Research Proposal: Digitalization's Influence on HRM at Sainsbury's

This research proposal examines the impact of digitalization on Human Resource Management (HRM) practices at Sainsbury's. It begins by establishing the background and rationale for the study, emphasizing the evolving role of HR in the digital age. The proposal outlines the aims and objectives, which include analyzing current HRM practices, exploring digitalization in HRM, assessing its impact, and recommending best practices. A comprehensive literature review explores HRM practices, the implementation of digitalization in HRM, and its effects on employee satisfaction and organizational performance. The research methodology includes an interpretivism philosophy, an inductive research approach, and a mono method strategy utilizing qualitative data collected through interviews. The proposal details the research design, data collection and analysis methods, and addresses ethical considerations, validity, reliability, and research limitations. The aim is to provide insights into how digitalization can enhance HRM practices and contribute to Sainsbury's overall success.

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

ABSTRACT
Human resources and its concerned practices plays a major role with respect to company
and its performance. Well adopted HR practices with regard to company may lead to have higher
employee’s satisfaction and level of motivation. Digitalization in the context of HR practices
evolved the execution of HR practices in terms of digitalized interviews and job training and
induction. This research will throw its light regarding the HR practices in the organization along
with a digital touch in terms of incorporating digital concept within the organization and
concerned practices. Likewise, an analysis regarding its critical impact over the HR practices
will also be included and part of the research in the context of Sainsbury.

Table of Contents
ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
Background..................................................................................................................................4
Rationale......................................................................................................................................5
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................5
RESEARCH METHOD..................................................................................................................8
1. Research design.......................................................................................................................8
2. Data collection and analysis....................................................................................................9
Ethical issues.............................................................................................................................10
Validity and reliability:..............................................................................................................11
Research limitation:...................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13

TOPIC: The impact of digitalization on changing the HRM practices at Sainsbury’s
INTRODUCTION
Background
Human resource management is one of the major department with regard to any company.
Right from recruiting best employees for the company till maintaining their level of motivation
and ensuring their retention is covered under the part of human resource department. In order to
perform these functions HR adopt various practices in the organization (Armstrong, 2020).
Along with changing time and the world of digitalization, the practices of HR also evolved and
mould as per the need. With the inculcation of digitalization in the HR practices, the efficiency
and performance of the work also enhanced in terms of widening the scope. Now, along with the
practice of digitalization, best employees will be recruited which will again assist the company to
have better growth opportunity and success. Likewise, with the incubation of digitalization HR
practices in terms of availing training, ensuring security, communicating information and various
other practices also got evolved and mould to a better form. Under this proposal various aspect
concerning the research will be included with a formation of aims and objectives. Likewise, a
section of literature review will also be a part of the proposal. A detailed research methodology
will be included in the proposal with a detailed determination and discussion of every concerned
step. Lastly, timeline depicting the future course of action regarding the research will also be
included.
Aim:
To analyse the impact of digitalization on HRM practices: A study on Sainsbury
Objectives:
 To analyse the HRM practices at Sainsbury
 To study the concept of digitalization in HRM practices
 To analyse the impact of digitalization on changing HRM practices at Sainsbury
 To recommend the best ways of implementing digitalization in HRM practices at
Sainsbury
Research questions:

