Research Proposal: Offshoring and Outsourcing Benefits/Risks

This research proposal investigates the benefits and risks associated with offshoring and outsourcing, specifically examining their impact on multinational companies, with a case study focusing on TESCO. The research aims to define offshoring and outsourcing, identify their advantages and disadvantages for TESCO, and evaluate their role in the company's international business growth. The proposal outlines the research objectives, questions, and methodology, including the use of inductive research, literature review, and primary and secondary data sources. The project includes activities such as literature review, data collection, and analysis, with a Gantt chart for time management. The research will employ an interpretivism philosophy and a random sampling technique. Ethical considerations, including participant consent and data privacy, are also addressed. The proposal includes a review of relevant literature, and details the research approach and methodologies.

Research Proposal Form
Student Name: ______________________ Student ID:
____________
Centre Name: _____________________
Tutor: ________________ Date:
___________________
Unit: ____________________
Proposed Title: The benefits and the risks of offshoring and
outsourcing.

Section One: Title, objective, responsibilities
Title or working title of the research project
Title:
Research Aim: The benefits and the risks of offshoring and
outsourcing.
The main of research of current study is “To determine benefits and risk of offshoring
and outsourcing for multinational company working at global level” A case study on TESCO.
Research Objective
 To determine the concept of offshoring and outsourcing
 To identify major benefits and risks of offshoring and outsourcing for TESCO. To evaluate role of offshoring and outsourcing in the business growth of TESCO at
international scale.
Research Question
 What is the concept of offshoring and outsourcing?
 What are the major benefits and risks of offshoring and outsourcing for TESCO?
 What is the role of offshoring and outsourcing in the business growth of TESCO at
international scale?
Section Two: Reasons for choosing this research project
The primary aid of carrying out the respective investigation has been gaining
comprehensive knowledge-base of benefits and risks of outsourcing and offshoring function
which supports business organisations in gaining competitive advantages. This investigation
will also improve knowledge of researcher on the current topic and chosen company. In terms
of academic era, this investigation will also improve academical skill's i.e. analytical, team
working, soft speaking skills, coordination etc. of researcher.
Section Three: Literature sources searched

