Research Project: Analyzing Minimum Wage and Its Effects on Poverty

This research project investigates the influence of minimum wage on poverty, using Tesco as a case study. The study employs both primary (questionnaire) and secondary research methods to gather data from Tesco employees. The methodology includes probability sampling and ethical considerations. The findings reveal a negative impact of minimum wage, potentially trapping individuals in poverty, contributing to workplace discrimination, and affecting employee performance and organizational goals. The research explores the drawbacks of minimum wage, such as increased product prices and operational challenges for businesses. The discussion analyzes themes related to minimum wage awareness, its link to poverty, workplace discrimination, and its effects on employee capabilities. Recommendations for business performance improvement are also provided. The project includes a frequency table, and various themes are interpreted with supporting data from the questionnaire responses. The research concludes by emphasizing the negative implications of minimum wage and offering insights for businesses to enhance employee performance and mitigate the challenges associated with minimum wage policies.

Research Project
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Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................................................................................3
Methodology....................................................................................................................................3
Results/Findings...............................................................................................................................3
Frequency Table.....................................................................................................................5
Discussion......................................................................................................................................13
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................15
Recommendations..........................................................................................................................15
Reflection.......................................................................................................................................16
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................17
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This current study has been conducted on the topic “To analyze the influence of minimum
wage to trap people can lead to poverty”. In order to provide support to the same TESCO has
been taken as the base company. The key idea behind conducting this topic was to identify the
influence of minimum wage to trap people can lead to poverty. Also, both the primary and
secondary method of data collection for collecting maximum data on the same which would be
further analysed to draw valid outcome through quantitative method that is supported with
deductive method. The findings have revealed that core influence of minimum wage is highly
negative and directly trap people which ultimately lead to the poverty.
Methodology
This refers to the process of data collection and data analysis. There are number of
methods and tools that was will be used within an investigation for gathering accurate
information regarding the minimum wage. These are:
Data collection methods: Different methods for collecting which are questionnaire,
interview, focus group, observation etc. These are main methods but for gathering data regarding
the minimum wage, questionnaire has been applied as it support researcher to gather quantitative
and reliable data about the topic.
Sampling: It is a process that facilitate researcher in selecting of sample from total
population. Non-probability and probability are two main techniques of sampling selection but
for current investigation, probability sampling is more useful as it not requires maximum time
and provides valid outputs. 40 employers of Tesco will be chosen randomly under probability
technique of sampling.
Research Ethics: This section of methodology is important because it facilitate research
by completing it ethically. Some ideology that must be use by researcher for conducting this
research which are gain informed consent from capacity studies contributors; diminish the
chance of harm to participants; avoid the usage of misleading practices; shield their anonymity
and confidentiality; give individuals the right to withdraw etc.
Results/Findings
Questionnaire
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Q 1) Are you aware with the concept of minimum wage?
a) Yes
b) No
Q 2) Do you think minimum wage leads to the trap people into poverty?
a) Agree
b) Disagree
Q 3) Does minimum wage places contribution in the discrimination at workplace?
a) Yes
b) No
Q 4) In what manner, minimum wages influences working capability of the employees?
a) Positive
b) Negative
Q 5) What are drawbacks of minimum wage that leads to poverty?
a) Could lead to increase in prices of product which raise poverty
b) Some businesses cannot afford the wages which influences their operations too
c) Regional imbalances in wages reduces the effectiveness
Q 6) Do you believe, minimum wage also places influence over the employees performance and
also results in the delay of attaining organizational goals and objectives?
a) Agree
b) Disagree
Q 7) As per your opinion, what are the several ways that could support businesses in enhancing
performance of employees?
a) Providing equal opportunity
b) Developing positive working environment
c) Motivating employees
Q 8) What are major issues that business entities like TESCO could face due to presence of
workplace discrimination within the company?
a) Rises employee turnover rate
b) Decline in productivity
c) Delay in achievement of organisational goals and objectives
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Q 9) Provide recommendation to the company through which they can enhance business
performance and attain success.
Frequency Table
Q 1) Are you aware with the concept of minimum wage? Frequency
a) Yes 25
b) No 15
Q 2) Do you think minimum wage leads to the trap people into poverty? Frequency
a) Agree 32
b) Disagree 8
Q 3) Does minimum wage places contribution in the discrimination at
workplace?
Frequency
a) Yes 28
b) No 12
Q 4) In what manner, minimum wages influences working capability of
the employees?
Frequency
a) Positive 20
b) Negative 20
Q 5) What are drawbacks of minimum wage that leads to poverty? Frequency
a) Could lead to increase in prices of product which raise poverty 10
b) Some businesses cannot afford the wages which influences their operations
too
15
c) Regional imbalances in wages reduces the effectiveness 15
Q 6) Do you believe, minimum wage also places influence over the
employees performance and also results in the delay of attaining
organizational goals and objectives?
Frequency
a) Agree 25
b) Disagree 15
Q 7) As per your opinion, what are the several ways that could support Frequency
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businesses in enhancing performance of employees?
a) Providing equal opportunity 15
b) Developing positive working environment 10
c) Motivating employees 15
Q 8) What are major issues that business entities like TESCO could face
due to presence of workplace discrimination within the company?
Frequency
a) Rises employee turnover rate 12
b) Decline in productivity 13
c) Delay in achievement of organisational goals and objectives 15
Q 9) Provide recommendation to the company through which they can
enhance business performance and attain success.
Theme 1: concept of minimum wage
Q 1) Are you aware with the concept of minimum wage? Frequency
a) Yes 25
b) No 15
25
15
a) Yes
b) No
6

