Dissertation
Dissertation
The Impact of reward management as an incentive for staff retention and organizational
productivity: A case study of Chinese HRM strategies of Compensation and Reward at Huawei
and Haier in UK
Presented by
Student Name:
August 2014
Research dissertation 2
Abstract
The current research dissertation investigates the impact of reward management as an incentive
for staff retention and organizational productivity at Huawei and Haier in UK. Hence, by
investigating the strategies of reward and compensation adopted by the case study
organizations, the current research sought to provide additional insight concerning the
situation under which performance-based reward plans can become effective. Apart from
identifying the financial and non-financial rewards selected by the management of the case
studies, it is important that management empowers their staffs and recognizes the role of
designing and implementing performance-based plans. The findings revealed that rewards and
compensations incentives showed positive significant relation with the level of staff retention
Acknowledgement
Research dissertation 4
Table of Contents
Abstract.......................................................................................................................................................2
Acknowledgement.......................................................................................................................................3
1. CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................6
1.1. Study Background........................................................................................................................6
1.2. Research objectives and questions..............................................................................................8
2. CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................11
2.1. Introduction...............................................................................................................................11
2.2. Employee Reward management research.................................................................................12
2.3. Employee retention research....................................................................................................13
2.4. Impact of reward management incentives on staff retention...................................................15
2.5. Impact of incentive on staff performance..................................................................................19
3. CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLODY.....................................................................................................23
3.1. Shaping of Research Process.....................................................................................................23
3.2. Research philosophy..................................................................................................................24
3.3. Research approach....................................................................................................................25
3.4. Research strategy......................................................................................................................26
3.5. Ethical considerations................................................................................................................27
3.6. Rigor..........................................................................................................................................28
3.7. Variable operationalization........................................................................................................29
3.8. Control variables........................................................................................................................32
3.9. Model specification...................................................................................................................32
4. CHAPTER FOUR: DATA COLLETION AND FINDINGS............................................................................34
4.1. Data collection...........................................................................................................................34
4.2. Findings......................................................................................................................................36
4.3. Empirical model findings............................................................................................................37
4.4. The analysis findings for productivity model.............................................................................41
5. CHAPTER FIVE: ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION......................................................................................45
5.1. The impact of reward management on staff retention..............................................................45
5.2. The impact of reward management on organizational productivity..........................................51
5.3. Theoretical and practical implications.......................................................................................53
6. CHAPTER SIX: LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH........................................................................55
Research dissertation 5
has the impact of increasing employee retention in the organization and sees the need to exert mush of
their efforts to perform even better (Glebbeek & Bax, 2004). Previously conducted empirical studies
and laboratory experiments concerning the current topic have focused on management of several
compensation plans and examined reward management approaches. Their findings reveal that an
increase in employee retention level makes employees to record higher performance and hence, overall
organizational performance (Dess & Shaw, 2001). However, organizational managers might also make
decisions to adopt and design compensation management incentives in order to have a positive impact
increasing looking for ways to retain existing staff at all costs. Additionally Krell (2011) points
out that, the realization that employees are the most valuable resources of organizations
competitive advantage over its main competitors has seen firms focus on implementing
retention strategies. Sayim (2010) explains that, managers’ project talent shortages as growing
into the next decade. This could limit the ability of organizations to grow as well as survive in a
programs, providing career development opportunities among others. On the other hand,
Michael, Duncan and Peter (2011) posit that, the focus has now shifted to the development of
has been the case as organizations have now realized that it is only by offering improved and
Apart from attracting and retaining a talent of employees, Stevens (2010) contends that
organizational managers have realized that reward-based performance plans also play a key
role when it comes to motivating employees to increase on their performance. For instance, it
is only through such schemes that a well-rewarded employee feels their value for working in an
organization. Furthermore, employees also use rewards to find the reason for working harder
to achieve the set objectives. For example, while employees form the essential resources and
engine for organizational performance, rewards, on the other hand, forms fuel that motivates
employees. Hence, this implies that no one organization can achieve its objective without
Even though several studies have focused studying the impact of rewards on
performance, there are still mixed findings concerning the impact of such rewards on both
employee retention and overall firm performance? For instance, a recent research study
conducted by Tirbutt (2014) shows a weaker correlation between rewards and employee
Chinese textile industries, indicate that while reward systems led to a higher level of retention
among employees, the empirical findings failed to show any instances of correlation between
employee retention and performance. However, other studies have successfully showed a
(Dess & Shaw, 2001). According to these studies, reward management strategies have become
players major multinationals, implement on labor law amendments. My database involved two
observations including performance ratings, sales quantities, employee rewards and other
organizational-level data such as new hires, income level, turnover rates and revenues. The
compensation. More importantly, there was a greater impact for the higher performing
employees. While using the theory to predict retention and performance of employees, the
study observed that the incentives contributed towards attracting less-performing employees
the research study did not find a decrease in the level of individual productivity translating into
lower performance. For instance, our interviews conducted on managers from the Chinese
Multinational corporations in UK and other additional analyses, revealed that in light of the
reduction in the level of employee sales, managers from the two Chinese multinational
corporations from UK began to hire more employees. Furthermore, the managers from the two
companies also began to design performance-based compensation systems and advanced them
to employees.
Research dissertation 9
The current thesis sought to add to the already existing prior studies by being the first
research study to use the two companies as the case studies, to examine the Impact of reward
Multinationals in the UK. Furthermore, the current thesis measured directly, the impact of reward
cross-sectional data covering the period before the implementation of the reward scheme and after the
implementation of the reward scheme. More importantly, review of the past studies revealed that the
previous empirical studies in this area seem experimental in nature. Consequently, they only tend to
test on only one of the two variables (Dess & Shaw, 2001). However, the study conducted in the
current thesis, had the objective of examining the impact of reward as an incentive scheme to both
retention and employee productivity in a simultaneous manner. Addition, other studies including that of
Williams et al. (2008), have focused on examining the manner of implementing performance-based
reward schemes and the manner they affect employee performance. However, the study findings only
showed that after management had implemented on the plan, they simply measured the level of
employee performance. Bryant and Allen (2013) remained explicit concerning such limitations by
noting that the lack of such an objective makes it even harder to access individual data that explains the
retention and motivation for employees to increase on their performance. Shaw, Gupta and Delery
(2002) adds to above assertions by explaining that the study also limits the access to knowledge in
order to understand the impact of an incentive plan towards retaining more employees within an
organization. The current thesis noted that in addition to Shaw, et al. (2002) inferences, the
inferences concerning employee retention and turnover depended only on comparing the sales volume
between those that remained in the organization and those that left the organization adopting the
incentive plans. As indicated in our thesis, therefore, is that the objective was to obtain employee data
covering both before and after implementation of a performance-based incentive plan. Consequently,
Research dissertation 10
this helped in providing a robust conclusion regarding the impact of management of reward as an
incentive in increasing staff retention and organizational productivity at Chinese Multinationals in the
UK.
In addition, the current study also went beyond other previous studies by examining the way
employees’ skills affected the performance of the two case studies after designing and implementing on
performance-based reward system. While doing this, the current study measured performance abilities
of employees by using proxies of factor analysis. The three-factor analysis measured by the current
study included the annual performance rating for an individual employee, the sales made by an
individual employer, and the reciprocal of time for the promotion since the manager of separate case
study employed the employee. In specific, measuring the above performance abilities played a key role
in identifying specific performance groups affected by the performance-based program, but also
provided a better understanding concerning employee turnover after the implementation of the system.
Furthermore, the findings also have implications that are more practical when it comes to assisting the
top-level managers from the respective companies in anticipating the potential impact of changes in the
performance-based system from the less performance-sensitive compensation plan towards a more
responsive reward scheme. Additionally, the managers get to understand the possible effect of
According to the above discussion, the three primary objectives for the current research project
included:
1. To examine the nature of reward management scheme as an incentive at Huawei and Haier in
UK
2. To examine the impact of reward management scheme on retention of staffs at Huawei and
Haier in UK
Research dissertation 11
Multinationals in the UK
2.1. Introduction
The correction section of the research study focuses on reviewing the past literature that
examines the same topic. In so doing, my intention was to enlist various findings conducted by
the researchers, their opinions and proposals on the models. Furthermore, review of the
literature as explained by Osterloh and Frey (2000) was to assist in identifying some of the
weaknesses in terms of gaps and strengths for adoptions. More importantly, identifying the gaps
provides a better foundation to design the appropriate approach and models for bridging such
gaps. In overall, a number of subtopics will focus on defining and understanding different
compensation and performance-based systems to employees, the impact of such reward schemes
performance, and finally, the impact of reward management as an incentive to staff performance.
