Academic & Research Skills Development in Business Diploma

This report focuses on academic and research skills within a Diploma in Business context. It covers key areas such as personal development planning through SWOT analysis and SMART goals, effective note-taking techniques using the 5 R's method, and the application of active listening and reading strategies. The report also includes a research plan centered on the impact of marketing strategies on organizational performance, using Tesco as a case study. The literature review explores the concept of marketing, various marketing strategies, and their effectiveness in driving business growth. The reflection section provides a personal evaluation of skill development and learning experiences throughout the coursework, highlighting improvements in communication, time management, and problem-solving abilities, as well as areas needing further development such as leadership and paraphrasing.

Academic and
Research Skills

Table of Contents
Table of Contents.............................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
TASK 2 Note taking........................................................................................................................4
TASK 3 Research Plan....................................................................................................................5
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................6
Conclusion and Recommendation –..............................................................................................12
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................13
REFLECTION...............................................................................................................................13
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................17
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................18

INTRODUCTION
Academic and research skills can be described as ability to search for, locate, extract
organise, and evaluate the information which are available and supports to individual in their
study. The development is the ongoing process where individual and group members are
collected to gain their skills and abilities to work properly and manage the business performance
(McCormick and et.al., 2020). The current project is about academic and research skills where
subject area is Diploma in business. In this coursework many students have participated and
curious to learn many things. The current project is diversified in to 4 tasks such as learning
reflection, note taking, academic research project and personal development plan which can be
used to develop the skills and abilities.
TASK 1
While I was studying the coursework Diploma in Business, I analysed my own skills and
abilities which might be supported me to complete any project and achieving the targets. My aim
is to develop the communication skills, develop the knowledge by taking part in academic skills
and getting the good future employment opportunity. The area of study is wider and it helps to
bring the change own skills in which I was weak. To monitor and achieving the targets I have
done my SWOT Analysis that will highlights on strength and weakness which are as explained:
Strength Weakness
 I am good in communication and
leadership skills which I uses in
every work smoothly.
 I have developed my confidence by
proving that I can handle the pressure
and typical situation that can be arise
any time.
 I also have an ability to managing the
people and allocating the work
between them as I have worked with
large retailer as an HR executive.
 I am still facing the problem in
retaining the staff at the workplace
due to lack of motivation skills.
 In need to take more time and cost to
recruiting employees and placing the
right people at the workplace which
might be created the problem to run
an organization.
 I also facing the problem to creating
the comfortable environment that
create the challenges for staff to work
properly.
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Opportunities Threats
 I have good time management skills
as I took part in career management
and other classes.
 I have developed my problem solving
skills while taking the classes in
business diploma.
 Note taking skills helps me to prepare
the notes of each activity and
learning that can help to complete
project.
 By making the right decision and
creating the working environment I
could get good opportunity to work
properly.
 I am weak in research and
development abilities that needs to
improve by using learning classes.
 I am lack in balancing the work that
make me feel work load, it needs to
improve by observing my seniors and
colleagues.
 I am not good in paraphrasing skills
that should be improve by using new
vocabulary (Mashroofa, Haleem and
Jahufer, 2020).
b) SMART GOALS
What do I want
to learn?
What do I have to
do?
What support and
resources will I
need?
How will I
measure
success?
Target date
for review?
To develop work
balancing skills
I need to focus on
my strength,
priority the time
and task and setting
the work hours
which can help to
managing the work
balance entire
working.
I need a training
centre and time
resources where I
start to learn how to
manage the balance
in the workings.
My tutor need
to assign me
project where
different task is
requiring to do
that can help to
improve the
skills.
31 July 2021
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To increase the
research and
paraphrasing
skills
To developing the
research and
paraphrasing skills
I need to focus on
content writing,
blogs, and article
writing which
would help me to
improve the skills
in particular area.
I need to good
vocabulary and
writing books or
tutor who can assist
me and provide the
understanding
about how to
rephrase the content
and bring the
important changes.
Formal and
informal
feedback from
my senior and
tutor can be
used to measure
the skills and
own work.
31 July 2021
To increase the
team building
skills
Identification to
key training
opportunities,
learning from
experienced
officers and sharing
the opinion with
team members are
the key point on
which I need to
focus.
I will need to
discuss and share
with my team,
identifying their
problems and make
efforts to solve
them which can
help to improve the
skills and complete
the task.
My tutor and
seniors will
mentor me and
would help to
suggest the new
ideas to my
team that can
help to
complete the
project with the
help of team.
31 July 2024
Extensive activities
A plan that shows how I will achieve my targets
Personal objectives
Short term goals (Next 12 month)
To develop the paraphrasing and summarising skills that will help me to become a good
employer of any organisation. Herein, I am accountable for cross functional project at work.
