Employee Participation: A Key to Success at John Lewis - An Analysis

This report investigates the impact of employee participation on the success of John Lewis, a leading UK departmental store chain known for its employee-owned partnership model. The research aims to determine the significance of employee engagement, ascertain the effectiveness of employee partnership, evaluate the relationship between employee partnership and business success, and recommend ways to resolve employee engagement issues within John Lewis. The study employs both qualitative and quantitative research methods, utilizing primary and secondary data sources to explore themes such as the meaning of employee partnership, its impact on company success, and ways to improve employee engagement. The research draws upon previous studies to highlight the benefits and potential drawbacks of employee involvement in decision-making and profit-sharing, ultimately aiming to provide insights for businesses seeking to leverage employee participation for enhanced organizational performance.

Impact of employee
participation into success of
business: John Lewis

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE..............................................................................................................................................3
TERMS OF REFERENCES............................................................................................................3
Overview of the Company..........................................................................................................3
Background of the Research.......................................................................................................3
Research Aim..............................................................................................................................3
Research Question.......................................................................................................................4
Significance of the Research.......................................................................................................4
Time Scale...................................................................................................................................4
RELATION TO PREVIOUS RESEARCH.....................................................................................6
Introduction.................................................................................................................................6
METHODOLOGY..........................................................................................................................8
Type of Research.........................................................................................................................8
Research Design..........................................................................................................................8
Research Approach.....................................................................................................................8
Data collecting............................................................................................................................9
Data Sampling.............................................................................................................................9
RESOURCES..................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10
ETHICAL REVIEW FORM..........................................................................................................12
Part 1..............................................................................................................................................12
Part 2..............................................................................................................................................12

TERMS OF REFERENCES
Overview of the Company
John Lewis is one of the largest chain of departmental stores across UK which was
founded in the year 1864. At present the company is having about 50+ stores all over UK with
one of the leading brands in country and now it is publicly owned company with having about
38000+ employees serving customers of UK. It is the company which is emerging as leading
organisation with having maximum employee engagement and their participation within
decision making process of company. John Lewis is known as role model in market of UK with
having all its employees as partners of all 35 stores and 272 supermarkets of company. It is also
known as the largest employee owned company of UK which is making it commercial and
democratic as well.
Background of the Research
Employee contribution and their engagement within working and decision making of
company is very much important which is also leading to better growth and success of business.
As it is very much clear that employees of any business whether retail or wholesale are the best
form of resources which could prove that they are been able to grab larger share of market if
they are been involved by higher authority. As success of business is generally known in form
of profits, revenue, market share, brand value and growth within market. These all things could
be combined to see and enjoy success of organisation with the involvement of employee. They
are essence of any part of business and help in making loyal customers and attracting more and
more client within organisation from market. Employees should be given equal and fair chance
so that they could tell about their ideas and giving suggestions for better and improved working.
The present research is based on impact of employee engagement within success of
organisation like that of John Lewis.
Research Aim
Aim: To analyse the impact of employee participation on success of business: A study on John
Lewis
Research Objectives

 To determine significance of employee engagement within workplace.
 To ascertain effectiveness of employee partnership in John Lewis.
 To evaluate relationship between employee partnership and success of business in John
Lewis.
 To recommend various ways to resolve employee engagement issues that are faced by
John Lewis
Research Question
1. What is the meaning of employee partnership within organisation?
2. Does improvement in employee empowerment affects the success of business?
3. How business firm can resolve employee empowerment issues?
Significance of the Research
As this research proposal and whole research would be based on impact of employee
partnership into success of John Lewis business. So this research will be very much helpful for
many people who are or could be associated with business like that of John Lewis. It would be
based on factors which would be useful for company so that they are involving employees in
the decision making procedures this will be most suitable if they are using employee
partnership as one of major method. This research could be helpful and significance for those
who are doing further research in this field or topic so that they could easily find out impact of
employee partnership within success of business. This research would also be useful for
students who are having their studies and topic as employee partnership in company like that of
PhD or MBA students. For company of John Lewis this study will be useful as they could
understand correct meaning of employee partnership and its importance in success of their
operations.

