Research Proposal: Applicability of Technology in Employee Motivation

This research proposal investigates the applicability of technology in employee motivation and training within the hospitality industry. It explores the challenges of managing a multicultural workforce and the potential of technology to improve employee evaluation, motivation, and customer service. The proposal outlines the research aim, objectives, and research questions, focusing on how technology, particularly an app, can assist managers in evaluating and motivating employees. The literature review covers multicultural perspectives in service management, motivation in a multicultural workforce, and the incorporation of technology in customer service management. The research methodology includes the research philosophy, approach, data collection methods, and analysis techniques, including grounded theory and survey methods. The proposal also addresses research ethics, budget, and a time table for the project. This research aims to identify the efficiency of an App proposed for the manager in evaluating and motivating the employees of customer services to adjust in a multicultural environment for better serving the customers.

Running head: RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Applicability of Technology in Employee Motivation and Employee Training
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

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Contents
Rationale..........................................................................................................................................3
Research Aim...................................................................................................................................5
Objective..........................................................................................................................................5
Research Question...........................................................................................................................6
Literature Review............................................................................................................................7
Multicultural perspective in service Management.......................................................................7
Motivation in Multicultural Workforce.......................................................................................9
Incorporation of Technology in Customer Service Management..............................................10
Literature Gap............................................................................................................................11
Research Philosophy......................................................................................................................12
Ontology.....................................................................................................................................12
Epistemology.................................................................................................................................13
Research Approach........................................................................................................................13
Data Collection..............................................................................................................................14
Research Strategy..........................................................................................................................15
Grounded Theory.......................................................................................................................15
Survey............................................................................................................................................15
Methods......................................................................................................................................16
Contingency Plan.......................................................................................................................16

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Sampling........................................................................................................................................16
Data Analysis.................................................................................................................................17
Research Ethics..............................................................................................................................18
Research Budget and Time Table..................................................................................................18
Reference.......................................................................................................................................20

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Rationale
Increasing the rate of competition in the market has rendered a revolutionary change on
the overall business scenario. Business experts in quest of gaining competitive advantages have
to focus on dealing with advancement of technology. In last five years, businesspersons of
hospitality industry have faced innumerable challenges in maintaining a balance between
customers’ demand and supply (Xu and Gursoy 2015). The service providers were unable to
manage the multicultural team while delivering services. Human resource managers especially
failed to evaluate the performances of employees belonging from multicultural background at the
workplace due to lack of maintaining proper database (Boella and Goss-Turner 2013). Singal
(2014) in his study compared the hospitality and non-hospitality and identified greater need of
multicultural workplace management in the hospitality industry. Sucher and Cheung (2015) on
the other hand identified positive result of cross-cultural competency that has direct result in the
performance of the team. In this situation, the emergence of technology has changed the overall
scenario of business. With the help of chronological database by using various software, human
resource managers can maintain systematic career evaluation progress of employees.
In addition, employees had to put immense effort in grabbing the attention of
international customers (Singal 2014). They as a result, intended to lose their motivation in
performing well. After the emergence of new technology, employees can easily reach the
doorstep of target customers based on online media vehicle. In this kind of situation, employees
can get in receiving immediate response from the customers (Law et al 2013). However, this
very specific study has focused to make an in-depth understanding on how the applicability of
technology leaves a major impact in employee motivation and service management within the
hospitality industry. After identifying the research issue, the study would like to make a proper

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literature review by involving the point of view of some of the eminent scholars. By using
appropriate methodological tools, the proposal would like to focus on evaluating the research
issue from different point of views. Unlike the existing literatures on the field, this will attempt
in identifying the applicability of technology both in motivating the employees and improving
the skills of customer service providers with the use of modern technological application.

