Doctor of Business Administration Prospectus Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
Prospectus: Strategies Human Resource Professionals can use to Increase Company Profitability
Problem Statement
Although employees’ remuneration accounts for about 60-85% of many organizations’
operating budgets, this remuneration is currently not effectively managed by many human
resource (HR) professionals since most workers are actually not paid salaries that are
commensurate with their tasks. This tends to result in reduced employee productivity and
subsequent low profitability through adoption of inappropriate HR strategies (Becker & Huselid,
2014: Ramlall, 2013). In Thailand, HR leaders in over 50% of organizations do not utilize HR
strategies appropriately to manage employees and enhance their productivity (Platonova,
Hernandez, & Moorehouse, 2013). The general business problem is that unproductive employees
lead to lost profits in an organization. The specific business problem is some HR leaders in
medium-sized organizations in Bangkok, Thailand lack strategies to increase employee
productivity.
Purpose Statement
The purpose of this qualitative single case study is to explore strategies that HR leaders in
medium-sized organizations in Bangkok, Thailand can use to increase employee productivity.
The specific population for the study includes 15 HR professionals in CP All Public Company
2
Limited in Bangkok, Thailand who have successfully implemented human resource management
(HRM) strategies to increase employee productivity in their organization. HR professionals who
adopt SHRM are able to manage the remuneration of employees by ensuring workers are paid
wages of 300 Baht or more, which motivates them to improve their work productivity. The
potential impact for social change is lower unemployment rate. When HR professionals in mid-
sized organizations in Thailand adopt appropriate HR strategies, employees would likely be
more satisfied with their jobs. Consequently, the satisfied employees may work for the
organization for a longer period, lowering employee turnover rates in these organizations.
Reduced turnover leads to reduced unemployment rates in the country, which is good for the
society in general. This is important considering that a high rate of unemployment may have
negative effects to the community.
Nature of the Study
I will use a qualitative methodology for this study. A qualitative researcher utilizes
common themes based on detailed experiences through the identification of a person’s intentions
and actions (Yin, 2014). Quantitative researchers use statistical methods that give numerical
results to provide additional data sets for analysis (Blau et al., 2013; Gherardi & Perrotta, 2014;
Wolgemuth, 2014). For this reason, the quantitative research methodology is inappropriate for
this study. Mixed methods researchers use both qualitative and quantitative methods. The mixed
methodology is not suitable for this study due to its quantitative component.
I will use a single case study design for this study. The case study design is appropriate
for this study (Yin, 2014). In essence, case study design will allow me to investigate and explore
the selected company in Bangkok deeply and thoroughly; something that is not possible if
3
ethnography, grounded theory, or phenomenology designs are utilized (Brockbank, Ulrich &
Beatty, 2013). Ethnographic research is not relevant for the study. This is attributed to the fact
that this research approach requires the researcher to observe the target users in their real-world,
natural setting and studying a whole culture. The aim of this research is not to study culture or
observe the participants; hence, ethnography is not relevant. Grounded theory is not relevant as it
develops a theory with regard to particular phenomena. Moreover, phenomenological study is
not appropriate highlighting this aspect to the world experiences and subjective interpretations of
the businesses (Yin, 2014). The case study has an exploratory nature that will integrate multiple
methods for data collection and ability to develop common factors inherent in the collected data
(Gherardi & Perrotta, 2014; Yin, 2014).
Research Question
What strategies do HR professionals in medium-sized organizations in Bangkok, Thailand use to
increase employee productivity?
Interview Questions
The interview questions that were included are as follows:
- What goals for increased productivity do you have for the organization?
- What strategies have you adopted to help increase the productivity of workers?
- What human resource strategies do you use to increase the profitability for the
organization? - How do you motivate employees use to increase the profitability for the organization?
4
- What behaviors exhibited in the workplace by the recruited employees are the most
critical in assisting to increase organization’s profitability? - What else could you share that is pertinent to your human resource strategies for
increasing organization’s profitability?
