Marketing Practices of M&S: Globalisation's Cultural Impact Analysis

This report analyzes the positive cultural impacts of globalization on the marketing practices of Marks and Spencer (M&S), a leading British fashion retailer. The study begins by outlining the research aim, objectives, and questions, focusing on how globalization influences retail functions and M&S's ...Read More

Managing a
Successful Business
Project

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
LO 1.................................................................................................................................................1
P1. Devising project aim and objectives for the chosen topic.....................................................1
P2. Producing the project management plan...............................................................................1
P3. Work breakdown structure and a Gantt chart........................................................................2
LO 2.................................................................................................................................................4
P4. Application of qualitative and quantitative research methods..............................................4
LO 3.................................................................................................................................................5
P5. Appropriate tools and techniques for analysing data............................................................5
P6. Drawing conclusion and providing recommendations........................................................14
LO 4...............................................................................................................................................14
P7. Reflection on the value of undertaking research.................................................................14
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................15
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................16
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................17

INTRODUCTION
In the present era, it is globalisation which has boosted output of economies and provided
new opportunities to businesses to increase their scope. It has proved to be a boon for businesses
as well as customers. There are plenty of positive implications which globalisation has provided
to organisations irrespective of sectors they are operating in (The impact of globalisation on
international business, 2018). In the present study, main emphasis is given on the retail sector of
UK where globalisation has rendered numerous benefits on different functions of organisations
with positive economic, cultural and ethical impacts. To be specific, topic that will be studied
here is analysing the positive cultural impacts of globalisation on marketing practices of Marks
and Spencer (M&S) which is one of the leading British fashion retailers based in the UK.
LO 1
P1. Devising project aim and objectives for the chosen topic
Research Aim – To analyse the positive cultural impacts of globalisation on marketing practices
of retail organisations – a case study on Marks and Spencer, UK
Research Objectives
 To identify the cultural impacts of globalisation on functions of retail organisations
 To analyse the influence of cultural impact of globalisation on marketing practices of
M&S
 To understand the challenges that company face due to cultural impact of globalisation
Research Questions
1. What are the cultural impacts of globalisation on functions of retail organisations?
2. How does marketing practices of M&S get influenced with cultural impact of
globalisation?
3. What are the challenges that company face due to cultural impact of globalisation?
P2. Producing the project management plan
Project management plan is prepared with an aim to provide a comprehensive baseline
regarding objective to be achieved along with the way to attain and measure same. It is formal
document that helps in guiding the implementation and control of project.
1

 Cost – One of the most important parts of project management plan is to estimate overall
costs associated and reaching at the final conclusion. Here, total baseline costs are
included while, expenditures are mainly divided into labour costs, direct expenses and
assets impacts (The Project Management Plan (PMP), 2018).
 Scope – To build a project management plan, scope in particular plays a significant role
by which foundation for understanding is set by the decision maker and down the line,
development regarding results of project is done.
 Time – Time is also an essential aspect that has to be kept in mind while building a
project management plan as to meet the set deadline timely is highly important (Nakano
and et.al., 2018.). If all tasks decided to be carried out will not be accomplished in their
stipulated timeframe then there will be chances of delay in gaining final outcomes.
 Quality – It is crucial for to maintain quality of project by following set standards that
must be met along with managing the compliance of deliverables. Non-compliance of
quality standards may lead project to serious repercussions based on the delivery as well
as acceptance (Papadimitriou, 2018).
 Communication – Further, for effective project management plan, it is important to
manage various working relationships to identify the stakeholders and their level of
interest so that their expectations can be effectually met.
 Risk – While conducting project management plan, it is vital to assess the associated
risks along with their likely impacts so that any issues that may occur while reaching at
the final results can be predicted and solved on time (The Project Management Plan
(PMP), 2018).
 Resources – To analyse the need of resources is an important aspect of project
management plan as without having sufficient financial, physical and human resources,
to implement the same is not possible.
P3. Work breakdown structure and a Gantt chart
Work breakdown structure is basically the way to divide team’s work in different sections in a
hierarchical decomposition of work which team is supposed to follow to reach the final goals in a
timely and efficient manner. It is presented in such a way that is easily understandable by the
team as it is clearly defined and organised (PANNEERSELVAM, 2014). On the other hand,
Gantt chart can be referred as the sequence of activities with their specified timeframe in which
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each has to be completed with their start and finish data to attain the set target within specified
deadline.
