MBA in International Business

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://dspace.griffith.ie/handle/123456789/106

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The Effects of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on the Buying Intentions of Millennial Consumers of Fast Fashion in Ireland: A Case Study of International Millennial Students in Dublin Colleges.
(Griffith College, 2021-06-04) Ifechukwude Ezegbu, Chinedu
The current study explores the effects of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of fast fashion brands in Ireland on the buying intentions of millennial consumers. It involves international millennial students from three colleges in Dublin within the ages 24-30 who in 2021 are the youngest millennials based on Cone Communications’ research showing millennial variables. Millennials are perceived to be ethical and show the most awareness of business activities than other generations. However, despite this, they are consumers of fast fashion which is known for its sustainability issues. The research’s objectives are three-pronged: firstly; critically evaluating the CSR awareness level of millennial college students who are consumers of fast fashion. Secondly; the extent to which CSR activities of fast fashion firms affect these millennials’ buying intentions are determined and explored. Thirdly, factors that are most critical in influencing these millennials’ decisions to purchase from fast fashion brands are identified. To achieve these objectives and provide the study with the necessary structure, the under-listed research questions were put forward: What is the level of awareness of international millennial students in Dublin colleges regarding CSR initiatives of fast fashion brands in Ireland?; Does the social responsibility of fast fashion businesses have any real influence/effect on these millennial consumers’ intentions to purchase? and What factors are most critical in influencing the intentions of these millennial consumers to purchase from fast fashion brands? The research is exploratory and adopts a case study approach. It is qualitative in nature and the primary data collection method - semi-structured interviews were conducted for 9 participants from three colleges in Dublin. Also, the sampling method utilised for the sample selection is non-probability sampling– purposeful sampling. Qualitative Data Analysis was adopted to analyse the participants’ data and consumer buying behaviour theories such as Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and Perceived Consumer Effectiveness (PCE) and were used to shed more light on the behaviours of this cohort. The research findings illustrate a good level of CSR awareness of the respondents as they recognise that fast fashion brands should have social responsibility. However, they are predominantly unaware of CSR initiatives of fast fashion brands in Ireland and factors like product price, quality and design/style are shown to play much more prominent roles in guiding the international millennial students’ purchasing intentions and not CSR activities of these brands
Diversity and Inclusion: A case study on the response and personal perspectives of employees at Pitney Bowes Inc.
(Griffith College, 2021) Deborah Kinsella
I would like to acknowledge and thank my husband Thibaut, for his support and encouragement that helped me to persevere when I was tired and keeping me fed when I was hungry. You painted and plastered our house while I attended classes and for that alone, I am eternally grateful. I appreciate the patience of my friends and family that supported me over the last two years, particularly Sharon, Egle and Susan who went out of their way to help proofread my first assignments, pushed me to work faster and of course, celebrated my achievements. I would like to thank Pitney Bowes for their investment and sponsorship, I am appreciative and proud to work there; and in particular, thank you to Christopher Johnson. I also thank all of the employees that volunteered to participate in my research. I would like to extend a special thank you to Tara Hughes, my dissertation supervisor for her support – your feedback and guidance was always thoughtful, provoking, and timely. Your encouragement has been priceless. Finally, I would like to thank the staff and my lecturers at Griffith College Graduate Business School. Thank you for taking a chance on me and inspiring me to truly understand.
