Managing a Successful Business Project: A Case Study of Marks and Spencer

This project examines the impact of digital technologies on the business operations of Marks and Spencer. Through a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods, the study explores the benefits and challenges associated with integrating digital technologies, including ERP, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. The research analyzes data from employee surveys and interviews with managers to identify key insights and provide recommendations for improving the company's digital transformation strategy.

Managing a Successful Business Project
1

Table of Contents
Introduction........................................................................................................................3
LO1....................................................................................................................................4
Devise project aims and objectives for a chosen scenario [P1]........................................4
Produce a project management plan that covers aspects of cost, scope, time, quality,
communication, risk, and resources [P2]..........................................................................4
Produce a work breakdown structure and a Gantt chart to provide timeframes and
stages for completion [P3].................................................................................................8
LO2..................................................................................................................................12
Carry out small-scale research by applying qualitative and quantitative research
methods appropriate for meeting project aims and objectives. [P4]...............................12
LO3..................................................................................................................................17
Analyze research and data using appropriate tools and techniques [P5].......................17
Communicate appropriate recommendations as a result of research and data analysis
to draw valid and meaningful conclusions [P6]...............................................................27
LO4..................................................................................................................................28
Reflect on the value of undertaking the research to meet stated objectives and own
learning and performance [P7]........................................................................................28
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................30
Reference........................................................................................................................31
2

Introduction
In the present scenario, the competition in the world market is growing exponentially at
a rapid rate. This exponential growth of competition is pressurizing the business
organizations to adapt digital technologies. The organizations must implement digital
technologies to improve the operations carried out. Incorporation of digital technologies
helps the companies to sustain in the market full of competition as well as gain
competitive edge over the rivals. In the previous few years, it has been seen that there
has been huge evolution in the operations of business organizations with the integration
of digital technologies. It gives the companies to spot out the area of improvements and
credible opportunities. In this assignment, the case study of Marks and Spencer has
been used to analyze the growing dependency and implication of digital technologies on
the operations of the business houses.
3

