Business Research Report: Work-Life Balance of Zara's Managers

This business research report investigates work-life balance from the perspective of operational managers at Zara, a prominent retail company. The research employs an unstructured interview method to gather qualitative data from an operational manager, focusing on the challenges and strategies related to balancing work and personal life. The report details the rationale for choosing this method, the interview questions used, and a thematic analysis of the responses. Key findings highlight the significance of work-life balance for managers, the impact of long working hours, and the role of the operational manager in creating and managing this balance, especially in a diverse cultural environment. The report concludes with a reflection on the interview and analysis process, including limitations and suggestions for further research, emphasizing the importance of work-life balance for managerial effectiveness and overall organizational success. The research underscores that managers need to keep a demarcation between their personal and professional lives. The report also discusses the benefits of working at Zara and offers insights into how to gain the trust and commitment of people working under their guidance.

Business Research Methods

INTRODUCTION
Business research refers to a systematic enquiry which provide guidance for managing
managerial decisions. This concept includes a process of planning, analysing the data which is
conducted on a specified topic (Maertz Jr and Boyar, 2011). Under this procedure, researchers
use primary technique mostly to collect data. The present business research is based on work life
balance, which shows how managers of a company hold their responsibilities. It entails the way
by which managers handle different situations and manage entire responsibilities. For this
purpose, Zara is taken which is a retail company and offer products by both online and offline
process.
Zara is one of the best retailer company of the world, which has offered its products in
many countries. It includes a range of fashionable clothes, trendy bags, shoes and accessories. It
has near about 7,475 stores and has online presence also. As this research is based on the way a
manager handle company’s operational activities. Therefore, an interview is made under this
assignment which focuses on main issues, related with work-life balance. It concerns mainly on
long working hours which impacts negatively on maintaining between personal and professional
life. Further, an analysis of these interview questions is also done through perception of
operational manager.
Rationale behind choice of interview, analytical strategy and chosen issue
The style of interview selected for asking questions is unstructured. This is largely owing
to the set of unstructured and unspecific questions that are largely a part of this. However, while
conducting such interview, interviews keep in consideration certain important topics that need to
be enquired from interviewee. This type of interview has been conducted to carry out research as
these flows in ways like a daily conversation. Unstructured interviews are generally informal and
encourage openness of personnel. Thus, researcher is able to effectively collect information
through this method (Bell, Bryman and Harley, 2018). The analytical strategy used by
interviewer here to gather relevant data and statistics is thematic strategy. This is owing to the
fact that it is a part of qualitative research that is utilised widely for research (interview)
questions. This evaluation strategy has been adopted because it contains a series of tools like
identification, description, organising, analysis and reporting of various themes within the set of
information collected through interview. Also, the issue that has been chosen to bring light upon
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is work life balance (Saunders and Lewis, 2012). The rationale behind selecting this case is to
highlight the significance of realising that there is a need for people to understand how to keep
an effective balance between personal and professional lives.
Interview questions
Interview Questions
Q1) Tell something about yourself?
Q2) Do you think role of a manager in a company is as simple as look?
Q3) how can you differentiate position of a manager in a firm than others?
Q4) What are the main responsibilities played by a manager?
Q3) According to you, what is the most difficult task a manager plays in an organisation
related to work life balance?
Q5) Describe something about your current work and company with whom you are
engaging with?
Q6) What is the speciality of your company (Zara) and it is different from other
organisations which are dealing in same sector?
Q7) Does managerial decisions create any type of impact on working procedures of
others?
Q8) Since how long you are working with Zara and how it changes your life?
Q9) What do you think about importance of work life balance within your organisation?
Q10) What is the main role an operational manager has in creating and managing the
work life balance in Zara?
Q11) What are the main issues an operational manager faces in managing work life
balance, especially when a company has diverse culture?
Q12) Which techniques you have used to manage work life balance and resolve related
issues?
Q13) Does any type of changes in organisational structure, affect work life balance? If yes,
how?
Q14) What experiences you have gained by managing the work life balance?
Q15) Is working in Zara prove beneficial for growth and development in career?
Q16) What will you do to gain trust and high commitment of people working under your
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guidance, for maintaining work life balance?
Findings of analysis
Q1) Tell something about yourself?
Interviewee: I am working as an operational manager in a multinational company, which deals
with both national and international customers.
Q2) Do you think role of a manager in a company is as simple as look?
Interviewee: Manager’s role is considered as the toughest job which includes entire
responsibilities to run business and manage workplace effectively.
Q3) How can you differentiate position of a manager in a firm than others?
Interviewee: Managerial position can be differentiated on the basis of responsibilities he is
carried out.
Q4) What are the main responsibilities played by a manager?
Interviewee: Manager’s main duty is to develop a proper organisational structure. It includes
distribution of different roles and responsibilities by placing right employee on right job.
Further, he has to develop various policies and strategies to achieve business goals and
objectives in pre-determined period. In this regard, for conducting entire duties the most
important one is to manage work-life balance.
Q5) Describe something about your current work and company with whom you are
engaging with?
Interviewee: I am currently working in Zara Company as an operational manager, which deals
