Reflective Report: Analyzing a Fast Fashion Brand Using Gibbs' Reflective Cycle

Module code:	BMA4000-20
Module title:	The Business Environment
Assignment:	A2: Individual Reflective Performance Report (Based on Business Case Study given on Moodle)
Word count:	1500 (+/- 10%)
Contribution to module mark:	40% of overall grade

Assessment type:	Individual Reflective Performance Report
Weight:	40%

Submission deadline:

7thOctober 2024 at 23:59

Student Name:

Student ID:

Introduction

Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle which has been developed by Graham Gibbs in 1988 is a framework that aims at making the reflective process more systematic. It has six steps; Description, Feelings, Evaluation, Analysis, Conclusion and Action Plan, thus facilitating the learning from experiences. This reflective process is important to anyone and everyone since it makes people to think about what they are going to do in the future to do better. In this particular reflection, Gibbs’ model of reflection will be used in order to analyse my exposure on a case of a private limited fast fashion brand (Ahmed, 2020).

Gibbs reflection Cycle

1. Description

The case study involved a comprehensive evaluation of a private limited fast fashion brand, encompassing several critical business aspects.

I considered the SWOT analysis to identify a company’s strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This involved analysis of factors on the inside of an organisation including resource capacities and factors beyond the organisation including competition. I highlighted the major players within the fast fashion market to compare and contrast the position of brand with others. The analysis involved demographic and psychographic variables related to the customers using the brand including age, gender, geographical location, occupation, income level and more.

The research was set at the fast fashion organisation environment that has short cycles, reactive assortments, and international networks of sourcing. Another challenge that arose from the volatility of the clothing Industry followed by the pressure offered by the market on fast fashion resulted in more considerations to the analysis.

In seminar sessions, it is possible to talk again about some aspects of the identified case, for example, about positioning and customers. Focusing on Tuckman’s Group working theory, the group managed to pass all the stages toward productive work (Robb, 2022). They argued that forming stage of team development constitutes clarion responsibilities of the various members; the storming stage on the other hand exhibits writings concerning strategic directions of the team. With the help of norming stage, we were able to come to the final decision and coordinate during performing phase in accomplishing the case study.

2. Feelings

There were several feelings running while performing the case study. I was glad and at the same time anxious as well. It was mentally provoking to dissect a fast fashion brand’s strategic factors but at the same time overwhelming because the sector experience constant fluctuations and competition. One was about competency in the critical thinking skills especially in this case involving the complexity of the fast fashion industry. I felt more confident while analysing a particular case while sometimes the amount of information was a lot and needed to have a balance of so many strategies was overwhelming. This means that mixing and matching various aspects like customer images, marketing initiatives and evaluating them in one way or the other was as exciting as it was stressing.

Overall, it was a combination of enthusiasm, difficulty, and accomplishment. The primary difficulty was the amount of data that needed to be processed and the probability of missing something in the evaluation of the case. I doubt my ability in the business experiences to deliver comprehensive suggestions to share and focus on getting agreement among the assigned group members.

3. Evaluation

It was fruitful to carry out the SWOT analysis. It defined the internally favourable and unfavourable conditions of the external factors to the company that was used in offering strategic advice. For instance, separating out areas of competence like having elaborate supply chain but excessive turnover rates offered lucid sources of strategy formulation. The group work as a positive effect on the analysis. This encouraged the consideration of the market and the pool of customers in a different way and thus offered more insights. Discussions in groups benefitted in enhancing understanding of issues and enabled draw from member’s knowledge or expertise.

Moreover, correlating Tuckman’s model with the development of our group, it is possible to highlight that the group has passed through all the stages inherent in this process. As it has been observed during the storming phase conflicts regarding the analysis method and strategy planning were also observed. During norming stage, there was creation of communication and work roles hence a performing stage were more productive. Such alignment was significant in the completion of the case study as described in this report (Nanda, Papathanasiou and Zandoná, 2023). Further, Belbin's Team Roles theory helped analyze the dynamics of the group. This theory of Belbin explains how successful teams require several roles to be played-including Coordinator, Implementer and Plant roles. Reflecting on this experience, our group had some strength in mixed bags. There are some coordinative roles, such as planning discussions and defining the work allocations, and then there were some implement or roles, wherein the task implementation was undertaken (Belbin and Brown, 2022).

4. Analysis

Choosing the online media and specific channels for promoting products was beneficial, considering the target audience’s use of social networks and other web-based media. This decision also went well with the existing trends in the marketing strategies as well as the buyer behaviour in the fast fashion industry.

