RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Methodology Summary

Table of Contents

Title1

1. Introduction1

1.1. Background to the Topic2

1.2. Rationale for the Report3

1.3. Research Hypothesis3

2. Secondary Research3

3. Primary Research4

3.1 Survey using Questionnaires4

4. Commentary5

References7

Bibliography8

Appendices10

Appendix 1 Gantt chart10

Appendix 2 Proposed Questionnaires11

Research Methodology Summary

Title

The proposed title of this dissertation is: “Innovation: A key to Sustainable Competitive Advantage on High Street Women's wear

1. Introduction

The world is becoming more fashion-conscious with each passing era. Women's fashion industry, particularly the High-Street fashion is a dynamic industry that involves continuous changes and innovations over time. Companies dealing in such fashion trends have to be thoroughly diligent and responsive towards adopting those changes so as to cater to the growing customer needs and requirements. A company has a competitive advantage when you have some characteristic that differentiates it from its competitors, which gives it the ability to achieve higher yields to them in a sustainable manner over time (Chesbrough, 2003, pp. 109-120).

The competitive advantage consists of one or more characteristics of the company, which can manifest itself in many different ways (Cooke, 2005, pp. 1128-1149). The competitive advantage gives the company a partial monopoly in the sense that it must be the only company that has that property. In addition, the feature that forms the basis of competitive advantage should be appreciated by consumers or business customers. In high-street women's wear, fashion has a profound dimension of creating and involving new changes as the trends in the market absorb dynamism. Hence, gaining a competitive advantage in such an industry encompasses a vast level of insights and efforts.

1.1. Background to the Topic

Fashion is extremely important to a society because it involves our tastes, reveals our character mainly in the field of clothing, and it is something that helps us see how we live. Since fashion has become an important part of people's lives all over the world, the industry has to face the challenge of marketing fashion products in the most creative manner while achieving sustainable competitive advantages. Design Innovation is all about attracting the target audience and capitalizing on the choices, demands and tastes of the target audience so that they continue purchasing the products. Moreover, a market research on how people perceive style and what appeals to people is also a part of the high-street fashion industry (Chesbrough, 2003, pp. 11-15). The internet has completely changed the way fashion industry operates in the contemporary world as now everyone has become fashion-savvy because of easy access to fashion websites and online shopping stores, so the phenomenon of going for a 'designer wear and brand consciousness' is no more confined to the elite because of fresh and novel marketing strategies of the fashion industry which has changed the way people perceive fashion as an important part of their lives (Perkmann, Walsh, 2007, pp. 259-280). Before you can accurately identify your competition, it's crucial to first define and analyze your target market. What are you selling and to whom? Next, make a list of those companies trying to do the ...