HR Practices and Employee Satisfaction: A Study on Next Plc, UK

This research proposal focuses on the critical role of Human Resource (HR) practices in managing and enhancing employee satisfaction within organizations, using Next Plc, a textile company, as a case study. The proposal explores the impact of various HR strategies, such as rewards, incentives, and work environment improvements, on employee job satisfaction and performance. It aims to identify specific HR practices that Next Plc can implement to boost employee morale, dedication, and overall job satisfaction, which in turn, positively influences productivity and profitability. The study includes an analysis of the current literature, research methodology, ethical considerations, and a detailed timeline, emphasizing the importance of aligning HR practices with employee needs and preferences to reduce employee turnover and increase competitive advantage. The research questions cover the understanding of HR practices, their importance in maintaining a satisfied workforce, their impact on performance, and recommendations for improvement. The significance of this research lies in addressing high employee turnover rates and identifying ways to improve employee engagement and motivation.

RESEARCH
PROPOSAL

ABSTRACT
The following proposal will focus on managing employee satisfaction in an organisation
and which HR Practises are needed to implement by the organisation to deal good with the
situation. The company chosen for the completion of this assignment is Next Plc which is
dealing in textile sector. The proposal will make discussion on issues faced by the companies in
relation to employee's job satisfaction and the ways or HR Practises with the help of which
improvement could be made in the condition of employees. Recommendations such as focusing
on employees taste and preferences and providing good working environment, rewards and
incentives are the ways and HR Practises which are recommended to Next Plc in order to make
improvement in the overall satisfaction of the employees from the job role they are provided
with.

Table of Contents
ABSTRACT.....................................................................................................................................2
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................4
1.1 Background of the Project................................................................................................4
1.2 Overview of the Project....................................................................................................4
CHAPTER 2: PROBLEM STATEMENT AND SCOPE ..............................................................5
2.1 Research Aim...................................................................................................................5
2.2 Research Objectives.........................................................................................................5
2.3 Research Questions..........................................................................................................5
2.4 Research Significance......................................................................................................6
CHAPTER 3: LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................6
2.1 Concept of HR Practices in an Organisation....................................................................6
2.2 Importance of HR Practices for Maintaining Workforce Satisfied in Next PLC.............7
2.3 Impact of Employees Satisfaction over Performance of Next PLC.................................8
2.4 Recommend Some Ways Through Which Employees Satisfaction can be Maintained for
Getting Positive Outcome at Next Plc....................................................................................9
CHAPTER 4: RESERACH METHODOLOGY ............................................................................9
4.1 Data Sources.....................................................................................................................9
4.2 Qualitative and Quantitative Methods............................................................................10
4.3 Research Sampling.........................................................................................................10
CHAPTER 5: ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS ..........................................................................10
5.1 Ethical Considerations....................................................................................................10
CHAPTER 6: RESEARCH TIMELINE.......................................................................................11
6.1 Gantt Chart.....................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Topic: To Evaluate Practices undertaken by HR Manager for Building and Maintaining
Employee Satisfaction Pertaining to UK Clothing Sector: A study on Next Plc.
1.1 Background of the Project
In this assignment, the discussion has been made about HR Practises which helps an
organisation in maintaining its efficiency level, operations and also the retention of employees in
their organisation for a long period of time. HR Practises are those efforts which are made by
managers of an organisation in order to maintain and increase the level of interest of employees
in an organisation. There are different types of HR Practises that could be best applied by
managers in an organisation in order to make improvement in the satisfaction level of their
employees and maintain their level of interest in their tasks and company. These HR Practises
not only help in motivating but also help in increasing their morale, dedication and provides
them with the best experience from the job they are provided. Sometimes, the use of HR
Practises is also done as a means of appreciating the employees for their good work and used as
punishments for their regular bad work as well (Amin-Chaudhry, 2016). Hence, HR Practise
plays an important role in an organisation whether it is about its growth and development,
employees satisfaction or to any other related concept which will be further described in this
proposal.
1.2 Overview of the Project
The company chosen for the completion of this research proposal is Next Plc which will
make implementation of different HR Practises in order to make improvement in the working of
their employees. In case of no rewards or incentives, after a period of time employees feel
leisured and bored working in the same organisation because the sense of competition dies in
them. But with the help of application of different HR Practises, it will be possible for Next Plc
to make improvement in their dedication and satisfaction level which will directly impacts upon
their performance and their performance will impact upon the productivity and profitability of
the organisation (Analoui, 2017)(Tasnim, 2018)(Taye, 2018)(Tuppura and et. al., 2016). But fir
this, it is also important for Next Plc to analyse the needs and demands of their employees that
with what means it will be possible for the manager of Next Plc to satisfy customers with their
needs and demands. For example, Next Plc could provide their employees with incentives and

