Impact of work-life balance and flexible working on performance of employees

This research proposal explores the impact of work-life balance and flexible working on the performance of employees at Sainsbury. It aims to evaluate the concept of work-life balance and enrichment experience, determine the impact on employee performance, and suggest ways for managers to improve work-life balance and ensure flexible working.

Research Proposal Form
Student Name: _ Student ID: ____________
Centre Name:
Tutor: ________________ Date:
Unit: 11 Research Proposal
Proposed Title: Impact of work-life balance and flexible working on performance of
employees

Section One: Title, objective, responsibilities
Title or working title of the research project (in the form of a question, objective or
hypothesis)
The selected topic for current research project is, “Impact of work-life balance and flexible
working on performance of employees”. A Research work on Sainsbury.
Research Aim
The aim of this research work is, “To evaluate about the concept of Work-Life balance
and Enrichment Experience along with impact of flexible working on performance of
employees”. A Research work on Sainsbury.
Research objectives (e.g what is the question you want to answer? What do you want
to learn how to do? What do you want to find out?):
The main objectives and purpose that would be analyses and evaluated though current
resrch work on Sainsbury are listed as follows:
 To review about the concept of Work-Life balance and Enrichment Experience at
workplace.
 To determine the impact lead by work-life balance and flexible working on
performance of employees working at Sainsbury.
 To evaluate various ways that could be adopted by managers of Sainsbury to lead
better work-life balance and ensure flexible working for its employees.
Question Tag
Following are the set research question for current investigation:
 What is meant by the concept of Work-Life balance and Enrichment Experience
and why it is vital for an organisation?
 What impact could be seen on performance of employees working at Sainsbury
due to the better management and creation of work-life balance and flexible
working?
 What are the possible recommended and suggested ways that could be taken up by
the managers of Sainsbury to lead better work-life balance and ensure flexible
working for its employees?
Section Two: Reasons for choosing this research project
Reasons for choosing the project (e.g links to other subjects you are studying, personal interest, future
plans, knowledge/skills you want to improve, why the topic is important):
The main reasons which are associated with the selection of current research topic based
on the implication of work-lie balance and flexible working is to evaluate about the impact

lead by employee enrichment and work life balance on the performance of employees so
that better steps and strategies could be made to effectively direct and motivate employees
for enhanced efficiency. The current research project is vital from the professional aspects
of researcher as it lead to enhanced information and knowledge about the concept of work
life balance and flexible working within an orgnisation along with its importance and
impact on overall performance and efficiency of employees. Further, collect research
project is also significant and rationale from personal view point of researcher as it meet
personal interest and academic purpose along with leading improvement in skills and
competencies.
Section Three: Literature sources searched
To review about the concept of Work-Life balance and Enrichment Experience at
workplace.
As per the view point of Justin Craig Field1and Xi Wen Chan. 2018., the concept of work-
life balance and employee enrichment is mainly associated with the overall appraisal and
balance set by an individual between its work and family life to maintain an appropriate
level of effectiveness and satisfaction. Efforts are made by employer and employee to
perceive greater balance among multiple roles to enjoy additional positive benefits of
work-life balance beyond the influences of conflict and enrichment (Dizaho, Salleh and
Abdullah, 2017). An evaluation of theories that are associated with the of Work-Life
balance and Enrichment Experience at workplace are evaluated below:
Boundary and Border Theory- This theory mainly contributes to the better study of work-
life balance through describing the fact that how various levels of work life integration of
employees affects their well-being and also address the way that how individuals set a
cross boundaries between their work and life. Thus, this theory emphasis on setting clearer
boundaries for physical time and working hours to lead better distribution of time for both
work and personal life (Ramakrishnan and Arokiasamy, 2019).
Compensation Theory- This theory set out better relationships within the work-family
through properly representing the compensation which employees get for their work so
that a clear bifurcation of their time for work and family could be made (Talukder, Vickers
and Khan, 2018).
To determine the impact lead by work-life balance and flexible working on

performance of employees working at Sainsbury
With regard to the information provided by the Robert Half. 2019, it has been observed
that a positive impact is lead by work-life balance and flexible working on performance of
employees working at Sainsbury as it lead to enhanced motivation and commitment level
in employees which directs them to perform more effectively. The main benefits and
positive impact leads by work-life balance and flexible working on the performance of
employees are evaluated below:
Boost morale and creativity of employees- The proper management of work-life balance
and flexible working lead to improvement in commitment level of employees which boost
their morale and creativity level through encouraging employees to think out of the box
and come up with more creative ideas. Further, flexible working also improves physical
and mental well-being of employees that leads a positive impact on their performance
(Zheng and et. al., 2016).
Reduction in Cost- It is another advantages of flexible working as it lead to reduction in
unproductive cost for both employer and employees which consist of saving of
transportation cost and allowing employees to use communal seats and computers which
leads an opportunity for organisation to increase headcount without having a larger office
space (Bukhari, Gupta and Taggar, 2018).
To evaluate various ways that could be adopted by managers of Sainsbury to lead
better work-life balance and ensure flexible working for its employees
As per the information provided by Grainne Shaughnessy, 2020, the ways that could be
adopted by managers of Sainsbury to lead better work-life balance and ensure flexible
working for its employees are evaluated as follows:
Encourage managers to focus on productivity, rather than hours- The mangers of
Sainsbury should focus on efficient completion of a task instead of counting he working
hours of employees as it motivates and encourage employees to work more efficiently and
with a more focused mind for timely accomplishment of task and also ensures better
coordinating between their work and personal life (Kumari and Vasantha, 2019).
Regularly review workloads- The another way that could be adopted by managers consist
of regular review of work allocation for employees as it keep a check on workload and

