Importance of Social Media for Sainsbury's: Research Proposal

This research proposal investigates the significance of social media tools for the growth and development of Sainsbury's, a major supermarket chain in the United Kingdom. The proposal outlines the research overview, background, and rationale, emphasizing the increasing role of digital technology in business operations, particularly in enhancing customer engagement, brand loyalty, and cost-effectiveness. The research aims to identify the importance of social media tools through a case study on Sainsbury's, addressing specific objectives such as determining the concept of social media, evaluating its advantages for business growth, and identifying the challenges of implementation. The methodology includes qualitative research, descriptive research design, and the use of probabilistic sampling with a sample size of 30. The proposal also considers ethical factors, data collection methods, and a comprehensive literature review that covers the concept of social media, its advantages for Sainsbury's, and the challenges associated with its implementation. The research questions address the core concepts, advantages, and challenges of social media, with the aim of providing insights into how Sainsbury's can leverage social media for improved business outcomes.

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Table of Contents
CHAPTER: 1 INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................4
1.1 Research Overview...............................................................................................................4
1.2 Background of Research.......................................................................................................4
1.3 Rationale of Research...........................................................................................................4
1.4 Research Aim:.......................................................................................................................5
1.5 Research Objectives:.............................................................................................................5
1.6 Research Questions...............................................................................................................5
1.7 Time scale.............................................................................................................................5
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW.........................................................................................7
2.1Concept of Social Media........................................................................................................7
2.2 Advantage of Social Media tools for enhancing business growth of Sainsbury's................7
2.3 Major challenges of implementing Social media for Sainsbury's........................................7
CHAPTER 3: RESAERCH METHODOLOGY.............................................................................8
3.1 Types of investigation...........................................................................................................8
3.2 Research design.....................................................................................................................8
3.3 Research philosophy.............................................................................................................8
3.4 Data sampling........................................................................................................................8
3.5 Data collection......................................................................................................................8
3.6 Ethical consideration.............................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9
Research Proposal Form................................................................................................................10
Research Ethics approval form......................................................................................................16
.......................................................................................................................................................18