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Research Aim
Aim of the research is to identify the efficiency of an App proposed for the manager in
evaluating and motivating the employees of customer services to adjust in a multicultural
environment for better serving the customers.
Objective
 To identify the process of evaluation of the employee done by the managers of the
restaurants.
This is necessary identify the process undertaken by the managers that will in turn help
developing the App accordingly.
 To identify the process managers take in motivating the employees engaged in customer
service.
This will help identify the motivational factors work among the employees. Knowledge
of the motivational factor will further help including the factors in the App.
 To identify the importance of feedback in the process of employee evaluation
This will help in understanding the potential of the feedback system and the mechanism
of the system. Proper understanding of the feedback system is necessary so that it can be
incorporated in the App precisely.
 To understand how App can help managing and communicating work to the employees.
This can help in identifying the potential of the App perceived by the managers.
 To identify the applicability of App in evaluating employee efficiency and employee
satisfaction in the multicultural workplace.
This will help understanding the reach of the App and to what extent it can be
implemented in the process.

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Research Question
Objective Question
1. To identify the process of evaluation of the
employee done by the managers of the
restaurants.
How the managers teach the employees
about customer service and evaluate their
development?
2. To identify the process managers take in
motivating the employees engaged in
customer service.
How managers motivate the employees for
providing quality customer service to a
multicultural customer group?
3. To identify the importance of feedback in
the process of employee evaluation
How feedback process can help the managers
in the process of evaluation?
4. To understand how App can help
managing and communicating work to the
employees.
How managers can use an App in the process
of evaluation of the employees?
5. To identify the applicability of App in
evaluating employee efficiency and
employee satisfaction in the multicultural
workplace.
How App can help the employees in
communicating their feedback to the
managers?

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Literature Review
Multicultural perspective in service Management
In order to review the literature based on the service research objective and the research
question, it is important to conceptualize the service management of the hospitality industry. the
service management is the hospitality industry is considered to be the oversee of the service
provided by employee of the organization. According to Zhang, Joglekar and Verma (2012), the
service management plays an impotent role in defining the success of the organization in its
respective industry. The research objective focuses on the multiculturalism and therefore the
review of literature requires including theoretical approach into the same. It is important to link
the theoretical approach to the review of the literature in terms of establishing an argumentative
discussion. The model of cultural dimension of Hofstede will be the most effective theoretical
approach to the review of the literature on the impact of the service management on the
hospitality industry with regard to the technological and cross cultural context (Tabari, Wilson
and Ingram 2016).
The cultural dimension model of Hofstede can be to certain extent linked with the service
management in terms of applying the technological advancement to the employees and enhance
the employee motivation as well. The elements of the Hofstede cultural dimension are the power
distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, long term orientation and
indulgence. The cultural dimension of this model offers an inclusive sight to the service
management of the hospitality industry. Morgan and Qiao (2016) commented that the meeting of
two cultural backgrounds in the hospitality industry is capable of creating conflicts among the
employees as well as among the employees and the customers. In regard to the theoretical

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connection of the cultural dimension model, the different mentioned aspect of the employees
involved in the service management can be evaluated properly.
However, Malik (2013) argued that the personal behaviour and the work ethics pull back
the employees in going into the conflicts with other employees or the customers. Since, there are
contradiction regarding this theoretical approach, some scholars mentioned that the issues in the
service management is not only the creation of the cross cultural aspects, but there are several
issues emerging from the structure of the organization, clients, decision making process, service
delivery system and many others. Zhang, Joglekar and Verma (2012) found out that application
of the Hofstede’s model in the hospitality organization is beneficial in terms of identifying the
cultural differences service management and delivery. On the other hand, Tabari, Wilson and
Ingram (2016) contradict that the cross cultural prevalence in the organizations is capable of
creating competitive advantages within the service delivery of the employees which can make
the employees to adapt to the multiculturalism accordingly.
However, the cultural dimension model of Hofstede creates a great impact on the service
management in terms of evaluating the gaps and differences in the service delivery system which
is emerged from the cross cultural prevalence in particular organization. The diverse elements of
the Hofstede model are providing implication to the managerial context for regulating and
managing the friction created from the cultural differences.
Fitzsimmons (2013) identified similar issues in his research that growing demographic
variation creating significant disruption in the service management. This is due to the
multicultural variation within the group members in the customer service sector. The author
focused on identity recognition of the multicultural employees belonging from particular social