In so doing, the research project will help understand the overall impact of reward management
as an incentive scheme on both staff retention and productivity of Huawei and Haier as the two
Chinese Multinationals corporations in the UK. Besides, the section also presents the theoretical and
model underpinning of above-different aspects affected by reward management as an incentive for both
motivating employees to accomplish their roles. Chin –Ju Tsai (2010) recommends that the starting
point into understanding the impact of a reward system is to categorize it into benefits plans or
performance-based scheme managements that organizational managers advance to staffs. for instance,
Osterloh and Frey (2000) explains that management can manage rewards as incentives in the form of
prize (praise), recognition, cash or even a combination of both aspects. When it comes to a group based
performance rewards, the author explains that management may decide to reward a team or a group of
employees with a cash payment for having achieved a certain set target. While employees might see such
rewards as a form of encouragement or praises, Osterloh and Frey posits that organizations manage such
rewards in the form of incentives as a way of enhancing retention in organizations and aligning individual
employees’ interests together with those of the entire organization. Kanungo and Mendonca (2000)
supports above the view by illustrating that reward management as an incentive may occur in the term of
profit sharing between the organization and employees in order to contribute towards increased retention
of employees, linking their interests to those of the entire team and organization.
Other empirical grounded studies maintain that entirely, reward management as an incentive falls
into one group known as a benefits plan (Chin –Ju Tsai 2010; Ratna & Chawla, S 2012). In studying
the topical area, Chin –Ju Tsai explains that benefits programs involve the section of the whole
compensation package that differs from the normal pay given to staffs after accomplishing their tasks.
Managers do this in order to provide workers in either completely or in part. In addition, the article
journal further explains that organizational managers manage can decide to manage benefits in the form
of group membership rewards as an incentive. In so doing, managers offer the security to not only the
members, but together with their families. Management of benefits plans occurs in two different ways.
For instance, the first refers to the narrow definition, which incorporates the manager, or the employer
provided health, fringe benefits, welfare and health. Besides, there is a need to include other social
Research dissertation 13
insurance programs as a way of broadening the above-narrow definition for benefits advanced to
employees. In particular, satisfaction of benefits should include not only different types and levels of
specified benefits received by employees, but that such satisfactions should incorporate the manner in
which the entire system operates (Stevens, 2010). Organizational managers design and manage
employee benefits in order to protect individual employees from the risks that could compromise or even
jeopardize their financial security or the health status. Additionally, Mrkvicka (2014) explain in his
journal article that different organizational managers design benefits plan in order to increase the value
for employees, encourage employees to remain and work for the firm for a considerable time.
Consequently, benefits plans tend to have a moderating effect towards organizational productivity,
irrespective of either the area of operation or size of the firm. Moreover, Tirbutt (2014) argues that while
some studies have found the effect to have a greater impact in a multinational organization, there are the
medium-sized organizations (SMEs) that show greater effects of benefits plans on both staff retention and
productivity.
asset that organizations have ever had. Majority of organizations continue to grapple with the challenges
of retaining the most-valuable assets and the continued exodus of most-talented people to other
competition organizations. Any staff that sees an opportunity in other competing organizations will have
no reason for remaining with the current organizations. Even with the prevailing rate of unemployment,
employers continue to grapple with the ever-increasing exodus and decreasing of skilled employees.
Garnefeld et al. (2009) illustrates that staff retention involves designing programs that allow
the workers to see the reason for opting to remain and work for the organizations. Workers made
decisions to work for the organizations with the objective of not only benefiting themselves, but also
contributing towards the benefits of the entire organization. Manager in SMEs and MNCs all continue to
have trouble of retaining a higher number of skilled employees. For example, the recent empirical study
Research dissertation 14
indicates that more that 40 percent of the retail sector now experiences a high level of attrition. Thus,
when it comes to retaining a pool of talented employees, Tohru (2014) outlines that manager’s design
and adopt different approaches that include relationship, support, growth, environment, and competition.
Despite the availability to a number of approaches, Tohru asserts that majority of organizational
managers turn to retention and motivation as the best strategies to keep their staffs. The effectiveness in
the retention practices works, in the same way, as the congenial working atmosphere in order to support
Sustaining retention in any organization requires a lot of efforts resources and energy from the
organizational managers. A recent study conducted by Lo, Ghosh and Lafontaine (2011) revealed that
job stressors such as job complexity, task overload among others, forms the major factors that trigger the
psychological reaction chain into people’s state of mind and hence and see the need to leave their current
jobs. Because of this, the authors suggest that managers can design and adopt programs that reduce the
impact of the stressor among staffs and the need to quit their current positions. Furthermore, monitoring
the workloads and creating a healthy work environment by managers, may help to reduce the level of
stress among staffs and increased the level of satisfaction and commitment on their jobs ( Williams et al.
2008).
Schmidt (2011) illustrates in their journal articles that even for tasks that only require fewer
skills and knowledge on the part of staffs, managers need to come up with the most-elaborate retention
strategies that positively affect both the staffs and organizations. When a considerable number of
employees remain with the organization for only a limited number of years, this implies the presence of
problems that call on the managers to identify and design the most-appropriate solutions. Furthermore,
Schmidt (2011) supports above perspective by explaining that attracting and retaining highly talented
employees, remains significant strategies to achieve higher productivity for organizations. In specific, the
authors argue that financial and non-financial incentives play a key role when it comes to encouraging
staffs to stay and work for the organization for a limited period.
Research dissertation 15
determines the start employees’ contract period) in order to determine and form as one of the flexibility
tool for compensating staffs. Consequently, this corresponds to unpredictable both internal and external
labor market scenarios. According to the study report, the incomplete information that concerns the
marginal productivity of workers within the current job as well as the already competing offers of jobs,
tries to preclude the organizational manager and the staff from making a complete work contract. The
bonus advanced to staffs at the end of the pay period showed a positive correction with the performance
and value of workers within the current work as well as some of the available competing job offers.
Hence, the authors relate the role of incentive as well as the function of retentive to unconstructed
bonuses. More importantly, Kirkland conducted a test to the theoretical model using prime-age male
workers from the administration and management occupation. The findings revealed that designing and
advancing bonus payments to staffs play an important role as well as the dominant role in retaining
employees at the workplace. Furthermore, research report indicates that Kirkland viewed their study as
an examination of the impacts of bonus schemes in retaining employees in U.S labor market.
Apart from the foregoing study, Bryant and Allen (2013) also form part of the grounded
empirical study that relates to turnover for employees working in both sales and non-sales departments.
The study concluded that turnover in the sales force forms the most important and under-researched topic.
In addition, the researchers also developed a model to test the selected factors on the sales force turnover.
For instance, the article reveals that the authors used primary characteristics of employees and employee
attitudes concerning their jobs. In order to analyze the impact of behaviors and attitudes, the researchers
used the data from the task duration from the sales representatives of multinational corporations whose
cross-sectional data covered a period of ten years. The authors also used three different independent
variables from the demographic factors. The three factors included tenure (considered as the total time
undertaken by the employee to work in the firm up to the time of conducting the survey); education; and
the age of the sales agents. In addition, the research also included four other behavioral characteristics
Research dissertation 16
including extrinsic job satisfaction, intrinsic job satisfaction, task-based self-esteem and supervisory
considerations.
Bryant and Allen (2013) hypothesized in their research article that the above-identified
independent variables (extrinsic job satisfaction, intrinsic job satisfaction, task-based self-esteem and
supervisory considerations) all showed positive impacts on the time taken by employees to work in the
organizations. While, on the other hand, education showed a negative correlation on the time taken by the
employees to work in the study organization. While considering the entire seven-study hypothesis, the
analysis findings showed that only two hypotheses including the age of employees and the tenure of sales
agents supported the statistical significance. Notably, the behavioral construct independent variables
showed very little ability to explain behaviors of employees in terms of their turnover. Consequently,
(2013) concluded that indeed, the sales force turnover might become important functional factors that are
external to the organization than the internal factors. While explaining the reasons behind such lower
outcomes, the researchers explain in their article that perhaps, aspects such as the general economic
scenarios and job opportunities available in the industry could limit the turnover for employees than other
attitude or job-related factors. Finally, they provided a recommendation that sales managers working in
any organization need to become more proactive when responding to some of the environmental
variability. In addition, they also suggested the need for managers to consider the need to design and
advance special bonus schemes and any other forms of incentives to key salespersons. Finally, Bryant
and Allen (2013) highlighted in their research journal, the need for other researchers to come up with
creative approaches for examining the impacts of reward management as incentives towards retention of
employees. For instance, the authors indicated that further researchers have the opportunity of researching
into understanding the impact of reward management schemes as incentives to staff retentions.