rewards on the basis of their performance on monthly basis, weekly basis or quarterly basis other
than their salary and pay. With the help of this, it will be possible to make improvement in their
performance and the level of competition in the organisation because now there is something in
addition to their own salary and pay which they will get. It will also be beneficial because for
companies it will be more beneficial to retain their existing employees as compared to make hire
of new employees in the company (Buddhapriya, 2018). As it is important to provide new
employees with training and development programs and many other related expenses which
causes increase in overall cost and decrease in the productivity of the organisation. So with the
help of this, it will be possible to reduce cost and maintain the efficiency level of Next Plc.
CHAPTER 2: PROBLEM STATEMENT AND SCOPE
2.1 Research Aim
To Evaluate Practices Undertaken by HR Manager for Building and Maintaining
Employee Satisfaction Pertaining to UK Clothing Sector: A study on Next Plc.
2.2 Research Objectives
 To Understand the Concept of HR Practices in an Organisation.
 To Determine the Importance of HR Practices for Maintaining Workforce Satisfied in
Next PLC.
 To study the Impact of Employees Satisfaction over Performance of Next PLC.
 To Recommend some ways through which Employees Satisfaction can be Maintained for
Getting Positive Outcome at Next Plc.
2.3 Research Questions
 Do you know about the Concept of HR Practices in an Organisation ?
 What is the Importance of HR Practices for Maintaining Workforce Satisfied in Next
PLC ?
 Determine the Impact of Employees Satisfaction over Performance of Next PLC ?
 Recommend some ways through which Employees Satisfaction can be Maintained for
Getting Positive Outcome at Next Plc ?
2.4 Research Significance
In relation to the importance of conducting this research, it is related to increasing issues
of high employee turnover rate in organisations due to which companies are losing their

efficiency and also their efficient employees. Another reason is because of lack of proper means
of motivation for employees as because after a period of time employees feel leisure in work. So
by conducting this research, it will be possible to know about the reasons of low working of
employees and ways by which their working could be improved (Chaudhary, 2019).
CHAPTER 3: LITERATURE REVIEW
Literature Review is defined as the systematic review of the point of views of different
authors in relation to any topic or subject. It also contains current knowledge, findings as well
theoretical and methodological contributions that have been made by authors in relation to a
particular topic.
2.1 Concept of HR Practices in an Organisation
According to Alaeldeen Al Adresi, Mohd Ridzuan Darun, 2017, HR Practises are of
important course for every organisation because in today's competitive world it is important for
the companies to take into mind about the importance of retaining employees for a long period of
time in the organisation. It is because with the fast changing environment in which the business
deal there are many fluctuations made and this also gives rise to changes in the mindset of
employees as well in relation to the job role they are provided with. In addition to this, it is also
because of the reason leisure and tiredness which comes across the mind of employees at the
time of doing same work for a long period of time. So it is important for the managers to make
develop some strategies and policies with the help of which it could become possible to maintain
the level of interest of employees in the working of organisation and also to save their interest.
There are also some situations where conflicts arises in between different employees in the
organisation or in between the employees and management of the company such as Next Plc. So
in order to eradicate these issues, the implementation of HR Practises in an organisation is done
with the help of which employees could be motivated to work in an efficient manner for the
achievement of goals and objectives of the company. There are many HR Practises that could be
adopted in the organisations such as Rewards and Schemes, Compensation and Benefits and
many more in order to improve the job satisfaction and increase their dedication level of the
employees working in Next Plc. With the help of these HR Practises, a feeling of competition
and improving their own performance comes into the mind of employees as the other employees
are appreciated so they also want to be appreciated in the organisation. But in order to make the