LO1
Devise project aims and objectives for a chosen scenario [P1]
Aim of the project:
The aim of the project is to assess the implication of digital technologies on the
business operations of Marks and Spencer
Objectives of the project:
 To inspect the different types of digital technologies used by Marks and Spencer
 To identify and assess the implications of digital technologies on the business
operations of Marks and Spencer
 To spot out the challenges and opportunities associated with the rapid
technological advancement
 To give appropriate recommendations in order to curb the issues identified
Produce a project management plan that covers aspects of cost, scope, time,
quality, communication, risk, and resources [P2]
Activities Time (in hour) Cost per hour ($) Overall cost ($)
Onsite surveys
with the
employees of
Marks and
Spencer
120 20 2400
Surveys carried
out through
conferences and
emails
100 25 2500
Carrying out face-
to-face interviews
or personal
interviews with
the managers of
Marks and
Spencer
48 40 1920
Surveys
conducted
through phone
calls
240 25 6000
Sum Total 508 110 12820
Table 1: aspects of time and cost for carrying out the project
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The above table illustrates the total cost and time taken for accumulating data via
surveys and interviews. The activities performed by the researcher are carrying onsite
survey with the employees of Marks and Spencer, surveys through emails and
conferences, and phone calls. The researcher also conducted interview with two
managers of Marks and Spencer to gather their view and opinion on the implication of
digital technologies on the business operations. The surveys were conducted in order to
collect data for carrying out the business project in an effective manner. Conducting the
surveys helped the researcher to gain ideas regarding the implication of digital
technologies within companies.
Scope of the project management plan:
Scope of the project management plan usually portrays the possible chances and
opportunities of the business plan that may be fruitful for the business corporations. The
scope of plan focuses on disclosing the pragmatic facets regarding the influence caused
by digital technologies on the activities of the organizations. It also displays the probable
chances of an organization in the future. Scope of the project management plan can be
classified into two categories namely included scope and excluded scope.
Included Scope:
The scope included within the business plan is called the included scope. Included
scope assists the researcher to recognize and assess the implication of digital
technologies and the influence of it on the business operations. Included scope portrays
how integration of digital technologies will shape the workforce in the future. It will also
display the way in which business organizations can sustain in the market full of
competition and gain competitive edge in the market with the help of digital
technologies.
Excluded Scope:
Excluded scope is the scope that is not mentioned in the project management plan. The
excluded scope also reflects the chances of an organization in the future. It is quite
similar to included scope but it focuses on the possible opportunities that the
organizations has in the external environment of the business. Excluded scope assists
the researcher to recognize the scope in marketplace about the impact digital
technologies has on the rival companies. The feedbacks received by the organization
from its consumers are categorized under excluded scope.
Quality Management:
The quality of the project management plan is determined through the responses
gathered and documented. It is highly significant for the researcher to maintain the
quality of the business plan. The researcher must make sure that the project plan is
acceptable and the outcomes of the project are relatable to the current scenario in the
market (Kerzner and Kerzner, 2017). The researcher has ensured that the surveys
conducted must not be among limited number of audience. Since the research is on
business plan, it should give quality to learners and preserve the entire project within
the stipulated timeframe. Furthermore, the researcher while carrying out the project plan
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made sure to frame the questionnaires properly for the employees of Marks and
Spencer providing them with appropriate options. The researcher to ensure appropriate
responses had provided the options.
Communication:
The communication of the project is based on the responses and the data accumulated
by the researcher through conducting surveys and interviews. The procedure of
communication comprises of well-structured questionnaires for the survey, mailing the
employees in order to acquire their opinions regarding the project plan. The researcher
also conducted personal interview with two managers of Marks and Spencer in order to
gather proper information regarding the technologies used within the company and the
impact it has on the business operations. This has been done to uphold the
communication and ensure it is effective and understandable.
Risk Management:
Weeks
Number
Recognize
d Dates
Recognition of risks
and tribulations faced
Influence Consequences on
the project
1 1.06.18 Difficulties of
communication
among the
employees of the
organization
Average The time and cost
necessary for
carrying out the
business project got
increased due to
communication
difficulties
2 12.06.18 Issues regarding the
accessibility of
information
High The Information
Protection Act
constrained to get in
touch with
numerous
information of the
company.
4 30.06.18 Technological break
down and risk of data
loss
Low The development of
the research got
limited because of
loss of data and
information
collected and some
failures in
technology
Table 2: risk management
6

Produce a work breakdown structure and a Gantt chart to provide timeframes and
stages for completion [P3]
Numbe
r of
tasks
Name of the
activities
Date of
starting
interval Date of ending
Assessing the
influence of digital
technologies on
business
operations of Marks
and Spencer
1-06-18 60 1-08-18
1 Portraying the aim
and objectives,
timescale of the
research
2-06-18 10 12-06-18
1.1 Identification of aim
of the project
3-06-18 1 4-06-18
1.2 Identifying the
objectives of the
project
4-06-18 6 10-06-18
1.3 The particulars of
time and cost
10-06-18 15 25-06-18
1.4 Displaying the
scope of project
plan
15-06-18 7 22-06-18
2 Ways opted for
conducting the
surveys
23-06-18 37 30-07-18
2.1 Choosing the
sample size
25-06-18 5 30-06-18
2.2 Preparation of
interview questions
for the managers of
the company
28-06-18 5 3-07-18
2.3 Carrying out the
onsite surveys
5-07-18 10 15-07-18
2.4 Carrying out survey 10-07-18 10 20-07-18
7

Start
Fri 01-
06-18
Finish
Thu
20-
09-18
04
Jun
'18
11
Jun
'18
18
Jun
'18
25
Jun
'18
02
Jul
'18
09
Jul
'18
16
Jul
'18
23
Jul
'18
30
Jul
'18
06
Aug
'18
13
Aug
'18
20
Aug
'18
27
Aug
'18
03
Sep
'18
10
Sep
'18
17
Sep
'18Assessing the influence of digital
technologies on business operations
of Marks and Spencer
Fri 01-06-18 - Thu 20-09-18
Portraying the aim and
objectives, timescale of
the research
Fri 01-06-18 - Wed 11-07-
18
Ways opted for
conducting the
surveys
Thu 12-07-18 -
Mon 17-09-18
Finalizing
the project
plan
Tue 18-09-
18 - Thu 20-
09-18
Today
via emails, phone
calls, and
conferences
2.5 Conducting
personal interview
with the managers
15-07-18 5 20-07-18
2.6 Data collection 20-07-18 5 25-07-18
2.7 Analyzing the
collected data
22-07-18 7 29-07-18
2.8 Acquiring the
outcome
27-07-18 1 28-07-18
3 Finalizing the
project plan
28-07-18 3 1-08-18
Table 3: Work Breakdown Structure
Timeframe:
8

