Impact of Employee Performance on Customer Service: Research Report

This report examines the impact of employee performance on customer service satisfaction within the hospitality industry, specifically focusing on a case study of the Ritz-Carlton in Canada. The research investigates how employee skills, training, and overall performance contribute to delivering high-quality customer service. The report explores the research questions, including how employee skills contribute to better customer service and the approaches used to improve employee performance. It includes a literature review analyzing existing research on employee performance, customer satisfaction, and organizational behavior. The methodology section details the use of random sampling, survey questionnaires, and interviews with hotel managers to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. The analysis incorporates secondary data from various sources and utilizes statistical tools like SPSS to ensure the validity and reliability of the research. The report also includes an appendix summarizing the project's purpose, background, significance, and data analysis plan, along with references to support the findings.

Running head: RESEARCH METHODS
Research Methods
Name of student
Name of University
Author note

1
RESEARCH METHODS
Table of Contents
1. Research question and short form proposal......................................................................3
1.1 Research questions.........................................................................................................3
1.2 Short form research proposal.......................................................................................3
2. Literature review and methodology development............................................................4
2.1 Literature review............................................................................................................4
2.2 Methodology and methods............................................................................................5
Appendix B...............................................................................................................................5
References.................................................................................................................................7

2
RESEARCH METHODS
Impact of employee performance on customer service satisfaction within the industry of
hospitality in Canada
A case study of Ritz-Carlton, Canada
1. Research question and short form proposal
The research proposal has been prepared to demonstrate about how the performances
of employees have contributed to the management of good customers’ services at the hotel
named Ritz Carlton in Canada.
1.1 Research questions
The questions of the research are as follows:
• How can the performance of staffs and the skills possessed by them contribute to the
management of better customers’ services delivery at Ritz Carlton?
• What are the various approaches undertake to improve the performances of
employees at work?
1.2 Short form research proposal
Within the hospitality sector, the customer satisfaction is a major factor that attributes
to the business performance as well as the performances of employees at work. The hotel
business is dependent largely on the employees and their skills and performances to
contribute to the effective delivery of quality based services (Karatepe, 2013). Not only does
the attitudes and behaviours possessed by them are essential for good customers’ services
delivery, but also the satisfaction among theirs is dependent upon how effectively the staffs
have communicated with the customers and made sure to constantly evolve for catering to
their needs perfectly at Ritz Carlton in Canada. The hotel has put efforts committedly towards
successful business management by arranging training and development sessions and made

3
RESEARCH METHODS
them acknowledged with communication and different management styles so as to impact
their performance while working at the hotel and ensure delivery higher quality services for
creating greater satisfaction among them too (Chiang, Birtch & Cai, 2014).
2. Literature review and methodology development
2.1 Literature review
As stated by Karatepe et al. (2013), the performances of the staffs are considered as a
major driver of hotel’ success and also for enhancing the level of satisfaction among the
clients visiting the hotel. The positive organisational behaviour has been related to the
wellbeing and positive performance of the employees and thus the hotel should also
understand that the behaviours of employees have been manifested outside the organisation.
The internal behaviours have been controlled so as to manage good strength of human
resources management, thereby, develop their psychological skills, capabilities and
performances to deliver higher level of customer satisfaction through better customers’
services delivery too (Karatepe et al., 2013). The hotels, according to Tsui et al. (2013), must
make sure to manage the good health and wellbeing of the employees and address their needs
and requirements correctly, because with the higher level of employee satisfaction, the
customer satisfaction has also ted to increase largely. With the management of training and
development sessions, the employees have gathered the necessary skills, knowledge and
expertise required while at the same time, the leadership support has kept them motivated and
engaged towards successfully achieving the business objectives (Tsui et al., 2013). The
literature section also highlighted the important of managing the human resources properly,
which has been crucial for making sure that the guests of the hotels are treated with care and
their needs have been met properly. Moreover, the better services delivered to them, have
kept them satisfied and loyal towards the brand, thus, make frequent purchases of the hotels

