard to CSR. The researcher determined that using face-to-face semi-structured interviews was a more appropriate choice to probe interviewees’ answers and to pick upon some non-verbal clues. The researcher purposefully selected a sample of 10 professionals based in Edinburgh, with a considerable experience in using the Scottish financial services. As expected, all the interviewees confirmed that CSR initiatives do not directly influence their purchase decisions within Scottish financial institutions. Although it was suggested that CSR initiatives are taken into account by the interviewees when evaluating a given company in which they can potentially purchase financial products, it was specified that these are not their top priorities. A consistent number of the interviewees suggested that, within the multidimensional aspect of CSR, the ethical and philanthropic dimensions aimed at doing public good are seen to enhance customers’ perceptions of a brand image and trust. However, only two interviewees showed their scepticism towards CSR initiatives branded by financial institutions. This is because they perceived CSR a hypocritical engagement aimed only at the business profit maximisation. In regard to the limitations emerged, the findings are not generalisable to a wider population, due to the purposive sampling used. Moreover, the researcher found it challenging to maintain fully rigour and objectivity when analysing the results. Nevertheless, the researcher ensured to provide trustworthiness of the results, by probing those questions that resulted to be not clear enough.Item From the perspective of individual investors, what impact does the internet have on stock market trading?(2018)There have been various technological advances which have greatly impacted the stock market. The internet can now be considered a highly important tool, influential in many aspects of life. However, there is a scarcity of literature regarding the impact of the internet on stock market trading. As such, this project aimed to gain an understanding of the impact that the internet has on stock market trading, for individual investors. Specifically, this focused on identifying how important the internet is in stock market trading to individual investors, the perceived advantages and disadvantages of the use of online trading, the internet’s impact on research, and finally to understand if it is believed that it would still be possible to be profitable in the stock market today, without the use of the internet. 10 semi structured interviews were conducted with industry experts, selected through purposive sampling, in order to ensure they had the sufficient knowledge and experience required to provide ample data. This data was analysed, in correlation with previous literature wherever possible. The results from this research was able to show that both cost and ease of access can be considered as important advantages of online trading. However, it was also identified that online trading has allowed less experienced individual investors to participate within the stock market, potentially putting themselves at risk. Furthermore, the internet was found to be vastly important within research for the majority of individuals. Finally, the findings of this study were able to show that the internet is of large importance for individual investors within stock market trading, but it is not essential, as respondents stated they believed that it would in fact be possible to remain profitable within the stock market today, without the use of the internet. This study finishes by providing recommendations for future research within the topic.Item An Exploration of How Different Leadership Styles Influence Employee Job Satisfaction and Performance in a Retail Environment(2018)The purpose of this study was to evaluate if different leadership styles Influence Employee Job Satisfaction and Performance in a Retail Environment. A selection of employees and manager at a local midsized supermarket were the participants in the research. The managers were given an adapted Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire to self-identify their leadership style, while their respective employees also completed the survey about their managers. The employees then also completed a Job Satisfaction survey each which recorded their personal feeling towards their job satisfaction. 37 total responses were recorded, with 5 managers and 32 employees from the corresponding departments. No managers and only 3 colleagues declined to take part giving a response rate of 93% This showed there was significant differences in perceptions of leadership between the managers and their respective employees in four of the five groups. The various potential implications of this were discussed further. The employee MLQ data and JSS data was the analysed and showed it is difficult to say if leadership style alone affects the employee’s total job performance overall or any particular facet of job satisfaction. It also showed from these particular results leadership cannot be ruled out as having some influence on job satisfaction. The limitations of this specific research and its results are discussed along with future recommendations for similar research.