An Investigation of HRM Practices on Employee Retention in Hospitality

This dissertation proposal investigates the role of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices on employee retention, specifically within the hospitality industry. The proposal outlines the background and context of the research, emphasizing the importance of employee retention in a sector facing high turnover rates. It reviews relevant theories, including the impact of management styles, compensation, and recognition on employee decisions to stay or leave a company. The methodology section details the use of a survey through questionnaires to gather primary data from employees in five-star hotels in the UAE, supported by secondary sources. A mixed research design is proposed, integrating both qualitative and quantitative approaches, with simple random sampling to select participants. The data analysis will be performed using statistical tools and MS-Excel. The proposal includes a project management timescale with key milestones, and a Gantt chart. The research aims to assess the impact of HRM practices on employee retention, identify strategies to improve HRM practices, and provide valid conclusions and recommendations for the hospitality industry. The proposal also includes terms of reference, a provisional title, and a comprehensive list of references to support the study.

Running head: DISSERTATION PROPOSAL
An investigation of the role of HRM practices on employee’s retention

DISSERTATION PROPOSAL 2
Table of Contents
Provisional Title..........................................................................................................................................3
Terms of Reference.....................................................................................................................................3
Background and Context.............................................................................................................................3
Summary of Relevant Theory......................................................................................................................5
Methodology...............................................................................................................................................6
Timescale – Plan of Project management....................................................................................................7
References...................................................................................................................................................9

DISSERTATION PROPOSAL 3
Provisional Title
An investigation of the role of HRM practices on employee’s retention: In the context of the
hospitality industry.
Terms of Reference
There are three terms of reference: aim and objectives, methods to be applied and potential
results of research.
1. This study aims to assess the role of HRM practices on employee’s retention.
2. This research entails the conceptual understanding of HRM practices and employee
retention, causes of declining employee’s retention, the role of HRM practices in
employee retention, strategies to improve the HRM practices in employee retention.
These aspects will be evaluated from the sources of primary data like survey through a
questionnaire.
3. Statistical data analysis tool will enable the investigator to examine the role of HRM
practices on employee’s retention and draw valid conclusion and recommendation.
Background and Context
Employee retention is a key issue that can impact on the growth of the hospitality industry.
Crises associated with employee retention and turnover is emerging into the current era for
different companies of the hospitality industry. Retention in the hospitality sector is ever-
evolving as well as continuing efforts to retain the competent talent of workforces because
hospitality manager can face the barriers with respect to managing the transforming requirement
of workforces at normal basis (Noe, et. al., 2017). Researchers have identified that some
managers have either not addressed the concern of employees retention or have tried for
addressing the issue with small achievements. It can be summarised that employees can stay

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within the organization when using the several retention approaches at the workplace (Fletcher,
Alfes, and Robinson, 2018).
Turnover of competent workforces is a key issue of administrators and managers in the current
business world because of increasing cost to replace as well as declining productivity of them.
Workforces leave their jobs because of different causes; however,an investigator has
demonstrated different primary causes such as not fitting into the culture of organization, conflict
or dislike of the boss, and being influenced to another employer who attains the employee’s
expectations. Hence, declining employee’s turnover indicates the effectiveness of retention
practices (Van Berkel, et. al., 2017). It is the most significant area of interest for a company with
highly proficient employees.
For any company, that is strongly staffed, losing a member of the team will cause major distress
as well as declines the morale of employees and increases the work pressure. In most of the case,
it may prone to failure of attaining outcomes. In order to get the replacement of workforces can
take longer time. Moreover, the task that needs to allocate before replacing the employees,
requires higher efforts. Apart from efforts as well as time, these practices will require the
substantial expenses (Al-Emadi, Schwabenland, and Wei, 2015).
In the hospitality sector, low employee retention may consequence of loss of the high amount of
dollar with the departure of valuable human capital and resources. It is addressed that there are
different causes of employees turnover like layoffs, quitting and discharges (Kakar, Raziq, and
Khan, 2017).The general business concern is incapability of some hospitality manager to retain
the employees at the workplace that outcomes in declining the profitability as well as customer
satisfaction. This specific business concern was that some hospitality managers use ineffective

