Research Reflection Report: Online Grocery Business in the UAE Market

This research reflection report details a student's MBA project focused on establishing an online grocery business in the United Arab Emirates. The student employed positivism and a deductive approach, utilizing descriptive techniques to analyze primary data and secondary sources like Porter's Five Forces. The research explores customer preferences, market opportunities, and the importance of strategic planning. Key findings include the demand for healthy, affordable food and the rise of online shopping in the UAE. The report highlights the student's learning experiences, including knowledge gained in market analysis, the application of theoretical frameworks, and the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The student also addresses challenges faced during research and reflects on their professional development, emphasizing skills in planning, decision-making, and leadership. The report concludes by outlining the project's objectives and the extent to which they were achieved, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the business planning process and the importance of adapting to market dynamics.

Reflective Research
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:
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Questions RESEARCH REFLECTION
REPORT
Marks
Research Methods and Processes:-
How and why - have you
chosen/decided on the research
methods and processes which you are
using/have used for the development
of your Major Project?
How would you describe these to :
1)a reader of your Major Project
and/or
(2) a future employer
(Max. 275 words)
Research Methods and Processes:-
The business plan is focusing on the
establishment of the online grocery
shop in United Arab Emirates. In this
business plan, I have selected the
positivism philosophy to extract the
hidden truth from the number of
responses. I have observed that the
assumptions would not be preferable
for establishing the business that has to
deal with the long sustainability
purposes. Dealing with the positivism
philosophy helps in revealing the
hidden truth by gathering the collective
data. On the other hand, I have chosen
the deductive approach for exploring
the hypothetical values by gathering
ideas from the existing theory. This
process helped me in gaining adequate
knowledge about the subject matter.
The use of the descriptive technique
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was also much helpful for this business
plans. The responses gathered from the
participants in the primary data
collection process was explored and
explained in a detailed way. Hence, the
use of this technique was much helpful
for me to understand the exact scenario.
Applying these structured methods, I
could gather ideas about the customers’
perception regarding the purchase of
the grocery products from online
sources. It was quite helpful for me to
understand the necessities of the
business establishment after I received
the adequate information and
feedbacks. I observed that people from
UAE prefer the healthy food in an
affordable price. Moreover, they tend to
focus on the improvement of the
sophisticated trend of online shopping.
Hence, I obtained the idea that there is
the significant scope of developing the
e-grocery business. The application of
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the suitable methodology was thus quite
beneficial for me in terms of gathering
the information.
Literature and Sources:-
1)What are the most important
theories/literature sources /evidence
sources which you are using to justify
your research and your Major
Project
2) Why are these sources important
and fundamental to your work?
(Max. 275 words)
Literature and Sources:-
In order to develop the theoretical or
literature-based ideas, I started
searching for the informative secondary
sources. It was necessary to identify the
significant market opportunities and
threats prior to establish the business in
a competitive scenario. I have observed
that it is essential to generate the ideas
from the people who have been
experiencing the real life scenario.
Moreover, dealing with the customers
and the business marketers would
provide clarified and conceptual ideas
about the business requirements. I have
used the porter’s five forces analysis to
understand the market potentiality in
United Arab Emirates. It was quite
helpful strategic tool to make me
understand about the customers,
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suppliers, competitors, and other
opportunities. Promoting the business
in an efficient way helps in drawing the
customers’ attention. Nonetheless, it is
important to ensure the unique and
innovative ways of promoting the
business to the consumers. The
extensive market research and adequate
information regarding the market would
be helpful enough in developing the
ideas regarding the entire business. I
have gathered information about the
specific needs of the customers while
purchasing the grocery products online.
The customers in United Arab Emirates
prefer the emerging sophisticated trends
of online shopping are much preferable
to the UAE customers. Identification of
these market segments helped me in
recognising the key business activities
that are needed to be undertaken for
establishing the business. I have
gathered the idea that it takes an
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extensive market research and complete
understanding of the business scenario
to develop a structured business plan. I
understood that use of ‘porter’s five
forces’ theory would be much helpful
for me in developing the ideas about the
market opportunities, threats and
demands of the customers. In fact, I
have initiated the idea that that the UAE
customers are much fond of consuming
the healthy products that are sometimes
not available in the market. The
availability of the filter search option in
the online grocery shop influencing the
customize search of the customers.
After recognising the market threats
and opportunities, I started preparing
the plan for the business. For instance, I
observed the key areas to be considered
for developing the implementation plan.
