Impact of HRM Practices on Employee Retention in Food and Beverage Industry in Qatar

Title of research project: Exploring the impact of Human Resource Management
practices on employee’s retention: Evidence from the Food and Beverage industry in
the state of Qatar
By
Shirley Shamen Jayakody
(Student Number: J00046970)
A research project submitted for the Program Title: Master of Strategic Human Resources
Management
The Business School
University of Roehampton London
February, 2019

DECLARATION FORM
The work I have submitted is my own effort. I certify that all the material in this
Research project, which is not my own work, has been identified and acknowledged.
No materials are included for which a degree has been previously conferred upon me.
Signed Date
Shirley Shamen Jayakody 28 February 2019
Page 2 of 67

The Abstract
The employee retention is the significant human resource practices adopted in the organization.
This paper comprises the case study of the food and beverage industry of Qatar. The employee
turnover is stated as the huge issue for the concerning business organizations in Qatar. The
employee retention have major role in the overall employee turnover of the organization. The
organisations in the food and beverage industry of Qatar try to retain the employees by using
suitable and appropriate human resource policies. The main issue identified in the Qatar is
employee retention. The literature review is done in order to overview the human resource
management practices taken place in the food and beverage industry. The employee retention
along the factors and theories are critically analysed. The human resource practices have been
analysed affecting employee turnover and retention in food and beverage industry of Qatar. The
paper also defines the relationship between employee retention and organizational profitability.
A scientific research is used to conduct research on the employee retention. The strengths and
limitations of the descriptive research design is specified in the paper. The study comprised
sample size and sampling technique along with the data collection and techniques. The face
validity, content validity and construct validity is performed as a part of research. The
quantitative is used as a part of data analysis technique. The ethical issues have been also
identified in the data collection. The data analysis and findings comprised reliability statistics to
build reliable measurement. The frequency statistics comprised several factors for the analysis
like gender, experience with the current organization, factors contributing to happy work
environment, aim to achieve at work, goals and reason for leaving organization. This factor
analysis helped in understanding the influences which causes to reduce retention of employees in
the organization. It can help to the industry in improving the factors which reduces the retention.
Accordingly, the industry can make improvement. The significance is sufficient enough in
implementing changes in the organization concerning employee’s retention. The factor analysis
has been also used as a part of the data analysis. It covered KMO and Bartlett’s test. The
hypothesis testing is also used as a part of HR practices and employee retention in the food and
beverage industry in Qatar. The relationship and association between the HR practices and
employee retention have been clearly defined with the help of hypothesis.
Page 3 of 67

Table of Contents
The Abstract
3
Chapter 1: Introduction, organisational context, and research objectives 8
1.1 Introduction 8
1.2 Background of the study 8
1.3 Problem Statement (Organizational Issue) 8
1.4 Significance of the study 9
1.5 Research Objectives 9
1.6 Research Questions 9
1.7 Rationale for the chosen research question 9
1.8 Research Hypothesis 10
1.9 Research environment and the demographics 10
1.10 Literature Gap 11
1.11 Academic relevance 11
1.12 Summary of Chapter 12
Chapter 2: Critical Literature Review 13
2.1 Introduction 14
2.2 Overview of Human Resource Management practices conducted in the food and beverage
industry in Qatar 14
2.3 Overview of the concepts of Employee retention, the factors and theories related to it 15
2.4 Human Resource practices affecting upon employee turnover, retention in Food & Beverage
Industry in Qatar 17
2.5 Relationship and establishing a balance between employee retention and organizational
profitability 19
2.6 Gaps in Literature 21
2.7 Summary 21
Page 4 of 67

Chapter 3: Research Methodology
3.0 Introduction 22
3.1 Research Design 22
3.2 Strengths and limitations of descriptive research design 23
3.3 Population of the study 24
3.4 Sample size and Sampling technique 24
3.5 Data collection tools and techniques 25
3.6 Validity and Reliability analysis 26
3.7 Data analysis technique 27
3.8 Ethical issues involved in data collection 28
3.9 Summary of chapter 28
Chapter 4:
4.1 Data Analysis and findings 29
4.2 Frequency statistics 29
4.3 Factor analysis 36
4.4 Hypotheses Testing 36
Chapter 5:
Conclusion & Recommendation
5.1 Introduction 45
5.2 Conclusions 45
5.3 Implications of findings 46
5.4 Contribution to the knowledge 48
5.5 Recommendations to the organization 49
5.6 Limitations and Suggestions for future studies 51
References: 53
Appendix 1
Research Questionnaire 58
Appendix 2
Page 5 of 67

Research Hypothesis 59
Appendix 3
Approval Letters 60
Appendix 4
Ethical Approval 61
Page 6 of 67

Acknowledgements
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my husband, family and friends for the support
extended throughout my years of study and the process of researching and writing this thesis.
My current work place for supporting me and providing me time-off to gather my data
collection.
A special thank goes to my thesis advisor Dr. Olawumi Awolusi for encouraging me, steering me
in the right direction to complete the project and also guiding me and providing valuable
comments on this thesis. This accomplishment would not have been possible without all of these
people’s support.
Thank you.
Page 7 of 67

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION, ORGANISATIONAL CONTEXT, AND RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
1.1 Introduction
The following course of writing provides descriptive information regarding the background of
the study. The problem statement for which that works is provided and the objectives to guide
the research work. The research questions and the significance of the research work are also
provided for extra descriptive and concise work.
1.2 Background of the Study
The fact of employee retention is largely met and satisfied by the kind of Human Resource
practices and policies that are adopted in an organization. In this project, the cases from the food
and beverage industry in Qatar shall be taken into consideration. It can be said that a good human
resource management helps in the accurate amount and kind of employee retention in an
organization as well as in the whole of the food and beverage industry. This amount of employee
retention also affects the overall employee turnover in an organization. Employee turnover can
be stated to be huge issue for any business organization related to this industry in Qatar (Bratton
and Gold, 2017). The organization try their utmost to manage and retain employees by making
use of suitable and effective human resource policies and practices in order to make the
maximum out of the people working in their respective concerns. The issue of low employee
retention has been seen in this specific industry operating in the country of Qatar. In order to see
through the facts of the problem and sort out effective remedies, the study has been taken into
account and specific topic of study has been chosen.
1.3 Problem Statement (Organizational issues)
Employee retention is one of the major concerns for the food and beverage industry operating in
the country of Qatar. It can be said that each year, more than around 100% of the previously
working individuals leave the industry. These results due to high level of competition among the
staffs and lower level of payments and incentives offered to them. The industry has been plagued
with high level of employee turnover, which overall damages and weakens the financial stability
Page 8 of 67