Research Proposal: Challenges for H&M HR & Multicultural Staff Issues

This research proposal investigates the challenges encountered by HR departments, specifically within an international company like Hennes & Mauritz (H&M), when managing a multicultural workforce. The study aims to identify these challenges, which include communication barriers, cultural differences, and issues related to respect and acceptance, and propose effective solutions. The research explores the relevance of the topic, emphasizing the impact of multicultural staff on business operations and the need for HR departments to effectively address these issues. A literature review examines existing research on the topic, focusing on the negative impacts of multicultural staff issues on business performance and productivity. The proposed methodology outlines the research approach, and the study concludes by proposing solutions such as enhanced communication channels and training programs to improve employee relations and productivity. The research also aims to enhance the researcher's understanding of HR challenges and contribute to the existing body of knowledge on the subject.

Research proposal

Table of Contents
Title of the Research Proposal ........................................................................................................3
Overall Research Aim......................................................................................................................3
Relevance of the Research...............................................................................................................3
Literature Review.............................................................................................................................4
Specific Research Objectives and Research Questions ..................................................................8
Proposed Methodology....................................................................................................................9
Problems and Limitations of the Research Problem .....................................................................13
Time scale of the Research............................................................................................................14
Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................15
References......................................................................................................................................16
Appendix .......................................................................................................................................17

Title of the Research Proposal
A review of the issue/problem of multicultural staff with identifying perceived challenges
for HR department of H&M and respective proposed solutions.
Overall Research Aim
The present study aim to examine the challenges that are facing by HR departments when
working with multicultural staff in an international company and proposed solutions that are
supportive to resolve the challenges effectively. However, in this analysis has been executed
over the study of Hennes & Mauritz as it recognised to be the most suitable business because it
operates oversees and helps in rendering significant information about the challenges which are
facing by the multi-cultural staff (Noe And et. al., 2017). Multicultural staff is a critical aspect
for the business and it is tedious for the HR department to handle multicultural staff, as they are
facing a lot issue related to communication, respect and acceptance, cultural differences,
language and so on.
Relevance of the Research
The investigation in practical movement is encompasses over determining the challenges
that are facing by HR departments when working with multicultural staff in an international
company and proposed solutions. Furthermore, this is a wide academic research which is
implemented to gather information in regards to the challenges faces by the HR department and
the suitable solutions that are effective in resolving the issue effectively (Kim and McLean,
2012). An investigation is mainly developed to resolve an issue effectively. The primary
concern for undertaking the present topic is that, multicultural cultural staff is a leading
challenging for the business and the HR department is mainly affected through the multicultural
staff. Therefore, the study is imperative in providing suitable idea in finding out the challenges
like communication barriers, language barriers, conflict environment, lack of coordination,
cultural different, respect and acceptance which are facing by the HR department of a business.
After ward, the study has also generating value for the business to deal with the issue via
implementing effective solutions like training and development, team working, positive
environment, enhancing connectivity among employees and so on. Therefore, this study is

creating value for H&M in finalising the issues faced by the HR department and proposing
suitable solutions that are imperative for the business to attain growth. The suitable
implementation of a study on the particular aspect of the challenges faces by the HR department
of the business due to multicultural staff is effective in providing effective support to the
business in analysing the issues earlier and resolve them to attain growth. Despite from this, the
exploration has besides provided detailed evaluation in regards to the proposed solution that are
suitable for overcome the challenges. Human resources is defined as the imperative part of an
enterprise and performs an effective role in making suitable selection of candidates to perform
the business task and gain progression and development. The study also fulfils the another
motive of the researcher as the analyst wants to enhance own ability in relation to the
challenges faces by the HR by the occurrence of multicultural staff. In addition to this the study
has also significant value in developing a person's ability that would be appreciable for an
individual learner or researcher to gain suitable growth in their future perspective (Popov and
et. al., 2012). In this present work theories and strategies related to the HR operations and the
issues which are influencing the working of HR are implemented that are significant for human
resources studies and helps the investigation in moving to the right direction for overcome the
challenges faced by the HR department of the business. The analysis is also effective in the
context of H&M as the business has attained suitable knowledge in relation to the challenges of
multicultural staff and the possible solutions which are effective in overcome the challenges
and provides a smooth way of working to the business to attain growth and success. In addition
to this, the analysis is also valuable in providing suitable support to the businesses which are
also operating with the multicultural staff.
Literature Review
The challenges faced due to multicultural staff by HR department of H&M while
maintaining employee relations?
According to the opinion stated by Patrick and Kumar (2012), in the current business
era the key intention of every small as well as large size of businesses is to accomplishing
higher development and accomplishment within market. In this way businesses are working for
attaining some specific objectives and also be focused on achieving higher profitability and
growth (Tyson, 2014). HR Department of a business is termed as the most important area of an