Figure 1: Work Breakdown Structure
Table 1: Project Timeline
Task Name Duration Start Finish Predecessors
Research project 94 days Thu 06-12-18 Tue 16-04-19
Planning for the research 24 days Thu 06-12-18 Tue 08-01-19
Finding the research topic 10 days Thu 06-12-18 Wed 19-12-18
Making subjective problem
statement 6 days Thu 20-12-18 Thu 27-12-18 3
Setting time frame for the
allocation of resources 8 days Fri 28-12-18 Tue 08-01-19 4
Implementation of plan 61 days Wed 09-01-19 Wed 03-04-19
Critical review of literature 16 days Wed 09-01-19 Wed 30-01-19 5
3

Choosing appropriate research
methodologies 18 days Thu 31-01-19 Mon 25-02-19 7
Calculation of the costs 7 days Tue 26-02-19 Wed 06-03-19 8
Analysis of data and interpretation 20 days Thu 07-03-19 Wed 03-04-19 9
Evaluation of results and outcomes 11 days Thu 07-03-19 Thu 21-03-19 9
Project closer 18 days Thu 06-12-18 Mon 31-12-18
Presenting conclusion and
recommendations 9 days Fri 22-03-19 Wed 03-04-19 11
Proper documentation of results 7 days Thu 04-04-19 Fri 12-04-19 13
Submission of report 2 days Mon 15-04-19 Tue 16-04-19 14
Gantt chart
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LO 2
P4. Application of qualitative and quantitative research methods
Research Methodology
It can be referred as the systematic and theoretical analysis of methods that are going to
be used to conduct the study. It is a process used to collect, analyse and interpret information and
data with an aim to reach at the final and accurate conclusion (Research Methodology, 2018).
Research Design
This is a framework of methods and techniques under which the whole study is being carried out
in a reasonable logical manner to solve the research problem. In the present study, descriptive
research design is used as it is a theory based study. Thus, to describe the situation in detailed
manner and gaining in-depth insight of variables of study, this research design is selected
(Costley, Elliot and Gibbs, 2010).
Research Approach
It can be termed as a plan and procedure which provides a sense of the real world as it is
a well-defined and comprehensive method which helps in developing the theories and concepts
from empirical studies (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2012). Present study is based on
inductive research approach being qualitative in nature that proves to be helpful in developing a
pattern of meaning based on gathered information.
Research Philosophy
This can be stated as a belief regarding the manner in which information based on
variables of study will be gathered, analysed, interpreted and used. It is the development of
knowledge about subject of study with its nature as well as source. Interpretevism research
philosophy is selected for present qualitative study i.e. for analysing positive cultural impacts of
globalisation on marketing practices of M&S with the help of which small sample will be
selected to make in-depth study on same (Kumar, 2014).
Data Collection
Primary and secondary; both the sources are for present study wherein for gathering primary
data, survey method is selected which is conducted through tool of questionnaire so that first
time information can be collected. Further, under secondary sources, online and published
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articles with journals and books of different authors based on subject of study are referred (Flick,
2011).
Sampling
Under probability sampling, a small sample of 30 employees of marketing department of
Marks and Spencer is selected with the help of random sampling technique where each
respondent was having equal probability to get selected (Achari, 2014).
Data Analysis
Qualitative method of data analysis is used for the present study based on analysing positive
cultural impacts of globalisation on marketing practices of M&S which is a theoretical subject.
Tool of thematic analysis is used here which focuses on specifying, analysing and then recording
different themes based on subject and then interpreting the same (Gray, 2009).
Ethical Considerations
Major ethical consideration to be followed in the present study is related to the
information as whatever data is collected from respondents has to be kept confidential and
should not be disclosed to any third party (Pettey, Bracken and Pask, 2017). Also, it should be
used for the purpose of study only and must be true to the knowledge of respective individual.
Research Limitations
Main limitations of research associated with present study are related to cost, time and
information. While gathering data from secondary sources, there are always some websites
which require making payment to get access, leaving of which involves the risk of skipping some
important information. Also, it is difficult to collect, analyse and interpret entire data available
due to having stipulated time limit (Goward, 2015).
