Business Project Management: John Lewis and Globalisation Analysis

This report analyzes the project management plan for a business project, focusing on John Lewis and the impact of globalization. It begins with an introduction to globalization and its effects on businesses, followed by an examination of project aims and objectives, including research questions. The report details the development of a project management plan, covering costs, scope, time, quality control, communication, risk, and resources. It also includes a work breakdown structure and a Gantt chart to visualize project tasks and timelines. The research methodology involves both qualitative and quantitative research methods to analyze data and draw meaningful conclusions, culminating in recommendations. The report also includes reflections, a conclusion, and references, along with appendices containing a performance review, questionnaire, and project logbook.

Managing a successful
business project

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Activity 1.........................................................................................................................................1
Project aims and objectives....................................................................................................1
Produce a project management plan.......................................................................................3
Produce a work breakdown structure and a Gantt chart....................................................5
Activity 2.........................................................................................................................................8
Carry out small-scale research by applying qualitative and quantitative research methods. .8
P5 Analyze data and research by using appropriate tools and techniques..........................10
Communicate appropriate recommendations as a result of research and data analysis to
draw valid and meaningful conclusions............................................................................20
Activity 3.......................................................................................................................................21
Reflection.............................................................................................................................21
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................22
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................23
Appendix I : Performance Review and Self-Assessment..............................................................24
Appendix 2: Questionnaire............................................................................................................26
Appendix 3: Project Log Book......................................................................................................27

INTRODUCTION
Globalisation is playing an important role for organisation operating at all scale which are
small, medium and large. With the help of globalisation, companies get a platform in which they
can interact with several other firms and also do its business transactions effectively. Thus it can
be analysed that globalisation assist companies to do its business operations all around the globe.
In this present report, company taken is John Lewis, which is a retailing industry which was
founded in 1864. It is been headquartered at London, UK. This is a high-end department stores
chain which does its operations in entire United Kingdom. Within this project, a small research is
being done based on which aims and objectives will be developed and all the activities in the
investigation are based similarly. Apart from this, a project management plan is also been
included, so that investigator can analyse tasks which are required to be performed to implement
an effective research. At last, according to this recommendations and conclusion is being given
(Cooke, 2012).
Activity 1
Project aims and objectives
Globalisation is an activity by which company communicate and perform its business
operations at an international scale. This also influences small scale and medium scale
enterprises to perform their business operations in other countries and also do expansion of their
company. With the help of globalisation company can make modification in its productivity as
well as generate revenues. Thus it can be declared that globalisation lead to increase in world's
economic ratio by enhancing opportunities of growth and interaction among people, business
persons and government. It has been enhanced because of various advancement that are coming
up in technology of transportation and communication (What is globalisation, 2017). Moreover,
along with this there are many kinds of elements of globalisation such as cultural, economic and
political that has affected directly operations within a firm such as work froce, marketing,
finance, research and development and many other departments. Economic globalisation refers
to the way countries combined together as one unit of big global economy, which makes
international trade quick and easy. Political globalisation is the method by which countries and
institutions can have impact on the entire world. Whereas cultural globalisation refers to ways in
which culture is converting as a homogeneous, in which people from across the world does
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similar actions and in a similar way. This affect can either be positive as it can raise productivity
and profits of an organisation or negative that acts as a obstacle in business enterprises growth.
Background of a research
Globalisation indicates to the condition in which goods and services, or social and
cultural affects which are available, slowly is being recognised in other parts of the countries.
Goods and services, technology, data and economic resources of capital are being involved in
globalisation. It helps companies to do trade across different countries in order to expand its
business operations and earn profits. This has increased various opportunities for organisation
by which they can increase revenue and productivity ratio (Dunning, 2014). It has also been
determined that are various factors which are honourable, social and economical of globalisation
that affects the entire purpose of an organisation. Primarily globalisation is affecting the
marketing function of a firm because it is difficult for this department to balance business
activities at an global scale.
John Lewis is a well known company which distributes household goods and
haberdashery to different countries across the world through launching departmental stores.
Therefore, as there is change in dynamic market place since globalisation has given a platform so
various organisation. For this reason, John Lewis is recruiting a placement company so that they
can do a investigation based on globalisation and its various components that has impacted
functions of firm of a selected firm. For facilitating this, research person have developed goals
and objectives that will assist in analysing a valid conclusion for John Lewis. These embattled
goals and objectives are being discussed as following (Gopalakrishnan and et. al., 2012).
Research Aim
“To identify the positive economic, cultural and ethical impact of globalisation on
different function of an organisation” A study on John Lewis.
Research Objective
 To determine the concept of globalisation .
 To identify the importance of inter-relationship between business functions of John
Lewis.
 To evaluate the impact of globalisation on different functions of John Lewis.
Research Question
 What is the concept of globalisation?
