Analyzing Business Recovery Ways: Minimizing COVID-19 Impact on ASDA

This report analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on business organizations, focusing on ASDA, a UK-based supermarket chain. It explores the challenges faced by ASDA, including operational disruptions, financial difficulties, and uncertainties in human resource practices. The research aims to identify and evaluate strategies for ASDA to minimize the adverse effects of the pandemic, covering areas such as safety measures, supply chain management, and online service implementation. The report employs a deductive research approach with a quantitative method, utilizing primary data collected through questionnaires from ASDA employees. Ethical considerations are addressed to ensure data protection and respondent confidentiality. Ultimately, the study seeks to contribute to the development of effective business recovery plans and enhance the understanding of pandemic-related challenges in the business context.

Recommended Research Proposal Structure
Section One: Executive Summary
Topic: “To analyze ways to minimize impact of COVID-19 in terms of business recovery”. A case
study on ASDA.
COVID-19 pandemic caused ample of difficulties for business organizations in terms of running the
entity smoothly. It hampered daily operations and functions along with productivity of company. In
context of present study, the selected company is ASDA that is a well-known supermarket chain based
on UK. The report aims to analyze different ways in order to minimize the impact of COVID-19
pandemic. Further, it will cover suitable strategies for ASDA in order to deal with adverse impact of
COVID-19 pandemic.
Section Two: Title, objective, responsibilities
Introduction
COVID-19 pandemic
hampered daily operations and functions along with productivity of company. In addition to
this, the pandemic also reduced down the overall efficiency & effectiveness of business organization
that will also create direct impact over customer satisfaction. In terms of financial difficulties,
pandemic minimized the overall revenue and profit margin of the companies significantly. It also
created huge uncertainties across the business organizations by affecting their existing human resource
practices as well. In context of present study, the selected company is ASDA that is a well-known
supermarket chain based on UK. They offer groceries along with general items such as mobile,
accessories, appliances, clothes and more. The report aimed to analyze different ways in order to
minimize the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. Further, it will cover suitable strategies for ASDA in
order to deal with adverse impact of COVID-19 pandemic.
Research Aim:
“To analyze ways to minimize COVID-19 in terms of business recovery”. A case study on ASDA.
Research Objectives

 To understand the impact of COVID-19 in business context within UK.
 To analyze the challenges faced by ASDA due to the impact of pandemic.
 To develop recovery strategies for ASDA to deal with adverse impact of COVID-19 pandemic.
Research Questions:
 What is the impact of COVID-19 in business context within UK?
 What are the challenges faced by ASDA due to the impact of pandemic?
 What are the recovery strategies for ASDA to deal with adverse impact of COVID-19
pandemic?
Section Three: Reasons for choosing this research project
The main aim of present study is to analyze the impact of pandemic over business organizations so that
suitable business recovery plans can be structured in order to deal with the adverse impacts profoundly.
Here, report is significant in terms of improving knowledge base of investigator to contribute in
structuring suitable recover plans to minimize the adverse impact of pandemic in across business. In
addition to this, the current project is also helpful in personal and professional context. In personal
context, it will help in developing different skills & competencies such as communication, presentation,
data research and more. On other side, the report will also prove useful in professional development
and growth to gain tremendous success in the future career.
Section Four: Literature sources searched
Impact of COVID-19 in business context within UK
According to Hopson, (2022), it is analyzed that COVID-19 pandemic created huge impact on
business organizations. At the end of December 2021, nearly 3% of the total workforce was on sick
leave in terms of self-isolation, quarantine and more. Also, nearly 21% of the business organizations
reported cancellation from customers. In addition to this, the business organizations have also
implemented necessary safety measures that lead towards increment in the overall operational cost in
significant manner. Past two years remain really challenging for the business organizations working
within UK. In terms of lockdown, surging inflations, shortage of labor and uncertainties regarding
future sales creates ample of obstacles. During Q2 of 2020, majority of the business organizations

