An Assessment of Social Media's Impact on H&M's Globalisation Strategy

This research proposal investigates the impact of social media on Hennes & Mauritz AB (H&M)'s globalisation strategy. It explores the concept of social media, identifying ways it aids H&M's international expansion through regular posts and social media campaigns. The proposal also evaluates potential barriers like lack of control and knowledge, which can affect H&M's brand reputation. The methodology includes both qualitative and quantitative data collection, employing an interpretivism research philosophy and an inductive research approach. The research design will be descriptive, using primary and secondary data sources with probability sampling of H&M customers. Ethical considerations are also addressed. The research aims to analyze the benefits of social media for business organisations seeking to globalize, particularly focusing on H&M's experiences in the fast-fashion market.

Research Proposal

Table of Contents
TOPIC – An assessment of the impact of social media in improving globalisation. A case on
Hennes & Mauritz AB.....................................................................................................................1
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................1
Background of the research....................................................................................................1
Research Aim.........................................................................................................................1
Research Objectives...............................................................................................................2
Research Questions................................................................................................................2
Rationale of the research........................................................................................................2
2. Literature Review.........................................................................................................................2
Concept of social media.........................................................................................................2
Ways of social media that helps H&M in globalising itself...................................................3
Barriers of social media that impacts upon reputation of H&M............................................3
3. Methodology................................................................................................................................4
Type of Investigation..............................................................................................................4
Research Philosophy..............................................................................................................4
Research Approaches.............................................................................................................4
Research Design.....................................................................................................................5
Data Sampling........................................................................................................................5
Ethical considerations.............................................................................................................5
4. Timeline of research activities.....................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9
ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................................11
TOPIC:.............................................................................................................................................1
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY....................................................................................................1
RESULTS/ FINDINGS..................................................................................................................3

Frequency table......................................................................................................................5
DISCUSSION................................................................................................................................15
On the basis of primary information....................................................................................15
On the basis of secondary information.................................................................................18
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................19
RECOMMENDATIONS...............................................................................................................19
REFLECTION...............................................................................................................................20
Alternative methods..............................................................................................................21
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................22

