Soft Skills Training and Customer Handling: ASDA Retail Sector

This research project, titled "A study to evaluate the importance of soft-skills training to the employees to improve customer handling skills in the retail sector of United Kingdom, a case study of ASDA", examines how UK retail organizations, such as ASDA, can enhance customer handling skills through effective soft skills training. The study addresses the high customer attrition rates in the competitive UK retail industry and how improved employee soft skills, including communication, social skills, and emotional intelligence, can foster better customer relationships and increase customer loyalty. The research employs secondary data analysis, comparing and contrasting soft skills training programs of different UK retail organizations. The project aims to provide insights into how retail businesses can improve customer handling skills, offering a framework to mitigate the effects of high customer attrition and enhance employee capabilities. The research also includes an ethics checklist, ensuring adherence to ethical guidelines for conducting the study.

Stage 1 Research Ethics Application Form
Section 1: Details of the Researcher and their Research
N.B. If you are conducting research that involves ‘animals (dead or
alive) and significant habitats’, please use the Stage 1 Research Ethics
Application Form involving Animals and Habitats
(www.anglia.ac.uk/researchethics).
Applicants carrying out research with children or vulnerable adults may also
need to carry out an online Safeguarding course and submit the pass
certificate with their ethics application. Please refer to the Question
Specific Advice for the Stage 1 Research Ethics Application Form at the
above weblink.
Researcher details
First name
Family name
Department/Faculty
Email address
Name of Institution where you study or
work (if not Anglia Ruskin)
Are you:
Please tick
 Undergraduate (UG) Student
 Postgraduate Taught (PGT) Student
 Postgraduate Research (PGR) Student
 Member of ARU Staff
 Member of ARU staff carrying out Masters/Doctorate research
Students (including staff proposing research on a course/programme)
Your SID
Your course/programme title
Name of your First Supervisor (for PGR) or
Supervisor (for UG and PGT)
Research details
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Title of your research project
N.B. For UG/PGT students, this is not the
title of your research module
A study to evaluate the importance of soft-skills training to the
employees to improve customer handling skills in the retail sector of
United Kingdom, a case study of ASDA
Name and institutional affiliation of any
research collaborators
Date of application
Start date oi proposed research
Brief Project Summary (up to 700
words) Please summarise your research
in non-specialist language.
Please describe where relevant.
Methodology
Theoretical approaches
Research questions
Details of participant population
(recruitment, inclusion and exclusion criteria
This research will analyse the manner in which the retail organisations
of UK like Asda can enhance the customer handling skills of their
employees through the inculcation of effective soft skills in them. This
is important from the perspective that because of the fierce
competition which exists within the UK retail industry the customer
attrition rate is very high. This in turn adversely affects the financial
prospects of these organisations and thus they are focusing on the
manner in which the loyalty as well as the satisfaction level of the
customers can be enhanced. One of the most important ways through
which the UK retail organisations like Asda can attain this goal is by
means of maintaining an effective relationship with the customers. It is
precisely here that the training programs which are intended to
improve the soft skills of the employees or the workers come into play.
More importantly, through the use of these training programs the UK
retail organisations should try to develop the different soft skills of
their employees like effective communication, social skills, emotional
intelligence, social intelligence and others. This in turn is likely to help
the workers to deal in an effective manner with the different manner
with the customers which in turn will help them to maintain a
congenial relationship with the customers. It is precisely because of
this aspect that the researcher had selected the topic “A study to
evaluate the importance of soft-skills training to the employees to
improve customer handling skills in the retail sector of United
Kingdom, a case study of ASDA” for the purpose of the study. More
importantly, the research will also show the manner in which the
organisations like Asda can benefit in a significant manner by offering
the kind of training programs to the employees which will in addition
to offering skills that will enable them to complete their job roles in an
effective manner will also enable them to handle the customers in an
adequate manner.
The research questions that had been formulated for the conduct of
the study are listed below-
1. What are the factors which help in the enhancement of soft-
skills of employees to improve customer handling skills in the retail
sector of United Kingdom?
2. What is the impact of improved soft-skills on customer handling
in the retail sector of United Kingdom?
3. What are the ways through which the soft-skills of employees
can be improved that will enhance customer handling skills in the retail
sector of United Kingdom?
The researcher for the collection of the data or information that are
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necessary for the completion of the research will take the help of
secondary data like newspaper articles, reviews, case studies, peer-
reviewed articles and others. The researcher will follow the compare
and contrast approach and take into consideration the effectiveness of
the soft skills training programs offered by other retail organisations of
UK and also analyse the past literature related to the topic under
discussion here. Thus, the secondary data collection method will be
used for the collection of relevant data that are necessary for the
completion of the research work. The researcher will ensure that the
data is collected and also utilized as per the precepts of ethical
stipulations of conducting research.
Please explain the potential value of your
research to society and/or the economy
and its potential to improve knowledge and
understanding.
