Research Report: Impact of Low Employee Motivation on Performance

This report investigates the critical impact of employee motivation on organizational performance, using Marks & Spencer as a case study. It explores the significance of employee motivation, identifies causes of low motivation (such as poor leadership and lack of development opportunities), and assesses its effects on business outcomes (including reduced productivity and customer retention). The research methodology includes an interpretivism research philosophy, inductive approach, and survey strategy for data collection. The report also outlines various ways to enhance employee motivation, such as recognizing achievements, fostering a positive environment, and providing clarity. The findings highlight the importance of maintaining a motivated workforce for achieving organizational goals and objectives, providing valuable insights for business management and leadership.

Business Research
Methodologies
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Contents
TITLE: "Impact of low employee motivation on organisational performance".............................3
ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................................3
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Overview of study........................................................................................................................3
Research Aim...............................................................................................................................3
Research Objectives.....................................................................................................................4
Research Questions......................................................................................................................4
Significance of research...............................................................................................................4
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................4
Significance of employee motivation in context of organisation................................................4
Different causes behind low motivation level of employees in an organisation.........................5
Impact of low employee motivation on performance of business entity.....................................6
Different ways to enhance motivation of employees at workplace.............................................6
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY....................................................................................................7
(1) Research design......................................................................................................................7
(2) Data collection.......................................................................................................................8
(3) Data analysis..........................................................................................................................8
(4) Ethics considerations..............................................................................................................8
(5) Validity and Reliability issues...............................................................................................9
(6) Resource Requirements..........................................................................................................9
(7) A Time plan...........................................................................................................................9
.......................................................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11
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TITLE: "Impact of low employee motivation on organisational performance"
ABSTRACT
In an organisation, employee motivation plays a significant role to improve its productivity
and performance in market. Low morale of employees highly influences the performance of a
company. It is necessary for a business entity to keep its employees motivated and satisfied in
workplace so that they are able to perform their duties well and work towards accomplishment of
organisational objectives and goals. There are various reasons behind low motivation of
employees including poor leadership of leader, opportunities for development, rigid work
environment etc. By the help of different measures like providing employees with positive
environment, offer them development opportunities etc. will help in keeping the employees
motivated and satisfied.
INTRODUCTION
Overview of study
The key to success for each organisation is its motivated employees. When the employees
stay motivated and satisfied in workplace, it will help in improving performance of organisation.
Low motivation of employees impacts the performance of organisation adversely as if employees
are not motivated then they are not able to perform well which in turn harms the productivity of
organisation (DiPietro, Kline, and Nierop, 2014). In this research project, selected organisation is
Marks and Spencer which is a British multinational retailer that provides its products and
services worldwide. The company deals in high quality clothing, home and food products which
helps in satisfying customer needs effectively. The topic on which this study is based is "Impact
of low employee motivation on organisational performance". This project intent to analyse the
influence of low motivation of employees on performance of Business entity. The aim,
objectives and questions of study are mentioned below:
Research Aim
Aim of study is “To analyse the influence of low motivation of employees on performance
of Business entity. A case study on Marks & Spencer”
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Research Objectives
 To understand the significance of employee motivation in context of organisation.
 To identify various causes behind low motivation level of employees in an organisation.
 To assess the impact of low employee motivation on performance of business entity.
 To determine various ways to enhance motivation of employees at workplace.
Research Questions
 What is the significance of employee motivation in context of organisation?
 What are the various causes behind low motivation level of employees in an
organisation?
 How low employee motivation impacts on performance of business entity.
 Which are the different ways by which an organisation can enhance motivation of
employees at workplace?
Significance of research
This study is significant as it helped investigator in determining the impact of low
motivation level of workforce on performance of company. it helps in gaining understanding
about significance of employee motivation within organisation and different causes due to which
employees get demotivated within workplace. Proper knowledge about the main reasons behind
demotivation of employees help researcher in determining various measures through which an
organisation will be able to keep its employees motivated and satisfied.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Significance of employee motivation in context of organisation
As per the view point of Perryer and et. al., (2016), Employee motivation is
condemnatory aspect at the organizations leads towards the performance of the organisation.
Motivating employees in the organisation should be a daily or regular routine. An employee’s
motivation directly belongs to the number of interactions with her or his manager. There are
many reasons why employees’ motivation good for the organisation. Mainly because it lets
management to achieve the objectives of company. Without employees’ motivation, organisation
could be in a risky position. Motivated employees lead toward more productivity and helps
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organisation to achieve the best levels of output. Some importance of the employee motivation is
mentioned below-
Increased employee commitment- when workers are motivated, they generally give best
in the task which is assigned to them.