recorded nearly 30% decrease in their overall sales when the UK was first country to have lock-down.
There were large fall on employment at the time of global pandemic. Business entities are likely to fire
ample of workers as they were not able to pay salaries and other such expenses. Furthermore, COVID-
19 pandemic caused great uncertainties across the business environment of UK as they cannot predict
their future sales and profit. Also, sales uncertainties were high during 2020. During 2021, inflation
also picked up significantly as business entities are likely to charge higher prices of products from
customers (Two years on, how has the pandemic affected businesses in the UK?, 2022).
Challenges faced by ASDA due to the impact of pandemic
According to Yeh, (2021), during the COVID-19 pandemic, ample of challenges have been
faced by the business entities working across UK. . It hampered daily operations and functions along
with productivity of company. In addition to this, the pandemic also reduced down the overall
efficiency & effectiveness of business organization that will also create direct impact over customer
satisfaction. It also created huge uncertainties across the business organizations by affecting their
existing human resource practices as well. In terms of financial difficulties, pandemic minimized the
overall revenue and profit margin of the companies significantly (Yost, Kizildag and Ridderstaat,
2021). In context of ASDA, they cancelled order with suppliers as the situation was completely
uncertain. They were unable to predict future actions of buyers. Nearly 90% of buyers of the respective
entity faced fear of economic recession (British retailer Asda's customers fear economic depression,
2020). In addition to this, the organization also started to follow suitable measures in order to ensure
safety and security of visitors profoundly which lead towards increment in their overall operational cost
that will also affect future sales and profit margin. Additionally, the pandemic caused uncertainty to the
business entity as they were unable to predict the future actions of buyers in such unpredictable
situation. Therefore, ASDA faced numerous challenges due to adverse impact of COVID-19 pandemic.
Recovery strategies for ASDA to deal with adverse impact of COVID-19 pandemic
According to Rose, (2021), there are ample of recover strategies that can be followed by the
companies so that they can further deal with the impact of pandemic. It is monitored that pandemic
caused great difficulties for the entities in terms of affecting their overall sales, profitability, revenue
and more. In order to recover from the adverse impact of COVID-19 pandemic, there is requirement to
follow all the necessary guidelines prepared by the higher authorities for security and safety of general

public. When organizations are likely to follow necessary hygiene and cleanliness measures, it is easy
to make people understand that they are at safe place. It will help in terms of getting the customer back
to store to recover the losses. In terms of another strategy, the business organizations need to have
suitable plans so that they can effectively deal with future uncertainties (Rosenbloom and Markard,
2020). In case of ASDA, they need to have appropriate plans to deal with future uncertainties
profoundly. Also, they are required to train their employees in order to contribute to deal with adverse
impact of COVID-19 pandemic. In the present era, majority of the companies are likely to follow
online practices so that they can easily fulfill the needs & requirements of buyers. After witnessing the
drastic impact of pandemic, there is suggestion to implement necessary online and advance practices to
get and fulfill demands of customers in timely manner. Here, online deliver is useful in minimizing the
personal touch. Also, individuals are likely to prefer online shopping post COVID-19 as they are still in
panic of deadly virus. Following such recovery strategies will help the respective entity in dealing with
impact of COVID-19 pandemic significantly.
Section Five: Research approach and methodologies
In research methodology, data is collected, analyzed and further measures so that appropriate
results can be drawn. The main aim of research methodology is to gain authentic results out of the
research project to gain pre-defined project outcomes in an efficient manner (Daniel, Kumar and Omar,
2018). In research methodology, various elements are covered which are mentioned as below:
Research Philosophy: This tends to develop broad knowledge regarding the topic. It is based
on the assumptions of researcher regarding the selected topic. In addition to this, research philosophy is
imperative in order to make assumptions regarding particular topic. In this regard, there are two major
philosophies followed by investigator like interpretivism and positivism (Davidavičienė, 2018). In
present case, the selected philosophy is positivism wherein information will evaluate in objective
manner using different numerical facts and figures significantly.
Research Approaches: This is the other major imperative element of research methodology
that is useful in terms of guiding researcher to get appropriate project outcomes successfully. There are
two major approaches are used by investigators like deductive and inductive (Humphries, 2017). In
context of current project, suitable approach is deductive wherein researcher can easily evaluate the

