Impact of Employee Motivation on Performance: A Research Proposal

This research proposal investigates the impact of employee motivation on performance, focusing on Marks and Spencer as a case study. It outlines the rationale, aim, and objectives of the research, which seeks to assess how employee performance improves with motivational interventions. The methodology employs a qualitative research approach to gather non-numerical data, exploring employee perspectives through questionnaires and data analysis. The proposal details the research design, including data collection and analysis methods, and discusses the validity and reliability of the research, drawing on both primary and secondary sources. The study analyzes data from a questionnaire to assess the impact of motivation on performance and identifies challenges and recommendations for improving motivational measures. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of research methods in conveying clear and concise messages with factual authentication.

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Research proposal........................................................................................................................3
Title: Impact of employee motivation on performance...............................................................3
Rationale......................................................................................................................................3
Aim..............................................................................................................................................3
Objectives....................................................................................................................................4
Methodology................................................................................................................................4
Data analysis....................................................................................................................................6
Impact of employee motivation on work place...........................................................................6
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1
APPENDICE...................................................................................................................................2

INTRODUCTION
The file is about research proposal which includes methodology and research approach. A
research proposal is the document which proposes a research project which is in form of sciences
or academia and constitute a request for research sponsorship. The organisation being taken in
the case study is Marks and Spencer. Marks and Spencer is a retail company which deals in
personal care products operating at UK and has a large employee base. The file discusses about
the aim, objectives, rationale of the topic, research methods being used, design of the approach,
participants in the topic, the sampling method used, the validity and reliability of the project. The
file does a data analysis to analyse the data regarding research.
Research proposal
Title: Impact of employee motivation on performance
Rationale:
The topic has been selected to assess how employee performance improves with motivation
sessions of the company. There are guest speakers invited by corporates and the research shows
how they infuse enthusiasm and impact the employees. The type of leadership affecting
motivation and assessment of other factors of how they affect employee motivation has been
done (Runco and Beghetto, 2019).
Aim:
The parameters which affect employee motivation and performance and impact in data terms.
Objectives:
a) To assess employee motivation on performance.
b) To measure the increase in performance of employees with regard to past performance.
c) To identify the factors which cause an increase in performance.

Methodology:
Approach: The research approach chosen here is qualitative. The qualitative research involves
collection and analysing the non-numerical data which is required to understand concepts, ideas
and experiences. It is used to gather insight in problem or about generating ideas of research.
This approach is required here as motivation is a more of psychological term rather than a
calculative one and thus the quality of motivation being given to the employees can be gauged
through the conversation with them.
The other research approaches are quantitative as well as mixed methods research. The
quantitative research is an approach for examining the relation between variables. Mixed
methods is an approach which involves collection of both quantitative and qualitative data which
integrates the two forms of data and designs that involve different assumptions and frameworks
(Runco and Beghetto, 2019).
Design: It is the framework of research methods and techniques used by researcher. There are
three main types of research design: Data collection, measurement and analysis. The methods
being used in the file are data collection and analysis. The improvement in performance of
employees will be collected in form of data to be compared with that of previous performance.
Measurement is Analysis of data is done to study and understand the impact which was created
due to motivation factor and how the key performance indicators show the growth of the
performance when employees were motivated.
Methods: The methods for research generally used are both primary as well as secondary.
Primary research is the one which is collected from sources directly such as doing interviews,
filling up of feedback forms, asking questionnaire to people and filing them for their views and
opinions. Basically, these methods are implemented at the institution itself. These methods
require time, some funding and can be claimed done by the owner itself (Lee, 2018).
Secondary research is the research done through taking information from websites, taking views
online. Apart from this, research conducted through books and other publishing material comes
under secondary research. Secondary research is basically taking of ideas and information from
where already research is done.

The method which has been used here is more of secondary than primary considering lack of
time and funds. However, the research has been done extensively through various sources to
authenticate the research.
Participants
The participants here will be the employees of Marks and Spencer. The method which will be
used is of primary research by asking to a sample of company’s employees questions of how
they feel motivated and what have they felt has increased in their performance. Simple random
sampling is a type of probability sampling in which researcher selects randomly people to be
questioned. This is done in a form of surprise to gather instant and honest views of the people.
There is no pressure on individual and can present honest views about people and is an unbiased
approach.
Validity and reliability of research
The validity of the research can be gauged from the fact that the method of primary research has
been undertaken on employees of Marks and Spencer, simple random sampling has been used
where no individual was under any pressure and views were taken randomly to come at a
conclusion. Secondly, questionnaire forms have been asked by people and they have answered
their opinion on a variety of questions designed for gathering the true opinion of employee
motivation impact. The secondary research has been also been taken by authenticated authors
and comprise of data which have been collected by author through primary research (Mohajan,
2017). Thus, it can be linked to the file and prove the authenticity of the research. Extensive
research measures taken by the authors of journals have helped prove validity of research. The
qualitative research undertaken has been reflective of employee’s emotions being impacted by
various ways and the motivation level rising.
Reflexivity in the research can be seen in the manner that the belief of employee being
happy in the company gets self-motivated to do the tasks and take accountability for own
performance leading to team being successful.