RELATION TO PREVIOUS RESEARCH
Introduction
All pros and cons of impact of employee partnership within success of organisation should be
laid down and very well explained so that we could easily understand meaning and effect of
employee partnership. This will be based and divide into themes which will be making us
understand how success of organisation dependent is on employee and their participation.
Meaning of employee partnership in context of John Lewis.
According to Cohen, (2017) employee partnership is defined to as involvement and
engagement of employee into organisation with equal state together management of company.
As many a times management of company is known to be involved in exploiting employees
with abusing or misusing their power on them (Cohen, 2017). So in order to remove this barrier
in company and brining better transparency, employee empowerment, increased in creativity
and experience their partnership or mere participation would be very much requiring by part of
company. Ashnai, Henneberg and Francescucci, (2016) included that employees are regarded to
as gems of any organisation hey are the one who are supposed top lead and guide company by
their vision and ability to success and growth of company.
John Lewis is that company of UK which is been the role model for others in market as
to how employee would be helpful and impacting for successful running of business. The
company is been combining all thoughts of employees so that this would be helping in
developing business and gaining higher amount of profits. Management of company has put all
its employees in foremost front which means all profits will be shared with employees of
company with having formal mission of maximisation of happiness of staff. Ward, (2016) also
mentioned in their part that just giving partnership in share of profits to employees is not just
enough they should also be having a say in management of company as they know better how
business is been run.
Impact of employee partnership in success of company.
Jacobs, Yu and Chavez, (2016) included that company must not be treating employees
are their workers and just make them work for gaining profits but rather they should be
included in business which means giving them partnership of company. This will be helping

them in forming a part of organisation and could also involve in better decision making,
innovation in business, development of participation level of employee and ultimately increased
in profits of firm. Employees will also be having greater sense of leadership and ownership in
working of company. There are many positive and negative impact of partnership of employee
in the success and growth of organisation. Rosca, Arnold and Bendul, (2017) said that it is not
necessary that if company is involving workers in decision making or giving them partnership
would be having positive impact rather they could also b having negatively effect. Company
which are involving all employees are seen to be very much successful in their operations of
gaining higher profits as well. Management will be having better knowledge about problems
which are faced by employees within organisation as there would be greater sense of
transparency and communication will also be very effective. Andriof and McIntosh, (2017) also
said that this partnership would be lowering or cutting down the cost of company as there will
be no need of giving training to employees if they are having better knowledge about company.
Worker should be given equal and fair chance within organisation which is highly
recommended as per part of management so that they could be useful for company in all
operational working. There must be a culture within organisation which is placing both
management and worker in same length of line which would be enabling company in their
betterment and growth as well. If they are been there in form of partners of business then it will
help in shaping, managing and delivering goals which is regarded to as sustainability of
business. McMurrian and Matulich, (2016) said that company should be including employee
like that of partner who will be able to raise their voice as co-owners at business. This would be
helping in creating better business visions at the present time and then developing better future
as well.
However, only getting positive and healthy response in return of what company called
to as partnership is not necessary for all business. As if the employees are been regarded to as
partners of business then they would surely be having powers to direct and decide about
company which certainly would not be good at all time. This will lead to slowly takeover of
whole company by their employees then employees would b having total control on business
and its profits of firm. With these employees or workers will be believing that they are the real
owners of business and management would not be having any tough role to play in function of

firm. One more disadvantage of employee partnership into company could be that if there is any
kind of misshapen within working of firm then there would be no one person who should b
taking liability of that event. Everyone in firm will be giving their responsibility to one another
and no one would be ready to take stand of wrongdoing as said by Wellin, (2016).
Ways to improve employee engagement
In UK there is one separate sector which is called to as employee owned sector and
according to research about 4% of GDP of country will b driven by this sector only. So Goffee
and Scase, (2015) mentioned that there are some more important way which will be improving
employee participation and their productivity within organisation. Engagement of employee for
productive purpose was very much clearly seen but this should not be there in any kind of non
productive manner. Kane, Palmer and Buckley, (2015) said that employee must be given
priority at the time of strategic decision making so that they are been able to meet up objectives
of company. Happiness and motivation of employee are the two basic things which higher level
management should be keeping in mind. This will be most efficient element which could be
worked out as per need of employee partnership. This means that employee are having share in
profits of firm, they are getting chance to be included in working of company and their
performance is been evaluated as per need of company.

