Research: COVID-19's Impact on Productivity and Profitability (Tesco)

This report investigates the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on business productivity and profitability, using Tesco as a case study. The research delves into the initial understanding of the COVID-19 situation and the role of digital technology in business operations during the crisis. It identifies various challenges faced by Tesco, particularly concerning the impact on organizational productivity. The study employs a deductive research approach, utilizing questionnaires for data collection. The work plan includes phases for project introduction, objective setting, importance assessment, methodology selection, data analysis, deliverable determination, result dissemination, risk identification, and conclusion. The deliverables encompass insights into the global COVID-19 situation, the use of digital technology by Tesco, and the challenges faced by the company. The research aims to provide valuable insights for industry stakeholders to develop effective strategies to mitigate the pandemic's impact and enhance business performance. The report also acknowledges potential risks like skill and resource limitations.

Research, Planning
And Communications
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Executive summary
During the pandemic of COVID 19 every industry experienced several issues as they not
able to conduct their business operations and functions in effective manner. This project provide
information related to determining impact of COVID 19 on the productivity and profitability of
company. In respect of this researcher first understand the situation of COVID 19 as well as they
also determine use of digital technology in the business during COVID 19 situation. Along with
this, it also include information related to various challenges that face due to COVID 19 and its
impact on the productivity of the organisation.
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Table of Contents
Executive summary..........................................................................................................................2
Project Title - To study the impact of COVID 19 on the productivity and profitability of
company. A case study on Tesco.....................................................................................................4
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Background of project work........................................................................................................4
Project Aim.................................................................................................................................4
Project objectives........................................................................................................................5
Benefits to industry.....................................................................................................................5
Problems to be addressed............................................................................................................5
Research approach......................................................................................................................6
Methodology to be developed.....................................................................................................6
Work plan....................................................................................................................................6
Deliverables ................................................................................................................................8
Dissemination of result...............................................................................................................8
Potential risk................................................................................................................................8
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10
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Project Title - To study the impact of COVID 19 on the productivity and
profitability of company. A case study on Tesco
Introduction
In current time every one including human, industry and economy all get impacted due to
COVID 19 pandemic. It is so because during lock down is conducted fully in every nation as due
to which business man not able to conduct their business operations and functions in effective
manner (Babuna and et. al., 2020). This will directly or indirect impact on the company
productivity as well as profitability. Due to respective pandemic there are several business which
get shutdown as they not able to gain profit. The company selected for respective report is Tesco
which is operating in retail industry. It is founded by Jack Cohen in year 1919 as well as its head
office is located in Welwyn Garden City, England. The areas serve by respective company are
United Kingdom, India, Ireland, Hungary, Slovakia and many more. This retail company offer
their products through supermarket, hypermarket, superstore as well as convenience shop. The
respective report is based on the determining the impact of COVID 19 on the productivity and
profitability of organisation.
Background of project work
Currently every nation is experiencing major issues due to COVID 19 as there is huge
decrease in the economy of nation. This is generally take place because industries not able to
conduct their business operations and function in effective manner. During this there are several
small as well as medium companies who get bankrupt and shut down as they not able to generate
proper profit. Along with this, during this pandemic there are numbers of people who loss their
jobs as their firm not able to provide salary to all as well as this also leads to increase in
unemployment rate (Bernauer and Slowey, 2020). This situation directly or indirectly impact on
the nation economy negatively. In addition to this, during the COVID 19 situation there is
implementation of full lock down during which companies experiences in huge decrease in sales,
profitability as well as productivity. Through conducting respective project investigator want to
determine impact of COVID 19 on the productivity and profitability of organisation.
Project Aim
To identify the impact of COVID 19 on the productivity and profitability of organisation.
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Project objectives
 To study the situation of COVID 19.
 To study the use of digital technology in the business of Tesco in COVID 19 situation.
 To determine the various challenges that Tesco face due to COVID 19 and its
impact on the productivity of the organisation.
Benefits to industry
The respective research is beneficial for industry because through that they able to
understand about the impact of COVID 19 on the productivity and profitability of organisation.