Conceptual Framework
The Ulrich model is the primary conceptual framework adopted for this study. Ulrich and
Yeung (1989) developed the Ulrich model. David Ulrich tackles the significance of the human
resource management as an organization stronghold that a business cannot function without.
When he developed the theory, he aimed at making the human resource process much easier. At
the beginning, few organizations incorporated the theory in their activities but after several
business releasing the impact of the model towards a business, the theory became famous in the
business market. The central objective of this model is to explain the relationship between the
competency of human resource professionals and performance of the organization during the
initial development of competency models, which constituted the HRM domain (Brockbank,
Ulrich & Beatty, 2013; Huselid, Jackson & Schuler, 2014). It also aids organizations in
segmenting human resource management. This framework is applicable to the study as it will
help to understand the strategies and competencies that HR professionals in medium-sized
organizations in Bangkok, Thailand can utilize to increase employee productivity which would
in turn help improve organizational performance and profitability. According to the Ulrich
Model, the performance of an organization is essentially the outcome of the linkage between the
business strategy and the HR strategy. Using this HRM model, what is specifically going to be
5
studied are the HR competencies and strategies that could be utilized by HR professionals in
Bangkok in order to help increase employee productivity.
Significance of the Study
The research study has significant value to the company, which is CP All Public
Company Limited. Given the nature of the social changes like change in consumers’’ behaviors
and technology, contributions are likely to impact effective business practice. HR professionals
in many medium-sized organizations may significantly benefit from the findings of this study by
expanding their knowledge on appropriate HR strategies to increase employee productivity
which would in turn lead to an increase in profitability for their organizations. The creation of
sustainable human resources strategies is important for continued profitability of organizations in
Thailand (Pfeffer & Veiga, 2014). This means that HR activities play a vital role in many
organizations, both large and small, and subsequently to the economy (Becker & Huselid, 2014;
Yeung, Woolcock & Sullivan, 2013). Organizations that integrate HRM strategies display the
ability to sustain high profits, and effectively utilize its human capital (Huselid, Jackson &
Schuler, 2014; Martina, Hana, & Jiri, 2013; Platonova, Hernandez,& Moorehouse, 2013). In
essence, the findings of this study could contribute to effective business practice by providing
knowledge to HR professionals concerning how to use appropriate HR strategy to increase the
profitability of their organizations (Ahmad, Kausar,& Azhar, 2015; Becker & Huselid, 2014).
Positive resolutions towards these social fluctuations stems from empowering HR
professionals by providing appropriate HR strategies that would make employees satisfied with
their job; hence lower employee turnover for the company and reduced unemployment rate in the
society (Gherardi & Perrotta, 2014; Wolgemuth, 2014). Accordingly, the study findings can help
6
in developing better training programs at the workplace to make employees more productive, and
the acquired skills can also be used to significantly impact the society positively (Wright,
Dunford & Snell, 2014). All in all, positive social change will occur when the workers in
medium-sized companies donate their expertise and time kindly and generously in serving their
neighbors who are in need and by doing this they get to experience directly the impact which
they could make in other people’s lives. They employees would be able to do this given that the
increased profitability of their firms, which is as a result of increased employee productivity,
might drive them to give back to the society by affecting positive social change.
7
References
Ahmad, A., Kausar, A. R., & Azhar, S. M. (2015). HR professionals’ effectiveness and
competencies: A perceptual study in the banking sector of Pakistan. International Journal
of Business and Society, 16, 201-220.
Becker, B. E., & Huselid, M. A. (2014). High performance work systems and firm performance:
A synthesis of research and managerial implications. Research in Personnel and Human
Resources Management, Vol. 16, No.3, 53-101.
Blau, D., Bach, L., Scott, M., & Rubin, S. (2013). Clark Moustakas (1923–2012): Scholar,
teacher, colleague and friend. The Humanistic Psychologist,41(6), 97–99.
Brockbank, W., Ulrich, D., & Beatty, R. (2013). The professional development: Creating the
future creators at the University of Michigan Business School. Human Resource
Management, 38, 111-118.
