Impact of Ethical Background on Organizational Culture in HRM

This research proposal delves into the significant role that the ethical and cultural backgrounds of employees play in shaping the organizational culture at a hypothetical company referred to as 'HN'. It highlights the complexities organizations face when recruiting individuals from diverse cultural settings, emphasizing potential challenges such as time constraints faced by participants and expensive access to secondary data. The study also discusses strategies for fostering an inclusive and effective workplace environment despite these hurdles. Through this investigation, insights are gained into maintaining a strong organizational culture while leveraging diversity, ultimately aiming to equip the researcher with essential skills in human resource management and cultural competence.

Running head: APPLIED BUSINESS RESEARCH
The impact of ethnical background of employees in the organizational culture of Harvey
Norman, 35 Victoria Street, Rotorua, 3010

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Background to study....................................................................................................................3
Research questions.......................................................................................................................4
Project design (method)...................................................................................................................4
Introduction..................................................................................................................................4
Philosophy for research................................................................................................................4
Approaches for research...............................................................................................................4
Strategy for research....................................................................................................................5
Designing of project.....................................................................................................................5
Data gathering technique.............................................................................................................5
Procedure of Sampling.................................................................................................................6
Data analysis method.......................................................................................................................6
Project implications.........................................................................................................................6
Ethical approval...............................................................................................................................7
Timeline...........................................................................................................................................7
Own Learning..................................................................................................................................8
References........................................................................................................................................9

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Introduction
In existing phenomenon, tradition of a person and their opinion may influence the entire working
culture of HN (Harvey Norman) organization. The business manager has designed for recruiting
workforces from distinct environmental with spiritual backgrounds after executing cultural
diversity within a company. In the current scenario, business managers have confronted different
issues to keep the image and goodwill of a company. But, psychological belief and their culture
between people of different culture differ from each other. Consequently, workforces were
unable to keep organizational productivity of Harvey Norman (Perry-Smith and Shalley, 2014).
In this way, this research study is emphasized to make a deep evaluation regarding the impact of
the ethnic background of workforces in Harvey Norman.
Background to study
There are different authors who have demonstrated their opinion with respect to the impact of the
ethnic background of the workforces in the organizational culture of Harvey Norman. In the
view of Ford and Richardson (2013), the ethnic background concept depicts a set of individual
who belongs to a distinct race, language and religions. In these kinds of circumstances, a persona
may confront the complexities to make a judgment between the homogeneous ethnic groups
because they come in distinct backgrounds. But, as per the view of different recognized scholars,
a large number of proficient and skilled workforces get depressed for being part of the company
due to implementing specific organization culture in hiring workforces from ethnic backgrounds.
Hence, the impact of the ethnic background of the workforce in the organizational culture of HN
has created both positive and adverse effects (Trax, et. al., 2015).
Research questions
 What is the impact of ethnic background of the employees in organizational culture

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 What are the major challenges that organizations have to face for hiring employees from
different religion and cultural backgrounds
 What should be the major recommendations of maintaining effective organizational culture
at the workplace by hiring people of various cultural backgrounds
Project design (method)
Introduction
This part of the project methodology can aid the researcher to choose the suitable tool to attain
the research aim and objectives. This part incorporates different elements like research
approaches, philosophies, project design, sampling and data gathering techniques. It will enable
the researcher to obtain feasible outcome regarding research matter (Farkas, 2017).
Philosophy for research
Interpretivism research philosophy will be used by a researcher to enhance the research
reliability. The main motive behind this selection is subjective nature of research issue. This
research philosophy is also linked with idealism circumstances which help a researcher to get the
valid and reliable information (Ahern, et. al., 2015).
Approaches for research
The inductive approach will be used by a researcher to gather the information regarding research
issue. Along with this, this approach will be used to generate the theories rather than developing
a hypothesis. By implementing this approach, a researcher will able to gather the beliefs and
ideas with respondents with regards to research issue (Luthans, et. al., 2015).
Strategy for research
The research strategy could be beneficial to attain the research goal and objective in
predetermined time duration and cost. For this research, a researcher will use literature review

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and survey through a questionnaire to complete the research in a reliable way. Through
conducting a survey through a questionnaire, a researcher would be enabled to pool the views
and opinion with respect to the impact of the ethical background of employees in the
organizational culture of Harvey Norman. For collecting the data through literature review, a
researcher will use different sources to pooling the information like academic publication,
textbook, offline resources, magazines, and government and company report (Huang, and
Rundle-Thiele, 2014). These sources will allow a researcher to enhance the reliability and
validity regarding research result.
Designing of project
A research will also implement mix project design. Because, it contains the features of both
quantitative and qualitative project design hence it may effective to develop trustworthy with
applicable research outcome. In such way, qualitative research design will build the theoretical
understanding regarding the issue of research along with quantitative researcher will be used by a
researcher to exhibit the numerical facts and figures by statistical data (Stone, and Deadrick,
2015).
Data gathering technique
A researcher will gather the facts and figures to get the reliable research outcome. The researcher
will implement both primary and secondary data collection method to increase the reliability of
research. In this way, primary data will be pooled by the researcher to gather new information
via observation, experiment and survey through a questionnaire. At the same time, a researcher
will gather the secondary facts and figures via different sources like a textbook, journal article,
and online and offline publications (Matsumoto and Juang, 2016).

