Examining the outsourcing in the retail industry (Food Supermarkets)

By

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER FOUR: METHODOLOGY1

4.1. Research Process2

4.2. Research Objectives3

4.3. Sample Selection4

4.3.1 Purposive sample4

4.3.2 Sample size5

4.4. Data Collection5

4.4.1 Primary Research5

Questionnaire6

Structured Interviews9

4.4.2 Secondary Research10

4.5 Research methods12

4.6. Data Analysis12

4.7 Informed Consent14

4.8 Confidentiality14

4.9 Validity and Reliability15

4.10 Research Ethics16

4.11 Data Security: Participant Anonymity and Document Retention17

4.12 Role of the Researcher18

4.13 Credibility, Dependability, Confirmability and Transferability18

4.14 Research Philosophy19

4.15 Research Plan20

4.16 Conclusion21

CHAPTER 5: RESULTS AND ANALYSIS22

5.1 Successful outsourcing activities23

5.2 Outsourcing as an important strategy25

5.3 Benefits of outsourcing28

5.4 Maintaining good relationship with other firms31

5.5 Effectiveness of outsourcing for overall performance improvement33

5.6 Risks from outsourcing35

CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS39

6. 1 Conclusion39

6.2 Recommendations41

6.3 Implications of the study43

6.4 Future Studies44

REFERENCES46

APPENDIX A53

Interview Survey53

APPENDIX B (BULGARIA)54

Interview with Galina Nikolova / Managing Director at “Penny Market” Bulgaria54

Interview with Ivo Kolev/ Managing Director at CBA Bulgaria56

Survey- Stefan Konstantinov/CEO at “Fantastico” Bulgaria58

Interview with Marin Todorov/Managing Director at “Mercator” Bulgaria60

Survey - BoriyanaRadeva/ Managing director at Maxima Bulgaria62

APPENDIX C (UK)64

Managing Director, Morrison64

Managing Director,Tesco64

Managing Director, Waitrose65

Managing Director, Somerfield66

Managing Director, Sainsbury67

APPENDIX D (UK) EMAIL RESPONSES69

CHAPTER FOUR: METHODOLOGY

The main purpose of the research set in this diploma paper is to consider and prove the thesis that outsourcing activities gradually turns into a means of reduction of the company's activities costs that are part of the company strategy to increase the work's quality and efficiency not only on a company level but also on international business level. This chapter will describe the methodology undertaken in this process, including the strategy and methods used to compare the information gathered.

The goal of this chapter is to demonstrate how the research was carried out and how analysing this research will achieve the aim of dealing with the research objectives. The criteria and arrangement of research methodology plays a significant role in conducting the research, therefore in this regard it is necessary that a correct methodology should be applied for conducting the research. The role of researcher in research is to collect the data and interpret it. The researcher should also be able to understand the importance of research and gather valid results from it. There is a collection of approaches and modes selected by the researcher to conducting research and designing the methodology.

It is also necessary for the researcher to illustrate and evaluate the research modes so that the appropriate and relevant modes and techniques can be selected in relation to the achievement of the objectives of the research and the anticipated nature for gathering data and analysing it. The estimation of these research models must be done before the beginning of research in order to avoid the error related to data collection and interpretation. This helps the researcher to conduct research effectively and efficiently along with saving time in gathering data and evaluating it. Furthermore, research modes which are unreliable will not be able to achieve the research objectives and produce accurate results. This specifies that the assessment of the different modes of data analysis and collection should be done precisely and properly. The researcher should be able to distinguish between various modes of analysis and ...