The Role of HRM in Customer Retention: Holiday Inn Hotel, London

This research proposal investigates the critical link between Human Resource Management (HRM) and customer retention, using Holiday Inn Hotel, London, as a case study. The introduction outlines the importance of HRM in enhancing customer satisfaction and overall business performance, particularly within the hotel sector. It defines the research aim as understanding HRM's role in customer retention and sets objectives to study the concept of customer retention, identify practices used by Holiday Inn, examine the role of HRM, and explore the relationship between HRM and customer retention. The literature review covers the concept and importance of customer retention, practices used by hotels like Holiday Inn to improve retention, the role of HRM in acquiring customer retention, and the relationship between HRM and customer retention. The methodology section details the research methods, including primary data collection through questionnaires and secondary data from various sources. Qualitative methods will be employed, and a random sampling method will be used, with a sample size of 20 Holiday Inn employees. The proposal also includes a discussion of research ethics and a reference list of sources used.

Research Project Propose

Table of Contents
TITLE - ...........................................................................................................................................3
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LITERATURE REVIEW ...............................................................................................................4
METHODOLOGY .........................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

TITLE -
“To examine the role of human resource management in customer's retention” - Holiday
Inn Hotel, London.
INTRODUCTION
The term human resource management refers to those process or procedure which
focusses on recruitment, management, providing direction, training and development with an
aim of accomplishing pre determined goal in an effective way. Therefore, the role of human
resource management is regarded as vital role within an organisation as it help them to improve
the overall performance of company and employees for rendering high level of customer
satisfaction (Anselmsson, Bondesson and Melin, 2016). In order to attain the same, HR make an
effort to hire highly skilled and talented personnel who are capable to put novel ideas or thoughts
for the betterment of firm's productivity. In regard of this report, Holiday Inn Hotel has been
considered which is a subsidiary of Inter Continental Hotel Group and headquartered in UK . It
is established in the year of 1952 and serve its service across the globe in a best and quality style.
In this study, it covers research aim, objective, question, sharing the idea in the form of literature
review for understanding the concept more clearly. Furthermore, identifying various
methodology to conduct a research and developing an ethical form to produce better outcome.
Background of the study
In relation to this report, Holiday Inn Hotel has been regarded as it is known as world's
largest hotel chain within UK industry. It offer wide range of products or services like food
services, lodging, convention, meetings, timeshares and so on and function at both domestic as
well as international level. However, in current era of market, customer retention becomes the
main aspect in every form of organisation specially in hotel sector. This is because, one of the
core intent of hotel is to acquire the increased level of customer satisfaction in order to enrich the
brand value among competitors (Chiu, Kwag and Bae, 2015). Hence, in this study, researcher
mainly emphasise over the idea of role of HR in improving customer retention for attaining the
sustainable growth or development.
Research Aim
The aim of this report is “To understand the role of human resource management in
customers retention” - A Case Study on Holiday Inn Hotel, London

Research Objective
 To study the concept and importance of customer retention for an organisation.
 To identify the practices used by Holiday Inn Hotel for improving the customer retention.
 To examine the role of Holiday Inn Human Resource Management in acquiring
customer's retention.
 To study the relationship between Human Resource Management and customer's
retention in Holiday Inn.
Research Questions
 What do you understand from the concept and importance of customer retention for an
organisation?
 What are the practices used by Holiday Inn Hotel for improving the customer retention?
 What is the role of Holiday Inn Human Resource Management in acquiring customer's
retention?
 What are the relationship between Human Resource Management and customer's
retention in Holiday Inn?
Rationale of the study
The main reason behind conducting this research is to determine the influence or role of
human resource management in managing customer retention within company. Additionally, to
gain the deeper understanding regarding the practices which firm implies inside its functional
unit for enriching the aspect of customer retention (Delery and Roumpi, 2017). By organising
this study, researcher is able to know different methods for gathering data related to research in
order to generate effective report in existing marketplace.
LITERATURE REVIEW
To study the concept and importance of customer retention for an organisation.
As per the views of Molly Galetto, 2015 , Customer retention is refer to those process and
ability of an organisation to decrease the customer defection in order to enhance the brand value
of organisation. The adoption of this concept within hotel industry plays a significant role as it
help them to retain existing consumer for longer period of time which lead them to increase the
profitability ratio among competitors (What is Customer Retention?, 2015). Along with this, it is
regraded as one of the important component within an organisation because it motive them to
acquire improved level of customer loyalty towards the brand. Additionally, it also drive them to