According to the analysis findings of Cone (2014), the current research study assumes that the
existence of reward management scheme as an incentive will enhance the retention level for staffs
working in the two companies including Huawei and Haier as the two Chinese Multinationals
Research dissertation 17
corporations in the UK. In effect, the current research study also expects that the reward scheme will
serve as a flexible incentive instruments for compensating employees. More importantly, they will make
employees respond successfully towards unpredictable internal and external events in the labor markets.
Hypothesis 1: organizations that design and advance reward management as incentives to staffs as part
of their compensation structures will show significant higher retention than organization without
Additionally, Bryant and Allen (2013) post that the turnover of sales representatives might depend on
the entire economic conditions and other related job opportunities and not attitudinal or job factors.
Sought to investigate the function of variable that serves as the major indicators for attracting staffs
towards alternative job opportunities. In essence, such alternative opportunities would include incentive
compensations relative to other industry average. The above foundation leads us to hypothesize that:
Hypothesis 2: organizations that offer incentive compensations greater or less than the industry average
will reflect a significant lower or greater turnover than the organization offering the total
incentive compensations which seem relatively lower (greater) than the industry average
In addition, the current research study examines the impact of other few variables on staff turnover. Such
variables include trainings provided on sales representatives, the prevalence of some of the non-financial
instruments, the length in the selling cycle, and other demographic aspects. In terms of sales training, the
current research study posits that it will encourage employees to stay (retention) with the organization
(Oladapo, 2014). More importantly, the study expects that such training scheme will affect staffs in two
different ways. The first effect is that training program will have an effect of increasing staff knowledge
and hence, increase their performance and satisfaction. The second effect of training is that it will
contribute towards higher levels of organization specific assets. It is from the higher levels of specific
organizational assets that create both psychological and economic barriers to shifting and switching
between organizations. The contrary perception of this is that trainings offered to staff tend to enhance
Research dissertation 18
staffs ability to sell more products and services. Consequently, this will make staffs more attractive to
encourage and offer support to their employees. Some of the example of approaches that involve non-
financial tools includes making telephone calls to make recommendations, offering honorary job titles,
giving distinguished employee sales awards, and ensuring that managers publish their results. the
research project expects to find the revelation that non-financial motivational tools have a positive
Finally, while focusing on the turnover model, Stewart (2014) suggests that it always
mandatory and customary to include other demographic variables such as respondents’ education and age
levels. The reason for including the two variables is that they help in determining decision-making criteria
for employees. For example, some of the grounded empirical research studies in labor and marketing
economics reveal that voluntary changes on the job tend to decline with the level of age ( Singh &
Selvarajan, 2013). While, on the other hand, the impact that comes with the level of employee
education, remain complex. For instance. Hence, organizations end up experiencing high levels of
turnover. Studies have also found that higher levels of education achieved by the workers might also
make employees see the need to stay longer and work for the organization. Furthermore, high level of
education obtained by employees might also correlate with other variables including the psychological
job-switching costs and hence, end up influencing positive performance by employees. For example, the
recent quantitative research study conducted by Stewart (2014) revealed that the education had a
positive influence on a sample of workers interviewed while during their entry level. However, the
current research study sought to follow the first two previous studies. The objective for adopting a model
for the two research studies is because of the way they developed their hypothesis by using the context of
employees. Furthermore, the researchers also posit in their studies showed that the employee educational
extrinsically motivated in cases when an individual meets all the needs using monetary rewards. In
essence, the authors describe performance-based pay to be ideal incentive that motivates employees
extrinsically. However, the authors blamed the failed for failure of having such long-term effects on
employees. While describing on ways that employers need to motivate their employees, the authors
describe the money as most incentive that employers use as a goal to satisfy their employees. For
instance, Kim et al. (2013) explains that employees gain a constant involvement in the social exchange
programs where they can contribute in the efforts of designing the most-appropriate exchange rewards.
Furthermore, employees also prefer making comparisons of their efforts and contributions to the
organization by accomplishing some tasks. It is from such aspects that employees begin to acquire
rewards as a form of exchange for their performance. Shaw, Gupta and Delery (2002) perceive that in
cases where employees begin to succeed in their performance, it even becomes easier for organizations to
create their reward schemes. The purpose for designing rewards as staff incentives is to act as a motivator
Ho et al. (2009) observes that when organizational managers design and implement effect
reward incentives, this contributes towards the creation of favorable working environment that motivates
employees. Furthermore, the article asserts that this does not only motivate employees but that employees
will also start to feel the need to improve their performance. In most cases, for example, employees
recognize the feeling of their appreciation and value as the primary contributor for boosting their morale,
which as a result, leads towards more productivity. According to Ho et al., reward as an incentive, forms
one of the most determinants when it comes to the realization of significant performance in organizational
staff performance. The analysis findings conducted by the researchers revealed that rewards had a
positive correlation with the level of motivation for employees. Kim et al. (2013) emphasizes on the role
played by reward management scheme in combating burnout. Majority of staffs tend to experience this
while serving in their different positions. Staffs that experience high levels of burnout are those likely to
Research dissertation 20
feel low level of fulfillment. Furthermore, such staffs also tend to develop and show negative outlooks,
approach the given responsibilities with fewer dedications and vigor. According to Whitt (that adopt on
poor remunerations for their staffs have also shown how such rewards relate with the profit levels. For
instance, the analysis findings revealed that the wage differentials between the staffs earning high income
and those earning low-income levels resulted to low morale, failure for staffs to gain commitment and
low instance of productivity. The empirical research study conducted by Shaw et al. (2012) also
supports above findings by showing a statistical significance in showing a positive relationship between
staff reward and recognition. Furthermore, the analysis findings also showed a stronger association
between staff motivation and satisfaction. For instance, the authors explain that in case the organizational
managers altered on their recognition or reward schemes, this would contribute towards corresponding
changes in both satisfaction and work motivation. The research conducted by the authors targeted 35
stores of multination companies over a period of three 20 months. The theoretical analysis findings
predict that the majority of organizational stores that designed and implemented on reward management,
as incentives were likely to record high volume of sales, increase their profitability levels and customer
satisfaction. Furthermore, a recent study conducted by Whitt (2006) on more than 800 manufacturing
companies, found that companies that had implemented on profit sharing plans recorded higher
productivities.
It is important to note that organizational managers cannot overemphasize the role of reward as
an incentive scheme when it comes to rewarding staffs after accomplishing their jobs. It is a well-known
aspect that in order to motivate employees, managers need to design some of the programs that not only
encourages employees, but that schemes provide staffs with the feelings that, they belong to the entire
organization. Kirkland (2009) examined the importance of different reward schemes and staff
performance. In order to test on the above aspect, the authors collected primary data from the company
operating in Nigeria. Analysis of data showed that companies in Nigeria and mainly those operating in
Oyo state adopted on different rewards as incentives to their staffs. Furthermore, the findings also
Research dissertation 21
revealed a positive correlation between motivations of staffs through performance based benefits and
overall productivity. For instance, the findings showed that reward strategies such as praises, recognition,
performance bonuses, and pay, all forms the most-important tools for managers to motivate their workers
and increase productivity. Above study presents the understanding that while rewards matter at the
workplace, it should remain a concern for both employees and employers to learn how to manage such
programs.
Hypothesis 3: organizations that offer incentive compensations will reflect a significant productivity than
Fringe benefits management schemes apply to the voluntary organization by managers. The
expenditure incurred by the organization while managing fringe benefits contribute in retaining a
considerable number of staffs through increased job satisfaction. for example, managers offer fringe
benefits to their employees through service offering such as care to children and elderly, food services,
workplace health services, travel, counseling services, recognition, insurance and medical benefit, job
security, opportunity to learn new things, and better working conditions. The more the manager offers
above fringe benefits, the more the staffs gain job satisfaction and increases the rate of retention at the
workplace. However, the costs that an organization incurs while managing the fringe benefits, would
apply to bureaucratic cost. More importantly, the purpose for management to adopt fringe benefits at the
workplace, involves ensuring that organization retains the highest number of employees that contribute
towards the reduction of market arrangement costs. In addition, management also manages fringe benefits
go towards only members of the organization. The above implies that staffs will be in a position to
balance the utility of fringe benefits or job separation when making decision to leave the workplace or
stay with the organization. Hence, more fringe benefits adopted by the organization will increase the
utility for staffs to stay with the organization. We can apply the above discussion to hypothesize that:
Hypothesis 4a: the incidence of increasing fringe benefits at the workplace, relates positively to
Hypothesis 4b: the average amount paid by management as fringe benefits, relates positively with staff
retention rate
Research dissertation 23
by applying the most-appropriate models. More importantly, the current research study depended
that can justify the impact of reward management as an incentive for staff retention and
sections, is that the current project focused on using strategies adopted by Chinese HRM towards
compensation and rewards at Huawei and Haier as two case study companies operating in UK.
