Impact of Hard Brexit on HRM and Expat Employees in UK Retail Sector

Dissertation

Acknowledgement
On the very outset of this dissertation, I would like to extend my sincere and heartfelt
obligation towards all the persons who helped me in this endeavour. Without their guidance,
help, cooperation and encouragement I would not have headway in the project.
I am extremely thankful and pay my gratitude to my faculty for their guidance and support
for the completion of the research.
I am acknowledging with a deep sense of reverence, my gratitude towards my parents and
member of family who has always supported me morally and economically.
At last, not the least gratitude goes to all of my friends, who directly and indirectly supported
me to complete the project,
Thank you

TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................6
Background of the study........................................................................................................6
Research aim and objectives..................................................................................................6
Research questions.................................................................................................................6
Rationale of the study.............................................................................................................6
Significance............................................................................................................................6
Structure of dissertation.........................................................................................................7
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW...................................................................................8
Overview of Brexit.................................................................................................................8
Impact of hard Brexit on HRM..............................................................................................9
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.....................................................................14
Research type.......................................................................................................................14
Research approach...............................................................................................................14
Research philosophy............................................................................................................14
Data collection.....................................................................................................................15
Sampling..............................................................................................................................15
Data analysis........................................................................................................................15
Reliability and validity.........................................................................................................16
Ethical consideration............................................................................................................16
CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS...........................................................................................17
CHAPTER 5: FINDINGS & DISCUSSIONS.........................................................................28

REFERENCES.........................................................................................................................31
APPENDIX..............................................................................................................................34

Topic: To investigate the impact of hard brexit on human resource management (HRM)
and expat employees in UK within retail sector
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Background of the study
In the current times, Brexit is recognized as the significant aspect or issue within UK.
Moreover, after leaving Eurpean Union (EU), there will be change in several rules and
regulations pertaining to UK. In UK, there are several employees who belong from European
Union. In this regard, HR department of UK retail firm will face issue pertaining to manage
human resources. Moreover, following brexit strategic HR issues will occur in relation to
freedom of movement and retention of EU staff. In the current times, UK economy is
experiencing the condition of full employment. Highly qualified and experienced workers are
doing job in UK which shows migrants as main contributors in an economy. In addition to
this, rule of workers migration will also be changed after brexit. All these aspects create
challenges in front of HR department to a great extent. The present dissertation will provide
deeper insight about brexit and manner in which HR practices of UK retail firms get affected
following this situation. It will also shed light on the tools that researcher employs for
discovering suitable information. This dissertation highlights the level of influence and
strategies that HR managers should undertake for drafting competent framework for
workforce planning and retention.
Research aim and objectives
Aim
The main motive behind conducting present investigation is to assess the manner in
which hard brexit impacts HRM and expat employees working in UK retail sector.
Objectives: Referring above aim following objectives has been presented such as:
 To develop understanding about hard brexit and trend of expat employees in UK.
 To ascertain the influence of Hard brexit on HRM of UK’s retail firms.
 To identify challenges that expat employees will face due to brexit.
 To recommend strategies to retail firms in relation to dealing with hard brexit
pertaining to HR practices.

Research questions
Q.1 What is the concept of hard brexit?
Q.2 What is the current trend of expat employees in UK?
Q.3 What is the impact of hard brexit on HRM in the context of UK’s retail firms?
Q.4 Which challenges expat employees in UK are facing due to brexit?
Rationale of the study
The main reason behind conducting current investigation is to ascertain the level to
which HR practices will be affected due to brexit. It is considered as an issue because after
brexit UK would not become able to attract talented people from EU zone. In the retail sector,
employee turnover is already high which in turn directly impacts business operations and
functions. In this regard, it becomes essential for the firms, operating in retail sector, to
develop highly skilled and talented workforce. In addition to this, following brexit, there will
be significant reduction in the EU citizen who came UK for working or employment purpose.
This in turn recognized as an issue now because UK has formally ceased its membership of
EU. Thus, now HR authorities of UK retail firms need to lay emphasis on developing
strategies for workforce planning and dealing with the condition of brexit effectually.
Significance
Outcome of the present investigation is highly significant which provides UK retail
firms with a framework that helps in dealing with issues may occur as a result of brexit.
Further, it will also give high level of assistance to other scholars who wish to conduct study
on similar topic. Now, brexit is cotemporary issue so results of this study will help
researchers in developing hypothesis for further studies or investigation. In this way, such
study will offer benefit to several stakeholders.
Structure of dissertation
Chapter 1: Introduction
First chapter of dissertation includes brief overview of hard brexit and its impact on
HRM as well as expat employees in UK. It contains aim and objectives upon which whole
study is based.
Chapter 2: Literature review

In chapter 2, books, journals and scholarly articles will be evaluated with the motive
to attain objectives from theoretical perspective. This chapter of dissertation is highly
significant which in turn helps in interpreting primary data set effectually.
Chapter 3: Research methodology
This chapter of dissertation presents tools and techniques that will be employed for
addressing research question or issue. It entails research type, approach, philosophy, data
collection and analysis method that help in fulfilling research aim and objectives
Chapter 4: Data analysis & findings
It is the main part of dissertation which presents findings of research through the
means of thematic analysis. For ensuring better understanding about results graphs have been
added.
Chapter 5: Conclusion & recommendations
This chapter concludes findings derived from data analysis section and strategies that
HR of retail firms can adopt for dealing with the situation of hard brexit.

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
Literature review is the type of a review of any article. Thus, it is the scholarly article
which involves the current knowledge that further includes substantive findings as well as
some theoretical and methodological contribution for a particular topic. In the same way,
current section review some articles in order to determine the impact of Brexit upon HRM as
well as expat employees so that it will help to gain deep understanding of this topic. This
section describe meaning of Brexit and then examine how Brexit affect HRM and its impact
upon business operations. Further, it also describe the how Brexit affect expat employees.
Overview of Brexit
According to Benjamens and et.al., (2020) Brexit refers to that decision when UK
leave European Unions. Thus, it involves the process of negotiating the new trade deals,
citizen registration rules and boarder etc. So the process actually started on June 23, 2016
when referendum is passed by 51.9% to 48.1%. Moreover, Thomson (2020) support that if
UK does a hard Brexit then country have to attain more freedom in order to create their own
trade deals with other countries. So, the hard Brexit is that situation, where UK have to give
up access to a single market and custom unions. For instance, under EU law, a candidate of
another EU nation may decide to move or live in UK and they did not have any restrictions.
But this in turn, leads to increase immigration into Britain and also created difficulties to
fulfill the need of house and people. Hence, through hard Brexit, UK will possess full control
over their borders.
Latorre, Olekseyuk and Yonezawa (2020) argued that being a part of EU, UK benefits
from trade deals between EU as well as other world powers. Thus, through this deal, EU
applies stronger bargaining power because it has a largest economy. So, leaving UK would
lose negotiating power as well as free trade from other European countries. Not even this, UK
also try to recreate trade deals with other countries but unfortunately it get low favorable
results. Breinlich and et.al., (2020) also supported that the uncertainty of Brexit not cause
economy but also business operations of UK. Such that due to hard Brexit, goods and
services will be charged heavy tariff and as a result, it increases the cost of raw material into
Britain . Thus, most of the company also got affected with the Brexit and this in turn affect
the decision taken by HRM in top companies.