organisation as the core operation of the business like selecting, recruiting, training,
development and so on are the concerned aspect of HR department or its manager. In the
context of a business HR department plays a vital role in appointing the most appropriate
employee to operate the business operations in effective manner. There are assorted issues like
language barriers, collaboration or coordination issue, cultural differences, technical challenges
and so on, thus these are the biggest issues which affects the functionality of HR department
(Martin, Gollan and Grigg, 2011). However, these are termed to be the common issues which
are faced by the businesses with multicultural staff.
According to the views analysis of Horwitz (2018), H&M is large multinational company
which is mostly worried over achieving higher development and accomplishment with the
potential efforts of employees at workplace. For achieving business goals H&M is focuses over
improvising the interconnection among the employees and aid them in the direction to gain
growth. H&M is working at a worldwide level and having various employees who are belongs
from different culture, religion, age, sex, ethics, racial and so on. Therefore, the success of
business operations are mainly encompasses over the performance of employees and the
manager of H&M has faces multiple challenges like effective recruitment and selection,
emotional and physical stability of employs appropriate balance between management and
employs, Training development and compensation, diversity in relation to culture in
performance, affirmative action and creativity, Establishing in coordination and collaboration
among employees and so on (Dickmann and Baruch, 2011). These all are considered through
the major issues which are mainly confront through the HR manager at work place. In addition
to this HR managers performs an effective role in developing effective interconnection among
employees. The HR managers are also focuses over assigning the right employee at right place
and also concern over hiring the most appropriate candidate for the job profile. Due to the
emergence of higher multicultural staff the HR department has facing the issue related to
establishing interconnection among employees, respect and acceptance, cultural differences,
alligation of biasses, racial differences and so on that are mainly faces by the employees at
work and influences the entire business operations.
The negative influences of having multicultural staff issue on H&M’s overall business
performance and productivity.
According to the views analysis of Reynolds (2017), In the current scenario the

fundamental objective of the organizations is to investigate their activities at more extensive
scale to create higher development and achievement, along these lines organizations and its
administration are worry over recruiting most suitable candidate with appropriate skills and
capabilities with the end goal to completion of operations effectively. However, H&M is a large
multinational corporation and has multicultural staff who are belongs from different country,
area, cultural background, religion, sex, age. The HR department of H&M is facing the issue
regarding communication gap, language barriers, respect and acceptance which are widely
influencing the entire operations of the business. With regards to business multicultural staff
has positive and negative impact over the tasks of business at global level, thus the businesses
are more liable in executing their operations in effective manner without facing any issue
regarding the culture and the ethics of the business, as people with similar background are
effective in understanding the needs of customers and rendering them effective facilities to their
significant buyers (DeCenzo, Robbins and Verhulst, 2016). On the other side, the HR
management of business has faces multiple issues in the execution of multicultural staff as it is
very much tedious for the business and its management to implement coordination and
collaboration among their employees and also facing difficulties in distribution of opportunities
at workplace. H&M is a large multinational corporation which is mainly focuses over
enhancing the operations of the business via hiring experienced workforce from different
culture and background, thus multicultural employees are also valuable in developing a good
and effective strategy via the different opinion as this may create value for the business in
attaining higher growth and success.
The prospective solutions for overcoming the challenges raised from multicultural staff issue
appropriate for enhancing productivity of H&M’s employees.
A multicultural staff or workforce is one in which a large range of cultural differences
are arises among the workers in the organization. While a wide range of major and minor
attributes or characteristic are applied to determine the cultural differences, the most common
attribute which is implemented to analyze the level of multiculturalism evident in a given
workforce often turns to "age, sex, ethnicity, physical ability, race and sexual orientation.
Therefore these are the key aspects which are effective in creating cultural differences. In the
modern and competitive market, the primary concern of each business is to operate at
international level and generate more revenue. Thus businesses which are operating at internal

