The impacts of human resource management in Walmart on the performance of the organisation
LO1. Understand how to formulate a research specification
1.1 Formulate and record possible research project outline specifications
- Research title:
The impacts of human resource management in Walmart on the performance of the organisation
The research is related to human resource management and its impacts on the organisational performance. Through this study, it is possible to analyse the strategic planning of the organisation Walmart in order to manage their employees and its effects on the overall performance of the brand.
- Aim:
The aim of the research is to analyse the impacts of human resource management on the organisational performance mainly in Walmart. The research proposal provides a scope to acknowledge the actual tactics of Walmart in satisfying the employees and retaining them for long run so that the organisational performance can be maximised.
- Smart objectives:
- To evaluate the theories and concept of human resource management
- To identity the impacts of human resource management on the organisational performance
- To recommend some suitable suggestions for Walmart to improve their human resource management practice
1.2 Identify the factors that contribute to the process of research project selection
The research is related to managing human resource of the company and its impacts on the organisational performance. In the recent era of globalisation, the company Walmart as a famous retail store faces high competitive threats from its competitors and it is essential for the firm to maximise the profitability and sales volume by enhancing the performance of the company (Walmart, 2018). In this regard, employees are the key stakeholders of the company to improve performance and enhance the capability of the firm in maximising the organisational aims and objectives. Hereby, it is relevant to identify the strategic planning of the company Walmart that they implements in managing human resource of the company. Through this research, it is also possible to resolve the issue of high competitive threats where the firm can improve the organisational performance through managing their employees. In the recent years, all the competitive firms are trying to resolve the competitive threats by retaining efficient employees and they aim at satisfying the staff members for retaining them for long run. Hereby, it is relevant to conduct in depth research for acknowledging the initiatives taken by Walmart for managing their human resource and retaining them for long as well as evaluating the impacts of human resource management in Walmart on the overall performance of the company (Cascio, 2018).
1.3 Undertake a critical review of key references
- Human resource management and its impacts:
Human resource management indicates the managerial tactics of an organisation through which the companies can handle the employees and retain them for long run. Through human resource management, the companies can satisfy the staff members and retain them for long run (Bratton and Gold, 2017). The main organisational gaols of maintaining quality, improving performance and enhancing productivity can be fulfilled through managing human resource of the organisations (Singh and Kassa, 2016).
As per the figure above, it is easy to demonstrate that, managing human resource is beneficial for the companies to maximise profitability and sales volume as well as improve organisational culture and enhancing operational efficiency. In this regard, the strategies of managing health and safety, staffing, providing training and development, compensations, benefits and improving relationship with the staff members are beneficial for the companies to improve human resource management (Caliskan, 2010).
- Herzberg's two factor theory:
As per theory of Herzberg's two factor theory, there are two factors such as satisfier and hygiene factors. Through employee’s achievements, providing the opportunity for personal growth, incentives, compassions and benefits as well as recognition, it is possible for the managers to motivate the employees and provide them flexibility and freedom to work.
On the other hand, the hygiene factors are working condition, maintaining policies and employment rules, managing quality, minimum wage law and improving safety of the employees through which it is possible to satisfy the employees and retain them for long run.
- Maslow hierarchy of needs:
The theory of Maslow hierarchy of needs is also effective to develop the concept of human resource management. As per the theory, there are psychological needs, health and safety, love and belonging, self esteem and self actualisation needs of the employees and it is the responsibility of the managers to meet the needs and preferences of the staff members in order to retain them for long run (Byremo, 2015).
In order to fulfil psychological needs, the managers ensures that they provide proper salary to the employees so that they can fulfil their basic need such as food, food, shelter and water. Health and safety is necessary in the workplace where the employees can feel safe to work with others. The organisation needs to develop proper relationship among the employees as well as improve self esteem of the staff members through managing transparency and respecting each other. Self actualisation need is also essential where the organisation ensures morality, creativity and improving potential of the employees through cooperation and communication (Hamld et al., 2017).
