Impact of Employee Performance on Customer Satisfaction at ASDA

This report presents a research project investigating the impact of employee performance on customer satisfaction, using ASDA as a case study. The introduction defines the research topic and outlines the project's aims, objectives, and research questions, focusing on the relationship between employee performance and customer satisfaction. A literature review explores key references and relevant theories, emphasizing the role of employee performance in enhancing organizational performance and customer satisfaction. The research methodology section details the data collection methods, research approach, philosophy, design, sampling, and data analysis techniques used in the study, including a questionnaire distributed to ASDA employees. The data analysis and findings section presents the results, revealing that employee performance significantly impacts customer satisfaction, and ASDA should implement strategies such as effective training programs and rewards to improve employee efficiency. Finally, the report provides an evaluation of research techniques, including research philosophy, approach, and design, and concludes with recommendations for ASDA to enhance employee performance and, consequently, customer satisfaction.

UNIT - 8
RESEARCH PROJECT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
RESEARCH TITLE : “To understand the impact of employee performance on raising customer
satisfaction : A case study on ASDA”.............................................................................................1
1.1 Formulate and record possible research-project outline specification.............................1
1.2 Identification of those factors involved in research-project selection..............................2
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................2
1.3 Literature review of the key-references............................................................................2
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.....................................................................................................4
1.4 Research-project specifications........................................................................................4
Questionnaire..........................................................................................................................4
DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS............................................................................................5
1.5 Suitable plan & procedure for agreeable specifications in research-work.......................5
2.1 Matching of the available resources with formulated research-questions........................7
2.2 Proposed Research-investigation according to the agreed-procedures including
specifications..........................................................................................................................7
2.3 Recording and collating appropriate & relevant data.......................................................7
3.1 Evaluation of research-evaluation techniques................................................................11
3.2 Interpretation and analysation of obtained results..........................................................12
4.1 Presentation of the outcomes..........................................................................................13
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS .........................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
RESEARCH TITLE : “To understand the impact of employee performance on
raising customer satisfaction : A case study on ASDA”.
Research-project is defined as the process of doing research into a set of formulated
questions via aid theories & hypothesis. In addition to this literature review provides a method of
critically reviewing associated elements with chosen topic. The research-methodology also
assists in carrying research-work in appropriate direction. In addition to this utilisation of
primary as well as secondary sources will help in gathering authenticated and relevant
information.
Coming towards the present topic of research, every organization aims for gaining higher
customer-satisfaction. In order for achieving this, performance of an employee plays a crucial
role. The way he is performing a particular task allotted to him affects overall organizational
production. Furthermore, in order for achieving success in terms of profits & sales, employee
performance plays key role. So, present topic deals with the role played by employee
performance in enhancing customer satisfaction with reference to ASDA. Also, the employees
working at ASDA have also been taken into account to gather information. With respect to this,
for proper analysation of outcomes, quantitative methodology has been considered as well.
Furthermore, diversified financial as well as physical resources have been used by the researcher
for meeting aim & objectives of the research. Furthermore, in order for getting the desired
outcomes various set of activities have been undertaken.
1.1 Formulate and record possible research-project outline specification
Aim:-
To understand the impact of employee performance on raising customer satisfaction : A
case study on ASDA. The present research has been carried out on ASDA since it has been
facing consistent issues regarding employee performances because of which their customer
satisfaction level has decreased a bit.
Objectives:-
 To analyse the impact of employee performance in enhancing the organizational-
performance.
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 To determine the importance of customer satisfaction for ASDA.
 To analyse the impact of employee performance in enhancing customer satisfaction
levels for organizations. To recommend ways in which employee performance at ASDA could be enhanced.
Research-Questions:-
 What is the impact of employee performance in enhancing the organizational-
performance?
 What is the importance of customer satisfaction for ASDA?
 What is the impact of employee performance in enhancing customer satisfaction levels
for organizations?
 What are the possible ways in which employee performance at ASDA could be
enhanced?
