HI6008 Research Report: Cloud Computing Impact on Organizations

This report explores the impact of cloud computing on organizations, focusing on its effects on cost and security. It includes a literature review identifying gaps in current research, research questions and hypotheses related to the impact of cloud computing on organizational security, cost, and customer acceptance. The report outlines a research design and methodology incorporating both qualitative (interviews and thematic analysis) and quantitative (surveys and statistical analysis) approaches. It also addresses research limitations and provides a time schedule for the research plan. The research aims to understand the perspectives of both businesses and customers regarding cloud computing adoption, utilizing various sampling techniques to ensure representative data collection and analysis.

Running head: BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Business Research Methodology
Name of Student:
Name of University:
Author’s Note:

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Executive Summary:
The main objective of the project is to understand the importance of cloud computing in the
present scenario and also in various organisations utilizing it. The main area of research is the
effect of cloud computing on the organisations in terms of cost and security. This is because of
the fact that organisations all over the world are using the feature of cloud computing in order to
help streamline their business operations.

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction:................................................................................................................................3
2. Project Objective:........................................................................................................................3
3. Project Scope:..............................................................................................................................3
4. Literature Review:.......................................................................................................................4
4.1 Gaps in the literature:.............................................................................................................5
5. Research questions / Hypothesis:................................................................................................5
6. Research design and methodology:.............................................................................................6
6.1 Qualitative research:..............................................................................................................6
6.2 Quantitative Research:...........................................................................................................7
7. Research Limitations:..................................................................................................................9
8. Time Schedule:............................................................................................................................9
9. Conclusion:................................................................................................................................10
10. References and Bibliography:..................................................................................................11

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1. Introduction:
Cloud computing can be regarded as one of the rapidly emerging areas of research which
is responsible for the growing security concerns which the companies use cloud hosting services
for the critical IT systems of the companies. The concept of the virtual private cloud is a topic
which is not well understood in the academic as well as the professional worlds. There are
several problems which are being faced by companies all over the world relating to the hosting
of infrastructure systems on the cloud computing platforms. The concept of cloud computing is
basically a type of computing which involves the sharing of the computer resources which are
used rather than the local servers or dedicated devices for the purposes of processing. It can also
be referred to as the procedure of storing frequently utilized data on multiple servers which can
be accessed by utilizing the internet (Beloglazov Abawajy and Buyya 2012).
2. Project Objective:
The main objective of the project is to understand the importance of cloud computing in
the present scenario and also in various organisations utilizing it. The main area of research is the
effect of cloud computing on the organisations in terms of cost and security. This is because of
the fact that organisations all over the world are using the feature of cloud computing in order to
help streamline their business operations.
3. Project Scope:
The concept of cloud computing has become a specific business standard. It is capable of
simplification of the accessibility of the user. It provides a virtual storage space which can be

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utilized without worrying about the details of the entire procedure. Its need in organisations
cannot be completely understood at present but the impact is much huger than imagined.
4. Literature Review:
Cloud computing at present is regarded as business standard. It is responsible for
simplification of the ability of the user to access his or her things in an effective manner. It is
responsible for the virtual storage space which the user can use. There are several reasons which
imply the reasons the enterprises might require cloud computing for their businesses. Cloud
computing gets rid of the requirement of a company to invest in the storage hardware as well in
servers (Jadeja and Modi 2012). Because of the fact that the services are bound to be executed
over the internet, there is no need for a company to invest in hardware storage and servers. In
case a company can concentrate on core business without focussing on the aspects of the
hardware it is an added bonus for the company.
Cloud computing has been stated to perform reliably irrespective of the geographical
location of the user. Another major feature worth mentioning is the automatic update of the
services and applications. Cloud computing is responsible for offering optimum amount of
security and protection against any sort of unauthorised access, modification or data loss of any
kind. There is also a certain flexibility of the service as in case a part of the cloud environment
stops working, there is a continuation of the other resources which work till the solution to the
problem is reached at (Zissis and Lekkas 2012).
Cloud computing comprises of several roles. These roles can be related to the concepts of
management, IT systems, end user support, application development, business analysis, network,