1.4 Produce a research project specification
It is necessary to develop appropriate project specification planning for conducting the research successfully. In this regard, it is beneficial to collect the data both from primary and secondary sources. In this regard, the researcher will collect the secondary data through reviewing the secondary sources such as journals, books, online articles and news papers. On the other hand, the primary data are collected through arranging interview with the managers of Walmart. It is possible to arrange interview questions for collecting relevant data and information from the organisation where the researcher considers 5 managers for interview. In addition to these, the researchers develop questionnaire for the employees to collect the information from the staff members and in this regard, 20 employees are considered for collecting authentic data related to organisational strategic planning for managing human resource.
The collected data are analysed through qualitative research method where the information are evaluated on the basis of the secondary data. Apart from that, the gathered data from the employees are analysed through quantitative data analysis technique by using charts and graphs. The selected methods are beneficial to collect relevant data from the representatives of the organisation Walmart so that the research topic can be analysed critically. The researcher in this regard ensures data Protection Act and convinces the participants through honesty and integrity for collecting relevant data that will be helpful to evaluate the above mentioned research topic. The main limitation of the research is that the researcher can include more managers in this process to collect authentic data related to organisational internal environment and strategic planning.
1.5 Provide an appropriate plan and procedures for the agreed research specification
- Research questions:
- What are the effective theories and concept of human resource management?
- What is the impact of human resource management on the organisational performance?
- What are recommended suggestions for Walmart to improve their human resource management practice?
LO2. Be able to implement the research project within agreed procedures and to specification
2.1 Match resources efficiently to the research question or hypothesis
The researcher in this research selects secondary data collection technique through which the first question of the study can be answered properly which is what the relevant theories of human resource management is. Moreover, the interview and questionnaire technique are useful to answer the second question of the research. Through collecting appropriate data from the managers and employees, it is possible to gather relevant information related to the strategic planning of Walmart and its impacts on the organisational overall performance. In addition to these, the sample size is also useful where the researcher can gather more reviews from the managers and employees to analyse the research topic properly. The interview questions additionally are effective for the researcher to evaluate the organisational environment and recommend suitable suggestions for Walmart to improve human resource management which is the third objective of the research.
2.2 Undertake the proposed research investigation in accordance with the agreed specification and procedures
In this regard, mainly two research methods are utilised, one is interview and another is questionnaire survey. For interview, the researchers considers 5 managers of Walmart and for questionnaire survey, the researcher selects 20 employees for getting relevant data. Both qualitative and quantitative analysis is useful in this study for achieving the research questions. The questionnaires are distributed online among the employees of Walmart and the researcher arrange telephonic interview with the managers for developing proper interview transcript and evaluate the data critically.
2.3 Record and collate relevant data where appropriate
- Questionnaire survey:
1. Are you satisfied with the internal culture of Walmart?
2. Does the salary structure of Walmart efficient?
3. Are you empowered in the decision making process of the company?
4. Does the company take initiatives in motivating employees?
5. Are you satisfied with the tactics of employee’s engagement in Walmart?
6. Is the company Walmart successful in restructuring performance related pay and other incentive to influence firm’s performance?
7. There is sufficient level of cooperation in the workplace of Walmart where it is possible to improve engagement with the front line staff members?
8. How the company Walmart can decrease the turnover rate of the front line staff members?
9. The company takes initiatives for increasing the employee’s interest so that it is possible to influence firm’s performance?
10. Are you interested in working with Walmart?
- Interview questions and transcript:
1. What are the strategies of Walmart to satisfy the employees?
2. What are the initiatives taken by Walmart in improving engagement with the employees?
3. How you encourage the staff members?
4. What are the impacts of managing human resource?
5. How you improve management of human resource in future?
LO3. Be able to evaluate the research outcomes
3.1 Use appropriate research evaluation techniques
The questionnaire and interview questions are useful to meet the research objectives and answer the above mentioned research questions successfully. The interview questions are related to the strategies of managing human resource, the initiatives of Walmart in improving satisfaction of the staff members and the suggested recommendations for future. These interview questions are beneficial to meet the research questions and objectives where the feedback of the managers in Walmart is advantageous to evaluate the objectives of the research. On the other hand, the questionnaires are also effective in this research which helps to meet the research objectives where the employees of Walmart provide proper answers as per their experience in the organisation.
