Methodologies

Human resource development is one of the most challenging tasks of running any business in the present world of competition and globalization. The level of motivation depends greatly on how much focus company gives to understanding the need and the demographics of the company. It is very important to have well-motivated employees, because the motivated employees will probably work harder, and likely produce a higher quality of work; especially for a retail company.

Motivation comes from heart and mind; it is an internal process which determines the success and adaptability of an employee within the business environment. It is very important that steps should be taken to strengthen this within the staff. This would require effort on the part of the organization to come up with steps to find out and research about ways in which employees a can be motivated. An organization needs a systematic methodologies based on sound research philosophy.

A good research philosophy should be based on positive- scientific approach where analysis is based on factors which can be verified by statistics. Another, aspect of the research could be based on exploring the circumstances or the situations. Based on these two philosophies information should be gathered. The purpose is to research the different motivational factors that affect sales people in the client organization.

The research approach should be selected to suit the nature of the company. The research approach can be deductive- based on testing the theory or inductive –based on building the theory. The inductive theory with emphasis on qualitative research should be the focus of research. The environment and the demographics of the company should be considered.

The study should use qualitative research. In qualitative research the events could be studied in their natural surroundings. The data can be obtained by exploring the circumstances or the situations. The data for this research comes from the secondary sources. Secondary data is more accurate than the primary data, and is also most economical and easy way of accessing information. The process requires the past and the recent researcher’s studies including books and journals, the internet, newspaper as some of the main sources for secondary data research. This information is very useful and provides comprehensive understanding of the issue.

The research analysis is conducted after gathering and analyzing data. The emphasis is on the size and the nature of the respondents. The respondents were randomly selected. All the salespeople from different brands were asked to participate in the survey. The primary source of the survey is through interview. Ten shops have been chosen as target interviewees in different districts. The interview is designed to be done face to face. The time selected for interview is lunch hour. The questionnaires have been put together, which are to be collected after the interview. All data which is collected is confidential.

The method employed in this research is through the questionnaire survey. A comprehensive list of question is prepared which could target the employee’s personal information aspect as well as the motivation aspect. The targeted interviewee’s are the staff below manager level. The aim is to evaluate relationship between pay and motivation. The question is prepared in simple and clear language, Chinese version is also made available to help in understanding. Every effort is taken to avoid misunderstanding.

The first part of the questionnaire gives personal information of the staff. The personal information related to the employees will reflect that information which gives information about them like, age, sex, education level and years of service with a particular facility or organization. This personal information is very essential for the selection of the right person for the right job. If the person is selected to perform a particular job for which he is suitable, this will lead to the growth of the company as well as the employee.

His education a level and his experience plays a key role in determining the nature of his job. His age should be considered in deciding if he can take the amount of work related stress and strain. His gender would give him/ her a certain way of thinking which may help or hinder the kind of commitment. It requires careful selection based on these factors, to really find the right person with good motivation who can work with the company for the long-term.

The second part of the questionnaire focuses on the motivational factors or preferences based on eleven questions. These questions are ranked as highest to least desirable as far as motivation is concerned. They take into account he factors which determine motivation. It is important to understand what offer can the company make to raise the motivation level of its employees. If everyone feels that they are equally treated as far as company policy is concerned with regard age, sex, ethnicity, and disability.

If the employee’s are well compensated with benefits, holidays, allowances and health benefits determined by their personal qualification. They will be happy to work for the company. The company should make an effort to find out through survey about How the Employee’s feel about working for the company. It is very important to have a motivated workforce with proper training, education and development for success in the present economy. This part of the survey has been evaluated in the following survey done to address the employees’ response.

It is very important to have authentic data, which can help research and analyze the motivation factors existing in the retail industry. Data should be collected from the literatures, journals, newspapers and the internet. The research is also aimed to analyze the internal motivation factors with information collected from staff interviews, official website and the staff handbook. The research and the analysis of the survey results combined with the statistical applications allow for the researcher to draw conclusion based on the objectives of the study.

Ethical issues regarding the confidentiality of the information should also be carefully observed. The information should be well guarded. The participants should trust the source of their survey. Then only can one obtain authentic and honest information.

There are certain limitations to this method of survey; the information may change from day to day. In the process of research it is difficult to update the information on a continuous basis, until the final study is finished. Thus this kind of research imposes that there be date beyond which information cannot be used. This can be a handicap. Some of the information which has been collected is found in Chinese, this will require time for translation. Sometimes the meaning can get lost in the process of translation. Though the study tries it’s best to translate the original meanings from the original meanings.

These surveys are critical to the analysis and the discussion of the motivation level of the people working for the retail company. This beautifully classifies the personal qualification which determines the level of their position within the company. Once the employees and employers know each others strength, they find where the right person can be placed for the right kind of job. Even an employee can be trained if interested for a particular job to which he may have better liking.

If employer treats every employee with equal opportunity, the employee will work hard and with sincerity. It is very important to maintain that balance and motivation to keep a well trained workforce. If the employees are asked to respond to particular question as mentioned in the survey, they will feel they have important role and participation within the company. This will make them more confident about their future and make them more motivated. So accurate personal evaluation, good benefits and reward system will keep the motivation level high.

These methodologies help the company to find clear and defined ways to find suitable employees and also to retain them for long term. They can be a guideline for future decisions made by the company. It can also help company cone up with a reward system for positive consequences and penalties for negative consequences. The internal and unseen aspect of motivation can be developed with good training, proper developmental setup and secure future. The competition and the benefits can be planned in the light of the information gathered. This will further improve understanding between the employers and the employees for better teamwork.

Works cited

Human Resource Management, HR354, Professional Competence, The Management Report, Student Handbook, 2006/07