 Which HRM practices does Sainsbury follows?
 What is digitalization in HRM practices?
 What is the impact of digitalization on changing HRM practices in Sainsbury?
 What are the ways of implementing digitalization in HRM practices?
Rationale
HR and its practices are one of the essential aspect with regard to every company including
Sainsbury. With the implication of adequate HR practices in organization better performance of
the company can be grabbed. Also with the inculcation of digitalization in the HR and its
practices enable it to better rendering of services (Kirschner and De Bruyckere, 2017). This
research will be helpful to analyse the impact of digitalization with the context of HR practices.
This research will also lead to benefit the other scholars and researchers in terms of analysing the
concept and its importance. This will also help the companies to raise knowledge regarding the
importance of incubation of digitalization in the HR and its practices.
LITERATURE REVIEW
HRM Practices:
According to the views of Anderson, Ford and Hamilton (2017) HR implement various
rules, policies, practices that will lead to creation of best outcome from the employees in terms of
better and enhanced performance all counted as HR practices. These all are the moves of the HR
with respect to employees in order to encourage them or motivate them so that they can
contribute to maximum efficiency. HR with its practices will assist the employees to have better
satisfaction with respect to work along with entitling organization to have better performance
and success along with goal accomplishment with better workforce moves.
Whiting and Martin (2020) also state that enabling security to employees in terms of job
and family security, adequate hiring of best talented employees, management of team and
teamwork, making fair compensation are all counted as major HR practices with regard to
company. These practices enable the company to have high performance standard in terms of
success and growth. Practicing these practices will not only benefit the organization but it will
also lead to the growth and development of employees too. Likewise, when employees will be
paid as per their recognized efforts then it will lead to encouragement among employees with

respect to work and as a result their performance in terms of their work efficiency will also
raised.
Okoe and et.al., (2018) illuminate that enabling training with regard to skill development,
effective communication and sharing of relevant decision and information, enabling career
enhancement opportunities, performance appraisal are also main HR practices that will lead to
have better management of human resource within the organization. Implementing and
practicing these practices by HR will lead to have better employee’s retention and grabbing by
company. It will also lead to have better attraction of employees towards the company. These
HR practices also lead to have better employees management along with initiation of employees
with taking of better and effective moves.
Digitalization in HRM practices:
O’riordan (2017) elucidates that the inculcation of digitalization in the HR practice will
lead to have better execution of planned practices. This will also lead to have better rendering of
HR services in terms of enabling employing and retaining employees within the organization.
Digitalization in HRM practices will be executed in terms of performance of HR practices with
digital inculcation. This means an introduction of social media or the online recruitment will
enable the organization to have employees with broader scope. Likewise, enabling digitalization
in terms of digital attendance of employees, digital conferencing for induction programme,
digital movement in training and skill development programme will lead to have professional
and efficient completion of task along with ensuring best outcome in the form of high employees
performance and grabbing of organizational objectives with efficient moves of employees. This
means that when training will be provided with digital transformation and incubation then in low
cost and time HR would be able to develop better workforce with efficient employees.
Cantoni and Mangia (2018) also illuminates that digitalization in the HRM practices in
the form of digital dealing with employees including monitoring their performance for appraisal,
ensuring security and transparency by enabling employee’s details on the digital websites,
implementing effective communication with the infusement of digital concept and various other
moves will lead to have to better performance of HR practices with better employee’s
satisfaction. Likewise, digitalization will also lead to have better monitoring of employee’s
performance by the company so that better compensation and appraisal as per the employee’s
moves and efforts will be entitled and availed. Use of digitalization with regard to

communication also enable the HR to have timely delivery of information and message. This
means that digitalization will lead to have creation of one single and open platform for all at
which HR would be able to better implement its practice with better results.
Impact of digitalization on changing HRM practices:
As per the views of Strohmeier (2020), digitalization puts a positive impact over the
organization in terms of enhancing its efficiency and performance. Digitalization in HR practice
has not only changed the source and mode of hiring but it also makes changes in the ways of
retaining employees and declining tenures of the employees. Digitalization in the HR practices
lead to have make changes in the traditional strategies and practices and evolved new and
enhanced portfolio. Inculcation of digitalization lead to make the performance of HR practices
easy and efficient with better scope. This concept makes the HR as a standard and important part
of the company. Digitalization make the services and functioning of HR more effective in terms
of enabling real time feedback with better solving of queries of employees, enabling 360 degrees
collaboration between managers and team members, measuring the actual performance of
employees as well as organization too, analysation of performance and various other task with
more effectiveness.
However, on a critical note Fedorova, Koropets and Gatti (2019) argues that
digitalization lead to negatively affect the HR and their practices in terms of difficult operations
and performing. This is because with digitalization cybercrime and hacking of system become
easy which may lead to have theft of confidential data and information of company and
employees. Data security and theft is one of the major issue which could affect the company and
the HR practices with the incubation of digitalization in the workplace and HR functioning.
Likewise, it has raised the overall expenditure with regard to company in terms of instalment of
heavy and costly software and enabling data protection equipment and applications. This means
that digitalization instead of making the efficient performance and easy operation may lead to
affect the company and its operation adversely with an in-adequate outcome generation with
regard to HR practices.
RESEARCH METHOD
1. Research design
Research Philosophy

