Research Project: Social Media's Impact on Zara's Growth & Development

This research project examines the impact of social media on the organizational growth and development of ZARA, a leading fashion retail company. The study utilizes both primary and secondary sources, including questionnaires administered to 50 respondents knowledgeable about social media's influence. The research explores the positive impacts of social media on ZARA's operations, such as improved communication with internal and external stakeholders, and enhanced marketing of products and services to consumers. The project covers the background of the research topic, research organization, rationale, questions, aims, and objectives. It includes a literature review, research methodology, findings, and conclusions, alongside recommendations and implications for further research. Tables and figures are included to present data and analysis. The findings highlight the significant role of social media in ZARA's business practices and overall performance.

RESEARCH PROJECT

ABSTRACT
This study is done to acquire knowledge about impact of social media on organisational
growth and development. These days, there is much use of social media platform, so this topic is
concurrent and relevant in current market, hence it is easy to collect information about it. This
investigation is based on ZARA which is one of the leading fashion retail organisation operating
in different countries. Primary and secondary sources are used for collecting information as
questionnaire and online sources. Questionnaire is collected from 50 respondents because they
have proper knowledge about use of social media and its impact. With the help of this study, it is
evaluated that there is positive impact on operation because it is easy to communicate with
internal and external parties of association. This also makes ease in marketing products and
services to consumers.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Firstly, I want to thank God for supporting me at every phase of life and providing me
confidence to achieve my goals. I also want to thank my supervisor for their guidance and
support throughout dissertation by listening to me with patience, resolving my queries, check my
work and support me at each and every stage of project.
Additionally I want to thank employees of Zara who provide their time to me for filling
up the questionnaire and help in completing my investigation effectively with their support.
Without the support of employees this investigation may not get completed in effective manner.
At last, I want to thank my family members, friends and relatives for their love and
support while investigation

Table of Contents
ABSTRACT.....................................................................................................................................2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT...............................................................................................................3
GLOSSARY....................................................................................................................................6
List of Tables ..................................................................................................................................7
List of Figures..................................................................................................................................8
List of Appendix .............................................................................................................................9
Title:- The impact of social media in organisation .......................................................................10
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................10
1.1 Background to research topic..............................................................................................10
1.2 Background to research organization..................................................................................10
1.3 Research rationale ..............................................................................................................11
1.4 Research question ...............................................................................................................12
1.5 Research aims and objectives..............................................................................................12
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ......................................................................................13
2.1 Introduction of literature review.........................................................................................13
2.2 Main body with heading and sub-headings.........................................................................13
2.3 Conclusion of literature review...........................................................................................18
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ..........................................................................19
3.1 Research process.................................................................................................................19
3.2 Research approach..............................................................................................................19
3.3 Research strategy................................................................................................................19
3.4 Research methodology........................................................................................................19
3.5 Research instruments/tools..................................................................................................20
3.6 Sampling.............................................................................................................................20
3.6 Ethical implications.............................................................................................................21
CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS ............................................................................................................22

Frequency table.........................................................................................................................22
CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR
FURTHER RESEARCH ..............................................................................................................42
7.1 Conclusion...........................................................................................................................42
7.2 Recommendations ..............................................................................................................42
7.3 Implications for further research ........................................................................................43
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................44
.......................................................................................................................................................45

GLOSSARY
Words Meanings
Hacker & cracker Professionals who does unethical breaching in systems and software
Wardrobe Systematic structure for storing clothes, accessories and shoes.
predict Act of forecasting an event
customised Designing according to need and demand of customer
brick and mortar store Physical outlet nearby a street or market
untapped Neglected segment of practices
acceptability Quality to be agree or to get accepted
probabilistic Statement or evidence used to claim probabilities
confidentiality An activity of maintaining secrecy
socialising Getting involved in group, caste, culture or system's activities

List of Tables
Index of Tables
Table 1: The concept of social media marketing...........................................................................25
Table 2: Social media aid up in enhancing the performance of an organisation...........................26
Table 3: Several benefits that Zara get by adopting social media channel to perform business
operations.......................................................................................................................................27
Table 4: More favourable social media platform for Zara to promote its designs........................29
Table 5: Several factors that pushes Zara toward adopting social media platform.......................30
Table 6: Social media platform support Zara in dealing with competition present in market.......32
Table 7: The several business operations that Zara perform using social media platform............33
Table 8: The basic challenges that get faced by Zara while incorporating with social media
platform for performing business operations.................................................................................34
Table 9: Changes get experienced by Zara after operating business using social media platform
........................................................................................................................................................36
Table 10: Social media channels of Zara influence the buying behaviour of consumers..............37
Table 11: Influence that social media places over sales performance of Zara.............................38
Table 12: Measures that Zara consider in order to deal with the negative instances associated to
social media...................................................................................................................................39

List of Figures
Figure 1: The concept of social media marketing.............................................................................
Figure 2: Social media aid up in enhancing the performance of an organisation..............................
Figure 3: Several benefits that Zara get by adopting social media channel to perform business
operations...........................................................................................................................................
Figure 4: More favourable social media platform for Zara to promote its designs...........................
Figure 5: Several factors that pushes Zara toward adopting social media platform..........................
Figure 6: Social media platform support Zara in dealing with competition present in market.........
Figure 7: The several business operations that Zara perform using social media platform..............
Figure 8: The basic challenges that get faced by Zara while incorporating with social media
platform for performing business operations.....................................................................................
Figure 9: Changes get experienced by Zara after operating business using social media platform. .
Figure 10: Social media channels of Zara influence the buying behaviour of consumers................
Figure 11: Influence that social media places over sales performance of Zara................................
Figure 12: Measures that Zara consider in order to deal with the negative instances associated to
social media.......................................................................................................................................