LO 3
P5. Appropriate tools and techniques for analysing data
Questionnaire
Name:
Designation:
1. Since how many years Marks and Spencer has been working overseas?
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1-9 years □
10-19 years □
20-29 years □
More than 30 years □
2. Globalisation has increased your company’s opportunities to increase customer base
worldwide.
Yes □
No □
3. Does culture of different nations affect the functioning of marketing practices in your
company?
Yes □
No □
4. Company has achieved its marketing goals effectually in different nations due to cultural
impact of globalisation.
Strongly disagree □
Disagree □
Neutral □
Agree □
Strongly agree □
5. According to you, what is the main positive cultural impact of globalisation on marketing
practices of M&S?
International sales growth □
More sales revenue in foreign markets □
Increased profits with minimum marketing costs □
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Effective utilisation of marketing and selling resources □
6. What according to you is the satisfaction level of customers with international marketing
practices of M&S?
Highly unsatisfactory □
Unsatisfactory □
Neutral □
Satisfactory □
Highly satisfactory □
7. What is the major positive cultural impact of globalisation on marketing practices of M&S?
Improved relations □
Rise in the sales □
Increased revenues □
High goodwill of business □
8. What is the major negative cultural impact of globalisation on marketing practices of M&S?
Increase in competition □
Difficulty in forecasting demand □
Uncertainty of markets □
Unpredictable changes □
9. As per you opinion, what is the major challenge that company faces due to cultural impact of
globalisation?
Language barrier □
Increased cost of operations □
Conflicts due to employee diversity □
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Rise in competition □
10. Kindly recommend suitable strategies to reduce the challenges that company faces due to
cultural impact of globalisation ____________________________________________________
Thematic Analysis
1. Marks and Spencer is working overseas more than 30 years.
1-9 years
10-19 years
20-29 years
More than 30
years
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
No. of respondents
Interpretation
The above figure shows that Marks and Spencer is operating in market since a long time
and having its overseas presence and operations from more than 30 years as per responses gained
from maximum employees from the chosen sample size. It clearly shows that company must be
having high impact of globalisation directly or indirectly on its functions as operating in more
than one nation means to have influences on business with respect to their profits, customer base,
competition, etc.
2. Globalisation has increased company’s opportunities to increase customer base worldwide.
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Yes
No
0 5 10 15 20 25
No. of respondents
Interpretation
It can be seen from the above figure that Marks and Spencer has gained a lot of
opportunities in markets through getting globalised which ultimately resulted in increasing the
customer base. As company is having presence worldwide due to globalisation, it has gained the
benefit of large customer base which is leading firm to earn higher profits and revenues.
3. Culture of different nations affect the functioning of marketing practices in M&S.
Yes
No
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
No. of respondents
Interpretation
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It can be articulated from the above figure that being operating in different nations,
Marks and Spencer is getting highly influenced with respect to the functioning of marketing
practices. It is because; every nation has its own culture, values and beliefs according to which
marketing department has to make decisions regarding making and selling of products as if these
will go against their cultural beliefs, business may lead to get failure.
4. Company has achieved its marketing goals effectually in different nations due to cultural
impact of globalisation.
Strongly disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly agree
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
No. of respondents
Interpretation
From the above figure, it can be said that cultural impact of globalisation leads Marks and
Spencer to attain their targets in an effectual manner in all nations where it is operating. It can be
justified in a way that improved social relations is one of the major cultural impacts of
globalization which helps in making firm able to maintain a positive brand value and thus,
leading to attain the marketing objectives.
5. More sales revenue in foreign markets is the main positive cultural impact of globalisation on
marketing practices of M&S.
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International sales growth
More sales revenue in foreign markets
Increased profits with minimum marketing costs
Effective utilisation of marketing and selling
resources
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
No. of respondents
Interpretation
The above figure shows that increased sale revenue in foreign markets is the main
positive cultural impact of globalisation on marketing practices of M&S. Company makes
various initiatives to make the products successful in foreign markets by which the revenue of
business gets increased that results in making the firm grow and stay in market for longer span of
time.
6. Customers are satisfied with international marketing practices of M&S.
Highly unsatisfactory
Unsatisfactory
Neutral
Satisfactory
Highly satisfactory
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
No. of respondents
Interpretation
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It can be articulated from the above figure that as per maximum respondents, customers
are satisfied with marketing practices being carried out by Marks and Spencer at international
level. Company is using many promotional techniques like advertising through digital media and
for different nations, based on their cultural beliefs, distinct ads are made. Likewise, fashion
followed for each nation is also based on their traditions which is resulting in making the
customers satisfied with all marketing practices of M&S.
