1.1 Background
Employees are the assets of the company. This statement seems to be really attractive for the employees working for different organisation. However, practical execution of this statement is non every bit simple as the statement itself. Sing the employees an of import factor and handling them like an plus is non really easy, but the most necessary factors for the growing and success of any organisation. twenty-first century has brought several immense and dramatic alterations in the concern universe all across the Earth. The altering consumer behaviours and demands have forced the organisation to concentrate on the client ‘s satisfaction along with the merchandise development and sweetening. Not long ago in the past century the organisations were more focussed towards the production and small attending towards the client ‘s satisfaction. Most portion of the market was driven by the big organisations where they used to develop the merchandises harmonizing the available engineering and where the most net income was available. ( Kreitner, 1995 ) Earning net income is still the primary focal point of the organisations, but now the client ‘s satisfaction is besides gained consideration by the organisations. The construct of trueness from the clients has given importance to the client satisfaction as this is the lone manner to derive the trueness. Gain client ‘s trueness is aimed to develop a long term profitable relationship with the clients as it is justly said that it is really difficult and dearly-won to acquire a new client than retaining the bing one. So, in order to retain the bing clients, organisations are focused to give quality merchandises with quality support to them.
Motivating the employees is closely related to the client ‘s satisfaction. If the employee is non motivated and is non satisfied with the occupation he/she is executing so he will non be able to function the client with full devotedness and honestness ( Lindner, 1998 ) . Customer ‘s satisfaction is really much dependant on client services staff. The organisations which are involved in the service industry are really acute to concentrate on their client services degree by actuating their client services staff as it straight affects the client ‘s satisfaction degree positively or negatively. In this context the retail industry of United Kingdome is really competitory and the most of import parametric quantity for success of the organisations is to keep low turnover of the employees. Employee turnover ever increases with the increased dissatisfaction among the employees. Organizations in UK retail industry have now recognized that the employees are the most of import stakeholder in presenting the service to the clients. Meanwhile, the current economic conditions organisations are forced to bore down their operating costs and the employees are the first who normally have to confront this negative impact in most organisations ( Sparks, Leigh, Burt, Steve L. , 2003 ) . But the organisations besides understand the fact the high employee turnover will non allow them to prolong their competitory advantage and they will non be able to function their clients affectively. Generally it has been observed that if the shop directors are allowed to manage the grudges issues of the staff members it can cut down the employee turnover rate, but at the average clip organisations besides have to guarantee that no discretion is done at the workplace on the portion of the shop directors ( Lindner, 1998 ) .
Using over 470,000 people and runing in more than 29 states, Tesco is the 2nd largest retail merchant of the universe and largest retail merchant of UK market. The company believes that you should handle the people in manner in which you want to be treated ( Colliers, 2009 ) . The civilization of the organisation is developed in such a manner that the directors shows really good gestures to their subsidiaries and do non demo their unlogical autocratic attitude. A civilization of squad work, common coordination, regard, trust, back uping, listening to others and simple gestures such as stating thanks to each other is predominating inside the organisation ( O’Reilly, 2009 ) . This helps to develop a friendly and flexible work environment where the employees are free to show their positions and esteem each other whether on a lower or upper rank. Sharing experience and cognition is encouraged in the company. Senior directors are encouraged to pass some clip on the floor so that they can hold a good coordination and understanding with the lower staff and besides they can understand their jobs or issues by sing themselves. Discrimination on the footing of racism, age, gender and other factors is extremely discouraged in the organisation and there are several rigorous company policies which wholly discourage this act ( Colliers, 2009 ) .
