BMG575 Research for Business Sem 3 CW1 and CW2 Assignment Brief, Ulster University

Assignment Brief

CW1 – Small group PESTLE Analysis – Visual & Verbal PPT Presentation 

A small-group verbal and visual presentation of research findings and critical analysis (using PESTLE framework) of one of the following UK business sectors:

• UK Dairy industry
• UK House Building industry
• UK Tourism industry
• UK Road Haulage industry

UK Dairy Industry

-> Using a PESTLE framework demonstrate research and critical analysis of the UK Dairy industry.

-> The UK is the thirteenth-largest milk producer in the world. Milk accounted for 16.4% of total agricultural output in the UK in 20220 and was worth £4.4bn in market prices. Below are potential ideas to research and investigate. All sources must be referenced. Please use the QAHE and Ulster Library books and databases.

-> Identify a specific theme within your PESTLE that will help you to link your slides and your narrative i.e. Changing consumer habits

• Political: Political power and influence of UK Dairy Farming industry.
  Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra); UK Government reports; Industry publications; Food Standards Agency; Dairy UK; National Farmers Union (NFU) Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF); Society of Food Hygiene Technology (SOFHT); Stilton Cheese Makers Association (SCMA); National Dairy Council (NDC). UK; Milk Subsidy; EU.
• Economic: Number of UK Dairy farms; Number of cows; Annual milk yield; Dairy market share – different animal types: Cow, Goat etc; Milk market share Dairy/Non-dairy; Rise of non-dairy products; Milk Prices per litre (ppl); Milk types; Interest rates; Inflation; Increase in energy costs.
• Social: Geography/location of dairy farms; Number of dairy farms/farmers. Rise of veganism and consumption of non-dairy products; Consumer health issues; Dairy farmer health issues.
• Technological: Modernisation of dairy farming; Increase in milk production, reduce labour, and prioritise the well-being of livestock; Innovation in livestock feed and slurry additives. Use of genomics to breed animals with high feed efficiency, which will lower methane emissions.
• Environmental: Environmental impact of dairy farming; Air pollution; Water pollution; Soil pollution; Animal welfare; Land usage.
• Legal: Defra; Food Standards Agency; UK Government reports and legislation; EU.

UK House Building Industry

-> Using a PESTLE framework demonstrate research and critical analysis of the UK House Building industry. New housing development is important to health of the UK economy. Quite apart from the social benefits that accrue from a well housed population, the house building industry contributes £19.2bn a year to the UK economy, supports 600,000 jobs and has a predominantly domestic supply chain.

-> Below are potential ideas to research and investigate. All sources must be referenced. Please use the QAHE and Ulster Library books and databases.

-> Identify a specific theme within your PESTLE that will help you to link your slides and your narrative i.e. 21st Century UK.

• Political: Political power and influence of the UK House Building industry. Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities; UK Government reports; Industry publications; Health & Safety Executive. Building Safety Regulator; National Housing Federation; Regulator for Social Housing.
• Economic: Number of UK House Building companies; Market share; Number of houses/homes built; Land prices; house prices; Inflation; Interest rate. Number of properties required.
• Social: Geography/location; Number of houses/homes required. Types of houses/homes required. Turning industrial, retail into residential.
• Technological: Modernisation of home building materials. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) Building Information modelling (BIM); Drones; Modular construction; Digital Twins; Blockchain technology, 4D simulations, 3D printing.
• Environmental: Fuel consumption; Noise Pollution; Waste Generation; Pollution and Emissions from Materials Manufacturing; Contaminated Discharge; Water/Ground water; Building on Flood plains; Sustainability. Environmental preservation (Building on greenbelt land); Net Zero targets.
• Legal: Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities; Health & Safety Executive; Environment Agency; National Regulator for Construction Projects; Net Zero by 2050; Unite Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians.

UK Tourism Industry

-> Using a PESTLE framework demonstrate research and critical analysis of the UK Tourism industry. England's tourism sector contributes £106 billion to the British economy (GDP) when its direct and indirect impacts are taken into account – and it supports 2.6 million jobs.

-> Below are potential ideas to research and investigate. All sources must be referenced. Please use the QAHE and Ulster Library books and databases.

-> Identify a specific theme within your PESTLE that will help you to link your slides and your narrative i.e. Changing consumer habits / Creating a sustainable UK Tourism for the 21st century.