Gnatt Chart:
02 07 12 17 22 27 02 07 12 17 22 27 01 06 11 16 21 26 31 05 10 15 20 25 30
June 2018 July 2018 August 2018 September 2018 October 2018
9

LO2
Carry out small-scale research by applying qualitative and quantitative research
methods appropriate for meeting project aims and objectives. [P4]
The researcher has used quantitative and qualitative data collection method to
accumulate information for conducting this project. The researcher has chosen
deductive approach, and exploratory design to conduct the research project (Creswell
and Creswell, 2017). Quantitative data collection method comprises of questionnaires
that are being used to collect data from the employees of Marks and Spencer. With the
help of quantitative data collection method the researcher is able to calculate the data
and present it in a statistical form by conducting survey of questionnaires. Quantitative
data collection method focuses on evaluating the collected data and illustrate it an
effective manner. On the other hand, qualitative data collection method concentrates on
the purpose of the project. Qualitative data collection method helped the researcher to
develop question for the interview with the managers of Marks and Spencer (Flick,
2017). This helped the researcher to understand their perspectives on the implications
of digital technologies and its impact on the operations of the company.
Quantitative data collection:
In this section, questionnaires have been developed with proper options for 100
employees of Marks and Spencer.
Q1. Specify your age
Particulars Percentage of
respondents
Number of
respondents
Total numbers of
students
18-23 20% 20 100
23-30 25% 25 100
30-35 30% 30 100
35-40 15% 15 100
40 above 10% 10 100
Table 4: age of the respondents
Q2. Specify your gender
Particulars Percentage of
respondents
Number of
respondents
Total number of
students
Male 51% 51 100
Female 47% 47 100
Others 2% 2 100
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Table 5: gender of the respondents
Q3. What are the digital technologies integrated within Marks and Spencer?
Particulars Percentage of
respondents
Number of
respondents
Total numbers of
students
ERP 41% 41 100
Cloud Computing 26% 26 100
Artificial
intelligence
13% 13 100
EMV chip cards 15% 15 100
Some other 5% 5 100
Table 6: digital technologies integrated within Marks and Spencer
Q4. How far do you agree that digital technologies have positive influence on the
operations of Marks and Spencer?
Particulars Percentage of
respondents
Number of
Respondents
Total number of
respondents
Highly agreed 35% 35 100
Agreed 20% 20 100
Neutral 10% 10 100
Disagreed 20% 20 100
Highly disagreed 15% 15 100
Table 7: influence of digital technologies on the operations
Q5. Do you agree that the incorporation digital technologies have improved the
SCM of the company?
Particulars Percentage of
respondents
Number of
Respondents
Total number of
respondents
Highly agreed 50% 50 100
Agreed 25% 25 100
Neutral 10% 10 100
Disagreed 10% 10 100
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Highly disagreed 5% 5 100
Table 8: improvement of SCM with integration of digital technologies
Q6. Do you agree that integration of different software is cost-effective for the
company?
Particulars Percentage of
respondents
Number of
Respondents
Total number of
respondents
Highly agreed 5% 5 100
Agreed 15% 15 100
Neutral 10% 10 100
Disagreed 30% 30 100
Highly disagreed 40% 40 100
Table 9: integration of software in terms of cost-efficiency
Q7. Do you agree that the integration of digital technologies is very much time-
efficient?
Particulars Percentage of
respondents
Number of
Respondents
Total number of
respondents
Highly agreed 10% 10 100
Agreed 20% 20 100
Neutral 15% 15 100
Disagreed 25% 25 100
Highly disagreed 30% 30 100
Table 10: integration of digital technologies is very much time-efficient
Q8. How far do you agree that digital technologies help the company to sustain in
the competitive market?
Particulars Percentage of
respondents
Number of
Respondents
Total number of
respondents
Highly agreed 45% 45 100
Agreed 25% 25 100
Neutral 10% 10 100
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Disagreed 15% 15 100
Highly disagreed 5% 5 100
Table 11: digital technologies helping the company to sustain in market
Q9. How far do you agree that digital technologies help the company to gain
competitive edge?
Particulars Percentage of
respondents
Number of
Respondents
Total number of
respondents
Highly agreed 55% 55 100
Agreed 25% 25 100
Neutral 10% 10 100
Disagreed 7% 7 100
Highly disagreed 3% 3 100
Table 12: digital technologies help the company to gain competitive edge
Qualitative data collection:
Q1. Do you think the integration of digital technologies improved the operations of
Marks and Spencer?
Q2. What are the issues that are faced by the company due to digital technologies?
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LO3
Analyze research and data using appropriate tools and techniques [P5]
Analysis:
Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 4
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5 4.3
2.5
3.5
4.5
Figure 1: age of respondents
Findings:
From the information provided in the above figure, it can be observed that 20% of the
participants belong from age group 18-23 while 25% of respondents belong from age
group 23-30. Furthermore, 30% of the total respondents belong from age group 30-35.
On the other hand, 25% belong from age group 35-40 and above 40. It shows that most
active participants belong from age group 18 to 35. Employees belonging from age
group 35-40 and above 40 were comparatively less active during the survey.
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51%47%
2%
Male
Female
Others
Figure 2: gender of the respondents
Findings:
According to the graph, it can be seen that 51% of the total respondents were male
participants showing their active participation in the survey. 47% of the respondents
were female participants showing that they also being active in the survey and 2% of
the respondents were belonging from others.
15

