Business Research: Strategic Management Investigation on Tesco Plc

This document presents a comprehensive business research proposal focusing on strategic management, specifically investigating Tesco Plc. The introduction establishes the background, research aim (to investigate how a firm can adapt to the contextual external environment while remaining internally consistent), objectives, and rationale for the study. The research questions delve into the concept of strategic management, its importance for Tesco, and potential strategies for adaptation. A literature review explores relevant concepts, including the definition of strategic management, its significance, and methods for adaptation, drawing on various academic sources. The research methodology section details the philosophical instances (positivism), approach (deductive), strategy (survey), and method (quantitative) employed. It also outlines data collection and analysis methods, utilizing both primary and secondary sources. The proposal's structure, including the table of contents and the references, is also included.

Business Research
Dissertation Proposal

Table of Contents
Research topic: Strategic management. An investigation on Tesco Plc..........................................1
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Background for proposed topic..............................................................................................1
Research aim and objectives..................................................................................................1
Rationale for the proposed topic.............................................................................................2
Research questions.................................................................................................................2
Literature review..............................................................................................................................2
Research methodology.....................................................................................................................4
Activities and Time scale.................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

Research topic: Determine the ways to become more adaptive in a contextual
external environment while remaining internally consistent. An
investigation on Tesco Plc.
INTRODUCTION
Background for proposed topic
Strategic management is a vital branch and process that focuses on setting objectives for
betterment of an orgnisation along with leading better analysis of competitive environment and
other vital aspects of market in which a company operates (Hitt and Duane Ireland, 2017). Thus,
strategic management lead a significant and important role in evaluating strategies and ensuring
better management of organisational functions and operations to rolls out the dynamic nature of
business environment in order to maintain smooth and consistent internal business operations
and performance. Thus, the following dissertation is based on evaluation of concept of Strategic
management along with its role in ensuring smooth function through leading better adaptability
and higher flexibility in business organisation.
Research issue: the main issues and problem statement on which current investigation and
dissertation is based is: “Can firm strategy, be adapted to the contextual external environment
while simultaneously remaining internally consistent?.”
The orgnisation selected for current research project is Tesco Plc as it is one of the major
British readier that is operating in various location of world and having its main Headquarter in
England, UK. The reason behind selecting Tesco for current investigation is that it is
multinational orgnisation that is operating in a highly dynamic or contextual external
environment thus, provided better information to evaluate the strategic management and strategy
to operate in dynamic environment whole maintaining internally consistent (Meyer, Neck and
Meeks, 2017).
Research aim and objectives
Research aim
The main aim behind accomplishing current research work is, “To investigate about the
ways through which a firm can become more adaptive to the contextual external environment
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while simultaneously remaining internally consistent”. An investigation conducted on Tesco
Plc.
Research Objectives
The proposed objectives that are set out for current investigation on Tesco plc are stated
as follows:
 To have an in-depth understanding about the concept of strategic management.
 To evaluate about the need and importance of strategic management in maintaining the
smooth performance and success level of Tesco plc.
 To determine the possible strategic ways that can be adopted by Tesco plc in order to
become more adaptive to the contextual external environment while simultaneously
remaining internally consistent.
Rationale for the proposed topic
The selection of proposed topic is seemed rational as it lead to better information about
strategic management that is vital for an orgnisation to roll out and cope with the dynamic factors
of contextual external environment in order to maintain consistent and smooth internal function
and operations. Thus, selection of current proposed topic is rationale and justifiable from
professional view point of investigator. Further, conduction of current investigation is also
justifiable and rationale from personal perspective of researcher as meet academic and
educational background along with leading better development of skills and personal
competencies for future.
Research questions
The main issues and research questions that are to be evaluated and investigated through
current research work consist of following research questions based on the topic of strategic
management:
 What is meant by the concept of strategic management?
 What are the main factors that reflects the need and importance of strategic management
in maintaining the smooth performance and success level of Tesco plc?
 What are the possible strategic ways that can be adopted by Tesco plc in order to become
more adaptive to the contextual external environment while simultaneously remaining
internally consistent?
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Literature review
Literature review forms one of the most crucial part of a dissertation and research project as
it lead to a base and framework for whole investigation through leading better understanding and
knowledge about the selected research topic (Baumgartner and Rauter, 2017). With respect to
current investigation, a varied number of online articles and journals are being reviewed on the
topic of strategic management to get better understanding about set objectives for their better
accomplishment, a description and evaluation of which is provided below:
To have an in-depth understanding about the concept of strategic management
As per the information lead by Margaret Rouse, 2020, the concept of strategic
management is basically associated with an ongoing and continuous planning, monitoring,
analysis and assessment of all the activities and operations of a firm that are necessary to meet its
organisational goals and objectives along with keep a phase and balance with changes going in
the business environments through constantly assess its strategies for success. Thus, it could be
evaluated that strategic management is a vital part of an orgnisation to roll out and cope with the
dynamic factors of external environment through leading proper evaluation of changes going in
the market along with leading better objective formation and strategy to maintain the constant
and smooth flow of internal operations (Michael, Storey and Thomas, 2017).