Implementing Business theories including Mintzberg’s deliberate and emergent strategies and Porter’s Five Force framework were helpful but not easy to deploy. Indeed, the level of difficulty was in involving all these theories in a single analysis that captured all facets presented by the case study. Mintzberg’s theory helped in the ratio between these two types of strategies, deliberate and emergent strategies as the company’s response to market characteristics was important for the generation of recommendations (Mintzberg and Laasch, 2020). While, the work on Porter’s five Forces was helpful in assessing competitive pressures and mapping strategic actions in response. However, integrating this framework into the SWOT analysis and the marketing strategy made it problematic.

5. Conclusion

After performing the whole case study, I realised that there were certain areas for skill development. The areas include:

Enhanced Business Knowledge: For better improvement in subsequent case analyses, it means that I have to enhance my knowledge on strategic management not in areas of market and promotional strategy among others. That is why it is recommended to take higher courses or acquire additional professional training relevant to the field.

Group Collaboration: The only way that is likely to help is to foster enhanced inter-and intrapersonal conflict management technique. This involves enhancing the approach of dealing with changes in the relationships possess the communication structure, and viewpoints.

There was certain thing which I could have done differently. Such as:

Improved Research Planning: It would improve the quality of the case study were time availed for extensive research and analysis to be doubled or even tripled. Perhaps, it is better to create an elaborate research timeline in detail regarding numerous activities which should be completed with clear reference points.

6. Action Plan

Steps	Objective	Specific	Measurable	Achievable	Relevant	Time bound
Step 1	Enhance Business Knowledge	Take graduate level courses or a workshop on competitive strategy with a contextual emphasis on the fast fashion sector.	Undertake at least one relevant course of workshop in the next six months.	Choose specific researched relevant courses or workshops that fit my schedule and possible on my own money if necessary (Hargreaves, 2024).	Intellectual capital will improve my power to decode and come with strategic advice.	This goal has to be done in the next six months.
Step 2	Improve Group Collaboration Skills	Participate in team-building and conflict solving seminars and meetings.	There are two workshops, minimum that I will attend within the next three months.	Decide on correct and enrol for correct classes or seminar.	Team work skills will be developed to have a positive impact on the effectiveness of group activities.	The content of each of the workshops must be completed in the following three months.
Step 3	Allocate Time for Thorough Research	Create a clear list of future case study research activities for further works and set definite time-frame for each of the steps.	Prepare case studies and assignments based on the research plan which will be used in the coming weeks or later.	Employ project management techniques to help get organisation and support in monitoring of the progress of the study (LinkedIn, 2023).	Greater understanding will result to better analysis and recommendations which are much more superior to that of those who conducted a less extensive research.	Use the plan in the next case study or assignment to be undertaken in the next month.

Table 1: Action Plan

(Source: Created by learner)

Conclusion

On this regard, the following is my analysis of business case studies using Gibbs’ Cycle. This analysis has provided me with insight in my strengths and areas of weakness in the appropriate management of business case scenarios, especially those pertaining to the fast fashion industry. I identified gaps on how to improve on the group tasks, decision making and on the skills required to do better in the next group tasks. Through the application of Gibbs’ six steps, I have derived concrete plans of remediation needed for a better performance in the future. I have benefitted from this reflection in that I will be in a position to approach problem solving situations in business and moderation as well as enhance teamwork.

Reference

Reflective report

Ahmed, A.M. (2020) ‘From reluctance to addiction: The impact of reflective journals on Qatari undergraduate students’ learning,. Reflective Practice, 21(2), pp.251-270.

Belbin, R.M. and Brown, V. (2022) Team roles at work. Routledge.

Hargreaves, A. (2021) ‘Teacher collaboration: 30 years of research on its nature, forms, limitations and effects’. Policy, Teacher Education and the Quality of Teachers and Teaching, pp.103-121.

LinkedIn (2024) How do you measure improved quality case study. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/advice/0/how-do-you-measure-improve-quality-case-study (Accessed: 19 September 2024)

Mintzberg, H. and Laasch, O. (2020) ‘Mintzberg on (ir) responsible management. In’ Research handbook of responsible management (pp. 73-83). Edward Elgar Publishing.

Nanda, S., Papathanasiou, A. and Zandoná, A.F. (2023) ‘Curriculum change using Tuckman's model: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing’. Journal of Dental Education.

Robb, M.A. (2022) ‘Stages of Group Development and Group Preparation’. Group Art Therapy, pp.107-115.