List of Appendix
Appendix 1....................................................................................................................................44
Appendix 2....................................................................................................................................46
Sample 1.....................................................................................................................................46
Sample 2.....................................................................................................................................48

Title:- The impact of social media in organisation
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to research topic
Social media is a form of communication while making use of electronic medium in
order to share information in more personal, ideal and quick basis. People mainly use social
medium in order to have anytime, anywhere interaction by reduce the distance barrier (El Ouirdi
and et. al., 2015). The concept of social media is also being implemented by the businesses in
order to improve their operations as well as have a positive influence over the customers by
maintain a better relation. These benefits attract the businesses to adopt the social media
practices within their operations. The social media has a greater impact over the organisation as
well as its performance within the market place by reducing the distance barrier among customer
and company by promoting the concept of anywhere anytime services. Therefore, it can be said
that social media has changes the whole scenario about the manner in which business practices
usually performed (Schlagwein and Hu, 2017). The social media has both positive as well as
negative influence over the organisation. This is because social media has supported the
organisation in improving their operations as well as performance by providing them a medium
to reduce the time as well as distance of the operations to be performed by making it at a
distanced of click. The social media brings up the positive impact over the performance of
organisation by remaining connected with the customers and having a direct interaction with
them in order to resolve their queries and providing them with customised services. Despite of
this social media also support in performing marketing activities at lower rate while maintaining
a personal relationship with the customers or approaching them while operating from different
part of the world. In order to develop an understanding regarding the impact of social media on
organisation a study over Zara will be performed which make the use of social media for
performing marketing related activity.
1.2 Background to research organization
In, today's technology driven environment, social media is consider to be most
convenient tools for the business in order to operate their business operations at the digital
platform. For performing in depth study over the impact of social media within the organisation,
the investigation in this project will be performed over Zara. It is a multinational apparel retailer

which is based in Spanish and maintain its stores throughout the world by offering products like
clothing, accessories, swimwear, beauty, perfume, shoes etc. It is consider to be one of the fastest
growing fashion retailer which offer variations in its design or pattern which are harder to being
copied by local retailers (Zeng and Gerritsen, 2014). Despite of its physical outlets it also
maintain its business operations at digital platform in order to promote its design throughout the
world. The Zara make use of social media in order to approach customers that resides through
out the world. As the fashion industry operates in dynamic environment where change is
customers demand takes place in frequent basis as a result of which competition is becoming
higher as rivals are continuously launching their new designs and changing the fashion patterns
to capture larger market share. But with the social media it become easier for the Zara to predict
the pattern that customers want by gathering view over its product or services by making direct
interaction with the customers using digital platform.
With the help of social media, Zara maintains a direct interaction with the customers in
order to take their feedbacks over the product or services as well as determining the customers
demand in order to present more customised services (Ladkin and Buhalis, 2016). Despite of
this it promote product or services with the help of several social networking site which make it
much easier to viral the new design launch among the customer without spending much. As a
result of which it also support in increasing the sales as well as profitability of the Zara by
providing a medium to approach as well as interact with the customers through out the world.
But despite of all these benefits, social media also contribute a lot in increasing the competition
among the fashion retailers by making it easier for the customers to compare the products and
switch the brands in order to avail the best possible benefits from their shopping.
1.3 Research rationale
The main aim behind conducting this project is that it support the researcher in
developing understanding regarding the role that social media plays within the business practices
of several organisation (Abed, Dwivedi and Williams, 2015). Additionally it also reveals up the
benefits that an organisation will get by making use of social media in its operations after
evaluating the information gathered through several sources. With the help of this informations it
become possible for the readers as well as other business to determine the opportunities as well
as challenges that are available in front of them in order to make use of social media platform. In
addition to this conduction of investigation will allow the researcher to develop their skills and

capabilities to perform the investigation in effective manner by getting awareness regarding
several type of tools and techniques as well as the manner in which these tools must be used to
gather and present information appropriately for accomplishing the research objectives. This
researcher when get published can also be used fro the academical purpose as it support the
students in developing their understanding regarding the influence of social media over business
by making use of real based example of Zara.
1.4 Research question
 What is the concept of social media ?
 What are the several benefits that Zara get using social media?
 What are the major challenges that Zara face while making use of social media in its
business operations?
 What relation does social media holds with the improved performance of Zara?
1.5 Research aims and objectives
Aim:-
To determine the influence of social media in boosting up organisational performance. A study
on Zara.
Objectives:-
 To understand the concept of social media
 To determine several benefits that Zara get with the help of social media
 To identify certain challenges that are faced by Zara with incorporation of social media in
business operations
 To ascertain relation between social media and improved performance of Zara
Resources
In order to perform the investigation effectively there remains a requirement of some resources
which includes internet connection, newspapers, computer system, financial assistance,
magazines, computer system etc. With the help of this research data can be gathered and stored
in more reliable manner There are number of sources that are required by researcher in order to
perform operations in systematic manner that involves cost, time, communication etc. which
support in accomplishing the investigation in effective manner.