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Employee retention and the success of a for-profit cosmetics company: a gap analysis

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Employee retention and the success of a for-profit cosmetics company: a gap analysis

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Content Running head: GAP ANALYSIS 1

EMPLOYEE RETENTION AND THE SUCCESS OF A FOR-PROFIT COSMETICS
COMPANY: A GAP ANALYSIS

by

Joshua Swann

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

May 2018

Copyright 2018 Joshua Swann

GAP ANALYSIS 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Tables 7
List of Figures 8
Abstract 9
Chapter One: Introduction 10
Introduction of the Problem of Practice 10
Organizational Context and Mission 11
Organizational Performance Status 12
Related Literature 13
Importance of the Problem 14
Organizational Performance Goal 15
Stakeholders and Stakeholders’ Performance Goals 16
Stakeholder Groups Performance Goals 17
Stakeholder for the Study and Stakeholder Performance Gap 18
Purpose of the Project and Questions 18
Methodological Framework 19
Definitions 19
Organization of the Study 20
Chapter Two: Review of the Literature 21
Employee Retention 21
Stakeholder Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Factors 22
Knowledge and Skills 23
Knowledge Influences 23
GAP ANALYSIS 3

Factual Knowledge Influences 24
Procedural Knowledge Influences 25
Metacognitive Knowledge Influences 28
Motivation Influences 29
Expectancy-Value Theory 30
Self-Efficacy Theory 31
Organizational Culture 32
Need for Organizational Resources 33
Recognition and Incentives 34
Organizational Structure and Employee Feedback 35
Conclusion 36
Chapter Three: Methodology 38
Purpose of the Project and Questions 38
Conceptual and Methodological Framework 38
Assessment of Performance Influences 42
Knowledge Assessment 42
Motivation Assessment 42
Organizational Culture/Context Assessment 43
Participating Stakeholders and Sample Selection 45
Sampling 46
Recruitment 46
Data Collection 47
Survey Sampling (Recruitment) Strategy and Rationale 47
Survey Instrumentation 47
GAP ANALYSIS 4

Interviews 49
Interview Sampling (Recruitment) Strategy and Rationale 49
Interview Instrumentation 50
Document Analysis 51
Data Analysis 52
Trustworthiness of Data 53
Role of Investigator 56
Chapter Four: Results and Findings 57
Participating Stakeholders 58
Data Validation 60
Results and Findings for Knowledge Causes 60
Factual Knowledge 61
Procedural Knowledge 63
Metacognitive Knowledge 68
Results and Findings for Motivation Causes 71
Expectancy 71
Self-Efficacy 72
Results and Findings for Organizational Causes 79
Cultural Models 79
Summary of Validated Influences 88
Knowledge 88
Motivation 89
Organization 89
Chapter Five: Recommendations and Implementation Plan 92
GAP ANALYSIS 5

Purpose of the Project and Questions 92
Knowledge Recommendations 92
Factual Knowledge Solutions 94
Metacognitive Knowledge Solutions 95
Motivation Recommendations 95
Organizational Recommendations 97
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan 101
Implementation and Evaluation Framework 101
Organizational Purpose, Need and Expectations 101
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators 102
Level 3: Behavior 103
Critical behaviors 103
Required drivers 104
Organizational support 105
Level 2: Learning 106
Learning goals 106
Program 106
Components of learning 107
Level 1: Reaction 108
Evaluation Tools 109
Immediately following the program implementation 109
Delayed for a period after the program implementation 110
Data Analysis and Reporting 111
Summary 112
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Limitations 114
Recommendations 114
References 116
Appendices
Appendix A: Survey Protocol 123
Appendix B: Interview Protocol 127
Appendix C: Welcome Letter for Interview 129
Appendix D: Sample Evaluation During Program 130
Appendix E: Sample Evaluation After Program 132

GAP ANALYSIS 7

LIST OF TABLES
Table Title Page
1 Summary of Influences on Manager of Retail Operations 36
2 Assumed Influences Assessment Strategies 44
3 Summary of Validated Influences 90
4 Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations 93
5 Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations 96
6 Summary of Organizational Influences and Recommendations 98
7 Outcomes, Metrics and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes 102
8 Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods and Timing for Evaluation 103
9 Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors 105
10 Components of Learning for the Program 108
11 Components that Measure Reactions to the Program 109

GAP ANALYSIS 8

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Title Page
1 Stakeholder Performance Goals 17
2 The Employee Retention Conceptual Framework 41
3 Participant Demographic Information 59
4 Participant Demographic Information 60
5 MRO Knowledge Gaps 69
6 MRO Motivation Gaps 73
7 MRO Motivation Gaps 74
8 MRO Motivation Gaps 75
9 MRO Motivation Gaps 77
10 Organizational Influence Gaps 80
11 Organizational Influence Gaps 83
12 Organizational Influence Gaps 86

GAP ANALYSIS 9

ABSTRACT
This study sought to understand the knowledge, motivation and organizational barrier
gaps preventing Beauty Inc (pseudonym) from achieving improved employee retention. The
primary stakeholder of focus was the Manager of Retail Operations (MRO) who manage a
designated territory of retail stores in a specific geographic area for the company. Clark and
Estes’ (2008) gap analysis was used as the methodological framework of the study which
examined knowledge and skill, motivation, and organizational resources necessary to reach the
organizational performance goal—achieving 80% employee retention. The analysis began by
generating a list of possible needs from the research literature about the implementation of
successful training programs that focus on increasing the level of employee motivation. The
study then moved to examine and compare these systematically against the assets available in the
organization to focus on actual or validated gaps and make recommendations for the
implementation plan. After triangulating surveys, interviews and document analysis, results
showed that MROs had the knowledge and skills to positively influence retention, however
lacked the motivation to do so based on a lack of clearly defined expectation of this from the
company. The study concludes in chapter five by offering recommendations that sought to
improve the motivation and organizational barriers preventing the stakeholder and organization
from achieving its goal. Kirkpatrick’s New World Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016) was
used as a framework to evaluation the program implementation to ensure that the results offer a
return on investment for the organization.

GAP ANALYSIS 10

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Introduction of the Problem of Practice
Employee engagement and retention continue to be an ongoing conversation
amongst leaders as organizations continue to strive to achieve organizational goals in a growing
competitive marketplace. Regardless of size, technological advances, market focus and other
factors, organizations across the United States are facing challenges with employee retention
(Ramlall, 2004). According to the Bureau of National Affairs (2014), job absenteeism and
turnover are on an uptick growing about .7% each month in contrast to growth of less than .5%
post-recession 2011. Most recently a 2015 study shows that about 33% of new hires quit their
jobs after the first 6 months (Hogan, 2015). Employee attrition is a problem of practice that
needs to be addressed because without an engaged, skilled work force, organizations are
negatively affected both in its operations and overall strategy; an organization cannot thrive and
maintain a competitive advantage without the best workforce (Cardy & Lengnick-Hall, 2011).
Social scientists note that there are many actions and cultures that organizations can
create in order to develop and engaged workforce that will persist through challenges and
contribute beyond the basic expectations of their jobs (Shuck, 2013). Shuck (2013) goes on to
provide an operational definition of employee engagement which says that an engaged employee
is one whom will contribute to the organization by aligning their behaviors to match that which
will help to achieve the organizations goals. Macey & Schneider (2008) note that engagement
can be dependent on an employees’ individual psychological state, personal traits and behaviors
as well as antecedents that exist prior to the employee joining the organization. With this, the
role of the supervisor is instrumental in aligning the employee’s daily behaviors to mirror that
which is needed to achieve organizational goals.
GAP ANALYSIS 11

Whether in the context of education or private sector organizations, the role of the leader
in terms of employee engagement, continues to be a focus for organizations as they develop
more nuanced approaches to connect employees to achieving the greater goals of the
organization. Tinto (2006) relates engagement as a measurement of an individual’s (student in
the context of higher education) relationship to the organization. With this understanding of the
importance of the relationship component of engagement, retention strategies (including
employee recognition, workplace learning and motivation) are of paramount importance for
organizations. This paper addresses the problem of employee retention and motivation and seeks
to understand what programs and practices are needed to improve this problem of practice.
According to the Gallup Management’s 2013 State of the American Workplace Report,
70% percent of employee are not engaged; these employees are not reaching their full potential
(2013, p. 8). Additionally, the 2014 Towers-Perrin Workforce Study found that only four in ten
employees are highly engaged meaning they put forth mental effort and passion into their jobs
because of the relationship they have to the organization. Intrinsic motivation, recognition and
succession planning through feedback and education have all been noted as factors that
contribute to high levels of employee engagement (Dent & Holton, 2009). If leaders understand
how to create workplace climates based on passion through learning, self-efficacy and
motivation to foster high levels of employee engagement, the organization will achieve higher
productivity and investment.
Organizational Context and Mission
Beauty Inc (pseudonym) is an international cosmetic and fragrance retailer with locations
across 150 countries globally. The organization is headquartered in New York City with a
mission “To be the world’s leading makeup authority serving both professional makeup artists
and consumers while supporting the credo all ages, all races, all sexes” per the organization’s
GAP ANALYSIS 12

corporate intranet. The United States retail division of Beauty Inc. is comprised of 9 “territories”
that manage sales growth as well as employee relations for the United States. Each territory is
lead by a Field Executive Director (FED) followed by a Human Resource Manager (HRBP),
Regional Artist Training and Development Manager (RMAT), Managers of Retail Operations
(MRO) and Senior Retail Managers (SRM). The MRO (assisted by the SRM who reports to the
MRO) oversees a group of retail locations within a designated geographic area. The areas of
responsibility for the MRO include achieving sales plan and target growth in key product
categories, recruiting and maintaining human capital and ensuring that each retail channel
remains in compliance with all policies and procedures. Specifically, in Southwest territory of
Beauty Inc. there are 6 MROs across the Los Angeles and Arizona area that oversee
approximately 600 retail employees. Each MRO is expected to identify new points of
distribution for the company and align staffing with the overall productivity of the store, based
on an allotment of staffing hours as designated by the finance department. To support the MRO
with developing staffing for each location, there is a basic training which orients staff to the
organizational culture and product knowledge to support customer service interactions for retail
staff. Additionally, for Store Managers there is a seasonal “Leading Effectively” one- day
workshop and week-long “Retail Manager Academy” which outlines the basic fundamentals of a
store manager.
Organizational Performance Status
The organizational performance problem at the root of this study was employee retention
and motivation. According to self-reported data by the organization, 32% of retail employees
have left from (July 2015-July 2016) which is a substantial increase in attrition compared to the
national average of 7% reported by the Bureau of Nation Affairs in 2014. During August of
GAP ANALYSIS 13

2016 Beauty, Inc. saw a drastic uptick in attrition rates peaking at 42% of employees that month
compared to 24% in March of 2016. The primary reasons according to exit surveys conducted
by the human resources for employees leaving were: recognition, work-life balance, lack of
career opportunities and the relationship the associate has with their manager. The continued
increase in employee attrition can largely impede the organization from achieving its goals. In
order to remain competitive in the marketplace and be the world’s leading cosmetic brand, the
organization must have a sustainable, engaged workforce.
Related Literature
There were many studies which discussed employee motivation and its effect on retention
and workforce development. Scholars noted that employee retention is more so an economics
issue rather than behavioral as employees represent skills, knowledge and experience which are
all necessary for an organization to achieve its goals and be productive/profitable; employees
represent human capital for organizations (Snell and Dean, 1992).
Often, internal processes and culture can play a large role in the cause and effect of
employee retention. Bolman and Deal (2003) highlight many different ways in which an
organization operates to achieve a workplace climate that can encourage different types of
behaviors and functions from employees which encourage them to remain a part of the
organization. In 1990, social scientist William Kahn conducted a study that generated the theory
that employees use elements of their physical, emotional and cognitive selves to adapt to the
what is needed to produce high levels of competence and execution at work based on
availability, meaningfulness, and safety needs that were a part of the workplace culture; much of
which stems from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (1943).
Besides culture, many factors contribute to high levels of retention and at the core of
these factors is motivation. Stajkovic & Luthans (1998) explains motivation as the process that
GAP ANALYSIS 14

energizes, directs, and sustains behavior and performance. Under the umbrella of motivation are
key factors or needs that contribute to the psychological and physiological state of being for an
employee to conscious or subconsciously make a decision whether or not they will perform the
level at which is needed in order to keep the organization productive (Stajkovic and Luthans,
1998). These needs are goals, equity, self-efficacy and expectancy-value (Ramlall, 2004).
Maslow (1943) explains human motivation as based on a set of five needs including
physiological, safety, love, esteem and self-actualization. He goes on to explore the theory that
in order for humans to achieve their highest potential, these needs must be met, with
physiological being the largest and most basic need.
In addition to the understanding of the human behaviors that contribute to high levels of
motivation, Buckingham and Coffman (1999) also discuss the role of the supervisor and its
connection to employee motivation and retention. Feedback, recognition and goal setting are
common themes in scholarly literature when discussing the key behaviors, a supervisor must
exude in order to improve the overall engagement and performance of an employee.
Importance of the Problem
It is important for organizations to address the issues surrounding employee retention and
motivation because failure to do so can result in a disengaged workforce which ultimately
prevents organizations from achieving high levels of productivity (Taormina, 2009). Human
capital is as important to an organization as profit itself as these employees bring knowledge and
skill to the company which ultimately reflect in the overall productivity (Snell and Dean, 1992).
Organizations produce more when their employees are aligned with the vision of the company
and feel a connectedness which motivates them to achieve more for those they work for (Kahn,
1990). An employee’s time with the company as well as knowledge and skills as related to the
GAP ANALYSIS 15

job greatly influence upward mobility and commitment to the organization (Hulin & Smith
1967).
Pinder (1984) highlights the importance of recognition and its role in the qualitative
perception of equity by employees. Pinder notes that when employees do not feel that they are
receiving a return on their investment to an organization, this begins the process of separation.
With this, it is important for organizations to assess the culture and climate of employee equity
as human capital plays a large role in organizational productivity. Improvement of internal
processes and practices that address the mobilization and motivation is parallel with productivity.
Whereas in previous years/generations, employee retention was not an issue facing
organizations, it has progressed to becoming one of the key factors behind organizations not
achieving goals; the inability to equip a highly engaged, well-trained workforce (Hausknecht,
Rodda, and Howard, 2009).
Organizational Performance Goal
Beauty, Inc.’s goal was that by fiscal year 2020, eighty-percent of employees will be
retained, reducing the current attrition rate from 32% to 20%. Failure to improve these areas can
result in a loss of company profits and market share due to inadequate, underperforming staffing.
Although the current retention rate for the organization sits above the United States average at
68% attrition rate amongst retail employees, the organization’s attrition rates have steadily
grown, most recently growing as high as an 11% swing from October 2015-November 2016.
This goal was established from the perspective of the organization’s desire to mitigate employee
attrition rates and to increase at the same level of the current decrease. Human Resources in
partnership with the Managers of Retail Operations will be responsible for measuring the
progress of the organization to achieve its goal.
GAP ANALYSIS 16

Stakeholders and Stakeholders’ Performance Goals
There were a variety of stakeholders involved in this study. Beauty Inc. MRO’s are
individuals supporting to achieve the performance goal as they oversee the managers of the retail
locations where the organization is experiencing the most drastic employee attrition and
disengagement. Beauty Inc Human Resource Managers approve field programming efforts to
train and develop staff. These leaders will be responsible for measuring the assumed outcomes
of innovative programming efforts for staff development.
Beauty Inc. Store Managers are responsible for the most vulnerable community that are
currently leaving the organization; the retail employees. These leaders will be responsible for
implementing strategies in their leadership of each location. Beauty Inc. retail staff are currently
leaving the organization at increasing rates. These individuals include store associates, cashiers,
stock support and store management. For the purpose of this study, the stakeholder group of
focus was the Beauty Inc. MROs

GAP ANALYSIS 17

Stakeholder Groups’ Performance Goals

Organizational Mission:
To be the world’s leading makeup authority serving both professional makeup artists and
consumers while supporting the credo all ages, all races, all sexes. In order to achieve this the
organization must have an engaged, well trained workforce.