Evaluating the Diversification Strategy of a Semi-State Company in a Declining Market: A Case Study of An Post
(Griffith College, 2014) Andrew Maher
This case study evaluated the diversification strategy of a semi-state company, An Post, operating in a declining market. The objective of this research was to evaluate the process by which diversification may take place. A qualitative methodology, using a phenomological and interpretivist approach was taken. Three in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior managers within An Post. This data was complemented with a review of a range of contextual documentary sources. The results of these interviews were then analysed through thematic reduction to ascertain the key issues within the organisation relating to the diversification process. The postal market is regulated, and An Post, as a former monopoly, is subject to a number of controls on its dominant market position. This dominance, and regulation, comes largely from the provision of the loss-making Universal Service Obligation (USO) by the company. In order to continue funding the USO, An Post is engaging in a number of different diversifications, through innovation, partnerships and acquisitions. The company is attempting to lower costs, drive efficiencies and increase revenues in the core mails business. However, mail is still a declining market and these measures can only bring limited benefits. The company does not have an explicit diversification strategy. Management, however, are aware of the need for them to discover new revenue streams which can be used by the organisation to fund the USO. Subsidiaries of An Post are generally run autonomously. Air Business, one of the company’s largest subsidiaries, is largely run by local management, with An Post maintaining oversight through the Board. This is mainly due to the perceived culture within An Post as not being conducive to growth and entrepreneurship. The success of these subsidiaries, and the revenue they generate, has allowed the company to achieve its aim of cross-subsidisation. The commercialisation of the Group as a whole, and growing importance of subsidiaries as a proportion of turnover, has changed the nature of An Post over the last decade; the company is less dependent on mails revenue for overall growth. The utilisation of autonomous subsidiaries has created the means for the organisation to achieve more dynamic growth without affecting the core business. Through this growth, whether it comes from related or unrelated diversification, expansion or innovation, the company can maintain the USO without requiring a government subvention. The lack of a formal strategy does not preclude an organisation from being successful in achieving its goals. In the case of An Post, the lack of a strategy to diversify has not been an impediment to successful diversification. However, where diversification has been undertaken, more emphasis should be placed on evaluation of the factors which led to success. The case of Air Business suggests gaining market share should be the priority in any diversification.
Supporting Irish Start-Ups in the Life Science Sector: An assessment of how the support structures provided by Enterprise Ireland are utilised by Irish Life Science Startups
(Griffith College, 2015) Glenn Carroll
This study evaluates the supports that Enterprise Ireland is currently providing to startup companies in the Irish Life Science sector by exploring how seven different Irish start-ups within the sector have utilised the support system. This study found that the current Life Science support network within Ireland was found to be effective at funnelling potential start-ups into the Enterprise Ireland support system and it was also found companies with reasonable business plans are receiving the required level of funding and support to scope out their business plans. In all seven companies studied, Enterprise Ireland funding and support was sufficient for the business to navigate the difficult first year following formation / spin-out. At approximately the one year mark the way in which each company interacted with Enterprise Ireland diverged significantly. The companies who were successful in securing revenue from external investors grew quickly and generated a significant level of employment, whereas the companies that could not secure this funding stalled in their development. In two cases there was difference of opinion between Enterprise Ireland and the founders of the companies with respect to the future development of the business, this had a negative impact on how the companies engaged with the support processes. Overall it was concluded that the current support system provided by Enterprise Ireland is performing well when it comes to the identification of viable candidate companies and is offering the supports needed in the critical early stages of business development. Two key areas where the current offerings require improvement were identified; firstly, more assistance is needed for companies who are having difficulty securing external sources of funding as this was a significant road block to business development. Secondly, the depth of Enterprise Ireland business mentors within the Life Science sector requires development as a number of companies could not gain access to the required level expertise needed to develop their business plans.
A study of the impact of remote working on the organisational resources and capabilities of Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG. as a source of Sustainable Competitive Advantage.
(Griffith College, 2019) Lisa Kane
In this study, it was demonstrated that the practice of remote working impacts the organisational resources and capabilities of Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG. These impacts influence the efficient deployment of resources and capabilities across several functions of the organisation and have shown to be a source of sustainable competitive advantage. The research objectives of the study were designed to examine how remote working impacts a Sennheiser employees’ ability to add value and their performance. By understanding the impact of remote work on the ability to add value and improve performance, I developed a nascent theory of how remote work impacts the emergence of distinctive capabilities or competencies which are argued to be sources of sustainable competitive advantage. The study was primarily informed by a review of the literature on remote working and the resource-based view theories in strategy. The review of the available literature allowed the development of a conceptual framework to inform my approach to primary research. I developed my research strategy with an interpretivist research perspective. My qualitative data collection method was through semi-structured interviews. I chose to hybridize my research approach, pivoting from deductive to inductive. My approach to the primary data analysis had an inductive element which complemented the use of the conceptual framework, largely RBV related concepts, and allowed for more exploratory rather than descriptive findings to emerge. The findings have shown that remote working impacted the ability of the participants to add value through additional flexibility e.g. better use of time or choice of workplace environment. This flexibility led to improved productivity and performance in cases where the behaviours or characteristics thought to be required as a remote worker were present. Traits like self-drive, discipline and entrepreneurship were recognised as characteristics congruent with good leadership and it was found that the inherent skills and capabilities derived from remote working have the potential to impact leadership competencies within the organisation. The distinctive capabilities of an organisation it is argued are a source of competitive advantage, the architecture innovation and reputation of a firm can all be sources of superior performance (Kay, 1995). The findings show that managers of remote workers recognise the deployment of remote resources as an efficient way to increase speed of response and closeness to the market. Informal relational structures such as a cooperative ethic between remote workers and management is shown to exist and there is a potential and casually ambiguous link to sustainable competitive advantage that is imperfectly imitable (Barney, 1991). The research suggests that remote work practice and the management of remote workers is influencing the fabric of Sennheiser culture and management behaviours. There is evidence of efficiencies in deployment of resources across regions and improved performance. These effects on resources and capabilities it could be argued are casually ambiguous in their link to a sustainable competitive advantage for Sennheiser. I have therefore concluded additional research is needed to establish this link.
