The Impact of Digitalization on Business Activity: A TESCO Study

This research proposal investigates the impact of digitalization on business activities, specifically focusing on a case study of TESCO, a major UK retailer. The introduction highlights the importance of technology in modern business, emphasizing its role in maintaining a competitive edge and cost-effectiveness. The rationale outlines the study's aim to determine digitalization's impact on TESCO, with objectives to understand the concept, identify positive aspects, determine challenges, and suggest solutions. The literature review explores the concept of digitalization, its positive impacts on TESCO (such as improved customer service and decision-making), challenges (including privacy concerns and employee expertise), and recommendations for overcoming these challenges. The research methodology section details the interpretivism research philosophy, deductive approach, descriptive research design, and the use of both primary and secondary data collection methods. Data analysis will employ thematic analysis, and a simple random sampling method will be used to survey 20 TESCO managers. Ethical considerations, including confidentiality and informed consent, are also addressed. The conclusion summarizes the findings, emphasizing the benefits of digitalization and the importance of employee training and strategic management for successful implementation.

THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL
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Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................3
2. Rationale and Research Question........................................................................................................3
3. Literature Review.................................................................................................................................4
4. Research Methodology........................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION...............................................................................................................................................8
REFERNCES..................................................................................................................................................9
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Title: What are the impacts of using digitalization in the business activity.
INTRODUCTION
In this modern world, every business uses advance technology to stay ahead in the
competition. Being digitalization, will also help a firm to sustain its brand image in market and
save cost as well. In the same way, current research is also based upon to determine the impact
using digitalization in the business. Research helps to identify the positive as well as negative
impact upon firm, the chosen firm is TESCO which is leading retail firm in UK and now using
advance technology, company can increase its efficiency. Current study will determine the
concept and challenges faces by quoted firm using literature review and through research
methodology, study will determine the methods which should be used by the research to make
the study more precise and confine.
2. Rationale and Research Question
Aim: “To determine the impact of digitalization upon business activity: A case study of
TESCO”
Objectives:
 To understand the concept of digitalization
 To identify the positive key aspect of digitalization upon TESCO
 To determine the challenges faced by TESCO while implementing digitalization.
 To suggest some ways to overcome the challenges of digitalization.
Research Questions:
 What do you understand by digitalization?
 What is the positive impact of using digitalization upon business activity?
 What are the challenges face by TESCO while implementing digitalization?
 State some recommendation which can be used by TESCO to overcome the challenges?
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Rationale: The main reason of choosing this topic is such that researcher has their own
interest to identify the positive impact of digitalization upon business activity, through this
research gain knowledge which can be used in their future as well. Apart from this, by
researching on particular topic will help a researcher to raise their research skill so that it will be
more beneficial for their future. Therefore, in this competitive world, every company uses
advance technology in order to make own firm more competitive and stay ahead, thus, by
studying on particular topic will assist research to collect new information and uses those it their
future as well.
Company’s Background: TESCO is one of the largest and leading retail firm in United
Kingdom, currently the firm has its brand image at global level such that it operates its stores at
11 different countries with more than 100 stores. TESCO offers grocery, clothes, furniture and
different variety of products to their customer at reasonable rates. That is why it is consider as
Third largest retailer store in world in the terms of gross revenue.
3. Literature Review
Theme 1: Concept of Digitalization
According to Crittenden, Crittenden and Crittenden (2019) Digitalization is the addition
of all digital technologies which are used in everyday life. Therefore, by using advance
technology at workplace, will help a business to provide the best customer service and also
enhanced the current status off a firm easily. Not only this, by implementing digitalization,
different company will easily save time and helps to reduce error and also build customer loyalty
too.
On the other side, Parviainen and et.al., (2017) critic that in business, digitalization refers
to enabling, improving and transforming the business operation or activity by leveraging some
advance technology into actionable, knowledge etc. Overall, using advance technology, company
can increase its financial performance and saves time as well as human resource so that it
directly creates positive impact upon the business. In addition to this, when company using
digital system at workplace, will show that company has good social collaboration, unified
communication platform and has different opportunity to engage their customer differently.
