Belonging: An Investigation into the Relationship between Community and Niche Retail and the Impacts on One Another in Business

Looney, Fergus (2024) Belonging: An Investigation into the Relationship between Community and Niche Retail and the Impacts on One Another in Business. Masters thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

Emerging from the main portion of the global pandemic of COVID-19, mental health and people’s desires to re-connect are noted after enforced isolation. The impacts on our mental health is well documented (Zhong et al. 2021 & Abbas et al. 2021). Belonging is one means by which this isolation and toll can be ameliorated (Windle et al. 2011). Community is the back bone that provides belonging (Block 2018).

Anecdotal experience of the author suggests that niche retail recovered quicker coming out of the pandemic than other similar stores, owing to their connections with their communities. This is then an investigation into the ways in which community interacts with niche retail and the impacts they put on another in a business sense. In engaging with the topic, it was found that not a lot of research was directed into this area of study, rather it was more likely to be found in the area of corporate social responsibility, a method that operates at a remove when compared to how niche retail works. It is hoped through this research that better ways of operating a business can be gleaned in a much more human centred approach.

Focus of the research will be displayed on the idea of the third place and how niche retail becomes something more than just somewhere to buy, a look at corporate social responsibility and other efforts by organisations and how they interact with communities differently to niche retail as well a look at an infinite game mindset and whether or not by their closeness to community do the businesses practice and comport themselves instinctively in a best practice way thanks to community. Finally, there is a look towards how some companies are handling customer support and the ways they are pushing away their customers, alienating instead of incorporating, further highlighting the remove that they display like in corporate social responsibility.

The research was conducted through seven in-depth interviews to explore the relationship between owners and their communities. Analysis of these interviews as the primary data along with the literature review suggest that strong community ties have led to more favourable outcomes for the businesses. Their strong commitment to community has also led to customer service approaches that go above and beyond norms. Due to sample size, other answers likely will need more research done in order to form stronger conclusions.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Supervisors:	Name Email Walsh, Jeffrey UNSPECIFIED
Subjects:	R Medicine > Diseases > Outbreaks of disease > Epidemics > COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > Customer Service H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management > Human Resource Management R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA790 Mental Health H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > Specific Industries > Retail Industry
Divisions:	School of Business > Master of Arts in Human Resource Management
Depositing User:	Ciara O'Brien
Date Deposited:	16 Jun 2025 13:32
Last Modified:	16 Jun 2025 13:32
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/7864

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