1.2 Identification of those factors involved in research-project selection
Before the selection of this particular topic for research, researcher had undergone
through a diversified range of research-topics. The facts and figures available regarding this topic
were more feasible so that's why researcher chose this topic. Further the resources which were
utilised regarding the chosen topic were more relevant and authenticated to be utilised in the
research. Moreover, the researcher had keen interest in determining the reason behind customer
satisfaction levels getting reduced at ASDA. Furthermore, he was interested in knowing the ways
in which performance of employees assists an organization to make their customer satisfaction
levels more enhanced. Also, a diversified range of tools and techniques were easily available that
assisted the researcher to analyse the impact imposed by employee performance in enhancement
of customer-satisfaction at ASDA. So, diversified set of activities assisted the researcher in
analysing the role played by performance of employees in raising customer-satisfaction levels.
LITERATURE REVIEW
1.3 Literature review of the key-references
The viability of every organization is linked to the performance of employees. According
to Delcourt and et.al, (2013), performance of an employee plays a key role in enhancement of
organizational-performance as well. In an organization, every task that is carried out involves a
major involvement from the side of employees. So, evaluating the performance of an
organization as a whole involves the key role of performance levels of all employees. If the
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performance of employee is enhanced then, they would be able to efficiently deal with customers
as contextualised by Grigoroudis, Tsitsiridi and Zopounidis, (2013). This would also assist them
in increasing their efficiency.
Customer satisfaction is the key towards maintaining long term relationships with them.
Customers are the key factors which determine whether the business of particular organization is
success or not. Henceforth, it accounts to be of utter importance for every organization to fulfil
all the needs and requirements of customers in order for enhancement of their organization sales
and profits. Furthermore, customer-satisfaction assures to have a large customer base that are
loyal towards that particular organization. Also, it is the key factor which is necessary for an
organization to lead in the increasing competition as argued by Sun and Kim, (2013). Adding
more to this, customer-satisfaction also assists in marketing and positioning of organization
within market.
According to Trainor and et.al., (2014), the performance of an employee is the key
parameter involved in determining whether an organization will be able to enhance its customer
satisfaction levels or not. The employees are directly responsible for whether an organization is
able to enhance its customer base or not. This enhancement of customer satisfaction could only
be achieved if employees are helpful enough in satisfying the needs and requirements of
customers. Adding more to this, efficient performance showcased by employees provides them
motivation to deliver their duties in satisfying customers as argued by Stock and Bednarek,
(2014). So, it becomes a necessity for all the organizations that they should imply effective
measures that would assist in enhancing the performance of employees.
In order for enabling the employees to enhance their overall performance organization
could take of various strategies or methods that would effectively assist in enhancing their
efficiency. According to Lam and Mayer, (2014), first of all the authorities need to provide
necessary training to their employees for carrying out their work in an efficient manner.
Furthermore, training provides employees necessary guidelines which could be utilised by an
employee for adding more quality in his methods of delivering services to customers. If an
employee is able to perform as per the needs and requirements of customers then, the customer-
satisfaction level begins to enhance at an unexpected rate. This proves out to be quite beneficial
for the organization since their sales and profits are also increased. Adding more, besides
employees need to be provided necessary motivation by aid of rewards or appraisals as argued
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by Wilder, Collier and Barnes, (2014). This technique is quite effective enough for motivating
the employees to enhance their efficiency.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
1.4 Research-project specifications
In order for carrying the research forward, several tools and techniques have been utilised
in an effective manner to fulfil all aim and objectives of research. So, present research works
involves the following methods : Data-Collection : Regarding the method of collecting data, relevant & authenticated
information will be obtained from primary and secondary resources. Research will be
collected relevant and authenticated information with its aid. Research-approach : Diversified theories as well as observations will be utilised by the
researcher by aid of inductive approach. Research-philosophy : For deeply studying the involved key elements in study,
researcher will be interpretivism philosophy. The results will be found out from a
particular set of involved respondents. Research-design : Researcher will be using the descriptive category for carrying out
research on employee-performance role in enhancing customer-satisfaction levels. Sampling : For fulfilling the aim and objectives of research, researcher will be gathering
information from 10 employees of ASDA. Error rates will be reduced.
 Data-analysis : Researcher will be utilising both qualitative & quantitative methods
collecting both numerical and theoretical data. So, statistics along with thematics will be
applied.
Questionnaire
Name : ____________
Age : ________
Gender : _____________
1. Does employee-performance hold any importance for enhancing the customer-satisfaction
levels ?
 Yes
 No
2. Are any sort of measures undertaken by your organization to enhance the performance of
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employees ?