in retail industry. It is mainly known for its strong online presence, which deliver products to
both national and international customers in set period of time. The main work of mine is to
provide resources and guidance for other departments in providing best services to
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customers.
Q6) What is the speciality of your company (Zara) and it is different from other
organisations which are dealing in same sector?
Interviewee: Zara is known for its high trendy and best quality of fashionable clothes. It has
become one of the best branded company that doesn’t compromise with price rates. It sells
items on reasonable rates and offer discounts occasionally.
Q7) Does managerial decisions create any type of impact on working procedures of others?
Interviewee: Yes, every type of decision related to business policies, changes, distribution of
roles and responsibilities etc. affect entire working procedure of a company.
Q8) Since how long you are working with Zara and how it changes your life?
Interviewee: I am working from last ten years and it has completely change my life. It enhances
my skills and capabilities for performing my duties in efficient manner.
Q9) What do you think about importance of work life balance within your organisation?
Interviewee: In order to perform entire duties efficiently, it is foremost of not only managers but
all associated people to create a work life balance.
Q10) What is the main role an operational manager has in creating and managing the work
life balance in Zara?
Interviewee: For developing and managing the work life balance, managers need to assign roles
and responsibilities to people as per their abilities. This would help in completing a task on
time.
Q11) What are the main issues an operational manager faces in managing work life
balance, especially when a company has diverse culture?
Interviewee: Long working hours, maternity and paternity leave, etc. creates a large impact on
managing work-life balance within business.
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Q12) Which techniques you have used to manage work life balance and resolve related
issues?
Interviewee: Focusing on main working goal and developing strategies accordingly.
Q13) Does any type of changes in organisational structure, affect work life balance? If yes,
how?
Interviewee: Any change in business required modification in current working procedure. It
impacts on entire activities and needs development of skill for accepting the same.
Q14) What experiences you have gained by managing the work life balance?
Interviewee: Through this concept, I have become able how to complete a work on time and
influence people towards achievement of same.
Q15) Is working in Zara prove beneficial for growth and development in career?
Interviewee: Of course Yes, by working in such a reputed company I have gained various
opportunities to develop my abilities and knowledge.
Q16) What will you do to gain trust and high commitment of people working under your
guidance, for maintaining work life balance?
Interviewee: I will motivate people to work on time, by providing them effective training
programs. In addition to this, I will complete their basic necessities in desired manner also.
Reflection on the process of interviewing and analysis
As per the analysis of interview and overall research, I have evaluated that work life
balance is a key element that needs to be kept in considerations by leaders and managers in
various large scale organisation. This is because many-a-times it has been observed that
operational managers who are the key elements involved in management of necessary tasks
within the business enterprise are seen to not being able to keep a work life balance. I have
ascertained that for efficiently running the operational activities within a company, managers and
leaders should keep a demarcation between their personal and professional lives. Also, it has
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been recollected that while conducting interview, it was noted that sources agreed upon the fact
that the role of a manager is not as easy as it sometimes seem to people.
As operational managers are the linking pin between top management and lower level
employees, thus it is imperative that this line of mangers are focussed upon their work and
managing the way in which tasks are being carried out within the organisation by other
individuals. Besides this, I analysed that sources were of the view that it is imperative for leaders
and operational managers who are a part of any big entity to operate in a manner that helps them
to maintain coordination between time allocated to operational tasks and other essential elements
of life. Also, I thought that there were certain limitations associated with selection of interview
as a method to gather information from sources. This can be said as while conducting this
analysis associated with work life balance, I often noted that sources were not so attentive and
active while answering to questions in interview at certain times. This could be largely observed
from their body language, gestures and postures which reflected their lack of interest and
relevance in relation to the issue highlighted in research. Also, this helped me in realising that I
could have used any other method or research tool to gather information about the concerned
topic as that would have ensured the reliability and validity of data collected. Furthermore, I used
thematic analysis as a strategy to carry out evaluations associated with research topic. This type
of analysis raises a question of reliability as the interpretation that I have done related to the data
collected has been conducted as per my accord. This strategy is highly flexible which caused
difficulty for me to ascertain which themes of data to concentrate upon.
CONCLUSION
From the above research analysis, it has been concluded that work life balance is an
essential aspect that need to be considered by managers within any business organisation. Under
this process, main issues have arisen due to long working hours, which create difficulties for
managers to manage work-life balance. In addition, it has been analysed that conducting
interview to collect information for research can be helpful only if the source is reliable. Also, it
has been comprehended that there is always an element of uncertainty associated with reliability
of information collected through conduction of interview. Besides this, it has been evaluated that
using thematic analysis can be beneficial or disadvantageous depending upon use by researcher
for doing analysis.
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REFERENCES
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Oxford University Press.
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Noor, K. M., 2011. Work-life balance and intention to leave among academics in Malaysian
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