Organizational Performance Goal
Successful implementation of strategies to achieve 80% of retail employee retention (20% attrition) byy
fiscal year 2020.

MRO Goal HRBP Goal Store Manager Goal Retail Staff Goal
By 2019, 100% of
MROs will implement
100% of training
strategies known to
increase retention 100%
of the time.
By 2019, HRBP will
survey retail staff about
satisfaction

By 2019, Store
Managers will
implement strategies
aligned with successful
employee retention as
coached by MRO’s.

By 2019, the SW retail
employees will be retained
by an 12% improvement at
80%.

Figure 1 Stakeholder Performance Goals

.

GAP ANALYSIS 18

Stakeholder for the Study and Stakeholder Performance Gap
The stakeholder of focus for this study was the Managers of Retail Operations. These
professionals are the front-line leaders of each retail territory and are responsible for the training
and development of the Store Managers that they supervise. The stakeholder goal of 100% of
MRO’s implementing 100% of strategies known to increase retention 100% of the time was
identified as a means to addressing the organizational goal of 80% employee retention in the
fiscal 2020 year. The MRO’s oversee and develop the Store Managers who are leading the retail
employees who are currently leaving the organization; the more Store Managers can lead their
teams with effective strategies for retention, the closer the organization will be in achieving its
goal. Each MRO will be responsible for tracking employee attrition in their individual
territories. The organization is currently retaining 68% of retail employees. The goal is to
achieve 80% of retail employee retention by fiscal year 2019. The current performance gap is
(12%) below the standard.
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of this project was to conduct a gap analysis in the areas of knowledge and
skill, motivation, and organizational resources necessary to reach the organizational performance
goal—achieving 80% employee retention. The analysis began by generating a list of possible
needs from the research literature about the implementation of successful training programs that
focus on increasing the level of employee motivation. The study then moved to examine and
compare these systematically against the assets available in the organization to focus on actual or
validated gaps and make recommendations for the implementation plan. While a complete
needs’ analysis would focus on all stakeholders, for practical purposes the stakeholder focused
on in this analysis was the Manager of Retail Operations.
GAP ANALYSIS 19

The study questions this project sought to answer were:
1. What are the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences that
interfere with the MRO’s implementing 100% of strategies known to
increase retention?
2. What are the recommended knowledge, motivation, and organizational
solutions to MRO’s implementing 100% of strategies known to
increase retention 100% of the time?
Methodological Framework
Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis, a systematic, analytical method that helps to clarify
organizational performance goals and identify the gap between the actual performance level and
the preferred performance level within an organization, was adapted for this needs’ analysis as
the conceptual framework. The methodological framework used for this study was a case study
approach where qualitative and quantitative data were derived based on interviews, document
analysis and surveys as relative to the study. Assumed knowledge, motivation and organizational
needs were generated based on personal knowledge and related literature. A literature review and
content analysis supported the assumed needs by analyzing previous research and case studies as
it pertains to employee retention and engagement. Research-based solutions were recommended
and evaluated in a comprehensive manner.
Definitions
Employee Engagement: a measurement of satisfaction; when employees feel passionate about
the work they do for the organization, are retained and put discretionary effort into their work
(Schuck, 2013).
GAP ANALYSIS 20

Employee Disengagement: the extent to which an employee chooses to not put forth effort to
achieve beyond the basic expectations of their job; these employees do not choose to be
connected to the larger organizational goals (Schuck, 2013).
Employee Retention: the choice of an employee to remain with an organization based on high
levels of satisfaction (Schuck, 2013).
Manager of Retail Operations: an executive supervisor of oversees the sales productivity,
staffing and performance of an assigned store set within a designated geographical territory.
Organization of the Study
Five chapters are used to organize this dissertation. This chapter provided the reader with
the key concepts and terminology commonly found in a discussion about employee motivation
and retention. The organization’s mission, goals and stakeholders as well as the initial concepts
of gap analysis adapted to needs analysis were introduced. Chapter Two provides a review of
current literature surrounding the scope of the study. Topics concerning engagement, workplace
learning and motivation, the role of the supervisor and adult learning are discussed. Chapter
Three details the assumed needs for this study as well as methodology when it comes to the
choice of participants, data collection and analysis. Chapter Four presents the findings of the
research and delineates which assumed causes were validated or unable to validate. Chapter
Five discusses recommendations for address the gaps as well as suggestions for future research.
GAP ANALYSIS 21

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
This literature review focused on the knowledge, motivation and organizational gaps at
Beauty, Inc. The examination of these gaps lead to recommendations for Managers of Retail
Operations to improve the overall retention rate amongst the retail staff. The organization’s goal
was to achieve 80% retention amongst retail staff by fiscal 2020.
The review begins with a discussion of the general background of the factors related to
employee retention including knowledge, motivation and organizational cultural influences.
Next, the review will discuss the specific forms of knowledge related to a manager’s ability to
effectively improve retention amongst staff. After this, the review explores theories of
motivation and the motivational behaviors that influence a manager’s ability to improve
retention. Lastly after discussing knowledge and motivation influences, the review explores the
larger organizational context and the cultural factors at Beauty Inc., that the organization will
need to improve in order to positively influence retention amongst staff. At the conclusion of
this chapter a summary of the knowledge, motivation and cultural influences is provided as well
as an introduction as to the methodology that will help to measure these influences of study at
the organization.
Employee Retention
Employee retention has been a social science topic of study for many years resulting in
many different theories based on workplace culture, the role of the supervisor and employee
satisfaction (Saks, 2006). At the core of many scholarly works which seek to understand the
factors contributing to why employees excel and stay at their jobs is motivation; how engaged
and connected the employee is to the organization and a willingness to provide the work
necessary for the organization to achieve its goals (Kahn, 1990). According to the Bureau of
National Affairs, prior to the economic recession from 2009-2011, job abandonment and
GAP ANALYSIS 22

absenteeism peaked at 1.2% of employed workers per month in 2004. With these increasing
rates, there has become and increasing need to understand employee behavior at work. Kahn
(1990) notes that workplace engagement is characterized by two polar extremes of levels of
engagement; personal engagement and disengagement. An engaged employee will contribute to
the behaviors that an organization has identified as an expectation to improve its overall
performance and productivity. Contrarily, a disengaged employee does not contribute to the
growth of an organization as these employees are focused on maintaining job security rather than
exhibiting passion to produce work (Shuck, 2013).
Stakeholder Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Factors
The Clark and Estes’ (2008) framework of problem solving gives a blueprint for
organizational leaders to address problems of practice within the context of their organization’s
mission and goals. The framework is delved from a gap analysis of the KMO (knowledge,
motivation and organizational) influences that are enabling or preventing the organization from
achieving its goals. As a leader, it is important to analyze where the organization is against
where it needs to be to achieve its goals.
At Beauty Inc., it is important to understand the KMO influences that will help the
organization achieve its goal of 80% of retail employees retained by fiscal 2020. To make
recommendations that will help Managers of Retail Operations best implement strategies to
improve the retention rates, it was important to understand the factors related to why employees
leave their jobs, including recognition, feedback and performance review/evaluation. In terms of
motivation, it was important for MROs to believe that they are capable of coaching Store
Managers to behaviors that improve retention. Additionally, it was important that MROs believe
that their efforts made to coach Store Managers about behaviors related to retaining employees
will ultimately lead to improved retention rates for the organization. Lastly an analysis of the
GAP ANALYSIS 23

organization and the availability of resources to help managers improve retention amongst their
staff will help the organization to frame how to best address the problem of practice within the
context of the culture.
Knowledge and Skills
The scholarly works discussed in this chapter help to identify the knowledge needs for
MROs to develop a manager’s ability to positively influence high levels of employee retention.
Anderson & Krathwohl’s (2002) knowledge types provide a revision to Bloom’s 1956 taxonomy
of learning which notes the varying types of knowledge that a learner processes; declarative,
conceptual, procedural and metacognitive. The review begins with discussing declarative or
factual knowledge that manager’s need in order to improve retention. This review of factual
knowledge is then followed up with by exploring the procedural (process) knowledge needs that
influence improved employee retention including providing feedback and how to recognize and
show appreciation to their employees. Lastly the literature review explores the reflective
metacognitive knowledge needs including summative self-evaluation processes and performance
reviews.
Knowledge Influences
This section of the literature review explores the knowledge influences impacting a
manager’s ability to successfully achieve the organizational goals of improved retail employee
retention. Educational scientist Benjamin Bloom (1956) designed an instructional framework
titled his “taxonomy” which outlines the intended learning outcomes for students as a result of
instruction. Bloom noted that there are six levels of reasoning that the learner processes, each
one building from the other. In order to achieve a full spectrum of understanding, the learner
must progress from the beginning knowledge stage, to comprehension, application, analysis,
synthesis and evaluation. Krathwohl (2002) further explores these fundamentals and learning
GAP ANALYSIS 24

outcomes and discusses a revision to Bloom’s taxonomy which focuses on the types of
knowledge a learner has as a result of instruction. These four knowledge types are: declarative
knowledge (the basic elements of the subject matter a student must be familiar with) conceptual
knowledge (the interrelationships of the subject matter), procedural knowledge (the “how to”
about the subject matter) and metacognition (the knowledge of the learner’s own cognition).
This review explores declarative, procedural and metacognitive knowledge that will help to
achieve 80% retention amongst retail staff by fiscal 2020.
Factual Knowledge Influences. In a qualitative study, Griffin and Patterson (2001)
explore the role of the supervisor in creating an environment at work that supports teamwork and
engagement, making it paramount that managers at Beauty Inc., understand the goal for
employee retention. In a qualitative study, London & Higgot (1997) notes that one of the largest
areas of deficiency in their manager’s performance is the lack of recognition for managers who
develop their employees, making the experience at work less of a priority as compared to the
results of the employee’s performance.
MROs need to know the goal for employee retention and their role in improving
retention amongst staff. Supervisors can have a “make or break” influence on workplace
dynamics and in order to create an environment that fosters the most meaningful experiences,
supervisor’s must dismiss conventional wisdom and create prescribed ways that employees can
succeed. Buckingham and Coffman (1999) note that these employee experiences are built
through making personal relationships with employees. Authors note that upon building
relationship with their employees, it is important for supervisors to be responsible for creating
benchmarks for employee performance to give the employee a constant aspiration of something
to achieve in order to continue their personal growth.