Theme 2: Identify the positive impact of digitalization for TESCO
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As per the view of Rachinger and et.al., (2018) using advance technology upon business
will creates direct impact upon business operation of TESCO such as it will help to make money
and also produce the best result for the customers as per their demand. Not only this, using
advance technology at workplace will allow company to make better decision and even
technological tool also make the work easier as well. Such that when TESCO uses these tools in
intelligent way, then it leads to increase in productivity and also reduce some cost as well. In
addition to this, technology also bring people together and makes the work more easier with an
effective communication, such that, TESCO can use social media for promoting the new
produces and service and this also communicate the exact message to their customers as well.
Thus it is considered one of the safest way of marketing (Positive impact of Digitalization,
2018).
On the other side, it is also evaluated by Heberle and et.al., (2017) digitalization also
saves money for a business by save time. Even an up-to-date information also helps to quickly
analyze the problem and also responds quickly as well. Such that by using advance technology,
TESCO also provide training session to their employees and also enhances their production level
too. In addition to this, it also helps to enhance customer data and through advance technology,
TESCO is able to effectively target advertising and promotion so that it directly helps to enhance
company’s financial performance.
Theme 3: Determine the challenges face by TESCO while implementing digitalization
As per the view of Klötzer and Pflaum (2017) using digitalization though creates positive
impact upon business activity but company also faces some challenges such that it raises privacy
concern and also raises some legal issues as well. Even business uses advance technology in
order to monitor employee behavior and performance but sometimes this also creates hostile
work environment. It is so because many of the employees do not have a knowledge how to
operate advance technology and this lack of expertise leads to convert as a challenge for the firm
and this also affect the business in negative way.
On the other side, Șerban, (2017) stated that though digital technology helps to boost up
the working of business activity and also assist a business to improve productivity and more
quickly than human can. Thus, by putting large scale automation also creates social problem by
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putting many people out of their job and thus, it leads to destroy job. Not only this, it also leads
to affect company’s budget. These digital and advance technology cost very high and its
maintenance also affect the entire budget of company in reverse direction. Thus, it shows that it
is not easy to implement the digital technology upon working place as company faces different
challenges.
Theme 4: Recommendation for minimizing the challenges
As per the view of Jeske and et.al., (2018) it has been evaluated that by providing proper
training session to the employees of TESCO will be one of the best way to implement new
technology into the working area. Such that by providing online training session will assist
managers and employees to use those technology into working area. Further, by recruiting the
expertise will also help a business to overcome the challenges of digitalization. As quoted firm
has brand image and strong financial situation, therefore, it is also recommended to the firm to
manage the budget according to need, so that it will help a company to meet the needs of their
customers.
By changing the management of the company will also help a business to take better
decision for the business. Further, by complying Data Protection Act will also help to prevent the
personal and confidential data from getting misused (Strategies to overcome challenges, 2019).
Therefore, to minimize the negative impact of digitalization upon business activity of TESCO is
quite essential that is why it is also recommended to the firm to develop strategy that will help to
improve the financial performance as well as save time.
4. Research Methodology
Research Philosophy: It is the idea about the method in which the information about a
phenomenon should be gathered, collected and analyzed (Lombardi, 2019). Therefore, through
research philosophy, researcher easily specify the need of a study and it is off four types such as
Pragmatism, Positivism, Realism and Interpretivism.
Therefore, among all researcher will chose Interprretivism research philosophy in order
to conduct the study in more precise manner and meet the aim i.e. To determine the impact of
digitalization upon business activity.
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Research Approach: It is a process which is consist of various steps with a broad
assumptions that helps to collect the information in detail manner and then analysis them and
interpreted also. It is of three type such as, Deductive, Inductive and Abductive Research
Approach.
From the above, researcher will chooses deductive research approach In order to get true
conclusion and even it helps to make the aim of the research from general to specific. That is
why, it will be helpful for a researcher to meet the aim that is to determine the impact of
digitalization upon business activity, by using Deductive approach.
Research Design: It is a collection of different methods and procedures that help to
analyze the collected data in order to specify the research problem, even it is mainly design to
find the answers of all research questions in specified manner (Creswell and Creswell, 2017). It
is of two types conclusive and exploratory.
Therefore, researcher will choose descriptive research design under conclusive type in
order to meet the aims and objectives in define way and get clear conclusion as well.