Thus, with respect to Barney, J. B., 2017, it could be evaluated that Strategic
Management is associated with identification and implication of vital strategies and ways that
managers of a firm build r made in order to achieve better performance and a higher competitive
advantage for their organization. Thus, main focus of strategic management is on leading a
higher competitive advantage for an organisation through leading its profitability higher than the
average profitability for all companies in its industry through leading a better understanding
about the external environment and other factors to have better strategy formulation for
accomplishment of desired objectives (Peppard and Ward, 2016).
To evaluate about the need and importance of strategic management in maintaining the
smooth performance and success level of Tesco plc.
As per the view points of Hitt, M. A., Ireland, R. D. and Hoskisson, R. E., 2016, strategic
management is needed and important for an orgnisation as it equipped decision maker and
manager with a vital management tools that helps in anticipating changes and also lead better
direction for organizational activities to work in a right path and direct all operations towards
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achievement of targets. Beside this, strategic management are also vital for orgnisation as the
practice of strategic management are vital in reducing the risk of operation through helping the
orgnisation to innovate in time and lead better actions and decision to cope with the recent
changes and dynamic behaviour of business environment (Holloway, 2018). The main
advantages and importance of strategic management consist of early and timely anticipation of
changing conditions and prevailing situation in business environment so that better strategies
could be lead out to cope up with theses changes in order to maintain a smooth and consists
operations of orgnisation. Further, strategic management also lead to better strategy formulation
and more clearer and effective decision making that provides clear objectives and direction for
employers and employees to set out there efforts in one direction that is essential for having and
maintaining the smooth performance and success level through eliminating all kind of chaos and
confusion (Vishnevskiy, Karasev and Meissner, 2016).
To determine the possible strategic ways that can be adopted by Tesco plc in order to become
more adaptive to the contextual external environment while simultaneously remaining
internally consistent.
As per the opinion of Mark Hordes, 2019, the possible strategies that can be adopted by
Tesco plc in order to become more adaptive to the contextual external environment while
simultaneously remaining internally consistent consists of better implication of strategic
management that consist of use of tool like SWOT analysis, PEST analysis, Porter’s five forces
analysis, Four corner’s analysis, Value chain analysis, etc for having better perception and
understanding of external environment so that better decisions and strategy could be made by
Tesco plc or any other organisation to cope up with dynamic factors of environment (Barney,
2017). Further, leading regular changes and modification in strategy formulation along with high
degree of adaptability and flexibility is also an effective way to encounter the changes and
dynamic behaviour of contextual external environment while managing a consistent and smooth
flow of internal operation. Beside this, filtering and checking project initiatives that are currently
underway and evaluating each against risk of failure or potential success to evaluate about the
projects and operations from low to high risks is an effective way of defining potential success
and risk exists thus, lead to better implication of ways that ensures more adaptive to the
contextual external environment while simultaneously remaining internally consistent
(Fernandes and et. al., 2017).
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Research methodology
This section forms a vital part of dissertations as provides information regarding the
methods and adopted philosophy, use of which are made by a researcher for conducting an
investigation in order to meet set objectives in most viable and appropriated manner (Tonelli and
Cristoni, 2018). In order to adopt most viable and suitable research method and approach for
current investigation in Tesco plc use of research onion is made a description of which is
provided below along with facilitating valid justification and reasons for adoption of a method
and philosophy.
Philosophical Instances- The first layer of research onion yield information about two most
commonly used research philosophies i.e. Positivism instances and interpretivism philosophy.
Out of these Positivism is associated with coming up and setting such research questions that
could be easily testified where as Interpretivism is concerned with behaviours of human beings
along with their social and cultural life and participations. The current investigation is based on
strategic management thus, use of positivism research philosophy is made as it is more justifiable
to have better testing set hypothesis and research objectives through measurable explanation that
support quantitative method of research.
Research approach- Deciding about the approach used for specific investigation forms the
second layer of research onion that is bifurcated in two main types i.e. inductive and deductive.
According to the nature of current investigation adoption of deductive approach is more
justifiable and suitable as it lead to better scan of set objectives through leading a informed
speculation about them as per the collected information in a better way thus lead to better
rejection and conformation of set research questions (Baumgartner and Rauter, 2017).