The secret to winning the "War for Talent" - Understanding High-performance employee retention experience of the small and mediumsized company in Ireland in a scarce talent Market.
(Griffith College, 2020) Artur Cicero Martins Faraco
Studies in HRM have mentioned that many SMEs are not using their performance management systems productively to retain and develop high-performance talented employees strategically. Moreover, studies in the USA, predicted that the make-orbreak for firms in the next two decades would be the ability to attract, develop, and retain talent. The review of the available literature allowed the development of an original conceptual framework to inform my approach to primary research. This study also demonstrated, The secret to winning the "War for Talent". I proposed an original framework to analyze the hypothesis of retaining high-performance employees strategically as the key to improving the effectiveness of organizations and their employees, hence winning the "War for Talent" in the scarce Irish labor market. The data collected on the face-to-face interview using mixed-methods implied that the high-performance retention practice in SME is usual, once that 75% ( 3 from 4) of companies analyzed in this study had enough talent to drive the business in a short and long -run. The findings also showed circumstantial evidence that high-performance employees working in key functions can inspire subordinates impacting positively the company and teams performance, making the SME achieve goals sustainable and balanced of talents. The findings also suggest that retention of high-performance employees is more efficient when the SME companies had a differentiated approach to treats highperformance employees, offering a package of benefits and high wages. These effects on the special treat and high-performance retention could be argued are casually ambiguous in their link to a sustainable competitive advantage for SMEs. I have therefore concluded additional research is needed to establish this link. For future research, I also suggest that the aim is to show how SMEs monetary benefits when increasing the Human Capital Value Added (HCVA ) retaining high-performance employees in their talent pool.
Building Effective Global Virtual Teams: An evaluation of the influence of cultural diversity, communication, rust, and leadership on the development of geographically and virtually dispersed teams.
(Griffith College, 2020) Ricardo De Assuncao Goncalve
The overall purpose of this research is to evaluate the influence of cultural diversity, communication, trust, and leadership on the development of geographically and virtually dispersed teams. Initially, it started by identifying and studying the literature about Global Virtual Teams (GVTs). Thus, some gaps among the studies were identified, and visual representation was developed using the conceptual framework. Moreover, the author interviewed eight participants – e-leaders and software engineers from two multinational companies - to collect primary data. Thus, identifying typical pattern across interviews helped to answer the research questions. Lastly, by using Interpretivism philosophy, the author has immersed in the reality of each participant to understand the context of their background to be able to get relevant insights. Thus, applying grounded theory methodology on collected data, helped to identify codes and themes to answer the research questions. This research has uncovered a strong relationship between communication and trust, which can go both ways. Thus, trust can intensify collaboration and team performance, but communication can also influence trust development mainly when people collaborate over the camera and in regular meetings. Additionally, it has shown that Emergent Leaders are able to decrease the sense of team virtually across team members by working closely to the formal leader, thus, decentralising the decision-making process and scaling out the communication management. Furthermore, it has shown that initial trust can be fostered by introducing virtual team members to each other or by visiting other virtual teams in their countries early-on. However, delivering results and gaining credibility would help to consolidate this trust. Lastly, having an interpersonal relationship would make it more resilient and durable. Although working with GVTs can be challenging, there are some key aspects which can be taught to all team members early-on, thereby mitigating common issues. However, all members need to be willing to develop these new soft skills such as virtual sub-teaming leadership, rapport building, trust development, expectation management, and communication management, thus benefiting the team bonding and well-being of these ones directly and indirectly involved.

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