GAP ANALYSIS 25

Procedural knowledge influences. In addition to understanding what makes for a
meaningful work experience, managers must understand how to put this knowledge into practice.
Per exit surveys conducted by the Human Resources department at Beauty, Inc., the primary
reasons that employees leave the organization are recognition, work-life balance, lack of career
opportunities and the relationship the associate has with their manager. These reasons for
leaving help to frame the procedural knowledge needs in order for Store Manager’s to improve
retention amongst retail staff.
MROs need to know how to effectively recognize good employee performance.
Recognition of employees is one of the top motivators for employees to excel and remain at their
jobs (Kovach, 1995, Wiley, 1997). Brun & Biron (2003) note that a lack of recognition at work
attributes to increased levels of psychological distress at work. Knowing this, it is important for
managers to understand effective recognition strategies to incorporate into their leadership
efforts. In a mixed methods study conducted by Bradler, Dur, Neckerman & Non (2016)
employees showed higher levels of performance when receiving tangible recognition. Gifts can
be an effective strategy to recognize employees as this behavior often elicits a reciprocation of
the act by the employee to the employer through resilience and increased work performance.
According to Blau (1964, p. 26), the reason that gifts are effective is because workers “are
interested in maintaining a balance between inputs and outputs and staying out of debt in their
social transactions”. Bradler et. al note “when all employees in a work group receive a thank-
you card, subsequent performance increases by about 5.2% (or 0.27 standard deviations) as
compared to the untreated control. When public recognition is more exclusive, such that the best
three out of eight employees in a work group receive a thank-you card, the estimated effect is
even bigger and amounts to a 7.3% (or 0.38 standard deviations) performance increase.” The
scarcity of tangible strategies for recognition such as a letter increases the perceived value of the
GAP ANALYSIS 26

gift and increases the employees’ efforts to receive recognition. Mone and London (2010)
support this idea of scarcity by highlighting in a qualitative study that sincerity is one of the most
appreciated aspects of recognition from employees to their managers.
In addition to affirmation strategies for recognition such as gifts and public praise,
opportunities for professional growth have also been noted as having a positive correlation
between employee motivation and retention. Herzberg (1968) and Deci (1976) note increased
responsibility, workplace learning and skill development, worker autonomy and feedback as
significant behaviors for managers to increase levels of employee engagement and motivation.
While tangible forms of recognition such as cards, gifts etc. have been supported as effective
strategies for recognition, some researchers argue that these forms of “extrinsic motivation” are
inferior to methods of recognition that increase intrinsic motivation such as increased
responsibility and learning (Herzberg, 1968; McGregor, 1960; Porter and Lawler, 1968). Brun
and Dugas (2003) note that forms of recognition such as feedback and increased responsibility
have been connected to increases of self-efficacy and personal competency at work.
Meyer & Hersovitch (2001) and Richer, Blancher & Vallerand (2002) all connect
recognition to improved turnover. Regardless of the form recognition takes, Mone and London
(2010) note specific behaviors that help recognition effectiveness for supervisors. Authors note
that supervisors should provide a variety of forms of recognition that support both intrinsic and
extrinsic motivation, provide moments of recognition in a spontaneous matter, and ensure that
the recognition is specific and timely to the task that has been completed.
MROs need to understand how to provide on-going feedback to employees. Hibbert
(2013) notes “providing constructive feedback is an important component to the development of
any team, and a workplace where staff are comfortable with giving and receiving feedback will
help build employee morale and enhance skills.” Buckingham and Coffman (1999) note that
GAP ANALYSIS 27

great managers are able to provide on-going feedback. Their findings in a 1999 Gallup poll
showed consistent feedback behaviors amongst those identified as great managers. The first is
that feedback is constant; while frequency may vary based on the needs of the individual
employee, the process of feedback is a consistent part of the supervisor to employee relationship.
The second aspect of quality feedback is that each time a supervisor provides feedback to the
employee, it begins with a recap of the previous performance as a guide to build upon new goals.
Important to this is that the recap is not an evaluation, but rather an opportunity for the employee
to highlight meaningful moments and the partnership of the manager and employee to achieving
goals. Third, great managers made a point to provide feedback to employees in private.
According to the authors “the purpose of feedback is to help each individual to understand and
build upon his natural strengths. You cannot do this in a group setting.”
As with any conversation, communication styles are an important part of delivering
quality feedback. Whether positive or constructive, maintaining appropriate verbal and non-
verbal communication behaviors is important to the respect and integrity of the employee
(Hibbert, 2013). In a qualitative study, London (1997) found that employees cite that often times
managers need training about how to give negative feedback and make it constructive. Active
listening has been identified as an effective strategy in providing feedback to employees (Rogers
& Farson, 1979). In order to actively listen, the supervisor must listen to the employees’ point of
view behind the events or behaviors surrounding the feedback conversation, acknowledge and
affirm their feelings, respond to feelings and note cues. An example of this would be “Jenny
[supervisor] so what I hear you saying is that you are frustrated because the goals are
unattainable. I appreciate the frustration you are feeling behind this as I can tell based on your
body language.” Actively listening when providing feedback creates changes in people’s
attitudes about themselves and others and influences their personal values and outlook about
GAP ANALYSIS 28

work (Rogers & Farson, 1979, p.1).
MROs need to know how to hold store managers accountable for increasing employee
retention. According to Chenoweth (2010) effective leaders inspect what they expect. It is
important for MROs to have an effective process of accountability to the Store Managers to
ensure that the strategies known to improve retention are instituted in the daily leadership of the
store. This agency-theory-based accountability relationship ensures that the provider (Store
Managers) are executing tasks and services as outlined by the director (MROs) to ensure that
Store Managers are effectively implementing recognition and feedback processes in the store.
Joannides (2011) describes this type of accountability relationship as necessary to ensure that
there is transparency in the happenings of an organization to stakeholders. Furthermore, a
process of accountability will help to guide the progress of developing the skills taught by MROs
to Store Managers.
Metacognitive knowledge influences. According to Flavell (1979, p.906)
“metacognitive knowledge is one's stored knowledge or beliefs about oneself and others as
cognitive agents, about tasks, about actions or strategies, and about how all these interact to
affect the outcomes of any sort of intellectual enterprise.” Metacognitive practices allow for the
learner to process how well the skills and fundamentals that they have practiced are working,
thus making this knowledge influence parallel to the incorporation of declarative and procedural
knowledge. Reflective cognition allows for the learner to make conscious assessment of learning
events and evaluate their effectiveness (Veenman, Van Hout-Wolters, & Afflerbach 2006).
MROs need to reflect on how Store Managers are impacting retention during the
annual review process. Krathwohl (2002) notes that the process of metacognition involves a
reflection of one’s own ability and this is tightly connected to reflection and mindfulness.
Mezirow (1990) notes that to connect meaning to learning, one must reflect on their
GAP ANALYSIS 29

interpretation of events. This process of reflection allows for the most optimal cognition and
self-efficacy. Additionally, the process offers various forms of assessment to measure the
learning outcomes for each knowledge influence (Mezirow, 1990).
Motivation Influences
Knowledge influences are closely connected to motivation. This section of the literature
review focuses on theories of motivation and its relationship and application to the stakeholder
achieving the goal. According to Mayer (2011) motivation is “an internal state that initiates and
maintains goal directed behavior.” Mayer goes on to further explain that motivation contains
four components that describe different behaviors related to motivation. These components
include personal, activating, energizing and directed behaviors related to one who is
demonstrating motivation. In addition to these four components, Schunk, Pintrick & Meece
(2009) discuss active choice, persistence, and mental effort as indicators that contribute to the
measurements of motivation. It is important for the Store Managers at Beauty Inc. to make the
effort to provide clear and concise feedback in order to improve staff retention.
In addition to exploring the operational definition of motivation and its relationship to
achieving the stakeholder goal, this literature review will also highlight theories of motivation of
how components of these empower the stakeholder to put into practice the knowledge influences
needed to successfully facilitate workshops about the dangers of bullying. Expectancy value
motivation theory specifically relates to the personal component of Mayer’s definition of
motivation as it focuses on “linking achievement-related choices to two sets of beliefs: the
individual's expectations for success and the importance or value the individual attaches to the
various options perceived by the individual as available (Eccles, 2009).” Lastly, with expectancy
value theory comes the theory of self-efficacy. Pajares (2009) notes that self-efficacy is the
belief or judgement that an individual hold about their own abilities to learn or perform a task.
GAP ANALYSIS 30

Self-efficacy theory, like expectancy value theory are closely connected to the personal
component of Mayer’s definition of motivation and provide a framework for the motivation
influence the stakeholder will need to complete goals.
Expectancy Value Theory: Wigfield & Eccles (1992) argue that a learner’s choice,
persistence, and performance can be attributed to their beliefs about how well they expect to do
on the activity and how much value they put on completing the activity. Expectancy value
theory explores four constructs which attribute to an increase in a person’s motivation or belief
behind their ability to learn or complete a task. These four components include intrinsic interest,
utility value, attainment value and cost (Eccles, 2009). Intrinsic interest is the level at which an
individual enjoys or expects to enjoy while performing a task whereas utility value speaks to
how well a task fits into an individual’s goals. Attainment value speaks to the connection
between a task and an individual’s identity or beliefs and cost measures what may be
compromised as a result of completing a task. An individual processes these expectancy value
concepts while considering whether they are capable of completing the task and if they want to
complete the task.
MROs should expect that their work in coaching Store Managers will improve
retention. McGregor (1966) describes the importance of the employee’s sense of motivation,
and, relatedly, the ability of the manager to organize and direct employee effort through
motivation. McGregor goes on to highlight that leadership of humans through force [as opposed
to motivation] satisfies only low-level human needs and does not ultimately improve
productivity. Taormina (2009) notes that more effective motivational strategies focus on the
employee’s sense of achievement, affiliation, autonomy, and power. Recently a 2015 study
shows that about 33% of new hires quit their jobs after the first 6 months (Hogan, 2015). MROs
can expect that structured training specifically to the factors that encourage high levels of
GAP ANALYSIS 31

employee satisfaction will also lead to higher levels of retention and productivity for the
organization and less costs for training new employees.
MROs need to prioritize training Store Managers about strategies known to improve
retention. A 2014 Towers-Perrin Workforce Study found that four in ten employees are highly
engaged, putting forth mental effort and passion into their jobs because of the relationship they
have to the organization. The more intrinsic motivation, recognition of employees, and on-going
feedback are implemented into the behaviors of Store Managers, MROs can expect that retail
stores will retain more staff as these behaviors contribute to high levels of employee engagement
(Dent & Holton, 2009).
Self-Efficacy Theory: Pajares (2009) highlights Bandura’s social cognitive theory and
particularly self-efficacy. Pajares notes that self-efficacy is the perception that an individual has
about their own capabilities. Bandura’s social cognitive theory, points out that self-efficacy
beliefs are the foundation for human motivation and accomplishment and have a direct
relationship to outcome expectations. Additionally, self-efficacy has an influence on cognition
and how someone expects to perform on a task. Shell, Murphy, and Bruning (1989) measured
self-efficacy through qualitative research of individual’s perceptions about their own capability
off reading and writing comprehension and the relationship these skills had to outcome
expectations such as gainful employment. Research reported that self-efficacy was a primary
indicator of the achievement of these skills. Self-efficacy is closely connected to expectancy
value as it often determines attainment value. According to Pajares “Individuals form their self-
efficacy beliefs by interpreting information primarily from four sources: mastery experience,
vicarious experience, social persuasions, and physiological reactions. For most people, the most
influential source is the interpreted result of one's own performance, or mastery experience.”

GAP ANALYSIS 32

MROs need to believe that they are capable of coaching and developing the Store
Managers to positively influence retention. As self-efficacy has a direct relationship to
expectancy value, it is important for MRO’s to have a high level of self-efficacy in their ability
to coach the Store Manager’s about retention strategies. Phillips & Gully (1997) note that there
is a positive correlation between ability, learning goal orientation and self-efficacy. Skinner and
Belmont (1993) discuss that a teacher’s ability to motivate and inspire students has a direct
impact on their learning. This theory can also be applied to the idea that the MRO as the teacher
and Store Manager as the student can produce the same results. Achieving high levels of self-
efficacy is a metacognitive process that can be attained through reflection about one’s ability and
making the mental effort and active choice to achieve high levels of performance.
Organizational Culture
To fully understand the gap analysis of organizational performance barriers and its
relationship to meeting the global goal, it is inherently necessary to analyze the culture of the
organization and the internal influences that are contributing to why the problem of practice
exists and what for-profit organizations can do as an to better support meeting the fundamentals
of their global goal. Schein (1990) defines organizational culture as a pattern of basic
assumptions about the organization that members use as a guide of behavior and decision
making. Clark and Estes (2008) note that internal processes and organizational culture are
necessary to understand in the gap analysis in addition to knowledge and motivation influences.
Often time functions or normative behaviors within an organizational will play a large role in the
innovation or progression of addressing problems of practice. It is important to understand
internal processes such as a lack of recognition and feedback to best understand how the cultural
influences are contributing to the overall problem of practice.

GAP ANALYSIS 33

Need for Organizational Resources. A skilled and competent workforce is essential for
organizations to achieving performance goals. Company profits, employee retention and
engagement are indicators of a skilled and competent workforce as employees are committed to
enhancing their skills and therefore improving the services that they provide to consumers of the
goods/services that the organization provides (Snell and Dean, 1992). To do this, organizations
must allocate resources such as labor, funding, and time to make retention a core focus as the
organization continues to strive to address the problem of practice.
The organization provide sufficient resources for professional development. According
to Rothwell (2010) training on retention strategies such as feedback helps stabilize the tenure of
personnel by outlining and coaching to the necessary skills of the growing marketplace. For
organizations to reach their outlined goals, it is important that they focus on the daily continued
development of the workforce skill to be competitive and sustainable. Additionally, Rothwell
(2010) notes that retention starts with the focus of people managers providing both positive and
constructive feedback daily in order to meet the needs of the organization. Qualitative research
shows that organizations who make feedback and professional development a part of the
employee work culture experience greater employee satisfaction and return on investment
(Groves, 2007).
Crumpacker and Crumpacker (2007) note that retention can cultivate the culture of an
organization. If organizations want to create a culture where employees are engaged, persist and
grow as the company expands, leaders must focus on the development of the workforce. As
retention is an essential process to sustainability, organizational leaders at Beauty Inc. must
know how to retain employees, thus the need for resource allocation (time, funding, staffing) is
essential to address the disengaged workplace culture and increasing attrition of employee
problem of practice. As skills are developed with employees, it becomes increasingly important
GAP ANALYSIS 34

for organizations to acknowledge positive work behaviors through forms of recognition.
Recognition and Incentives. According to Merino and Privado (2015)” employee
recognition is one of the typical characteristics of a healthy organization.” Based on qualitative
research, these scholars highlight that there is a correlation between organizational recognition
practices and employee productivity. A sample of 1831 workers was used and through interviews
focused on employee recognition, quality of life at work and its correlation to positive
psychological functioning. The results of this study showed that employee psychological
functioning improved as they were positively recognized by peers and supervisors. recognition
and well-being. This study shows the importance of creating workplaces cultures where
recognition is a way of life every day for employees to improve the experience at work and
ultimately resulting in improved employee performance.
The organization needs to have proper processes in place to effectively recognize
employees for positive behaviors at work. Barcalow (2016) notes that based on data collection
and observation of employee behaviors, organizations with “extraordinary levels of engagement,
one factor shines through: total visibility of company values, from the executive offices all the
way down to the front lines.” This illustrates the importance of established workplace culture
and the visibility of morals and norms displayed by organizational leaders. The scholars note
that “a strong culture with clear values sets the stage for recognition. That’s because employees
throughout the organization understand what guides their behavior on a daily basis.” Employees
are motivated to perform at a higher level when their skills are developed and they are
recognized for executing the behaviors or desired tasks by peers and supervisors alike. It is also
important for organizations to recognize employees in a variety of ways whether it be through
increased responsibilities, words of affirmation or a tangible gift. Per Long and Shields (2010),
employees most often appreciate non-cash methods of recognition from supervisors to affirm
GAP ANALYSIS 35