3.2 Interpret and analyse the results in terms of the original research specification
The above mentioned questionnaire and its answers are beneficial to conduct quantitative analysis through charts where the employees provides proper feedback according to their experience in the organisation Walmart. Most of the employees stated that they are satisfied with organisational culture where they can work with freedom to meet the organisational objective. Moreover, most of the employees also stated that the organisation is highly efficient in providing salary to the employees which also helps to motivate them in doing their job responsibility. On the other hand, majority of the staff members stated that they are les empowered in the decision making practice of the firm though the organisation is efficient in taking initiatives to motivate the employees. It is hereby necessary for the organisation to improve engagement with the employees through empowering them positively.
As per the feedback, the employees are satisfied with the employee’s engagement program of the company where the organisation develops performance related pay and incentive structure for encouraging employee’s creativity. Moreover, the organisational culture is effective where cooperation among the employees and communication are helpful to manage the human resource of the firm. Walmart also aims at reducing employee’s turnover rate through increasing engagement, providing performance related pay, building strong relationship, enhancing internal communication and high payroll structure. Through these initiatives, the company Walmart tries to improve the interest of the staff members to work cooperatively so that they can improve their performance in long run. Additionally, as per the feedback, most of the participants have stated that they are interested in working with the organisation in long run.
The collected data through interview with the managers are analysed by applying qualitative data analysis technique and as per the feedback, the managers have stated that the organisation Walmart is concerned in satisfying the employees. The managers also stated that, the company focuses on performance related pay, managing health and safety and payroll structure of the staff members to meet the needs and preferences of the staff so that it is easy to maximise their satisfaction. As per the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, these factors are beneficial to meet the needs and preferences of the staff members and it is possible for the firm to retain for long run. As per the collected feedback from the managers, they also stated that, the company is concerned about improving the initiatives of the employees through cooperation, communication, working as a team. Motivational tactics and open discussion. Employee’s engagement in this regard is necessary for the company to manage the employees and reduce the issue of internal conflicts and resistance to change.
Encouraging the staff members is also another tactics of the company where the managers have stated that, Walmart tries to provide performance related pay for extra income as well as managing health and safety for motivating the staff members to work successfully so that it is possible to improve the organisational performance. In addition to these, as per the feedback from the managers of Walmart, they also agree to the fact that there are great impacts of managing human resource in the company. The effects of human resource management are such as high performance of the firm, improving quality of organisational products and services, productivity of the employees as well as organisational profitability can be enhanced in long run. Hereby, it can be stated that, managing human resource through encouraging and satisfying the employees is beneficial to maximise the performance of the organisation which further helps to secure future sustainable development of the firm.
3.3 Make recommendations and justify areas for further consideration
The research is beneficial to meet the research aims where the secondary and primary data collection and quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques are useful to analyse the impacts of human resource management on the organisational performance of Walmart. During conducting the researcher, the researcher faced some difficulties for short time, lack of finance and lack of participants. The limitation of the research is that the researcher can include more employees and managers to gather more reliable data. After in depth analysis, it can be concluded that, the organisation Walmart aims at improving employee’s engagement and motivating them so that it is possible to retain the expertises for long run and improve organisational performance.
For improving human resource management in Walmart, the company needs to improve empowerment of the employees in the decision making practice so that they can understand their responsibility and job role in the organisation and work properly to maximise organisational performance. Moreover, the organisation must arrange effective training and develop program for the employees where the staff can improve their knowledge and skill to enhance their performance and share their views with each other which in turn helps to maximise the overall organisational performance. Third, the company needs to restructure the compensations and benefits and provide them effective performance related pay so that they become interested to work more for earning higher. Fourthly, it is necessary to provide them a scope to choose the working time and this further helps to improve flexibility where the workers become interested to work efficiently. Fifth, the company needs to improve internal communication and manage transparency and accountability to improve engagement with all the staff members and enhance their performance in long run.
LO4. Be able to present the research outcomes
4.1 Use an agreed format and appropriate media to present the outcomes of the research to an audience
