The Influence of Training of Staff on Customer Service Quality: Zara as a Case Study

APPLICATION FOR ETHICAL APPROVAL
In order for research to result in benefit and minimise risk of harm, it must be conducted ethically. A
researcher may not be covered by the University’s insurance if ethical approval has not been
obtained prior to commencement.
The University follows the OECD Frascati manual definition of research activity: “creative work undertaken
on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and
society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applications”. As such this covers activities
undertaken by members of staff, postgraduate research students, and both taught postgraduate and
undergraduate students working on dissertations/projects.
The individual undertaking the research activity is known as the “principal researcher”.
Ethical approval is not required for routine audits, performance reviews, quality assurance studies, testing
within normal educational requirements, and literary or artistic criticism.
Please read the notes for guidance before completing ALL sections of the form.
This form must be completed and approved prior to undertaking any research activity. Please see
Checklist for details of process for different categories of application.
SECTION A: About You (Principal Researcher)
1 Full Name:
2 Tick all boxes that apply: Member of staff: ☐ Honorary research
fellow: ☐
Undergraduate Student ☐ Taught Postgraduate
Student ☐ Postgraduate
Research Student ☐
3 Institute/Academic
Discipline/Centre:
4 Campus:
5 E-mail address:
6 Contact Telephone Number:
For students:
7 Student Number:
8 Programme of Study:
9 Director of Studies/Supervisor:

SECTION B: Approval for Research Activity
1 Has the research activity received approval in principle?
(please check the Guidance Notes as to the appropriate
approval process for different levels of research by different
categories of individual)
YES ☐ NO ☐
Date
2 If Yes, please indicate source of
approval (and date where known):
Approval in principle must be
obtained from the relevant source
prior to seeking ethical approval
Research Degrees Committee ☐
Institute Research Committee ☐
Other (write in) ☐
SECTION C: Internal and External Ethical Guidance Materials
Please list the core ethical guidance documents that have been referred to during the completion of
this form (including any discipline-specific codes of research ethics, location-specific codes of
research ethics, and also any specific ethical guidance relating to the proposed methodology).
Please tick to confirm that your research proposal adheres to these codes and guidelines. You may
add rows to this table if needed.
1 UWTSD Research Ethics & Integrity Code of Practice ☐
2 UWTSD Research Data Management Policy ☐
3 [List any other relevant documents here] ☐
SECTION D: External Collaborative Research Activity
If there are external collaborators then you should gain consent from the contact persons to share their
personal data with the university. If there are no external collaborators then leave this section blank and
continue to section E.
1 Institution
2 Contact person name
3 Contact person e-mail address
4 Is your research externally funded? YES NO ☐
5 Are you in receipt of a KESS scholarship? YES NO ☐
6 Are you specifically employed to
undertake this research in either a
paid or voluntary capacity?
Voluntary YES ☐ NO ☐
7 Employed YES ☐ NO ☐
8 Is the research being undertaken
within an existing UWTSD Athrofa
Professional Learning Partnership
(APLP)?
If YES then the
permission question
below does not need
to be answered.
YES NO ☐
9 Has permission to undertake the
research has been provided by the
partner organisation?
(If YES attach copy)
If NO the application
cannot continue
YES NO ☐
Where research activity is carried out in collaboration with an external organisation
10 Does this organisation have its own ethics approval system? YES ☐ NO ☐

If Yes, please attach a copy of any final approval (or interim approval) from the organisation (this
may be a copy of an email if appropriate).
SECTION E: Details of Research Activity
1 Indicative title:
The Influence of training of staff on customer service quality in the
fashion retail sector: Zara as a case study
2 Proposed start date: 02/01/2022 Proposed end date: 05/30/2022
Introduction to the Research (maximum 300 words per section)
Ensure that you write for a Non-Specialist Audience when outlining your response to the
points below:
Purpose of Research Activity:
Proposed Research Question
Aims of Research Activity
Objectives of Research Activity
Demonstrate, briefly, how Existing Research has informed the proposed activity and explain
What the research activity will add to the body of knowledge
How it addresses an area of importance.
3
Purpose of Research Activity
The main purpose of conducting this research study is to identify impacts of staff training on
customers’ service quality”.
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Research Question
1. Why there is requirement of providing quality services to customers by retailers?
2. How can trained employees impact on customers’ service quality?
3. Which strategies should be adopted by Zara for improving customers’ service quality?
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Aims of Research Activity
The aim of this research study and performing all activities is” To discuss impacts of training, given
to employees on customers’ service quality”.
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Objectives of Research Activity
 To identify reasons of providing valuable service to customers.
 To discuss impacts of skilled and trained staff on customers’ service quality.
 To recommend strategies for improving customers’ service quality.
Proposed methods
7 Having a clear description of research strategies and methods is important as it can help out

researchers in accomplishing goals by collecting accurate and reliable data.
Research strategy: Qualitative and quantitative are 2 types of researcher. Qualitative is being
associated with non-numerical data and as per this strategy, researcher requires collecting data in the
form of text and feelings. Whereas, data collected in numerical form can be known as quantitative.
For this study, qualitative will be conducted.
Research approach: Inductive and deductive are 2 research approaches. Inductive is targeted with
generation of brand new theory and deductive is targeted at development of an existing theory. For
conducting this study of knowing impacts of training on customers’ service quality, inductive
approach will be selected.
Research philosophy: It is a belief about some effective ways by which data regarding research
study can be collected and analysed. Interpretivism and positivism are 2 main research philosophies.
As per interpretivism, researcher believes that individuals should be observed as they shape societies
behaviour. Positivism believes that society should be observes because it shapes individuals’
behaviour. As per the suitability with qualitative research study, interpretivism research philosophy
will be selected.
Data collection: Primary and secondary are 2 types of data collection. In primary type, researcher
collect those data that are not available on internet and are being collected for the first time. In
secondary type, researcher collects data that are easily accessible. For this study, both primary and
secondary data will be collected. For primary data, questionnaire and for secondary data, literature
will be conducted.
Sampling: Sampling can be known as a process of targeting people as participants for collecting
primary data. As in this study, researcher has decided to collect primary data by conducting
questionnaire so, with random sampling method, 30 employees of Zara will be selected.
Data analysis: As like research strategy, this data analysis is also being categorised into 2 types such
as qualitative and quantitative. As this study is qualitative so, researcher will make use of thematic
analysis as qualitative data analysis for analysing non-numerical data.
Location of research activity
Identify all locations where research activity will take place.
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(this box should expand as you type)
Research activity outside of the UK
If research activity will take place overseas, you are responsible for ensuring that local ethical
considerations are complied with and that the relevant permissions are sought. Specify any local
guidelines (e.g. from local professional associations/learned societies/universities) that exist and
whether these involve any ethical stipulations beyond those usual in the UK (provide details of any
licenses or permissions required). Also specify whether there are any specific ethical issues raised
by the local context in which the research activity is taking place, for example, particular cultural
and/or legal sensitivities or vulnerabilities of participants. If you live in the country where you will do
the research then please state this.
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