TOPIC – An assessment of the impact of social media in improving
globalisation. A case on Hennes & Mauritz AB.
1. Introduction
In modern era, every single business organisation is looking forward to expand their
business operations. Here, globalisation has helped them to do so where it is referred as a process
that help a company to develop its influence at international level. Basically, social media has
been considered as one of a crucial elements which is helping companies that are working at
national level to perform globally (Deery and Jago, 2015). Therefore, it could effectively be
taken as a crucial subject that is required to be studied for better understand of the influence of
social media upon companies. Some of business organisations like Topshop, H&M and Zara has
largest number of followers in all over the world in different social media sites. It is being found
that, H&M basically consist with largest audience all around the globe at online platforms(social
media) with 42.5m followers, Zara has occupied second position with more than 30% from
overall sample. H&M is active on social media with 8.52m engagement- likes, retweets,
comments - over a 30-day period and is one of the most talked about fast fashion brand with
88,300 mentions. This all has helped H&M in enhancing the recognition among people in all
over the globe.
Background of the research
H&M was found in the year of a 1947 by Erling Persson, and since than it has became
one of a famous Swedish multinational clothing-retail company. Organisation basically offers
customers with fast-fashion clothing to customers depending on their age and lifestyle as well.
Along with this, H&M is dealing in more than 62 nations and has approximately 4,500 stores
which has give employment to 132,000 people across nations. Along with this, it can be said that
H&M has faced a range of issues regarding some of the ads, that were linked with social media
(Green Washing act) (Kang, Gatling and Kim, 2015). This impacted negatively upon there own
recognition among targeted customers. Therefore, it can easily be said that, social media directly
affected globalising strategy of H&M.
Research Aim
Present research's aim is “To analyse the impact of social media in improving
globalisation.” A case on Hennes & Mauritz AB.
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Research Objectives
 To understand the concept of social media
 To identify the ways, how social media helps H&M in globalising itself.
 To evaluate barriers of social media that impacts upon reputation of H&M.
Research Questions
 Understanding the concept of social media ?
 What are the ways of social media that helps H&M in globalising itself ?
 Identify the barriers of social media that impacts upon reputation of H&M ?
Rationale of the research
Significance behind choosing this topic is to analyse the benefits of social media which
has helped business organisation that are looking forward to globalise themselves. On the other
hand, self interest of the investigator has led to choose this topic as social media has helped
business organisations in expanding their business across the world (Kim, Im and Hwang, 2015).
2. Literature Review
Concept of social media
On the basis of thoughts given by Qiu (2015), social media is a kind of interactive media
through which individuals communicate to one another. This communication includes sharing of
content, images, videos and posts related to their personal life. Social media has numerous of
forms such as blogs, you tube, forums, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and many others. The main
concept of initiation of this term is to share their lifestyle with friends and other people(the one
whom they admire). It can be said that at this platform usually people who have similar kind of
interest likes to interact with one another. This shared information allows them to enhance their
knowledge on the life of other. In context of businesses social media is a modern day marketing
tool which is used by companies to spread awareness about their products and services
effectively. It can be said that it is easier for business organisations to approach their targeted
customers in bulk as it is the only cost effective medium through which executives of company
can interact with customers at regular basis. Along with this, it also helps company in
understanding actual expectation of customers from the company. This can easily be done by
taking feedback from customers in the form of comment section.
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Ways of social media that helps H&M in globalising itself
According to the perception of author named as Lu, (2016), it has been analysed that
social media is considered as the effective tool which helps companies in improving their
business performance. With the passing time, it has been analysed that social media helpful tool
for the companies who are planning to spread their business at international scale. In context of
H&M, it can be said that there are numerous of ways in terms of benefits through which the
company can easily expand its business in international market. Some common among them are
stated as below:
Posting information about company at regular basis: It is one of the common ways
through which social media can easily help H&M in expanding its business at international
market place. It can be said that posting information on company's social page aware it followers
about new expansion, strategies, locations and many other things. This will ultimately improve
knowledge of followers about companies expansion. As a result, this social media way is helpful
for H&M in expanding its business at international level.
Social media campaign: Social media campaign is considered as the marketing activity
which helps company in interacting with their customers at regular basis for the specific period
of time. It can be said that social media campaigns are initiated for one specific purpose that is
helpful for organisation in influencing interest of its customers. It include regular basis feedback
from views or online followers.
Barriers of social media that impacts upon reputation of H&M
As per the views presented by Fowler, d., (2016), it has been analysed that even though
the social media tool has numerous of benefits but at the same time it has numerous of barriers
which impacts upon reputation of large scale companies like H&M. In context of H&M, it can be
said that there are some core barriers of social media which are affecting reputation of the
renown company. These barriers are stated as below:
Lack of control on what is happening: It has been analysed that companies are not
having any kind of control at social media. This is because, social media is open platform where
any one can make their profile. This openness becomes challenge for the H&M as the company