7. Improved relations is the major positive cultural impact of globalisation on marketing
practices of M&S.
Improved relations
Rise in the sales
Increased revenues
High goodwill of
business
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
No. of respondents
Interpretation
It can be clearly depicted from the above figure that there are many positive cultural
impacts of globalisation on marketing practices of M&S among which the major one is of
improved relations as per responses gained by maximum employees from selected sample size.
With having operations in different countries and offering them products as per their demands,
M&S is effectually maintaining healthy relations with them which is increasing the scope of
business with large customer base and higher profits.
8. Difficulty in forecasting demand is the major negative cultural impact of globalisation on
marketing practices of M&S.
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Increase in competition
Difficulty in forecasting demand
Uncertainty of markets
Unpredictable changes
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
No. of respondents
Interpretation
The figure given above shows that along with so many positive cultural impacts of
globalisation, there are some negative influences too which affect the business of Marks and
Spencer. Among all negative impacts, having difficulty in forecasting market demand is one of
the major one as with different cultures, values and beliefs being followed in distinct nations
where M&S is operating, to make decision regarding what actually is to be offered becomes a
complex task for business.
9. Rise in competition is the major challenge that company faces due to cultural impact of
globalisation.
Language barrier
Increased cost of operations
Conflicts due to employee diversity
Rise in competition
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
No. of respondents
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Interpretation
As per the figure given above, it can be said that cultural impact of globalisation creates
many challenges for Marks and Spencer along with providing so many benefits among which the
major one is increase in level of competition. As company is having operations in different
countries, its rivalry with domestic organisations operating there has become intense and they are
giving tough competition to business with respect to the quality offered and price charged.
P6. Drawing conclusion and providing recommendations
From the findings gained from data analysis, it can be said that being working for more
than 30 years overseas, Marks and Spencer is gaining a lot of positive cultural impacts of
globalisation with some negative influences too which is making business to grow at a rapid pace
with gaining competitive edge over other competitor firms like Sainsbury, Waitrose, Asda, etc. It
is enjoying major benefits from cultural impacts of globalisation like increased customer base,
enhanced sales revenue, high satisfaction level of consumers and improved relations with other
nations which are leading M&S to gain sustainability and high goodwill in market with customer
loyalty towards business (Bayraktar and Ndubisi, 2014). However, there are some challenges too
which company is facing because of cultural impact of globalisation like increased level of
competition and difficulty in forecasting the market demand. Also, there are some other issues
being faced by the firm like language barrier, employee conflicts due to diversity and increased
cost of operations (Mattsson, 2016).
In order to cope up with the same, suitable strategies should be adopted by company like
to overcome language barrier and employee conflict due to diversity issue, providing effective
training and development sessions would prove to be helpful. Also, to reduce the cost of
operations and beat competition, using advanced and latest technologies should be used by the
firm to gain higher productivity at low cost (Cheng, Johansen and Hu, 2015). Apart from that, to
overcome the difficulty in forecasting market demand in different nations, effective market
research should be conducted marketing team of M&S using tools like surveys, interviews and
questionnaires.
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LO 4
P7. Reflection on the value of undertaking research
The present study based on analysing positive cultural impacts of globalisation on
marketing practices of Marks and Spencer proves to be highly helpful in making the firm aware
with positive and negative impacts of operating in different nations due to culture being followed
there. On the basis of same, firm will become able to frame and implement suitable strategies to
strengthen the positive impacts and over the negative influences. Along with that, research
conducted on present topic will be helpful for other firms operating in the retail industry of UK
as well and they would also be able to enjoy the positive cultural impacts of globalisation and
cope up with its negative influences on business (Gupta, 2011). Apart from that, different
authors, Ph.D. scholars and professors would also gain help through this study as they can use its
information in their research and teachings. Overall, this study has enhanced my analytical and
presentation skills along with improving the knowledge based on concepts like cultural impacts
of globalisation and marketing practices of retail organisations.
