Research Topics: Primark

Internal Customer Service Research Proposal

To assess the need for employee feedback from the casual part time staff in Primark(Wembley), a retail clothing outlet?   BACKGROUND:   Primark, a subsidiary of Associated British Foods, is a retail outlet which operates in UK, Ireland and Spain and has in all 135 stores. The area of activity is retail clothing. It targets young, fashion conscious consumer below 35 and promises to offer high quality fashion basics at affordable prices. To provide value for money to its customer is the mission of Primark which is reflected in its statement of ‘Look Good, Pay Less’. Primark employs in all 16,000 employees. It has the managerial staff which is employed full time whereas the supervisory staff and the support staff is employed part time. For the part time staff, the staffing is done as weekdays staff and the weekends staff. One of the most busiest outlets of Primark and having the maximum turnover is the Wembley Branch located on Wembley highstreet near Wembley Central Station, London, UK. In this busy branch there have been issues related to the satisfaction and motivation of employees especially the casual part time staff. There is no appraisal system or feedback system in place forth employees. This leads to the issues that are faced by the employees at their workplace; unaddressed, unheard and unattended to. As seen in the diagram below the sequel to dissatisfied internal customer can be disastrous in the long run.     In the light of this, a pressing issue arises weather there is a need for a feedback for the management from the employees. According to the higher level management there is no need as they feel they are sensitive enough to understand their employees. Hence the need for this research to assess this belief of the management.   LITERATURE REVIEW: BOOKS: Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill (2000) Research Methods for Business Students (3rd edn), FT Prentice Hall, London.   Stephen Pilbeam, Majorie Corbridge (2006) People Resourcing: Contemporary HRM practice (3rd edn), FT Prentice Hall.   John Bratton, Jeffrey Gold (2003) Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice, (3rd edn), Palgrave publications.   JOURNALS: Piper. B, (2006) Why Employee Satisfaction? Professional Builders Vol. 71 Issue 1, p43-43, 1p.   Meredith. B, (2005) The customer must come second NZ Business Vol. 19 Issue 10, p62-62, 1p.   Vora M, (Jul/Aug 2004) Creating Employee Value in a Global Economy through Participation, Motivation and Development Total Quality Management & Business Excellence Vol. 15 Issue 5/6, p793-806, 14p, 1 chart, 6 diagrams   Donnelly, Jr., James H, (Nov 1999) Another Look at Customer Satisfaction Bank Marketing,  Vol. 31 Issue 11, p44, 1p   Williams. D, (Jul-Sep97) Employee Relations, Business & Economic Review; Vol. 43 Issue 4, p8, 4p, 1c   Sasser.E, Arbeit. Stephen P, (Jun 76) Selling Jobs in the Service Sector Business Horizons Vol. 19 Issue 3, p61, 5p   Dickinson, J, (2006), Employees’ preferences for the bases of pay differentials  Employee Relations, Volume:28 Issue:2 Page: 183, Emerald Group Publishing Limited    Vakola. M, Bouradas. D (2005), Antecedents and consequences of organisational silence: an empirical investigation Employee Relations Volume: 27 Issue: 5 Page: – 458 Emerald Group Publishing Limited.   AIM AND OBJECTIVES: The overall aim is to assess the need of a feedback system from casual part time staff in Primark (Wembley).   The following objectives can be achieved because of it: 1.                  To study in detail the literature about employee satisfaction and its usefulness in a retail scenario. 2.                  To provide an objective evaluation to the management if there is any need for the employee satisfaction surveys to be conducted in the organisation.   