ARE EMPLOYEES MOTIVATED BY FINANCIAL OR NON-FINANCIAL REWARDS IN SAINSBURY (LONDON)

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would first like to express my gratitude for my research supervisor, colleagues, peers and family whose immense and constant support has been a source of continuous guidance and inspiration.

DECLARATION

I [type your full first names & surname here], declare that the following dissertation/thesis and its entire content has been an individual, unaided effort and has not been submitted or published before. Furthermore, it reflects my opinion and take on the topic and is does not represent the opinion of the University.

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ABSTRACT

Retaining top performing front-line employees has always been important, but it is especially critical in today's knowledge-based economy. The key to retaining top performing front-line employees understands what motivates them and understanding why they choose to stay in a job that offers few promotions or rewards, when in fact, they have the expertise and knowledge to choose another job that offers more benefits. The retail establishment under study is the second largest retail chain in the United Kingdom. It operates about over 1200 retail stores in London, primarily in the west and south regions of the United Kingdom. There are approximately 150,000 employees that currently work for this retail chain. Retailers are responsible for the selling of goods and services to the ultimate consumer. In the first chapter provides introduction to the topic. The problem statement, purpose, aims and objectives, research questions, and significance of the study are presented in this chapter. The researcher provided a literature review in Chapter 2 encompassing the history and development of the field, various motivational models, schools of thought, job satisfaction theory, and reward systems, including monetary and non-monetary. Chapter 3 described the methodology of the study, which included semi-structured interview questions. Chapter 4 provided the findings of the study, which were analysed using content analysis. The fifth chapter concludes the dissertation with implications and recommendations for future research.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTI

DECLARATIONII

ABSTRACTIII

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

1.1. Background of the Study1

1.2. About J Sainsbury Inc2

1.3. Problem Statement3

1.4. Purpose of the Study3

1.5. Rationale of the Study3

1.6. Aims and Objectives of the Study4

1.7. Research Questions4

1.8. Significance of the Study5

1.9. Thesis Organisation5

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW6

2.1. Theoretical Framework6

2.2. Motivation7

2.2.1. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs8

2.2.2. Herzberg's Two-factor Theory9

2.3. Employee Motivation10

2.4. Monetary-Based Reward Programme12

2.5. Nonmonetary-Based Reward Programme13

2.6. Reward Systems and Employee Motivation18

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY20

3.1. Research Approach20

3.2. Research Design21

3.3. Sample of Participants22

3.4. Data Collection Instruments23

3.5. Reliability and Validity23

3.6. Ethical Concerns24

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DATA ANALYSIS26

4.1. Data Analysis26

4.2. Interview Analysis26

4.2.1. Experience with the Implementation of Monetary Reward Programme27

4.2.2. Experience with the Implementation of Non-Monetary Reward Programme27

4.2.3. Comparison of Both Programmes29

4.2.4. Improvement of Incentive Programmes30

4.3. Questionnaire Analysis31

4.4. Discussion38

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION40

5.1. Summary40

5.2. Limitations of the Study41

5.3. Implications of the Study43

5.4. Recommendations for Future Research44

5.5. Conclusion45

REFERENCES47

APPENDIX - A55

APPENDIX - B60

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background of the Study

Retaining and motivating front-line employees (employees who are not in a managerial type of position, whose duties include operating cash registers, offering customer service in the various departments, and keeping the store orderly and clean) in retail establishments are critical issues for leaders and managers ...