TITLE: “To determine the importance of Social media tools for growth and development of
firms. A Case Study on Sainsbury's.”
CHAPTER: 1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Research Overview
In general terms digital technology is often used for the digital resources through which
certain activities can be performed easily. Basically, it is being used in order to communicate
with one another in an effective manner without any complications. Digital technology mainly
includes software applications, programming tools, digital media tools etc. Company which is
taken in this assignment is Sainsbury's which comes under second largest chain of supermarkets
in United Kingdom. Company is having a market share of around 16.9 percent. Present report is
a proposal that will include the importance of Digital media tools for growth and development of
firms. This will help researcher in analysing whether these tools are providing positive or
negative outcomes (Terjesen, Hessels and Li, 2016). Therefore, it will aid researcher in having
proper understanding regarding digital technology and how it will help firm in providing
effective services and facilities in a stipulated time frame.
1.2 Background of Research
Digital media, according to the current market scenario is playing a crucial role. Earlier it
was only used for connecting with one another living in different parts of the world. But with the
increase in its popularity most of the companies are also using this platform in order to increase
their customer bases, sales and profitability as well. Therefore, for analysing the growth and
development of the firm through social media can be gained from this. Thus, this research will
assist investigator in identifying what all factors are responsible and puts some kind of impact on
business operations. Because considering this company will be able to deliver effective services
and facilities to its customers. Apart from this, it will help in sustaining a better position at
market area.
1.3 Rationale of Research
Digital Technology has come up as a revolutionary change that has made most of the
things possible of an individual and company as well. Firm can now easily connect with its
customers in order to tell them about the goods and services they wants to provide. This research
is conducted in order to evaluate the importance of digital media in terms of increasing growth
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and productivity of the firm. For instance: to know whether it is increasing its sales and
profitability or not (Burns, 2016).
1.4 Research Aim:
“To identify importance of Social Media tools for growth and development of Firms. A
Case Study on Sainsbury's .”
1.5 Research Objectives:
 To determine the concept of Social Media.
 To evaluate the advantage of Social Media tools for enhancing business growth of
Sainsbury's.
 To identify the major challenges of implementing Social media for Sainsbury's.
1.6 Research Questions
 What is the concept of Social Media.
 What are the advantage that can be gained from Social Media tools for enhancing
business growth of Sainsbury's.
 What are the major challenges of implementing Social media for Sainsbury's.
1.7 Time scale
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CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1Concept of Social Media
Digital media is one of the essential tool that is being used by every individual and
company as well in order to get effective results. Social media is a broader concept and have
some kinds of impact on society and culture. In simple terms, Social media tools is a
combination of internet and personal computing. With the help of digital technology, company
can easily communicate their products to its valuable customers which can ultimately increase
sales and profitability of the organisation (Taglioni and Winkler, 2016).
2.2 Advantage of Social Media tools for enhancing business growth of Sainsbury's
Social media has played a crucial role in terms of enhancing business operations for a
company. Through this company can interact with large number of consumers which will further
assist firm in increasing their brand image in front of them. Some of the advantages are given
below which can be provided by social media tools in order to improve the growth scale of
business for Sainsbury's:
 Better Customer Satisfaction: with the help of digital technology company can interact
with its customers in different locations at a time.
 Improved Brand Loyalty: digital technology can provide better communication system
because of which customers feel connected with firm which will ultimately create a
belongingness and gradually improves brand loyalty.
 Cost effective: Digital technology is cheap at cost because within a single site customers
can get effective information regarding services and facilities they are providing.
 Gain Marketplace Insights
2.3 Major challenges of implementing Social media for Sainsbury's
Although social media provides benefits to the organisation but there are some challenges
which can be faced by companies. This can further hamper business operations which can
minimise the sales and profitability. Therefore, some of the major challenges which can be faced
by Sainsbury's while implementing Social media tool are explained below:
 Formulating a social media strategy
 Time management
 Measuring Social Media ROI
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 Preferring which social media tool or platform to use
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CHAPTER 3: RESAERCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Types of investigation
It is one of the crucial part of research methodology on which entire research is based and
further it assist in evaluating information and data in an appropriate manner. Generally, there are
two kinds of methods i.e. qualitative and quantitative. Further, for conducting this research,
researcher has used qualitative method in order to get appropriate information (Mata and
Quesada, 2014).
3.2 Research design
Generally there are two kinds of research design and these are descriptive and
exploratory which helps researcher in collecting data and information in an effective manner.
Therefore, in order to do this research descriptive method is being used which will moreover
assist researcher in analysing data in a descriptive way.
3.3 Research philosophy
This helps a researcher in gathering information and data in an effective manner, so that
analysing the same can be done in an appropriate way. Research philosophy is classified into two
components and these are interprivitism and positivism. For doing this research, investigator has
used interprivitism
3.4 Data sampling
It is an important element in a research methodology and information are gathered from
the subset of the population. In order to do this, researcher has used probabilistic sampling and
sample size which is taken is 30. in addition to this, questionnaire is being made under which 10
questions were formulated and for this options were given as well (Bianchi and Andrews, 2015).
3.5 Data collection
In order to do a research this factor is very important to be considered. There are
basically two kinds of data collection method and these are primary and secondary. In context
with this, secondary method was being used which will assist in evaluating a valid conclusion.
3.6 Ethical consideration
There are certain norms that are to be followed so that research can be done in an ethical
manner. This can be based on two factors such as time and cost.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Terjesen, S., Hessels, J. and Li, D., 2016. Comparative international entrepreneurship: A review
and research agenda. Journal of Management. 42(1). pp.299-344.
Burns, P., 2016. Entrepreneurship and small business. Palgrave Macmillan Limited.
Taglioni, D. and Winkler, D., 2016. Making global value chains work for development. The
World Bank.
Mata, F. J. and Quesada, A., 2014. Web 2.0, social networks and e-commerce as marketing tools.
Journal of theoretical and applied electronic commerce research. 9(1). pp.56-69.
Bianchi, C. and Andrews, L., 2015. Investigating marketing managers' perspectives on social
media in Chile.Journal of Business Research. 68(12). pp.2552-2559.
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Research Proposal Form
Student Name: ______________________ Student ID:
______________________
Centre Name: _____________________
Tutor: ________________ Date:
___________________
Unit: ____________________
Proposed Title: “To determine the importance of Social media
tools for growth and development of firms. A Case Study on
Sainsbury's.”
Section One: Title,
objective,
responsibilities
Title or working
title of the
research project
(in the form of a
question,
objective or
hypothesis) “To
determine the
importance of
Social media tools
for growth and
development of
firms. A Case
Study on
Sainsbury's.”
Research
objectives (e.g
what is the
question you want
to answer? What
do you want to
learn how to do?
What do you want
to find out?):
The essential
research objectives of
this particular
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exploration work are
described as below:
 To determine
the concept of
Social Media.
 To evaluate
the advantage
of Social
Media tools
for enhancing
business
growth of
Sainsbury's. To identify
the major
challenges of
implementing
Social media
for
Sainsbury's.
Research Questions
 What is the
concept of
Social Media.
 What are the
advantage
that can be
gained from
Social Media
tools for
enhancing
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