CONTRIBUTION: Few of the reasons why I am interested in this topic are as given below: Ø                  I have a personal interest and curiosity to further probe into the topic of employee satisfaction and motivation. Researching into this topic would help me study these topics into further detail. Ø                  Ease in primary data collection as it is my current work place. Ø                  In future I want to be an HR consultant thus this research topic would support my career objectives in the long run. Also this project will contribute towards the organizational welfare as: Ø                  The issue of employees not being listened to and thus getting dissatisfied is existent currently in the organization. Ø                  This research will establish and demonstrate to the organization if feedback from employees will help them generate more revenue by improving the customer service by keeping their employees satisfied. Ø                  This research also will help the involved stakeholders i.e. the employees to solve the problems faced at work if the management takes the recommendations on board and tries to eliminate the existing problems.   PROPOSED METHODOLOGY: The design of the methodology for this project is threefold. These design details along with in depth analysis of each has been provided as follows:   1.      LITERATURE REVIEW FROM PRIMARY, SECONDARY AND TERTIARY SOURCES: In order to analyze the importance of employee feedback secondary data from primary, secondary and tertiary sources would be extracted. Only secondary data would be used in the literature review as it brings in the advantage of audited information and is easy to access than primary data. In order to research about all the work that have been done in the field of employee satisfaction the use of strong tertiary sources is very important. So as that none of the related data is missed out, thus the search of literature in the context of this project would start from tertiary sources like Emerald and Business Source Premier. These powerful sources search for the related documents from a huge database of Academic Journals, Trade Publications, Magazines and Industry Profiles. Thus academic journals play an important role in gathering secondary data. They hold the latest development in the field of the scope of project and such information is crucial for the success of the project.   2. Semi structured interviews: The scope of this project requires having inputs from the part time casual staff about their opinion on having such a system of employee feedback in place. Thus to establish the recommendations from the analysis done through literature review and case study, there is a need to back them up from the practical aspect of the solutions. The Interview would be based on the key findings of literature review and analysis done through case study.           TIMETABLE OF KEY ACTIVITIES: The key activities and milestones are as represented in the diagram below:   EVALUATION: The project has a limited timeframe, but the objectives have been set after an in depth analysis of the time constraint. It can be evaluated that the proposed use of methodology, timeframe and resources to achieve the aims and objects of the project has been optimized, so that they all can coexist and therefore it is believed that this project is feasible. The project falls under the domain of Human resources which is one of the essential learning areas for managers and also satisfies the academic scope of the Master in Business Administration (MBA) thus this project is judged fairly acceptable by me.     Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Internal Customer Service Research Proposal

