M&S: CSR's Impact on Sustainability and Competitive Advantage Report

This report delves into the significance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for Marks and Spencer (M&S), a leading UK retail company. It emphasizes CSR's role in enhancing competitive advantages, particularly through digital campaigns. The report outlines the research's background, rationale, aims, and objectives, which include understanding CSR within the retail sector, analyzing its impact on sustainability and competitive advantages, and recommending strategies for continuous development. Task 1 covers devising aims and objectives, developing a project management plan encompassing cost, scope, time, quality, communication, risk, and resources, and creating a WBS and Gantt chart. Task 2 involves small-scale research using qualitative and quantitative methods, data analysis, and the communication of recommendations. The report also discusses the research methodology, including research philosophy, design, strategy, approach, data collection, analysis, and sampling methods. It highlights the importance of ethical and sustainable practices for maintaining brand image and achieving business success. The report concludes by offering recommendations to help M&S leverage CSR for sustained competitive advantage and successful digitalization initiatives.

Managing a Successful
Business Project

Table of Contents
Topic: Corporate social responsibility and its importance for sustainability and competitive
advantages........................................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Device aim and objectives for chosen project.......................................................................1
1.2 Project management plan which cover cost, time, scope, time, quality, communication,
risk and resources........................................................................................................................2
1.3 WBS and Gantt chart with time-frame and stages................................................................4
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................7
2a Small scale research with apply qualitative and quantitative research methods to meet with
aim and objectives.......................................................................................................................7
2b. Research and data using with appropriate tools and techniques...........................................8
2c. Communicate appropriate recommendations from data analysis to draw meaningful
conclusions................................................................................................................................18
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................19
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................20