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security and web development. There is the requirement of specific skills for each role. The
concept is extremely crucial in the present world (Xu 2012).
4.1 Gaps in the literature:
There are certain gaps in the literature in the realm of cloud computing. This is because
of the fact that the topic is relatively new in comparison to the other topics in the field of
technology. This is because of the reason that the idea of cloud computing requires expert
treatment. The books and literature available on the topic are not completely conclusive
regarding the entire topic. Therefore there are bound to be certain anomalies in the data. There
have been relevant papers presented on the topics but understanding many of them are difficult
and time consuming. Technology oriented papers have been found to outnumber the business
oriented papers and therefore there is a desperate shortage of contribution from the practical
experiences in the field concerned.
5. Research questions / Hypothesis:
At present most of the technology oriented organisations are desirable of widening their
horizons and expanding their business also utilizing the concept of cloud computing. The main
research question in this regard can be stated as:
Is there a significant impact on organisational security and cost by use of cloud computing?
In this regard the secondary questions can be discussed as,
Is there a significant increase in the profit margin of the companies by adopting cloud
computing?

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Is there any change in customer acceptance of company technologies due to cloud computing
adoption?
The development of the concept of the research is one of the crucial parts of the
development in any particular research. This is due to the reason that the entire research is based
on the research questions which are framed and developed. The different literature sources which
are reviewed for the purpose of the research are utilized and this helps in developing a proper
understanding about the topic. This research topic focuses on the issue of cloud computing in
organisations, the profit margins, customer acceptance of the technologies and so on. Therefore
the research topic has to be chosen properly. Cloud computing is a very crucial topic and
therefore the proper study and justification of the topic is necessary. Thus the positive and
negative aspects of the situation are to be understood clearly in context of the primary and
secondary research questions.
6. Research design and methodology:
6.1 Qualitative research:
The qualitative method of research is essential in order to understand the opinions of the
different customers with respect to the concept of cloud computing and its adoption. It is ideal to
interview the different users of cloud computing in their personal gadgets and software and ask
their opinions on the impact of cloud computing on their devices. The opinions of the
respondents and the different types of responses are to be collected and categorized. The
categorisation is done on the basis of themes and this is for the purpose of thematic analysis. This
type of the research is basically of social nature which collects and works with the non-numerical
and also helps in the interpretation of meaning from the data which helps in the understanding of

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social life. There is also the consideration of the target population and methods of qualitative
research include observation and immersion, interview, open-ended surveys, focus groups,
content analysis. The type of qualitative research has appealed to the scientists as it helps the
researcher in the investigation of the meanings which are attributed to the people’s behaviour and
actions. There are also possibilities of understanding the interactions of the variables.
Qualitative research is usually designed to reveal the overall meaning which causes the
information of the actions or the outcomes which are measured by quantitative research. Due to
the focus on everyday life there is a crucial importance on qualitative research. Qualitative
researchers need to utilize the own eyes and ears for the collection of in-depth perceptions and
targeted populations. In case of direct observation the researcher needs to study people by means
of how they go about their daily lives. This research is usually unknown to the people of the
study. There are several surveys which are generated to quantitative data and also of open ended
surveys. In case of focus group the researcher engages with a small group of participants
designed to generate data. There are also in-depth interviews and conversation with the
participants in a one-on-one setting.
Al in all it can be said that the qualitative research is a procedure of naturalistic inquiry
which helps in seeking the in-depth understanding of the social phenomenon in a natural setting.
6.2 Quantitative Research:
Quantitative research is a structured method of the collection and analysis of data which
is obtained from the use of computational, statistical and mathematical tools for the collection of
results. This type of research involves the utilization of computational, statistical as well as
mathematical tools for the derivation of results. It is conclusive by nature and helps in the

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quantification of the problem and in the understanding of how prevalent it is by means of
searching of projectable results. The data collection tools which are used for the purpose of
quantitative survey are those of surveys as well as experiments. This helps in the provision of
specific results on the basis of the cause and effect relationship of different independent or inter-
dependent variables.
After the collection of data the next step is the data analysis procedure. The analysis of
the statistical data needs systematic tools and procedures which are to be conducted. The
statistical analysis of the data needs systematic tools and procedures which need to be conducted.
It can be said that quantitative research deals with the numbers, logic and an objective stance.
Quantitative research focuses on the numeric and unchanging data and detailed.
The research type to be adopted in this particular study is that of descriptive research.
This is because of the fact that the study aims at a detailed analysis of the different techniques
and procedures for the purpose of understanding the trend and the ideas of people. It is to be
noted here that the data collected by means of survey questionnaires are to be analysed in
suitable software to understand the proportion of positive or negative responses (Fowler 2013).
The data can be collected from the respondents both by means of a questionnaire and also
by means of closed ended surveys in order to ascertain the degree of positivity or negativity. This
helps in understanding the opinions of the persons on the adoption of cloud computing in their
gadgets of use.
“The sample population in surveys is basically the part or a specific proportion which is
selected to be studied. This is basically a proportion of about 10% of the total study population.
It needs to be ensured however that the sample population is a proper representative of the