The research work will be an important one for the retail organisations
like Asda, Tesco, John Lewis and others which are facing the problem of
high customer attrition rate at the present moment. It is pertinent to
note that the problem of high customer attrition rate is adversely
affecting the amount of revenue earned by them and thus this research
work will offer them a framework through the use of which these
organisations will be able to mitigate effects of the same. More
importantly, in the past numerous research works have been conducted
on the concepts of customer handling and soft skills but very few
research works have been conducted on the manner in which the
improvement of the soft skills of the workers can enable the
organisations to enhance the customer handling abilities of the workers
or the employees of these organisations. It is precisely here that this
research work gains prominence within the particular context of the UK
retail industry.
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Section 2: Research Ethics Checklist (Refer to Section 3
for an explanation of the colour coding.)
N.B. If you are conducting research that involves ‘animals and
significant habitats’, please use the Stage 1 Research Ethics
Application Form involving Animals and Habitats
(www.anglia.ac.uk/researchethics).
You must provide a response to ALL questions. Please refer to the Question Specific
Advice for completing the Stage 1 Research Ethics Application Form for guidance.
Will your r esearch (delete as appropriate):
1 Involve human participants? NO
2 Utilise data that is not publically available? NO
3 Create a risk that individuals and/or organisations could be identified in the outputs? NO
4 Involve participants whose responses could be influenced by your relationship with
them or by any perceived, or real, conflicts of interest?
NO
5 Involve the co-operation of a ‘gatekeeper’ to gain access to participants? NO
6 Offer financial or other forms of incentives to participants? NO
7 Involve the possibility that any incidental health issues relating to participants be
identified?
NO
8 Involve the discussion of topics that participants may find distressing? NO
9 Take place outside of the country where you work and/or are enrolled to study? NO
10 Cause a negative impact on the environment (over and above that of normal daily
activity)?
NO
11 Involve genetic modification of human tissue, or use of genetically modified organisms
classified as Class One activities?1.
NO
12 Involve genetic modification of human tissue, or use of genetically modified organisms
above Class One activities?2.
NO
13 Collect, use or store any human tissue or DNA (including but not limited to, serum,
plasma, organs, saliva, urine, hairs and nails)?3
NO
14 Involve medical research with humans, including clinical trials or medical devices? NO
15 Involve the administration of drugs, placebos or other substances (e.g. food, vitamins) to
humans?
NO
1 Email [e-mail] for further information.
2 As above.
2
3 For any research involving human material you must contact Matt Bristow ([e-mail] ) for further guidance on how to
proceed
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16 Cause (or have the potential to cause) pain, physical or psychological harm or negative
consequences to humans?
NO
17 Involve the collection of data without the consent of participants, or other forms of
deception?
NO
18 Involve interventions with people aged 16 years of age and under? NO
19 Relate to military sites, personnel, equipment, or the defence industry? NO
20 Risk damage/disturbance to culturally, spiritually or historically significant artefacts/places,
or human remains?
NO
21 Contain research methodologies you, or members of your team, require training to carry
out?
NO
22 Involve access to, or use (including internet use) of, material covered by the Counter
Terrorism and Security Act (2015), or the Terrorism Act (2006), or which could be
classified as security sensitive?4
NO
23 Involve you or participants in a) activities which may be illegal and/or b) the observation,
handling or storage (including export) of information or material which may be regarded
as illegal?
NO
24 Does your research involve the NHS (require Health Research Authority and/or NHS
REC and NHS R&D Office cost and capacity checks)?
NO
25 Require ethical approval from any recognised external agencies (Social Care, Ministry
of Justice, Ministry of Defence)?
NO
26 Involve individuals aged 16 years of age and over who lack ‘capacity to consent’ and
therefore fall under the Mental Capacity Act (2005)?
NO
27 Pose any ethical issue not covered elsewhere in this checklist (excluding issues relating
to animals and significant habitats which are dealt with in a separate form)?
NO
Please note that the Faculty Research Ethics Panel (FREP) will refer to the Office of the Secretary
and Clerk any application where, in the view of the Chair, the proposed research poses a risk of a
legal or security related nature to Anglia Ruskin University. The Chair will seek guidance from the
Secretary and Clerk before the FREP decides if the proposed research can be granted ethical
approval and/or the nature of any special arrangements which need to be put in place.
4 The Counter Terrorism and Security Act (2015) and Terrorism Act (2006) outlaws web posting of material that encourages or endorses
terrorist acts, even terrorist acts that have occurred in the past. Sections of the Terrorism Act also create a risk of prosecution for those
who transmit material of this nature, including transmitting the material electronically. The storage of such material on a computer can, if
discovered, prompt a police investigation. Visits to websites related to terrorism and the downloading of material issued by terrorist
groups (even from open-access sites) may be subject to monitoring by the police. Storage of this material for research purposes may
also be subject to monitoring by the police. Therefore, research relating to terrorism, or any other research that could be classified as
security-sensitive (for example, Ministry of Defence-commissioned work on military equipment, IT encryption design for public bodies or
businesses) needs special treatment. If you have any doubts about whether your research could be classified as security-sensitive,
please speak to your FREP Chair.
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Section 3: Approval process
All student applications must be sent to your Supervisor for checking.
