BM7032 Advanced Academic and Business Assignment Help
BM7032 – Week 4 – Monday 7 and Wednesday 9 Nov 2022
PART A – INTRODUCTION & ASSESSMENTS
Assessment – Individual Business Report – MOVING FORWARD
Discuss how the development of technology has affected one industry in the last 20 years.
The development of technology has had a significant impact on various industries in the last 20 years, but one industry that has been particularly affected is the retail industry. The widespread adoption of the internet and mobile devices has led to the development of e-commerce, which has significantly changed the way consumers shop and the way retailers operate. In this essay, I will discuss the ways in which technology has affected the retail industry, including the growth of e-commerce, the shift towards omnichannel retail, and the use of technology to personalize the shopping experience and improve supply chain operations.
The growth of e-commerce has been one of the most significant changes in the retail industry in the last 20 years. E-commerce refers to the buying and selling of goods and services through the internet. According to a report by the Harvard Business Review, e-commerce accounted for only 1% of retail sales in 2000, but by 2019 it accounted for nearly 10%. This growth can be attributed to the increasing number of consumers who are using the internet to research and purchase products, as well as the increasing number of retailers who are offering online shopping options. According to a study by the National Retail Federation, over 80% of consumers now research products online before making a purchase, and more than 60% of consumers have made an online purchase in the last year. This shift towards online shopping has led to the closure of many brick-and-mortar stores and the rise of e-commerce giants such as Amazon and Alibaba.
In response to the growth of e-commerce, retailers have also begun to adopt omnichannel retail strategies. Omnichannel retail refers to the integration of multiple sales channels, including brick-and-mortar stores, e-commerce websites, and mobile apps. According to a study by Accenture, omnichannel retailers see a 9% higher revenue growth rate compared to single-channel retailers. By offering multiple channels for customers to shop, retailers are able to reach a wider customer base and provide a more convenient shopping experience. For example, a customer may research a product online, purchase it in-store, and then return it through the mail. This ability to seamlessly move across channels has become a key differentiator for retailers in the highly competitive retail industry.
Another way in which technology has affected the retail industry is through the use of technology to personalize the shopping experience and improve supply chain operations. Retailers are using technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data analytics to gain insights into customer behavior and preferences, and to create personalized shopping experiences. For example, Amazon uses machine learning algorithms to recommend products to customers based on their browsing and purchasing history. According to a study by Accenture, retailers who use personalization strategies see an average of 6-10% increase in revenue. Additionally, retailers are using technologies such as RFID (radio-frequency identification) and sensor technology to improve supply chain operations. For example, RFID tags can be placed on products to track their location in real-time, allowing retailers to more efficiently manage their inventory and prevent stockouts.
Technology has had a significant impact on the retail industry in the last 20 years. The growth of e-commerce has led to the closure of many brick-and-mortar stores and the rise of e-commerce giants such as Amazon and Alibaba. Retailers have also begun to adopt omnichannel retail strategies to reach a wider customer base and provide a more convenient shopping experience. Additionally, retailers are using technology such as artificial intelligence and big data analytics to personalize the shopping experience and improve supply chain operations. While technology has led to increased efficiency and competition in the retail industry, it has also led to job loss in certain sectors. In the future, it is likely that technology will continue to play a
Please email me your choice of industry BEFORE NEXT CLASS.
Practice Assessment – Group Poster Presentation – MOVING FORWARD
Practice session in two weeks. Remember that this is formative (designed to help you), not summative (a final assessment).
Check Minerva (Week 3) for useful videos about poster presentations
PART B – PLAGIARISM (Reminder from last week)
What is it?
COPYING someone else’s WORDS or
IDEAS
WITHOUT A REFERENCE
Why is it important? Because you will fail!
Plagiarism is like academic theft.
PART C – PARAPHRASING
What is it?
– Writing someone else’s ideas in your own words.
How do you do it?
You need to UNDERSTAND what you have read before you can paraphrase
focus on the main/relevant ideas
change the sentence structure
use synonyms (vocab transformations) – BUT be careful
active/passive and other grammar transformations – BUT be careful
Be careful with the grammar and vocabulary options – you can’t just keep the sentence but exchange a few words for synonyms.
Qu: How is paraphrasing different from summarising? Which will you do in your written assignments?
Ans:
Paraphrasing is writing an author’s exact ideas in your own words
Summarising is taking the main meaning from the source (and writing it in your own words)
BOTH are important.
Qu: Is paraphrasing better/worse than/the same as using quotations?
Ans:
Generally BOTH are acceptable BUT always paraphrase if you can and don’t quote too much. A good example of quotations is for definitions. But when you quote you must add quotation marks “ ”.
