An Analysis of Corporate Social Responsibility in UK Firms Dissertation

An Analysis of Corporate Social Responsibility in UK Firms - Dissertation Example Other than the research design, studies need to provide an understanding of the research rationale, sample and sampling procedure, data and collection methods, as well as the data analysis process. The following chapter provides a deeper analysis of the methodology employed in conducting this study. Research Design Approach Research studies take the form of qualitative, quantitative, or both. Whereas quantitative designs use numerical data, qualitative designs use non-numerical data and information to make analysis towards achieving the aim of the study. In order to realise the objectives of this research, a combination of both qualitative and quantitative research approaches was employed. On the one hand, the study utilized available research data on the subject of CSR policy and performance among major corporations in the UK. In order to identify a sample space to draw information from, a recent research by Highflier’s Research (2011) on the Top 100 Graduate Employers in the UK for the year 2011 and 2012 was used. Secondary data and information regarding CSR in respect to UK firms provided a good foundation and basis for conducting a detailed analysis hence conclusions and recommendations. Apart from the use of secondary data especially the research study conducted by Highflier’s Research (2011), the study also collected additional information and data from the available literature that addresses the concepts and aspects of CSR with respect to UK firms. Such literatures formed the bigger part of the literature review section. Specific information obtained from the various literatures included the CSR policy frameworks as well as performance of UK firms in respect to the same strategic move. The literatures... The research selects three firms, Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury and uses them to represent the entire population. These firms are UK-based and of late have been seen as very successful in respect to CSR policies and performances. The sampling method that was used was the stratified sampling, which involves selecting specific firms that have heard significant impact, whether positive or negative, on the business environment on the basis of the topic under discussions. The three firms formed the case studies that needed to be analyzed in order to arrive at the conclusion. However, there were information and data required regarding the client’s perception on the firms’ CSR policies and performances. Again, it was difficult to conduct interviews on all the clients of the three firms. Consequently, 150 clients were selected randomly and a semi-structured interview was performed on them identifying firstly the firm of choice and then their views on the CSR policies as well as per formances. As much as we praise the importance of CSR practices to the organisation, the ultimate effectiveness of such practices is best felt by the public. It is true that interviewing senior corporate managers can serve good in understanding the environment underpinning their CSR policies. Nevertheless, this option is both resource consuming and might be subject to faked information as managers strive to safeguard their business secrets. On the other hand however, company clients are more open in airing their views on businesses and their practices