Your Supervisor must then forward the application to the DREP/FREP (as appropriate)
FREP = Faculty Research Ethics Panel
DREP = Departmental Research Ethics Panel
NO answered to all
questions
Risk category Green
Complete Section 5 of this form
and then send it to your DREP (or
FREP for the Faculty of Medical
Science only).
You do not require ethical
approval from a committee.
You can start your research
immediately.
YES to any of Questions
1-11 and/or 27 but NO to
all other questions
Risk category Yellow
Complete Section 4 and 5 of this form and
submit it, and the Participant Information
Sheet (PIS) and Participant Consent Form
(PCF), to your DREP (or FREP for Faculty of
Medical Science only). Your faculty may
require further documents.
You need to wait for ethical approval
before you start your research.
YES to any of Questions
12-23
Risk Category Red
Complete Section 5 of this form and
complete the Stage 2 Approval form. Submit
both, and any other documents required, to
your FREP.
If you answered YES to Question 22
you must also complete and submit
for consideration by the committee
the Stage 3 Approval form.
You need to wait for ethical approval
before you start your research.
YES to any of
Questions 24-26
Risk Category
Purple
You need external approval(s) which, if
granted, may be regarded as equivalent to
approval from an Anglia Ruskin ethics
committee.
Refer to the Question Specific Advice for the
Stage 1 Research Ethics Application Form
and Code of Practice for Applying for Ethical
Approval for further information
You need to wait for ethical and/or
governance approval before you start
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your research.
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Section 4: Project details
Management of Ethical Risk
For each of Questions 1-11 and Question 27, where you have responded ‘Yes’, please explain for the
committee how you justify and will manage the ethical risk created. Your research is in the Yellow
risk category.
Not Applicable
Section 5: Confirmation/Declaration statements
Confirmation Statements (delete as appropriate)
1 I have completed the relevant training in research ethics.5 Yes
2 I have consulted the Research Ethics Policy and the relevant sections of the Code of Practice for
Applying for Ethical Approval, available at www.anglia.ac.uk/researchethics.
Yes
3 I have completed a Risk Assessment (Health and Safety) and had it approved by the appropriate person.6 Yes
4 My research complies with the UK Data Protection Act (1998) and/or the data protection laws of
the country where the research is being conducted.7
Yes
5 For research funded externally where the funding was acquired via Anglia Ruskin, I have
completed a Project Risk Assessment.8
Not applicable
6 I have attached my confirmation of passing a Safeguarding course. Not applicable
7 If my research project involves a contract between Anglia Ruskin University and an external
party, I have had the contract approved by the Secretary and Clerk’s Office9
Not applicable
5 Where required, UG or PGT students must submit confirmation with this form that they have passed the on-line ethics training.
Some courses have exemption from this requirement. Please check with your supervisor.
6 For research conducted at ARU including Ixion, University Centre Peterborough and College of West Anglia, go to
http://web.anglia.ac.uk/anet/staff/sec_clerk/gen_info.phtml for the relevant guidance. Students at other institutions must follow
local processes.
7 For guidance go to web.anglia.ac.uk/anet/staff/sec_clerk/dpa.phtml
8 For details go to web.anglia.ac.uk/anet/rdcs/compliance/faqs.phtml
9 For details go to http://web.anglia.ac.uk/anet/staff/sec_clerk/
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Confirmation of Data Storage Compliance
By sending this form you confirm that:
 Physical documents containing personal or confidential information will be stored securely and only accessible to the
research team and other authorised individuals.
 You will not store protected information [as defined by the Data Protection Act 1998] in personal cloud
services, such as Dropbox, Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive as their quality or security cannot be
guaranteed.
 Any portable media, such as USB storage devices, removable hard drives, CDs or DVDs, that are used to hold
personal, confidential or sensitive data will be securely stored on-premises and appropriately encrypted when
used off-premises.
 Access to our remote desktop facilities will always be via an approved connection.
The preferred storage solution for electronic files is on a University server accessed from a password protected computer.
Please consult our IT Acceptable Use Policy for further information and guidance: http://web.anglia.ac.uk/it/policy/
Applicant Declaration
By sending this form from my Anglia Ruskin e-mail account, I confirm that I will undertake the research as detailed here. I
understand that I must abide by the terms of my ethical approval and that I may not amend the research without further ethical
approval. I also confirm that the research will comply with all Anglia Ruskin ethical guidance, all relevant legislation and any
relevant professional or funding body ethical guidance.
Supervisor/First Supervisor Declaration
By sending this form from my Anglia e-mail account, I confirm the statements in the Applicant Declaration and that I will
supervise the research as detailed in the application.
Thank you for completing the Stage 1 Research Ethics Application Form.
Please submit it as follows:
Staff Researchers: Send form directly to the relevant committee.
Student Researchers: Send form to Supervisor/First Supervisor.
Supervisor/First Supervisor: Check application and forward to the relevant committee.
For FREP/DREP details please visit the Ethics website:
http://web.anglia.ac.uk/anet/rido/ethics/about/frep.phtml. On this page you will also find links to each
Faculty’s website where more information on DREPS can be found.
Date 23 May 2017
Version 3.5
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