1.2 Rational of the Study
In 1985, an internal communicating survey was conducted at Tesco and the consequences showed that the behavioural issues of employees with the clients are negatively impacting the attempts for the growing of the company in a extremely competitory market. These consequences were non positive for the company ‘s growing, so direction taken immediate stairss to place the causes of the negative behaviour of the staff members in order to decide their issues and jobs ( Sparks, Leigh, Burt, Steve L. , 2003 ) . Tesco took several stairss to actuate the staff members particularly who are associated with client services and empowered the employees so that they are able to turn to the jobs of the clients instantly and besides removed drawn-out processs related to client services. Staff members were empowered in such manner that they were able to replace the merchandises or reimburse on the topographic point without mentioning to the supervisor or director. This helped to increase the satisfaction degree of the client and besides to develop positiveness in the company ‘s relationship with the client. These alterations brought really fruitful consequences for the company as the quality of services increased and besides the satisfaction degree of the clients besides increased. Even today, the company has given a sense of “ ownership ” to its employees. For the short-run endurance and long-run growing it is really of import that proper HR patterns should be predominating within the company particularly the HR patterns that Tesco has been utilizing within their organisation would be really interesting to understand.
Apparently it seems that wage could be the major factor for heightening the employee motive, but this is non applicable in all the instances. Research surveies shows that people are motivated with different factors such as rise in salary, acknowledgment, rise in appellation, excess holidaies etc. This research survey will be really of import for the other retail merchant and even for the organisations involved in the service industry who are happening troubles in actuating their employees. The result of this research survey will decidedly assist the organisations to cut down the high employee turnover rate.
1.3 Research Aims and Aims
Tesco ‘s client services have been the function theoretical account for UK retail industry. This is because the company really intelligently motivates its employees which raise the client ‘s satisfaction degree. The cognition on this topic is widely available, but is fragmented. This research survey will let identifying and understanding the human resource techniques used by the company for employee motive. With an purpose of understanding the part of the motive degree of employees towards the satisfaction degree of the clients, following aims of the survey are set:
To reexamine the bing literature on the techniques used by retail sector for employee motive
To carry on a study to estimate the motive degree of the employees
To carry on interviews from the shop directors inquiring about the techniques used by them for employee motive
To measure the part of employee motive towards client satisfaction
Literature Review
It has been really tough for the high street retail merchants to prolong in this competitory market and to keep the sensible net income borders. Due to economic recession and increasing competition in the market the net income borders are really much dependant on the client base or market portion of the company. Market portion is really much dependant on client ‘s satisfaction and it relates to the motive degree of the employees. However, the employers in the UK retail industry are holding a really tough clip in marinading their staff ‘s motive degree. This can non be neglected every bit good because employees play a really of import function at the store floor. Surveies suggests that motivated staff members stays for longer period of clip with the organisation and are better performing artists than the staff who are non motivated ( Weener, 2006 ) . Regardless of the capablenesss, experience, cognition and skills an employee who is non motivated will non present his/her best in to the occupation he is asked to make. In order to acquire the maximal end product organize the employees it is really of import that they are kept motivated.
Due to hapless economic conditions and less trading activities organisations in UK retail sector are besides following cost cutting techniques and therefore the employee motive activities have dropped down. Retail sector has compromised and stared to believe that motive activities are really much dearly-won, but in existent it is non the instance as low cost motive activities can besides hike up the morale and motive degree of the squad at higher side.
Employees leave their occupation when they become unhappy with their occupation and in the retail sector employee turnover even for the large trade name names such as Tesco, has been increased and this is non a positive mark as high employee turnover increases the cost of the company. Companies are seting their trade name repute and client ‘s satisfaction degree at interest by non following the motive activities in the organisation. Employee become unhappy with his/her occupation if the calling chances are non at that place, developing plans are non followed and most common less wage. Career waies and growing are the manner to do an employee feel that he is the portion of the organisation ( Weener, 2006 ) . This besides helps to maintain an employee focused as he/she knows that the attempts he/she is seting in to the occupation will non be wasted and will be accounted for his calling growing. Retaining the employees has been the low precedence of the organisations that are in the UK retail sector, which has to be focused in order to derive the client satisfaction.
Several research surveies reveal the fact the wage is non the lone step which keeps the employee motivated ( Kreitner, 1995 ) . There are many other factors involved such as acknowledgments, employer willingness to listen, behaviour of coworkers, behaviour of supervisors, work load, vocational policies etc. In this respect the behaviour of the director or concerned supervisor is really of import as it has been observed that the directors who listens to their squad members and react to their questions affectively and quickly, they are much more motivated than the others. Employee engagement in day-to-day everyday determination and authorization are some of the other factors which besides help to increase the motive degree of the employees.