Moreover, I have listed the resources
that are necessary for the business. On
the other hand, I needed to structure the
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proper financial plan by considering the
budget actual. These particulars are
associated with the business activities
and accordingly, the estimated budget
for the start-up is determined.
Your Knowledge:-
What key areas of knowledge have
you gained from undertaking your
research and the Major Project?
Indicate why these are so important
to you?
Max. (200 words)
Your Knowledge:-
At the initial point of starting this
business plan, I had no such strong grip
over the structure and essential areas to
be researched for this study. This
process helped me in understanding the
method of preparing the entire business
plan with proper identification of the
market segments. I learned that every
successful business plan was once
developed by maintaining the
appropriate and systematic way. I have
gathered the idea that it takes an
extensive market research and complete
understanding of the business scenario
to develop a structured business plan. I
understood that use of ‘porter’s five
forces’ theory would be much helpful
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for me in developing the ideas about the
market opportunities, threats and
demands of the customers.
Accordingly, it strengthened my
analytical power to understand the
process of moving the research ahead. I
started collecting the primary data and
linked with the secondary information.
Eventually, I came to the similar
conclusion that clarified the market
demands. It was quite helpful for me to
establish the entire business plan by
analysing the perspective values and
gathering both the secondary data. This
method would be helpful for me in
future analytical purposes as well.
Your Learning:-
What are the most important
aspects/examples of learning and/or
skills which you have gained from:
(1) undertaking the MBA
programme,
Your Learning:-
This entire learning process helped me
in increasing my knowledge about
different aspects and skills. These
aspects and skills are the major
specifications in the MBA learning
programme. The entire MBA
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(2) following through your research,
and
(3) applying your knowledge and
what you have learnt in your Major
Project
Max. (200 words)
programme split into three major
categories, such theoretical, practical,
and research based. It has transformed
my perceptive values by changing the
way of approaches towards any
determinant. I have considerably
increasing my efficiency level in
managing or leading any project in my
future professional life. I have
developed the strong leadership skills in
ensuring more productivity and
profitability for my company. Even
though I belong to some different
domain, this research study upgraded
my skills of viewing the problems and
resolving them with more efficiency. I
have understood the market difficulties
and determinants. Accordingly, I have
developed the adequate knowledge of
resolving market complications that
have the significant impact on the
business. The step-by-step approaches
are quite beneficial in determining the
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key point of the research.
Your Critical Thinking and your
ideas:-
In carrying out your research, your
analysis, your evaluation of evidence,
and in identifying or proposing
conclusions ,what has been the most
important discovery, or piece of
evidence, or theory, or viewpoint, or
critical idea, or critical addition to
your knowledge, or other item of
importance? and why?
(Max. 200 words)
Your Critical Thinking and your
ideas:-
At the first research view, I planned to
conduct the secondary research to
develop the ideas about the market
influence. However, I have observed
that it is essential to generate the ideas
from the people who have been
experiencing the real life scenario.
Moreover, dealing with the customers
and the business marketers would
provide clarified and conceptual ideas
about the business requirements. I
started conducting the extensive market
research. I have found that if I use the
porter’s five forces theory to analyse
the market influence, It would be
effective enough in understanding the
scenario. For instance, this theoretical
approach provided me the ideas about
the bargaining power of the customers.
It provides the clear idea about the
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demands of the customers in using
online grocery shop. People in UAE
demand the healthier and convenient
foods due to their busy schedule and
well awareness about fitness.
Therefore, they are inclined towards
consuming the healthy food as per their
convenience. The online grocery shops
ensure the convenient product
samplings as per the customers’ choice.
The availability of the filter search
helps the customers to identify the high
quality, variations, and lower cost
grocery products. It is quite helpful for
me to understand the key activities of
the business for satisfying the
customers’ requirements. Finally, the
primary data collection process
revealed the necessary segments that
can help the business in gathering the
customer base.
Barriers met:-
What were the main difficulties and
Barriers met:- 10
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barriers which you were faced with
in:-
(1) undertaking your research, and
(2) completing your Major project
(Max. 200 words)
The entire MBA programme split into
three major categories, such theoretical,
practical, and research based. It has
transformed my perceptive values by
changing the way of approaches
towards any determinant. I have
considerably increasing my efficiency
level in managing or leading any
project in my future professional life.
The journey of conducting this
extensive market research for planning
the business was not much easy for me.
I have faced some of the significant
barriers while conducting this entire
research process. It was quite difficult
to gather responses from the huge
population. The difference perspective
values are sometimes confusing in
terms of planning a strengthened
positioning of a business. The biasness
and the cultural determinants were also
quite challenging me to develop the
structured business plan. The most
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