Data Collection: It is the method through which the data are collected and gathered
using some standard validated technique. In this, researcher will chooses both types of data such
as primary and secondary. In primary data collection, researcher gather data for the first time by
using interview, survey and questionnaire, while on the other side, secondary data collection are
the methods in which researcher collect information through newspaper, article and books or
journals, which means data are used from already published material.
In this, both type of data collection are used to make the research more accurate and
better that will help to get exact conclusion.
Data Analysis: It is the process of inspect, analyze and model the data through required
data, so that it will help to make better decision for the research. It is of two types such as
qualitative and quantitative data analysis (Meyers, Gamst and Guarino, 2016). Therefore,
through data analysis, researcher involves critical analysis and also make interpretation of figures
and also make attempts in order to determine the rationale of research.
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Thus, researcher will chooses thematic data analysis under qualitative data analysis in
order to make the research specific and draw accurate conclusion as well. This will also help to
attain the aim such that to determine the impact of digitalization upon business activity.
Sampling: It is the method in which researcher select some member from population.
Through this, research can concluded the exact result and it is of two type such as probability
sampling and non- probability sampling.
From the above, researcher will choose simple random sampling method under
probability sampling so that it will help to attain the aim. Researcher will select 20 managers of
TESCO through questionnaire in order to conduct the research in more precise manner.
Ethical Consideration: While conducting research, it is also necessary to make the
collected data more confidential and also make sure that the privacy of research participants is
maintained (Abdulkadiroğlu and et.al., 2017). In addition to this, full consent should also be
obtained from the participants before conducting the study.. In this way, the research will be
conducted in more precise manner and can attain the aim as well.
CONCLUSION
By summing up above, it has been concluded that using digitalization will help a business
to improve the financial performance and even by providing proper training session to their
employees will help a business to implement advance technology into workplace. Further,
through research methodology, it has been concluded that by questionnaire, and selecting 20
managers will help to attain the aim in more precise manner. Further, it is also concluded that by
implementing digital technology, TESCO will also enhance the customer service and creates
positive impact upon business by sustaining the brand image at world level.
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REFERNCES
Books and Journals
Abdulkadiroğlu, A. and et.al., 2017. Research design meets market design: Using centralized
assignment for impact evaluation. Econometrica. 85(5). pp.1373-1432.
Creswell, J. W. and Creswell, J. D., 2017. Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed
methods approaches. Sage publications.
Crittenden, A. B., Crittenden, V. L. and Crittenden, W. F., 2019. The digitalization triumvirate:
How incumbents survive. Business Horizons. 62(2). pp.259-266.
Heberle, A. and et.al., 2017. Digitalization Canvas-Towards Identifying Digitalization Use
Cases and Projects. J. UCS. 23(11). pp.1070-1097.
Jeske, T. and et.al., 2018, July. Opportunities of Digitalization for Productivity Management.
In International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (pp. 321-331).
Springer, Cham.
Klötzer, C. and Pflaum, A., 2017. Toward the development of a maturity model for digitalization
within the manufacturing industry’s supply chain.
Lombardi, R., 2019. Knowledge transfer and organizational performance and business process:
past, present and future researches. Business Process Management Journal. 25(1). pp.2-9.
Meyers, L. S., Gamst, G. and Guarino, A. J., 2016. Applied multivariate research: Design and
interpretation. Sage publications.
Parviainen, P. and et.al., 2017. Tackling the digitalization challenge: How to benefit from
digitalization in practice. International Journal of Information Systems and Project
Management. 5(1). pp.63-77.
Rachinger, M. and et.al., 2018. Digitalization and its influence on business model
innovation. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management.
Șerban, R. A., 2017. The Impact of Big Data, Sustainability, and Digitalization on Company
Performance. Studies in Business and Economics. 12(3). pp.181-189.
Online
Positive impact of Digitalization. 2018. [Online]. Available through: < https://bizfluent.com/list-
6943594-positive-negative-effects-technology-business.html >.
Strategies to overcome challenges. 2019. [Online]. Available
through:<https://medium.com/iotforall/top-5-digital-transformation-challenges-and-how-
to-overcome-them-ec60a5254ded>.
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