Many other options are available in literature and besides are in pattern by many celebrated organisations, but is the fact that motive can non be enforced instead it can merely come from within. Geting people to work is a really tactful thing and employee motive is one of those tactics. Herzberg theory is one of them which suggest that understanding the employee ‘s attitude is the lone manner to increase their motive degree. His theory suggests that the cardinal incentives are acknowledgment, accomplishment, calling promotion and the work itself ( Sullivan, 1989 ) .
Retailers such as Wal-Mart demonstrate that the people in the company make the difference in all that they did. This creates a spirit of teamwork and this merely a few retail companies can tout of ( Sullivan, 1989 ) . The ability to actuate is a rare gift but effectual in squad edifice. Every company in the retail sector wants to state that their people are friendly, enthusiastic, and loyal and have good work moralss. For effectual squad edifice, engaging and advancing the right people is necessary. It is non simply the experience and the educational background of the campaigner that affairs. He must hold happy temperament and all the demands have to be communicated to the campaigner at the clip of enlisting.
Performance assessments influence the motive degree of employees. It is believed that bureaucratism still influences current attitude and the directors are non a homogeneous group ( Terpstra, 1979 ) . Directors tend to trust more on third-party complains than on direct question of the employee concerned. This needs probe at Tesco to find to what extent public presentation assessments influence the motive and attitude of the employees.
The above literature reveals the fact that in order to hold a motivated staff the features of both the employee and the employer are of import. At the clip of enlisting the trough should choose the right individual so that the procedure of motive starts at the clip of enlisting and non after. If the individual is non selected for the right occupation so he/she will ne’er be extremely motivated by staying on that occupation ( Terpstra, 1979 ) . The employees who have direct interaction with the clients at the store floor should be motivated extremely as their behaviour will straight impact the client. If an employee is motivated so he/she will handle the client is a really good manner by demoing good gestures, by interacting with him nicely, by assisting him doing the determination from batch of picks available at store floor etc. But if the employee is non motivated so he will non make any of the above thing even if he is forced to make so he will execute it with bad bosom and will non be able to affect the client or may be make non handle the client nicely which can hold a annihilating consequence on the company ‘s repute ( Sullivan, 1989 ) . Based on the literature reexamine the research methodological analysis for the research survey will be designed.
Research Methodology
3.1 Framework – Attitude Theory
This research survey is related to the attitude of the employees towards their occupation in the instance company. Job satisfaction is straight affected by the motive degree of the employees, so this survey will utilize the attitude theory as the model of research ( Gitlin, 1998 ) . Following the attitude theory will let to place that how the employee ‘s attitude reflects when directors try to actuate him/her by utilizing different techniques ( Yin, 2003 ) . This will besides assist to place that how employees respond to the clients with different degree of motive. This research survey will uncover that how the Tesco ‘s motive schemes have influenced on the attitudes the employees and what affect it has made on client ‘s satisfaction. A broad scope of diaries and articles contains several diaries and articles related to motive and employee satisfaction every bit good as client satisfaction. Different hunt engines such as Google, AltaVista and Yahoo will be used to seek widely available literature on the relevant subject. Reliable beginnings will be used to roll up informations that will guarantee the dependability of the information.
3.2 Research Approach
Research attack refers to the methods of research that the research worker adapts during his/her research. There are many research methods available but most widely used are qualitative and quantitative research methods. Both research methods carry their ain importance and have several advantages every bit good as disadvantages ( Yin, 2003 ) . Many renowned research workers suggest that the mix of both he research methods should be used in order to hold utile research consequences. This research survey is aimed to roll up the information sing the Tesco ‘s schemes to actuate their employees so the inductive or the qualitative method of research is chosen. Under this method informations will be collected by utilizing different instruments from different stakeholders such as client, employees, and directors.
Under qualitative research methods a instance survey attack will be adapted by concentrating on the schemes of one instance company. For this intent Tesco has been selected as instance company and its human resource schemes sing motive of the employees will be evaluated. A instance survey attack is ideal as it provides holistic, in-depth probe. Data will be collected from different stakeholders by utilizing different instruments. Different point of views of different forces will be compared in order to verify the genuineness of different version of informations. Case surveies permit empirical probes which is indispensable for this survey. Detailed cognition about a peculiar instance can be collected.