Medium term goals (next 2-3 years)
To gain work balancing skills by completing training and development programme that will help
to managing each project and task. Herein, I could run the multiple projects and performing the
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responsibility clearly.
Long term goals (More than 3 years)
To gain the team building skills there is need to understand the people needs which can help to
make feel them comfortable and get completion of task.
TASK 2 Note taking
Note taking is the is important activity for each individual as it can help to state the
summarised form of all text and writings. This is also needed while reading and listening as it
helps to concentrate, make a sense of the texts. For students and employees who are working at
workplace is requires to prepare the notes as it supports what discussion has been done in
meeting and classes. The 5 R’s of note taking are Record, reduce, recite, reflect, and review. The
article on people management skills is analysed, out if which notes have been prepared (McGill,
Heikkila and Lazarowicz, 2020).
Noted key points of information from a variety of sources using active listening skills
The active listening technique are that can help to make effective listener is explained
below:
 Pay Attention
 Show that you’ are listening
 Provide feedback
 Defer Judgement
 Respond Appropriately
From the article and information sources it can be explained that different skills and
abilities possess by leaders such as active listening, writing skills, presentation skills, and
problem solving skills which is used by individual for the purpose of managing each task. For
example, Richard Branson who is the CEO of Virgin Group mainly emphasizes on people of
management and growth of business. This person leads the people by giving autonomy to people
and push them to do best. The examples of active listening are social intelligence, visualising,
emotional intelligence, informational listening, patience and body language (Yebowaah and
Owusu-Ansah, 2020).
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Noted key points of information from a variety of sources using reading strategies
From the collected information and sources main types of reading techniques are:
 Skimming – This can help to know what the text is about and its most basic level.
 Extensive – This involves reading for pleasure where there is requirement of fluid
decoding and assimilation (Mewburn and et.al., 2020).
 Intensive – This means depth knowledge and aims should be clear in mind by using
strong vocabulary.
 Scanning – This involves getting your eyes to quickly and conclude the all information
appropriately.
This is suggested to all students to develop their listening and reading skills by using the
strategies which can help to improve the performance and productivity.
Paraphrased and summarised information
Paraphrasing means rephrasing text or speech in own words without the changing the
meaning. Summarising means cutting it down to its bare essentials that can help to clarify and
simplify the complex information. This skill is important for students and individuals to develop
their understanding in paraphrasing and summarising ways (Whedon, Perry and Bell, 2020).
TASK 3 Research Plan
The course is Diploma in business where students needs to analysis research information by
using primary and secondary data that can help to reach the positive outcomes and maintaining
good performance. The teacher has assigned the marketing project on which research is require
to be done. An academic research has been conducted below:
RESEARCH
Topic – “To identify the impacts of marketing strategies in growing and developing
organisational performance”. A case study of Tesco
Scenario
Tesco is the larger size retailer in UK that is selling the range of retailing products and
service in changing environment. This organisation understand the customer demand provide the
kinds of products and services which influence them and increase the business activities. As
organization is launching the new products and services in changing environment where it needs
marketing strategies which can help to increase the people awareness and reach to the potential
customers which could help to develop the organisational profitability.
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INTRODUCTION
Marketing is the important aspects for each organisation which is used to influence and
promote the products for the purpose of increasing organisational productivity. This can help to
develop the business functions and profitability by using the different types of marketing
channels. Tesco should be focus on different marketing strategies which can be used to influence
number of people and attaining the competitive advantages (Niqresh and Al Dwairi, 2020).
Research Aims
“To identify the impacts of marketing strategies in growing and developing organisational
performance”. A case study of Tesco
Research objectives
 To identify the concept of Marketing and its significance at the workplace.
 To determine the various strategies to marketing uses by companies to attract and
influence customers.
 To assess the effectiveness of Marketing strategies used by Tesco to grow and
develop the organizational performance.
Research Questions
 What is the concept of Marketing and its significance at the workplace?
 What are the various strategies to marketing uses by companies to attract and
influence customers?
 What is the effectiveness of Marketing strategies used by Tesco to grow and develop
the organizational performance?
LITERATURE REVIEW
To identify the concept of Marketing and its significance at the workplace.
According to (Rose and et.al., 2020) Marketing is the process of getting the right goods
and services to the right people at the right place, time, price and techniques which can be used
to develop the organisational performance. Marketing is about creating exchange such as
management uses marketing to influence people and selling them products which can help to
increase the profitability. This is important for each organization to use the marketing as it can
help to aware the people regarding particular products and services which can help to develop
the organizational performance and productivity. Tesco is using the marketing process for the
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purpose of informing people and providing proper guidance to get the right products and services
which can help to develop the organisational performance.
To determine the various strategies to marketing uses by companies to attract and influence
customers.