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HRM practices to enhance the employee’s retention. This research will be beneficial for
understanding the role of HRM practices in employee retention (Haider, et. al., 2015).
Summary of Relevant Theory
As per the view of Shah and Beh (2016), employee retention is illustrated as several process and
practices, which makes competent to workforces to stay within an organization for a longer time.
Each company invests into the time and money in order to induce the new employees, creates
awareness among them about corporate ready material and provides them value as an existing
employee. A company can face disappointment when employees leave their task after training
time. In contrast to this, Vasilaki et al.(2016) evaluated that HRM practices are a set of
predetermined approaches and processes executed by the company to make sure the human
capital effectively and efficiently contribute to the attainment of organizational objectives.
Deery and Jago (2015) confirmed that no recognition may lead an individual for leaving their job
as workforces perceive that they are under-appreciated within an organization.For example,
when a person has appreciated for other’s work and their colleagues get a promotion, and the
boss is unable for acknowledging the role played in the project then it can make feel undervalued
to that workforces.
In opposed to this,Pittino et al. (2016) illustrated that lack of management can lead the
workforces to leave their job. Poorly managed employees may quit because they do not
experience they have such kind of specialized direction. An employee who feels they are free-
floating at the workplace can be disappointed with their position as well as can quit. Leadership
is a significant strategy for assessing whether workforces leave or stay the company. It is
evaluated that leadership style may, directly and indirectly, affect the workforces to choose
whether to leave the company or stay with the company. Since, workforces do not leave the

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company, they leave their supervisors. As per the view of Stone and Deadrick (2015),
workforces could be retained byproviding the right salary. It is the best technique for the
company to stay their top workforces within an organization is providing lucrative payment to
their staffs. In the hospitality sector, the company can offer the wonderful perks such as
extensive in-house training, lavish holiday parties, as well as flexible starting hours. But, a
company that is not willing to pay top dollar to their workforces will not be able to maintain its
key respondents from recruiting them away.
Methodology
Research Strategies
In this research, the survey through questionnaire will be used to gain the primary information
regardingthe role of HRM practices on employee’s retention. For conducting the survey, the
researcher will select the employees of different five-star hotel of the UAE to obtain the data.
This technique is beneficial for obtaining the fresh and first-hand information as well as helps to
obtain the reliable and valid data. In addition, close-ended questionnaire structure will be used
for encouraging the student for the response of all questions without skipping. The pilot study
will be used to develop an effective questionnaire(Muduli, Verma, and Datta, 2016). In addition
to this, secondary sources will be used to support the primary information. These secondary
sources are journaled articles, books, academic publication, and online websites.
Research design
Mix research design would be selected for this research as it contains the characteristics of both
qualitative and quantitative research. This research design will be selected by researcher to attain
the aim and objectives of investigations. Responses of research applicants would be analysed
through quantitative research design. In addition, researcher will utilise qualitative research
design as it supports for obtaining the numeric information regarding research concerns. During

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this research, mix research design will be used by research scholar for declining the hurdles and
concern of investigations. Since, this research design is relied on theoretical understanding
related to role of HRM practices in employee retention. Therefore, this research design will be
significant as it aids the investigator to assess the relationship between HRM practices and
employee retention (Stone and Deadrick, 2015).
Sampling
In this investigation, probability sampling strategy with simple random sampling tool would be
implemented by an investigator to select the participants for a survey. Simple random sampling
would be used for choosing the participants on a random basis. It declines the biasness from the
investigation. In such a sampling tool, each member of the population would be equally likely to
be chosen as a key element of the sample (Ye and Li, 2017). Researcher will select 50 employees
as a sample size from different five-star hotel of the UAE.
Data analysis
In addition to this, survey data would be analyzed by statistical tools. Along with this, MS-excel
software would be used to present the information through the charts, graphs,and tables. This
technique would be beneficial to reach a valid conclusion (Pittino, et. al., 2016).
Timescale – Plan of Project management
Research milestone
Initial
Day Last Day
Duratio
n (Days)
Identification of research
topic
08-04-
2019
09-05-
2019 31
single page project plan
10-05-
2019
12-06-
2019 33
work on research proposal 13-06- 14-08- 60