To assess the need for employee feedback from the casual part time staff in Primark(Wembley), a retail clothing outlet? BACKGROUND: Pr...

The analysis on the external and internal environment

The analysis on the external and internal environment Of Primark retailing industry   Introduction             The omnipresence of global trends and innovations debunk the idea of business monopoly and empire states. Today, the trends are set to maximize the potential of human powers by trivializing simple phenomena in order to fashion complex and subtle effects. In the minds of prominent sociologists and philosophers these trivialization of occurrences brought about by man’s deepest desire of uncovering the truth and meaning of life. However, our correspondence and connection with the truth is indirect and diluted which can only be accessible via representations and constructs. Hence, the necessity, though, not necessarily is, of excavating the truth embedded on phenomena became an ordinary human laborious pursuit.             Moreover, due to rapid changes on various aspects of human life our reactions vary depending on the way we perceive it, while forming effective and efficient mechanisms become a mechanical elocutionary act. This fact is paralleled with the nature and condition of business operations wherein technology dictates in setting the trends and innovations. Moreover, such despotic nature of technology invigorates the force and power of globalization to deeply penetrate all human spheres of interaction. Technology, Market, and Trends             The incorrigibility of technological advancement obviously shoves business operations and economic modes to be flexible. Here, business movers, analysts, strategists, theorists, scholars, and other personalities with significant role in business management and economic functions should be shrewd enough to incline their attention to the unexpected events and surprises which charily   crafted by setters of global trends and innovations. Therefore, in business operations incessant assessment, evaluation, and revision of organization’s strategies, programs, standards, objectives and goals are imperative. So much so, that such relentless observation should have mixed with collective effort and work of all representatives and members of the giving organizational body.             Hence, the evolution of marketing processes and modes of producing goods and services was not only invented during the recent centuries but, was already present when the first civilization came to existence. Although, no proper and serious study made at those times, recent discoveries and theoretical principles were, I believe, are products of the precedents civilizations. Meanwhile, not until Frederick Taylor’s revolutionary theory which led to crumble the traditional management process and replaced it with a scientific-based management process stupefied managers, capitalists, and movers of his time.             Hence, the evolution of marketing processes and modes of producing goods and services was not only invented during the recent centuries but, was already present when the first civilization came to existence. Although, no proper and serious study made at those times, recent discoveries and theoretical principles were, I believe, are products of the precedents civilizations. Meanwhile, not until Frederick Taylor’s revolutionary theory which led to crumble the traditional management process and replaced it with a scientific-based management process stupefied managers, capitalists, and movers of his time. Significance of business market The ascension of skyscrapers, business towers and trade centers in different places all over the world signify the dominance and control of business sector compared to other social fields. We can argue then that business operations become instrumental in human living without which the height of survival maybe reduced to a lesser amount. In contrast, business as a mode of survival for human beings inexorably becomes an exploitative and dominative domain wherein human resources and manual labor are alienated from the true value of human dignity and worth. Despite this reality, human resistance is tempered by the need to survive and to further acquire material possessions. Likewise, as man’s social and material needs increases, new business production and services schemes are emerging in response to these increasing demands.  It is in this context, which many business types are emerging due to human needs. On this account, technology, human needs, and business inseparably affect each other’s domains, more so, tends to cross each other’s boundaries to penetrate each others’ systems. The chain of reaction cannot be dissolve easily. This idea under capitalist’s viewpoint, the plethora of ever-increasing needs is the façade of one fundamental need: the pressing need for money. Now what dictates business firms and increasing expenses on research to track down recent trends is because of such need.     Primark: An Overview             Primark Stores Limited is an Irish clothing retailer. Its stores are located in various regions like United Kingdom, Ireland, and Spain. Within this area of responsibility, Primark stores outnumbered other clothing retailer business, with one hundred sixty one stores overall distributed in three major regions: one hundred twenty-five in the United Kingdom, thirty-four in Ireland and eight in Spain. The company positions itself as marketing fashionable at cutthroat prices.              The original clothing store was established by Arthur Ryan and his collaborator Micaela Mitchell in Dublin Ireland in 1969. After various success in clothing business, great profits and gross income led them to open stores in local and regional areas. It acquired various premises in different business centers within its local and regional areas which eventually generate more profits and income.             Primark is known for selling clothes at the budget end of the market. Its success is based on sourcing supply, making clothes with simple designs and fabrics and targets young, fashion-conscious individuals ages 35 below, offering them simple yet high quality clothes and apparels.             Hence, these successes brought significant changes on Primark’s retail business. The relevance of global trends and consumers’ demands on lifestyle made Primark Store Limited reinvent its business scheme and management structure.     