University Research Proposal: Digital Technology and Marketing

This research proposal investigates the impact of digital technology on marketing management, focusing on how online shopping through digital technology has increased the annual balance of ASDA Supermarkets. The proposal outlines the research objectives, including understanding digital technology terminology, assessing its impact on online shopping, exploring effective methods for enhancing online shopping, analyzing how digital technology works, and acknowledging ways to improve online shopping through digital technology implementation. The research questions address these objectives, covering the terminology of digital technology, its role in ASDA's online shopping, and its impact on sales. The proposal details the reasons for choosing the project, emphasizing the significance of digital technology in business operations and market positioning. It cites key literature sources and outlines the research approach, including a positivism research philosophy, an inductive approach, and a qualitative research process. The proposal also includes activities, timescales, and ethical considerations, such as participant recruitment, consent, data storage, and security, with an ethics approval form.

Research Proposal Form
Student Name ....
Proposed Title ................................................................................................................................................................................
Section One: Title, objective, responsibilities
Title or working title of research project -The
impact of digital technology on Marketing
management ( in the form of a question, objective or
hypothesis)
Research project objectives (e.g. what is the
question you want to answer? What do you want to learn
how to do? What do you want to find out?):
“How online shopping through the use of digital
technology has increase his annual balance of
ASDA Supermarkets”
Objectives
On the basis of the above topic, researcher
has developed the following objectives which are as
follows:
 To understand the terminology of digital
technology.
 To assess that how digital technology help
ASDA supermarket in online shopping.
 To explore the effective measures or methods
that can be used in digital technology for the
enhancement of online shopping (Dodgson
and et.al., 2015).
 To analyse how digital technology works.
 To acknowledge the ways by which ASDA
Supermarket can improve it’s online shopping
by effective implementation of the digital
technology (Nylén and Holmström, 2015).
 How digital technology helps in the
increase in the sales of ASDA Supermarket.
Research Question
 What do you understand by the terminology
of digital technology?
 How digital technology help ASDA
supermarket in online shopping.
 Explore the effectiveness of various measures
or methods that can be used in digital
technology for the enhancement of online
shopping.
 How digital technology works (Faqih, 2016).
 Acknowledge the ways by which ASDA
Supermarket can improve its online shopping
by effective implementation of the digital
technology.
 How digital technology helps in the increase
in the sales of ASDA Supermarket (Parise,
Guinan and Kafka, 2016).

Section Two: Reasons for choosing this research
project
Reasons for choosing the project (e.g. links to
other subjects you are studying, personal interest,
future plans, knowledge/skills you want to improve,
why the topic is important):
Reason of choosing this research project
This project is been chosen by the
investigator as it helps in effective finding and
assessment of the different operations, related
to digital technology, that helps in the
significant rise in the productivity and annual
income or turnover of the company (Hill,
Betts and Gardner, 2015). Besides this, the
research project will help in the better
understanding of the various digital
technologies that can be used for the
management of the business operations and
gaining a better market position. Other than
this, the researcher have significant data to
support this research process for identifying
the impact of digital technologies and online
shopping on the productivity of ASDA
Supermarkets (Frishammar and et.al., 2018).
Section Three: Literature sources searched
Use of key literature sources to support your
research question, objective or hypothesis:
As per the views of Huang and et.al., 2017, the
improvement in the overall technology in the
various fields and the effective utilisations of the
technical tools and measures for the effective
handling of the various operations that has helped
in the rise in the business efficiency of an
organisation. In accordance with Kuoppamäki,
Taipale and Wilska, 2017, the business companies
have to look for the effective measures that will
help in the significant rise in the various business
operations. The effective measures that are been
taken into consideration will help in the better rise
in the operational capacity and effectiveness of the
business firm to cater the needs and demands of
the customers in a better way. Besides this,
according to Nylén and Holmström, 2015, the
effective adoption of the digital technology will
help in the better handling of the various
operations that will lead to the rise in productivity
and operational capacity of a business enterprise.
Section Four: Activities and timescales
Activities to be carried out during the research project
(e.g. research, development and analysis of ideas, writing, data collection, numerical How long this will take:

analysis, tutor meetings, production of final outcome, evaluation, writing the report): 11 weeks