3.3 Data aggregation
For research survey informations aggregation is really of import portion as in this it should be made certain that accurate informations is collected form the relevant beginnings otherwise the consequences of the research survey will be useless. There are two types of informations i.e. Primary Data and Secondary Data. Primary data refers to that information which is the basal line of the research survey ( Saunders, M. , Lewis, P. & A ; Thornhill, A. , 2006 ) . The consequences of the research survey are extracted from the analysis and rating of the primary informations. On the other manus the secondary information is the back uping informations which gives a reappraisal of the bing surveies and relevant theories to back up the research consequences extracted from primary informations.
For this research survey research informations will be collected from different techniques and utilizing different instruments. Survey questionnaires will be distributed to the staff members working at Tesco shops. Datas collected from these questionnaires will uncover different factors such as satisfaction degree from wage, from supervisor ‘s attitude, company policies etc. and that will finally assist to happen out the motive degree of these employees. Some interviews will besides be taken from these staff members in order to cover those employees who are unable to show their feelings through study questionnaire. At different yearss of the hebdomad some clients of Tesco will besides be approached at different shops and those will be interviewed in order to understand their satisfaction degree form the services of the company.
Third, the directors would be interviewed to find how they try to alter the attitude of the employees and actuate them. It is of import to look into what Tesco has been utilizing while enlisting of new people at their shops. This requires interviews of the directors every bit good as the staff. They would be questioned on their attack, on the preparation and calling growing, on the group coherence, their attempts towards squad development, their attack in the enlisting procedure and their overall motive scheme. Data therefore collected from three different groups through four mechanisms would assist to derive an penetration on how different classs of people map.
Sum uping the above treatment, the informations will be collected as follows:
Staff Members – Using questionnaires and questioning the focal point group
Customers of Tesco – Short interviews during the shopping at store floor
Shop Managers – Detailed single interviews
Attempts would be put in in order to pull out the needed information i.e. the morale degree of the employees and how they feel about their employer. Questions apart from occupation satisfaction and motive such as common trust and regard would besides be asked from the employees of the company. These inquiries will seek to cover all the possible facets which can impact the motive degree of the employees straight or indirectly.
3.4 Sampling
Sampling for the aggregation of primary informations will non be followed and questionnaires will be distributed among the staff members of Tesco every bit much as possible. It is because to roll up the maximal questionnaires filled so that the research consequence may come more accurate and reliable. For the intent of interviews at least 3 people will be chosen. These respondents may increase depending on the handiness and entree to the concerned shop managers/supervisors.
For the rating the client ‘s satisfaction degree the interviews will be conducted signifier clients every bit good. This will be done indiscriminately as in different vacations, particular occasions such as Christmas. For this intent at least three random clients will be interviewed and will be asked several inquiries which will besides include unfastened ended and near complete inquiries. These interviews will assist to happen the attitude of the supervisors, staff members and even the directors of the Tesco shop signifier the clients on different occasions.
3.5 Data analysis
For screening out the relevant informations form the broad literature reappraisal, informations decrease processs will be used and to the analysis of the empirical information which would be collected from the interviews and studies will be done through package i.e. SPSS.
Ethical concerns
On the subject motive for the employees and client satisfaction a broad literature is available in the signifier of books, diaries, publications, articles, peer reappraisals etc. and can easy be accessed from the libraries of signifier on-line resources. Equally far as the interviews and studies are concerned, the respondents will be informed prior to the interviews and studies. The intent and the ground of the inquiries to be asked will be elaborated to all the respondents and there will be no picture and audio recording of the interviews. Furthermore, the responses of the interviewees will be kept extremely confidential. For the study forms a bead box would be made available at different Tesco shops and the respondents will non hold to compose their names or other information which shows their individuality. This will let acquiring the just and existent responses of the staff members. Anterior permission and assignment for the interviews from the shop respective directors and besides the organisation will be taken.