The current research project adopted Onion model applied by Ali and Ahmed (2009) while
examining issues of customer perceptions of Nokia products in the market. According to the
author, the Onion model shown in figure 1 below provides the researcher with a clear direction
concerning the manner to address the research questions and come up with the decisive findings
Other recent professionals that have applied the model contend that the model allows
understand the problem under study (Anderson, 2013; Biggam, 2011). As illustrated in the
above model, the current project used the model while defining the research methodology under
research philosophies. While differentiating the two approaches, the author explains that
positivism approach starts from a scientific point of view that allows the researchers apply their
subjective definitions to several actions to undertake. While, on the other hand, the hermeneutic
Research dissertation 25
approach of the research study begins from the foundation of human science. The nature of the
current research study led to the application of the latter approach in order to provide an
understanding of different phenomenon using qualitative data. The approach contradicts with the
positivistic approach that in most cases, applies quantitative empirical data in order to show the
relationship between variables. The choice for selecting on hermeneutic approach depended on
what Brown explains as the foundation of research questions and the way of designing the
questionnaire. The choice for using qualitative data in the current research project was to help
explain the impact of reward management as an incentive towards staffs retention and
organizational productivity.
deductive approaches. According to the author, researchers adopt the latter approach when they
want to test different theories that relate to the problem under study. Consequently, the approach
allows professionals to come up with useful application of the theory to their problems. While,
on the other hand, Bryman and Bell (2011) explain in relation to the inductive approach refers to
the formulation of different hypothesis to solve the problem. As explained above, the current
research study adopted inductive approach applied by Dawson (2007) while studying the impact
of product brands on customers. For example, a research project applied the responses given by
the target respondents to explain most of the related issues. Furthermore, the study did this
without testing the importance of the solution given in the research. As a way of following all the
responses provided by the respondents, it became easier for the research to find issues that
resonate around employee retention and organizational productivity. In addition, the current
study also applied the research process to interpret the problem and come up with the decisive
findings.
Research dissertation 26
platform to collect relevant information. Bryman and Bell (2011) posts that strategies depend on
research approaches and philosophy. The quality in the findings obtained after analyzing the
overall data depends on the strategy for collecting the data. The current research study adopted
the use of the questionnaire instrument as the most-appropriate tool for collecting primary data
from the respondents. Furthermore, (Bryman and Bell (2011) explain that the use of the survey
instrument allows researchers with the option of collecting Likert level and categorical responses
sections. The first section focused on asking the respondents to provide responses that relate to
their basic information such as sexual orientation, their current age, the education level, and the
years worked in the organization. The design of the questionnaire in the section second focused
on asking the respondent's questions that relate to the reward management at the organization.
For example, the question asked the respondents to identify several numbers of rewards in the
list of 13 items. The 13 items consisted on different examples of reward management incentives
such as better pay, performance bonus, recognition, praise, insurance and medical benefits, job
security, better-working condition, and performance appraisal among others. Secondly, the
second section also asked the respondents to say whether the organization was managing the
reward incentives in the rightful manner. In so doing, the question requested the respondents to
select among the five categorical scales with 1 representing strongly disagree while 5
representing strongly agree. The other questions involved asking the respondents to state the
level at which they agreed whether the reward management scheme implemented by the
The third section of the questionnaire instrument asked the respondents to state whether
they were satisfied with the different types of reward management incentives adopted offered by
their managers. In order to answer this question, the design of the questionnaire included
categorical likert scales with 1 showing strongly disagrees and 5 showing strongly agree.
Similarly, the section also asked the respondents to state using the same number of Likert scales,
whether the reward management an incentive offered by the management affected their long stay
at the company. The third- and last part of the questionnaire design focused on collecting
respondents from both Huawei and Haier to participate in the collection of data. In so doing, the
research assistants helped identify and get the respondents to give their consent concerning the
need to provide their responses to the questionnaires. However, before consenting to the study,
the research assists ensued the respondents understand that all the findings will remain
confidential without sharing with any third party. In addition, the research assists explained to
the respondents by reading the questionnaire whose objective was to explain that the study would
In addition, the research study collected the primary data from the respondents by
avoiding the aspect of collecting personal information. For example, the researcher designed the
questionnaires met the issue of anonymity by failing to allow the respondents fill their names.
Nevertheless, the researcher used the coded to identify individual respondents. The researcher
also subdivided the questionnaires into two different groups. The first group consisted of 45
percent of the questionnaires administered by the research assistants. While the second group
consisted of 55 questionnaires emailed through the respondent's email accounts. Even though the
Research dissertation 28
respondents could not give their verbal consents as those used by the research assistants, the
researcher emailed a letter to the respondents by outlining the objective of the study, the
procedure use while answering the questions and understanding their rites concerning research
areas.
3.6. Rigor
The process explains several procedures used in order to achieve various components
including credibility, transferability, conformity and even dependability. More importantly, the
study employed all the outlined components to optimize the aspect of trustworthiness in data
analysis. For example, when it comes to the aspect of credibility, the current research study
conducted both pilot study and final study by targeting the respondents from the two case studies
in UK. Secondly, the researcher also designed the questionnaire instruments by incorporating
structured and semi-structured questions. Instead of allowing the respondents to give their
opinions, the researcher used the above method to allow the respondents verify a number of
statements that applied to them. The current research study also met the aspect of dependability
by using similar and uniformity in coding. For instance, the researcher created majority of the
questions by using categorical Likert scales on the range of 1 to 5. Such a method provided the
most-effective approach of coding qualitative data. The study measured the aspect of
transferability by describing the data collection and sampling strategy in a more detailed manner.
The last component refers to conformity. As discussed in the foregoing section, the current
research study treated all the responses provided by the respondents with confidentiality. In
addition, the analysis procedure involved recording all the code schemes and verifying all the
findings through the raw data entered in the SPSS (Statistical package for Social sciences)
Research dissertation 29
staff while working in the case study. The average length of time relates directly to the studied
phenomenon for staff retention. Such a measure should become superior to other turnover
measure collected within the current survey. For instance, the current research study used the
turnover rate of 2013 as the key dependent variable. While applying this measure, however, its
effect in using the turnover for a period of one year may fail to become an indicative for an
overall turnover within a certain organization. Therefore, the current research study selected an
average length of time undertaken by staff while working in two case studies as the dependent
variable. According to the dataset collected from the staffs of the two companies that operate in
UK, the average length of employees while working in the two organizations as the case studies
reveals a mean of 6.53 years and a standard deviation of 5.23 years. Hence, this implies the need
for variation in the depended variable used in the current research study.
The staff reward incentives form part examination of antecedents of staffs’ retention rate
as indicated in the current research study. According to the data collected from the staffs working
in the two case studies, the independent variables included better pay, performance bonus,
Secondly, the current research study also utilized to use both subjective and objective
productivity measures as the dependent variable. The research study included the two measures
of organizational performance to play a key role of leveraging the advantages and ensuring that
they mitigate any form of pitfall that arises from the utilization of productivity of one
organization. The objective measures adopted in the current research study contain more
information concerning organizational productivity. However, the above measures fail to reflect
Research dissertation 30
the long-term value for the organization. While other previous studies have relied on measures
such as market-based organization productivity Ali and Ahmed (2009), the current research
study applied the data limited to accounting measures only. Therefore, the objective accounting
measures included in the current research study included the gross margin for individual staff
and net income earned by an individual for the period of December 2013. Moreover, when the
research study considered objective organizational productivity as the dependent variable, the
number of respondents targeted in the two case studies reduced to 479. From this number, 48.1
percent of the respondents came from the staff functions including strategic planning, financial
management and HR management. 13.4 percent of the respondents came from the marketing
department, 16 percent of the respondents came from the research and development department.
Furthermore, the analysis findings also revealed that 98 percent of the respondents were of men
and 87.8 percent of the respondents had attained bachelor’s degree in their educational level.
Although the new model shows reduction in the number of sample size and changes in the
characteristics of respondents, the average number of respondents that came from the two case
susceptible towards the discretion of managers. More importantly, the subjective variables in the
Furthermore, the current research study also measured the subjective organizational productivity
as one way of offsetting the possibility for productivity shortcomings. For instance, the
subjective organizational productivity measures depended on managers within the strategic and
planning departments. The studies rated the level at which productivity exceeded productivity of
competitors in areas such as brand equity; customer retention; economic sales; customer service;
Research dissertation 31
development of new products and services; market development, product and service quality;
In addition, the current research study also operationalized the independent variable in
terms of the presence or absence of the reward management as an incentive in the two case
studies operating in UK. According to the questionnaire instrument, the current research asked
the respondents to select as many as possible, the example, of reward schemes adopted by
management in their organizations. for instance, the sample of organizations used in the current
research study, designed and implemented on one or more of reward management as incentives
in terms. The current study identified (i) better pay, (ii) performance bonus, (iii) recognition, (iv)
praise, (v) insurance and medical benefit, (vi) job security, (vii) better working conditions, (viii)
performance appraisals, (ix) proper induction program, (x) flexible working hours, (xi)
promotion policy, (xii) opportunity to learn new things, and (xiii) reward and fringe benefits. In a
way to come up with a meaningful analysis, the current research study only considered reward
management of (i), (ii), (viii), and (xiii) as aspects that incorporate rewards as incentive
structures.