Theme 2: Minimum wage leads to the trap people into poverty
Q 2) Do you think minimum wage leads to the trap people into poverty? Frequency
a) Agree 32
b) Disagree 8
32
8
a) Agree
b) Disagree
7

Theme 3: Minimum wage places contribution in the workplace discrimination
Q 3) According to your perception, does minimum wage places
contribution in the discrimination at workplace?
Frequency
a) Yes 28
b) No 12
28
12
a) Yes
b) No
8

Theme 4: Minimum wages influences working capability of the employees
Q 4) In what manner, minimum wages influences working capability of
the employees?
Frequency
a) Positive 20
b) Negative 20
2020 a) Positive manner
b) Negative manner
9

Theme 5: Drawbacks of minimum wage that leads to poverty
Q 5) What are drawbacks of minimum wage that leads to poverty? Frequency
a) Could lead to increase in prices of product which raise poverty 10
b) Some businesses cannot afford the wages which influences their operations
too
15
c) Regional imbalances in wages reduces the effectiveness 15
10
15
15
a) Could lead to increase in
prices of product which
raise poverty
b) Some businesses cannot
afford the wages which
influences their operations
too
c) Regional imbalances in
wages reduces the
effectiveness
10

Theme 6: Minimum wage also places influence over the employees performance and also
results in the delay of attaining organizational goals and objectives
Q 6) Do you believe, minimum wage also places influence over the
employees’ performance and also results in the delay of attaining
organizational goals and objectives?
Frequency
a) Agree 25
b) Disagree 15
25
15
a) Agree
b) Disagree
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Theme 7: Several ways that could support businesses in enhancing performance of
employees
Q 7) As per your opinion, what are the several ways that could support
businesses in enhancing performance of employees?
Frequency
a) Providing equal opportunity 15
b) Developing positive working environment 10
c) Motivating employees 15
15
10
15
a) Providing equal
opportunity
b) Developing positive
working environment
c) Motivating employees
12