Topic: Corporate social responsibility and its importance for sustainability
and competitive advantages
INTRODUCTION
Report present the importance of CSR in order to enhance the competitive advantages in
Marks and Spencer (M&S) which is one of the leading retail company in UK. Report further
present the importance of CSR in the company in order to launching an event that focus on
digitalization and also present the challenges which are faced by the company that may affect the
company's overall performance and further describe the research methodology that helps to
understand the project in more effective way. then includes some recommendation which help a
quoted company in order to sustain their brand image in market using CSR activities in order to
conducting an event for digitalization.
TASK 1
1.1 Device aim and objectives for chosen project
Background of the research
Corporate social responsibility is broad term that used to describe company efforts to
develop effective results for improve society. Efforts are also made to make changes from
donating money to non-profit and implementing environmental policies in Marks and Spencer.
This is because, CSR is important for companies, non-profit and employees. Furthermore, it is
mandated in UK to improve local and global communities. It also creates greater customer
retention to make dual benefits for contributing better work in the business. Furthermore, it also
provides an opportunity to beat with competitors to make positive brand image that benefited for
fostering trustworthy and durable work (Saeidi, Sofian and Saaeidi, 2015).
Rationale of the research
In order to conduct present research, it can be stated that at lower cost, corporate social
responsibility can be successfully develop in new areas of the business. Furthermore, it also
considers reducing carbon footprint so that company able to gain competitive advantages.
Furthermore, participating in the programme of corporate social responsibility also assists to
consider integral part and subjective shared within the business enterprise. It assists to cover
more media that positively provides highly development of common performances in good
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manner that bring into society (Ni and Van Wart, 2015). Moreover, Marks and Spencer also
works in ethical and sustainable manner to deal with its environmental and social consideration.
As a result, careful development has been successfully developed human rights to perform
different activities and tasks.
Aim and objectives
Aim: To analysis corporate social responsibility and its importance for sustainability and
competitive advantages with digital campaign in Marks and Spencer.
Objectives
 To understand corporate social responsibility with digital campaign in retail sector
business.
 To analysis importance of corporate social responsibility to gain sustainability and
competitive advantages with digital campaign in Marks and Spencer.
 To interrelate corporate social responsibility and importance of sustainability and
competitive advantages in Marks and Spencer.
 To recommend ways through corporate social responsibility continuously develop to
attain competitive advantages.
Research questions
 What do you understand corporate social responsibility with digital campaign in retail
sector business?
 What are the importance of corporate social responsibility to gain sustainability and
competitive advantages with digital campaign in Marks and Spencer?
 How to interrelate corporate social responsibility and importance of sustainability and
competitive advantages in Marks and Spencer?
1.2 Project management plan which cover cost, time, scope, time, quality, communication, risk
and resources
Project management plan consider important role in business success that assist to
increase overall plan for new business development. In this regard, different activities execute,
monitored and controlled to ascertained detailed information of resources which can be
successfully implement project management plan (Madueño, Jorge and Martínez-Martínez,
2016). It includes following elements:
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 Cost: It is most essential part that assists to accomplish desired level of results in the
business. With this regard, £850 has been used that assists to gain aim and objectives.
With respect to complete different activities, it can be stated that cost is most important
consideration which implement to gain more profitability (Cheng, Ioannou and Serafeim,
2014). Scope: With the implementation of corporate social responsibility, there is wide scope
which improve knowledge of researcher in positive consideration. Hence, it develops
performances of the organisation to accomplish aim and objectives in positive manner.
Marks and Spencer is very big enterprise which considers more scope to develop desired
level of results in the business (Gallardo-Vázquez and Sanchez-Hernandez, 2014). Risk: It is one of the important perspective that need to be reduced so that plan can be
successfully develop to attain more effective results at workplace. Furthermore, it can be
stated that time and money there are two major risks exists which increases cost of
operations, etc. Therefore, implementation of corporate social responsibility assists to
focus on competitive results (Farooq and O'Brien, 2015). Time: Time management is one of the important perspective that assists to focus on
working with appropriate schedule and work pattern. With the help of competitive
advantages, Marks and Spencer can deal as per customer demand in effective manner to
develop more profits and revenue. Quality: Quality is also important perspective that assists to create successful project
management plan to find errors and mistakes (du Plessis and Van Niekerk, 2014). In this
way, Marks and Spencer need to focus on appropriate working system that can be
develop more desired level of results to maintain effective quality in products and
services to satisfy customer demand and requirements. Communication: Communication is most important perspective that require in project
management plan. With the help of this perspective, it is important to focus on team work
that would be develop successfully to gain competitive advantages. Effective
communication program also lead with corporate social responsibility that can be
successfully implement to gain more profits and revenue at workplace (Leiblein, Tucker
and Hofer, 2016).
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 Resources: In order to conduct research, there are several resources required that assists
to accomplish goals and targets. Therefore, in the present research, technical, physical,
human resource required that will consider positive results at workplace.
1.3 WBS and Gantt chart with time-frame and stages
Illustration 1: Work Break Down Structure
§
Task Name Duration Start Finish Predecessors
Design 1 day Mon 12/10/18 Mon 12/10/18
Development of Project
with initial document 5 days Mon 12/10/18 Fri 12/14/18
Identify resources of
project 5 days Mon 12/17/18 Fri 12/21/18 2
Formulation of aim and
objectives 3 days Mon 12/24/18 Wed 12/26/18 2,3
Setting deadlines for
each activity 1 day Thu 12/27/18 Thu 12/27/18 4
Gathering Team 8 days Fri 12/28/18 Tue 1/8/19 5
Develop 1 day Wed 1/9/19 Wed 1/9/19 6
4

