Part -1(LA06 ):

Please answer the below in 500 wods

RE: Group B Unit 6 Shared Activity

Hello class,

My research is about internationalisation of small firm through branding and it would be focused on firms in developing countries like Egypt and Cameroon. I intend to use quantitative methods with the use of questionnaires. I would focus on two research questions and my sample would be selected randomly. With the use of the feedback from our tutor and contributions done in the previous shared activity, I would finalise my research proposal effectively because I am still contemplating using mixed method.

Easterby-Smith et al., (2012) stated that personal background and motivation determines the experience of a researcher. I find my research project exciting and interesting because marketing and branding is an exciting topic for me personally. Internationalisation of firms in Africa is challenging for large firms and even more challenging for small and medium firms. This research would provide detailed information and analysis for firms in developing countries such as Egypt, Cameroon, Ghana, that want to internationalise and compete with big brand and international organisations. It will highlight difficulties these small firms are facing and the study would elaborate how and why firms in developing countries are succeeding internationally.

This is not a team research project and would require time and determination. In fact, funding the research would be challenging too. One of my main challenges I would encounter is time management. Work, family responsibilities, I am a mum of 3, I had my third child a few months ago. Creating time to study is a big challenge. According toEasterby-smith et al., (2012) mind- map is a good way to structure academic writing. I would use the strategy to structure my dissertation. Also, I would have to use breakdown structure (Project Management Guru, 2012). This will help me understand and focus on important elements for my dissertation.

Another challenge I would face is data collection. This is because I am not based in Africa and most small firms in developing countries do not have websites or contact information online. This is going to be challenging and I still have to think of a strategy to make this work ethically and effectively. In addition, reading, journals, article and connecting with other business researchers online would help me complete my dissertation successfully.

References
Easterby-Smith, M., R. Thorpe, & P. Jackson, (2012) Management Research, 4th edition, London: SAGE Publications
Project Management Guru, (2012) Project Management Estimating

Part -2(GZ06):

Please answer the below in 500 wods

RE: Group B Unit 6 Shared Activity

Innovation as a Strategic Asset for IT Solution Integrators in Australia

For the Management Research Project, I plan to study the role of IT Solution Integrators in the Costa Rican Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Industry and determine how they can use innovation as a strategic asset to differentiate from their competition. Companies in this industry need a successful business strategy to survive in such a competitive market segment. In my research, I aim to investigate best practices for the industry; analyze strategic management actions that could help to achieve the objectives, discuss leadership, technology, and innovation, among other relevant areas. I hope to learn if these firms have an innovation strategy in Costa Rica, analyze the existing efforts and trends in the area, and how to support innovation initiatives from a strategic management perspective, to turn it into a competitive advantage.

According to Pisano (2015), good strategies promote alignment among diverse groups to achieve a particular competitive goal. He also states that without an innovation strategy these intents are doomed to failure; even successful innovators have a difficult time to sustain their performance. Solution integrators compete in red oceans (Kim and Mauborgne, 2004), and innovators are the ones who often succeed; in this management research project, I anticipate to study innovation strategies that will allow them to provide greater value to their clients and increase sales. Companies that work hard to create value for the consumers usually stand out in the market (Leinwand and Mainardi, 2014).

I have worked in the Telecommunications Industry for approximately ten years and have acquired relevant experience with Solution Integrators. Providing solutions to customers and helping them achieve their core business is very rewarding; having the opportunity to develop a research project on this subject would be fascinating for me. I have always worked on this operation with existing practices but never had the time to research about it and propose solutions to consolidate a stronger business strategy. I have noticed that it is difficult for IT Solution Integrators to increase sales in Australiadue to a lack of innovation and corporate strategy that prevent them from offering added value to their clientele. I aim to address this problem from the standpoint of innovation and strategic management. Possessing the technical knowledge and expertise can help me in the Management Research Project; I would take a managerial approach in this endeavor but also complement it with operational experience of everyday functions.

I foresee a few challenges for my Management Research Project; I intend to gather primary qualitative data through interviews and questionnaires to different members of IT Solution Integration companies in Costa Rica. The managers of the organizations in study need to authorize me to interview their employees, which can be difficult due to fear of disclosing information, time constraints or simply a lack of interest. I need to overcome this challenge by clearly explaining the objective of the study to management, inform them that it is completely anonymous and that it does not represent any stress or conflict of interest to their employees. Easterby-Smith, Thorpe, and Jackson (2012), claim that there are two ways of gaining access to a research site; formal access, which involves asking permission to senior management, and informal access, which is approaching employees directly without authorization from the firm; in my understanding the latter is not allowed for the MRP. The authors also argue for an opportunistic approach since many researchers underestimate the time and effort required to gain initial access to an organization.
Another challenge that I foresee for this investigation is the difficulty of identifying patterns or making inferences from the qualitative data gathered through the interviews and questionnaires. I need to use the ground analysis method to make sense out of the collected primary data and make statistical inferences. It is crucial to keep a neutral approach avoiding any bias that could lead to misinterpretation of data.
References
Easterby-Smith, M., R. Thorpe, & P. Jackson, (2012) Management Research, 4th edition, London: SAGE Publications.
Kim, W., & R. Mauborgne, (2004) ‘Blue Ocean Strategy', Harvard Business Review, 82 (10) pp.76-84. Available at: https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/pl/22461329/23097334/75fbc9b50bf01d27aa89dfe90d3dc3e8

Leinwand, P., & C. Mainardi, (2015) 'The 3 Elements of a Strong Corporate Identity', Harvard Business Review, Available at: https://hbr.org/2014/12/the-3-elements-of-a-strong-corporate-identity, (date accessed: 10/03/16)

Pisano, G., (2015) 'You Need an Innovation Strategy', Harvard Business Review, Available at: https://hbr.org/2015/06/you-need-an-innovation-strategy, (date accessed: 10/03/16)