their performance. Data collected from 394 firms across multiple countries revealed that the
most sought-after form of recognition from employees was affirmation of their work
performance from supervisors. As organizations continue to make recognition a part of the
workplace culture, it is important to couple the recognition with forums for employee feedback
and dialogue in order to keep the workforce engaged with the organization.
Organizational Structure and Employee Feedback. Organizational structure plays a
large role in an employee’s perception of culture and the way the organization works. According
to Bolman and Deal (1997) organizational behavior and culture can be based on various
perspectives including politics, hierarchy, human resources, and culture/symbols. Although
often time the organizational behavior is a matter of perception by the employee, how the
organization aligns its’ mission with practices and behaviors can play a large role in the
perceived organizational values and thus influencing employee engagement. In the case when
organizations function from Bolman and Deal’s “structural frame,” authority and decision
making is based on rank and communication is disseminated in a top-down structure.
The organization needs to establish clear communication channels for employees.
Research suggests that there is a positive correlation between supervisors who do not use
authority to manage employees and a culture that is established where employees feel
comfortable providing feedback to their superiors. Quian and Li (2015) note in a longitudinal,
qualitative study using a sample of 205 subordinates, a link between supervisors’ mentoring and
employees’ feedback seeking. Results from the study showed that supervisory mentoring was
positively related to feedback seeking from supervisors. Additionally, the notion that feedback
was not based on structure encouraged subordinates to seek out as well as provide feedback to
their managers on a regular basis.
As Clark and Estes note, organizational culture is a reflection of internal structure and
GAP ANALYSIS 36

processes. It is important that the organizations actions reflect the desired culture as this is closely
connected to assumed outcomes and results. It is important to consider the supervisor to
subordinate dynamic, and the practices that the organization has in place to develop and enhance
the skills of employees as these factors contribute to greater employee retention and productivity.
Conclusion
Table 1 illustrates a connection between the existing research and each knowledge,
motivation and organizational culture influence that affects the MRO’s ability to effectively
achieve the stakeholder goal. Chapter Three will discuss from a mixed methods perspective how
each construct will be validated through research.
Table 1
Summary of Influences on Managers of Retail Operations (MROs)
Assumed Needs of Successful MROs General Literature
Knowledge

Declarative
1. Managers need to know
the goal for employee
retention and their role
in improving retention
amongst staff

Buckingham & Coffman (1999);
Griffin & Patterson (2001);
London (1997)

Procedural

1. Managers need to know
how to effectively
recognize good
employee performance.
2. Managers need to
understand how to
provide on-going
feedback to employees.
3. MROs need to make
employee retention a

Nelson (2005); Kovach (1995);
Wiley (1997); Brun & Biron
(2003); Blau (1964); Bradler,
Dur, Neckerman & Non (2016);
Mone & London (2010);
Herzberg (1968); Deci (1975);
McGregor (1960); Porter &
Lawler (1968); Meyer &
Hersovitch (2001); Richer,
GAP ANALYSIS 37

part of rating the Store
Manager’s individual
performance

Blancher & Vallerand (2002)
Metacognitive 1. MROs need to reflect on
data from HR
highlighting retention in
their territories.

Mezirow (1990).

Beer, M. (1966)
Motivation
1. MROs should expect
that their work in
coaching Store
Manager’s will improve
retention.
2. MRO’s need to believe
that they are capable of
coaching and developing
the Store Managers to
positively influence
retention.
3. MRO’s need to prioritize
training Sore Managers
about retention.

McGregor (1966); Taormina
(2009); Hogan (2015).

Hausknecht, Rodda, & Howard
(2009). Belmont & Skinner
(1993).

Shuck, B., & Rose, K. (2013).
Organizational
1. Beauty, Inc. needs to
allocate resources for
training to MRO’s.
2. Beauty Inc. needs to
have proper processes in
place to effectively
recognize employees for
positive behaviors at
work.
3. Beauty Inc. needs to re-
structure its
communication channels
for employees.

Rothwell (2010); Groves (2007);
Crumpacker & Crumpacker
(2007);

Barcalow (2016); Long & Shields
(2010)

Quian and Li (2015)

GAP ANALYSIS 38

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of this study was to conduct a gap analysis in the areas of knowledge,
motivation, and organizational resources necessary to reach the stakeholder performance goal—
implementing the new training effort amongst 100% of stakeholders, 100% of the time. The
analysis began by generating a list of possible needs from the research literature about strategies
known to increase employee retention increasing and will then, in later chapters, compare these
systematically against the assets available in the organization to identify gaps and make
recommendations for the implementation plan. While a complete needs’ analysis would focus on
all stakeholders, for practical purposes the stakeholder focused on in this analysis was the
Manager of Retail Operations. The research questions guiding this study were:
1. What are the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences that
interfere with the MRO’s implementing 100% of strategies known to
increase retention?
2. What are the recommended knowledge, motivation, and organizational
solutions to MRO’s implementing 100% of strategies known to
increase retention 100% of the time?
Conceptual and Methodological Framework
Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis, a systematic, analytical method that helps to clarify
organizational performance goals and identify the gaps between the actual performance level and
the preferred performance level within an organization, was adapted for this needs’ analysis as
the conceptual framework. The methodological framework used for this study was a case study
approach where qualitative and quantitative data were derived based on interviews, surveys and
GAP ANALYSIS 39

document analysis. Assumed knowledge, motivation and organizational needs were generated
based on personal knowledge and related literature and reported in Chapter Two. A literature
review and content analysis supported the assumed needs by analyzing previous research and
case studies as it pertains to employee retention. Research-based solutions were recommended
and evaluated in a comprehensive manner.
According to Maxwell (2013), the conceptual (theoretical) framework is the underlying
scaffolding surrounding a study based on theory and ideation and concepts (Maxwell, 2013). In
other words, it is the researcher’s viewpoint about a phenomenon within a particular context.
The conceptual framework provides an outline and the perspective in which the researcher is
developing his/her theory about the phenomena. According to Merriam and Tisdell (2016), after
the framework is derived based on considering concepts, ideas and theory, it will guide research
questions, data collection, analysis and how to interpret the findings.
Figure 2, below, illustrates the conceptual framework for the study of employee retention
at Beauty, Inc. Each of the potential influencers are presented independent of each other,
however, they are not mutually exclusive in how they interact and affect the overall stakeholder
goal. In order to achieve the overall stakeholder goal of by 2019, that 100% of MROs will
implement 100% of training strategies known to increase retention 100% of the time, the
organization had assumed needs that were influencing the overall cultural setting model that
contribute to the problem of practice. Merino and Privado (2015) note that it is essential for
organizations to provide formal and informal opportunities for employees to express thoughts
and ideas to contribute to the overall function of the organization in order to have a more
productive workforce. Additionally, employees needed to be recognized for their work in order
to remain engaged.
GAP ANALYSIS 40

According to exit survey data published by the organization, one of the primary reasons
employees left the organization was a lack of recognition for their work, so it was assumed that
Store Managers are not regularly providing recognition to their employees. According to Nelson
(2005) recognition of employees is one of the top motivators for employees to excel and remain
at their jobs. In order to improve recognition and employee feedback, there were assumed
declarative and procedural knowledge needs about the manner in which an organization can
create opportunities for employees to provide feedback in both formal and informal settings as
well as provide recognition of work by supervisors. These knowledge influences had a direct
correlation to the value motivation of achieving higher levels of employee productivity for the
stakeholder which contributed to achieving the stakeholder goal for the organization.
Lastly, the organization needed to provide the resources managers need to achieve the
goal, which may include training and implementation of retention strategies. According to
Rothwell (2010), training on retention strategies such as feedback helps stabilize the tenure of
personnel by outlining and coaching to the necessary skills of the growing marketplace.
Motivation influences, including self-efficacy and expectancy-value, contributed to that cultural
model. If MROs believed that their efforts to train Store Managers about behaviors known to
increase retention would be successful, they were more likely to engage in those behaviors, and
changing the cultural model would lead to achieving the stakeholder goal.

GAP ANALYSIS 41

Figure 2 The Employee Retention Conceptual Framework

By 2019, 100% of MROs will
implement 100% of training
strategies known to increase
retention 100% of the time
MRO Knowledge, Skills
and Motivation
Declarative,
Procedural,
Metacognitive
Motivation:
Expectancy-Value,
Self-Efficacy
By fiscal year 2020, eighty-
percent of employees will be
retained, reducing the current
attrition rate from 32% to
20%
Beauty Inc. Cultural Settings and
Models
Resource Allocation,
Organizational Structure

GAP ANALYSIS 42

Assessment of Performance Influences
There were a variety of assumed influences impeding stakeholders from achieving the
goal of 100% of MROs implementing 100% of training strategies known to increase retention
100% of the time, by 2019. The study sought to understand how stakeholders can improve the
current cultural settings and models to improve retention of staff. Knowledge, motivation and
organizational influences were assessed through surveys, interviews with stakeholders and
document analysis as described next.
Knowledge Assessment
The declarative, procedural and metacognitive knowledge influences related to achieving
the stakeholder goal were assessed through interviews with the Managers of Retail Operations.
The literature revealed four possible knowledge influences as displayed in Table V. Two of the
influences represent procedural knowledge and were assessed through interviews. In the
interviews, stakeholders were asked to describe their understanding of how to provide ongoing
feedback to employees as well as strategies for recognition. There was one declarative
knowledge influence which was also assessed through interviews. This influence sought to
understand if the MROs knew the goal for employee retention, so questions were asked to
stakeholders to highlight the organizations current performance with retention and the goal in
improving this. The last knowledge influence was metacognitive which was assessed through
document analysis. Reviewing documents related to the expectations of Store Managers will
seek to understand if Store Managers know they are expected to retain employees.
Motivation Assessment
In addition to knowledge, motivation of the MROs was also assessed. The literature
review noted three possible motivation influences as displayed in Table IV. Two of the
influences represented expectancy-value theory and were assessed through interviews. In the
GAP ANALYSIS 43

interviews, stakeholders were asked questions surrounding their thoughts behind the effects that
coaching Store Managers about retention strategies will have on the overall improvement of
retention amongst staff. Additionally, questions surrounded how MROs prioritize coaching and
developing Store Managers on retention strategies There was one motivation influence
surrounding self-efficacy which was also assessed through interviews. This influence sought to
understand if MROs believed they were capable of coaching Store Managers about strategies
known to improve retention.
Organization/Culture/Context Assessment
Lastly organizational culture influences were also assessed through interviews, surveys
and document analysis. The literature revealed three possible organizational culture influences
as displayed in Table 2. Each influence was assessed through a quantitative survey, interviews
and documents used to describe expectations and outline priorities for managers. Resource
allocation was assessed by reviewing the MRO budget trackers as well as polling the MROs to
understand how much of their budget was spent improving the Store Managers skills. This
helped to understand how/if MROs were allotted or utilized financial resources to training Store
Managers about retention. Joh descriptions were analyzed to understand if the organization had
processes in place to support employee recognition and if this was an expectation of staff. In
tandem with this, the survey also sought to understand how MRO’s prioritize training Store
Manager’s about strategies known to improve retention. Lastly the organizational flow chart and
employee self-assessment were used to understand channels of communication and the ability for
employees to provide feedback.

GAP ANALYSIS 44

Table 2
Assumed Influences Assessment Strategies
Assumed Influence*

How Will It Be Assessed?

Managers need to know the goal
for employee retention and their
role in improving retention
amongst staff

Managers need to know how to
effectively recognize good
employee performance.

Managers need to understand
how to provide on-going
feedback to employees

MROs need to reflect about
employee retention a part of
rating the Store Manager’s
individual performance

Interviews-what do you think is
the amount of staff a Store
Manager should retain each
year? Do you communicate
this this them?

Interviews-how do you train
Store Managers to recognize
their employees?

Interviews-what strategies do
you use to to develop your
Store Managers’ feedback
skills?

Document Analysis-Store
Manager performance review

MRO’s should expect that their
work in coaching Store
Manager’s will improve
retention.

MRO’s need to believe that they
are capable of coaching and
developing the Store Managers
to positively influence retention.

MRO’s need to prioritize
training Sore Managers about
retention.

Interviews-what do you think
will happen if you focus on
retention in your coaching
strategy of Store Managers

Survey: I prioritize discussing
retention with my Store
Managers

Survey: how confident are you
today that any coaching you do
with Store Managers will
improve retention amongst
staff?
Interviews-tell me about what
topics/skills you prioritize
GAP ANALYSIS 45

when coaching your Store
Managers.
Beauty, Inc. needs to allocate
resources for training.

Beauty Inc. needs to have proper
processes in place to effectively
recognize employees for
positive behaviors at work.

Beauty Inc. needs to re-structure
its communication channels for
employees

Document Analysis-MRO
budget tracker

Document Analysis-Store
Manager job description

Survey: How satisfied are you
with the resources available to
you to recognize MROs who
meet employee retention goals?

To what extent has a goal about
employee retention been
communicated to you?

How frequently, if at all, do
you receive helpful feedback
about your performance?

To what extent do you believe
that any feedback you give the
organization to improve will be
seriously considered?

To what extent is the goal of
employee retention discussed
by senior leadership with you
(as a group)?

