LSST Level 4 BA5F01: Business Decision Making Reflective Report

This reflective report explores the learning experiences gained from an assignment focusing on business decision-making in the context of a supermarket. It covers topics such as customer behavior, market analysis, data collection methods (primary and secondary), and the application of survey tech...Read More

Running head: BUSINESS DECISION MAKING
Business Decision Making

BUSINESS DECISION MAKING 2
Table of Contents
Description:.................................................................................................................................................3
Experience/feeling:......................................................................................................................................3
Analysis:......................................................................................................................................................3
Evaluation:..................................................................................................................................................5
Conclusions.................................................................................................................................................7
Conclusions (specific):................................................................................................................................8
Personal Action plans:.................................................................................................................................8
References.................................................................................................................................................11

BUSINESS DECISION MAKING 3
Description:
This reflection report gains the understanding regarding the customer’s behavior, potential
marker and other factors influencing the supermarket business. It increases the knowledge about
the data collection and analysis, application investment appraisal tools as well as project
management (Aloysius and Binu, 2013). I am going to reflect on the learning and experience that
I have developed from the previous assignment.
Experience/feeling:
From the previous assignment, I have gained my experience regarding the issues that are faced
by Salus supermarket such as promotional policies, buying patterns of consumers and assesses
the market. This learning experience would be beneficial for me to make a career in a
supermarket in the future. During the lectures, I felt good as it enables me to make a good
business decision in the marketplace. This feeling stimulates me to start becoming reflective. I
have conducted market research by using both primary and secondary data collection methods.
In this way, it is assessed that primary data is gathered through the questionnaire that is to be
prepared on the basis of different areas like customer buying pattern, customer satisfaction level,
and promotional activities (Atasoy, 2013). This learning experience was beneficial for me to
make a career in the supermarket. I have also increased my learning that for gathering the
primary information, an investigator distributes the questionnaire among the customers to
capture their feedback. I will also use this method in order to gather the primary facts and
figures. I have increased my understanding regarding the secondary data collection method. In
this way, it is evaluated that there are different sources of secondary data collections like
newspaper, articles, published journals, and academic publication (Brewer, 2012).
Analysis:

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I have developed my experience regarding the purpose of gathering primary information. In this
way, it is assessed that an investigator has adopted the technique of distributing questionnaire
between the customers to collect customer feedback (Busk, and Marascuilo, 2015). I have also
increased my understanding regarding questionnaire technique that is very significant to me to
gather the primary information and collecting the feedback as per the taste and preference pattern
of consumers and products that are popular between the customers. I was engaged in dealing
with the customers wherever I have learned that the questionnaire will be allocated to the
consumer who had to leave the supermarket after buying goods. This learning experience would
be beneficial for me to attract consumers in the future.
I have also gained my experience that the sampling method can be applied by an investigator to
choose a particular group on the basis of which information is gathered and assessed. I have also
increased my knowledge about the secondary data collection methods where an investigator can
review the market condition, journals, and published articles. It is identified that websites will be
reviewed as well as data would be collected regarding the rivalry of a corporation like Tesco,
Aldi, and Sainsbury’s as well as another comparable supermarket (Merriam, and Tisdell, 2015).
This learning experience would be beneficial for me to make feasible business decision making
in the future. I have also increased my knowledge that several journal articles would be accessed
related to the condition of the market as it would be beneficial for me to comprehend existing
market scenarios and also helps to review the scope for growth in relation to supermarket
business. I have also increased my experience that survey methodology is defined as a system in
which individual to individual is questioned for collecting the data for research. It is also
addressed that survey methodology could be practiced for gathering the quantitative and
qualitative information (Cameron, et. al., 2016). I have increased my experience that qualitative

BUSINESS DECISION MAKING 5
information is gathered by implementing tools such as mail survey, telephone survey, as well as
personal interview. This learning experience would be exercised by me to use different
qualitative information gathering tool in conducting the research. I have also enhanced my
learning that quantitative information could be gathered through assessing marketing trends as
well as applying the sampling tools. This learning experience helps to pool the quantitative
information in further research. I have also gained my understanding regarding the sample size.
In this way, it is identified that sample size is defined as the size or number of an individual
available in the population on which sampling tests are conducted (Cheshire, Hilber, and
Kaplanis, 2014). I have also gained my understanding that the size of the sample relies on the
decision of researchers such as teenagers, home workers, and regular shoppers. This learning
experience would be beneficial for me to acquire the information regarding the level of
satisfaction as well as a set of individual sales of the group of products such as food, clothes as
well as utensils.
Evaluation:
Through this research, I can get growth in different fields such as research, and marketing. I have
assessed that survey enables high extent of general capability to represent a high population.
Because of this, I have the capability to acquire information from the usual high amount of
people who answer the survey. Furthermore, I have learned that the data being gathered posses a
high evaluation of virtual characteristics of the general population entailed in the research. Thus,
the survey helps me in growth as compared to other data gathering techniques. Since, it extracts
the information that is approximate to the exact features of the high population (Ellickson, 2016).
I have also built my knowledge regarding the convenient data collection. I have observed that the
survey could be distributed to the respondents by using different methods. I realized that the