When it comes to other structures such as recognition, insurance and medical benefits
among others, the current research study asserts that organizational managers implement on them
in order to motivate employees to work better and record higher productivity levels.
Nevertheless, the data collected from the respondents using questionnaire instruments provides
other benefits offered to staff. Majorly, these represent non-financial benefits advanced staffs as
motivational tools to make them give a positive performance. According to 13 items outlined
above, the current research study identified 9 non-financial tools adopted by management as
motivators to staffs.
Research dissertation 32
terms of sex, age, income, education level. The income level represents a continuous variable
variables, the current research study conducted an analysis using aggregate level. Therefore,
while it is imperative to consider the factors that impact on staff retention at a staff level, the
empirical testing conducted in the current study focused on the level of organization.
included three different control variables including the organizational size, years of operation for
the organization, and the average level of educational attainment for staffs. The current study
adopted Joseph and Kalwani (2000) perceptions of measuring the size of the organization by
considering the number of employees. Secondly, the organization average educational level of
staffs represents the transformed index. For example, the current research study calculated the
average educational level of staffs by adopting the formula used by Ali and Ahmed (2009). Ali
and Ahmed explain in their journal article that the calculation depends on the weights of each
category then multiplied by the number of workers found in the individual classification after
which, we sum the total. Furthermore, in order to standardize the size of organization, the author
recommends that we also need to divide the index value by the organization size.
bonus, performance appraisals, reward, and fringe benefits. Hence, the current model research
paper examined two model including the productivity model and inducement model. On the one
hand, the inducement model examined the impact of staff retention and organizational
Research dissertation 33
productivity with or without the reward management as incentives. While, on the other hand, the
investment model studied the effect of reward management as an incentive on staff retention.
Model 1: the inducement model measures the retention rate for staffs
Where the control variables includes the size of organization, average education attainment for
data. The study collected the data for a period of three months starting the month of June to
August of 2014 through questionnaire instruments. More importantly, the data collected through
the survey, helped to generate vital database contained information about HR reward
management by the two company case studies, retention, and organizational performance.
The researcher reviewed literature before the design and using the questionnaire
instrument, to evaluate the construct validity of various items. In addition, the researcher also did
this in order to validate and verify the reliability of various items utilized in the survey
instrument. Furthermore, the researcher also conducted a pre-test of the questionnaire on the
manager of two case study MNCs operating in UK.; the researcher contacted the managers in
order to share the research objectives and invite the target staffs as respondents to participate in
the data collection process. The researcher also employed two research assistants to use several
methods in order to administer current surveys such as personal interviews to managers, and
paper-pencil questionnaires as one way of increasing the response rate (Saunders, Lewis &
Thornhill, 2012).
The research assistants collected an original sample from the two companies including
Huawei and Haier in UK with total staffs of more than 100 staffs. All the two case studies
case studies also varied in terms of the number of staffs. For instance, despite Huawei operating
in several global countries and employing several staffs, the company employs 2500 employees
that work in its UK subsidiary. While on the other hand, Haier in UK now has approximately
1500 staffs working in UK subsidiary. Therefore, it is imperative to see that the original sample
Research dissertation 35
remained an effective representative of two case studies and functional areas of the two
companies (Anderson, 2013). The number of staffs used in the original sample consisted of 500.
In addition, the research assistants also identified the staffs to belong to different departments
including administration, management, operation, project, service, customer care among others.
Organizations that have less than 100 staffs fail to implement on a systematic and
organized HR reward management systems, policies and practices. From the two organizations
included in the case study, the study included multiple numbers of respondents in order to assist
in mitigating the validity and reliability of different issues that tend to arise in any single-
respondent survey (Saunders et al. 2012). In essence, the current research project sought to test
According to the current research study, 58.8 percent noted to be working in the
23.8 percent of the respondents indicated that they were working in the marketing department,
16.1 percent were working in the research and development department while 1.3 percent of the
respondents stated that they were working in the project management departments. Furthermore,
the basic information provided in section one of the questionnaire focused on collecting
descriptive information on their sex, average age, average earning, the educational level, the
nature of employment and the volume of sales. The results showed different percentage
frequency scores. The sample showed that 87 percent of respondents were men all of then stating
that they were in their fill employment. The descriptive analysis for job positions showed that
76.3% of respondents were working in their managerial positions while, on the other hand, 23.7
Research dissertation 36
percent of the respondents were from the non-managerial positions. In terms of the basic salary,
the analysis findings showed that the majority of the employees earned an average of US32, 112
with 82.6 percent of the respondents saying they had beyond bachelor’s degree in their level of
education.
4.2. Findings
The current section of the research dissertation presents the findings from the primary
data collected through questionnaire instrument. The first analysis test refers to Chow test that
plays a key of examining the consistency in the pooling of data sets covering the two years from
2002 to 2003 into one figure. The analysis results for model 1 one focused on the inducement
model whose analysis findings shows the correlation coefficients among control variables,
dependent variables and independent variables. The correlation table 1 below depicts that staff
retention rate related positively to a statistical significance (p<0.01) with the variables including
the better pay (BP), the seniority of staffs in their management levels (SEN), the performance
bonus (PB), the performance appraisals (PA) and fringe benefits (FB). While, on the other hand,
the analysis findings reveals that retention rate variable shows a negative relationship with
average performance bonus (APB) and Average performance appraisal (APA) at a significant
level of P<0.01. Furthermore, the retention rate also showed a positive significant correlation
as the appropriate and effective way of testing the above hypotheses. all the control variables in
the controlled model such as the organization size, the average education attainment of staffs and
the years of operation, showed statistical significance (F = 1923.07, P<0.01, adj-R2 = 0.69).
Furthermore, the control variables all showed non-collinear with the level of tolerance being less
than 0.1. The organizational size revealed a score of (b = -0.46, and p<0.01) and the average
achievement education for staffs (b = 0.08, and p<0.01) all remained statistically significant.
Research dissertation 38
Table 2 above presents the analysis findings that focus on the two models: inducement
and productivity model. For instance, the analysis findings for the inducement model showed the
following measures (F = 1217.6, P<0.01, adjusted R2 = 0.702). While, on the other hand, the
productivity model gave the following analysis findings (F =1,213.8, P<0.01, and adjusted
R2=0.701). All the analysis for the two models shows statistical significance. Furthermore,
according to table 2 above, the analysis findings reveal that all the four independent variables
including better pay, performance bonus, fringe benefits, and performance appraisal showed
positive correlations with the dependent variable retention at a statistical significance level of
(P<0.01). All these positive correlations support the three hypotheses 1, 2 and four. In addition
to above analysis findings, table 2 above also reveals that the average amount of money
Research dissertation 39
contributed by the employers towards better pay, performance bonus, performance appraisal and
fringe benefits are also statistically significant at the level of (P<0.01). Hence, the results also
provide support to the above hypotheses on the impacts of reward management towards staff
retention.
In addition, table 3 above shows the regression analysis for the inducement model whose
findings indicates significant differences between the larger and smaller organizational sizes (F
= 87.2, and p<0.01). Hence, the current research study conducted a manipulation of results that
concerned the separate regression of table 4 above. On the one hand, the analysis findings
presented in the above table reveals that the smaller organization showed statistical significance
for performance appraisal at p<0.01with an impact of 0.149. The report findings showed
Research dissertation 40
positive statistical significance (p<0.01) for independent variables along firm size of the larger
organization for instance, the findings showed that presence of better pay had an effect of 0.052,
performance appraisal with a positive effect of 0.110, fringe benefit with an effect of 0.058, and
performance bonus of 0.081. When we compare this with standardized regression coefficient,
the analysis findings reveal that the beta, for a smaller organization gave (b = 0.15, and p<0.01)
relatively larger than the larger organization at (b = 0.12, and p<0.01). In addition, the effect of
the performance appraisal fund towards staff retention remains only significant towards the large
organization. Such analysis findings show that unlike the smaller organizations, the larger
organizations always have enough resources that enable them to utilize the staff retention
incentives and reduce the possible costs of market arrangements such as the transaction costs.
