BUSINESS ETHICS

What is the role of business ethics in keeping staff motivation and talent retention?

By

\

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to find out the role of business ethics in motivating and retaining employees of Starbucks in UK. The specific problem being addressed in this study is ethical behaviour and its consequences on job motivation and employee retention in Starbucks. A strong ethical work environment may produce employee motivation and employee retention. In order to assess the relationships between ethical work environment and employee motivation and retention, the researcher has incorporated quantitative methodology from a phenomenological and descriptive perspective. Choosing this quantitative approach gives the research an explanatory hypothesis in which to clarify how the variables interact. The results of the present study supports the conception that what employees perceive to be real is in fact a reality in which managers must contend. Having managers who lack ethical standards influences the performance of the organization because team member's sense of job motivation is often proportional to employee output.

Table of Contents

ABSTRACTII

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the study1

Purpose statement3

Research variables3

Research questions and hypothesis4

Nature of the Study5

Significance of the study5

Limitations6

Delimitations7

Summary8

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW9

Ethics Variable9

Defining Ethics9

Ethical Culture10

Organizations and Ethical Dilemmas11

Leadership influence on Ethical Behaviour15

Ethics and Job Motivation18

The Employee Retention Variable18

Employee retention indicators20

Employee Turnover21

Employee Motivation variable25

Employee Motivation and Working Environment27

Research in the QSR Industry28

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY30

Research Method Appropriateness30

Research Design Appropriateness32

Participants33

Population and Geography33

Sample Selection35

Informed Consent36

Survey Instrument37

Data Collection39

Validity42

Internal Validity42

External Validity43

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS44

Data Analysis44

Hypothesis Testing47

Hypothesis One (H1)48

Hypothesis Two (H2)49

Hypothesis Three (H3)50

Hypothesis Four (H4)51

Analysis of Variances (ANOVA)51

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION54

REFERENCES57

APPENDICES67

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

This chapter of the research tends to develop an understanding and identify the reasons for conducting a research onto the identified topic. However, in the context of this paper, this chapter would inculcate the notions related to the role of business ethics in keeping staff motivation and talent retention. In order to understand the dynamics of the subject, this chapter would also inject different elements related to business ethics in the modern world. The nomenclature of this chapter tends to stand on the bricks of rationale behind the research, research questions, significance and limitations of study. This chapter not only tends to be of vital importance but in any other research it tends to hold its significant ground, based on the fact that it serves as the face of the research. The reader will be able to gauge the understanding of the subject through this chapter. The understanding injected in the mind of the reader in this chapter will allow him or her to further understand the related notions associated with the subject of business ethics and its relation to staff motivation and retention.

Background of the study

The working environment of any organization results in employee motivation and retention. If the organization maintains its business operations ethically then the employees get more motivated and the turnover rate of the employees is decreased. According to Vitell (2007), the employee's actions and or practice reflect the culture of the organization. In order to keep the employees motivated and retained, organizations must make them realised ...