This will help management in developing effective strategies, plans as well as guidelines that
help in facing COVID 19 situation properly. This will also aid in developing strategies through
which company can minimise the impact of respective pandemic on their business performance
as well as productivity. In addition to this, a company also able to understand how to use
different digital technologies in order to conduct business COVID 19 situation. This will help
them in determined most appropriate method through which they can enhance their productivity
as well as profitability.
Problems to be addressed
While conducting this project an investigator going to addressed several problems or
issues so that others can develop strategies, plan or rules accordingly. The main problem which
is going to addressed in this project is related to impact of COVID 19 on the productivity and
profitability of organisation (Donthu and Gustafsson, 2020). In respect of this, investigator is
going to enhance their understanding related to the situation of COVID 19 as well as they also
able to know the use of digital technology in the business of Tesco in COVID 19 situation. In
addition to this, investigator also going to addressed issue related to determining the various
challenges that Tesco face due to COVID 19 and its impact on the productivity of the
organisation. By addressing these issues researcher able to provide recommendations to
respective company that how they can overcome impact of COVID 19 on the productivity and
profitability. This will also help them in increasing their sales, profitability as well as
productivity in effective manner so that they can sustain in market for long time.
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Research approach
The research approach is considered as plan and procedure which consists of different
phase of broad assumptions in respect of detailed methods related to data collection, evaluation
as well as interpretation. There are main two types of research approach from which researcher
select most appropriate one according to their requirement or topic of research i.e. inductive as
well as deductive (Fitriasari, 2020). The respective research is based on determining the impact
of COVID 19 on the productivity and profitability of organisation. Inductive research approach
is considered as method in which which begin through the research questions as well as
collection of empirical as well as authenticate information or data that will be utilized in order to
hypothesis and theory. On the other hand, deductive research approach is considered as
technique which usually begin through theory driven hypothesis as well as this will guide
information or data collection as well as analysis process. In respect of this project, an
investigator is adopting deductive research approach as that will help researcher in gathering
more authenticate as well as reliable information related to topic.
Methodology to be developed
In this section of project, an investigator determine technique which they will use in order
to gather authenticate as well as reliable information related to topic. There are several
techniques which a company may adopt in order to gather authenticate and reliable information
related to topic (Liu and et. al., 2020). This will include case study, experiment, questionnaire,
interview and many more. In respect of this research, project manager is adopting questionnaire
because through that they able to gather authenticate as well as proper information related to
project which is based on determining the impact of COVID 19 on the productivity and
profitability of organisation. By developing this investigator also able to collect deep as well as
reliable information that help them in getting proper outcome successfully.
Work plan
The work plan of a project can be determined through proper work bread down structure
and Gantt chart. Work break down structure is considered as deliverable oriented hierarchical
decomposition of the practices which are going to executed by the project manager and its team
in order to accomplish the project aim as well as objectives successfully. On the other hand, in
this project manager also need to develop Gantt chart which is considered as project management
tool that is use to conduct planning, scheduling of all project. By developing Gantt chart
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investigator get to know how to conduct specific work as well as in how much time. This will
directly and indirectly help investigator in attaining their desire goal and objectives successfully.
According to this researcher need to follow different stages, which are mentioned below in
respect of this project :-
 Phase 1 - Conduct introduction – According to this phase project manager need to
conduct introduction of the title of project (Madgavkar and et. al., 2020). It is so because
that will help them in developing effective aim and objectives on which project need to
accomplish.
 Phase 2 - Develop aim and objectives – At this stage project, investigator need to set
appropriate aim and objectives so that they can conduct project in effective manner.
 Phase 3 - Importance of project – In this stage or phase project manager will determine
importance of project so that they can motivate other to conduct project work properly for
attaining the desire goal.
 Phase 4 - Research methodology selection - According to this phase project manager will
select determine most appropriate method for gathering information and data according
to the topic of research project. Through this they can collect most authenticate
information which aid in attaining desire goal and objective successfully.
 Phase 5 - Data collection and analysis – In respect of this stage of work plan researcher
need to conduct evaluation of the data so that they can find proper outcome. This will
also help in determining authenticate information based on the topic of research project.