Improved employee efficiency- an employee efficiency is not based only on their
qualifications or abilities. For organisation to get the best results from them, it is important to
keep them motivated.
Improved employee satisfaction- employee satisfaction is quite important for every
organisation cause this leads towards positive growth.
Ongoing employee development- motivation can facilitate employee reaching her or his
personal goals, and could facilitate self-development of Individuals. Once the employees meet
with some of their initial goals, they clearly realize the link between results and efforts, which
will give more motivation to them to continue.
Different causes behind low motivation level of employees in an organisation
As per the view point of Hauser, L., (2014), there are many reasons from which an
employee can feel demotivated. Here are some. Feeling valued -- sometimes employees feels
that their work or efforts are not appreciated or recognized, they soon started losing their
commitment and energy in the task. So it is important to enjoy or celebrate their work and
appreciate their hard work and to give them credit. Poor leadership- leadership is a very effective
factor to keep the employees motivated. If leadership is lacking certain qualities or negatively
affection the staff, many employees may start feeling demoralized. Leaders should have an
inclusive or flexible approach to manage staff and should be a good communicator. No
development opportunities- daily training and opportunities can boost employees’ motivation.
But if a workplace us stagnant or uninspired or non-progressive, employees started to feel lack of
motivation and they don't get the positive vibes which also stagnant their future. Conflict-
conflict in the organisation is hugely detrimental. To have conflict in the workplace is not
healthy and not productive. Employees started to feel worried about their future and they lack
motivation and they feel worried to talk about it with their companions. Lack of flexibility- it
kills productivity. In this staff is restricted, they are not allowed manage things in their own way.
Like they cannot arrive late to the workplace, they are not allowed to work from home, cannot
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perform tasks personally etc. This all kills the productivity of the employees and make them
think they are less deserved.
Impact of low employee motivation on performance of business entity
As per the view point of Varma, (2017), when employees feel less motivation it has a
direct impact on organizations’ performance. Like, Reduction in productivity- when employees
feel lack of motivation it equates to less work done. Productivity does not go, it often transferred
into subject not related to organisation work. Stuffs like taking longer lunches, internet surfing or
person conversations cost the organisation money and time. Reduction in productivity can be
damaging to organization’s future success and performance. Workforce productivity- employees
who are dissatisfied with their job tend to spend time less than they are supposed to and they stop
focusing on their duties and jobs and they spend more time with friends, co-workers and family
to discuss about their work condition at organisation. Lack of attention is the main cause of
dissatisfied employees, which later translates to reduce productivity. Customer retention-
customers’ loyalty decrease when employees feel dissatisfied with the jobs. When employees
don't feel satisfied with the job, it is hard for employees to get satisfied because vibes are
contagious. Employee turnover- when employees resign, turnover analysis discloses that it is
overall dissatisfaction among employees which causes poor performance. Turnover is costly.
When turnover rate increases, the feeling of dissatisfaction spread throughout the organisation,
which encourages others to find job somewhere else. Business reputation- employees are the real
resource of an organisation, which means that organization’s reputation is clearly depends on
employee’s behavior, performance and action. When employees are themselves dissatisfied,
organisation can never grow.
Different ways to enhance motivation of employees at workplace
According to the point of view of Lazaroiu, (2015), organisation can increase motivation
among employees by simple ways. Recognize great work- the most important way to increase
employee motivation is to recognize their hard work. Study shows that employees motivation
boost when managers recognize their hard work. Employees expect their hard work to be
recognized or otherwise they become less motivated. Celebrate results- organisation should
celebrate every small and big success of their Individuals. Every small thing organisation do for
their employees increases motivation among their employees. Stay positive- positive
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environment keeps everyone happy, and employees would love to work in the positive
environment. When employees feel positive they work in a great manner. Happy and positive
environment plays an important role in the growth of organisation. Stay fueled- it is important to
stay hydrated, fed and caffeinated. For employees it is common to stay so busy in their work
which is not good for the organization’s productivity and health. To keep employees healthy in
workplace is a simple way to keep them motivated and to maintain their energy throughout the
day. Take regular breaks- taking a small healthy break leaves a positive impact on employee’s
body and mind. Be transparent- relationships built in trust. Transparent environment is good
way to keep team motivated. It also ensures that all employees are working with same piece of
information. Provide clarity- in order to stay motivated, it is important to know about your
objectives and goals first. For most Employees, understanding starts from transparency and it
ends with clarity.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
(1) Research design
Research methodology is a specific technique which is adopted in research to evaluate,
assemble and collect data. It defines tools which are used to collect relevant information in
specific research study. Basic research methodologies are- Quantitative surveys, focus groups,
qualitative research interviews, qualitative case studies.