The Chow test for F value reflects (F = 24.96, and p<0.01) support the model through
higher and lower staffs’ average education attainment as statistically different. More
interestingly, the analysis findings reveal that better pay, performance bonus and performance
appraisal for the two groups concerning the education attainment in smaller and larger
organizations have a positive statistical significance at (p<0.01). We can compare the above
findings with the standard regression coefficients. The positive impacts that come from the fringe
benefits within the firms whose staff’s higher average education remain greater than the firms
that have staffs whose attainment of average education is relatively lower. More importantly, the
impact of fringe benefits in increasing the level of retention for staffs, play a key role among the
In addition, the findings presented in table three above reveals that performance
appraisal (PA) among the organizations whose staffs attain relatively higher educational status
resulted towards a considerable number of staffs remaining within the organization than the
Research dissertation 41
smaller organization whose staffs attained smaller average educational status. We can explain
these impacts using the perspective of an employee. For example, staffs with relatively higher
educational status, have a higher chance of securing for more job opportunities with other
organizations. hence, this implies that quitting from their current organizations, not only
unemployment but that it also leads towards making managers undergo higher costs in
performance appraisal. Otherwise, we can as well assert that when it comes to organizational
Consequently, the organizational managers that apply this procedure are likely to retain a
considerable number of staffs especially, when it comes to organizational that have relatively
higher workforces of human capital. As expected, is that Table 3 above reveals that performance
showed a positive correlation with statistical significance level within the firm whose staffs had
achieved higher average educational status. More importantly, the positive impacts arising from
the statistical significance are also present within the organization that had staffs with the lower
achievement of an average education. The above scenario explains that in most cases,
organizations that that majority of its staffs attaining lower average education are likely to
experience stiff competition from the firms that have staffs with relatively higher attainment of
average education. Furthermore, the educational status represents a simple of knowledge, ability
and skills for organizations. Hence, organizational managers adopt to use performance appraisals
as a mean of incentive that encourages their staffs with have higher average educational status, to
firm size and larger firm size. The Chow test conducted on the productivity model showed
Research dissertation 42
revealed (F=56.98, and p<0.01). Hence, the current research study conducted an individual
regression analysis to show the impact of paying for a reward as incentives towards by
management from the two case studies towards organizational productivity levels. For example,
table 4 below shows all the findings that relate to such impacts. Furthermore, the analysis
conducted in the table below treated organizational productivity as the dependent variable while
the amount paid by management towards the better pay, performance bonus, performance
appraisal and fringe benefits as the four different independent variables. Besides, the model also
treated firm size and educational attainment as two different control variables. according to the
analysis findings below, the results show that the reward management as incentives in terms of
the amount paid to all the four independent variables, became major predictors towards
performance (F=690.1, P<0.01, and adjusted R2=0.71). On the one hand, the impacts of the
reward management scheme towards the smaller organization, the findings revealed that the
predictor variables explained variance in staff productivity by 71.4%. The impact of reward
management scheme on larger firm showed that predictor variable explained variances in the
staff productivity by 75.2%. Nevertheless, the analysis findings revealed that all the predictor
variables showed positive significant (p<0.01, 0.05) contribution towards the productivity of the
Despite motivating staffs to record higher productivity, the findings revealed that the
reward management as incentives had a different degree of motivation. For instance, the amount
provided by the organization towards performance appraisal had a greater positive impact of
0.145 for the smaller organization and 0.111 for the larger organization. The amount contributed
by the employer towards fringe benefits showed a positive statistical significance (p<0.01) on a
small organization by 0.02. Although similar predictor had a positive impact in the productivity
Research dissertation 43
of a larger organization by 0.03, the impact was only at the level of (p<0.10). The other major
employers towards performance bonus at 0.072 and 0.009 on the larger and smaller
organizations respectively. Lastly, the findings revealed that while the contribution of the amount
made by the employer towards the better pay had low impact on the productivity of the smaller
firm at 0.008, the impact was greater on the productivity of a larger organization with 0.525.
In addition, the research study extended the analysis to include the firm employees’
average education attainment as another control variable. According to the findings provided in
Table 4 below, the results reveal that all the four amount of contributions made by the employers
showed positive statistical significant at (p<0.01) productivity of organizations but with different
scales. More importantly, the study controlled for the employees that had attained lower average
educational level and those that had attained relatively higher educational level. For example,
controlling for education level showed that better pay had a greater impact towards those that
had attained higher average educational status at 0.236 than those that had attained relatively
lower average education at 0.0934. The second significant contribution in the amount made by
the employer was that of performance appraisal. According the findings, the results in Table 4
below shows that performance appraisal for staffs that had attained average higher education
recorded an impact of 0.145 and 0.101 for those with a lower average education. Furthermore,
the amount of the contribution made by the employers towards performance bonus, had an
impact of increasing productivity among those that had attained higher average education status
by 0.053 and 0.057 among those that had attained relatively lower educational status. Although
the contribution made by the employers towards fringe benefits had positive significance towards
performance, the analysis findings revealed that that had the least contribution. For example,
Research dissertation 44
Table 4 below shows that fringe benefit made a greater contribution among those that had
attained lower educational status at 0.053 than those that had attained higher educational status at
0.045.
Research dissertation 45
wanted to examine the consistency by pooling the data sets that covered two-year period into one
figure. Furthermore, the analysis also concerning correlating the variables in the model in order
to show the correlation among dependent retention variable, control variables and independent
reward variables. According to the independent variables, the current research study focused on
appraisal and fringe benefits. In so doing, the current research paper adopted Krell (2011) model
by categorizing rewards into financial and non-financial benefits. According to the author,
financial rewards form part of the extrinsic rewards advanced by employers to their staffs in
terms of money aspects. On the one hand, the analysis classified the three rewards such as better
pay, performance appraisal, and performance bonuses at extrinsic rewards. While, on the other
hand, the current study classified all non-financial rewards such as recognition, praise, insurance
and medical benefits, job security, better working conditions, proper induction, flexible working
hours, promotion policy and opportunity to learn new things as intrinsic fringe benefits.
Furthermore, the model also consisted of the control variables in terms of firm size and average
The analysis while analyzing the firm size, the current research study examined the
number of staffs employed to work in certain subsidiary. The above procedure supports Michael,
Duncan and Peter (2011); Lee, Hsu and Lien (2006) procedure who while examining the impacts
of benefits plans on employee's turnover, treated the size of different firms within Taiwanese
manufacturing industry as the number of participants in the individual organization, usually the
number of employees. Furthermore, the study conducted by Kim et al. (2013) on the impact of
Research dissertation 46
pay for performance plan towards firm performance, considered the size of the firm by referring
The hypotheses testing findings presented in the current paper, resulted in the in the
support of statistical significance. For instance, the average achievement of educational status by
the workers working in the two case studies showed a positive relationship with the staff
retention. However, the results showed that the impact is smaller for firms that have relatively
higher staffs with higher attainment of education. We can explain this scenario by using
resource-based theory. For example, according to Dess and Shaw (2001), is that higher human
capital inventory playing a key role when managers want to retain a relatively higher number of
staffs. Furthermore, the author theorizes that larger sized organizations enjoy the benefits of
abundant capacity and capability in order to implement on several practices that encourage staffs
to remain with the organization for a considerable number of years. Furthermore, the author
explains in the theory that when managers remain more staffs, this also helps to reduce of the
separation gap among staffs. in addition, Michael, Duncan and Peter (2011) reiterates using
human capital theory that staffs that have higher levels of educational attainment are likely to
experience higher level of separation. Furthermore, we could explain this perspective using
social capital theory. For example, Lee et al. (2006) explains that staffs’ level of shared trust and
collective orientation remains useful in the realization of resources that reflect the social
The above foundation implies that organizational managers use several components when
they want to create knowledge among staffs and retain them within organizations. For instance,
the greater the value that HRM embed in their human capital, then the greater the aspect of
creating intelligence. Michael et al. (2011) illustrates in their journal articles that staffs develop
Research dissertation 47
their knowledge through social interaction. Organizational gain in terms of increasing returns
when staffs start to experience social capital. According to the above discussion, the current
research paper points out that higher level of education attained by staffs, forms part of the social
capital and contributes towards the formation of human capital. Hence, the current research study
supports the theory that firm size relates positively with the staff retention. According to
resource-based theory, is that the larger the organization becomes in using its abundant resources
and capability, the higher the chance for staff staying longer in the organization.
In addition, the current research study draws several discussions. First, is that Huawei and
Haier as the case study implements on different reward management as incentives. Secondly, the
findings showed that the size of the firm determines nature of reward plans. More importantly,
the results from the current study showed that Huawei as one of the largest Chines multination
that operates in UK, has more staffs than Haier multinational company in UK. Hence, Huawei
implemented on more reward plans than Haier its counterpart. Furthermore, the average amount
of money contributed by the employers towards the reward plans, also increased with the size of
organization. The above example on the findings supports resource-based theory whose
interpretation indicates that organizations that have abundant resources are likely to allocate
more towards staff retention programs. Secondly, the empirical results indicate that organization
size correlates positively with the retention rate of staffs. The above also remains consistent with
the resource-based theory. The staff average attainment of educate showed a negative
relationship with the separation. Furthermore, higher organizations with inventory support this
perspective. Even though the social capital theory explains this view, the perspective is out of the
scope of the current study and leaves the theory to future research work.