Appendix
Research Proposal Form (contd.)
Milestone one: .....Submit complete draft Research Report for review/feedback.
Target date (set by tutor): .4th May 2018
Milestone two: ........Submit at TURNITIN final Research Report .
Target date (set by tutor): .4th June 2018 (Note: This is the final deadline for submitting your work at TURNITIN)
Section Four: Research approach and methodologies
What type of research approach and methodologies are you likely to use and
why?
Research philosophy: Positivism
Research Approach: Inductive
Research process: Qualitative
What your areas of research will cover:
Imapct of the digital technology on a retail firm.
Comments and agreement from tutor
Comments (optional):
I confirm that the project is not work which has been or will be submitted for another qualification
and is appropriate.
Agreed: .................................................................................. (name) ............................................................. date) .....................................................
Comments and agreement from project proposal checker (if applicable)
Comments (optional):
I confirm that the project is appropriate.
Agreed: .................................................................................... (name) .................................................................................... date) ......................................................

Appendix
Research Ethics Approval Form
All students conducting research activity that involves human participants or the use of data
collected from human participants are required to gain ethical approval before commencing their
research. Please answer all relevant questions and note that your form may be returned if
incomplete.
For further support and guidance please see your respective Unit Tutor.
Before completing this form, we advise that you discuss your proposed research fully with your
Unit Tutor. Please complete this form in good time before your research project is due to
commence.
Section 1: Basic Details
Project title: ..How online shopping through the use of digital technology has increase his annual balance of
ASDA
Supermarkets........................................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................................................................
Student name: ...................................................................................
Student ID number: ...................................................................................
Programme: ...................................................................................
College: ... ................................................................................
Intended research start date: ...20 March 2018.......................................
Intended research end date: ...4 June 2018...................................
Section 2: Project Summary
Please select all research methods that you plan to use as part of your project:
• Interviews: 
• Questionnaires: yes
• Observations: 
• Use of Personal Records: 
• Data Analysis: yes 
• Action Research: 
• Focus Groups: 
• Other (please specify): ....................................................................................................................................................................
•

Appendix
Research Ethics Approval Form (contd.)
Section 3: Participants
Please answer the following questions, giving full details where necessary.
Will your research involve human participants?
Adults: yes
How will participants be recruited (identified and approached)?
They are approached as they are employee's of cited retail firm.
Describe the processes you will use to inform participants about what you are doing:
the participants will be informed through an interdepartmental notice and mails.
How will you obtain consent from participants? Will this be written? How will it be made clear
to participants that they may withdraw consent to participate at any time?
They can provide their name for the volunteering in the research process and can take the
questionnaire.
Studies involving questionnaires / interviews: Will participants be given the option of omitting
questions they do not wish to answer?
Yes:  No: No
If No please explain why below and ensure that you cover any ethical issues arising from this.
As the missing of any question may affect the data collection and interpretation process.
Studies involving observation:
Confirm whether participants will be asked for their informed consent to be observed.
Yes:  No: yes
Will you debrief participants at the end of their participation
(i.e. give them a brief explanation of the study)?
Yes:  No: yes
Will participants be given information about the findings of your study?
(This could be a brief summary of your findings in general)
Yes:  No: yes

Appendix
Research Ethics Approval Form (contd.)
Section 4: Data Storage and Security
Confirm that all personal data will be stored and processed in compliance with the Data
Protection Act (1998) Yes:  No: 
Who will have access to the data and personal information?
During the research:
Where will the data be stored?
Will mobile devices such as USB storage and laptops be used?
Yes:  No: 
If yes, please provide further details:
After the research:
Where will the data be stored?
How long will the data and records be kept for and in what
format? Will data be kept for use by other researchers?
Yes:  No: 
If yes, please provide further details:
Section 5: Ethical Issues
Are there any particular features of your proposed work which may raise ethical concerns? If so,
please outline how you will deal with these:
It is important that you demonstrate your awareness of potential risks that may arise as a
result of your research. Please consider/address all issues that may apply. Ethical concerns may
include, but are not limited to the following:
• Informed consent.
• Potentially vulnerable participants.
• Sensitive topics.
• Risks to participants and/or researchers.
• Confidentiality/anonymity.
• Disclosures/limits to confidentiality.
• Data storage and security, both during and after the research (including transfer, sharing,
encryption, protection).
• Reporting.
• Dissemination and use of your findings.

Appendix
Research Ethics Approval Form (contd.)