build long lasting relationship with customers that influence them to sustain with company's
product which enhance the market share or size in an innovative manner.
To identify the practices used by Holiday Inn Hotel for improving the customer retention.
In the views of Dan Harmon, 2019, In this competitive world, the term customer
retention becomes a major idea for majority of the organisation as it directly link with
accomplishment of determined goal in a stipulated time duration. Therefore, some of practices or
strategies which hotel industry can imply within its functional unit in order to keep their existing
consumers for longer time (IMPROVING CUSTOMER RETENTION IN THE HOTEL
INDUSTRY WITH THE RFM MODEL, 2019). The foremost step which an establishment apply
is providing a facility to customers of sharing their experience and also allow them to suggest to
company for overcoming the weakness. Additionally some other practices such as offering
discounts for rooms on occasional or weekends or monthly basis, providing some extra bonus
coupon for regular consumers, marketing as per consumers interest, usage of retargeting
measures and many more. With the adoption of these methods, firm can attain sustainable
growth in their productivity or profitability rate among rivalries.
To examine the role of Holiday Inn Human Resource Management in acquiring customer's
retention.
According to Rachel Lopez, 2017, For keeping existing consumer towards brand in a
loyal manner for which HR has a huge role in attaining the same. This is because, it empower an
establishment to enrich the overall profit margin ratio in competing industry in an improved way.
There are various role which HR perform for enhancing the customer retention in which the
primal step is that they take an effort to provide better training and development program,
recruiting the highly potential candidates (HRs Role in Employee Retention, 2017). Furthermore,
encouraging each manpower to build a social interaction with consumers, favourable workplace
policies, reliable employment legislation and so on. Henceforth, such initiation enable company
to retain its customer effectively and can strengthen the sales performance.
To study the relationship between Human Resource Management and customer's retention in
Holiday Inn.
According to Michelle Reynolds, 2019, The aspect of human resource management and
customer retention are interlinked with each other as they require each other support for
accomplishing the business aim in a better way. This is because, customer are regarded as main

source of generating revenue for company so it is important for firm to obtain increased level of
consumer satisfaction (The Effects of the Customer Service Emphasis in Human Resource
Development, 2019). The foremost relationship which HRM and retention contains is that
transparent working culture enable manpower to give better guest experience that drive them to
acquire positive responses from targeted consumers. Additionally, the another relationship is that
if HR invites its personnel in business activities it motivate them to understand the consumer
taste and preferences. Due to which, it motive them to obtain improved level of profit
maximisation in an amended way.
METHODOLOGY
Research methods is a systematic and organised way of collecting information or data for
accomplishing the desired aim in an trenchant way within prescribed time duration. There are
various ways of acquiring data which is classified as primary and secondary method which is
discussed below:
Primary Method: Under this method, data are viewed as a new and novel because the
information are collected for the first time as it is not attempted by any other scholars within
existing marketplace. Some of the type of primary data are questionnaire, interview, survey,
observation and many more which empower investigator to produce authentic report. In context
of this report, researcher uses questionnaire method to obtain reliable views or ideas from
various respondents (Fontaine, 2014).
Secondary Method: In this method, information are already available inside current
market as it is completed by some other publisher or researcher that termed this a second- hand
information. This type of data are obtained from journals, articles, magazine, newspaper, online
sources and so on. In relation to this research proposal, researcher acquired content from various
websites and presented the information in the format of review of literature.
Qualitative and Quantitative: These two technique are also an integral component in
research methodology. In term of qualitative method, it is also defined as exploratory research as
it render in-depth information regarding any particular issues or topic. On the other hand,
quantitative research method is concern with those aspect in which data are expressed in the
form of figures, graph, table (Goetsch and Davis, 2014). In context of present research,
researcher make use of qualitative method that empower them to obtain detail information

regarding topic and help them to develop a relevant or accurate report in prescribed time
duration.
Sampling: This determinant is link with those concern in which it states that selecting the
group of individuals from larger number of population. Moreover, sampling technique is divided
into two types i.e. probability and non- probability. In regard of this research, investigator make
use of random sampling methods which is a part of probability sampling. Along with this, the
sample size which researcher select for this research is 20 respondents of Holiday Inn employees
(Long and Perumal, 2014).