Research Philosophy: Research philosophy could be interpretivism, realism, positivism or
pragmatism. The choice of research philosophy is made by practical implications. Here this
research will consider interpretivism research philosophy. Interpretivism is also called as
interpretivist. This process involves researchers to translate elements of the study. Interpretivism
researchers believes that gain to reality is through social constructions like instruments, shared
meanings, consciousness and language.
Research Approach: Research approach is of three types: Inductive, deductive and
abductive. Here, the research will consider inductive approach as this approach doesn't involve
creation of hypothesis. It begins with research questions, aims and objectives which needs to be
attain during the process. Use of this philosophy will help researcher in drawing reliable and
valid outcomes of research.
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Research Strategy: Different strategies are there which can be used in research including
case study, survey, interview, systematic literature review, experimental study etc. From all these
strategies, survey strategy will use in this research as with the assistance of this strategy,
researcher will allow how to collect information in huge amount on the topic and draw valid
outcomes.
Research design: It includes qualitative and quantitative research design which can be used
by researcher to perform research systematically and effectively. this research will make use of
quantitative research method which will help researcher in gathering numerical data on specified
topic. With the help of quantitative research method, researcher will be able to ensure accuracy
of outcomes of research.
Time horizon: Two types of time horizon are included in this element of research onion
framework. Cross sectional and longitudinal are the two time horizons among which researcher
will make use of cross sectional time horizon in relation to this research as this considered the
occurrence of present moment and there is no retrospective or prospective follow-up in this time
horizon. This help in assess outcome at specified point of time.
(2) Data collection
In process of Data collection, the main responsibility of researcher is to collect data by using
appropriate sources of Data collection. Primary and secondary data collection methods are the
two ways through which investigator can collect data. This research will consider both the
methods for collecting data on the topic and fulfill aim of the project. Primary data is the first
hand data or fresh data which the researcher will use for the very first time. Questionnaire tool
will use to collect primary data regarding this search. On the other hand, researcher will make
use of previously published articles, journals and books to collect secondary data on the topic of
study.
(3) Data analysis
In order to analyses the data, quantitative analysis will be done in this research among the
two methods including qualitative and quantitative. The reason of using quantitative analysis is
its accuracy and validity. This research method will help in eliminating biasness and ensuring
accuracy of research outcomes.
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(4) Ethics considerations
There are different ethical issues that needs to be taken into consideration by the
investigator at the time of performing research. Confidentiality of data is one of the issue which
needs to be considered. The investigator should ensure that all the data must be confidential or
the data will not be accessed by third party. For maintaining confidentiality of data, researcher
required to make sure that all the data will keep confidential and no other person can use it
except research team members and researcher. The another ethical consideration is informed
consent of participants. When providing questionnaire to fill by respondents, researcher must
take their consent before it. It is necessary to aware respondents regarding what the research is
all about and taking their consent by assuring them that they can withdraw their participation
anytime.
(5) Validity and Reliability issues
Validity and reliability are the two concepts which are associated with resource quality and
are utilized by researcher to evaluate it. Reliability depicts about consistency of measure and on
the other hand, validity is regarding accuracy of measure. The validity of research is influenced
by the flaws in study like issues with research instrument and not controlling some main
variables. Ensuring the reliability of research, investigatory check consistency of outcomes
across different observers, time and parts of itself. On the other hand, through checking the way
outcomes correspond to develop measures and theories of similar concept, validity of research
will be ensuring by investigator.
(6) Resource Requirements
In order to perform research in an effective and efficient way, all types of resources
involving human, financial, physical and technological resources are required. For ensuring
quality of research, financial and human resource are very necessary. Apart from this, by the use
of technological resources, research quality will be maintained. Some other physical resources
which are required in the research include pen, paper, computer, laptop etc. All the resources are
necessary for successful completion of project and attainment of defined outcomes.
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(7) A Time plan
The time plan of this research is mentioned below. For successful completion, this research
will take around 12 to 13 weeks. The time duration and Gantt chart of this research is mentioned
below:
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