ERP Cloud
Computing Artificial
intelligence EMV chip cards Some other
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45% 41%
26%
13% 15%
5%
Figure 3: digital technologies integrated within Marks and Spencer
Findings:
As per the information given in the above graph, it can be stated that Marks and
Spencer’s most of the operations are carried with the help of integrated ERP software.
As given, 26% of the digital technologies incorporated are cloud computing within the
company as it provides cloud storage for handling big data. It can be seen that 13% of
the technology integrated is AI and 15% of the technology belongs to EMV chip cards.
Other technologies integrated share 5% of the total technologies integrated. Hence, it
can be said that ERP is the primary software used within the company to conduct the
operations in an effective manner.
16

35%
20%
10%
20%
15%
Highly agreed
Agreed
Neutral
Disagreed
Highly disagreed
Figure 4: influence of digital technologies on the operations
Findings:
According to the details in the above figure, it can be noticed that 35% of the
respondents highly agree with the point that digital technologies have a positive impact
on the business operations conducted within the company. While 20% of the
respondents agree with this point and 10% of the respondents neither agree nor
disagree with the influence of digital technologies on the business operations. On the
other hand, it is being seen that 20% of the respondents are disagreeing with the point it
could be because use of digital technologies have a negative impact on the external
environment of the company and 15% of the respondents highly disagree with the
influence of digital technologies on the operations of the company.
17

Highly agreed Agreed Neutral Disagreed Highly disagreed
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
50%
25%
10% 10%
5%
Figure 5: improvement of SCM with integration of digital technologies
Findings:
As per the statistical data provided in the figure above, it can be said that indeed the
integration of several digital technologies are improving the SCM of the company. It is
being seen that 50% of the respondents highly agree that integration of digital
technologies enhances the SCM and 25% of the respondents agree with this point.
Furthermore, 10% of the total respondents have been neutral in their responses. On the
other hand, 15% of the respondents are disagreeing with the point that digital
technologies improve the SCM of the company.
18

