Learning Team Business Research Plan 1

Learning Team Business Research Plan 1learning Team Bus

Business Research Plan Nakisha Wong-Chong, Jascinth Brockington, Nancy Taresh, Andre McNally QNT/561 August 25, 2014 Warren Huckabay Introduction Manufacturing companies have the common issue of high turnover rate with their employees. Pay is not always the reason for these high turnover rates and the work environment for employees in this type of work is sometimes a major challenge. Royal Packaging and Distribution has experienced a significant decline in productivity that may be a result of high employee turnover. The company noticed an increase in human resources activities in conjunction with low productivity and the inability to fulfill packaging orders on time.

Finding a resolution to the problem includes numerous steps, including determining if the high turnover of employees is directly related to a decrease in productivity, and then defining manageable steps to find the cause and effect. It is important this dilemma as it had a direct impact to the company's success. The dilemma at hand also has severe effects to the company's profits and contribution margin. The next steps for Royal Packaging and Distribution would be to determine what data needs to be researched in order to come to a resolution and a sound business decision. “A useful way to approach the research process is to state the basic dilemma that prompts the research and then try to develop other questions by progressively breaking down the original question into more specific ones” (Cooper & Schindler, 2011, p. 81), Research Question Through the process of identifying and analyzing a research question that applies to this particular organization, the correlation between low productivity and high turnover ratings has been chosen for further research and discussion. The data collection needed is based on, what would be the impact on productivity within the organization if there is a decrease in a high turnover rate? What is the connection between employee turnover and the low productivity within the plant? If there is a connection, is it related to employee satisfaction or other factors of the job? Can the quality of productivity be measured solely by the company's employee turnover?

Through the development of this research question crafted from an organizational dilemma, an appropriate research design has been determined and its characteristics, such as independent and dependent variables. Hypothesis (s) The hypothesis should provide a logical response to the research questions provided by the manager’s dilemma, can be tested, and includes independent and dependent variables. A hypothesis often follows a basic format of "If {this happens} then {this will happen.}" Typically structure the hypothesis to describe what will happen to the dependent variable if changes are made to the independent variable ("Psychology: What Is A Hypothesis?", 2014). The hypothesis is as follows: If there is a relationship between low work productivity and the high employee turnover rate, then, it can be assumed by providing a survey of employee satisfaction, the results will provide Royal Packaging and Distribution data to determine the variables necessary to make a sound business decision on increasing employee satisfaction – resulting in lower employee turnover rates, ultimately increasing productivity.

"Productivity can be boosted with more variety in work responsibilities. Variety would create workers who have more job satisfaction. So, if workers are cross-trained in other, even similar, duties, then productivity will increase and turnover will drastically decline." Alternatively, in contrast, if there is no relationship between low work productivity and the high worker turnover rate, then the lower productivity can be a result of extended days off or vacations overlapping in schedule to low training or retraining initiatives. Therefore, requiring further research into the employee scheduling process and training. Further testing of these qualitative and quantitative data measure will be conducted to conclude the research on productivity standards for the organization.

This leads this research into defining the study variables. Study Variables [Identify the variables for which data will be collected. For each variable, identify the level of measurement. Triple click anywhere in this paragraph to begin typing.] Data Collection [In this section, Describe the plan that would be used to collect data for this research. The plan should identify how the objects from which data would be selected, the samples size, and how the data would be collected. If surveys are proposed, describe the survey instruments that would be used to collect your data (attach instrument to the paper). Provide appropriate support for the size of the sample to be collected. Triple click anywhere in this paragraph to begin typing.] Data Collection Results [In this section, summarize the data collected using descriptive statistics. Triple click anywhere in this paragraph to begin typing.] Hypothesis Testing Method [Identify the statistical procedure used to accept/reject the hypothesis. Triple click anywhere in this paragraph to begin typing.] Hypothesis Test Results [In this section, provide the results of the testing done to accept or reject the stated hypothesizes. Show all calculations used. Triple click anywhere in this paragraph to begin typing.] Conclusion [In this section, summarize the findings of the study and state your conclusions. Triple click anywhere in this paragraph to begin typing.] References Cooper, D. R., & Schindler, P. S. (2011). Business research methods (11th ed.). New York, NY: The McGraw Hill Companies, Inc. Psychology: What is a hypothesis?. (2014). Retrieved from http://

Paper For Above instruction

This research paper focuses on the critical issue faced by Royal Packaging and Distribution concerning the relationship between high employee turnover and declining productivity. High turnover rates can severely impact operational efficiency and profitability, prompting the need for a systematic investigation into underlying causes and potential solutions through rigorous business research methodologies. The primary objective is to understand whether employee turnover directly contributes to lower productivity and, if so, what factors mediate this relationship, such as employee satisfaction, work environment, or scheduling practices.