Primark’s management and business structure             As a famous clothing retail store, recently, Primark embarks in different retail products not only restricted on manufacturing clothes but also other related products such as apparels and accessories available to all human sizes.             Primark employs simple managerial operation on its stores structure. Each store has its own manager responsible in overseeing the status and business operations. With managers’ inherent authority, they are given the power and control to manage the store within his/her point of responsibility. Moreover, in smaller or larger branches, assistant and deputy managers are assigned to control and manage the store. Within the store, there are different subdivided departments in which a manager is assigned like senior department managers and junior department managers who are in charge for individual departments.             Moreover, under management, there are supervisors in charge of staff on a sales floor, on different departments like stock room staff, customer service staff, customer service desk, cashiers who work on the tills, cash office staff and staff responsible to look after fitting rooms.             This management and business structure posits a simple way of managing human labor force, however, simple it may seem, yet inevitably creates serious problems and issues if and when proper assessment of the structure will be undervalued. Analysis on the internal and external environment of Primark retail industry             The Primark clothing retail industry is a member of Ethical Trading Initiative, a collaborative forum bringing together businesses to work on labor rights issues in their supply chains. In fact, Primark developed ethical strategy in order to promote labor rights issues within its organization. Certain guidelines and code of conduct must be defined in relation to the ethical implications of work to human labor rights. Primark, initiated and defined its ethical trade strategy in 2006, focusing on assessment of employees working conditions, factories operations’ concerns and addressed necessary improvement. Primark’s annual report of activity should be passed to the Ethical Trading Initiative Board.             Moreover, Primark stands to a principle that shared learning and collaboration is one of the most successful ways to achieve sustained positive progression with its supplier’s factories. However, climate change within and outside Primark’s environment changes as it faces the challenges posed by the global business market. Using PESTLE and SWOT analysis, let us examine the ins and outs environment of Primark’s retail clothing industry.             The PESTLE analysis allows us to examine the external factors affecting the environment of an organization while SWOT analysis aids us to assess organization’s internal strengths and weaknesses and further identify threats and opportunities external to its environment.             Hence, these methods are helpful for us to understand and underline positive and negative factors affecting the external and internal environment of an organization like Primark. In assessing the political, social, and economic factors external to the environment of Primark, we must consider different issues. Primark’s business operations are subject to government policies and regulations. The business firm should conform to the set of policies and regulations stipulated and enforced by the government and policy making body while conforming to the set of regulations and policies, the firm should assume social responsibility as demanded by the global consciousness. Nowadays, business sectors no longer busied themselves to produce bonds of profits and income but deeply involved in social programs to promote social awareness and equality. Cultural and social behaviors of different consumers are important to consider when establishing or venturing business in the global landscape.             Furthermore, economic, environment, laws, and technology are inseparable entities in which influence the business operations. The economic stability of certain region can contribute allot to the business condition of certain firm, like Primark. Technology on the other hand, brought a tremendous effect to the status and development of business operations and marketing programs. It generates new trends in a rapid movement, which if organizations are unaware will impede growth and development.             Hence, Primark’s must constantly assess its strategy with consideration to its PESTLE as external factors that in one way or the other affects its internal and business operations.             Assessing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of Primark, we go back to its established management or business structure. The need for re-tracking the management or business structure is important in analyzing its SWOT. As to my knowledge upon my encounter with Primark’s business operations, its strengths are gained in its simple, systematic and organized business structure, having assigned proper authorities to proper positions. Moreover, its recognition for valuing high quality of products and quality services with its customers garnered more strength to attract more people. On the other hand, Primark’s weaknesses can be found in its way of managing people. Although, Primark is a member of Ethical Trade Initiative, study shows given different negative issues concerning its business operations and transactions like child labor, purports less value on ethical matters. Different issues were attacking Primark concerning exploitation and abuse on labor force, other environmental concerns, poor working conditions, and disvaluing workers’ rights. Primark in different surveys was labeled as a fashion industry with oppressive regime. The primacy of autocratic and rigidity on standard structures can be a weakness as well as threats to the life of the company.             Since, it goes globally, opportunities are in wide array not only on the part of venturing into regions with much income and profit to gain but also an opportunity to share and provide quality products to fashion-conscious people with vogue to fashion lifestyle. Conclusion             Given this analysis we come to realize that each organization has its own external and internal problems to handle. The process in which we enable to identify and analyze such problems is by using proper management method of analysis like SWOT and PESTLE. The importance of these methods is squared to the importance of the business itself.                     Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