Data analysis
Impact of employee motivation on work place
Q1.) Do you think motivation at work place
increases employee performance?
a) Yes 70%
b) No 30%
The majority of employees say that employee motivation increases employee performance as
these are the factors which keep employee to meet targets of the company.
Q2.) Which theory you think being followed
increases employee motivation at Marks &

Spencer?
a) Maslow’s theory of motivation 20%
a) Herzberg’s two factor theory 60%
b) McClelland’s need theory 10%
c) Vroom’s Expectancy theory 10%
Majority of employees think that Herzberg’s two factor theory of motivation is the theory being
practised which consists of both primary as well secondary factors which an employee searches
for.
Q3.) Do you think employee motivation also
affects company performance?
a) Strongly agree 30%

b) Agree 50%
c) Neutral 5%
d) Disagree 10%
e) Strongly disagree 5%
Half of the employees think that employee performance improvement helps in increasing of
company performance too which is a considerable number.
Q4.) What do you think are advantages of
employee motivation for the company?
a) Increase in employee performance 50%
b) Deadlines being achieved on time 30%

c) Reduction in employee turnover 10%
d) Team cooperation 10%
Half percentage of the employees think that increase in employee performance is the advantage
of employee motivation for the company. Increase in motivation motivates employee to perform
better.
Q5.) What challenges company is facing
while implementing measures of employee
motivation?
a) Lack of time for development
activities
70%
b) Employees taking the issue lightly 20%
c) Managers not able to influence 5%

employees
d) Guest speakers not being available for
motivation
5%
Employee motivation biggest challenge is company’s management not able to find time for
recreational and development activities sufficiently for employees according to the survey.
Q6.) What recommendations you think company can undertake to increase motivational
measures for employees?
Interpretation Conclusion can be in the manner that employees in majority support the idea of
employee longevity and performance being linked to the motivation factors in the organisation.

CONCLUSION
This can be concluded that research can effectively define a concept’s belief among people with
its different variety of methods which makes the message go the readers clear and concise with
authentication of facts.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Runco, M.A. and Beghetto, R.A., 2019. Primary and secondary creativity. Current Opinion in
Behavioral Sciences. 27. pp.7-10.
Muret-Wagstaff, S. and Lopreiato, J.O., 2019. Strategies in Developing a Simulation Research
Proposal. In Healthcare Simulation Research (pp. 265-268). Springer, Cham.
Boyack, K.W., Smith, C. and Klavans, R., 2018. Toward predicting research proposal
success. Scientometrics. 114(2). pp.449-461.
Lee, V., 2018. Beyond seeking informed consent: Upholding ethical values within the research
proposal. Canadian Oncology Nursing Journal. 28(3). p.222.
Mohajan, H.K., 2017. Two criteria for good measurements in research: Validity and
reliability. Annals of Spiru Haret University. Economic Series. 17(4). pp.59-82.
Maxwell, J.A., 2017. The validity and reliability of research: A realist perspective. The
BERA/SAGE handbook of educational research. 1. pp.116-141.
Hayashi Jr, P., Abib, G. and Hoppen, N., 2019. Validity in qualitative research: A processual
approach. The Qualitative Report. 24(1). pp.98-112.
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APPENDICE
Questionnaire
Q1.) Do you think motivation at work place increases employee performance?
a) Yes
b) No
c) Can’t say
Q2.) Which theory you think being followed increases employee motivation at Marks &
Spencer?
d) Maslow’s theory of motivation
e) Herzberg’s two factor theory
f) McClelland’s need theory
g) Vroom’s Expectancy theory
Q3.) Do you think employee motivation also affects company performance?
f) Strongly agree
g) Agree
h) Neutral
i) Disagree
j) Strongly disagree
Q4.) What do you think are advantages of employee motivation for the company?
e) Increase in employee performance
f) Deadlines being achieved on time
g) Reduction in employee turnover
h) Team cooperation
Q5.) What challenges company is facing while implementing measures of employee motivation?
e) Lack of time for development activities
2

f) Employees taking the issue lightly
g) Managers not able to influence employees
h) Guest speakers not being available for motivation
Q6.) What recommendations you think company can undertake to increase motivational
measures for employees?
3