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded from the above report that globalisation has various positive cultural
impacts on the marketing practices of Marks and Spencer which are making firm able to sustain
their position for longer span of time and remain in market with high competitiveness. Further, it
has been articulated from the study that with offering products in different nations as per the
culture being followed there, M&S is growing at a fast pace with gaining benefits like increased
customer base as well as profits and revenue. However, it is leading to face some challenges as
well like rise in competition, language barriers, increased cost of operations and conflicts among
employees due to issue of diversity for which suitable strategies like training and development
and using advanced techniques have been recommended.
16

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Achari, P. D., 2014. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. Horizon Books (A Division of Ignited
Minds Edutech P Ltd).
Bayraktar, A. and Ndubisi, N. O., 2014. "The role of organizational mindfulness in firms’
globalization and global market performance". Journal of Research in Marketing and
Entrepreneurship. 16(1). pp.26-46.
Cheng, Y., Johansen, J. and Hu, H., 2015. "Exploring the interaction between R&D and
production in their globalisation". International Journal of Operations & Production
Management. 35(5). pp.782-816.
Costley, C., Elliot, G. and Gibbs, P., 2010. Doing Work Based Research: Approaches to Enquiry
for Insider-researchers. London: SAGE.
Flick, U., 2011. Introducing Research Methodology: A Beginner?s Guide to Doing a Research
Project. London: SAGE.
Goward, P., 2015. "Stories from my PhD journey: rewriting my methodology
chapter". International Journal for Researcher Development. 6(1). pp.93-104.
Gray, D., 2009. Doing Research in the Real World. 2nd Ed. London: SAGE.
Gupta, N., 2011. "Globalization does lead to change in consumer behavior: An empirical
evidence of impact of globalization on changing materialistic values in Indian consumers
and its aftereffects". Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics. 23(3). pp.251-269.
Kumar, R., 2014. Research Methodology: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners. SAGE.
Mattsson, L., 2016. "Bridging gaps between policies for sustainable markets and market
practices". IMP Journal. 10(2). pp.339-356.
Nakano, N. and et.al., 2018. "Design thinking as a dynamic methodology for information
science". Information and Learning Science. 119(12). pp.743-757.
PANNEERSELVAM, R., 2014. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.
Papadimitriou, A., 2018. "A review of the Toulon-Verona Conference Excellence in Services
best papers 2008-2016: Research topics and methodologies". The TQM Journal. 30(5).
pp.638-646.
Pettey, G., Bracken, C. C. and Pask, E. B., 2017. Communication Research Methodology: A
Strategic Approach to Applied Research. Taylor & Francis.
Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A., 2012. Research Methods for Business Students. 6th
Ed. Harlow: Pearson.
Online
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Research Methodology. 2018. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.open.edu/openlearn/money-management/understanding-different-research-
perspectives/content-section-8>.
The impact of globalisation on international business. 2018. [Online]. Available through:
<http://www.iqualifyuk.com/library/business-management-section/the-impact-of-
globalisation-on-international-business/>.
The Project Management Plan (PMP). 2018. [Online]. Available through:
<http://2020projectmanagement.com/resources/project-documentation/the-project-
management-plan-pmp>.
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APPENDIX
Project Logbook Template
Name:
Project title: Analysing the positive cultural impacts of globalisation on marketing practices
of retail organisations – a case study on Marks and Spencer, UK
Date:
Update on weekly research/tasks achieved
Points to consider:
What have you completed?
Developed research aim and objectives, made subjective problem statement, set timeframe for
the allocation of resources, critically reviewed the literature, chosen appropriate research
methodologies, calculated the costs, analysed collected data and interpreted the same,
evaluated results and outcomes, presented conclusion and recommendations, did
documentation of results and final submission.
Did you fulfil task requirements?
Yes.
Are you on track and within deadlines set?
Yes.
Did you need to make any changes to your project management plan?
No.
Any risks and/or issues identified
Points to consider:
Did you identify risks/issues with a lack of skills required for undertaking research/tasks?
Yes.
Did you identify any additional risks/issues that have an impact on the project management
plan?
Yes.
Problems encountered
Points to consider:
What barriers did you face?
19

Main limitations of research associated with present study were related to cost, time
and information. While gathering data from secondary sources, there were some websites
which required making payment to get access, leaving of which involved the risk of skipping
some important information. Also, it was difficult to collect, analyse and interpret entire data
available due to having stipulated time limit.
How did you overcome them?
Gathered sufficient information from authentic sources and left those sites requiring payment.
New ideas and change of project direction
None.
20