Impact of Technology on River Island: Research Proposal

This report presents a research project proposal focused on the impact of technology on River Island's business performance. It begins by introducing the business problem and opportunity, supported by relevant data and trends, emphasizing the changing business environment and the importance of understanding customer needs. The proposal outlines the background, aims, objectives, and scope of the research, including a literature review that explores the significance of new technology in business organizations, particularly for fashion retailers like River Island. The report details the research methodology, including the research philosophy, approach, and strategy, specifically using a case study approach to analyze how River Island utilizes new technology to improve business outcomes, such as customer communication, meeting customer expectations, and streamlining operations. The report highlights the benefits of technology, including improved forecasting and brand image, and concludes by emphasizing the value of the research in understanding technology's role in enhancing business performance and gaining a competitive advantage.

Research
Methods

Table of Contents
Table of Contents.............................................................................................................................3
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Task 1 Research Project Proposal....................................................................................................1
1.Introduce the business problem or opportunity with supporting data and trends.....................1
2.Clearly explain the background to the business opportunity and justify the reasons for and
the value of the research to your employer and the wider academic community........................1
3. Outline the research projects aims and objectives...................................................................2
4.State the limitations and scope of the proposed research.........................................................2
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................2
RESEARCH METHODLOGY.......................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCE..................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Now a days business environment is changing day by day where it is important for business
concern to identify the needs and wants of their customers and provide the products and services
accordingly. If organization has adopted new technology and innovation in their business then it
will be a good opportunity to grow their business and accomplish the business goals. To
understand about new technology and its impacts on organizational performance River Island has
been selected that is London based high street fashion brand set up in 1948 for the purpose of
providing different products and services (Halperin and Heath, 2020). The management of such
organization conduct the market research and introduce products accordingly which can help to
develop the business and its productivity. The report is based on research methodology that will
help to develop the knowledge and skills in particular field. The report covers introduction,
business problems, background, aims and objectives , limitation and scope of research.
Task 1 Research Project Proposal
1.Introduce the business problem or opportunity with supporting data and trends
There are different types of business which are operating by following the new tend and
needs of customers. If a business concern is able to provide the products according to new
demand and trend then it will be a good opportunity for business to continue and increase the
sales. The present report is discussion about how a new technology is an opportunity for River
Island and how it operates its business.
2.Clearly explain the background to the business opportunity and justify the reasons for and the
value of the research to your employer and the wider academic community
Adopting a new technology is great opportunity for River Island and other organizations as
pit can help to provide the new products and services which are in demand. This can help to meet
with the customer demand and increase the satisfaction level. For every organization it is
important to know what their customers wants and how they can be satisfied so that products are
provided accordingly by using new technology and innovation. Other than this, whole world is
facing the situation of pandemic where people feel fear to go for shopping and making the cash
payment. At this time using technology and online presence in global market supports to
continue all functions and activities that can help to increase the business performance and
profitability (Hiver and Al-Hoorie, 2019).
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Thus, from the above justified that using new technology is the boon for employer as it
helps to maintain good relation, increasing sales, developing business performance, increasing
productivity and profitability by managing all functions and activities.
3. Outline the research projects aims and objectives
Research Aims:
“Impact of technology on employees and organisational performance” A case study of River
Island.
Research Objectives:
 To determine the significance of new technology in context to business organization.
 How new technology is becoming an opportunity for River Island.
 To determine the benefit of technology which use by River Island for improving business
performance.
4.State the limitations and scope of the proposed research
Scope – The present research is about use of new technology that use by researcher to
conduct the research properly. The scope of current research is wider that involves different
methodology and literature of topic aspects. This helps researcher to develop its knowledge in
particular area and reach at the conclusion. This is feasible study which uses to collect
information in less time.
Limitation – This means problem which faced by researcher in relation to conducting
present research. There is less time and higher cost that might be occur while conducting the
research. This problem needs to be resolve and by managing each function and study (Fauzi and
Pradipta, 2018).
LITERATURE REVIEW
The significance of new technology in context to business organization.