The analysis on the external and internal environment

The analysis on the external and internal environment Of Primark retailing industry Introduction The omnipresence of glo...

PESTLE analysis of Primark in UK

PESTLE analysis of Primark in UK Introduction Every organization provided different strategies to be effective in the market. However, most of the successful organizations admired the importance of analysis in creating their approach to strategies. In an organization that target huge market and have an efficiency in bringing the demands of the market, Primark is still realizing and in-depth analysis that can help them provide long-run benefits. PESTLE Analysis Political Analysis pertains to the ability of the organization to adopt or follow on the different governmental initiatives that might affect the performance of the entire firm. The policies established by the government might divert the local priorities of the companies.  The government contributes in forecasting the success of downfall of the Primark. The government gradually acts in the changes of monetary and fiscal policies in a degree on how the economy reacts. Government also holds the regulations that should be part of the business’s cycle. The health and safety act, sex discrimination act, disability discrimination act, data protection act, sales protection acts, consumers’ protection act and so on are the several examples act that the organization needed for compliance. In deeper sense, the organization should react in the impact of an increase or decrease in taxation or in the impact of the acts in their business. Economic Analysis is where the impact of the different economic trends or market changes might appear that usually creates risk in the organization. A strategic decision is mostly assumed in the presence of the uncertainty. Most of the analysis helps the business answer the increase / decrease in interest rates and its impact on businesses or how a recession / boom in the business cycle can affect businesses. The issues that often involved in the economic analysis are the monetary policy and fiscal policy. This measures the strength of the policy to support the business cycle and in the matter of recession. Also, Primark is also recognized as one of the strong business that can contribute a lot in the country’s Gross Domestic Product or GDP. To make the organization able to stand in different economic changes, there should be a strong monetary fund that holds in the effects of recession as much in low exchange rates made by the import and export operations.     Social Analysis is focused on the demographic changes that might affect the influence of the product in the new buying perceptions of the market. The social changes is a strong force for the organization to conduct further research, develop their processes, and craft another product that will earn the trust of the market. In this area of analysis, the taste and preferences of the buying population is on the priority of the business. It there is a newly-marketed product, the organization will surely finds another way to enhance their own creation and be on the leading market once again. This answers the capability of the Primark in different social changes and challenges especially when there are presents of competitors. Technological Analysis is the ability of the organization to adopt and to use on the latest technological innovation that usually has an idea in helping the performance of the business. There are different technological innovations that might improve the quality of the products or the efficiency of every transaction’s processes. Technologies typically provide help in the nature of the business. Through the use of the technology, the uncertainties that appear in economic and social changes will be minimized. For some other reasons, the technologies can also lessen the different unethical working behavior such as fraud, shoplifting, misconducts, and so on. Through the inventions of different high definition cameras and advanced software, the Primark’s leaders can have the sense of security. Legal Analysis is the effort of the organization to comply on law such as in terms of tariffs, trading policies, taxation, insurance policies, wages and salaries, and so on. The organizations’ finds the legal aspect connected to the political because most of the laws are created by the government. In terms of legal analysis, there are other issues that the organizations should answer. Most of the revolving issues is the overuse of the labor and maximizing their strength to produce more product which is definitely against the law. Another is on the issue of the consumer protection. Since the business is committed to produce and deliver the demands of the customers, the business should give importance to their rights as buyers. In the legal terms, it emphasizes the importance of the employee-employer relationship, supplier-producer relationship, and the customer-organizations relationship. Environmental Analysis can be considered as part of the corporate social responsibility of the organization because the organizations should commit in environmental issues. The environmental issues may be also in the relation of ethics. Environment typically correlates in the action of the business’s usage of resource or how the wastes are dispatched. Policies are created to protect the environment such as limiting the use of the resources to avoid exploitations which is a big dilemma for the business especially when there are number of competitors.   Consulted Works: SDI Greeenstone, 2008. Primark Case study, Lutterworth UK. [Online] Available at: http://www.sdigroupuk.com/files/Case-Study-Primark.pdf. [Accessed 10 Feb 2010]. Sundeep, K., A Brief Guide to the Use of “PESTLE” Analysis. [Online] Available at: http://www.ipfbenchmarking.net/consultancy_dfes/R28%20A%20Brief%20Guide%20to%20the%20use%20of%20PESTLE%20Analysis.pdf. [Accessed 10 Feb 2010]. Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

PESTLE analysis of Primark in UK

PESTLE analysis of Primark in UK Introduction Every organization provided different strategies to be effective in the market. However, ...