Interviews-what tools have you
been provided to aid you in
coaching Store Managers to
improve retention

Document Analysis-
organizational flow chart
.
Participating Stakeholders and Sample Selection
For this study, the stakeholder of focus was the MRO population in the Southwest area of
Beauty, Inc. These individuals were the leaders of their respective territories and are responsible
GAP ANALYSIS 46

for the supervision of Store Managers. The Store Managers within the organization have a direct
impact on the retail associate employee experience and are responsible for ensuring that
employees feel fulfilled at work. In order to best address the research questions which were
guiding this study, there was a convenience sampling strategy used to target the desired
population. MROs in the Southwest region of Beauty Inc were the most accessible to the
researcher from the organizations MRO population.
Sampling
The stakeholder of focus for this study were the Southwest Managers of Retail
Operations at Beauty Inc. In order to address the research questions guiding this study, surveys,
interviews and document analysis were conducted. Criteria for participation was the same for
both the surveys and interview and is explained below.
Criterion 1. Employees of Beauty Inc.
Criterion 2. Employees who are MROs.
Criterion 3. MROs based in the Southwest Division of Beauty Inc.
Recruitment
Multiple criteria were used to enhance the validity of the research. According to
Merriam and Tisdell (2016), maximum variation sampling in qualitative research allows for the
findings of the research to be applicable to differing stakeholders and consumers of the data.
Results of the research help to influence the KMO needs of MROs in other United States
territories for the organization. Employees of the organization who were Managers of Retail
Operations in the Southwest area were recruited to participate in the study to increase the validity
of findings and ensure that the data address the research questions based on the population of
interest. Although the sample for this study was a convenience method, the criteria for
GAP ANALYSIS 47

participation was broad enough so that all MROs fell within one of the categories for
participation.
Data Collection
To best understand the knowledge, motivation and cultural influences associated with the
MRO’s achieving their stakeholder goal, a mixed methods research approach to understating the
organizational culture and needs assessment of the company was employed. The three methods
were a survey, interviews and document analysis. The procedure for each is described below.
Survey Sampling (Recruitment) Strategy and Rationale
Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants for this study. The researcher
sought to have all six Southwest based MROs participate in the study. This approach helped to
minimize bias in the data that was collected. According to Johnson and Christensen (2015),
response rates above 70% are considered to be acceptable, valid data. With this, the researcher
had the most access to the Southwest region of the organization, so in order to maximize
participation, convenience sampling was utilized.
Survey Instrumentation. Surveys were the primary form of quantitative data collection
and were administered to all six MROs. Surveys were administered in an electronic format in
the English language as proficiency in English was a requirement to work for the company in the
United States. An online medium was chosen to conduct the surveys to increase credibility,
validity and response rate as research must be completed within one month. Fink (2013) notes
online surveying can be an ideal form of data collection if it is accompanied with a status bar so
that the respondent has an understanding of how far along they are in the completion process as
well as an option to log off and return to the survey if they do not have enough time to complete.
With this, the window for completion of the survey was one month from September 1, 2017-
October 1, 2017. Respondents were only allowed to submit answers once however were able to
GAP ANALYSIS 48

log off and on to complete the questionnaire from September 1, 2017-October 1, 2017. Fink
(2013) highlights that a higher response rate increases the credibility of the study as it is
representative of the larger population. Lastly the online platform allowed respondents to answer
freely without monitoring in a time, place and space that they are most comfortable. Maxwell
(2013) notes that a threat to validity of data occurs when respondents do not report their “actual
views.” The online platform aimed to mitigate this threat to validity along with researcher bias
as respondents can complete the questionnaire independent of external influence.
The survey was 35 questions long. Five interval and nominal questions asked about the
demographics of respondents. Measurements of the demographical questions were frequency of
responses from each stratified group of respondents allowing the research to gain comparative
data. Additionally, these questions helped to support the validity of the study to ensure that the
data set is from the communities in which the study sought to understand.
The remaining thirty questions sought to measure the knowledge, motivation and cultural
influences associated with understanding how to mitigate employee attrition amongst each group
of respondents. These questions were primarily in an ordinal, dichotomous format for
knowledge and motivation questions limiting responses to fall into one group (yes/no,
agree/disagree). This format of survey design helped to increase the validity of the data set as it
provided rich data; the responses had little room for interpretation or bias leaving the respondents
with specific options to choose. Cultural questions were measured on Likert scales to determine
the degrees to which respondents agree/disagree, likely/unlikely with questions.
The researcher sought to ensure higher levels of participation by providing the survey to
the participants via an email link as all MROs within the organization were provided with a work
computer and email address to communicate. Reminder emails were sent to the participants in
order to ensure completion by the window of time that the survey will be live. This survey
GAP ANALYSIS 49

process was conducted as the first method of data collection for the study as the results will
guide the types of questions that are asked for the interview portion of the research. This method
was appropriate based on the conceptual framework which seeks to understand the relationship
between the cultural settings of the organization and the knowledge, motivation and structural
needs of MROs to improve employee retention; the survey sought to validate the cultural settings
and influences. The completion of the survey was anonymous and there were no incentives for
participation.
Interviews
Patton (2015) notes that the purpose of interviewing is to understand phenomena that
cannot be directly observed such as feelings, thoughts and intentions. The interviews helped gain
a deeper understanding of the needs assessment for what the primary stakeholder of focus, the
MROs needed in order to improve employee retention amongst the retail staff. Prior to
conducting the interviews, the researcher obtained permission from the University of Southern
California’s Institutional Review Board (IRB).
Interview Sampling (Recruitment) Strategy and Rationale. The researcher sought to
have all six Los Angeles based MRO’s participate in the study rather than a smaller group of the
population (Johnson & Christensen, 2015). The sample of participants was a convenience
method based on access for the researcher to the population of employees who are in the MRO
capacity in the organization. Participation in the study was voluntary however MROs who
participate in the study have been approved to include all time spent in participation as a part of
their work day. A welcome invitation email was sent to all MROs by September 15, 2017 and
each were asked to confirm participation via email by October 1, 2017. A copy of the welcome
email is included in the appendix. Lastly, participation in the interview included a raffle drawing
for a gift card ask a “thank you” for participation.
GAP ANALYSIS 50

Interview Instrumentation. The interviewer asked a variety of questions with the goal
of understanding both the knowledge, motivation and cultural influences that impacted the
MROs ability to reach their performance goal as well as the knowledge, motivation and cultural
setting solutions. The questions were designed based on a conceptual framework which assumed
that the lack of a cultural setting focused on employee retention, lead to a lack of declarative and
procedural knowledge about employee needs and retention ultimately leading to the increasing
attrition rates within the organization. Additionally, questions were based on the assumed
influences the researcher believes contribute to the problem of practice
There were 20 questions in total that are designed in an open-ended format to allow for
flexibility for respondents to answer organically as well as change based on the responses from
the survey. This design also allowed the respondents to guide the interview and to add emphasis
and time on topics that resonate with each individual. Questions that were asked to participants
dinclude topics such as the participants understanding of why employees leave their jobs, what
the organization does/does not do in order to improve the employee experience, the stakeholders
level of proficiency in understanding how their roles contribute to retention efforts amongst the
retail store employees and lastly what efforts were being made by the organization in order to
improve retention. Each interview lasted approximately one hour. A copy of the interview
protocol is included in Appendix B.
Interviews were conducted in a semi-structured format in order to gain the most organic
responses from participants; this approach had pre-determined questions that were relevant to
addressing the research questions while allowing the conversation to flow in a way that allows
for flexibility in the order of questions that are asked based on the responses from the participant
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Merino and Privado (2015) note that it is essential for organizations
to provide formal and informal opportunities for employees to express thoughts and ideas to
GAP ANALYSIS 51

contribute to the overall function of the organization in order to have a more productive
workforce. The semi-structured interview format provided a formal setting of data collection all
while allowing for flexibility in the course of the interview so that the focus remained on the
participant and them being able to speak freely about their point of view. As the interviewer
was guiding questions to the participant in the semi-structured format, further probing was done
in order to illuminate a deeper understanding of the knowledge and motivation needs as well as
cultural influences contributing to employee retention (Patton, 2002). The semi-structured
approach was be the best structure for the interview as this allowed participants the flexibility to
spend more time talking about questions or areas that they have the most quality and in-depth
perspective; the goal of the interview process was to gain an understanding of the stakeholders
point of view (Patton, 2002). The interviewer approached the interview as a guide using the
English language as proficiency of the language is required in order to gain employment at the
organization in the United States.
Document Analysis
In order to understand the cultural influences that were preventing MROs from improving
retention at Beauty, Inc., a document analysis was done to find patterns and trends of information
within the organization. Documents and artifacts serve as ancillary forms of data collection that
revealed how the defined expectations and guidelines of the Store Manager can influence
behavior and help to address the research questions. The research sought to understand if Store
Managers do not implement strategies known to improve retention because they were not
motivated to or because they were not expected to based on the companies documents. In order
to describe the knowledge and motivation influences for MROs that were contributing to the
attrition rates at Beauty Inc., a qualitative approach of research through interviews was also
completed as a means of data collection. The data used from document analysis influenced the
GAP ANALYSIS 52

questions that were included for the semi-structured interview approach. This approach of
multiple methods ensured triangulation of data for purposes of trustworthiness.
The collection of documents and artifacts was important in understanding what needs to
happen for MROs to increase retention amongst their staff. These resources are a part of the
natural setting of the phenomenon being studied and can add rich data to the overall
understanding of the organization and participants in context. Documents that were used in this
study are the Store Manager training booklet “Retail Manager Academy,” as well as the job
description and expectations of the MRO as outlined by the organization. The MRO budget
tracker will also be analyzed to see if the MROs were incorporating training and recognition
strategies into their financial spend. These documents helped to uncover if employee
engagement, development and recognition are outlined expectations for MROs as research notes
that all three of these actions contribute to high levels of retention. In addition to this, the
researcher traveled to stores to observe the employee space in the back office away from the
sales floor. The researched traveled to 6 stores over the course of 3 months. The office and
employee area served as an artifact to see what the (if any) written communication from the
MRO to Store Manager to associate looked like. Merriam and Tisdell (2016) note that physical
material and artifacts are often referred to as “material culture” as the physical nature of a space
can greatly impact the behaviors and culture in which a phenomenon operates.
Data Analysis
At the completion of collecting data, the researcher sought to analyze the data to gather
findings about the responses participants provided compared to the assumed influences
preventing the MRO from achieving their goal. For surveys, a data set of descriptive statistics
were developed based on responses from participants to highlight frequency and measures of
central tendencies from the data set for the survey. This form of analysis helped to support the
GAP ANALYSIS 53

conceptual framework to understand if increases in knowledge of employee retention strategies
and an improved organizational climate of accountability for Store Managers to preserve
retention lead to achievement of the organizational goal to achieve eighty-percent of retention
amongst retail employees by the 2020 fiscal year.
For the interviews, analytic codes were developed throughout each interview transcript as
a means of inductive reasoning with the data. This process sought to connect the KMO
framework to responses provided by participants to validate or invalidate assumed influences.
The researcher aimed to highlight the knowledge, motivation and cultural influences all
contributing to the problem of practice that were discussed by the respondent throughout the
interview and coded them as such. Once these codes were assigned to the various comments
made by respondents, the researcher sought to deduce emergent themes from the data to
understand patterns amongst respondents to the KMO influences. These emergent themes
helped to validate if the assumed influences contributing to the problem of practice were
identified as actual influences impacting the achievement of the goal by respondents.
There was a similar approach taken with document analysis. To analyze the data the
researcher assigned axial codes on the basis of knowledge, motivation and cultural setting
influences contributing to the problem of practice that occur throughout each document. From
the process of coding the researcher noted emergent themes that occurred to validate or
invalidate the assumed influences contributing to the problem of practice.
Trustworthiness of Data
As a researcher, it was important to take all necessary steps to ensure that the study was
conducted with the highest level of credibility and trustworthiness, limiting bias and mitigating
all threats to credibility-the idea that the findings of this research could be incorrect (Maxwell,
2013). Although there is no way to fully assure that the findings of the study are one hundred
GAP ANALYSIS 54

percent valid, there were steps taken to assure that the instrument design of this study maximizes
its credibility to connect the finding to the reality of the research questions. A thorough research
protocol was designed and approved by the Institutional Research Board as a means to maintain
integrity during the interview portion of the research. Maxwell (2013) notes that a threat to the
credibility of research findings is the idea that participants in the study may not be presenting
their true ideas or the interpretation of the responses is subject to theoretical interpretation. As a
part of the protocol, it was noted to respondents that their participation is one hundred percent
voluntary and at any time if they felt like they did not want to continue with participation, all
responses would be deleted. Additionally, only myself as the researcher, an external transcriber
and members of the research committee had access to their responses-minimalizing the audience
of their responses to create a sense of comfort that respondents can present their true thoughts
and ideas. Additionally, the instrument design of interview questions was based on the research
questions seeking to understand the knowledge, motivation and cultural influences connected to
employee retention. Furthermore, the questions that were derived all focus on the assumed
influences that contributed to the problem of practice which connect back to the guiding
questions of the study. The connectedness of the interview questions to the assumed influences
validate that the research was measuring what the study seeks to understand. The semi-structured
format of the interview allowed for questions to be pre-determined and guided the framework of
the interview all while allowing for thoughts and ideas to be free-flowing from the respondents
to lead the interview in a direction based on responses. This format of the interview was
designed to allow participants the ability to contribute to the flow of the interview and speak
freely based on their thoughts and opinions.
As with most qualitative research, it is difficult to mitigate all threats to credibility and
trustworthiness simply in the instrument design; often time threats to credibility and
GAP ANALYSIS 55

trustworthiness happen after the research has been conducted (Maxwell, 2013). One of these
threats was the researcher bias in interpretation of data; avoiding data that does not fit with the
conceptual framework or theory. In addition to being the principal researcher of this study, the
researcher was also a stakeholder within the organization being studied. The perspective the
researcher had was a colleague to the Manager of Retail Operations; the primary stakeholder of
the study. To best minimize researcher bias, a doctoral candidate from the University of
Southern California conducted the interviews in lieu of the researcher. Additionally, all
questions that were conducted in the study were directly connected to the research questions
without any “leading” format design. This helped to eliminate interpretations of data as
participants can respond to questions as they understand the questions. Although it is impossible
to eliminate researcher bias, these efforts helped to keep the objectivity of the instrument and
data set.
To help support the minimalization of interpretation and researcher bias, member checks
were also completed to ensure that the data and conclusion that are presented by the researcher
are affirmed by those who are participating in the study. Maxwell (2013) notes that member
checks are the single most way of ruling out the possibility of misunderstanding the meaning of
what people say (p. 126). After obtaining the data set and processing the codes and emergent
themes, a synopsis was completed of emergent themes from the data as a means of member
checks.
In addition to the checks and balances associated with managing researcher bias,
triangulation was also employed for this study to reduce threats to internal validity. Merriam and
Tisdell (2016, p. 245) note that the use of multiple methods in a qualitative study can increase
the credibility of findings as data sets are compared for consistency of findings. For this study
surveys, interviews and document analysis were done in order to describe the knowledge,
GAP ANALYSIS 56

motivation and cultural influences contributing to employee retention at Beauty Inc. Each
method was designed to measure the assumed influences and the process of triangulation helped
to validate the findings In the presentation of the data set, a comparison of findings helped to
illuminate emergent themes in the research, helping to increase the credibility of its findings.
Lastly, participants were been stratified to ensure that only Southwest MRO populations
participate in the study. Forming groups of respondents and stratifying the group based on these
criteria add to the credibility of the research as comparisons were done based on the varied
demographics participating in the study. Patton (2015) notes that triangulation increases
credibility and trustworthiness as it counters the design of a single method or source,
minimalizing “interpretation” of data.
Role of Investigator
The researcher for this study was a member of the organization that was the
subject of the study. With this, many steps were taken to maintain the credibility of the research.
As a peer to the Managers of Retail Operations, the researcher benefited from findings to
implement within other territories of the organization to improve retention. The role of the
researcher in this project was to conduct a problem-solving investigation in order to improve the
organization’s performance Any confusion of the role of the researcher by members of the
participant group were addressed by revisiting the interview protocol and the aim of the research
to protect the anonymity of the participants as well as the voluntary nature of the study.
Furthermore, a qualified, doctoral candidate from the University of Southern California
conducted the interviews on behalf of the principal researcher in order to mitigate any confusion
or discomfort from participants.