Research strategies- The third layer of research onion yield information about the types of
strategy adopted for a particular investigation. Use of survey strategy of research is made for
current investigation on Tesco Plc as it lead to most finest and economic research strategy
through leading cost and time efficient method and tool for gathering huge data with the help of
a questionnaire that ensures collection of rich and reliable data.
Choices of Methods- This section of research onion deals with the type of research method
that is classified into two main types i.e. quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative research
method is basically associated with numeric set of information where as qualitative is associated
with theoretical and in-depth information (Meyer, Neck and Meeks, 2017). With regard to
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current research work on, use of quantitative research method is made as lead to a more fast and
statistical way for conducting an investigation through leading collection of data in numeric
terms that ensures better speculation to reach a more reliable and measurable conclusion to meet
the objectives of an investigation in more efficient manner. Selection of quantitative method is
justifiable as lead to easy data collection along with better presentation and communication of
research findings to accomplish desired goals.
Data collection and analysis- Is a crucial aspect of a research onion that yield
information about how data would be actually collected and from which sources. In respect to
current investigation in Tesco Plc both primary as well as secondary sources of data are being
used as primary lead to collection of up to date and most reliable data directly from selected
respondents where as secondary data plays a viable role in supporting these primary findings and
data with the help of authentic pats facts and records (Hitt and Duane Ireland, 2017). Use of
questionnaire is made for collection of primary data where as secondary data is obtained from
online articles and journals.
Sample method- For maintaining the viability and efficiency level of current investigation a
sample size of 35 respondents is selected from the workforce of Tesco plc with the help of
random sampling method to collect information on current topic of strategic management.
Activities and Time scale
Conducting a research work and dissertation is a complex and time taking process that
involves various activities and task. Thus, in order to maintain the significant level of clarity and
transparency in work use of Gantt chart is made. Gantt chart is a vital statistical tool that ensures
systematic presentation of all research activity in form of a bar diagram or flow chart (Holloway,
2018). Use of Gantt chart for current research as it lead to reduction in chances of overlapping of
work along with leading proper implication of all task as per sated timelines and durations to
achieve all objectives of research work on time.
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REFERENCES
Books and journal
Hitt, M. and Duane Ireland, R., 2017. The intersection of entrepreneurship and strategic
management research. The Blackwell handbook of entrepreneurship, pp.45-63.
Meyer, G. D., Neck, H. M. and Meeks, M. D., 2017. The entrepreneurship‐strategic management
interface. Strategic entrepreneurship: Creating a new mindset, pp.17-44.
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Baumgartner, R. J. and Rauter, R., 2017. Strategic perspectives of corporate sustainability
management to develop a sustainable organization. Journal of Cleaner Production. 140.
pp.81-92.
Hitt, M. A., Ireland, R. D. and Hoskisson, R. E., 2016. Strategic management: Concepts and
cases: Competitiveness and globalization. Cengage Learning.
Michael, S., Storey, D. and Thomas, H., 2017. Discovery and coordination in strategic
management and entrepreneurship. Strategic entrepreneurship: Creating a new mindset,
pp.45-65.
Peppard, J. and Ward, J., 2016. The strategic management of information systems: Building a
digital strategy. John Wiley & Sons.
Holloway, S., 2018. Changing planes: A strategic management perspective on an industry in
transition. Routledge.
Vishnevskiy, K., Karasev, O. and Meissner, D., 2016. Integrated roadmaps for strategic
management and planning. Technological Forecasting and Social Change. 110. pp.153-
166.
Barney, J. B., 2017. Resources, capabilities, core competencies, invisible assets, and knowledge
assets: Label proliferation and theory development in the field of strategic management.
The SMS Blackwell handbook of organizational capabilities, pp.422-426.
Fernandes, C. and et. al., 2017. The dynamic capabilities perspective of strategic management: a
co-citation analysis. Scientometrics. 112(1). pp.529-555.
Tonelli, M. and Cristoni, N., 2018. Strategic management and the circular economy. Routledge.
Online:
Margaret Rouse. 2020. Strategic management. [Online] Available Through:<
https://searchcio.techtarget.com/definition/strategic-management >.
What is strategy management and why is it important?. 2018 [Online] Available Through:<
https://ontoreason.com/what-is-strategy-management-and-why-is-it-important/ >.
Mark Hordes. 2019. Five steps to make change work in an evolving work environment. [Online]
Available Through:< https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2019/03/27/five-steps-
to-make-change-work-in-an-evolving-work.html >.
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