Essay on Primark

Essay on Primark Some history From the first Penneys store in Ireland to the latest flagship store in Liverpool, Primark story has been one of continuing success founded on the unique combination of fast fashion and lean operations. In June 1969, the first Penneys store opened in Mary Street, Dublin (http://www.primark.co.uk/page.aspx?pointerid=eb44df4565934edca627dac6ec12145a). Within a year, four more stores were added – all in the Greater Dublin area. In 1971, the first large store outside Dublin was opened in Cork and by the end of that year there were 11 more stores in Ireland and one in Northern Ireland. There was then move to Britain as in the Woolworth store. There has been presence of business expansion in the United Kingdom as well as Ireland. The acquisitions standing that had happened during the year in 1995. During 2001, Primark stores opened and in 2005, acquisition of little woods stores transferred to Primark. There was also expansion in Spain, Germany and many others.   Main area of business Primark is known for selling clothes at the budget end of the market. The company’s success is based on sourcing supply cheaply, making clothes with simple designs and fabrics, only making them in the most popular sizes, buying stock in huge bulks and varieties and not advertising. There were issues towards branding and reputation such as at how Primark positions itself in the context of web era in order to build solid relationship with its stakeholders as well as to protect its reputation whilst enhancing its brand image and value. The spread of information across the web feeds traditional media channels and reaches larger audiences potentially damaging reputation and thus tarnishing the brand. There indicate social web and social media utility tools to communicate their social responsibility (Jones, Temperley and Lima, 2009). Primark marketing require focus on innovation and the building of brand relationships as there are view of Godin (2008) in which the proponent noted that, organizations have to be “remarkable” to succeed in the marketplace today, which comes down to getting “talked about virally” both online and offline. He is critical of organizations that attempt a “quick fix” by “bolting on” new forms of marketing communication to structures, processes and culture which have yet to evolve from their deeply embedded “command and control” preoccupations of the mass marketing era. There can be Primark sense as there continue to preserve the culture being established of long lasting conformity which does not sit immediately into online marketing base. There is a need had to consider social networks for communicating with Primark customers, extent to which different segments of customer base might be receptive to strategies in the process. There was the valuing importance of Primark employees, in delivering effective customer services that can go updated with various trends in fashion in today’s time as Primark quality and standards impose imperative tools that can provide security of Primark to expand stores with positive motivation and innovative culture. The medium to communicate to customers is important at Primark wherein monitoring and constant updates on their store sites has provided them stability and stature to remain strong despite adversaries in the business industry Primark is part of.   Thus, one of slickest marketing operations on the planet was humbled the moment living, breathing ‘touch points’ came into the equation. Johnson & Johnson Baby fared little better in a similar call, managing only 2/10, while not one among Bernard Matthews, Primark, Harrods and Defra could scrape above the 5/10 mark. The principal among strategic domain, as such market basis of getting operational success being significance to Primark employees and the tendency to rely on business techniques of persuasion into several attempts to bring employees on side. Primark management has been in keeping effective strategies into the UK markets, it can be turning overall marketing operation into presented stance of communication planning and customer satisfaction know how from within impact of innovation technology at Primark. For positive notion, there has been ideal program involving marketing research, interactive workshops, brand events, intranet communications and Primark brand reviews respectively. Reference Jones B Temperley J and Lima A (2009) Corporate reputation in the era of Web 2.0: the case of Primark. Journal of Marketing Management, Volume 25, Numbers 9-10, November 2009 , pp. 927-939(13), Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Essay on Primark

Essay on Primark Some history From the first Penneys store in Ireland to the latest flagship store in Liverpool, Primark story has bee...

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