Conducting meeting 5 days Thu 1/10/19 Wed 1/16/19 5,7
Scope of project 2 days Thu 1/17/19 Fri 1/18/19 8
Collection of data 5 days Mon 1/21/19 Fri 1/25/19 9
WBS structuring 5 days Mon 1/28/19 Fri 2/1/19 10
Planning of budget 4 days Mon 2/4/19 Thu 2/7/19 11
Implement 1 day Fri 2/8/19 Fri 2/8/19 12
Assuring quality 9 days Mon 2/11/19 Thu 2/21/19 13
Training of team 3 days Fri 2/22/19 Tue 2/26/19 14
Evaluate 1 day Wed 2/27/19 Wed 2/27/19 15
Implementation of
globalisation 8 days Thu 2/28/19 Mon 3/11/19 16
Monitoring and control
of project 5 days Tue 3/12/19 Mon 3/18/19 17
Checking of respondents
views 6 days Tue 3/19/19 Tue 3/26/19 18
Closure 1 day Wed 3/27/19 Wed 3/27/19 19
Evaluation of project 5 days Thu 3/28/19 Wed 4/3/19 20
Areas of modification 5 days Thu 4/4/19 Wed 4/10/19 21
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Illustration 2: Gantt chart
Illustration 3: Network planning
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TASK 2
2a Small scale research with apply qualitative and quantitative research methods to meet with
aim and objectives
In order to implement corporate social responsibility, there are several advantages take
place in present study. It assists to focus on meeting with goals and objectives as well. On the
basis of following qualitative and quantitative research methods, it can be stated that desired
level of results can be accomplish at workplace with stated aim and objectives: Research philosophy: Research philosophy can be defined as belief about data that
gathered, analysed and used to conduct effective results at workplace. It encompasses
various kinds of philosophies to transform things that believed into different things
(Clark, Laing and Woolner, 2017). There are two types of philosophies such as
interpretivism and positivism. In the present research, interpretivism research philosophy
has been used that assists to understand reality that together acknowledge and not create
any impact on study. Hence, small sample collected to conduct in-depth study to
investigate qualitative results. Research design: Research design is an arrangement of conditions and collection. There
are several aspects of research design such as descriptive, correlative, case study, semi-
experiment, etc. From the above elements, researcher used descriptive research design
that assists to describe whole consideration to gain more desired level of results.
Descriptive method helps to attain overall aim and objectives through effective research
design (Xu, Deng and Yu, 2018). Research strategy: There are two types of research strategies such as qualitative and
quantitative. It is step by step plan of action that consider direction to thoughts and
efforts. It enables to conduct appropriate and systematic research schedule to produce
quality results and detailed reporting. In the present research qualitative strategy has been
used that assists to accomplish aim and objectives in positive way. Furthermore, it is also
useful to focus on opinion, views, etc. of different participants to attain overall goals and
objectives (Keutmann, Moore and Gur, 2015). Research approach: Furthermore, in order to conduct appropriate findings research
approach consider important role at workplace of Marks and Spencer. There are three
types of research approaches such as inductive, deductive and abductive. From the above,
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deductive research approach has been used by researcher which help to conduct study
from general to specific. Data collection: In addition to this, there are two types of data collection method has
been used such as primary and secondary. Both kinds of data useful to measure
significant outcomes and focus on accomplish aim and objectives. With the help of
primary data, fresh and relevant information has been collected by researcher with
conducting survey from questionnaire (Clark, Laing and Woolner, 2017). Furthermore,
secondary information has been collected from previous research and other authors
regarding selected topic. As a result, it assists to focus on gaining aim and objectives in
desired manner. Data analysis: In the present research, researcher focuses in thematic data analysis that
assists to develop more significant results at workplace. With this regard, on the basis of
aim and objectives questionnaire has been prepared (du Plessis and Van Niekerk, 2014).
Furthermore, it contains relevant information on the basis of themes to conduct research
in appropriate manner.
 Sampling: In research, two types of methods exist to consider sampling such as non-
probabilistic and probabilistic. Probabilistic sampling includes sample those are
probability selected. On the other hand, in non-probabilistic sample does not have known
probability that is being selected in convenience or voluntary response. In the present
study, probabilistic method used in which simple random sampling strategy has been
used in which data collected from different population (Clark, Laing and Woolner, 2017).
There are 30 managers from Marks and Spencer has been selected as sample size to
accomplish aim and objectives.
2b. Research and data using with appropriate tools and techniques
In order to conduct research, there are following questionnaires has been prepared that
assists to accomplish aim and objectives at workplace:
Questionnaire
Name:
Age:
Gender:
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1. Do you have any knowledge regarding Corporate social responsibility?
 Yes
 No
 Cannot say
2. What is the level of your knowledge regarding Corporate social responsibility in Marks and
Spencer?
 I have no knowledge
 I have some kind of knowledge
 I have basic understanding about this concept
 I am familiar with CSR topic
 I have well versed in CSR concept
3. How to gain competitive advantages with implementation of CSR activities in the chosen
enterprise?
 Following legal requirements
 Offer good quality of products and services
 Being environmental friendly
 Get involved with social campaign
 Treating employees with respect
4. How much attention do you pay with CSR policy in particular company?
 It is not important for anyone
 It is not really important but prefer for companies that is responsible
 Social campaigns and advertisement also implement in particular enterprise
 It is really important for gaining competitive advantages
5. What are the most important reason to implement CSR policies in the selected business unit
to increase competitive advantages?
 To improve brand image of Marks and Spencer
 To attract more employees in the business
 To help society and environment
 To enhance income
 To develop customer attention in Marks and Spencer
 All the above
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