Impact and Implications: Remote Workforce on Marketing in Hong Kong

This report examines the impact and implications of the remote workforce on marketing management in Hong Kong, focusing on the changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and related events. The study investigates how companies, including GASOL Limited, have adapted their marketing strategies to accommodate remote work environments. It delves into the shift from traditional to digital marketing, the challenges of managing remote teams, and the impact on employee engagement and productivity. The research aims to determine the feasibility of marketing management in Hong Kong amidst these changes, providing insights into the economic environment and offering recommendations for businesses to thrive. The report covers the background of the remote workforce in Hong Kong, examines the changing marketing strategies, and evaluates the implications of remote work on marketing management. The methodology includes a literature review, data collection, and analysis to provide a comprehensive understanding of the subject.

Topic: A study of the impact
and implications of the remote
workforce on marketing
management in Hong Kong

Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................1
Problem statement..................................................................................................................1
Practical rationale...................................................................................................................1
Topic context..........................................................................................................................2
Theoretical rationale...............................................................................................................3
Research aim..........................................................................................................................3
Research objectives................................................................................................................3
Summary of remainder of the project.....................................................................................4
CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH RATIONALE AND QUESTIONS....................................................5
Research Rationale.................................................................................................................5
Research Questions................................................................................................................5
CHAPTER 3: PRELIMINARY LITERATURE REVIEW.............................................................7
To critically determine the background of the change of the remote workforce in Hong Kong.
................................................................................................................................................8
To examine the impact on the marketing strategies being changed in HK due to the remote
workforce..............................................................................................................................10
To evaluate the implications of a remote workforce on marketing management in Hong Kong.
..............................................................................................................................................12
Summary of Chapter.............................................................................................................14
CHAPTER 4: SOURCE OF DATA................................................................................................1
CHAPTER 5: PROPOSED RESEARCH METHODOLOGY......................................................14
Research philosophy.............................................................................................................14
Research Approach...............................................................................................................14
Methodological choice.........................................................................................................15
Research Design...................................................................................................................16
Research strategy..................................................................................................................16
Data collection......................................................................................................................17
Data analysis.........................................................................................................................17
Sampling...............................................................................................................................18

Time horizon........................................................................................................................18
Summary of chapter.............................................................................................................18
CHAPTER 6: FINDINGS.............................................................................................................19
CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS...................................................22
Conclusion............................................................................................................................22
Managerial implication.........................................................................................................23
Limitations of Research........................................................................................................24
Future research area..............................................................................................................24
CHAPTER 8: REFERENCES.......................................................................................................25

Project Title: A study of the impact and implications of the remote workforce on
marketing management in Hong Kong.
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Problem statement
Due to COVID-19, employees are not able to come to workplace. Firm had
requirement to get staff members work from home. Employees required to able to be
communicate and collaborate online without sacrificing the security. To get over from this
issue, company started the remote working in which large amount of the staff members are
working remotely around world. The distributed workers from different locations do not get
opportunity to be interact live with other team members. Working long hours without breaks
seemed to fairly normal for remote team. It can happened as result of trying to be work across
many time zones in order to assure the close collaboration. Remote working helps the
marketing management to enhance productivity of an organisation. It makes the staff
members more engaged. The remote work is mainly related with the more engagement causes
the cognitive dissonance (Andaleeb and Hasan, 2016).
Practical rationale
A remote workforce is defined as the employee who is employed by a company but
works outside the office environment. In recent times the trend of remote working has been
increased which is a result of technology and high inclination towards free working. In the
current scenario of the COVID-19 pandemic and political issues in Hong Kong recently, most
of the businesses are working remotely in order to run their business in an unstoppable
manner and grab prominent opportunities as well (Badi, Wang and Pryke, 2017).
The researcher has been working in the marketing agency, GASOL Limited in Hong
Kong since 2013. Throughout the years, especially the COVID and Hong Kong Protests
happened, consumers were less willing to go out and many commercial event activities were
being forced to be cancelled. All the marketing activities were pending until further notice. At
the back office, people were announced to work remotely at home. There is such a great need
for a change of traditional marketing to digital marketing. The need for NEW marketing
channels had increased significantly, no matter outsourced or in-house, the work being
managed by a team was moved to a remote office.
The reason for choosing “A Study of the impact and implications of the remote
workforce on marketing management in Hong Kong.” is for the researcher to assist in
determining the feasibility of marketing management in Hong Kong. It has been a topic of