Concept of offshoring and outsourcing
As per views presented by Webb, (2017), outsourcing and offshoring are termed as two
important phenomenon that are used by businesses for managing their organisation work with
the external support. Both terms are interconnected with one another but still has minor
difference. In offshoring work of business organisation is managed in another nation. Whereas,
outsourcing simply means relocation of job work and processes that is supplies to external
sources. Here, offshoring simply emphasises on relocating their work in foreign nations so that
gain benefits.
Major advantages and issues of outsourcing and offshoring for TESCO
As per view presented by Rost, (2016), it has been analysed that the thought of
outsourcing and offshoring is quite popular for large scale companies as it simplifies the work
of businesses effectively. Here, offshoring is termed as the method in which business function
of the company is managed and executed in another nation. It also termed as corporal
infrastructure of the company in another nation.
Role of outsourcing and offshoring in the enterprise growth of TESCO at international
scale
From the thought presented by the author named as Smith, (2017), business growth is
termed as the ultimate goal of every business organisation. In order to attain business goals
effectively, companies prefers to use two different concepts that is offshoring and outsourcing
business organisations. It has also been analysed that these terms will collaboratively contribute
in the business growth of multinational who performs their business in different nations. With
changing scenario of large scale companies, it is observed that offshoring and outsourcing
holds good role in growth of company.
Section Four: Activities and timescales
Activities to be carried out during the research
project :
Selection of Topic
Aims and Objectives
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Literature Review
Research Methodology
Data collection
Data analysis
Conclusion and recommendation
Submission of final project
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Milestone one: Research Proposal
Target date (set by tutor): ___________________
Milestone two: Research Project
Target date (set by tutor): ___________________
Gantt Chart: It is important part of research project which will
assist the investigator to analysis starting as well as ending time
duration for completion of research activities.
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Section Four: Research approach and methodologies
Research philosophy: It is the belief which simply states that how data for investigation will
going to be gathered and evaluated in future. It is classified into two types i.e. positivism and
interpretivism. For this investigation, investigator have opted interpretivism research approach
as it is helpful in gathering desired data for research. Whereas, main reason behind not
choosing positivism is that it is the time consuming method.
Research approach
Two main types of research approaches are inductive and deductive that are commonly
used by investigators for conducting effective research. In current investigation, inductive
research is going to be used by researcher for drawing valid outcome for research. Mainly
inductive research starts with observation and concluded at hypothesis.
Data Source: Data collection refers to method by which investigator collects data effectively
with the use of different sources. There are mainly two of types of resources which could be
used by investigator for gathering information from different sources. Here, primary method
clearly denotes that data is collected from selected sample size whereas in secondary method
specifies that data is collected from work of someone else.
Sampling technique and Sample Size: Sampling technique refers to the pattern that is used by
investigator for selecting its respondents. These selected respondents are used by investigator in
order to gather information from them. Researcher will use random sampling method for
choosing respondents. This method provides equivalent chance to overall sample population to
get selected as respondent.
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 form project proposal checker( IV
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sampling)
Comments (Optional):
I confirm that the project is appropriate.
Agreed /Disagree: (Name of the IV)
Date
Albertoni, F. and et. al., 2017. The reshoring of business services: Reaction to failure or
persistent strategy?. Journal of World Business. 52(3). pp.417-430.
Asmussen, C. G., Larsen, M. M. and Pedersen, T., 2016. Organizational adaptation in offshoring:
The relative performance of home-and host-based learning strategies. Organization
Science. 27(4). pp.911-928.
Dhillon, G., Syed, R. and de Sá-Soares, F., 2017. Information security concerns in IT
outsourcing: Identifying (in) congruence between clients and vendors. Information &
Management. 54(4). pp.452-464.
Dutta, D. K., Gwebu, K. L. and Wang, J., 2017. Strategy and vendor selection in IT outsourcing:
is there a method in the madness?. In Global sourcing of services: Strategies, issues and
challenges (pp. 451-477).
Eggert, A., Böhm, E. and Cramer, C., 2017. Business service outsourcing in manufacturing
firms: An event study. Journal of Service Management. 28(3). pp.476-498.
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Research Ethics approval form
All students conducting research activity that involves human participants
or the use of data collected form 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:
The benefits and the risks of offshoring and outsourcing.
Student name:
Student ID number:
Programme:
College Name:
Intended research start date:
Intended research end date:
Section 2 Project summary
Please select all research methods that you plan to use as a part of your
project:
 Interviews Yes No
 Questionnaires Yes No
 Observations Yes No
 Use of personal records Yes No
 Data Analysis Yes No
 Action Research Yes No
 Focus Groups Yes No
 Others (Please specify) :
Section 3: Participants
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Please answer the following questions, giving full details where necessary.
Will your research involve human participants?
Who are the participants? Tick all that apply:
Ages 12-16: Young people aged: 17-18 Adults
How will participants be recruited (identified an approached)?
Interview method.
Describe the processes you will use to inform participants about what you
are doing:
Email
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?
Questionnaire will be used to gather information
Studies involving questionnaires: will participants be given the option of
omitting questions that do not wish to answer?
Yes No
If no please explain why below and ensure that you cover any ethical issues
arising from this
Studies involving observation: Confirm whether participants will be
asked for their informed consent to be observed.
Yes No
Will you debrief participants at the end of their participation (i.e give them
a brief explanation of the study)?
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Yes No
Will participants be given information about the findings of your study?
(This could be a brief summary of your findings in general)
Yes No
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?
Researcher
During the research:
Researcher
Where will the data be stored?
Laptop
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?
The data will be stored for 2 years.
Will data be kept for use by other researchers? Yes No
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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 because 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
 Risk 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.
Section 6: Declaration
I have read, understood and will abide by the institution’s Research
and Ethics Policy: Yes No
I have discussed the ethical issues relating to my research with my
Unit Tutor:
Yes No
I confirm that to the best of my knowledge:
The above information is correct, and this is a full description of the
ethical issues that may arise in the course of my research
Name: Date:
Please submit your completed form to your supervisor and also
attach to the Research Proposal when submitting to Turnitin.
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