level are mainly focuses over approaching multicultural staff as it is beneficial for them to
developing unique ideas, better customer services, effective business operations and so on, but
its also generate issue for the business in managing language barriers, establishing coordination,
collaborative working, positive working environment, communication gap and so on.
According to VICKERY (2017), multicultural staff is a crucial aspect which has raised assorted
issues and influences the operations of the business or its employees effectively. Therefore,
there are significant ways which are effective overarching the issues faced by HR department
due to multicultural staff. In which some are associated as under:
Effective communication channel: This termed to be the best possible way to resolving the
barriers that are arises due to the emergence of multicultural staff. Therefore, it can effectively
be implemented by H&M to dealing with people from different culture. An effective
communication helps the manager to build effective interconnection among employees and
moving towards the success operations of the business. With the help so effective
communication process H&M can also effectively deal with buyers as people from similar
country background are imperative to handle clients effectively.
Training and development sessions: This is the another important way which can also be
effective in developing the morale of employees at workplace. The management of H&M has
relay over providing suitable training to their old as well as new employees who are belongs
from the different culture or religion, age, background for the intention of developing the
working capabilities and also enhance the operational knowledge.
Encouraging Team performance: This can effectively be helpful for H&M in developing the
operations of multicultural staff. H&M can create teams in which people from same cultural
background are involved and this could be effective for effectively accomplishing the business
objectives.
The need of analysing issue of multicultural staff being investigated in context of H&M.
Multicultural staff is a wider area to being studied, thus it can be defined as an important
aspect of business which needs suitable recognition to attain growth. Erciyes (2019), has stated
that, multicultural staff is defined as one in which employees are heterogeneous, many
dissimilar in specific traits. In another words, it also refers as a composition of members who
have spent their formative years in assorted countries and have learned assorted languages,
values and demeanor.

According to the opinion stated by Kokemuller (2020), a multicultural workforce is
recognised to as the one in which a wide scope of culture contrasts exist among the workers in
the business. In addition to this, a multicultural workforce is defined as the force which is made
of men and women through a variety of assorted cultural and racial background. Therefore,
A multicultural workforce or team is one which is mainly composed of individual who have
spent their formative time in different countries and thus have learned different values,
demeanour, and languages, thus a multicultural staff mainly involves people from various
culture, background, religion, etc who are contributing their noteworthy attempts in the
development and achievement of the business (McDonnell and Burgess, 2013). According to
Hayes (2020), a multinational business is recognised to be the one which has a wider workforce
that involves individual through a diverse background around all departments and that offers
them equal chances for input and advancement within the business. In the context of a large
business, which has its operation at international level, needs a wider workforce to operate in
effective manner. However, companies operating at global level are based on multicultural staff
as they are effective in strength the workforce and explore the operations effectively (Grayson
and Hodges, 2017). In the context to international business, like H&M, multicultural staff
basically initiates to hiring people from different age, sex, culture, religion, language, country
and so on, for the intention to achieving a common business objectives. Businesses which are
operating at internal level are concern to approaching multi-cultural staff and need suitable
recognition for addressing the challenges like coordination, culture, language, collaboration
which influences the operations of the business.
Specific Research Objectives and Research Questions
The proposed objectives and questions that are relay over the specific investigation area are
assorted as under:
Research Objectives
 What are the challenges faced due to multicultural staff by HR department of H&M
while maintaining employee relations?
 What are the negative influences of having multicultural staff issue on H&M’s overall
business performance and productivity?
 What are the prospective solutions for overcoming the challenges raised from

multicultural staff issue appropriate for enhancing productivity of H&M’s employees?
 Why is the issue of multicultural staff being investigated in context of H&M?
Proposed Methodology
Research methodology is defined as an imperative area which has its significance value in
analysing how data will be gathered, evaluated and determined in effective manner. In the
context of this present research proposal based on examine the challenges that are facing by
HR departments when working with multicultural staff in an international company and
proposed solutions, methodology is effective in providing future direction to implement the
proposal in effective manner. This section of investigation is valuable for the investigation to
make suitable selection of applications which are supportive for the study effectively and also
valuable in generating accurate outcome. The suitable objectives on which the entire
investigation is based are defined as under:
Research Objectives
 What are the challenges faced due to multicultural staff by HR department of H&M
while maintaining employee relations?
 What are the negative influences of having multicultural staff issue on H&M’s overall
business performance and productivity?
 What are the prospective solutions for overcoming the challenges raised from
multicultural staff issue appropriate for enhancing productivity of H&M’s employees? Why is the issue of multicultural staff being investigated in context of H&M?
Research Methodology
An investigation strategy is been recognized with the nature of the analysis which is
being carried out through the researcher. Therefore, the nature of a study is based over either
qualitative or quantitative research. The analysis of investigation type is mainly evaluated as per
the type of information accumulated as if the information is gathered on the basis of non-
numerical aspects and evaluated through thematic analysis is termed as qualitative research.
Thus this section is mainly based on gathering theoretical information which are suitable in
developing descriptive evaluation. On the contrary side, when the collected information is
numerical and needs descriptive statistical evaluation than it is termed as quantitative research.
Therefore, quantitative research is mainly based on mathematical aspects as in this information