GAP ANALYSIS 57

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND FINDINGS

This chapter presents the study’s results and key findings that validate assumed
influences discussed in chapter three. As a reminder, the purpose of this study was to conduct a
gap analysis in the areas of knowledge and skill, motivation, and organizational
influences/resources necessary to reach the organizational performance goal—achieving 80%
employee retention amongst retail staff. The analysis began by generating a list of possible
needs from the research literature about the implementation of successful training programs that
focus on increasing the level of employee motivation. Chapter Three delineated these possible
needs into three areas; knowledge, motivation and organizational challenges. The study then
moved to examine and compare these systematically against the assets available in the
organization to focus on validated gaps and make recommendations for the implementation plan.
The stakeholder of focus for this study were the Beauty Inc Managers of Retail Operations
(MROs) in the Southwest region of the organization. By identifying the gaps that prevent MROs
from implementing 100% of training strategies known to increase retention 100% of the time,
the organization is better equipped to achieve its goal. The research questions that guided this
study were:
1. What are the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences that
interfere with the MRO’s implementing 100% of strategies known to
increase retention?
2. What are the recommended knowledge, motivation, and organizational
solutions to MRO’s implementing 100% of strategies known to
increase retention 100% of the time?
The research questions were assessed through three methods of data collection-surveys,
interviews and document analysis. The goal of utilizing three methods of data collection was to
GAP ANALYSIS 58

triangulate data for comparative purposes to increase the study’s validity as well as to improve
the richness of findings based on the small sample size of six participants. As findings are
presented, it is expressed that some of the assumed needs contributing to the overall performance
goal are “validated” meaning that the gap is present (missing and is needed) and
recommendations are made to address as such.
Participating Stakeholders
All six MROs in the Southwest regions of Beauty Inc. participated in the survey and
interview portions of the study. As a reminder, the Manager of Retail Operations (MRO)
oversees a group of retail stores in a designated area between Los Angeles and Arizona for the
organization. The MRO is responsible for each store achieving sales plan by coaching and
developing Store Managers to effectively deliver results. The participating MROs have been
employed at Beauty Inc. an average of 13 years, with the newest to the organization being at 9
years and the most tenured at 19 years. The group was comprised of a mixed amount of
professional experience outside of Beauty Inc., with 50% of participants having between 3-5
years of professional work experience outside of the organization. There was also an even split
of participants who have participated in retention training; 50% of participants have previously
been trained in the areas of retention and engagement and 50% had not. Lastly, 66% of
participants indicated that they were millennials while 33% of participants indicated that they
were not. This information was useful in comparing the similarities and differences in responses.
Figure 3 and 4 display this demographic information. As a reminder, additional demographic
information was not obtained about the participants to maintain anonymity of responses. Due to
the small sample size, additional information would connect the identity of participants to the
researcher as the researcher is a colleague of the participants.
GAP ANALYSIS 59

There were no differences in participation for the data collection methods. A document
analysis was completed first to help inform the survey and interview questions. This process
helped the researched gain a deeper understanding of the organizational influences that help to
frame an MROs understanding of their resources, role and responsibilities. The survey was
issued first after the document analysis was complete, followed by a supplemental interview.
Interview schedules were done in accordance to the participants schedule of availability and did
not correlate to the completion of their survey as the survey participation was anonymous and
there was no tracking of completion by individual.

Figure 3 Participant Demographics

GAP ANALYSIS 60

Figure 4 Participant Demographic Information
Data Validation
Gaps were considered to be present and validated if two or more data sources reflect
similar information based on inductive reasoning. Each data collection method was designed
with the conceptual framework that the KMO needs affect the MROs ability to execute their
goal, which ultimately affects the organization from achieving its goal-making each both the
qualitative and quantitative data inherently inductive in nature. For example, if there was an
emergent theme from interviews that demonstrates that the assumed need is present and was also
found in survey data but not in document analysis, the need was considered validated as it was
supported by two data collection sources. If one out of the three data collection methods
identified that the gap was present, the need was considered “not validated.” Lastly, if the data
did not provide enough substantial support that the gap was present, the need was noted “unable
to validated” and will be further addressed in the recommendations for future research section in
chapter five.
Results and Findings for Knowledge Causes

The remainder of this chapter presents the study’s findings along with emergent themes
or statistical data that validate or present the need for further research about the assumed causes
GAP ANALYSIS 61

preventing the MROs from achieving their goal. As previously mentioned, the methods of data
collection were a document analysis, surveys and interviews. These methods were used to
influence each other however depending on if the assumed influence is more qualitative or
quotative in nature, all methods were not appropriate to deduce the desired information to
validate or invalidate the gap. Each finding is presented using the knowledge category and
assumed causes for each category. Recommendations are made in chapter five for influences
that were unable to validate or required further research.
Factual Knowledge
Influence 1. MROs need to know the goal for employee retention and their role in
improving retention amongst staff.
Interview findings. Interviews found that MROs are not aware of the goal for employee
retention, however, they feel that it is their unofficial responsibility to maintain. When asked a
variety of questions about a goal or benchmark for retention, MROs were not able to highlight
any benchmarks or expectations set forth by the company to improve or maintain staff retention.
When asked if a goal is communicated to Store Manager’s to improve retention, one MRO stated
“we don’t communicate benchmarks on staff retention…and corporately, we don’t have a
benchmark on retention.” Another MRO stated that “it [retention] might not specifically spelled
out in our job description to coach our managers to create retention, but it is something that we
talk about as a brand. I know for sure that if there’s a lot of turnover in several of my stores,
that’s something that I’m going to be coached on.”
An emergent theme that developed throughout the interviews was “retention only
becomes a focus, if it is recognized as a problem by the MRO.” Many MROs highlighted that
they would be responsible to coach Store Managers to improve staff turnover if they saw an
increase in employees leaving a location however if they did not notice a problem, an
GAP ANALYSIS 62

expectation or benchmark for retained employees would not be discussed. When asked about the
amount of staff that a Store Manager should retain on an annual basis, MROs were not aware of
an official goal however again, felt that it was something that they would coach Store Managers
on if they noticed it was a problem. One MRO stated “I really believe that we should be seeing
at least 85% [of retained employees]. Do I officially communicate like a percentage or an
expectation that I feel that we should retain? No. I think in other ways, I do talk to managers if I
do see high turnover in a location.”
MROs were able to discuss their job responsibilities as training Store Managers on
operations, revenue planning and managing the business however none noted retention as
something that they are responsible for as a job expectation. In summary, their responsibility for
training Store Managers to improve retention was reactionary if they felt retention was a
problem. As previously mentioned, MROs were able to note that their role in improving
retention would be to coach a manager if they noticed it became a problem however when
discussing their general role in coaching managers, all MROs discussed skills such as developing
the managers people skills such as understanding staffs learning and communication styles as
well as how to achieve sales. MROs did not make a connection between the development of
these skills and retention as a metric.
Document analysis. Document analysis revealed that there was no communication of the
goal for employee retention to the MROs, illuminating that MROs were not aware of the goal for
employee retention. When reviewing the job description, retention or the improvement of
employee attrition are implied as a benchmark expectation for the MROs. For example, an
expectation for the MROs is to “develop, train and coach store teams through regular, quality
store visits and one-on-ones, resulting in achievement of productivity goals and brand & sales
objectives.” Within the job description, performance review process and budget for the MROs,
GAP ANALYSIS 63

an emergent theme that developed was that the core responsibility of the position is to build
strong internal and external organizational relationships that improve the sales performance.
Interestingly, in reviewing these documents it outlines expectations of MROs to “develop talent
and capabilities, align and engage the team and energize and enable others.” However, none of
these expectations directly connect the ability of the MRO to improve or meet retention of their
employees at 80% of staff.
Summary. Data collection and analysis revealed that the assumed influence that MROs
need to know the goal for employee retention and their role in improving retention amongst staff
is a validated gap preventing the MROs from achieving their goal. This gap was validated as all
methods of data collection demonstrate that the MROs were not aware of the goal for employee
retention or their role in improving retention amongst staff. In the interview portion of data
collection, it was expressed by the MROs that they would focus on retention if they noticed that
there was attrition in a particular store. This reactionary approach also illuminates that MROs
were not aware that retention was an actual problem for the organization and that employees are
leaving the stores.
The MROs have a working factual knowledge of their job responsibilities that are
included in job description however were not able to connect those responsibilities to an actual
goal for employee retention and their role in achieving this goal.
Procedural Knowledge

Influence 1. MROs need to know how to effectively recognize good employee

performance.

Interview findings. Interviews revealed that MROs know how to effectively recognize
good employee performance based on best practices previously discussed in chapter two. MROs
GAP ANALYSIS 64

had demonstrated a strong working knowledge of the importance of employee recognition and
how they actively coach Store Managers on this skill in their supervision and oversight of their
individual territories. When asked how they train Store Managers to recognize their employees,
one MRO stated “One [method of recognition] we utilize Groupme, it’s an app. Stores can call
out their individual performance, and artists can also share their individual experiences, and
being able to recognize them in that moment of what they’re doing with their customers and how
they’re making a difference or the artistry that they demonstrated.”
MROs train Store Managers to recognize employees in many ways which as discussed in
the literature review, is important as research has shown that employees like to be recognized in
a variety of forms. MROs noted that individually, they utilize forms of recognition that they are
familiar with as there is not a formal practice or training that the company provides to teach them
best practices to effectively recognize good employee performance. One MRO stated, “we have
within this market, a weekly shout out newsletter where we showcase artist interactions, pictures
off of instagram.” Another MRO stated “well…since we don’t have a formal way of recognizing
employees as a brand, I buy Starbucks gift cards for both my managers and artists that
demonstrate exemplary performance whether it is achieving a sales goal or receiving a customer
compliment. I think it is very important that I recognize my team for their hard work especially
when during [a] difficult business [climate] it can be hard to find the positive.”
Some MROs noted that although there is not a formal process outlined by the company to
recognize employees, that recognition as a theme is embedded within the culture of the
organization. One MRO stated:
I think Beauty (pseudonym) definitely has a culture of reward, kind of positive
reinforcement I guess it would be. You do something well, you get a prize. I more so focus on
meeting the expectation, and if you go above and beyond that then there’s public recognition
GAP ANALYSIS 65

that’s given, whether it be at a meeting, or via an email, or on a conference call, and just being
able to recognize the people who are over-exceeding, not necessarily with a prize or a reward.
Other MROs discussed opportunity as a method or recognition that they implement as an
effective strategy to motivate employees. Various MROs discussed providing opportunities for
cross-training by allowing staff to work with an employee who hold a role that the employee
aspires to achieve as recognition. MROs found that often times this form of recognition is most
appreciated by employees as it better equips them to achieve promotion by having exposure to
the aspirational role they desire to achieve.
As interviews continued, a theme that developed that synthesizes the procedural
knowledge influence of managers needing to know how to effectively recognize good employee
performance was “recognition is the core of effective leadership.” MROs discussed that
although there are no formal processes outlined by the organization to recognize employees,
recognition is an important element of the people management aspect of themselves as well as
the Store Managers.
Summary. The assumed knowledge gap that managers need to know how to effectively
recognize good employee performance was not validated. As this procedural knowledge
influence is “how-to” in nature, it was unable to be assessed through the other forms of data
collection utilized in this study therefore the influence was also not able to be triangulated to
reinforce the findings. The organization does not produce a handbook or manual of best
practices to assist employees on how to recognize employees. Based on the interviews, it was
consistent that MROs know how to recognize good employee performance and coach Store
Managers on demonstrating these same behaviors. MROs provide various forms of recognition
to their employees which provides a strong example to Store Managers on how to effectively
recognize good employee performance.
GAP ANALYSIS 66

Influence 2. MROs need to understand how to provide on-going feedback to
employees.
Interview findings. Interviews found that MROs understand how to provide on-going
feedback to employees on a regular basis. MROs discussed various best practices when
providing feedback to employees and how they coach and develop their Store Managers in
implementing these skills. MROs mentioned that often times within the organization, feedback
can have a negative connotation, so they have committed to providing both positive and
constructive feedback to their employees and are in the store working side by side with the Store
Managers to observe them demonstrate these skills. One MRO stated, “I think being present
with them in store and being able to witness firsthand how they give feedback is really important
because I could have a conversation with you about what my expectations are and role play with
you on that, but if I don’t see you put it into action with your actual employees, it’s hard for me
to understand where your areas of opportunity are or where your strengths lie.”
When discussing the “how to” of providing feedback, various MROs mentioned the
importance of blending positive and constructive observations when providing feedback so that
the employee does not become defeated and is able to acknowledge where their strengths are in
addition to areas that improvement is needed. One MRO referred to this practice as
“sandwiching.”
when I am providing feedback to an employee I think it is important to start with
something positive, go in to the opportunity and end with a path to success…for example, if I
observe that an artist is great with customer service but makeup skills are off I will say ‘you give
incredible service, you always make your customers day…I want you to put that same level of
energy into practicing your makeup skills…if you elevate your artistry to the level of your
service, you will be an incomparable staff member.
GAP ANALYSIS 67