Research philosophy is the field that is concerned with the development and nature of
knowledge. It also takes into account the source of knowledge. Research philosophy is of three
types, namely, interpretivism, positivism and pragmatism. Positivist philosophy claims to
understand the social world in an objective way (De Costa, Valmori and Choi, 2017). Pragmatist
philosophy is based on the assumption that research problem determines the choice of
philosophy. For the present study on Sainsbury, interpretivism research philosophy will be
chosen by the researcher. This is justified as it will assist the researcher to interpret the elements
of the study. Further, it will help the researcher in integrating human interest into the study. As
the current dissertation is based on analyzing change in human resource practices, this
philosophy will be suitable for achieving the aim of the study.
Research Approach
Research approach comprises of the plans and procedures that are used for undertaking a
research. It consists of steps from making broad assumptions to selecting detailed methods of
collecting the data and interpreting it. There are two types of research approaches, inductive and
deductive (Tracy, 2019). Inductive approach begins with the formulation of aims and objectives
and adoption of a suitable research process for achieving them. In contrast to this, deductive
approach involves formulation of hypothesis and confirming or rejecting them during a research
process. For the present study, the researcher will use inductive approach. This is justified as
with the help of it, the researcher will be able to generate meaning from the data collected which
will further help in identifying patterns and relationships on the topic of digitalization and
changing HRM practices.
Research strategy
This comprises of the systematic plan which is followed for providing direction to the
research. An organized search strategy will be used for conducting the present research on
Sainsbury. This will comprise of devising the aim and objectives of research followed by
adopting suitable methods of data collection and analysis. Interviews will be used for collecting
the data for the present study on Sainsbury.
Research methods

This layer in the Saunders research onion comprises of methods used for conducting the
study. There are three types of methods. These include mono, mixed and multi method. Mono
method research involves use of a single data type, either qualitative or quantitative. Mixed
method involves the use of both qualitative and quantitative data (Skarbek, 2020). In contrast to
this, multi method research involves the use of a wider range of approaches. For the present
study on digitalization and HRM practices, mono method study will be conducted. This will
involve use of qualitative data collected for analyzing the changes in HRM practices.
2. Data collection and analysis
Data collection
Data collection is the process which is used by the researcher to gather, measure and
analyze accurate data for the study. There are two types of data, primary and secondary data.
Primary data is that which is collected by the researcher from the first hand sources (Cassell,
Cunliffe, and Grandy, 2017). This is the raw data that the researcher collects for the purpose of
the study. Primary data can be collected through a number of methods. These include
questionnaire, surveys, interviews, observations etc. In contrast to this, secondary data is the data
that has already been collected in the past by someone who is not the primary user for it. The
various sources for secondary data are books, journals, websites, online blogs, articles,
organization and government reports etc.
For the present study on digitalization, the researcher will use both primary and
secondary data. Primary data will be collected through interviews. This is justified as detailed
views and opinions of the participants will be gathered regarding changes in HRM practices due
to digitalization. The advantage of interview is that in-depth information can be collected on the
study topic. Also, then interviews help in collecting more accurate information as compared to
other techniques. However, the limitation of interview method is that it consumes more time and
involves more costs. Secondary data will be collected from organizational website, organization
records, books, journals etc.
Sampling
For the present study, the researcher will use purposive sampling. HR managers of the
organization will be selected by using this technique. This is justified as it will assist the
researcher in carrying out intentional selection of informant based on their ability to provide