is mainly accumulated in facts and figures. For considering the present investigation work,
quantitative research will be the most suitable strategy as it is effective in developing
descriptive analysis to analysing the challenges that are facing by the HR departments when
working with multicultural staff in an international company and proposed solutions, although,
the study would be beneficial to determining the possible challenges through conducting
analysis via measuring the opinion of people and also finding out the ways to resolve the
challenges effectively. In this manner, the execution of quantitative analysis is encompasses
over survey, questionnaire, interview, focus group, case study and so on. In this existing
research work, survey will perceived to be the most reasonable hots-pots for executing
descriptive analysis via developing questionnaire which covers the aim and objectives
effectively.
Research Strategy
The selection of research approach is based on the investigation type and the research
approach is mainly off two types i.e. deductive and inductive research approach. For
undertaking the present investigation work based on identifying the challenges facing HR
departments when working with multicultural staff in an international company and proposed
solutions, deductive research approach will be the most effective tool because it is best suited
for conducting quantitative analysis. Therefore, deductive approach is mainly centred with
generating a hypothesis which are incorporates over existing theory, and then designing an
investigation strategy to test the hypothesis effectively. In addition to this, It has been stated
that deductive means reasoning from the particular to the general (Pieper, 2012). However, for
this particular analysis deductive approach will be valuable in providing discussion via
developing hypothesis and analysing the theories which are incorporates over the aspect of
multicultural staff and the issues or challenges which are faced by the HR department within
H&M.
Access Issues
The present proposal is directing towards the development of a project in future and in this
primary and secondary both the investigation will be created to reaching at suitable results.
Thus, for conducting the investigation researcher will facing assorted challenged related to
access. In the implementation of primary research the key issue would be the interest of the
participants and receiving access from the business to gain approval for conducting primary

research. As the present analysis is developed over determining the problem of multicultural
staff with identifying perceived challenges for HR department of H&M and respective proposed
solutions, the selected participants will be the employees of the business and it is quite hard for
the researcher to take approval from the participants or the business. Authenticity of the
information is also a major issue as the investigator is having the concern over receiving the
suitable information from the participants. In addition to this, contacting to the participant is
also a major challenge but the investigator have to using the media of email for establishing
connection with participant to discuss about the topic and also receiving prior approval
regarding the participation of the project. On the other hand, at the time of conducting
secondary research, the investigator has mainly facing the challenge of selecting the suitable
book, journals, article. In addition to this access of company website is also a major issue which
will be encounter by the researcher in the execution of project.
Ethical Issues
In the implementation of a research, it is important for the investigator to follow the
research ethics and provided guidelines in respect as this supports the work in right manner to
reaching at the key results. The primary obligation of the researcher is to provide consent to
their respondents as to making sure about their consent regarding the project or this consent has
also providing approval to the researcher to taking their consent back from the researcher. Thus
in this present investigation work, primary research will be executed so the consent approval is
imperative in providing assurance to their respondents about their positive approval for the
investigation. In addition to this research has also making ensure their respondents about the
safety and security of their personal information as participants are mainly willing to protect
their private information from the unethical use of their information. Researcher has also ensure
to implementing all protection act of data in respect to avoiding the theft of information or harm
of investigation. Although researcher needs to develop an appropriate time frame in which all
the activities are needs to be executed in appropriate manner to draw valid results that are in
favour of addressing the issues in viable manner. For resolving the challenge of consent
approval researcher will need to use email facility as it is the best and effectively approachable
tool to implement connection with the participants effectively. Furthermore, for resolving the
issue of security the research will consider all possible measures which are effective in
ensuying the participants about keeping their private information safe and secure. Furthermore,