ensures that employees have achievable workloads to set a balance between their work life
and personal time (Long, 2017).
Section Four: Activities and timescales
Activities to be carried out during the research project (e.g research,
development and analysis of ideas, writing, data collection, numerical
analysis, tutor meetings, production of final outcome, evaluation, writing the
report):
Aims and objective
Research methodology
Literature review
Data collection
Data analysis
Conclusion and recommendations
How long this will take:
15 day
30 days
30 days
40 days
35 days
10 days
Gantt Chart

Section Five: Research approach and methodologies
What type of research approach and methodologies are you likely to use and why? What your areas of
research will cover:
In order to make use of appropriate and most vital research approach and methodologies
for current investigation use of Saunder’s Research Onion is made a discussion and
justification of which is provided below:
Figure 1: Saunder’s Research Onion , 2020
Research Philosophy- This forms the first layer of research onion that is bifurcated into
four parts Pragmatism, Posistivitism, Realism and Interpretivism. Out of these four types
of philosophies implication and use of Posistivitism philosophy would be made for current
investigation as it ensures better testing and analysis of set objectives along with leading
better support for quantitative form of data (Lott, 2018).
Research approach- This section of research onion is basically of two types which consist
of deductive and inductive forms of approach, out of which use of deductive approach is
made as it ensures better scanning of quantitative form of data and ensures better
implication of current objectives.
Research strategies- A larger number of strategies are there to lead and conduct an
investigation which consists of experiments, Survey, case study, archival research,

ethnography, etc from which implication and use of Survey strategy has been adopted as
seems most justifiable to lead current investigation (Talukder, Vickers and Khan, 2018).
Survey strategy ensures most efficient and effective way of data collection for current
investigation through making use of a questionnaire which ensures collection of abundant
and relevant information.
Choices of Method- There are two main method of conducting an investigation which
comprises of qualitative and quantitative forms of method out of which qualitative is
associated with theoretical information where as quantitative emphasis more on numeric
form of information (Ramakrishnan and Arokiasamy, 2019). For current investigation use
of quantitative form of method is more justifiable as it ensures collection of data in
numeric form that is more efficient and easy to present and communicate to accomplish
current research objectives.
Data collection and analysis- For collection of data for current investigation on Sainsbury
use of both secondary and primary from of sources of data is made. The secondary
information would be collected from online forms of literature which comprises of online
journals and articles (Dizaho, Salleh and Abdullah, 2017). For collection of primary data,
use of a questionnaire is made.
Sample Method- With the help of random sampling method a sample size of 30
respondents is chosen from the employees of Sainsbury for conducting current
investigation.
Analysis of data collected from selected 30 employees of Sainsbury with the help of
questionnaires would be made through use of statistical pie charts and frequency table.
Comments and agreement from tutor
Comments (optional):
I confirm that the project is not work which has been or will be submitted for another qualification and is
appropriate.
Agreed: ________________ (name)_______________ Date ______________
Comments and agreement form project proposal checker( IV sampling)
Comments (Optional):
I confirm that the project is appropriate.
Agreed /Disagree: (Name of the IV) Date

Research Ethics approval form
All students conducting research activity that involves human participants or the use of data
collected form human participants are required to gain ethical approval before commencing
their research. Please answer all relevant questions and note that your form may be returned if
incomplete.
For further support and guidance please see your respective Unit Tutor:
Before completing this form, we advise that you discuss your proposed research fully with
your unit tutor. Please complete this form in good time before your research project is due to
commence.
Section 1: Basic details:
Project title:
The selected topic for current research project is,” Impact of work-life balance and flexible
working on performance of employees”. A Research work on Sainsbury.
Student name:
Student ID number:
Programme:
College Name:
Intended research start date:
Intended research end date:
Section 2 Project summary
Please select all research methods that you plan to use as a part of your project:
 Interviews No
 Questionnaires Yes
 Observations No
 Use of personal records No
 Data Analysis Yes
 Action Research No
 Focus Groups No
 Others (Please specify) : n/a
Section 3: Participants
Please answer the following questions, giving full details where necessary.
Will your research involve human participants? Yes
Who are the participants? Tick all that apply:
Ages 12-16: No Young people aged: 17-18 No Adults: Yes
How will participants be recruited (identified an approached)?
Participants will be recruited and selected from Employees of Sainsbury.
Describe the processes you will use to inform participants about what you are doing:
To inform participants use of online forms of communication like social media and e-mails will be made.
How will you obtain consent from participants? Will this be written? How will it be made clear to participants
that they may withdraw consent to participate at any time?
Through signing written consent form.