does not even know when its rival companies are posting wrong comments their profile. It
ultimately affects reputation of the company as other customers of this company might take those
wrong comments serious and could loose their interest from H&M.
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Lack of knowledge: This barrier of social media for H&M states that lack of knowledge
of about followers might become riskier for company as they are not able to specify that who are
their positive and true followers and who are not. It can be said that this inefficiency of
knowledge about social follower might influence their mind on influencing wrong people. Along
with this, there are probable chances that posts which are posted on the profile of H&M site
which affect mindset of followers. This is because viewer might interpret posted content in
wrong or negative manner. As a result, this will affect reputation of the company in negative
manner.
3. Methodology
Type of Investigation
The types of investigation is been classified into qualitative and quantitative data
collection tools. In qualitative research fresh facts is been collected in form of theoretical
questionnaires which are related through likert scale, where as in quantitative research the data
are gathered in form of numerical questionnaires, with use of ordinal scale. For gathering
information about impact of social media in improving operations at global level investigator
will use effective data collection technique in form of qualitative tool, to conduct in depth
survey. For finding optimal solutions on specific issues that will help in making accurate
decisions.
Research Philosophy
Researcher philosophy is one of the most important outcome of observations that are
collected as information, also required for effective decision process. It is referred as creating a
sense of impactful research, where true information have been used for operating work at
scheduled timespan. The most important type of research philosophies are interpretivism and
positivism principles. While carrying out research, an analyst will adopt interpretivism principle
for finding appropriate solutions to problem through qualitative methods, researcher can analyses
collected information at different parameter through which effective information can be collected
about social media (Lu and Gursoy, 2016).
Research Approaches
Research approach is necessary component of research methodologies. It consist of
appropriate plans and procedures which consist of all steps of wider assumption with detailed
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information of data collection method, analysing and interpretation. The two approaches are
deductive and inductive. Deductive approach will be used for developing new theories that
supports assumption, where as inductive approach is based on conducting in-depth analysis of
corrected data that are been gathered about impact of social media in improving operations at
international level. For completion of research a researcher is adopting inductive research as it is
depends on qualitative measure with accurate and reliable information.
Research Design
Research design is defined as structured layout of method and tools, that are been
effectively used by analyst while combining various sources for collecting fresh data. A research
design is been classified as descriptive, experimental and exploratory methods. The present
survey will use descriptive research design to gather information over impact of social media on
businesses working at international grounds, as assumptions is been made on collected
information which are related with specific problems for finding solutions. (Lu and et. al., 2016).
Data collection
The analyst gathers informations from different sources while conducting any type of
research. The data collection techniques is systematic approach for analysing collected data. By
using best collection techniques will helps in providing accurate result on impact of social media
in improving operations at global level. When conducting present investigation, researcher's will
use primary source for collecting fresh informations, as well as secondary sources for gathering
data from news paper, journals and magazines that could be effectively utilised in drawing
conclusions .
Data Sampling
Sampling is a technique used for selecting a sample frame from large number of
population. This tool is used in assessing statistical informations, which have been selected and
formulated for estimating various operation and observation that are taken from large population.
The most important data sampling are probability and non probability method. In probability
method, where researcher will select 30 respondent. The respondents that have been selected are
customer of an organisations because they are using social media techniques for performing
operations at international level.
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Ethical considerations
Ethical considerations are described as cultural norms, regulations and value that
researcher should take in considerations at time of conducting an investigation. It is mandatory
for an investigator to secure the information and keep monitoring collected fact of respondents is
not been hacked. Moreover, at the time of conducting investigations, researcher should focus on
taking interviews from respondents on specific questions that have linked with aim of research
i.e. impact of social media in improving operations at global level. Thus, it is mandatory for
analyst to incurred cost and time, that are important element which will taken in consideration
for completing research at scheduled timespan (Qiu and et. al., 2015).
4. Timeline of research activities
Gantt Chart
Gantt charts help create effective project plans. It can be said that, a Gantt chart gets
ended with planning as well. It can be said that, this type of time line, stick to show timeline
which may aid in creating valuable dependencies, analysing key tasks, and tracing deviations. On
the other hand, A Gantt chart could be considered as a type of bar chart, which basically shows
project schedule (Tongchaiprasit and Ariyabuddhiphongs, 2016). Along with this, it can be said
that this type of chart lists shows tasks that have been performed or under process for completing
activities on vertical axis, and horizontal axis represents estimated time intervals. The width of
horizontal bars in graph describes duration of each activity.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Online
Fowler, D., 2016. Social media communication barriers: how to overcome them. [Online].
Available Through: <https://www.practiceweb.co.uk/knowledge/social-media-
barriers/>.
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Research Project
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