Research Proposal: HRM's Impact on Motivation in UK Retail

This research proposal investigates the crucial role of human resource management (HRM) in motivating employees within the UK retail industry, using Marks and Spencer as a case study. It identifies the problem of lack of motivation and aims to assist HR managers in improving employee performance and achieving organizational goals. The proposal outlines key research questions, including the concept of motivation and HRM in the UK retail context, the specific strategies employed by Marks and Spencer, and the overall impact of HRM on employee motivation. The research adopts a quantitative approach to collect and analyze numerical data, ensuring accuracy and reliability. The study explores various facets of employee motivation, such as commitment, innovation, and energy, and examines how HRM practices like recruitment, training, and employee management contribute to a motivated workforce. Ultimately, the research seeks to provide insights and recommendations for enhancing employee motivation and organizational success within the UK retail sector.

Research Proposal
(The role of human resource
management in motivating employees
within the UK retail industry)

Contents
Contents...........................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
The areas of academic endeavour................................................................................................1
Research Question.......................................................................................................................3
Research Aim...............................................................................................................................3
Research objectives.....................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION
Motivation refers to one of the crucial factor that affects human behaviour and performance
within the organisation. This describe as one of the most important functions of a human
resource manager within workplace of an organisation (Breaugh, Ritz and Alfes, 2018). This makes
manager of an organisation in order to understand the requirement of their employees to motivate
them in proper manner. Motivation of employee is important for every organisation as it helps in
achieving their organisation goals and objectives. This also provides many benefits to the
company such as valued outcomes, enhanced well-being, improved performance as well as
personal growth. In the following research proposal selected organisation is Marks and Spencer
is a multinational retail company of UK and specialised for the sale of home, clothing, beauty
products as well as food. The company was founded in 1884 by Michael Marks and Thomas
Spencer as well as its headquarters is located in London, England, UK. In the following research
the problem is identified that lack of motivation in the organisation due to which overall growth
and performance of an organisation is also get affected. The researcher need to find the effective
ways that help human resource department of an organisation in order to motivate their
employees in better manner and help company to achieve their organisational goals and
objectives (Chelladurai and Kim, 2022). The primary aim of the research in order to assist human
resource manager to motivate employees so, they perform their task with great efforts. The
research is based on quantitative research methods in order to collect, analysed and used
numerical information of research topic that help in making whole research accurate and reliable.
The research is covers areas of academic endeavour, research questions as well as research aim
and objectives.
The areas of academic endeavour
What is the concept of Motivation and Human Resource Management in context of UK
retail industry?
According to the view of Balik (2018), motivation of employee refers to the commitment
level, innovation and energy that the staffs of an organisation hold at the time of working day.
Motivation refers to the combination of forces that cause individual in order to choose particular
behaviour from several of the alternatives open for them. The motivation, ability and work
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environment influenced the performance of the employees in order to perform their task in better
manner.
As per the opinion of Chai and Sutner (2022), human resource management refers to the
practice of hiring, recruiting, deploying and managing the employees of an organisation. The HR
department of an organisation is responsible for putting and creating into effect as well as
overseeing policies governing workers along with the relationship of the organisation with their
employees.
What are the ways used by Marks and Spencer for motivating their employees?
In the view point of Ansari (2021), there are many ways that an organisation is required to
consider for motivating their employees. Making their business a pleasant place is one of the
ways that the Marks and Spencer used that helps in making employees to feel influenced in order
to work effectively in the organisation. The other ways is that the manager should be honest,
respectful as well as supportive in order to motivate their employees to work effectively in the
organisation. Offering effective employee rewards as well as sharing positive feedback is also
important ways that help company to motivate their employees.
As per the perspective of Dickson (2021), employee motivation is important for an
organisation as it help company in order to achieve their organisational goals and objectives.
There are many ways which are used by Marks and Spencer to increase motivation in their
workplace. It involves recognising great work, setting small and measurable goals, celebrating
results, encouraging teamwork, staying positive, staying fuelled, taking regular breaks, staying
healthy, seeing and sharing the big picture as well as be transparent. All these ways plays an
important role in order to make their employees motivated to give their best efforts in their
performance and help company to meet their organisational goals and objectives.
Explain the role of human resource management in motivating employees within
workplace of Marks and Spencer.
According to the perspective of Graves and Sarkis (2018), human resource department of an
organisation play a very strategic role in order to motivate their employees. They perform certain
activities within a workplace to encouraged motivation in such a manner that help in increasing
the quality work-life balance of their employees significantly. The HR manager of Marks and
Spencer understand that the motivation is directly link with the improvement of the employee’s
performance in order to work in the organisation with great efforts.
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As per the view of Luu (2019), human resource management is important for every organisation
as they does not recruit, select, train employees, they also helps in motivating them so they
perform their task in better manner that helps in achieving their organisational goals in better
manner. They also help in understanding the needs of their employees in order to fulfil them so
they perform their task in better manner.
Research Question
 What is the concept of Motivation and Human Resource Management in context of UK
retail industry?
 What are the ways used by Marks and Spencer for motivating their employees?
 Explain the role of human resource management in motivating employees within
workplace of Marks and Spencer.
Research Aim
To analyse the role of human resource management in motivating employees within UK
retail industry. “A study on Marks and Spencer”.
Research objectives
 To understand the concept of Motivation and human resource management in context of
UK retail sector.
 To identify the ways used by the Marks and Spencer for motivating their employees.
 To analyse the role of human resource management in motivating employees within
workplace of Marks and Spencer.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Breaugh, J., Ritz, A. and Alfes, K., 2018. Work motivation and public service motivation:
disentangling varieties of motivation and job satisfaction. Public Management
Review, 20(10), pp.1423-1443.
Chelladurai, P. and Kim, A.C.H., 2022. Human resource management in sport and recreation.
Human kinetics.
Balik, A.J., 2018. The project of implementing optimized human resource management based on
the motivation system in the company Beiersdorf Manufacturing Poznań Ltd (Doctoral
dissertation, Instytut Mechaniki i Poligrafii).
Ansari, M.M., 2021. An Analysis of Motivational Strategies for Mental Health in Islamic
Teachings.
Graves, L.M. and Sarkis, J., 2018. The role of employees' leadership perceptions, values, and motivation
in employees' provenvironmental behaviors. Journal of cleaner production, 196, pp.576-587.
Luu, T.T., 2019. Green human resource practices and organizational citizenship behavior for the
environment: the roles of collective green crafting and environmentally specific servant
leadership. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 27(8), pp.1167-1196.
Online:
Chai, W., and Sutner, S., 2022, [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.techtarget.com/searchhrsoftware/definition/human-resource-management-
HRM>
Dickson, G., 2021, [Online]. Available through: <https://blog.bonus.ly/20-simple-ways-to-
increase-motivation-in-the-workplace/ >
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