METHODOLOGY
Type of Research
This research will be both of qualitative and quantitative type so that it becomes easy for
scholar to understand correct meaning of impact of employee partnership within success of
business (Taylor, Bogdan and DeVault, 2015). In addition to this, it can be said that selection of
philosophy is also being considered as critical at the initial level so that key outcome can be
accomplished. Application of diverse aspects like interpretivism allows to have effective
collection of data.
Research Design
This is the basic framework or outline of research that how will research look like and
what would it be containing into its consideration. So the present research will be based on
descriptive type which would be telling and having brief description about topic which will be
having correct execution of all activities in proper manner.
Research Approach
This will be dealing into nature and characteristic of report writing as to how would
research look like and this include whether to include some part or exclude it. As approach is of
two types namely inductive and deductive. The current report which is dealing with impact of
employee partnership on success of business will be including inductive type of approach.
Inductive will be including gathering of more appropriate measure of data on qualitative type so
that data which is collected should be correct and authentic at all the times of different research
type.
Data collection
In this present research type data which will be collected would be from both primary
and secondary sources. Thus, this will be enabling researcher to have more deeper knowledge
about employee partnership and its connection with success of organisation (Mackey and Gass,
2015). Primary data like that of 10 employees of John Lewis company would be asked certain
questions and then analysis would be made from answers given form them. Secondary
information from all kinds of books, journals, articles and old research paper or questionnaire of
other researchers would also be included.

Data Sampling
For the sampling purpose random method would be used so that 10 employees will be
include in this research type.
RESOURCES
For conducting successful research on impact of employees partnership on success of
John Lewis many books, journals, article, questionnaire, pen, paper, internet and 10 employees
would be needed.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Andriof, J. and McIntosh, M. eds., 2017. Perspectives on corporate citizenship. Routledge.
Ashnai, B., Henneberg, S.C. and Francescucci, A., 2016. Inter-personal and inter-
organizational trust in business relationships: An attitude–behavior–outcome model.
Industrial Marketing Management. 52. pp.128-139.
Cohen, E., 2017. CSR for HR: A necessary partnership for advancing responsible business
practices. Routledge.
Goffee, R. and Scase, R., 2015. The Real World of the Small Business Owner (Routledge
Revivals). Routledge.
Jacobs, M.A., Yu, W. and Chavez, R., 2016. The effect of internal communication and
employee satisfaction on supply chain integration. International Journal of Production
Economics. 171. pp.60-70.
Kane, G.C., Palmer, D. and Buckley, N., 2015. Strategy, not technology, drives digital
transformation. MIT Sloan Management Review and Deloitte University Press. 14.
Mackey, A. and Gass, S.M., 2015. Second language research: Methodology and design.
Routledge.
McMurrian, R.C. and Matulich, E., 2016. Building customer value and profitability with
business ethics. Journal of Business & Economics Research (Online). 14(3). p.83.
Rosca, E., Arnold, M. and Bendul, J.C., 2017. Business models for sustainable innovation–an
empirical analysis of frugal products and services. Journal of Cleaner Production. 162.
pp.S133-S145.
Taylor, S.J., Bogdan, R. and DeVault, M., 2015. Introduction to qualitative research methods:
A guidebook and resource. John Wiley & Sons.
Ward, J., 2016. Perpetuating the family business: 50 lessons learned from long lasting,
successful families in business. Springer.
Wellin, M., 2016. Managing the psychological contract: Using the personal deal to increase

business performance. CRC Press.
Time Scale
Activity Duration (in days)
Initiation of the
plan for the project
30
Establishing
conceptual
framework based
on the studies in
journals and
literatures
10
Prepare the
questionnaire for
the selected
respondents
10
Raise the
questionnaire to
the participants
selected from
Malaysian banks
and collect
adequate
secondary
qualitative data
10