As per opinion of (Pianta and et.al., 2020) Marketing strategy is explained as process that
allow an organisation to concentrate its limited sources and get the greatest opportunities which
can help to develop the business performance. Tesco is the large size retailing organisation,
selling the different kind of products and services by using the different types of marketing
strategies that are as explained;
Paid Advertising – This is online advertising model where advertisers bid to participate
in real time auctions for the purpose of selling products and services which can help to increase
sales. Tesco uses this, by providing the facility of pay per click which influence the number of
customers and develop the business performance.
Relationship marketing – This type of marketing is based on customer building as it
used to understand the customer demand and providing the products. This can help to enhance
relationship with customers and improve the loyalty.
Internet Marketing – This is also known as cloud marketing which is possible only with
or over the internet. The marketing items are shared on internet and promoted at various
platforms which can help to managing functions.
Transactional marketing – The aim of transactional marketing is to increase the sales.
By using this Tesco organisation encourages customers to buy products with shopping coupons,
discount and huge investment.
To assess the effectiveness of Marketing strategies used by Tesco to grow and develop the
organizational performance.
As per view point of (Oshokoya, 2021) Marketing strategies is the effective planning
which is formulated by marketing management by analysing the market and providing the
products and services to their customers. The management is playing the important role as it
identifies the changing trend, customer needs and make efforts to provide the products and
services accordingly. Tesco is the larger organization, providing the different range of products
and maintaining higher productivity. It uses the different marketing strategies and planning that
provides various benefits such as:
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Creating the awareness – By using the marketing strategy an organization can introduce
the different types of products and services to their customers. The marketing management of
Tesco uses social media, print media, and internet marketing for the purpose of introducing new
products and services.
Attracting customer and promoting products – Marketing strategies are most useful for
organization as it attracts customers and emphasizes them to buy products. In relation to Tesco,
marketing management uses this marketing strategy for the purpose of influencing customers and
promoting its products as well services by reaching the targeted customers (Mahasneh, 2020).
Increasing customer base and sales – The main object of marketing is to increase the sales
by enhancing number of customers which can help to develop the organizational performance.
This is important for Tesco to understand the customer requirement and offering products which
supports to develop the customer base and organizational sales effectively. Thus, selected
organization increases their customer base and product sales by managing each function.
Attaining the competitive advantages – The another effectiveness of marketing is to
attain the competitive advantages and increase the profitability. With the help of Marketing, it
will be possible for Tesco to reach the target market and increase the organizational sales that
can help to provide the competitive advantages by maintaining higher performance (MacLeod
and Eaton, 2020).
Maintaining relationship – Marketing is way which is used by organization to create the
good relations between organization and customers that can help to develop the business
performance. Tesco is using social media, print media and press for informing customers and
solving customer’s problems which can help to maintain the good relationship between
organization and customers.
From the above it can be explained that Tesco is using the different types of marketing
strategies for providing right details of their products and services which can help to increase the
organizational sales and profitability in the competitive environment.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This is the conceptual framework which is uses by researcher to develop their knowledge
and skills in particular areas. This can help to managing the all information and data in
systematic manner for completing the project. The current research is about marketing strategies
that used by Tesco for growing and developing the organizational success.
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Research philosophy – This refers as set of principles and views from which research is
conducted. This mainly studied about ontology and epistemology. This involves positivism and
interpretivism philosophy that relates to study and complete the project. In relation to current
research, positivism approach has been taken by researcher which supports to complete the
research (Macfadyen, English and Coates, 2020).
Research approach – This can be explained as plan and procedure that used to detail the
methods and applying in their project. This involves inductive and deductive approach to
research which used to develop the literature review. In relation to current research, deductive
approach is being used by researcher to develop their understanding by using hypotheses
information.
Research strategy – This strategy means to devise a planning for study. This suggests
experimental research, action research, case study, and interviews which can be used to develop
the business activities. In relation to current research, case study method has been used by
researcher that can help to complete the task in certain period of time.
Data collection – This can be determined as procedure of collecting, measuring and
analysing the accurate information which can help to managing the all activities and functions.
There are two technique of data collection such as quantitative and qualitative that are related to
decided topic. The quantitative research technique is used by researcher that can help to collect
the information that relates to statistical and mathematical data properly (Kim, Yi and Hong,
2020).
Resources required for research – To conducting the research resources are important
which is uses by organization for the purpose of running their business. This involves primary
and secondary resources which are needed to collect the data. In relation to current research,
researcher will use the primary and secondary data to gather information and managing the all
activities properly.
Time Horizon – This can be explained as time frame for particular research can
supports to manage the all activities. This involves longitudinal and cross sectional that support
particular study. In relation to current research longitudinal research horizon has been selected
that used to complete the particular project (Durgunoglu and et.al., 2021).
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