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and cultural groups using social identity theory. The social identity theory as explained by Tajfe
and Turner communicates that the individual belongs form a multiple social groups that form the
individual identity. The belongingness of a group referred in the theory is the in-group feeling.
Fitzsimmons (2013) in his research sought to utilise this feeling in an advantageous form by
relating organisational culture with the individual belongingness. Deephouse and Jaskiewicz
(2013) on the other hand tried to identify the motivational factors that plays important role in
identification social integrity as mentioned in the social identity theory. The results of the
research communicates that the perceived value of the family business among the employees is
greater for building greater reputation of the organisation.
However, Hogg (2016) fails to identify the impact of in-group perceived value on the
out-group economic field. In other words, the social identity theory fails in justifying the
negative behaviour of the individuals in the out-group settings that reduces the service quality in
the organisation.
Motivation in Multicultural Workforce
Building motivation within the members on a multicultural workforce reflects greater
complication. Manager in-charge of multicultural workforce is advised to adopt a diversified
leadership for gaining success in the operation. Shaban (2016) identified the benefits of Leader
member exchange theory. The theory identifies the need of multiple leadership style for
addressing individual member in the team. The motivation among the members of multicultural
team is improved through relationship building. This theory proposes the leader to adopt multiple
leadership style for addressing individual members of the team according to the individual
preferences. The developed relationship in turn helps in providing in-group perception among

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the team members that has been discussed in the earlier section of the literature review. This will
further facilitate in developing motivation among the multicultural team members.
Dusterhoff, Cunningham and MacGregor (2014), however, identified the limitations of
utilising leader member exchange theory in a multicultural. The primary limitation of the theory
as identified by the authors is the process of modifying the high quality exchange. The theory
mentions about the higher quality personalised exchange between the leaders and the in-group
members that are closer to the leader compared to the out-group members due to the relationship
building process. They are sometimes compared to the advisors of the manger and have higher
quality personalised exchanges with the leader. However, the extents of the particulars are not
mentioned in the existing theory. Another limitation of the theory in the process of motivation is
the discrimination. The leadership style helps in building relationship between the managers and
employees for gaining greater productivity. However, the process leaders to build greater
relationship between a few of the group compared to the rest. This type of special attention of the
leader at multicultural workplace will ultimately lead to the employee de-motivation to the
greater segment of the group.
Incorporation of Technology in Customer Service Management
Technology is already been integrated in the restaurant industry for satisfying the need of
the customers. Various aspects of operation in the restaurants have been connected with the
modern technologies for increasing customers’ value and customer satisfaction. However,
evidence of technological integration in the employee motivation and employee training is absent
in the industry. However, the technological integration in the other industries can be evidenced.
A study conducted by Lee, Hsieh and Chen (2013) on the Taiwanese companies identifies the
efficiency of technological integration in employee motivation and e-learning. The results

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supports the concept of technological integration that can help the managers in providing the
updated knowledge to the employees through the technology.
Stone et al (2015), however, identified the limitation of present use of information and
communication technology in HR management. The integration enabled the managers to
communicate the updates necessary to improve the employee skills and to provide instant
feedback on the employee performance. However, this is one sided communication that limits
the ability of the technology; where the employees should be enabled with the possibilities of
providing feedback about their experience in the workplace.
Literature Gap
The existing literature provides limited knowledge about integration of technology in the
HR management, employee motivation and employee training. This provides the opportunity to
explore the identified field and develop application that will enable the HRM in motivating
employees as well as update them about the necessary details of the tasks. Moreover, the
application will enable the employees to provide feedback about their concerns in the related
field.
H0 – The application will have positive impact in the development of customer service
management in the restaurant industry
H1 – The application will have negative impact on the development of customer service
management in the restaurant industry