information on the topic of this dissertation. The present dissertation is on digitalization and
changes in HRM practices, hence, only HR managers could provide the suitable information for
the study. A sample of 10 HR managers will be selected for the study.
Data analysis
The process that involves inspection, cleaning and transforming of data is known as data
analysis. There are two types of data analysis, namely, qualitative and quantitative analysis.
Qualitative data analysis involves searching and making organized arrangement of the interview
transcripts, observation notes and other materials (Hennink, Hutter and Bailey, 2020). For the
present study, qualitative data analysis will be done. Thematic technique will be used for
analyzing the data. This is justified as it will assist the researcher in conducting proper and
organized analysis of the data collected through interviews on digitalization and changing HR
practices.
Ethical issues
The following ethical issues will be needed to be considered in the present study:
 Informed consent: According to the ethics, it is important to obtain consent from the
participants. Hence, the researcher will ensure that informed consent is obtained from the
participants before they are included in the study.
 Respect for anonymity and confidentiality: In order to protect the anonymity, the identity
of the subject should not be linked to the personal response. Therefore the researcher will
ensure that the anonymity of the participants is maintained. Care will also be taken to
ensure that the information about the participants remains confidential.
 Respect for privacy: Ethics considerations require protecting the privacy of the subjects
of the study (Queirós, Faria and Almeida, 2017). Therefore, care will be taken by the
researcher to ensure that the information provided by the participants is stored properly. It
will also be ensured that the information will be used only for the purpose of research.
 Correct citation: Ethical issues may arise if the secondary data collected is not cited
properly. Hence, the researcher will ensure that the works of authors are properly and
correctly cited.

Validity and reliability:
It is one of the important aspect with regard to research because if it will not be valid and
reliable then it will not be able to put that impact upon the user and the researcher which it need
to be. This means that ensuring reliability and validity is one of the major aspect with regard to
research (Mohajan, 2017). In order to make the proposed research reliable and validate views of
authenticated authors are included and considered. Likewise, primary research in the form of
gathering data from questionnaire from the concerned respondent will also be included in the
research. As primary data is counted as one of the most valid and reliable form of data so an
inculcation of this primary source will make the proposed research valid and reliable. Likewise,
an incubation of the authenticated authors statements and views will also work in the direction of
raising authenticity and validity of the data. Also in order to make the research more valid only
copyright and authenticated sources will be used in order to gather data concerning the research.
Research limitation:
It refers to the blockage that will act as hindrance in the path of performance of research.
with regard to the proposed research the major limitation may include the shortage of time,
money and resources. This is because with the coverage of concerned topic there is greater need
of time as well as cost. However, the concerned limitation will be overcome with the inculcation
of secondary research which will support the entire research along with saving cost and time
concerning the research. An incubation of secondary research will also lead to have better
emergence of outcome of the research along with well justification of the concept. along with
using of secondary research, in order to gather primary data and filling of questionnaire digital
media in the form of emails will be used so that not only cost of the research will be mitigated
but it will also lead to saving of time in terms of quick response. Thus, with the inculcation of the
secondary research along with digital media will lead to have better performance of research
along with minimization of limitations.
Timeline:
It refers to scheduling of activities with respect to time. It is an instrument through which
required activities will be scheduled with required time limit. This schedule shows the sequence
of activities which is performed during the research along with time scale and period (Baten and

Keßler, 2019). It is one of the major component or proposal which enable the researcher to frame
its strategies regarding future performance of research.
Activity/Week 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th
Identification
of topic
Developing
aims and
objectives
Drafting
research
proposal
Approval of
proposal
Conducting
Literature
Review
Research
Methodology
Sampling
Preparing
questionnaire
Data collection
Data Analysis
Data
Rechecking
Submission