5%
15%
10%
30%
40% Highly agreed
Agreed
Neutral
Disagreed
Highly disagreed
Figure 6: integration of software in terms of cost-efficiency
Findings:
From the above figure, it can be seen that 40% of the total respondents are highly
disagreeing with the point that integrating digital technologies is cost-effective for the
company and 30% of the respondents are disagreeing that integrating digital
technologies is cost-effective. While 10% of the respondents showed neutral responses
and only 20% of the total respondents are agreeing highly and just agreeing that
integrating digital technologies is cost-effective. From the analysis, it can be said that it
is indeed not cost effective, as the company has pay a huge sum of money for
incorporating digital technologies.
19

Highly agreed Agreed Neutral Disagreed Highly
disagreed
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
10%
20%
15%
25%
30%
Figure 7: integration of digital technologies is very much time-efficient
Findings:
As per the above figure, it can be observed that 30% of the respondents highly disagree
with the point the integration of digital technologies is time-efficient and 25% of the
people disagree with this point. Furthermore, 15% of the respondents neither agree nor
disagree with the point. On contrary, 30% of the total respondents agree with the point
that it is time efficient but if noticed keenly it is not time efficient as integrating software
consumes significant amount of time.
20

45%
25%
10%
15%
5%
Highly agreed
Agreed
Neutral
Disagreed
Highly disagreed
Figure 8: digital technologies helping the company to sustain in market
Findings:
According to the above graph, it can be observed that 45% of the respondents highly
agree that digital technologies help the company to sustain in the competitive market.
While 25% of the people agree with this point and 10% of the respondents showed
neutral responses by neither agreeing nor disagreeing. On contrary, 20% of the total
respondents are totally disagreeing with the point that digital technologies help the
company to sustain in the market. Based on the data it can be considered that it indeed
helps the companies to sustain in competitive market.
21

Highly agreed Agreed Neutral Disagreed Highly
disagreed
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60% 55%
25%
10%
7%
3%
Figure 9: digital technologies help the company to gain competitive edge
Findings:
From the above figure, it can be seen that 80% of the total respondents totally agree
with the point that digital technologies help the company to gain competitive edge. While
10% of the total respondents neither agree nor disagree with the point that digital
technologies help the company to gain competitive edge. It is quite unusual to see that
10% of the respondents are disagreeing and highly disagreeing with this point.
22

Qualitative Analysis:
Q1. Do you think the integration of digital technologies improved the operations
of Marks and Spencer?
As per manager one, integration of digital technologies helps in enhancing the
operations as ERP software makes it simpler for the company to maintain the SCM of
the company. Managing the SCM is the most significant operation of business and
digital technologies make it possible for the company to manage it in an effective
manner.
According to the viewpoint of manager two, digital technologies improves the operations
as with the help of cloud computing it is possible for the company to handle big data.
Post the executive department can access the implementation of cloud computing the
data remotely.
Q2. What are the issues that are faced by the company due to digital
technologies?
As per the viewpoint of manager one, the major issue faced by the company due to
digital technologies is that it consumes huge amount of money and it gets really for the
company to keep updating the technologies integrated within the organization.
According to manager two, another main issue faced by the organization is that
integration of digital technologies consumes huge amount of time that sometimes make
it tough for the company to complete the operations within the decided timescale.
23

Communicate appropriate recommendations as a result of research and data
analysis to draw valid and meaningful conclusions [P6]
From the findings of the research, it is evident that most employees believe that the use
of digital technology is beneficial for the success of Marks and Spencer in the
competitive retail industry. However, a considerable percentage of respondents felt that
the integration of digital technologies in the company’s process was not cost-effective
(around 70% of the respondents). 55% of respondents were of the opinion that the
same process of implementation is not at all time-effective either. Based on these
findings, a few recommendations can be made for Marks and Spencer to solve the
issues arising during implementation and use of digital technologies.
Firstly, Marks and Spencer should simplify the process of implementation so that
employees can ease into the new processes rather than be forced into the same. In
order to equip employees and prepare them for the new digital technologies, the
company can consider organizing a series of training and development sessions (Dhar,
2015). It is important to emphasize the value of tools such as digital technology to the
employees, so that they can understand why it is being implemented. Training and
development not only serve the purpose of enhancing the employees’ skills, they also
aid in motivating employees to perform well and achieve personal growth (Salas et al,
2012).
Secondly, it is important for the management of Marks and Spencer to communicate
openly with the employees regarding the use and benefit of digital technologies. As the
technologies in this context are new and present mostly unchartered territories of work
to the organization, the management should provide support and encouragement to the
employees. The key would be to work with the lower level employees, rather than
delegating tasks to them, thus establishing a new, more productive and equalized
relationship (Hoffman et al, 2013). This will help in the integration of digital technology.
24