discussion amongst the senior management of the company. At the time being of remote
working, the company must strategically work towards reducing operational costs whilst
maintaining employees' work efficiency (Bush, 2016).
The result of the research will show the impact and implications of a remote workforce.
By understanding such an economic environment, the research inspires readers about how to
survive and extend beyond their business.
Topic context
A remote workforce can be explained as employees who recruited by organization. In
business environment many factors arise that should be analysis by management in order to
operate their business and increase the performance. Remote working is a mode of work that
allows employees of an organization to perform all required job responsibilities from outside
traditional office space. The aim of business industry is to develop the organizational
performance and productivity by allowing professionals to work outside of traditional office
environment. This is based on the concept of work need not to be done in specific place to be
executed successfully. In other words, it is the practices of leading and managing remote
employees effectively. To develop the business some staff works outside by managing all
functions and activities that deliver higher performance (Chan and Lim, 2020). This
comprises a mix of communication, technology, and process which specifically designed for
leading productive remote workforce. In business environment individuals are considered as
main assets of any modern business where digital marketing activities and functions are used
to increase the business performance and brand image. The remote work enhances
productivity of an organisation. Working at office enforces the discipline and also make the
people more productive than they are when anyone is not looking. Staff members and
business firms both agree that major detractors from the sufficient work are related with
working in office. On the other hand, having staff members in office is expensive. Through
having the remote employees, company can able to save the costs and saving add up. Idea
about the remote working is related with the engagement that causes the cognitive
dissonance. Staff members that remotely work feel that firm cares wellbeing. They need to
manage won time and also productivity. In context to this, they feel less such as
interchangeable cogs in machines. Interactions with the colleagues are limited to problems
which matter instead of spending inordinate amount of the time in the socialising. They feel
closer to firm and mission than when they perform the tasks in office.

GASOL Limited has been taken that is Hong Kong based design & marketing agency,
founded in 2010. The team of such industry involves professionals with rich experience and
creativity that can help to develop the business performance. This provides better quality of
services which influences number of customers and increase the productivity effectively. As
whole world is facing the problem of Pandemic (Covid-19) all businesses has been affected
negatively. Most of the businesses working remotely by using digital technology for the
purpose of running their business in unstoppable manner and getting the opportunities (Cheng
and et. al., 2016).
Theoretical rationale
The present investigation is based on the impact and implications of the remote
workforce on marketing management in Hong Kong. The remote working tends to do better
work outside office. They are inspired through surroundings and can be filter out the
distractions of environment as they seen to be fit. Opportunity to be work remotely brings
new perspective to position of remote worker. In regards to this, they see this as motivation or
reward for excellent of work and continue to be surpass objectives. This dissertation is
mainly conducted in personal and professional context. This research is mainly related to the
impact and implications of the remote workforce on marketing management in Hong Kong.
The remote workforce is mode of the work that permits staff members of company to
perform all necessary job responsibilities from the outside traditional office space. In the
personal context, the understanding of researcher about the core subject area will be enhanced
so that it can able to perform the tasks. On the other hand, in professional context, research
skills as well analytical skills of an investigator enhanced (Cheng and Zhang, 2018) .
Through this, researcher can able to perform the tasks and activities related to an
investigation in significant manner. An investigator can able to perform any kind of similar
investigation in the future and getting the positive research outcomes.
Research aim
A study of the impact and implications of the remote workforce on marketing
management in Hong Kong. A study on GASOL Limited.
Research objectives
 To critically determine the background of the change of the remote workforce in
Hong Kong.
 To examine the impact on the marketing strategies being changed in HK due to the
remote workforce.

 To evaluate the implications of a remote workforce on marketing management in
Hong Kong.
Summary of remainder of the project
The current project has been taken into consideration about the impact and implications
of the remote workforce on marketing management in Hong Kong. In the situation of
COVID-19, companies face the issues regarding the work as offices are shutdown. Through
the remote working, employees can able to perform all job responsibilities from outside the
workplace. Through telecomm uniting from the home offices, staff members make up remote
workforce for that company. Remote workers should be productive and attain daily work
outside office space of company. to assure the employee engagement, GASOL Limited
company provides the technology for an instance video conferencing that assures strong
employee experience (Cortez and Johnston, 2020) This kind of technology should provide the
digital workspace solution for the remote workers consisting endpoint management, content
collaboration and virtual applications. In context to this, marketing mainly consists more
activities which can be done on independent basis. It makes the remote staff members suited
better for marketing management. the daily basis activities such as social media updates,
building and email outreach can effectively have done through staff members those working
remotely. On the other hand, remote working helps in improve the employee engagement and
enhance productivity. The remote workers are mainly demonstrating the high employee
engagement through ongoing beyond and above on work as comparison to staff members
working in the traditional office space. It may be due to remote staff members do not need to
expand on daily commute and better control over work environment inside home office.

CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH RATIONALE AND QUESTIONS
Research Rationale
Present investigation is concerned with impact and implications of the remote
workforce on marketing management in Hong Kong. The researcher of the study has opted
for this topic because it is the current issue. The researcher will select this topic because of
personal interest and wanted to gain a wider set of perspectives linked with the subject
manner. This is the current issue in the present time because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The
researcher of the study will use themes in order to effectively explore the related subject
matter. The present investigation is conducted in the personal and professional context. In the
personal context, understanding about the remote workforce in Hong Kong of an
investigation can be enhanced effectively (Dean and et. al., 2021). It helps in enhance the
understanding regarding the remote workforce in the detailed manner and its benefit during
the COVID-19. On the other hand, this is also investigated in the professional context as it is
helpful in enhance the research and analytical skills of an investigator effectively. Improving
the skills helps in develops the positive impact on an investigator as it assists in conducting
the similar kind of investigation in future. It will help in completing the investigation
effectively and getting positive research outcomes.
Research Questions
The research question is question that research project sets out to be answer. Selecting the
research question is necessary component of qualitative and quantitative research. The
research questions are particular inquiry that seeks to give response to. This resides at core of
the systematic research and assist to clearly explain path for research process. It addresses
problem or issue that analysis and also interpretation of data answered conclusion of study.
The research question is based on the research objectives. The research questions addresses
issues by analysis as well as interpretation of the data. These are in the written form that
outlines the different aspects of study consisting the variable to be studied and also address
the research issues in an effective manner. Significance of framing the research questions is
that this narrows down wider interest topic into particular subject area. These are mainly
reveal the boundaries of study (Geng and et. al., 2017).
 What is the background of the change of the remote workforce in Hong Kong? -
COVID
- political issue (HK protest)

- Cost control due to the unstable economic environment
 What are the marketing strategies being changed in HK due to the remote workforce?
- from offline to online
- automation
 What is the effect of a remote workforce on marketing management in HK?

CHAPTER 3: PRELIMINARY LITERATURE REVIEW
Literature review is comprehensive study that address the particular topic. It determines,
examine and also evaluate relevant literature within specific area of the research sturdy. This
illuminates how the knowledge has been evolved within an area. The literature review is
critical analysis of segment of published knowledge body by classification, summary and also
comparison of the prior research related studies. The preliminary review before study is to
evaluate current literature and also justify the study. It is related to collection of the published
materials or information on impact and implications of the remote workforce on marketing
management in Hong Kong. It does not require to inclusive of each book and article which
has been written on topic because they will be wider. It should consist key sources concerned
with the main debates and gaps in research area. Literature review establish the credibility to
conduct study in an investigation. this mainly indicated the knowledge of subject and fits into
larger realms of discipline. Main purpose of conducting the literature review is to evaluate
critically current literature and also justify the need to conducting an investigation. it can be
categorized as theoretical and experimental. The experimental literature review is related to
surveying all information that available on specific topic and analyse critically gaps which
require too be worked on (Gross, Buchanan and Sané, 2019). On the other hand, theoretical
literature review is concerned with reading existing literature. In this present investigation,
literature review is related to the impact and implications of the remote workforce on
marketing management in Hong Kong. In the literature review, research objectives have been
attained by consisting different secondary sources for an instance articles, internet sources,
scholars, journals and others. In the literature review going to determine about the
background of the change of the remote workforce in Hong Kong. Other than this, through
using the secondary method of data collection, there will be discussing about the impact on
the marketing strategies being changed in HK due to the remote workforce in detailed
manner. The literature review should be analysis and synthesis of relevant and accurate
published work that linked at time to own rational and purposes. It is necessary that an
investigator consists the clear and short introduction that provides outline of review
consisting major topics covered and order of arguments with brief rationale for it. Other than
this, literature review should critical summary of chosen literature that mainly guides readers
by theme of an investigation.