Theme 8: Major issues that business entities like TESCO could face due to presence of
workplace discrimination within the company
Q 8) What are major issues that business entities like TESCO could face
due to presence of workplace discrimination within the company?
Frequency
a) Rises employee turnover rate 12
b) Decline in productivity 13
c) Delay in achievement of organisational goals and objectives 15
12
13
15 a) Increase in employee
turnover rate
b) Decline in productivity
c) Delay in achievement of
organisational goals and
objectives
Discussion
Theme 1: Concept of minimum wage
Interpretation: 25 people from the total of 40 agrees to the statement that yes they are aware of
the concept of minimum wages. Whereas, other 15 people have denied to the same though as
according to them have not heard about this term in detailed. This shows that the maximum
people are having knwoledge abouyt the same as they are already having knowledge over it. The
concept have also been supported by the literature review as it also shows that minimum wage is
the common concept about which everyone is having knowledge.
Theme 2: Minimum wage leads to the trap people into poverty
Interpretation: The above shown graph depicts that minimum wage directly leads to trap people
into the poverty. This chart shows that 32 people are believing that yes it is true that minimum
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wage directly trap people into poverty as it is not providing any kind of opportunity to the hard
working employees as they are only getting pay related to the minimum wage only not according
to their performance this ultimately leads to the poverty. Remaining 8 respondents have deprived
of same thought as it provides opportunity to all by simply providing worthy minimum pay to all
the employees.
Theme 3: Minimum wage places contribution in the workplace discrimination
Interpretation: 28 people agrees that minimum wage places contribution in the workplace
discrimination as they have seen it at many places whereas other 12 have disagreed to the same
as according to them it is not at all supporting workplace discriminations. The same thing have
been noticed in the literature review too where it has been seen that minimum wage is also a part
of discrimination at workplace that has impact on employees at workplace.
Theme 4: Minimum wages influences working capability of the employees
Interpretation: It is interpreted that minimum wages influences working capability of the
employees’. In this regard, 20 respondents have agreed to the same whereas others have declined
to it as according to them it is negatively impacting upon the working capability of the
employees. The literature section has also revealed that minimum wages are directly de
motivating employees which are ultimately placing higher impact over their working practices.
This is so because; minimum wages does not provide justified wages to the hard working
employees.
Theme 5: Drawbacks of minimum wage that leads to poverty
Interpretation: This pie chart, clearly explains that 10 people believe main drawback of
minimum wage that leads to poverty is that it could lead to increase in prices of product which
raise poverty, whereas other 15 thinks that due to this some businesses cannot afford the wages
which influences their operations too which ultimately depicts like the drawback. Leftover 15
individuals believes that Regional imbalances in wages reduces the effectiveness can be
considered as the main shortcoming of this which ultimately leads to poverty. The findings
drawn with this does not support literature review.
Theme 6: Minimum wage also places influence over the employees performance and also
results in the delay of attaining organizational goals and objectives
Interpretation: On the basis of information stated by this pie chart, it can be said that 25 people
agrees that minimum wage also places influence over the employees’ performance and also
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results in the delay of attaining organizational goals and objectives. Whereas, the leftover 15
people have denied to the same as according to them it is not at all satisfactory.
Theme 7: Several ways that could support businesses in enhancing performance of
employees
Interpretation: 15 respondents thinks that providing equal opportunity can be seen as best way
that could support businesses in enhancing performance of employees, whereas, other 10 thinks
that Developing positive working environment is the main effective one. On the other hand, 15
believe that by simply Motivating employees their performance could be enhanced effectively.
Theme 8: Major issues that business entities like TESCO could face due to presence of
workplace discrimination within the company
Interpretation: Graph depicts that 12 individuals Increase in employee turnover rate can be seen
as major issues that business entities like TESCO could face due to presence of workplace
discrimination within the company. Whereas, 13 thinks main issue is decline in productivity. The
leftover 15 people thinks main issue associated with the same is that it interrupts in
accomplishment of organisational objectives.
Conclusion
After analysing complete report, it is concluded that minimum wage trap people in poverty
as at one end it provides support to the individuals by providing them minimum wage with which
they can survive effectively at the same time it creates issues for the others as they are not getting
pay according to their working potentials and capabilities. Along with this, it has been later
analysed that minimum wage is also a part of discrimination at workplace that has impact on
employees at workplace. This will also have effect on business by increasing high employee
turnover, reducing growth, decreased performance and productivity etc.
Recommendations
According to the analysis made from this project, it can be said that minimum wage was
initiated with the good faith but it must not ignore the working potential of the employees as it
affects morale because they are not getting paid on the same work effectively. There few
recommendations provided to through which TESCO can use minimum wage in such a manner
that does not hammer any one’s performance or leads to poverty. At first, it is recommended to
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the to make use minimum wage within the sector but at the same they must also give preferences
to the employees performance as well so that they could get motivated with the work in similar
manner. At next, TESCO must conduct regular based views on employees’ performance so that
they can easily motivate employees regarding their performance in the rightful manner.
Reflection
From my experience associated to the investigation, I realised that overall investigation was
successful as it contributes in attaining convincing outcome on the study topic in rightful
manner. For this study, I have made use of both the secondary and primary method of data
gathering for collecting maximum data on the same which would be further analysed to draw
valid outcome through quantitative method that is supported with deductive method. The chosen
methods contributed in determining findings on investigation objectives effectively. With this
exploration, I developed range of skills like time management, communication, presentation
skills, team working, and so on. If I would got opportunity to conduct this investigation again
then I would use interview method instead of questionnaire as it was highly effectively and its
results are more reliable as compared to others. The core motive following interview method is
that questionnaire method is consist of close ended questions which is not at all supporting or
allowing respondents to answer things according to their own perception as they have answer
from the provided options only. Whereas, while evaluating benefits of interview method it can be
said that the respected method is highly effective because it is consist of open ended question
which provides complete liberation to respondents to show their response towards the questions
according to them only. These people are not at all bounded to anything in any manner.
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REFERENCES
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af Wåhlberg, A., 2017. Driver behaviour and accident research methodology: unresolved
problems. CRC Press.
Wiek, A. and Lang, D. J., 2016. Transformational sustainability research methodology.
In Sustainability science (pp. 31-41). Springer, Dordrecht.
Humphries, B., 2017. Re-thinking social research: anti-discriminatory approaches in research
methodology. Routledge.
Walliman, N., 2017. Research methods: The basics. Routledge.
Smith, J. A. ed., 2015. Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods. Sage.
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