 Yes
 No
3. If not, what possible measures should be undertaken to enhance employee performance ?
 Effective training programmes
 Rewards and Appraisals
4. What is the importance of having higher customer satisfaction levels ?
 Sales are raised
 Market position is increased
 Long-term relationships with customers
5. Do you agree that enhancing the employee performance will assist in increasing the
customer-satisfaction levels ?
 Agreed
 Strongly Agree
 Disagree
 Strongly Disagree
DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS
1.5 Suitable plan & procedure for agreeable specifications in research-work
Activity May, 2017 June, 2017 July, 2017 August, 2017
1 13 22 30 4 10 18 25 5 12 20 28 6 19 22 31
Research-title selection
Research-proposal
formulation
Literature-sources
reading
Final formulation of
aim & objectives
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Drafting the literature-
review
Secondary-data
collection
Collected secondary-
data analysation
Research-approach
formulation
Questionnaire
development
Conducting the
interview
Gathering of data
Analysing the collected
data
Completing the
remaining chapters
Waiting for feedback
after submitting it to
tutor
Introducing the
necessary changes
Printing and binding of
the final draft
Accomplished
According to Gantt chart activities, it is the responsibility of researcher to further execute
the research-work. All the involved activities will be monitored by the researcher to get an idea
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about any sort of existing modifications. The research is expected to be completed within a time
of 4 months. Henceforth, researcher would be able to do a detailed study of research-work by
effectively evaluating each and every aspect.
2.1 Matching of the available resources with formulated research-questions
To make the research study go in proper direction, both primary and secondary sources
will be utilised. Questionnaires, interviews, etc., will be used to gather primary data. Articles,
newspapers, web-portals, etc., will be used to collect secondary information. Then, financial
resources will be determined that will assist in carrying the research work forward. Moreover,
the course of study would be determined by the set of formulated research questions. This will
effectively guide the entire course of study to fulfil the aim and objectives of research.
Keeping in mind the current topic of research, researcher will analyse the importance of
employee’s performance in enhancement of customer-satisfaction levels. For every organization
maintaining a larger customer is of utter importance and so to assess this, all their needs and
requirements need to be taken care of. Once the employee performance impact has been
effectively analysed, their role in raising the customer-satisfaction levels would be effectively
assessed. Adding more to this, all the activities need to be planned accordingly so that required
modifications will be introduced in time.
2.2 Proposed Research-investigation according to the agreed-procedures including specifications
For effectively carrying the research-work forward, both primary as well as secondary
resources will be utilised by the researcher. In addition, the work of other researchers who had
already done research in this field will be assessed. Their research-work will assist in gathering
relevant information. This will be included in secondary-sources. In addition, 10 employees of
ASDA will be utilised to obtain information regarding the research-topic. The obtaining of
information will be aided by use of questionnaire. Various factors involved in enhancing
customer satisfaction by aid of employee performance will be assessed. This will be included in
the primary sources of information. Proper analysation of the obtained outcomes will be done for
introducing any sort of required modifications. Thematics will be used to get desirable outcomes.
Along with this, graphs as well as statistics will be used for outcome evaluation.
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2.3 Recording and collating appropriate & relevant data
Information for the current research will be gathered from 10 employees of ASDA that
has been mentioned below. This will provide assistance in analysing the impact of employee-
performance in enhancement of customer-satisfaction levels.
Theme 1 : Importance of employee-performance in raising customer-satisfaction levels
Criteria Response
Yes 9
No 1
9
1
Yes
No
Theme 2 : Any measures undertaken by organization for enhancing employee-performance
Criteria Response
Yes 2
No 8
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2
8
Yes
No
Theme 3 : Possible measures that need to be undertaken for enhancing employee-performance
Criteria Response
Effective training programmes 4
Rewards and Appraisals 6
4
6
Effective training programmes
Rewards and Appraisals
Theme 4 : Importance of higher customer-satisfaction levels
Criteria Response
9

Sales are raised 3
Market position is increased 3
Long-term relationships with customers 4
3
3
4
Sales are raised
Market position is increased
Long-term relationships with
customers
Theme 5 : Enhancing employee's performance will increase customer satisfaction or not
Criteria Response
Agreed 1
Strongly Agree 6
Disagree 2
10