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sample population.” Here the population which is targeted comprise of those companies who
utilize the ideas of cloud computing in their functions. It is also concerned with the users of
cloud computing feature in their respective gadgets.
“There are different techniques of sampling which include that of non-probability
sampling, simple random sampling, systematic sampling, stratified sampling, cluster sampling,
quota sampling and mini-max sampling among other types.” In this study the idea of simple
random sampling is used.
7. Research Limitations:
“There are certain limitations of both quantitative and qualitative research. There can be
ambiguity in the nature of the responses as well as the problems which are highlighted by the
managers. In order to maintain a certain amount of privacy of the company, it is possible for the
managers of the chosen organisations to give false and invalid information or reasons which is
unacceptable. The mindsets of the respondents also cannot be judged with respect to their
opinions on the specific survey.” Therefore there is always a scope for further research. There
needs to be a detailed understanding of the work which is to be done on the same.
8. Time Schedule:
Main Activities 1ST Week 2nd week 3rd week 4th and 5th week 6th and 7th week
Selection of
topic
Project

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objective and
scope
Literature
review
Research
methodology
Data Analysis
and
interpretation
Results and
discussion
Conclusion
9. Conclusion:
Cloud computing has contributed to a great amount of technological advancement which
has the capability to impact the world in a major way. There are several benefits which it
provides to the business. It helps in the reduction of operational cost due to a very low amount
spend on the maintenance and software upgrades. More focus is possible on the business. There
are however certain challenges in this field which need to be overcome. There is always a doubt
in the minds of the people regarding the fact that their data are private or not. Users are also
concerned about their data disclosure and regulation which is responsible for revolutionizing the
future.

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10. References and Bibliography:
Beloglazov, A., Abawajy, J. and Buyya, R., 2012. Energy-aware resource allocation heuristics
for efficient management of data centers for cloud computing. Future generation computer
systems, 28(5), pp.755-768.
Chang, V., 2015. A proposed cloud computing business framework. Nova Science Publisher.
Chang, V., Walters, R.J. and Wills, G., 2013. The development that leads to the Cloud
Computing Business Framework. International Journal of Information Management, 33(3),
pp.524-538.
Chen, D. and Zhao, H., 2012, March. Data security and privacy protection issues in cloud
computing. In Computer Science and Electronics Engineering (ICCSEE), 2012 International
Conference on (Vol. 1, pp. 647-651). IEEE.
Englander, M., 2012. The interview: Data collection in descriptive phenomenological human
scientific research. Journal of Phenomenological Psychology, 43(1), pp.13-35.
Fowler Jr, F.J., 2013. Survey research methods. Sage publications.
Hashem, I.A.T., Yaqoob, I., Anuar, N.B., Mokhtar, S., Gani, A. and Khan, S.U., 2015. The rise
of “big data” on cloud computing: Review and open research issues. Information Systems, 47,
pp.98-115.
Jadeja, Y. and Modi, K., 2012, March. Cloud computing-concepts, architecture and challenges.
In Computing, Electronics and Electrical Technologies (ICCEET), 2012 International
Conference on (pp. 877-880). IEEE.

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Lin, A. and Chen, N.C., 2012. Cloud computing as an innovation: Percepetion, attitude, and
adoption. International Journal of Information Management, 32(6), pp.533-540.
Palinkas, L.A., Horwitz, S.M., Green, C.A., Wisdom, J.P., Duan, N. and Hoagwood, K., 2015.
Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation
research. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services
Research, 42(5), pp.533-544.
Venters, W. and Whitley, E.A., 2012. A critical review of cloud computing: researching desires
and realities. Journal of Information Technology, 27(3), pp.179-197.
Xu, X., 2012. From cloud computing to cloud manufacturing. Robotics and computer-integrated
manufacturing, 28(1), pp.75-86.
Zissis, D. and Lekkas, D., 2012. Addressing cloud computing security issues. Future Generation
computer systems, 28(3), pp.583-592.