employees to be satisfied from the job they are doing, it is important for Next Plc to make
identification of the needs and demands of their employees because there is a lot of difference in
between the needs of different employees (Crane and et. al., 2019). With the help of proper
identification of needs and demands of employees, it will be possible to motivate every
employee with their own means of motivation in which they will be able to give their best
outcome. Hence, the implementation of different HR Practises in an organisation should be made
on the basis of identification of the needs and demands of employees that will best suit to them
and will in return provide the best productivity and profitability to the organisation such as Next
Plc as well.
2.2 Importance of HR Practices for Maintaining Workforce Satisfied in Next PLC
According to Tina H.P. Kowalski and Wendy Loretto, 2017, in today's world, HR
Practises are of great importance for the organisations to make use of in order to attract and
retain employees in the organisation for a long period of time. In the fast changing world,
achieving competitive advantage is very important for the organisation which will only be
possible in case the employees are dedicated towards the work they are provided with and they
are performing well in their own roles. For the well accomplishment of provided job roles and
responsibilities it is important for Next Plc to provide their employees with sufficient authorities
to make decisions so that there could not be any delay and interruption in their work. At the time
of making decisions in an organisation, the involvement of employees must be at the utmost
priority because the employees are the one who will follow the rules and regulations that has
been implemented by the company. In case any policy which is not good according to the
suitability of employees than in this case, it will not be possible for employees to work according
to the stated rules and regulations. This will develop a feeling of job dissatisfaction in the minds
of employees. So by making strategies and policies according to the suitability of employees, it
will be possible for Next Plc to make involvement of employees with the company for a long
period of time. Long term involvement of employees with the company is important for Next Plc
because with the passing of time the efficiency in work of employees will increase and they will
be able to deliver the best possible services to them.
This will impact upon the profitability and productivity of the organisation in positive
way and will also increase the pace of growth and development of Next Plc as well. This will not
be possible in case the company is having high employee turnover because it takes time for

employees to make changes in themselves according to the environment of the company.
Sometimes, the new employees are not able to make changes in themselves according to the new
environment impacting negatively on their decision of working in the organisation. So it is
important for the company to make use of effective HR Practises with the help of which it could
become possible to keep employees engaged and dedicated in their work and organisation for a
long period of time (From, 2019). In the modern world, companies are making much initiatives
and steps in order to make employees loyal and engaged with them for a long period of time. Cut
throat competition in the market in between different companies in the market had also increased
the salaries and compensation provided to them for their work so the talented ones will get job
easily and on the very basis, the organisation needs to make their policies according to the
preferences of their talented employees which could help in growth and development of the
company in an efficient and effective manner.
2.3 Impact of Employees Satisfaction over Performance of Next PLC
According to Zarin Bathena, 2018, the satisfaction level of employees impacts much on
the working of organisation in both the positive as well as the negative way. It totally depends on
the employee that what kind of satisfaction it is getting from the organisation. In case of getting
positive experience fro the company such as Next Plc, it will be possible for the employees to
give the company with better services which will help the company in generating more incomes
and revenues in the future. But in case the employees are having negative experience from their
own organisations such as Next Plc than in the following case, the employees will not give the
company with positive outcome as their own experiences in the company is not well. Hence, it
becomes important for the companies to provide their employees with positive work experience
such as proper working environment, compensation and benefits, recruitment and selection,
payroll and many more with the help of which it could become possible for the company to make
the satisfaction of their employees in positive way. Another important method which is time
consuming at some but will surely provide an organisation with positive results is the
identification of needs and demands of their employees with the help of which the company can
provide the employees with those things which the employees expects from them and Next Plc
will be able to make improvement in their satisfaction level from the job and in making
increment in their morale with the help of which the companies will be able to get positive
outcomes from the work of their employees in a better and efficient way.