The importance of role play was an emergent theme around the idea of feedback that
developed throughout the interviews. Various MROs stated that they role played with their
employees when providing feedback as well as coaching to improved feedback skills. One MRO
stated “I think it is important to role play with the artist when you are providing feedback to give
them an opportunity to think about their behavior. I think if you role play when you are
providing feedback to artists it helps them connect and they usually call out their own behavior
before you even have to.” Another MRO stated:
I love role playing with my managers to develop their feedback skills. Some of them
hate it, but I think it is a really effective way of teaching them how to provide feedback. They
have to know that they need to speak to each employee differently. A big part of giving
feedback is knowing someone’s communication and learning style so that they receive the
feedback and are able to implement it.
Lastly, MROs mentioned that it was important to make observations before providing
feedback to an employee. Each MRO articulated that they found it important to be in the store
working side-by-side with the staff in order to gauge the behaviors that are happening to both
celebrate as well as provide constructive feedback. Additionally, this practice was an important
point for MROs to ensure that their Store Managers were doing. MROs discussed that they train
their Store Managers to be present, some MROs referred to this as “tuning in” to the sales floor
to be sure that the manager is able to provide quality feedback and is specific and timely.
Summary. The performance gap that MROs need to know how to provide on-going
feedback to staff was not validated. In considering empirical research discussed in chapter two,
MROs know how to provide on-going feedback to staff. MROs not only articulated that they
know how to provide feedback when an initial behavior was observed, but also understand the
GAP ANALYSIS 68

importance of the follow up piece to measure an employee’s success to continuing or changing
the behaviors that were discussed.
Metacognitive Knowledge
Influence 1. MROs need to make employee retention a part of rating the Store
Manager’s individual performance.
Survey results. Survey trends showed that there is ambiguity amongst the MROs when
considering retention as a part of the Store Manager’s performance rating. When asked, 50% of
MROs strongly agreed while the other 50% agreed that they pay attention to the retention of
employees in their territories however do not necessarily include this in the Store Managers
performance review. These survey results connect to the organizational influence that the
company does not communicate this as a formal expectation for managers to review and manage
on an on-going basis. MROs may informally make retention a performance metric for Store
Manager’s however most do not include this in their yearly formal company rating. When asked
if retention is an important part of the Store Manager’s performance summary, participants gave
mixed responses amongst participants. 50% of respondents indicated that they neither agreed
nor disagreed with this statement. The ambiguity of responses highlights possible
inconsistencies amongst the group as to retention being important to the organization, but, not
something that they actually manage. These results helped to inform the interviews which
explored performance metrics in greater detail. Figure 5 shows survey results for the
consideration of retention in the annual performance summary.
GAP ANALYSIS 69

Figure 5 MRO Knowledge Gaps
Interview findings. Interview trends showed that MROs informally make retention a
performance metric for Store Manager’s but do not include this in their yearly formal company
rating. The lack of a goal for retention being communicated by the organization to the MROs
seemed to influence this knowledge gap. If MROs are not provided with a goal for employee
retention, they may find it challenging to understand how to measure strong retention. When
asked the amount of staff that a Store Manager should be responsible for retaining each year, one
MRO stated, “we don’t have a particular amount, so it’s not looked at.” Another stated “I think I
would say 80% of their staff, because every store has a little bit different.” A third MRO stated,
“I don’t know if there can be a number…it varies.” With this inconsistency in benchmarks,
retention is not formally included in the performance review, however some MROs made a point
to note that it should. When asked if retention was included when reflecting about the
performance of the Store Manager, one MRO stated “no. And I definitely think that we should.
I think that should be a piece of every single manager’s expectation. I know I speak about it with
them and how we are going to create an environment that is optimal for each employee to come
to work really happy. But I definitely think that it should be an expectation.”
GAP ANALYSIS 70

Document analysis. Document analysis revealed that MROs are not trained on nor
required to consider retention as a part of the Store Manager’s performance rating. The job
description revealed that MROs and Store Managers are expected to have “on-going people
management-evaluation, performance management, etc.” however did not describe what people
management entails and what MROs should be evaluating. This lack of detail could be an
indicator and influence on the ambiguity found in MROs understanding of rating retention as a
metric for Store Managers performance in the interviews. The organization also does not have a
formal orientation process/document for on-boarding and MRO or Store Manager. With this,
there are no clearly defined benchmarks for retention that help guide an MRO to rate a Store
Managers retention performance. Furthermore, a lack of orientation influences how/what is
included in the MROs interpretation of good employee performance for a Store Manager-as
interviews confirmed, some MROs consider this, and some didn’t. Additionally, retention of
employees is not mentioned in the semi-annual review document for MROs or annual review for
the Store Managers. Both positions performance reviews guidelines highlight themes that the
employee should be striving to achieve such as “excellence in execution, aligns and engages the
team in the vision, energizes and enables others etc.” however it is up to the interpretation of the
supervisor so deduce the meaning of the core competencies and rate the employee based on their
understanding of indicators for each.
Summary. The knowledge influence that MROs need to make retention a part of the
Store Manager’s performance rating was validated. All forms of data collection revealed that
MROs are not formally making this a measurement of success in evaluating performance
although all MROs indicated that they believe that retention is closely connected to the success
of the organization. 50% of participants indicated that they did not agree nor disagree that
retention is an important part of the Store Manager’s performance rating however none indicated
GAP ANALYSIS 71

that they include this a part of the performance review during interviews-regardless of
significance.
Results and Findings for Motivation Causes
Expectancy

Influence 1. MRO’s should expect that their work in coaching Store Manager’s will
improve retention.
Survey results. Surveys revealed that MROs do expect that their work in coaching Store
Manager’s will improve retention. When asked if they were confident that any coaching they do
with Store Managers will improve retention amongst staff, MRO’s indicated high levels of
expectancy. 66% of respondents agreed that they are confident that their leadership can improve
retention while 33% strongly agreed. The trends in data were consistent across varied
demographics of MROs when analyzing the data. Both MROs who had significant (more than
10 years) or experience in their role had similar if not identical trends in expectancy to those who
have been in their role less than three years. MROs also showed high levels of expectancy in
their role to improve retention regardless of having received professional training outside of the
organization on strategies known to improve retention. Both groups (MROs who indicated that
they had received prior training on retention strategies and those who have not) indicated that
they feel confident in feedback skills, and the ability to recognize good employee performance
which are two strategies known to improve retention based on the literature discussed in chapter
two.
Interview findings. Interviews provided little support to the findings from surveys that
MROs do expect that their work in coaching Store Manager’s will improve retention-if it is made
a priority. When asked about their role and how they can influence retention, one MRO said “I
think setting expectations as an MRSO [MRO] is an important piece. I expect my managers to
GAP ANALYSIS 72

be on the floor with their teams to make observations. I think having solid expectations as a
leader helps things like retention improve because we know that the managers are super vital in
the experience in store.” Additionally, some MROs mentioned a focus on training Store
Managers about people management as a job responsibility which supports the expectation of
being able to positively impact retention. When asked about what skills are a priority when
coaching Store Managers, one MRO said, “my top priority would be communication, listening,
and creating a collaborative work environment.” With these people management priorities
aligned across all interviews, coupled with consistent responses of high levels of expectation that
any work contributed to developing the Store Managers will positively influence retention,
MROs were able to indicate that they do expect any work they with coaching Store Managers
will improve retention.
Summary. Data analysis was unable to validate this influence. As results showed, the
MROs were able to indicate higher levels of efficacy as opposed to expectation. There is not
enough significant data evidence to validate a gap in motivation. Few participants were able to
speak to expectancy as motivation to improve retention. A connection to the inability to validate
this gap could be that the organization has not set a formal benchmark for retention, the MROs
do not fully expect their work to be measured by improved retention. Further research is needed
to validate/not validate this motivation gap and will be recommended in chapter five.
Self-Efficacy

Influence 2. MRO’s need to believe that they are capable of coaching and developing
the Store Managers to positively influence retention.
Survey results. As previously mentioned, MROs indicated high levels of efficacy in their
belief about the ability to develop Store Managers to positively influence retention. When
GAP ANALYSIS 73

surveyed, MROs cited feeling confident in their abilities in many skills that are known to
improve retention. Figure 6 shows participants responses that indicate that all participants,
regardless of tenure with the organization, millennial status, or education all felt confident in
their talent and capabilities.

Figure 6 MRO Motivation Gaps
Furthermore, in addition to high levels of self-efficacy in their ability to coach and
develop Store Managers to positively impact retention, MROs were confident in their own
retention skills such as giving effective feedback and providing recognition to employees which
are essential skills known to positively influence employee retention. When surveyed, 66% of
participants indicated that they strongly agreed to being confident in their own feedback skills
while the remaining 33% agreed that they were confident in their own skills. Figure 7 shows
these results.
GAP ANALYSIS 74

Figure 7 MRO Motivation Gaps
It is noteworthy to highlight that the 66% of MROs ranged from MROs being new, to
tenured, to millennial and non-millennial. Additionally, although 50% of participants noted that
they had not received any professional development training in retention studies/best practices,
they felt confident in their skill set which may be attributed to antecedent qualities prior to
joining the organization or from experience gained on the job. Figure 8 shows survey results of
confidence in skills known to improve retention.

GAP ANALYSIS 75

Figure 8 MRO Motivation Gaps
Interview findings. Interviews also found that MROs are confident in their skills to coach
Store Managers to positively influence retention. When asked about the strategies used to
develop the Store Manager’s feedback skills, one MRO stated:
on a regular basis, we have touch bases where I essentially ask them what type of things
they’re identifying with their team and specific behaviors, if it’s behaviors that they are looking
to change or behaviors that they actually praise, and finding out what those conversations have
looked like and what they [their] managers have done to talk to their team. I think also, a really
big part of it comes from me then also following up and supporting them in that process and
talking to their employees whenever I see them…
Other MROs echoed this same level of efficacy when discussing their skills in
developing Store Managers. Leading by example was a reoccurring theme throughout the
conversations. MROs highlighted that they hold themselves accountable to providing Store
Managers feedback as well as recognition so that they will do the same for their teams. One
MRO stated:
I think that [recognition] also starts with us. How do we recognize them, they will use
the same type of concept to recognize their employees. Most recently, it’s been through, whether
GAP ANALYSIS 76

it’s on, like, group me chat where we recognize certain employees and/or on social media where
we recognize employees, so being able to train them to continue the consistency of those
behaviors.
Providing various forms of recognition, feedback, as well as being present in the stores to
coach Store Managers were all areas that MROs felt confident in. As previously mentioned by
one MRO, Beauty Inc has a culture of reward and recognition. This culture may influence the
efficacy that is expressed by the participants as it was expressed that recognition (which is
known to positively influence retention) is embedded to the culture so this behavior could be
learned or observed by leadership within the organization.
Summary. This motivation gap was not validated. Data collection succinctly and
substantially revealed that MROs feel confident in their ability to coach Store Manages to
positively impact retention. Both through surveys and interviews MROs, regardless or a variety
of demographic information, spoke the same language in expressing high levels of self-efficacy
in this area. Whether skills were learned on the job or through formal training, MROs
highlighted consistency in the development of the Store Managers people management skills,
many of which are known to have a positive impact on retention.
Influence 3. MRO’s need to prioritize training Store Managers about retention.
Survey results. Survey results indicate that MROs do not prioritize training Store
Manages about retention. 50% of respondents indicated that Store Managers do not have the
tools they need to improve retention while 33% indicated that they did not agree or disagree that
Store Managers had the tools they need to improve retention. In addition to this, contrary to the
confidence expressed by participants in their own skills, MROs noted that Store Managers are
not exhibiting the skills known to improve retention such as feedback and recognition-the same
skills that MROs highlighted as being confident in. Furthermore, 66% of participants indicated
GAP ANALYSIS 77

that they did not agree or disagree that Store Managers know how to effectively supervise
employees. This comparison is drawn as it illuminates a gap in prioritizing developing the Store
Managers skills set which, if executed, has a positive influence on retention. Interviews later
explored the comparison that if MROs feel confident in their feedback and recognition skills,
why weren’t they prioritizing coaching Store Managers about these skills.
Figure 9 shows that 33% of participants strongly agreed that an employee leaving is a
reflection on the manager, which leads to exploring the priorities of coaching Store Managers
about best practices of effectively leading and retaining employees. Participants were evenly
distributed with 33% agreeing that they do prioritize discussing retention with managers, 33%
neither agreeing nor disagreeing and 33% disagreeing. These mixed results demonstrate that
there was not a consistent understanding about whether or not to include retention as a
performance metric, which as noted earlier may be due to no benchmark being communicated by
the organization.

Figure 9 MRO Motivation Gaps
Interview findings. Interviews gathered moderate feedback about the MROs prioritizing
training Store Managers about retention. When asked about what topics and skills are prioritized
when coaching, MROs cited a variety of areas including scheduling, revenue planning,
GAP ANALYSIS 78

outsourcing, planning events, merchandising and the development of people. These topics were
consistent across multiple interviews although some MROs lead and focused mainly on office
duties while others focused heavily on the development of people. When MROs discussed
people management as an area that is prioritized, the topics that were noted included effective
communication skills, understanding learning styles and ensuring the employees have a positive
work experience-all of which contribute to improved retention. With this, none of the
participants specifically indicated retention as an area that is discussed or prioritized but rather
some of the elements that contribute to high levels of retention. As previously mentioned,
MROs indicated that retention was not an explicit conversation with their managers because
either the organization had not communicated a goal for employee retention in some cases, or
MROs did not find it necessary to discuss retention until they noticed a particular store had
considerable turnover.
Summary. The motivation gap that MROs need to prioritize training Store Manager
about retention was validated. Throughout data collection, MROs did not address retention as a
priority when coaching their Store Managers, indicating a gap in the influence that is preventing
them from reaching their goal. Much of the findings indicated that the motivation gaps were
closely connected to the organizational barriers; these barriers seemingly cause the gap to exist
because of the framework, or lack thereof that the organization has provided information
regarding company priorities. As discussed previously, the organization did not communicate a
goal for employee retention to the MROs nor is it mentioned as an expectation in the job
description or annual review, possibly making it difficult for the MROs to consider it as a
priority.