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 What is the importance of inter-relationship between business functions John Lewis.
 How does globalisation impacts on different function of business of John Lewis?
Produce a project management plan
Project management plan is being considered as a formal paper that may aid a researcher
in altering, controlling or managing overall project. Away with this, a project management plan
mainly refers to a blueprint considering the research which basically offers the data through
which proper investigation that could take place. Here, it is being found that this type of plan
consist with a number of like cost, risks, communication, time and more. Under this present
investigating report where the topic which has been chosen for a particular issue of John Lewis
linked with globalisation, the elements are described underneath:
Cost: This is being considered as one of crucial element of project management plan. In
order to even start a project, it is mandatory for a researcher to have sufficient capital so that to
conduct investigation without any sort of issue. Here, it has been analysed that at the time of
implementing a new strategy to expand business John Lewis is going to invest around 25 million
pounds. Apart from this, present research's amount that researcher is going to use i.e. approx.
560 pounds and this will directly aid in pulling out favourable outcomes (Hamilton and Webster,
2018).
Scope: Another crucial section of a project management plan is assessing overall scope
of the project being undertaken by researcher. This helps in pulling out favourable outcomes in
specific time frame. As the project is based on globalisation, where John Lewis is looking
forward to expand business in international market, it could lead to improve profit margins and
may gain a good reputation as well in a really very short span. Away with this, researcher has
chosen this topic because, in the future everything will rely upon technology and in present as
well, it has helped companies to improve or develop their businesses at international scale.
Time: Time is one of essential section of a project management plan (Held, 2013). With
the help of this element, a researcher can get to know about in how much time overall research is
going to get conducted and will finish. In present context, researcher is going to take around 11
weeks and 4 days to conduct overall investigation. The overall expansion of John Lewis is going
to take 3 months approximately.
Quality control: This factor under project management plan is beneficial to a research
person to focus on the quality of a project. People belonging to investigation team should
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monitor implementation of a method in a. appropriate manner. Here, in context to present report,
to provide information about the concept of globalisation within business operations, seniors of
John Lewis should consider firstly on current technology. After analysing they should replace it
with new and latest, this would be beneficial for the company for doing expansion of its business
operations across different countries in an effective way. Moreover, it would also assist John
Lewis, to decrease chances of risks which impacts the business project in a negative way. Project
quality can be assured by monitoring dependency of various sources like facts and figures which
are based on growth of an economy, etc.
Communication: An effective communication system is essential to be developed, since
it helps in completing a project in given time period and also to achieve higher results. In order
to facilitate this, they must be given a friendly atmosphere and manage a decent flow of
communication process between members of project team. It will provide benefits to all
members as they can give their ideas as well as view point so that efficiency of a research could
be increased. Furthermore, by using an appropriate strategy for communication such as mobile
technology by which members within a team as well as managers can communicate with each
other. With the help of this process, information can be transmitted on a specified time and this
also decreases misconception chances among members of team. Formal mails may be
implemented to do communication with staff members who will help in contributing as an
element of globalising John Lewis (Lasserre, 2017).
Risk: Risk refers to the uncertainties that might cause danger to the business or its
operations. Every new project involves various types of risks within it. Therefore, it is necessary
for researchers of John Lewis, to examine threats which may have a negative impact on project
outcomes. The major risk that has been arisen, when John Lewis was expanded its business
across the globe is financial loss. Companies who do not have knowledge of markets or countries
in which they are doing expansion of its business operations can be treated as a challenge for
companies who do not enhances their business in global regions.
Resources: This section of project management program, refers to communicator which
are being used in order to run a project and conduct in a way that is desired. In this present
research of globalisation, a research person require adequate amount of machines, tools, raw
materials, equipments and many more. This type of resources will be beneficial to members of
investigation team in John Lewis, as they can do all the activities in a proper manner. In order to
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conduct a research, assets which can be utilised are money, human resource and other useful
assets that are required to do expansion of business activities around the globe (Lawton, T.,
McGuire and Rajwani, 2013).
Produce a work breakdown structure and a Gantt chart
Work breakdown structure: Project management includes a work-breakdown structure,
which is referred to as a deliverable-oriented subdivision of a report into subdivisions or smaller
divisions. It is an important project that manages the work of a team into sections that can be
easily carried off. Elements of a work breakdown structure can be a data, product, service or set
of all of these. This structure also gives a framework that is being required in order to do
estimation of detailed costing and control. Work breakdown structure is helpful for a person for
completing their project in the time being allotted in a proper way. This initiates with a project
which is deliverable as at top level and is being converted into sub divisions further by using a
hierarchy. Project team makes work breakdown structure by analysing the major function that is
deliverable and then it subdivides these deliverables into smaller sections. These sub division
are decomposed till a single individual is assigned (Lovelock and Patterson, 2015). Under this
level, particular package of work which is being needed to make sub divisions are being analysed
and being combined together.