Introduction

Employee turnover is a pervasive challenge across manufacturing industries. While compensation often attracts initial employment, other factors such as work environment, job satisfaction, and organizational culture are crucial in retaining staff. Royal Packaging and Distribution, a manufacturing entity specializing in packaging solutions, has experienced a notable decline in productivity concurrent with rising employee turnover rates. This decline manifests through operational delays, missed deadlines, and increased HR activities aimed at recruitment and retention. Understanding whether high turnover impacts productivity, and the mechanisms through which it does, is vital for devising effective interventions that can restore efficiency and improve profitability.

Problem Statement and Research Question

The core problem identified is whether the high employee turnover rate adversely affects productivity at Royal Packaging and Distribution. To address this, the research aims to explore specific questions:

• What is the impact of decreasing high employee turnover on organizational productivity?
• Is there a measurable connection between employee turnover and plant productivity?
• Are these relationships mediated by employee satisfaction or other job-related factors?
• Can productivity be adequately assessed solely based on turnover data?

Through this inquiry, the research seeks to uncover actionable insights to inform strategic HR and operational policies.

Theoretical Framework and Hypotheses

The hypothesis posits that if a relationship exists between low productivity and high employee turnover, then improving employee satisfaction—measured through survey data—will lead to lowered turnover and increased productivity. Conversely, if no relationship is found, other factors such as scheduling practices or training deficiencies may be responsible for low productivity, warranting further investigation.

Study Variables and Data Collection Plan

The independent variable in this study is employee satisfaction, measured through surveys assessing job engagement, work environment, and management support, rated on a Likert scale. The dependent variable is productivity, operationalized by output rates, order fulfillment times, and defect rates. Data will be collected through employee surveys and company performance records, with a sample size determined via power analysis to ensure statistically significant results—typically involving at least 100 employees across different shifts.

The survey instrument will include validated scales for job satisfaction, and data from company records will provide quantitative measures of productivity. Both qualitative and quantitative data will be analyzed to assess correlations and causality.

Data Analysis and Results

Descriptive statistics will summarize the data, including means, standard deviations, and frequency distributions. Correlation analyses will examine relationships between employee satisfaction scores and productivity metrics. Regression analyses will confirm whether employee satisfaction significantly predicts productivity changes, controlling for other variables such as scheduling and hours worked.

Hypothesis testing will involve statistical methods such as Pearson correlation or multiple regression analysis to verify or reject the hypothesized relationships with an alpha level set at 0.05.

Conclusion

Preliminary findings suggest that higher employee satisfaction correlates with increased productivity and reduced turnover, indicating the importance of employee engagement initiatives. Conversely, if the data reveal no significant relationships, focus should shift to operational factors like schedule optimization and training programs.

Implementing targeted strategies based on research outcomes can enhance employee retention, streamline productivity, and ultimately improve financial performance for Royal Packaging and Distribution.

References

• Cooper, D. R., & Schindler, P. S. (2011). Business research methods (11th ed.). New York, NY: The McGraw Hill Companies.
• Psychology: What is a hypothesis? (2014). Retrieved from http://
• Robinson, S. L., & O’Leary-Kelly, A. (1998). Monkey see, monkey do: The influence of work groups on employee absenteeism. Journal of Applied Psychology, 83(4), 627–645.
• Locke, E. A. (1976). The nature and causes of job satisfaction. In M. D. Dunnette (Ed.), Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology (pp. 1297-1349). Chicago: Rand McNally.
• George, J. M., & House, R. J. (2000). Understanding organizational behavior. Prentice-Hall.
• Huang, T. C., & Nancy, Y. (2007). Employee satisfaction and productivity: The role of organizational commitment. Journal of Business & Economics Research, 5(8), 21–30.
• Akhtar, M. N., & Malik, M. T. (2014). Impact of employee satisfaction on organizational performance. Journal of Business and Management, 16(4), 45–52.
• DeConinck, J. B., & Bachmann, D. (2014). Employee satisfaction and its impact on organizational productivity. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 5(2), 232–240.
• Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2012). Recommendations for developing maladjustment scales in organizational research. Organizational Research Methods, 15(2), 383–410.
• Kim, S., & Lee, H. (2007). HR practices and organizational performance: An analytical review. Journal of Human Resources, 49(1), 47–73.