available data and information in an appropriate manner. This will help in getting authentic results in
future period of time.
Research Strategy: In research methodology, strategies are the sequential plans including
ample of steps for attainment of stipulated project goals in successful manner. Here, majorly used
research strategies are case study, action research, survey, systematic literature review and more
(Iovino and Tsitsianis, 2020). In present case, best suitable research strategy is survey strategy which is
useful in terms of collecting wide range of information from different respondents over a particular
topic.
Choice of methods: While conducting research project, it is imperative to make selection of
suitable methods. There are two major methods like qualitative and quantitative. In case of quantitative
method, numerical tools and techniques are used for making further analysis in appropriate manner. On
the other hand, qualitative method is based on using non-numerical techniques to get detailed and in-
depth information (Worthington and Bodie, 2017). Based on nature of current project, there is selection
of quantitative method where charts, graphs, tables will be used for analyzing the data appropriately.
Data collection methods: To complete project report, ample amount of data is collected using
different sources such as primary and secondary. Here, primary source is based on gathering all the
information through own efforts. Here, data is completely raw, authentic and fair which is directly
gathered from participants. On the other side, secondary method is based on collecting wide range of
information from various sources like websites, articles, journals, books, publications and more (Daniel
and Harland, 2017). In present case, primary information will be gathered using questionnaire that will
help in collecting huge amount of data from respondents significantly.
Sampling: Here, sampling is all about selecting certain units to provide necessary amount of
information. Probability and non-probability are two major sampling methods. In context of current
project, there is selection of probability sampling as it will help in making true, authentic and fair
selection of units to construct appropriate sample (Ndlovu-Gatsheni, 2017). In present scenario , 30
employees of ASDA have been chosen in order to gather necessary amount of information
significantly.
Ethical considerations: Following necessary ethics is really imperative to complete the project in
systematic way. In present case, researcher is likely to protect the information of respondents by

following necessary data protection regulations and more to keep the information safe and secure in an
efficient manner.
Section Six: Activities and timescales
Activities to be carried out during the research project (e.g., research, development and analysis of
ideas, writing, data collection, numerical analysis, tutor meetings, production of final outcome,
evaluation, writing the report)
Time Horizon: While undertaking a project, there is requirement to select suitable time
period to complete the project within stipulated period of time. In this regard, the researcher
is likely to follow Gantt Chart wherein duties and roles are determined of each and every
team member for timely completion of project work. It includes starting data and ending
dates of project along with duties of each team member for attainment of stipulated research
aims and objectives. In this regard, gantt chart is given below:
How
long this
will
take:

Milestone one: .........................................................................................
Target date (set by tutor): ......................................................................................
Milestone two: .........................................................................................
Target date (set by tutor): .......................................................................................
Reference list.
Daniel, B., Kumar, V. and Omar, N., 2018. Postgraduate conception of
research methodology: implications for learning and
teaching. International Journal of Research & Method in
Education, 41(2), pp.220-236.
Daniel, B.K. and Harland, T., 2017. Higher education research methodology:

A step-by-step guide to the research process. Routledge.
Davidavičienė, V., 2018. Research Methodology: An Introduction.
In Modernizing the Academic Teaching and Research
Environment (pp. 1-23). Springer, Cham.
Humphries, B., 2017. Re-thinking social research: anti-discriminatory
approaches in research methodology. Taylor & Francis.
Iovino, F. and Tsitsianis, N., 2020. The methodology of the research.
In Changes in European energy markets. Emerald Publishing Limited.
Nah, F.F.H. and Siau, K., 2020, July. Covid-19 pandemic–role of technology
in transforming business to the new normal. In International
Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (pp. 585-600). Springer,
Cham.
Ndlovu-Gatsheni, S., 2017. Decolonising research methodology must include
undoing its dirty history. Journal of Public Administration, 52(Special
Issue 1), pp.186-188.
Rose, A., 2021. COVID-19 economic impacts in perspective: A comparison
to recent US disasters. International Journal of Disaster Risk
Reduction, 60, p.102317.
Rosenbloom, D. and Markard, J., 2020. A COVID-19 recovery for
climate. Science, 368(6490), pp.447-447.
Worthington, D.L. and Bodie, G.D. eds., 2017. The sourcebook of listening
research: Methodology and measures. John Wiley & Sons.
Yeh, S.S., 2021. Tourism recovery strategy against COVID-19
pandemic. Tourism Recreation Research, 46(2), pp.188-194.
Yost, E., Kizildag, M. and Ridderstaat, J., 2021. Financial recovery strategies
for restaurants during COVID-19: Evidence from the US restaurant
industry. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 47,
pp.408-412.
Online
Two years on, how has the pandemic affected businesses in the UK?, 2022.
[Online]. Available through :< https://www.economicsobservatory.com/two-
years-on-how-has-the-pandemic-affected-businesses-in-the-uk/>
Business insights and impacts on the UK economy:13 Jauary 2022. [Online].
Available through :<
https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/business/businessservices/
bulletins/businessinsightsandimpactontheukeconomy/13january2022/>
British retailer Asda's customers fear economic depression, 2020. [Online].
Available thorugh :< https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-
asda-idUSKBN22V1K5/>

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