Work breakdown structure is being implemented in order to organise the project work
and also to determine the risks that can be occurred during a allotted project. Here, with context
to John Lewis, its work break down structure is being discussed below.
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Illustration 1: Work Breakdown Structure, 2018 )
(Source:Work Breakdown Structure, 2018 )
Gantt chart: It is a kind of graph that is represented with bars that elaborates schedule
of a project. It was invented by Henry Gantt. This chart shows the inter-relationship among
current schedule status and activities. Gantt chart lists the activities which are needed to be done
on vertical axis and time intervals on horizontal axis. Breadth of horizontal bars in graph depicts
the time taken by every activity. Moreover, it also displays start and finish dates of summary
elements and terminal elements of a project. These two elements comprises of work breakdown
structure of a project. Project status can be determined with the help of these charts. Here, in
relation to John Lewis, its Gantt chart is been displayed below (Stromquist and Monkman,
2014).
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In John Lewis, the management of the company and produce a work break down
structure to divide the work of the research project in weeks and days so that they can researcher
can complete all the activities of gathering information in an effective and appropriate manner.
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Activity 2
Carry out small-scale research by applying qualitative and quantitative research methods
Research methodology is a method that is being implemented in order t gather data and
information so that decisions of business can be made. In order to conduct a research, a research
person needs to adopt various methodologies. This would be helpful to it for transforming data
into analytical manner in order to help them in taking effective decisions. Usually, a research
person abides by two types of strategic tool which provides them relevant data and information
by which they can determine the effective results. These tools are primary data and secondary
data. Both of this method of data collection is suitable to analyse accurate outcomes and also
taking decision that remains for a longer duration of time. John Lewis is a MNC that is deals
within retailing industry. It distributes haberdashery and households goods. They are trying to
expand their business in different countries in order to generate revenue and increase profits.
Besides this, methods that are being usually implemented for this process are Qualitative
research and Quantitative research. These tools and methods of research are being elaborated
below (Urry, 2012).
Qualitative research methodologies – This research is a primarily exploratory research.
This method of data collection varies using unstructured and semi structured techniques. The
information and data gathered by the investigator by behaviour, perception, observation and
communicating with other people within this method. This method can be applied by the
researcher when the stages of project research topic related to perception, behaviour, belief or
individuals. While conducting this investigation method an investigator can collect information
related to perception of people. The benefit of using this method is that it saves a lot of time it is
very cheap as compared to other methods of data collection (Thomson and Thomson, 2012).
Quantitative research methodologies – A quantitative research allows the researcher to
analyse the relationship between two variables of income and health insurance. This research
method is used by the researcher to gather of investigate information related to the research
topic. It is a numerical data base method which can be applied by the individual to collect
information from a specific population. Variables are the numerical values which are being
carried out by this method stays mainly authenticated and pulls out right results as per the
requirements of the investigator. This research method consist various methods like
questionnaire, survey and others to gather information regarding research project. This method
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uses measurable data to formulate facts and uncover patterns in research. This method is much
more structured than qualitative data collection method. With the help of this, investigator can
easily resolve issues with the numerical data in specific time frame (Webster, 2014).
For acquiring relevant information, a researcher generally uses primary and secondary
techniques of data collection:-
Primary data collection method - This is one of the best methods which offer firsthand
and relevant information of a topic, so the degree of accuracy is very high. In this method the
information is collected by the researcher by conducting research program. For this the
individual muse various methods of research like survey, questionnaire, interviews, group
discussion and others. It is a time and cost consuming pro0cess because in it the researcher
collect information form person to person. Primary data is always specific to the researcher's
needs, and this controls the quality of research. The data which is collected by primary methods
are more reliable and accurate as compared to the secondary sources.
Secondary data collection method – This type of assets are basically used by the
company to organize literature review in a investigation. Here the ideas and opinion of various
writers are monitored to gather in formation related to relevant topic. This type of information
can be collected by Social media newspapers, magazines, books, government agencies, and
others. But the main disadvantages of this method of data collections that it is vary difficult to
gather pure data on internet sources, information of a topic is available on thousand of websites.
This data is available from other sources and may already have been used in previous research,
making it easier to carry out further research. The major advantage of this method is that it is
time saving and cost-efficient. In this the data is collected by someone other than the researcher
(Zadek, Evans and Pruzan, 2013).
According to above discussed tools and methodologies, it has been determined that
Qualitative research methodology is most appropriate tool for a research person because it gives
results of research based on view point and knowledge of respondents. This methodology will be
beneficial for the investigator to conduct a successful research for John Lewis on globalization
with the outcome which is best possible. Furthermore, primary and secondary sources for
collecting data is also been implemented under this research by the researcher to complete it
with accuracy and authenticity within the allotted time period ( Cooke, 2012).
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