As per opinion of Chen (2018), New technology is explained as any set of productive
techniques that offers a significant improvement. This is used by business concern and employer
to introduce the different types of products and services that can help to reach the targeted
customers and increase the business performance. To introduce something it is important to
conduct the market analysis and provide the products that fill the customer expectations and
develop the organizational productivity. Technology is evolving rapidly as it become exponential
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as it introduce the new products as per demand which can help to operate the business
continuously. Importance of new technology in relation to River Island that is explained below:
Communicate with customers – Technology is used by employer and employee for the
purpose of communicating with their customers effectively. This is important for each business
organization to use technology for communicating with their customers and share the
information. The management of River Island, use marketing channel, digital marketing, emails,
and telephones to reach the targeted customers which can help to develop the business
performance (Camacho and et.al., 2020).
Fill the customer’s expectation – As needs of customers is getting to change day by day
where it business concern is require to introduce the products and services that help to fill the
customers’ expectations and make them happy by providing new products and services.
Ease to mobility – By using new technology it become easy for organization to reach
their customers easily. This become important for each organization to understand the what
their customers wants and they can be retain their employees which can help to develop the
business performance. River Island is using new technology for the purpose of mobilising the
resources properly and accomplishing the goals.
How new technology is becoming an opportunity for River Island.
According to Mahroof (2019), New technology is the main aspects for business
organization as it bring new products and services for the purpose of reaching the customers and
developing the business performance. New technology is becoming an opportunity for River
Island as it taps in to start-up culture to accelerate innovation where it introduce the fast fashion
of products and services. As the fast fashion needs to happen at speed where employer is require
to understand the new trend and provide the products accordingly. Thus can help to reach at the
customer by using different channel such as online presence, marketing, and email marketing
through which new products and information are provides. River Island is the UK based Fashion
retailer that has over 350 stores across Europe and six online sites by using new technology that
became an opportunity to grow and continue their business activities.
According to Brough, ed., (2018), Company is getting opportunity of new technology
because after using this it became easy for employees to maintain proper records of their stock
and products that can help to place the order accordingly. This provides a online facility to their
customers to choose, select, make online payment and get home deliver of their products in less
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time that impacts positively and supports to increase the business performance. The employer of
such organization uses new techniques and technology in their business for the purpose of
providing range of products and services which can help to reach at the targeted customers and
accomplish the business goals. This can help to know what customers wants and how to bring
the new products and services in challenging environment.
Different benefit of technology which use by River Island for improving business
performance.
As per view point of Bessen (2019), Using new technology is beneficial for organization
as it provides an application which used by people to see the products, and place the order with
the help to technology or internet that can help to provide the products on time. This become
most important for River Island to use the innovation and technology as it help to improve the
customer satisfaction.
By suing new technology River Island can track their margins through inventory control
system where products are offer at special prices and by deciding geographic and demographic
location that can help to operate and regulate the business continue and increase the profit
margin.
Improve the forecasting is possible through technology as management uses automated
statistical forecasting system that is used to creating the demand of forecasting. This can help to
maintain past sales data, forecasts, and future orders that build the organizational performance.
New technology is also useful to increase the brand image as it fill the customer demand
and make them happy that can help to receive the positive feedback which can help to
developing the business activities and attain the goals (Hanington and Martin, 2019).
River Island is creating value for their customers b maintaining good relations and
providing the better quality, design, and fashion of products which can help to attracts the large
number of customers and increase the organizational performance in competitive environment.
Thus from the above analysis it can be understand that River Island is using technology
that is an opportunity as it helps to attain the competitive advantages by introduce new services
and retaining its potential customers.
2.Develop a conceptual and theoretical framework for the research from the literature review
explaining how and why it supports and informs your approach the research process
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From the above discussed literature review it can be found that technology is important
for business sand human lives as it fill the expectation and provides the new products which can
help to manage the higher performance. This study supports the research to conduct the analysis
about uses of technology and how it helps to develop the business performance in personal and
professional context.
RESEARCH METHODLOGY
This can be explained as conceptual framework which uses by an individual to develop the
skills and knowledge in relation to particular topic. This bring information by using effective
method and technology. The research methodology in relation to opportunity of new technology
is descried below:
Research Philosophy: This means set of principles that related to worldview or stance by
conducting research. This provides the relative information that connects to a topic. This
involves positivism, interpretivism and pragmatic philosophy that uses to according to topic and
studied behaviour.
