Analysis of Contemporary Themes: Debenhams Research Case Study

This case study provides a comprehensive analysis of Debenhams, exploring contemporary business themes through various research methodologies. It begins with primary research, outlining methods such as consumer surveys and interviews to gather data on consumer preferences and brand perceptions. Ethical considerations in research, including obtaining consent and ensuring data confidentiality, are also discussed. The study then delves into secondary research, utilizing internal retail data and external statistics for a broader market analysis. A SWOT analysis of Facebook is included, examining its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the digital landscape. The study further addresses motivation, leadership, and human resource management issues, such as employee engagement and communication gaps, proposing solutions like improved training and the application of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. The importance of equality and diversity in the corporate environment is highlighted, emphasizing diversity policies and their benefits. Finally, an accounting model is presented, analyzing Robert's assets, liabilities, expenses, and gains, along with strategies to address cash flow challenges such as high overhead expenses and insufficient gross margins.

Contemporary Themes

RESEARCH
Case study of Debenhams
They have to do proper primary research which helps business entity in attaining
information to plan strategies which enhance growth profitability and growth of market. They
have to target the audience, identify needs and demands of consumers etc. They can take
feedback from consumers or take the interviews of them. Moreover, they can do qualitative
analysis by taking interviews of customers of distinct cultures, advices etc. Further, they can
conduct quantitative analysis which helps in doing questioning from customers face to face or
online interview (Gujarathi, 2015). Along with this staff members have to use effective strategy
so that they can attain targets.
The following questions which can be used to conduct primary research.
1. What product you buy most from Debenhams?
2. Which brand do you prefer for clothing and why?
3. What is the most important feature of Debenhams?
4. Can you say a little about fashion trends as well as craze?
5. What improvements you want in Debenhams?
6. Can you provide me a ranking of brands which are available in the market of
Debenhams?
After conducting interview of consumers employees can get the appropriate and correct
information as well as data and then they have to analysed that.
Ethical research assist in determining stuff whether it is acceptable and unacceptable.
There are some possibilities which can be found during research that some end users may feel
bad due to some questions or words. It prevents the contradict of data. For conducting an ethical
research firstly company have to take permission from consumers and ask them whether they are
ready to answer the questions (Ruwanpura, 2015). This can be done by taking permission on
phones, emails, online along with the face to face. The questions which are prepared for
interviews should be checked and analysed and also approved by other members of company.
Along with this all questions should be made keeping in mind that no harm which is caused to
anyone by wordings or statements. Managers as well as employers have to keep all data
confidential as the name and number as well as other data can not be misused or revealed. The
staff members can follow Data Protection Act 1998 which assist in protecting data of company.

The staff members of company have to do secondary research which involves concerted
of data along with the information by the previous and existing research. Debenhams should use
retail data for internal methods which assist in saving a time. For external method it could use
statistics of regulatory bodies as they are correct. Along with this all these things can be
conducted by using the papers as well as research (Fogarty, 2015).
MARKETING AND DIGITAL SOCIETY
SWOT Analysis of Facebook
Strengths
 Facebook is a top as well as biggest familiar networking website and has doing
developments on their own to become a leading brand in this sector.
 The higher authorities or holder of Facebook involves in civil activities as well as
charities. All the activities which are related to corporate social responsibility having a
positive impact on community which create a brand value of business entity in market.
 The information and data muddled in websites is very strong and booming.
 Many person are using Facebook for e-commerce and broadcast (Lupton, 2015).
 It has entrenched its style in different people among teenagers as it is not a necessity it
become addiction to them.
Weaknesses
 The employees of Facebook have to do proper analysis and reports which suggest growth
rate of Facebook.
 Demonetisation is also a big problem of Facebook. In business entity, there are some
portals as well as search engines which is practising under monetisation.
 The ambiguity on conversion rate of Facebook is still increasing.
 The actions which are taken by marketer that can not be controlled. Along with this by
using these actions employees of Facebook can not determined that they are attaining
success or not and they are facing changes or not.
Opportunities
 They are having a capability to introduce products along with the plans.

 Usage of this website is increasing day-by-day by providing services for online shopping.
Along with this managers of different companies using Facebook for doing promotions of
the products (Ryan, 2016).
 Expansion of Facebook is curious.
 The sieving of Instagram application of Facebook is regularly increasing as well as
trending of Facebook also improving regularly.
 Takeover of What's app application by cited organisation which having a larger scope
which helps in expansion of growth along with the development.
 Facebook is also evolving its Messenger app, which can be used for peer to peer
payments into a mobile platform of its own.
Threats
 Facebook having a ability to attract the consumers by doing the best and appropriate
advertisement as well as they have to target them which is highly influenced by not
following the proper track regulation.
 Advertisement sector of business entity having a profitability this reduce to great amount
by increasing in the counting of extensions related to ad blocking.
 Next threat which Facebook having is encroachment of laws of data and information in
the software.
 Cases of hacking of Facebook are increasing day to day.
Motivation, Leadership and HRM
In the business entity there are distinct problems which are occurred in front of
employees while doing the work. Some problems are that some workers which are spending their
time on social networking sites. They are not sharing their ideas for developments in the
company. In enterprise managers and employees are fulfilling their duties and responsibilities
and by that they are not doing work properly (Berman, 2015). Work done by employees is also
not in proper manner and they are not meeting deadlines of completing the work. In business
enterprise, all the work should be done in a team but the employees are not doing, only single
person taking a responsibility of doing work.
These are the problems which having the different causes they are managers are not
doing the proper care of employees. Along with this they are not doing monitoring and analysing
the work that whether they are best and qualitative work or bad quality work. In company,