Research dissertation 48
Moreover, the impacts of financial and non-financial rewards showed positive significant
relation with the level of staff retention. More importantly, the financial rewards such as better
par, performance appraisal, and performance bonus, all showed a positive impact on the level of
staff retention across the two Huawei and Haier case studies. As expected from the first study
hypothesis, is that organizations that design and advances the reward management as an
incentive to its staffs will show a significant higher retention rate than organization without the
reward management incentives in the compensation structures. For example, the study findings
revealed when it comes to the impact of reward on a small organization, performance appraisal
showed a positive significant relationship towards retention of staffs. Failure in other financial
rewards including better pay and performance bonuses supported justification of H1 for
implementation of reward among larger organizations. For example, the analysis findings shown
in table 3 revealed that all the three financial rewards showed a positive significant relationship
The above findings support Dess and Shaw (2001) analysis of the impact of benefits
plans towards employee turnover. According to the author’s findings, is that the effect of
financial benefits advanced to employees showed a negative relationship with the turnover rate.
However, the findings also showed that the level of the negative impacts of such benefits could
not show it the study especially among the small-sized organizations. The fact that several
employees share the fringe benefits at the workplace, this might as well contribute by employers
to incur higher costs than the counterpart larger organizations. For instance, Sayım (2010)
explain that when it comes to smaller organizations, the internal management of such costs tends
to become higher than the market arrangements. The above discussion supports transactional
cost theory that demonstrates the approach undertaken by HRM to combine both optimism and
Research dissertation 49
bounded rationality. In addition, Sayım (2010) explains using the theory that the rationality for
alternatives. According to the application of transaction cost theory to HRM, the two key
application aspects include the efficiency in the administrative mechanisms and performance of
such interactions. Hence, in case the transaction becomes more efficient and less costly, then the
management will have the rationality for implementing on the fringe benefits that target all
employees. The adoption of strategic approaches in terms of reward plans should allow
organization to streamline the entire governance structure where there is more value for
employee skills, capability, knowledge and loyalty to work for a longer period.
The respondents from Huawei MNC indicated that management had adopted on several
fringe benefits plan in order to not only benefit the entire workplace, that contribute towards
making staffs see the sense to remain with the organization for a considerable number of years.
The analysis revealed that larger organizations were likely to incur the costs of paying for several
fringe benefits that target staffs such as recognition, praise, insurance and medical benefits, job
security, better working conditions, proper induction, flexible working hours, promotion policy
and opportunity to learn new things as intrinsic fringe benefits. The above findings explain the
reason as to why while the fringe benefits showed positive significant impact on retention
following costs incurred by the larger organization; the fringe benefits failed to show a
significant impact in a smaller organization. Therefore, the organizations opt to decrease on the
Nevertheless, the above research findings reveal that investing in benefits and human
capital contribute towards increased retention. Dess and Shaw (2001) discusses in their journal
article on the strategic HRM study that commitment that plays an essential role of enhancing
Research dissertation 50
HRM structures, help to retain a considerable number of workers at the workplaces. More
importantly, the author illustrates that in most cases, more focused investment HRM strategy
tend to subsume other HRM practices. In so doing, they ensure that organizations experience
high-quality pool of human capital. In essence, benefit and compensation packages such as the
once outlined above, remain the most-visible investments among several organizations. For
example, Dess and Shaw add that the high pay or better pay to staffs, play a role of encouraging
staffs to stay longer with the organization. Furthermore, the author explains that apart from
encouraging staffs to maximize their self-interests when they stay with the organization, the
reward management as an incentive also ensures that management attracts and retains superior
significantly increases retention rate. The above impact might arise from a ‘job lock’:
experienced by staffs that have no ability from the pre-existing conditions such as to attain self-
interest from the fringe benefits in case their quit from their present positions (Sayım, 2010).
Finally, is that contrary to the above perspective of transaction theory, Lee et al. (2006)
organizations. Benefits plans experiences two different aspects that differentiate them from other
HR practices. According to Lee et al., the first aspect relates to the question of legal compliance,
hence the and state play roles when it comes to controlling and coercive adoption of benefits
plans like promotion of the minimum benefit as the payment into retirement account other
mechanisms such as pension disbursement. Scott (2001) refers to this mechanism as coercive
isomorphism. Lee et al. (2006) also adds that the second unique aspect of benefits plans refers to
the institutionalization of the organization that voluntarily chooses to offer them to staffs. The
above occurs because of tacit agreement between an organization and industry what Scott (2001)
Research dissertation 51
refer to as the normative isomorphism. Therefore, coercive isomorphism, which occurs as a form
of government or law regulation, and mimic isomorphism, which occurs when organizations
adopt the behaviors of other organizations, tends to dominate the reward implementation plans of
several organizations.
towards staff retention, the current research study also focused on examining the impact of
similar rewards on organizational productivity of Huawei and Haier as two MNCs case studies
operating in UK. It was important to consider the above topic because some of the already
existing reward and compensation management studies that have focused on examining
individual reward schemes were only conducted Western industries (Sayım, 2010; Dess and
Shaw, 2001). However, the current research study individual reward management plans as an
incentive, correlated positively with the organizational productivity between Huawei and Haier
Furthermore, the current research study revealed that motivational practices implemented
and consistent with the previous grounded empirical studies (Sayim 2010; ), we develop a
stronger perception that presence of reward plans as empowerment practices play a key role of
encouraging staffs to develop intrinsic motivations. The above motivations arise more
importantly in areas where organizational staffs gain more focus on ways of completing their
tasks. Dess and Shaw (2001) discusses in their journal articles that as reward practices encourage
employees to remain in organizations for a considerable longer period, they start to learn on
ways of working as a team with other c-workers and completing any given responsibility. More
Research dissertation 52
importantly, the author places more credit on staffs that work as a group than those than work as
individuals.
motivation because different staffs tend to exhibit less accountability when working as a team
(Kim et al. 2013). However, the author argues in the current research paper that implementing on
reward management as incentives, will contribute intrinsic motivation and encourage staffs to
record higher productivity levels (Glebbeek & Bax, 2004). Therefore, there will be a lesser
chance for development of social loafing when management implements on performance reward
performance based plans and combine them with individual empowerment practices,. According
to the current research study, the research collected data concerning different reward mechanism
adopted by Huawei and Haier case studies from the management and staffs. According to
analysis findings presented in the foregoing chapter, the current study found that performance-
based performance rewards and other empowerment practices enabled the two case studies to
The study findings of the current research paper supports Glebbeek and Bax (2004)
findings and explanation that when staffs become efficient and effective, they will start to
experience limitations in cases where managers fail to implement on motivational practices. The
author theorizes using expectancy theory that staffs in organizational are likely to gain from the
motivation when they create a strong link between rewards and productivity. Hence, the author
perceives that reward management acts as an incentive that motivates staffs to remain at the
workplace and achieve the set objectives. While managements expect to adopt different reward
systems, the analysis in the current research paper revealed that both Huawei and Haier
companies adopt financial and non-financial reward schemes. For example, further analysis
Research dissertation 53
found that the irrespective of the organizational size, management makes financial contributions
to rewards such as better pay, performance bonuses, and performance appraisal. Furthermore, the
analysis also revealed that while financial rewards had positive significant contribution to
productivity of two case studies, regression of productivity model also showed that contributions
made in terms of fringe benefits had a positive significant contribution towards productivity of
both case studies with standard coefficients of 0.022 and 0.03 respectively. However, such
smaller positive impact towards productivity might have resulted from the external impacts of
argument concerning the impact of reward management as incentives towards retention of staffs
and organizational productivity between Huawei and Haier MNCs operating in UK. In order to
build an argument, for example, the current paper drew its conceptual framework from resource-
based theory to describe the reasons that make organizations implement different reward
management as HR practices. For example, Glebbeek and Bax (2004) theorized that higher
human capital inventory play a key role when managers want to retain a relatively higher number
of staffs. Furthermore, the author theorizes that organizations enjoy the benefits of abundant
capacity and capability to execute several practices that encourage staffs to remain with the
organization for a considerable number of years. In addition, the research study also adopted
transaction cost theory in order to explain the impact of employer contribution towards different
reward systems and the cost towards small and large organization. The possibility concerning the
HRM structures that included reward practices. Rewards management alone as incentives to
staffs, might not influence staff behaviors and attitudes more effectively. However, well-defined
Research dissertation 54
and structured reward plans should become one of the elements within an integrated HRM
because social loafing might as well become familiar at workplaces. Therefore, when designing
and implementing on performance-based reward incentives to staffs, the findings for the current
research paper recommend that management should consider ways they can incorporate reward
management practices.