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Procedure of Sampling
The researcher will use probability sampling techniques for choosing respondents in an
unsystematic manner. In such way, the researcher will implement random sampling technique to
provide equivalent chances to participants in the survey through a questionnaire. This sampling
procedure will be effective to avoid the biases from research. Along with this, the researcher will
select 40 employees of Harvey Norman from different geographical areas to get depth
information (Myers, 2015). These methods will allow a researcher to assess the impact of the
ethical background of employees in the organizational culture of Harvey Norman.
Data analysis method
For this research, statistical data analysis will be implemented by a researcher to analyze pooled
figures as well as understand it in a comprehensible way. For statistical data analysis, a
researcher will exercise Ms-excel to represent the facts and figures via bar diagram, pie chart and
column diagram. As a result, it would facilitate the readers to comprehend the facts and figures
regarding the research issue (Delgado, et. al., 2013).
Project implications
This research could be beneficial for readers to create the intensely comprehension regarding the
impact of the ethical background of employees in the organizational culture of HN. This research
proposal will also be beneficial for current and new companies because it develops the
understanding with respect to the impact of the ethnic background of the workforces in
organizational culture. This will be effective for existing organization to comprehend the major
challenges that organizations confront during hiring employees from distinct religious with
cultural backgrounds. It will also aid the representative and researcher to understand the ways for

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maintaining the valuable organizational culture at the workplace by recruiting people from
various cultural backgrounds (Kirkman, et. al., 2013).
Ethical approval
A research will use data safety and security act 1988 by which they will not share the
confidential information with another person before and after completion of the project. A
research will also not compel to respondents to give confidential information and cannot
demonstrate it by manipulation. Along with this, a researcher will also update to employees
regarding the research purpose earlier conducting the survey through a questionnaire. As a result,
a researcher would be competent to engage the respondents in the survey through a questionnaire
(Delgado, et. al., 2013).
Timeline
Table 1: Research schedule for completing project
Activities that will be conducted by researcher
Number of weeks to conduct these
activities
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1
0
Choose feasible research issue
Building purpose and objective for project
Pooling facts and figures through both primary and
secondary sources
Questionnaire design
Choosing appropriate sample from targeted
population via effective sampling technique
Analysis of data and findings

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Writing of report with final draft making
Report submission
From the above time schedule, it could be stated that obtaining survey via questionnaire and
pooling the data via secondary data will take maximum time rather than other performing
activities.
Own Learning
This research proposal has gained my research skill by developing the understanding of the
impact of the ethical background of employees in the organizational culture of HN. This research
proposal was interesting for me because it has developed my knowledge about major challenges
that organizations may confront during hiring employees from different religious with cultural
backgrounds. As a result, I am able to consider these factors to make strategy and also enable me
to become a good HR manager in future. This research was also beneficial for me to gain my
experience regarding different ways for maintaining the good organizational culture at the
workplace by recruiting people from distinct cultural backgrounds. However, I have confronted
struggle to gather the primary and secondary data because some of the participants were not
agreed to get the responses about research issue due to time-consuming. Along with this, I have
faced difficulty to gather the secondary data because some of the journal articles were too
expensive but I have to purchase due to getting authentic information.

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References
Ahern, K. R., Daminelli, D., & Fracassi, C. (2015). Lost in translation? The effect of cultural
values on mergers around the world. Journal of Financial Economics, 117(1), 165-189.
Delgado, D. A., Ness, S., Ferguson, K., Engstrom, P. L., Gannon, T. M., & Gillett, C. (2013).
Cultural competence training for clinical staff: Measuring the effect of a one-hour class
on cultural competence. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 24(2), 204-213.
Farkas, G. (2017). Human capital or cultural capital?: Ethnicity and poverty groups in an urban
school district. UK: Routledge.
Ford, R. C., & Richardson, W. D. (2013). Ethical decision making: A review of the empirical
literature. In Citation classics from the Journal of Business Ethics (pp. 19-44). UK:
Springer Netherlands.
Huang, Y. T., & Rundle-Thiele, S. (2014). The moderating effect of cultural congruence on the
internal marketing practice and employee satisfaction relationship: An empirical
examination of Australian and Taiwanese born tourism employees. Tourism
Management, 42, 196-206.
Kirkman, B. L., Cordery, J. L., Mathieu, J., Rosen, B., & Kukenberger, M. (2013). Global
organizational communities of practice: The effects of nationality diversity,
psychological safety, and media richness on community performance. Human
Relations, 66(3), 333-362.
Luthans, F., Luthans, B. C., & Luthans, K. W. (2015). Organizational behavior: An evidence-
based approach. UK: IAP.
Matsumoto, D., & Juang, L. (2016). Culture and psychology. UK: Nelson Education.

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Myers, M. B. (2015). Ethnocentrism: a literature overview and directions for future research.
In Proceedings of the 1995 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Annual
Conference (pp. 202-207). UK: Springer, Cham.
Perry-Smith, J. E., & Shalley, C. E. (2014). A social composition view of team creativity: The
role of member nationality-heterogeneous ties outside of the team. Organization
Science, 25(5), 1434-1452.
Stone, D. L., & Deadrick, D. L. (2015). Challenges and opportunities affecting the future of
human resource management. Human Resource Management Review, 25(2), 139-145.
Trax, M., Brunow, S., & Suedekum, J. (2015). Cultural diversity and plant-level
productivity. Regional Science and Urban Economics, 53, 85-96.