employees decided all the things on their own. Moreover, in business organisation
communication gap is also there (Chow, Lai and Loi, 2015). For completing work in time they
are not setting deadlines and by which staff members facing many obstacles. Further, managers
as well as employers of business entity have to use appropriate solutions so that they can remove
issues and attain success in the market.
For removing the issues which are facing by the managers, employees as well as
employers, involvement of higher authorities is necessary so that they can do appropriate work
and provide best services. Managers of company can to consult with team members by effective
communication so that workers can give advices and share their ideas and opinions for
betterment of corporation. Managers have to provide proper training to employees and increase
their motivation level for career progression.
The managers of company use Maslow's Hierarchy needs which assist in providing
encouragement to employees (Gotsis and Kortezi, 2015). This theory is a five stage model and it
can be divided into two parts which is deficiency and growth needs. The first four model of
Maslow's Hierarchy needs referred to deficiency needs and top level is growth needs. Deficiency
needs helps in motivating people when they are unmet. Along with this the need to fulfil such
needs will become stronger when longer duration they are denied. By using this need, managers
fulfil their duties as well as responsibilities by providing training to employees which assist in
reaping targets.
Equality and Diversity in Corporation
Equality as well as Diversity is a term which aid in providing equal opportunities as it is
having a legal obligation which assist in protecting against discrimination. Equality refers to the
state of being equal, especially is status, rights along with the opportunities. Further, it is a
universal access which are related to employment whereas diversity is admitting and grasping
changes within the community, employees etc. They have to adopt diversity policies which
offers and delivers best services which assist in attaining maximum benefits for companies and
workforce like resolving labour shortages, greater product innovation (PARRY and
SCHRÖDER, 2016). It aid in capturing many opportunities which helps in building brand image
in the market. By doing appropriate research European Commission reveal additional positive
business outcomes like they have to improve communication process as well as they have to
improve their managerial styles. Along with this, it succour in reducing staff turnover and

absenteeism. Diversity policy having some benefits so that they can access new labour pool as
well as aid in captivating and retaining high quality staff members which are from the different
backgrounds and by that they can resolve shortage of labour. By using proper innovation and
creativity they can improve their existing products and services and sell it into the potential new
markets. It assist in enhancing market opportunities by making appropriate products and services
according to the needs and wants of consumers which aid in increasing consumer base. To attain
more benefits they have to use appropriate channels for information sharing (Sharma and
Sharma, 2015). They have to use better managerial style, skills and performance in areas
includes goal setting etc. which reduce staff turnover.
The successful implementation of the diversity policies which is depend on the different
number of key organisational factors. Implementation strategies was made on a basis of
experience which are attaining by using change processes along with the learning about
managing change to ensure success. Further, communicate diversity and inclusion principles to
staff, customers and other stakeholders (Bharti, 2015). Distinct strategies which assist in
focusing on differences includes comprehensive diversity policies and initiatives; single
initiatives concerning specific diversity strands; existing policies - such as gender policies –
which aid in expanding to cover the broader areas. Workers have to implement these strategies as
well as policies so that they can improve their awareness and understand about the issues related
to diversity as it improves performance and productivity. Proper monitoring is necessary which
improve representation of women and disabled people at higher level.
Accounting model employed by corporation
A list of Robert’s assets, liabilities, expenses and gain are Assets: there are some assets
which Robert having that is Consumers – They are having some regular consumers which are
counted in the assets of Robert. Another is Stock – he provides food and soft drinks and he is the
person which invested large amount of money in it. Robert have some liabilities also. They are
Suppliers - They are having suppliers which give them merchandise of demand on credit
purchase (Moerman and van der Laan, 2015). Along with this Robert having some expenses
also. They are : Rent - Due rent can be counted in liabilities part of Robert and he have to pay
their rent in advance on each quarter so they are liable to pay this amount. Gains: Sales - Mr.
Robert has earnings from their shop which assist in surviving in the country after retirement.

There are many problems which Robert faced when he making cash flow. They are high
overhead expenses in which Overhead expenses and it refers to costs which is using in running a
business and helps in selling specific products. Examples includes rent, telephone, utilities, etc.
High overhead expenses can decrease cash flow of business. Robert can solve this problem by
doing auditing of expenses and decrease that where it can be done. But it decreases to a certain
limit so that it can not decrease the cash flow of Robert business (Li and et.al., 2016).
Another problem is insufficient gross margins in which small businesses have to sell their
merchandise in low and reasonable prices in which they are having a low, negative gross margin.
It affects owners of small business who do not have a clear understanding of their costs. Robert
can solve this issue by doing audit of all products and services which they are providing to
consumers at a low price (Ntim, 2016). Along with this if Robert can, increase prices of products
and services that have weak margins. Further, if he can’t raise prices, dropping merchandise
having weak margins. Moreover, it helps in ensuring all proposals which are set according to
cost of product.
Another is too much bad debt in which when bad debt occurs when Robert have to sell
the product to a client as he is not paying proper money and by this cash flow of Robert harm.
Solution is to review commercial credit of consumers before he increase the terms of making
payment (Piribauer and Fischer, 2015).

REFERENCES
Books and journals
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and organizational citizenship behavior: The role of leader-member exchange and
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Fogarty, D.J., 2015. Lean Six Sigma and Big Data: Continuing to Innovate and Optimize
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