Justification- In relation to current research impact of technology or opportunity, positivism
philosophy will used by researcher as it is based on assumptions of individual and subject area
(Levius, Safa and Weeks, 2018).
Research Approach – The researcher uses approach on the basis of hypothetical information
and literature review that can help to provide the right details. This involves Inductive and
deductive approach that supports the study.
Justification – The research being used deductive approach as it based on imagination and
literature review which was presented earlier about how technology is becoming opportunity for
business organization.
Strategy – According to this, students expected to use strategy for their study and research
that can help to bring the right information and managing the higher performance. This includes
case study, survey, experiment, and action research strategy that uses differently (Litosseliti, ed.,
2018).
Justification – In relation to current research, case study strategy has been used in which
River Island uses new technology as an opportunity that can help to develop the business
performance and increase the productivity by managing all functions and activities.
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Data Collection – This states a technique and procedure which uses by researcher to
conduct the research and analysis. This can help to develop the understanding and skills by
selecting the appropriate method or technique which supports to managing the higher
performance. This involves primary and secondary data which uses according to study. The
meaning of primary data is when information are collected from first hand sources, whereas
secondary data means when information are collected from secondary sources and support the
study (Shaw and et.al., 2019).
Justification – From the above analysis it can be justified that researcher has been used
primary sources to collect the information about how technology is becoming an opportunity for
business organization and how it can be develop the business performance.
Select the instrument design it and justify an appropriate method with an outline of a
pretestpilot to be included as an appendix.
Instrument design technique: Instrument design is a tool uses to obtain, measure, and
analysing the data from subject around the research topic. This can help to managing the good
performance and completing the research on time. This means tool and technique which uses by
an individual to support their study by gathering information. This involves qualitative and
quantitative technique which provides the right information. Qualitative technique is not
focusing on numerical and statistical data whereas, quantitative technique is used to gather data
via numerical and practical based information that can help to complete the study.
Justification – from the above analysis quantitative technique has been used by
researcher to know that how River Island is using technology for the purpose of reaching its
potential customers and developing the business performance. The research conduct the pre test
pilot and managing all information accurately that can help to complete the study on certain time
(Silva, Hassani and Madsen, 2019).
3. Population and Sampling Define the research population sampling strategy and clarify access
to respondent issues
Sampling is the process use by research in statistical analysis by predetermining number
of observations that are taken from large population. There is large number of population to
whom question ask by research for the purpose of supporting their study and helps to complete
the project on time. This involves probability, non-probability, and purposive sampling.
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Justification – From the analysis it can be defined that random sampling method has
been used by researcher by considering the 40 candidates. This can help to develop the
understanding and managing the all performance effectively (Timans, Wouters and Heilbron,
2019).
4.Data Analysis Describe and justify how propose to analyse and report the results and findings
of your research with a discussion about reliability and validity and the management of error
From the research, it can be evaluated that technology is important for business
organization as it provides the new products and services as per demand that can help to increase
the business performance. Herein, researcher has used qualitative technique and primary data
collection method that supported the study and completing the product timely.
While preparing project I focused that my communication and ICT skills was weak that
might be create the problem in completing task. But my team member and tutor helped me to
develop this skills and complete the project. I also came to know that my leadership skills,
problem solving, and learning skills is good which I used to overcoming the limitation and
managing each function.
Statement of Ethics:
In relation to current project, research make sure that all ethical principle and form has
been used in this project that support the study and increasing the performance (Voit and et.al.,
2019).
Timeline
This is the graphical representation that show the timing and set of activities which
requires to complete. The researcher will complete the project in certain period.
Develop a plan using Gantt chart from start to completion of the research.
Gantt chart is way of showing the activities and chronological arrangement of events
which uses by researcher to scheduling their activities and completing the task effectively. This
provides high range of information and completing the task (Ball and et.al., 2018).
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CONCLUSION
From the report it can be concluded that every organization should be focused on
technology as it provide the opportunity to grow their business and attain the competitive
advantages. This can help to maintain the good relation with their potential customers and
increase the sustainability in competitive environment. Research methodology is used to conduct
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the research and selecting the appropriate method that supports to complete the study and
managing all information.
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