The current research paper presents different practical implications such as the notion for
management to recognize the importance of behavioral and perception context of staffs when
raised the proposed the possibility that performance-based rewards might become more complex
to implement. In addition, other challenges that might become inherent when designing and
implementing performance-based rewards, include unclear set goals and poor administration of
such rewards. Based on the analysis findings presented in the findings chapter, the researcher
argues that the challenges related to designing and implementing the performance-based rewards
might become effective when staffs also participate in making decisions. Discretion of staffs to
participate in making decisions will allow them to design some of the effective rewards.
Consequently, the discretionary practices will also shape and develop effective contribution on
staffs towards working for longer years in the organization and intrinsic motivation towards
higher productivity.
Research dissertation 55
The current research study presents several features. The first aspect of the current
research study is that the researcher collected data using both primary and secondary data
through questionnaire instruments and review of the literature respectively. Despite the above
approaches, it is critical to identify and mention some of the limitations of the current study with
the objective of recommending the direction that future researchers would take. The first
limitation concerning the current study is the failure to apply the cross sectional data covering
the performance of two case studies concerning performance. Furthermore, the failure to utilize
on the cross section that covers a number of years would have played a role of testing the
causality among different variables. The study conducted by Perry, Mesch and Paarlberg (2006)
raised several possibilities that previous performance of organizations might offer support to
several sets of HR practices and policies. For instance, while organizations that performed well
might arise because of spending more resources on training, induction programs and other
performance-based rewards, there lacks a stronger conceptual reasoning and believe that such
organizations will experience an increase in the use of individual performance plans. The
current research study recommends that future researchers would deal with this problem by
collecting cross-sectional data in order to study the cause and effect relationship between HR
A second limitation of the current research study is the failure to collect data concerning
the cultures found in UK countries such as collectivistic values. The researcher perceives that the
national culture found in the country where the organization operates might affect the level and
effectiveness of performance-based reward plans. However, the study also recognizes that
organizations and can still experience variability in collectivistic values. Furthermore, this could
Research dissertation 56
also extend across and even within the countries where collectivistic values remain the stronger
foundation among societies. In response, therefore, the current research study recommends that
future researchers should focus on measuring the collectivistic values directly. Besides, future
researchers should also go ahead and test whether such values have the capability to moderate
and affect performance-based rewards and their impact on staff retention and productivity.
The third limitation regarding the current research study is that the research collected
primary data using the foundation of reviewed literature. Hence, most of the variables collected
concerning the current research might have failed to characterize appropriately the strategies of
compensation and reward plans targeting staffs at Huawei and Haier MNCs operating in UK. For
example, some of the selected variables might remain specific to organization benefits practices
and not compensation to staffs. From the above discussion, it is thus important to observe that
Or else, several other factors that influence staff retention and productivity of
organizations include practices concerning incentive pay, training and development programs,
programs targeting staffing and placement, and management practices. Furthermore, the industry
also remains another factor that affects the current issue. Following the above-discussed
limitation, the current research recommends that future research studies should therefore; analyze
In conclusion, therefore, the current research study has succeeded in studying the importance
that reward management as an incentive has when it comes to retaining and increasing the overall
productivity at the workplace. More importantly, we cannot over emphasize the importance that comes
from designing and managing the reward as part of the day-to-day operation of staffs. It remains a well-
documented fact rather that HRM motivate their staffs by adopting different effective practices.
The current research paper focused on examining the impact of reward management as an
incentive for staff retention and organizational productivity at Huawei and Haier in UK. Hence, by
investigating the strategies of reward and compensation adopted by the case study
organizations, the current research study succeeded in providing other additional insight
concerning the situation under which performance-based reward plans can become effective.
Apart from identifying the financial rewards selected by the management of the case studies, it
is important that management empowers their staffs and recognizes the role of designing and
implementing performance-based plans. For example, the data collected from the case studies
revealed that management designs and chose different financial rewards. On the one hand, the
analysis classified the three rewards such as better pay, performance appraisal, and performance
bonuses at extrinsic rewards. While, on the other hand, the current study classified all non-
financial rewards such as recognition, praise, insurance and medical benefits, job security, better
working conditions, proper induction, flexible working hours, promotion policy and opportunity
to learn new things as intrinsic fringe benefits. Furthermore, the model also consisted of the
control variables in terms of firm size and average level of educational attainment for staffs.
After analyzing the primary data, the findings revealed that strategies for rewards and
compensations that incorporate both financial and nonfinancial incentives showed positive
Research dissertation 58
significant relation with the level of staff retention. As expected from the first study hypothesis,
is that organizations that design and advances the reward management as an incentive to its staffs
will show a significant higher retention rate than organization without the reward management
incentives in the compensation structures. Furthermore, the current research study showed that
motivational practices implemented by organizational managers play key roles of enhancing the
Methodologically, the study provides more improvement to some of the previous grounded
compensation studies by incorporating multiple respondents from both Huawei and Haier in UK and
controlling for past organizational performance not done (Ho, Ling-Chu & Wu, 2009)
literature. If simple respondents from individual organization might provide biased empirical
results, the current research study addressed this concern by collecting data from different
various respondents. Other future research studies should examine other additional
moderating factors such as performance measures, trusting relationship, and group goal that
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9. APPENDICES
Hello respondent
The current questions seek to gather information to examine the impacts of reward
management on staff retention and productivity. The research assists requests that you give your
consent to show your approval and readiness to participate on the current study. Please note that
any decline to accept to participate in the current study, will not have any impact to your current
employment status. The study seeks to collect the data mainly for my course work. Furthermore,
the study will also treat the entire analysis finding with the highest level of confidence without
revealing to any other third party. The current questionnaire will on
1. 25 and below
2. 26 – 30
3. 31 – 35
4. 36 – 40
5. 41 -45
6. 46 – 50
7. 51 and above
1. No educational status
2. Elementary level
3. Junior High
4. Secondary level
Research dissertation 64
5. College level
6. Undergraduate level
7. Postgraduate level
4. How many years could you say you have worked in the current organization
2. 1-2 years
3. 2-5 years
4. 5-10 years
5. Would you say that the current organization adopts of reward management in your
organization
1. Yes 2. No
6. Which of the following reward management as incentives would you say management
1. Better pay
2. Performance bonus
3. Recognition
4. Praise
6. Job security
8. Performance appraisal
Research dissertation 65
7. Would you say that the organization management manages the above rewards as
1. 1= strongly disagree
2. 2= somewhat disagree
4. 4. somewhat agree
5. 5 strongly agree
8. Would you say that the reward management scheme implemented by the company
1. 1= strongly disagree
2. 2= somewhat disagree
4. 4. somewhat agree
5. 5 strongly agree
9. What would you say you are already satisfied with the level of reward system offered by
1. 1= strongly disagree
2. 2= somewhat disagree
Research dissertation 66
4. 4. somewhat agree
5. 5 strongly agree
10. Would you say that you are ready to increase the level of your performance in order to
1. 1= strongly disagree
2. 2= somewhat disagree
4. 4. somewhat agree
5. 5 strongly agree
11. Would you say that the reward management as an incentive offered by the company has
1. 1= strongly disagree
2. 2= somewhat disagree
4. 4. somewhat agree
5. 5 strongly agree
12. Would you say that the reward management scheme has affected your performance at the
company?
1. 1= strongly disagree
2. 2= somewhat disagree
4. 4. somewhat agree
Research dissertation 67
5. 5 strongly agree
13. Indicate your agreement or disagreement with the following statements. where 1-strongly
strongly agree
1 2 3 4 5
a. The company management collects
information on performance
b. Management conducts sufficient recognition
compensations
c. The company rewards the right people
d. The performance appraisal is always
thorough
e. Management treats different people
appropriately
f. Management relies too much on seniority
g. Management uses the right people to
determine compensation
h. Company compensation system is fair
i. The range between the low and high
compensation is still low
j. The range between low and high
compensation is still high
14. What would you say that you would like to see at your company in regard to reward
management as an incentive to staffs
1 2 3 4 5
a. Management should implement more on
group that on individual rewards
b. Company need to move towards
implementing on a greater judgment component
than the formula
c. You would like to support a system that
includes mandatory feedback and satisfaction in
terms of scores and setting of compensations
d. Management need to rewards on
collaborations among members
e. Management need to pay more attention
towards profitability of the company and work
performed by staffs
f. The system need to place more weight of
short term performance outcomes of employees
g. The system need to place more weight on
Research dissertation 68
QUESTIONNAIRE!