Studies involving questionnaires: will participants be given the option of omitting questions that do not wish
to answer?
Yes
If no please explain why below and ensure that you cover any ethical issues arising from this
Studies involving observation: Confirm whether participants will be asked for their informed consent to be
observed.
No
Will you debrief participants at the end of their participation (i.e give them a brief explanation of the study)?
Yes
Will participants be given information about the findings of your study?(This could be a brief summary of
your findings in general)
Yes
Section 4: Data Storage and Security
Confirm that all personal data will be stored and processed in compliance with the Data Protection Act
(1998)
Yes
Who will have access to the data and personal information?
Only Researcher and tutors
During the research:
Reseacher/Supervisor
Where will the data be stored?
Stored in DOC document with the use of USB and Laptop
Will mobile devices such as USB storage and laptops be used
Yes
If Yes, please provide further details:
After the research: the data will be safely disposed
Where will the data be stored?: USB/Laptop
How long will the data and records be kept for and in what format?
Three to five months
Will data be kept for use by other researchers? No
Section 5 : Ethical Issues
Are there any particular features of your proposed work, which may raise ethical concerns? If so, please
outline how you will deal with these: N/A
It is important that you demonstrate your awareness of potential risks that may arise because of your
research. Please consider/address all issues that may apply. Ethical concerns may include, but are not
limited to the following :
 Informed consent. Yes
 Potentially vulnerable participants. n/a
 Sensitive topics n/a
 Risk to participants and /or researchers: n/a
 Confidentiality/anonymity: Yes
 Disclosures/ limits to confidentiality: Yes
 Data storage and security, both during and after the research (including transfer, sharing,
encryption, protection). Yes
 Reporting: Yes
 Dissemination and use of your findings: Yes
Section 6: Declaration

I have read, understood and will abide by the institution’s Research and Ethics Policy: Yes
I have discussed the ethical issues relating to my research with my Unit Tutor:
Yes
I confirm that to the best of my knowledge:
The above information is correct, and this is a full description of the ethical issues that may arise in the
course of my research
Name: Date:
Please submit your completed form to your tutor and also attach to the Research Proposal when
submitting to Turnitin.
References
Dizaho, E.K., Salleh, R. and Abdullah, A., 2017. Achieveing Work Life Balance Through
Flexible Work Schedules and Arrangements. Global Business & Management
Research, 9.
Ramakrishnan, S. and Arokiasamy, L., 2019. Flexible Working Arrangements in Malaysia; a
Study of Employee's Performance on White Collar Employees. Global Business and
Management Research. 11(1). pp.551-559.
Talukder, A.K.M., Vickers, M. and Khan, A., 2018. Supervisor support and work-life
balance. Personnel Review.
Zheng, C. and et. al., 2016. Impact of individual coping strategies and organisational work–
life balance programmes on Australian employee well-being. The International
Journal of Human Resource Management. 27(5). pp.501-526.
Bukhari, S. S., Gupta, M. and Taggar, R., 2018. An Empirical Study on Employees
Perception of Existing Flexible Work Practices and its Impact on their Performance.
Amity Global HRM Review, 8.
Kumari, V. and Vasantha, S., 2019. Impact of Work Life Balance on Employee Performance.
Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development. 10(10). pp.219-222.
Long, C. S., 2017. The Relationship Between Work-Life Balance (WLB) and Firm
Performance. In Handbook of Research on Organizational Culture and Diversity in
the Modern Workforce (pp. 402-411). IGI Global.
Lott, Y., 2018. Does flexibility help employees switch off from work? Flexible working-time
arrangements and cognitive work-to-home spillover for women and men in Germany.
Social Indicators Research, pp.1-24.
Online
Grainne Shaughnessy. 2020. 12 ways to support a better work-life balance for your
employees. [Online]. Available Through:
<https://www.sagepeople.com/about-us/news-hub/hr-support-better-work-life-
balance-workplace/ >
Robert Half. 2019. Flexible working hours: 7 benefits your business is missing out on.
[Online]. Available Through:
<https://www.roberthalf.com.sg/blog/employers/flexible-working-hours-7-benefits-
your-business-missing-out >
Justin Craig Field1and Xi Wen Chan. 2018. Contemporary Knowledge Workers and the
Boundaryless Work–Life Interface: Implications for the Human Resource
Management of the Knowledge Workforce. [Online]. Available Through:
<https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02414/full >