• Political: Political power and influence of the UK Tourism industry.
  Department for Culture, Media and Sport; Tourism Industry Council; Industry publications.
• Economic: Quantitive numbers relating to the UK Tourism industry – Number of overseas visitors; Number of home visitors; Income generated by industry; Cash flow; Employment rates; Interest rates; Inflation; Increase in energy costs; Booked with Tour operator, Online, Ready-made, tailor-made; Consumer spending.
• Social: Geography/location; Changing consumer habits; AirBnB; Type of holiday – Family, Couples, over 60s; City, Beach, Countryside; Staycation; Number and type of attractions; Opening hours; Nighttime economy; Zero hours staff; High staff turnover; UK weather; Qualitative numbers relating to the UK Tourism industry; River/Coastal Water pollution.
• Technological: Technology adoption; AI; Customer service.
• Environmental: Sustainability. Net Zero targets; Food waste; Water and
  energy consumption. Blue Flag beaches.
• Legal: UK Government; Department for Culture, Media and Sport; Employment law; Licencing; Health and Safety at Work regulations.

UK Road Haulage Industry

-> Using a PESTLE framework demonstrate research and critical analysis of the UK Road Haulage industry. Road haulage and logistics accounts for 2.7 million employees - 8.2% of the domestic UK workforce. Everything we eat, drink, wear and consume depends on road haulage services and the companies and drivers that operate them. In the UK, 98% of all food and agricultural products are transported by road freight.

-> Below are potential ideas to research and investigate. All sources must be referenced. Please use the QAHE and Ulster Library books and databases. 

-> Identify a specific theme within your PESTLE that will help you to link your slides and your narrative i.e. Creating a sustainable UK Road Haulage industry for the 21st century.

• Political: Political power and influence of UK Road Haulage industry; Health & Safety Executive (HSE); UK Government reports; Road Haulage Association (RHA); Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
• Economic: Quantitive numbers relating to the UK Road Haulage industry – number of companies, lorries; Employment rates; Revenue; Interest rates; Inflation; Increase in energy costs; Training costs; Vehicle costs; Cash flow.
• Social: Geography/location; Number of drivers; Driver demographic; Aging workforce; Road Haulage industry facilities; Lack of HGV drivers; HGV accident rates.
• Technological: Driverless lorries; Drone deliveries; AI; Navigation systems; Logistics systems; Reducing accident rates.
• Environmental: Sustainability; Net Zero targets; Zero-emission vehicles; Hydrogen-Electric vehicles.
• Legal: UK Government; Health & Safety Executive (HSE); UK Government reports; Road Haulage Association (RHA); Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA); HGV driving hours rules.

Your presentation should include:

• Cover page / Name of the Group i.e. London Group A. Names and ID’s of students within the group
• Introduction / overview of the chosen industry
• 6 sections, with each section analysing one area of the macroenvironment
  o Political factors
  o Economic factors
  o Social factors
  o Technological factors
  o Environmental factors
  o Legal factors
• Conclusion
• Bibliography with Harvard references

CW2 – Individual Reflection Essay 

-> Use the MS Word CW2 Individual Reflection Essay template You are required to write a 2,000-word reflective essay on your group work experiences.

-> You will use a Gibbs reflective cycle to enable you to reflect and critically analyse how the project team functioned, how the process might be more effectively managed in the future and what weaknesses individually or as part of a team have been identified as requiring development.

-> Using evidence like your Myers Briggs assessment https://www.16personalities.com/ and your Belbin Team type assessment you are to reflect on your individual contribution and weaknesses. How did you feel at the start of the process? Did your feelings influence your approach? Did your approach influence your final outcome.

-> The Reflection report should demonstrate an element of personal critical evaluation of yourself and your group. What did you learn about yourself within a team role. How did you develop and how did the team develop through the stages of the module. What did you learn from the success and failure of the task and what you would do differently next time on a similar assignment and during your time on your future Masters programme.

-> You are required to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the format and content of a successful assignment, including the use of essay structure and appropriate academic conventions. The assignments will need to be submitted on Turnitin.

Your Reflective Essay should include:

• Use the CW2 Reflective Essay
• Cover page / Name of student
• Use the Gibbs Reflective Cycle
  o Description
  o Feelings
  o Evaluation
  o Analysis
  o Conclusion
  o Action Plan
• Bibliography with Harvard references
• Appendices
  o Myers Briggs – 16 Personalities results
  o Belbin – Team type results