Paraphrase Example Original
In my world-famous journal article last year, I wrote the following sentence:
“Because it causes obesity and diabetes, chocolate should be added to the list of prohibited substances.”
In your essay, how can you write it?
Osborne believes that chocolate should be banned because of its effect on people’s health.
Should this have quotation marks? NO because it is a paraphrase.
Should this have a reference? YES because it comes from an external source
Here are some alternatives:
According to Osborne (2021), chocolate should be banned because of its effect on people’s health.
Osborne (2021) claims/believes/argues/states that chocolate should be banned because of its effect on people’s health.
Chocolate should be banned because of its effect on people’s health (Osborne, 2021). “Because it causes obesity and diabetes, chocolate should be added to the list of prohibited substances” (Osborne, 2021, p.34).
Which of these are stronger? Why
Osborne (2015) claims that brand marketing is a waste of money. SUGGESTS DOUBT (The implication is that you may not believe Osborne.)
Osborne (2015) states that brand marketing is a waste of money. NEUTRAL (just reporting what Osborne said)
Brand marketing is a waste of money (Osborne 2015). STRONG (because you are stating the idea yourself, with a reference)
Osborne (2015) believes that brand marketing is a waste of money. NEUTRAL (just reporting what Osborne said)
According to Osborne (2015), brand marketing is a waste of money. NEUTRAL (just reporting what Osborne said)
TASK 1:
ORIGINAL (from the first text)
The primacy of the value of group identification in cultures such as Japan can also be expected to discourage managers and workers from moving from company to company.
How might you paraphrase this idea?
Possible answer (note the citations):
A strong sense of group identity within a company can improve staff retention (Hill, 1998).
or
Hill (1998) suggests that a strong sense of group identity within a company can improve staff retention.
TASK 2 (not done in class). Try it yourself:
ORIGINAL (from the Tayeb 1996 text)
“In an individualist culture, it is very important to individuals to have control over their personal and private life, to stand on their own feet, to make decisions which affect their lives, and to look after themselves and their immediate family.”
How would you paraphrase this idea?
PART D – ESSAY/REPORT TYPES
(I didn’t look at this is all three seminars but have a look anyway)
Now look at essay types
In management studies, there are often four main essay types:
Descriptive essays describe or summarise ideas, events or situations. They give the facts. They might involve giving a narrative description, the key ideas in a theory, a process or the main points of an article.
Analytical essays try to analyse or explain something or give reasons for a situation. They may also involve questioning accepted ideas or assumptions.
Comparison essays compare two or more aspects, ideas, situations or companies. They usually also involve evaluating the ideas (which is better or worse).
Argument essays give an opinion and support that opinion with evidence or reasons. They are likely to involve introducing opposing arguments and showing why one of them is wrong (or less accurate or appropriate).
EXAMPLE ESSAY TITLES
DESCRIPTIVE
How do individualism and collectivism manifest themselves in companies?
ANALYTICAL
What issues would you have to consider if you were a global manager from an individualist society working in a collectivist company, or vice versa?
COMPARISON
What are the advantages and disadvantages for a business to be organised using an individualistic or collectivistic approach?
ARGUMENT
“Individualism is more results-focused whereas collectivism is more employee- focused.” To what extent is this statement true?
PART E – REFERENCING
Why do we add referencing to our academic work?
It is the required/expected academic style
Because you are told to do so / To avoid plagiarism
Gives support to our ideas/arguments, makes them stronger
To give credit to the original source/author
Traceability = it allows the reader to find the original source and read it for themselves.
Difference between references and citations
Reference = The full details of the source and it is put at the end of a text in a reference list
Citation = the short version of the reference (surname and year only) and it is put in the text wherever ideas are taken from external sources.
Quick reminder or new information?
What information do you need to capture in:
Books
Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher.
Articles
Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) ‘Title of article’, Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), Pages.
Websites
Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) Title of web page. Available at: URL (Accessed: Date you accessed the webpage).
REMEMBER
You can find information about referencing
EITHER
In my summary sheet – emailed to you, also available in Minerva/Blackboard (in Week 4 materials and in Additional Materials)
OR
from the library website
BSU Homepage / Menu / Library / Research & Referencing / Cite Them Right Online
OR
Direct from https://www.citethemrightonline.com/
(and log in using your Bath Spa log in details)
HOMEWORK
Required
● Send me your industry choice by next class
Get together to plan your practice poster for two weeks’ time
● Complete the referencing task (Week4 materials). Write it and bring it to class next week.
Suggested
● Look at the videos about poster presentations (design and presenting)
If anyone wants me to have a look at a plan for your final report, please email it to me.