To critically determine the background of the change of the remote workforce in Hong Kong.
As per opinion of Brie Weiler Reynolds (2021), Remote working means the working
far from where manager is located. In remote working situation, an employee does not travel
or commuter to office or does not travel to the central workplace. It is working style that
permit the professionals to be work outside of traditional office environment. This is related
to concept that work does not require to be done in particular place to successfully executed.
When the COVID-19 forces the firms in Hong Kong in all over the world to send staff
members home to be work virtually, remote work has big moment. The remote working has
all type of the advantages consisting the motivational level of staff, enhanced productivity
and retention of staff members within an organisation. The remote working does not apply to
those employees which work from home. The main benefit of remote working is that staff
members spend couple of the days in office and rest of home that assure everyone stays in
touch. Many of the remote jobs come with the flexible schedules that means employees can
begin and end the day as they select. This control over work schedule can be invaluable when
this comes to attending requirements of personal life. In regards to this, working from homes
is better and it also remove the sources related to daily stress, for the employees fortune
enough to have the jobs which can be completed at home (Hazarika and Zhang, 2019). The
COVID-19 develops massive shift to the remote work, this is enhancing source of the stress
and has implications for staff members as well as productivity of an organisation. Although
Coronavirus has led to the social, economic and also health devastation, this has developed
unprecedented opportunity to run biggest workplace experiment. The experience is yielding
the fascinating which have the necessary implications for way they should organise the work.
Hong Kong continues to be grapple with COVID-19 and several people have already got
used to the social distancing and also meeting online through now. People should be more
confident with all preventive measures which government have put in the place. The
advantages of remote workforce are to attracting the millennial talents an also increase
employee satisfaction. The workplace flexibility is most attractive offerings managers can
give to the job seekers. This assists to expand talent pool of company through tapping most
sought after the demographics such as millennials. Being biggest pie in labour population,
this talent group holds the more expectations on perks given through firm, prompting from
the rewards to the fringe advantages and flexible working hours within an organisation. In
context to this, Hong Kong was first wave of the cities which shifting to the working from
home to be curb COVID-19 spread. The staff members were throws in deep end, left the
struggling with the technology. Coronavirus has been catalyst to prove that the working from

home is better option, outbreak shows that the changes can be made traditional working
model.
Remote working is the next normal
Molino and et.al., (2020) sought to determine the fact that, Remote working
is referred to as a mode of work which allows employees of the company to
perform all the essential job with the utmost degree of responsibility from outside
traditional office space. In some of the offices, working from home has been
growing option rapidly. The pre- pandemic is acceleration in the work from home
trends that occurred in the high skilled and talented while collar occupations. The
rates between administrative and office employees were minimum. Pandemic
situation has been the administrative remote work that climbing. Fastest
development in the remote work has been in the computer related occupation with
financial, management and business occupations experiencing the rapid
development in the teleworking. The remote work is not option for manual service
and blue collar jobs (Ho and Law, 2020). On the other hand, remote work
enhances talent pool as well as minimum labour costs through hiring from
minimum expensive markets. The new willingness to hire the remote employees
could foretell shifting trends of office and professional jobs to minimum expensive
geographic and also offshoring jobs wave. Remote working is usually done by
telecommunicating from home offices. The remote workforce is considered to be a
flexible workforce. The employees can work from home and are considered to be
significant in maintaining professional as well as work-life balance. COVID-19
pandemic is one of the key prominent factors which leads to a remote workforce
within Hong Kong. COVID-19 pandemic has led to a change in the work pattern.
Political issues such as the protest in Hong Kong is one of the key prominent
factors which leads to change in the remote workforce. Remote working will be
considered to be the new normal even after the COVID-19 pandemic is over. On
the other hand, remote workers are mainly faced with the mental health challenges
and potential wellbeing because of the extensive changes to the working practices
and new exclusion areas. The exclusive areas are related to living circumstances,
access to the digital connectivity and extra care responsibilities. In regards to this,
business leaders are mainly prioritizing mental health of staff members. It is
assuring that well- being of employees was among main measures that tis being
undertaken through the leaders which are looking to shift to the remote work in an
effective manner. It has been examined that around more than third (34%) of the