2.4 Recommend Some Ways Through Which Employees Satisfaction can be Maintained for
Getting Positive Outcome at Next Plc
According to April Shetrone, 2019, it has been said that with there are many ways with
the help of which the improvement in the satisfaction level of the employees could be made.
Firstly, it is related to the working environment which have been provided by the companies to
their employees. It should be safe, clean and hygiene that must be able to attract the employees
and give them a pleasant feeling of working at the workplace. This will create a good impression
on the mindset of employees. Second is related to the compensation and benefits, which means
to say that salaries provided to them should be above or meet the expectation of their employees
and this will help in making them satisfiable from the job role they are provided with. In addition
to this, discussing about some other ways that could help in making improvement in the
satisfaction level of employees is related to encouraging the employees to make customised their
working places in accordance with their suitability and preferences. From the above
recommended ways it will be possible for the companies such as Next Plc to make improvement
in the satisfaction of their employees for the betterment and growth of the organisation.
CHAPTER 4: RESERACH METHODOLOGY
The following term is defined as specific procedures or techniques which are used in
order to identify, select, analyse and process the information about the topic covered in the
research project. So the explanation of different tools and techniques which are being used in the
research are provided as under:
4.1 Data Sources
It refers to the places from where the data for the completion of research has been
gathered. There are two sources from where the data can be gathered. These are primary sources
and secondary sources (Mohsin, 2017). Primary Sources of data refers to the first hand collection
of data which has not been developed and published by any individual. On the other hand,
Secondary Sources of Data refers to the second hand collection of data which have been acquired
from external sources such as by making use of books, articles, journals, etc. In order to make
the completion of this research proposal the use of both data sources will be done as such in the
primary data source, the use of questionnaire will be done and in the secondary sources, the

books, articles and journals will be done in order to make the successful completion of the
proposal.
4.2 Qualitative and Quantitative Methods
There are two research methods which are used generally in order to complete a research.
Qualitative Research Methods are those methods which makes use of theories, tools and models
in order make the completion of research successful. On the other hand, Quantitative Research
Method makes use of statistical data, figures and numbers in research for its successful
completion. In order to complete the following research, the use Qualitative Research Method
will be done depending upon the requirements and needs of the research. With the help of this
research method, it will be possible to make in depth analysis of the information provided and to
provide evidences for the statements as well written in the research proposal.
4.3 Research Sampling
Research Sampling relates to the process of selecting respondents from a large number of
population in order to collect their views on the research topic for the successful completion of
the research. There are two types of research sampling which are Probabilistic Sampling and
Non Probabilistic Sampling. In conducting the following research the use of Simple Random
Probable Sampling is done which is a part of Probabilistic Sampling Method. The reason behind
making use of this method is because with the help of this method it is possible to make remove
the chances of bianess from the research and the research could be conducted in an ethical and
relevant way which will provide fair results to the readers as well as to the researcher as well.
CHAPTER 5: ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
5.1 Ethical Considerations
Ethics in Research are related to the way in which a research is completed. There are
some ethics and norms in which a research must be completed to be valid research. As such the
results of research should be shared with those people who have interest or any benefit or loss,
information of respondents should be kept private, purpose and aim of the research should be
made clear with respondents, research should present valid, accurate and reliable data that could
provide readers with real information and could be used for future purposes as well.

CHAPTER 6: RESEARCH TIMELINE
6.1 Gantt Chart
It refers to the graphical representation of different activities covered in a project which is
divided further in smaller parts in order to make the completion of project to be easier and good.
With the help of this chart, it will be possible to know about starting and end point of project,
starting and end point of different tasks, possible time required for completing the whole project
and many more aspects (Stevenson and Cole, 2018). The description of Gantt Chart for the
following project is being provided as under:

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
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Crane, A. and et. al., 2019. Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in
the age of globalization. Oxford University Press.
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Conclusions–From HRM Strategy to Strategic People Management.
Mohsin, M. B., 2017. Training and development practice in Coats Bangladesh Ltd: a study on
the impact of employee development.
Stevenson, M. and Cole, R., 2018. Modern slavery in supply chains: a secondary data analysis of
detection, remediation and disclosure. Supply Chain Management: An International
Journal. 12(3). pp.81-99.
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Factories in Addis Ababa: The Case of Bole Lemi Industry Park (Doctoral dissertation,
St. Mary's University).]
Tuppura, A. and et. al., 2016. Corporate social and financial performance in different industry
contexts: the chicken or the egg?. Social Responsibility Journal. 12(4). pp.672-686.
Online
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Kowalski, T., H., P., and Loretto, W., 2017. Well-being and HRM in the changing workplace.
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Shetrone, A., 2019. 7 Ways to Improve Employee Satisfaction. [Online]. Available Through:
<https://www.inc.com/guides/201105/7-ways-to-improve-employee-satisfaction.html>