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Anselmsson, J., Bondesson, N. and Melin, F., 2016. Customer-based brand equity and human
resource management image: Do retail customers really care about HRM and the
employer brand?. European Journal of Marketing. 50(7/8). pp.1185-1208.
Chiu, W., Kwag, M. S. and Bae, J. S., 2015. Customers as partial employees: The influences of
satisfaction and commitment on customer citizenship behavior in fitness centers. Journal
of physical education and sport. 15(4). p.627.
Delery, J. E. and Roumpi, D., 2017. Strategic human resource management, human capital and
competitive advantage: is the field going in circles?. Human Resource Management
Journal. 27(1). pp.1-21.
Fontaine, M., 2014. Student Relationship Management (SRM) in higher education: Addressing
the expectations of an ever evolving demographic and its impact on retention. Journal of
Education and Human Development. 3(2). pp.105-119.
Goetsch, D. L. and Davis, S., 2014. Quality management for organizational excellence:
Introduction to total quality.
Long, C. S. and Perumal, P., 2014. EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF HUMAN RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON EMPLOYEES'TURNOVER INTENTION.
International Journal of Business & Society. 15(1).
Vasquez, D., 2014. Employee retention for economic stabilization: A qualitative
phenomenological study in the hospitality sector. International Journal of Management,
Economics and Social Sciences. 3(1). pp.1-17.
Online
What is Customer Retention?, 2015.[Online]; Available Through.
<https://www.ngdata.com/what-is-customer-retention/>
IMPROVING CUSTOMER RETENTION IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY WITH THE RFM
MODEL, 2019.[Online]; Available Through. <https://otiumboutique.com/customer-
retention-in-hotel-industry-rfm-model/>
HRs Role in Employee Retention, 2017.[Online]; Available Through. <https://rmi-
solutions.com/hrs-role-in-employee-retention/>
The Effects of the Customer Service Emphasis in Human Resource Development, 2019.[Online];
Available Through. <https://smallbusiness.chron.com/effects-customer-service-
emphasis-human-resource-development-62232.html>

Research Ethics approval form
All students conducting research activity that involves human participants
or the use of data collected form human participants are required to gain
ethical approval before commencing their research. Please answer all
relevant questions and note that your form may be returned if incomplete.
For further support and guidance please see your respective Unit Tutor:
Before completing this form, we advise that you discuss your proposed
research fully with your unit tutor. Please complete this form in good time
before your research project is due to commence.
Section 1: Basic details:
Project title:
“To examine the role of human resource management in customer's
retention” - Holiday Inn Hotel, London
Student name:
Student ID number:
Programme:
College Name:
Intended research start date:
Intended research end date:
Section 2 Project summary
Please select all research methods that you plan to use as a part of your
project:
 Interviews Yes No
 Questionnaires Yes No
 Observations Yes No
 Use of personal records Yes No
 Data Analysis Yes No
 Action Research Yes No
 Focus Groups Yes No
 Others (Please specify) :

Section 3: Participants
Please answer the following questions, giving full details where
necessary.
Will your research involve human participants?
Who are the participants? Tick all that apply:
Ages 12-16: Young people aged: 17-18 Adults
How will participants be recruited (identified an approached)?
Candidates are selected on random sampling basis. Employees of CADBRY are selected for
this purpose.
Describe the processes you will use to inform participants about what
you are doing:
E- mail is the method to inform participants about process rate and
schedule of investigation.
How will you obtain consent from participants? Will this be written?
How will it be made clear to participants that they may withdraw
consent to participate at any time?
Consent of participants are collected in the written form which is authentic for research
purpose.
Studies involving questionnaires: will participants be given the option of
omitting questions that do not wish to answer?
Yes No
If no please explain why below and ensure that you cover any ethical
issues arising from this
Studies involving observation: Confirm whether participants will be
asked for their informed consent to be observed.
Yes No

Will you debrief participants at the end of their participation (i.e give
them a brief explanation of the study)?
Yes No
Will participants be given information about the findings of your study?
(This could be a brief summary of your findings in general)
Yes No
Section 4: Data Storage and Security
Confirm that all personal data will be stored and processed in
compliance with the Data Protection Act (1998)
Yes No
Who will have access to the data and personal information?
Researcher access and analyse personal data from respondents because they are responsible
to collect data.
During the research:
investigator
Where will the data be stored?
Data will be stored in computerised form.
Will mobile devices such as USB storage and laptops be used
Yes No
If Yes, please provide further details:
After the research:
Where will the data be stored?

How long will the data and records be kept for and in what format?
Will data be kept for use by other researchers? Yes No
Section 5 : Ethical Issues
Are there any particular features of your proposed work, which may
raise ethical concerns? If so, please outline how you will deal with
these:
It is important that you demonstrate your awareness of potential risks
that may arise because of your research. Please consider/address all
issues that may apply. Ethical concerns may include, but are not limited
to the following :
 Informed consent.
 Potentially vulnerable participants.
 Sensitive topics
 Risk to participants and /or researchers
 Confidentiality/anonymity
 Disclosures/ limits to confidentiality
 Data storage and security, both during and after the research
(including transfer, sharing, encryption, protection).
 Reporting
 Dissemination and use of your findings.
Section 6: Declaration
I have read, understood and will abide by the institution’s
Research and Ethics Policy: Yes No
I have discussed the ethical issues relating to my research with
my Unit Tutor:
Yes No
I confirm that to the best of my knowledge:
The above information is correct, and this is a full description of
the ethical issues that may arise in the course of my research
Name: Date:
Please submit your completed form to your supervisor and also