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questionnaire could be sent through e-mail and can be managed by the internet. I have improved
my understanding that in current times, the online survey technique has been the key method to
gather the information from target respondents. Thus, this learning experience would be
beneficial to conduct market research in an effective and efficient manner. It has also improved
my business decision-making skills.
I have also observed that the survey helps in standardization and scrutiny and provides a uniform
description to all the subjects who are to respond the questionnaires. Therefore, there is high
precision with respect to measuring the pooled data (Epstein, et. al., 2012).
Through the assignment, I have increased my knowledge that survey helps in good statistical
significance. I have developed my understanding that survey is an easier technique to address
statistically outcomes as compared with other information gathering technique. In addition to
this, I have enhanced my learning experience regarding the multiple variables could be
significantly accessed via survey. It is also examined that survey that was practiced by an
investigator from initiation as well as techniques of managing it cannot be modified all
throughout the procedure of data collection. This inflexibility creates challenges to me during
survey through a questionnaire (Guest, Namey, and Mitchell, 2012). There was a strength
considering fact for me that preciseness, as well as fairness, can both be acquired from the
research.
I have also increased my understanding that the survey does not create controversial concerns. It
is assessed that questions that bear controversies might not be specifically answered by the
respondents due to the probability complexity to recall the data associated with them (Hassan,
2012). The truth behind these communications might not be relived as feasibly as when

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practicing alternative data collecting tools like focus group as well as face to face interview
(Marshall, et. al., 2013).
I have also increased my understanding regarding the possible inappropriateness of questions. It
is assessed that questions in surveys are always uniform before using them to the concerns
(Hippler, Schwarz, and Sudman, 2012). Therefore, I would develop the questions that are general
enough for comprehending the general population. But, these general questions might not be as
feasible for all the respondents as they should be (Hox, and Boeije, 2005). I would overcome
these challenges by using different strategies such as feasible selection of research design, survey
questionnaire framework and feasibly choose the research questions.
Conclusions
From the above analysis and evaluation, I have gained my experiences regarding the survey
through questionnaire, sampling techniques, and data collection methods. I have also learned
from these experiences that survey is beneficial for not only attracting the potential consumers
but also helps in retaining the existing consumers. It can be also concluded that the survey is
beneficial for a company to improve their goodwill by making changes as per the feedback of
consumers. It is also evaluated that survey is practiced for making good decision making at the
workplace. It can be also summarised that survey takes less time to gather the feasible data
regarding research issues as compared to other practices. It can be also summarised that survey
results provide the snapshot related to attitude as well as the behavior of participants towards the
research concerns. It can be also evaluated that survey results associated with the business could
be favorable or unfavorable hence business analyst should make a decision by considering both
aspects (Lewis, 2015). It would be beneficial for making the feasible decision making at the
workplace. I can also conclude that sampling method plays a vital role in the survey where

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researcher chooses a sample from a large number of population. It can be also summarised that
lack of time, as well as the cost, can adversely impact on the outcome of the business survey. It
can be also concluded that the data collection method is beneficial to gather the data in a feasible
way. It is assessed that there are two types of data gathering tools like primary and secondary
data (Machek, 2012).
Conclusions (specific):
I have developed different learning experiences that I would implement into my personal
development. These learning experiences are related to the survey through a questionnaire, data
collection methods, and sampling techniques. I would like to use these aspects in further research
that would aid in my personal as well as professional development. It can be concluded that this
research has built business decision-making skills that are unique competency in me as compared
to team members. I will develop understanding related to a method of capturing information
regarding concern as it would apply to be me in my personal situation. It can be also concluded
that this research has built my knowledge regarding specific research issues such as factors
affecting consumer behavior towards Salus supermarket. It would enable me to work in a
supermarket as well as helps to become a good marketing manager in the future. This research
has built my understanding related to improving business decision making. I have enhanced my
understanding regarding using the effective questionnaire as it would be applied by me in my
professional field while I will make a questionnaire. This can lead to becoming a good business
analyst.
Personal Action plans:

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My experience will affect future development in terms of personal as well as professional
development. The following personal action plan involves the current skills, skills to work on,
my objectives, my resources as well as an action plan:
Current skills Gathering
information
Questioning to
participants
Summarising Communicating
with team
members
Skills to work
on
Market Research
skills
Leadership skills teamwork Using
responsibilities
and roles
My objectives Develop
perceived
expectations of
customers to
identify their
needs and
requirements
Always think
before speaking
and master
different
behaviors
Switch roles
easily
Enhances team
based negotiation
using their
strength
Be more
effective in
practicing their
roles and
responsibilities to
lead their team
My resources Primary and
secondary data
gathering tools to
market research
Relation with
their co-workers
as well as using
creativity and
innovation
Using team
support tools
Involving social
practices
Self-
consciousness
Action plan Always take
more time to
Observes others
to more closely
for detecting
Observes and
harness skills of
Using different
responsibility in
non-risk

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prepare
Involves Primary
and secondary
data gathering
tools into daily
data gathering
thought
processes as well
as interpersonal
dealing
Time period: 6
month
employees in
everyday
communication
Practice and
observe reactions
of other
Respond
favorably
towards
employees roles
Time period: 3
months
others
Be more
cooperative as
well as open
Time period: 1
month
circumstances
and observe
other’s reaction
to respond
favorably to
other’s signal
Time period: 1
month

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References
Aloysius, G. and Binu, D., 2013. An approach to products placement in supermarkets using the
PrefixSpan algorithm. Journal of King Saud University-Computer and Information
Sciences, 25(1), pp.77-87.
Atasoy, Y., 2013. Supermarket expansion in Turkey: Shifting relations of food
provisioning. Journal of Agrarian Change, 13(4), pp.547-570.
Brewer, E.W., 2012. Secondary data analysis. Sage secondary data analysis, pp.165-176.
Busk, P.L. and Marascuilo, L.A., 2015. Statistical analysis in single-case research. Single-Case
Research Design and Analysis (Psychology Revivals): New Directions for Psychology and
Education, p.159.
Cameron, A.J., Charlton, E., Ngan, W.W. and Sacks, G., 2016. A systematic review of the
effectiveness of supermarket-based interventions involving a product, promotion, or place on the
healthiness of consumer purchases. Current Nutrition Reports, 5(3), pp.129-138.
Cheshire, P.C., Hilber, C.A. and Kaplanis, I., 2014. Land use regulation and productivity—land
matters: evidence from a UK supermarket chain. Journal of Economic Geography, 15(1), pp.43-
73.
Ellickson, P.B., 2016. 15 the evolution of the supermarket industry: from a&P to
Walmart1. Handbook on the Economics of Retailing and Distribution, p.368.
Epstein, L.H., Jankowiak, N., Nederkoorn, C., Raynor, H.A., French, S.A. and Finkelstein, E.,
2012. Experimental research on the relation between food price changes and food-purchasing
patterns: a targeted review–. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 95(4), pp.789-809.
Guest, G., Namey, E.E. and Mitchell, M.L., 2012. Collecting qualitative data: A field manual for
applied research. Sage.

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Hassan, A., 2012. The value proposition concept in marketing: How customers perceive the
value delivered by firms–A study of customer perspectives on supermarkets in Southampton in
the United Kingdom. International journal of marketing studies, 4(3), p.68.
Hippler, H.J., Schwarz, N. and Sudman, S. eds., 2012. Social information processing and survey
methodology. Springer Science & Business Media.
Hox, J.J. and Boeije, H.R., 2005. Data collection, primary versus secondary.
Lewis, S., 2015. Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five
approaches. Health promotion practice, 16(4), pp.473-475.
Machek, M., 2012. Retail market structure development in Central Europe. Central European
business review, 1(3), p.22.
Marshall, B., Cardon, P., Poddar, A. and Fontenot, R., 2013. Does sample size matter in
qualitative research?: A review of qualitative interviews in IS research. Journal of Computer
Information Systems, 54(1), pp.11-22.
Merriam, S.B. and Tisdell, E.J., 2015. Qualitative research: A guide to design and
implementation. John Wiley & Sons.