 Phase 6 - Determine deliverable – It is based on information which is consider as
outcome of project so that they can attain the desire aim and objective (McGuire,
Germain and Reynolds, 2020). Through this help investigator in providing proper
recommendations to other so that they can conduct their work in effective and
appropriate manner.
 Phase 7 - Dissemination of result – At this stage investigator will evaluate and
disseminate the result so that they can attain their desire goal and objective related to
specific outcome.
 Phase 8 - Identify potential risk – According to this phase of work plan project
management need to develop strategies through which they can identify potential risk so
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that they can develop strategies accordingly. By developing strategies they can be ensure
that at next time same issues will not take place.
 Phase 9 - Conclusion – It is the last stage of the work plan according to which project
manager need to develop summary of the whole work which is conducting the project.
By this they able to provide brief to other according to that further work or strategies can
be develop.
Deliverables
The deliverable of the respective project is based on the determining the situation during
the COVID 19 around the world (Papadopoulos, Baltas and Balta, 2020). In addition to this it
also include information related to the use of digital technology in the business of Tesco in
COVID 19 situation as well as other deliverable is based on the determine the various challenges
that Tesco face due to COVID 19 and its impact on the productivity of the organisation. It is so
because through that project manager able to attain their desire goal as well as objectives related
to the respective research project successfully.
Dissemination of result
The research outcome of the research is beneficial for the other researcher who are
conducting their project on similar topic as well as it will be publish on the university journal so
that it can be assess by all. The outcome of the research is transparent for all so that others can
also enhance their understanding related to the COVID 19 situation.
Potential risk
The potential risk which are related to the respective research and which impact on the
outcome of research are lack of skill, funds as well as resources. In addition to this it also include
risk related to time because when there is limited time researcher not able to gather proper
information.
Conclusion
By conducting analysis of above mentioned topic it can be summarised that in current
time every country is experiencing COVID 19 situation which impact highly on their economy
negatively. This is mainly happen because during this time companies not able to conduct their
business operations and function in proper manner. During respective pandemic there are
numbers of people who loss their job as companies not have funds to provide salary to all staffs.
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Moreover when lock down conducted during COVID 19 business operations not able to conduct
specifically which is related to manufacturing as it can be done online. But during this digital
technology help several companies in conducting their work in effective manner. It is so because
they able to conduct their business operations as well as functions through online medium as
well as during this stage there are several companies which switch to digital source which help in
making stable business. Moreover there ate several challenges face by company face due to
COVID 19 and its impact on the productivity of the organisation such as lack of resources, lack
of funds and so on.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Babuna, P. and et. al., 2020. The impact of Covid-19 on the insurance industry. International
journal of environmental research and public health, 17(16), p.5766.
Bernauer, W. and Slowey, G., 2020. COVID-19, extractive industries, and indigenous
communities in Canada: Notes towards a political economy research agenda. The
Extractive Industries and Society.
Donthu, N. and Gustafsson, A., 2020. Effects of COVID-19 on business and research. Journal of
business research, 117, p.284.
Fitriasari, F., 2020. How do Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) survive the COVID-19
outbreak?. Jurnal Inovasi Ekonomi, 5(02).
Liu, H. and et. al., 2020. The COVID-19 outbreak and affected countries stock markets
response. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(8),
p.2800.
Madgavkar, A. and et. al., 2020. COVID-19 and gender equality: Countering the regressive
effects. McKinsey Global Institute. URL: www. mckinsey. com/featured-insights/future-
of-work/covid-19-and-gender-equality-countering-the-regressive-effects (Haettu 29.9.
2020).
McGuire, D., Germain, M.L. and Reynolds, K., 2020. Reshaping HRD in light of the COVID-19
pandemic: an ethics of care approach. Advances in Developing Human Resources,
p.1523422320973426.
Papadopoulos, T., Baltas, K.N. and Balta, M.E., 2020. The use of digital technologies by small
and medium enterprises during COVID-19: Implications for theory and
practice. International Journal of Information Management, 55, p.102192.
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