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2019 2019
data collection through
primary sources
15-08-
2019
16-09-
2019 31
Data analysis through Ms-
excel
17-10-
2019
17-11-
2019 30
Final report submission
18-11-
2019
19-01-
2020 61
Identificantion of research topic
single page project plan
work on research proposal
data collection through primary
sources
Data analysis through Ms-excel
Final report submission
4/8/2019
5/10/2019
6/13/2019
8/15/2019
10/17/2019
11/18/2019
31
33
60
31
30
61
Gantt chart
Initial Day
Duration (Days)
Gantt chart will be used for this research as it provides the graphical representation of activities
and time that would be taken by these activities (Stone and Deadrick, 2015). As per the above
chart, it can be stated that work on research proposal will take longer time as compared to other
practices.

DISSERTATION PROPOSAL 9
References
Al-Emadi, A.A.Q., Schwabenland, C. and Wei, Q., 2015. The vital role of employee retention in
human resource management: A literature review. IUP Journal of Organizational
Behavior, 14(3), p.7.
Deery, M. and Jago, L., 2015.Revisiting talent management, work-life balance,and retention
strategies. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 27(3), pp.453-472.
Fletcher, L., Alfes, K.,and Robinson, D., 2018. The relationship between perceived training and
development and employee retention: the mediating role of work attitudes. The International
Journal of Human Resource Management, 29(18), pp.2701-2728.
Haider, M., Rasli, A., Akhtar, C.S., Yusoff, R.B.M., Malik, O.M., Aamir, A., Arif, A., Naveed,
S. and Tariq, F., 2015. The impact of human resource practices on employee retention in the
telecom sector. International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, 5(1S), pp.63-69.
Kakar, P., Raziq, A. and Khan, F., 2017. Impact of Human Resource Management Practices on
Employee Retention: A Case of Banking Sector in Quetta Baluchistan. Journal of Management
Info, 4(3), pp.5-11.
Muduli, A., Verma, S. and Datta, S.K., 2016.High-performance work system in India:
Examining the role of employee engagement. Journal of Asia-Pacific Business, 17(2), pp.130-
150.
Noe, R.A., Hollenbeck, J.R., Gerhart, B. and Wright, P.M., 2017. Human resource management:
Gaining a competitive advantage. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
Pittino, D., Visintin, F., Lenger, T. and Sternad, D., 2016. Are high-performance work practices
really necessary in family SMEs? An analysis of the impact on employee retention. Journal of
Family Business Strategy, 7(2), pp.75-89.

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Shah, S.H.A. and Beh, L.S., 2016. The impact of motivation-enhancing practices and mediating
role of talent engagement on turnover intentions: Evidence from Malaysia. International Review
of Management and Marketing, 6(4), pp.823-835.
Stone, D.L. and Deadrick, D.L., 2015. Challenges and opportunities affecting the future of
human resource management. Human Resource Management Review, 25(2), pp.139-145.
Van Berkel, R., Ingold, J., McGurk, P., Boselie, P. and Bredgaard, T., 2017. Editorial
introduction: An introduction to employer engagement in the field of HRM. Blending social
policy and HRM research in promoting vulnerable groups' labor market participation. Human
Resource Management Journal, 27(4), pp.503-513.
Vasilaki, A., Tarba, S., Ahammad, M.F. and Glaister, A.J., 2016. The moderating role of
transformational leadership on HR practices in M&A integration. The International Journal of
Human Resource Management, 27(20), pp.2488-2504.