4
RESEARCH METHODS
services in the future as well, which directly impacted the financial performance of the
organisation as a whole (AlBattat, Som & Helalat 2014).
2.2 Methodology and methods
To be precise, the methods of research followed here include the sampling method,
collection and analysis of data and ethical obligations too. The random sampling technique
has allowed for the collection of a smaller number of samples from a large and heterogeneous
group consisting of people. The respondents have been provided with survey questionnaires
and to acquire their responses, considered as the quantitative data and information (Bryman,
2016). The managers of the hotel chain have been asked to take part in an interview session,
with the help of non-probability convenient sampling method, to present their opinions
regarding the research subject and their responses and opinions have been considered as
qualitative data and information (Fowler Jr, 2013). These quantitative and qualitative data,
both combine together to form the primary data while on the other hand, the secondary data
and information have been mostly based on the analysis of relevant secondary sources such
as the newspapers, journals, websites, articles and documents containing information and data
relevant to the subject of the research. The analysis would be done with the se of SPSS tool
and then the input coding schemes and pilot tests could be done as well to maintain
authenticity and reliability of research all throughout (Hennink, Hutter & Bailey, 2020).
Appendix B
1. Title of project
Impact of the performance of employees and staffs within the hotels on the customer service
satisfaction
A case study of Ritz-Carlton, Canada
2. Statement of purpose

5
RESEARCH METHODS
The research statement defines the purpose of managing human resources properly
and constantly try to develop skills and performances of the staffs at Ritz Carlton to deliver
services to the customers effectively and improve financial performance
3. Background
The research background demonstrates how the development of the skills of
employees at Ritz Carlton and by taking care of their needs has life their performances. The
staffs have felt more motivated to deliver the best quality services to the guests and enhance
their level of satisfaction too (Karatepe, 2013).
4. Significance
The importance or significance of research is that it sheds light on how the
improvement of wellbeing of workers could make them serve the clients properly and make
sure to keep them satisfied, thus improve the profit level and ability to achieve competitive
advantage too.
5. Description of project
The project description is about the improvement of skills and performances of
employees to contribute towards fulfilment of customers’ needs and raise their satisfaction
level to impact the financial performance of Ritz Carlton positively.
6. Preliminary literature review
As stated by Karatepe et al. (2013), the positive organisational behaviour has been
established through management of wellbeing and positive performance of the employee,
which resulted in improvement of customers’ services and satisfaction among them. Tsui et
al. (2013) also stated that with the management of training and development sessions, the
employees have gathered the necessary skills, knowledge and expertise required while at the

6
RESEARCH METHODS
same time, the leadership support has kept them motivated and engaged towards successfully
achieving the business objectives.
7. Data analysis plan
While the use of Pearson’s technique and ANOVA could be useful, the SPSS tool
should allow for presenting the acquired statistical data and information graphically and as
tables for easily understanding. The statistical information and data in the form of responses
have been possible through interviews sessions with the managers and by conducting survey
process while the secondary sources of data have been assessed too, which maintained the
validity and reliability of the research effectively too, considering the authentic resources
from which, the data and information have been gathered (Fowler Jr, 2013).

7
RESEARCH METHODS
References
AlBattat, A. R., Som, A. P. M., & Helalat, A. S. (2014). Higher dissatisfaction higher
turnover in the hospitality industry. International Journal of Academic Research in
Business and Social Sciences, 4(2), 45.
Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods. Oxford university press.
Chiang, F. F., Birtch, T. A., & Cai, Z. (2014). Front-line service employees’ job satisfaction
in the hospitality industry: The influence of job demand variability and the
moderating roles of job content and job context factors. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly,
55(4), 398-407.
Fowler Jr, F. J. (2013). Survey research methods. Sage publications.
Hennink, M., Hutter, I., & Bailey, A. (2020). Qualitative research methods. SAGE
Publications Limited.
Karatepe, O. M. (2013). High-performance work practices and hotel employee performance:
The mediation of work engagement. International Journal of Hospitality Management,
32, 132-140.
Karatepe, O. M., Karadas, G., Azar, A. K., & Naderiadib, N. (2013). Does work engagement
mediate the effect of polychronicity on performance outcomes? A study in the
hospitality industry in Northern Cyprus. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality &
Tourism, 12(1), 52-70.
Tsui, P. L., Lin, Y. S., & Yu, T. H. (2013). The influence of psychological contract and
organizational commitment on hospitality employee performance. Social Behavior
and Personality: an international journal, 41(3), 443-452.