LO4
Reflect on the value of undertaking the research to meet stated objectives and
own learning and performance [P7]
From the findings of the research, it is evident that most employees believe that the use
of digital technology is beneficial for the success of Marks and Spencer in the
competitive retail industry. However, a considerable percentage of respondents felt that
the integration of digital technologies in the company’s process was not cost-effective
(around 70% of the respondents). 55% of respondents were of the opinion that the
same process of implementation is not at all time-effective either. Based on these
findings, a few recommendations can be made for Marks and Spencer to solve the
issues arising during implementation and use of digital technologies.
Firstly, Marks and Spencer should simplify the process of implementation so that
employees can ease into the new processes rather than be forced into the same. In
order to equip employees and prepare them for the new digital technologies, the
company can consider organizing a series of training and development sessions (Dhar,
2015). It is important to emphasize the value of tools such as digital technology to the
employees, so that they can understand why it is being implemented. Training and
development not only serve the purpose of enhancing the employees’ skills, they also
aid in motivating employees to perform well and achieve personal growth (Salas et al,
2012).
Secondly, it is important for the management of Marks and Spencer to communicate
openly with the employees regarding the use and benefit of digital technologies. As the
technologies in this context are new and present mostly unchartered territories of work
to the organization, the management should provide support and encouragement to the
employees. The key would be to work with the lower level employees, rather than
delegating tasks to them, thus establishing a new, more productive and equalized
relationship (Hoffman et al, 2013). This will help in the integration of digital technology.
The findings of the research have helped in identifying the purpose and importance of
digital technologies, as well as the exact nature of the digital technologies used by
Marks and Spencer. Considering a major retail company such as Marks and Spencer,
has given me a thorough understanding of the impact that such technologies can have
on organizations and business processes. By performing quantitative as well as
qualitative data analysis, I received information about the opinions of Marks and
Spencer employees regarding digital technologies and their use in the company’s
processes. The qualitative analysis in particular, provided detailed insight on the
challenges and issues faced by Marks and Spencer’s employees in implementing digital
technology.
By conducting the research, I understood how several factors shape the employee’s
perception of new organizational processes such as digital technologies. Over the
course of the research, my analytical capabilities developed considerably. Using
25

different methods of data collection such as the primary method of conducting surveys
and interviews, enhanced my ability to draw conclusions from a set of facts and figures.
Since digital technology is a relatively new field of study, it was an enlightening and
interesting experience to conduct research on the same.
26

Conclusion
According to the project, it can be taken into account that digital technologies are 65%
times advantageous for an organization and 35% times affect the organization and has
a negative influence on the company. In this project, the researcher has been
successful in identifying the issues, gave recommendations to solve and mitigate the
issues. The researcher used primary data collection method to gather data from the
employees through survey and interviewed the managers. Furthermore, the researcher
evaluated the data to understand the implications of digital technologies on the
operations of business organization.
27

Reference
Creswell, J.W. and Creswell, J.D., 2017. Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and
mixed methods approaches. Sage publications.
Dhar, R.L., 2015. Service quality and the training of employees: The mediating role of
organizational commitment. Tourism Management, 46, pp.419-430.
Flick, U. ed., 2017. The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Data Collection. SAGE.
Hoffman, R., Casnocha, B. and Yeh, C., 2013. Tours of duty: The new employer-
employee compact. Harvard Business Review, 91(6), pp.49-58
Kerzner, H. and Kerzner, H.R., 2017. Project management: a systems approach to
planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
Salas, E., Tannenbaum, S.I., Kraiger, K. and Smith-Jentsch, K.A., 2012. The science of
training and development in organizations: What matters in practice. Psychological
science in the public interest, 13(2), pp.74-101
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