GAP ANALYSIS 79

Results and Findings for Organization Causes

Cultural Models

Influence 1. Beauty, Inc. needs to allocate resources for training.

Survey results. Survey results showed that participants were unclear if Beauty Inc is not
allocating resources for training. When surveyed, 50% of respondents disagreed that Store
Managers have the tools they need to improve retention. This performance gap may be at the
heart of the overall needs for the MROs to achieve their goal. When polled, 50% of participants
agreed and 33% strongly agreed that employees leaving the organization is a reflection of their
manager, however when asked about the tools provided to train Store Manager, 83% of
respondents indicated that they neither agreed nor disagreed that they had resources to train Store
Managers about the strategies known to improve retention. These ambiguous results may be
related to a previously identified knowledge gap possible gap that MROs are not aware of what
the strategies are that are known to improve retention or that they are unclear if their resources
are approved to be used for this purpose. Participants felt that the Store Managers do not have
the tools they need to improve retention however are unclear if they have the resources to train
them (which in essence is providing the tools to improve retention.) Furthermore, 50% of
participants did not agree nor disagree that the organization provides professional development
opportunities for the MROs to learn about the strategies known to improve retention, while 33%
disagreed. These results further reinforce that unclear resource allocation may be co-dependent
on the knowledge influence of what the strategies are that are known to improve retention.
Figure 10 displays the results from MROs when asked about training resources. The document
analysis draws a possible connection to the unclear results about resource allocation.
GAP ANALYSIS 80

Figure 10 Organizational Influence Gaps
Interview findings. Interviews gave a stronger impression that MROs felt that the
organization does not provide resources for training. When asked about what the organization
has provided to the MROs to aid them in coaching the Store Managers about retention, one MRO
stated “that is an area of opportunity within the organization. Thera are trainings that our MROs
go through, but there’s nothing from this level that is a set standard.” Another MRO stated “we
don’t really have any specific resources, but I wish we did. We all kind of make up our own
thing and try our best to train the staffs.”
Interviews explored resources specifically available to MROs to train Store Managers on
how to improve retention in their locations. These questions were met with consistent responses
from the participants that there are no resources, in their opinion, that the organization provides
for them to train the Store Managers to improve retention. When asked about this, one MRO
said “the [coaching] comes from information that I research or study that I’m able to give to my
managers on their own from my experiences or maybe different books or programs I’ve
researched and looked into.” Not all MROs indicated seeking resources or information to train
Store Managers on their own. Another MRO stated “I wouldn’t say that I’ve been given any
GAP ANALYSIS 81

resources specifically to train my team, but I wish I was given that because I think its super
important. I believe the brand is trying to head in that direction but right now we are
transitioning, and I don’t think it is the priority.”
Some MROs did not feel that the lack of formal resources allocated was necessarily a gap
or negative influence. When asked about the availability of resources, one MRO said:
I’d say there’s been very little. I think the tool that we have been given is [that we are]
empowered to come up with things on our own without having to get too much involvement or
approval from my boss, or from corporate or along those lines. I think that while they don’t give
us direct tools, I feel that are directly corresponding to retention, I think that they do give us the
free reign, per se, to make those decisions on our own.
Document analysis. Document analysis supported the findings from interviews that the
organization needs to provide resources for training. When analyzing the MRO budget tracker
and organizational expense categories, the researcher found no delineations that specifically
account for money that can be spent accessing training resources to develop Store Managers.
The MROs have a budget for “meetings” which could be used as forum for trainings if retention
is prioritized by the organization and furthermore, the MROs. For other aspects of the MROs
responsibilities, there are specific categories these stakeholders hafor expenses (travel, meals,
office supplies etc.) however none for training. This lack of monetary resources specifically
allocated to training reinforces the lack of prioritization for MROs to utilize their budget for the
purpose of training Store Managers.
Time was also identified as a resource that the organization needs to allocate for MROs
to train Store Managers on the skills known to improve retention. When reviewing store
schedules, the organization has provided enough budget/time for the store to function its general
operations but very little in addition for MROs to have uninterrupted time to train the Store
GAP ANALYSIS 82

Managers. In some cases, Store Managers are scheduled as selling associates to service
customers which prevents them from having the flexibility to be available to the MROs for
training. In addition, when reviewing the MROs schedule, there are no formal processes
for/required for MROs to spend dedicated time training their employees. In reviewing job
descriptions, MROs are expected to spend 50% of their time on the floor interacting with
customers, store management teams, and artists coaching. This delineation of time spent on the
floor for MROs brought a theme to consider; if the MROs are expected to be on the floor
coaching, they need to prioritize training managers about the skills known to improve retention.
A consideration that also arose from the job description and the seemingly ambiguous nature of
what “coaching” should involve for the MROs, was cognitive load and its connection to what
can be accomplished in the 50% of time spent. If MROs are expected to be coaching on the
selling floor of their stores with a myriad of topics on which they train managers on, cognitive
load and the retention of skills discussed may be lost if there is not specific time dedicated to the
topic of retention of staff in the job description and expectations for MROs.
Summary. Allocating resources for training was a validated gap. This gap was revealed
to be closely connected to motivation. The MROs are provided a budget and time, but possibly
do not prioritize these resources for the purpose of training their Store Managers about retention
because it is not a clearly defined goal or expectation by the organization. Throughout the data
gathering, MROs believed they did not have or were unclear if they had resources to train Store
Managers about retention. Some MROs believed that this lack of resources, or clearly defined
resources was because retention is not a specific job responsibility which was confirmed by the
document analysis. Other MROs noted that there was a lack of budget and time based on the
outlined job responsibilities that are expected.
GAP ANALYSIS 83

Influence 2. Beauty Inc. needs to have proper processes in place to effectively
recognize employees for positive behaviors at work.
Survey results. As this influence is qualitative in nature, surveys provided little
information about the presence of the gap. When asked if the organization spent enough of its
resources recognizing employees, MROs overwhelmingly believe that it did not with 66%
disagreeing that it does, and 16% strongly disagreeing. These results are displayed below in
Figure 11. The findings from this question were a stark contrast to the knowledge of positive
behaviors. 50% of respondents strongly agreed, while the other 50% agreed that Senior
Leadership are aware of exceptional employee performance in the territories the MROs oversee.
In summary, senior leadership are aware of positive employee performance however do not
provide resources to recognize it. The lack of resource allocation helps to frame the lack of
proper processes as found in the interviews.

Figure 11 Organizational Influence Gaps
Interview findings. Interviews found that the organization needs to create proper
processes to effectively recognize positive behaviors. Similar to the training of Store Managers,
MROs noted that individually they all recognize employees in their own creative ways however
there are no processes outlined by the organization to do so, nor does Senior Leadership
GAP ANALYSIS 84

regularly acknowledge and provide recognition to the store level employees. This process comes
in stark contrast to the consensus that Senior Leadership are aware of positive behaviors in each
MRO region as found in the surveys. When asked about Senior Leadership recognizing
employees, one MRO said “it’s not really their job to recognize the staff to be honest, there’s not
like a formal process or someone we email when someone does something great. Its kinda up to
us to choose to recognize them which is obviously very important.”
From the interviews it was evident that each MRO operates differently, essentially being
a silo of the organization in their own designated territories. When asked about how Store
Managers recognize their employees, there was a consensus amongst MROs that each
store/MRO does things differently. One MRO stated “everyone does their own thing based on
the store. For me I try to give public recognition by shouting people out on conference calls or
emails so that my team knows the types of behaviors that I am looking for to reward.”
As noted earlier, other MROs mentioned methods such as having staff in an app called
“Group Me” to post recognition, while others provide tangible incentives such as rewards and
prizes. Words of affirmation or public praise was the most common theme amongst MROs
although they all chose a different forum to provide this recognition. As a follow-up to the lack
of a formal process expressed by MROs, participants were asked why they believed the
organization did not have a formal process to recognize positive behaviors. Multiple MROs
mentioned that in general, the organization does not have a lot of formal processes. One MRO
stated “we definitely have processes to hire and separate employees but not a lot in between as
far as orientation and recognition and stuff. There’s not like a manual of how to recognize
someone or like specific things to do. I think that we are all expected to know that going in to
this job.”
GAP ANALYSIS 85

Summary. The performance gap that Beauty Inc. needs to have proper processes in place
to effectively recognize positive behaviors at work was validated. Through survey results as
well as emergent theme in interviews, stakeholders did not believe that there are any formal
processes in place outlined by the organization. MROs agreed that Senior Leadership are aware
of the positive behaviors that are happening in the stores that they oversee, however no one,
including themselves, is formally responsible for recognizing employees. This gap in
accountability and process serves as a barrier to the MROs achieving their performance goal. If
there are not proper processes in place for any employee to be recognized, the MROs themselves
may not be aware if they are positively contributing to achieving the performance goal as there is
no one process outlined by the organization to recognize any employee.
Influence 3. Beauty Inc. needs to have proper processes for employees to
communicate to Senior Leadership their experiences at work.
Survey results. Surveys found unclear results measuring this performance gap. When
asked about feedback, 50% of respondents disagreed that any feedback they provide to the
organization will be seriously considered while the other 50% did not agree nor disagree.
However, when asked if employees had a voice at the organization, 33% of participants agreed
while 50% did not agree nor disagree. Of those who agreed, some were millennials while others
were not and of those millennial respondents, participants had received training outside of the
organization about employee engagement/retention which may indicate that this group of
participants felt empowered to express their opinions within the organization.
The MROs opinion of the organization having processes for employees to voluntary offer
feedback to the organization solicited mixed reviews, their opinion that the organization needed
to seek out feedback was clear. When asked if participants believed that the it is important that
the organization provides employee satisfaction surveys to store staff (which it currently does
GAP ANALYSIS 86

not), 50% of respondents strongly agreed while the other 50% agreed. The results of this
question are found below in Figure 12.

Figure 12 Organizational Influence Gaps
Interview findings. Interviews provided more clear findings about this organizational
performance gap. While some MROs expressed that certain managers solicit feedback from
their employees, it is not something that is consistent or a formal process that is outlined by the
organization. When asked about ways that employees are able to provide feedback about their
experiences at work, one MRO said “I think in certain stores, I don’t think it’s across the board, I
definitely think that some stores and some managers make that kind of environment. But I can’t
say that it’s consistent within every single location.” While some MROs felt that the ability for
employees to communicate about their experiences at work was MRO/store specific, others felt
that the voice of the employee was not existent at all. When asked the same question, another
MRO stated, “I’ll be honest, I don’t think there’s a lot of avenues where they’re [store
employees] able to do that, and/or they do that now…they can come to me, but an artist is not
always going to pick up the phone…” This sentiment was shared by many participants. MROs
stated that while there are not specific procedures or anonymous methods for employees to
GAP ANALYSIS 87

express their opinions, they as regional leaders make themselves available via email, text or
phone call for employees to express both positive or constructive feedback to be considered by
them or be cascaded to Senior Leadership. As interviews continued, participants were asked
about why they believed that there was not an established channel or method for employees to
communicate feedback as each MRO clearly indicated that this was lacking. One participants
stated “I think that there’s not a specific way or like a survey for employees because I think
Beauty (pseudonym) expects the manager to check in with employees on a regular basis and
address any concerns. I don’t think they realize that not all employees will be honest for fear of
retaliation and we should have other ways that people can share their thoughts. I mean
sometimes there are things that the artists think are really great and would like to continue but
it’s kinda like a guessing game.”
Summary. Based on findings from both the surveys and interviews, this knowledge gap
was validated. Similar to that of many assumed knowledge influences, there are no formal
processes that the organization has designed for MROs or employees to follow outside of
customer service and operational expectations. The “people management” piece was ambiguous
making it difficult for any employee to know proper methods or channels to do many things such
as communicate their experiences at work. With this gap, there is a sense of empowerment for
MROs to be creative and make themselves available to gather employee feedback however with
this, it is assumed that an MRO would need to be motivated to want to solicit feedback as there
are no specific expectations or formal processes to do so.

GAP ANALYSIS 88

Summary of Validated Influences
Knowledge
There were two knowledge influences that were validated based on data collection and
analysis. The first, a factual knowledge gap, was that MROs need to know the goal for employee
retention and their role in improving retention amongst staff. The lack of knowing a benchmark
or goal for employee retention contributes to the motivation gaps later discussed. Data collection
discovered that this responsibility is not communicated to MROs via the job description or
performance review therefore there is not a known goal, making it difficult for MROs to
consistently seek to achieve a level of retention. The MROs knew their job responsibilities that
are included in job description however were not able to connect those responsibilities to an
actual goal for employee retention and their role in achieving this goal. All methods of data
collection explicitly suggest this and potentially influence motivation gaps within the stakeholder
population.
The second knowledge influence that was validated was that MROs need to make
retention a part of the Store Manager’s performance rating. This reflective, metacognitive gap
was confirmed through all forms of data collection. Survey data suggested that MROs do reflect
about the retention of employees within their region however do not hold Store Managers
accountable to this formally whether employees are staying or leaving. 50% of participants
indicated that they did not agree nor disagree that retention is an important part of the Store
Manager’s performance rating however none indicated that they include this a part of the
performance review during interviews-regardless of significance.

GAP ANALYSIS 89

Motivation
There was one motivation gap validated through data analysis. MROs need to prioritize
training Store Managers about retention. Throughout data collection, MROs did not address
retention as a priority when coaching their Store Managers which presents a gap in the influence
that is preventing them from reaching their goal. MROs stated that they spend a majority of their
time developing the business acumen of the Store Managers as well as how to manage people;
although some of the points that MROs mentioned in their coaching of people management
positively influence retention, MROs do not directly connect concepts such as recognition and
measuring retention of staff. Much of the findings in the research indicated that the motivation
gaps were closely connected to the organizational barriers; these barriers seemingly cause the
gap to exist because of the framework, or lack thereof that the organization has outlined as
priorities.
Organization
All three organizational barriers preventing the MROs from achieving their goal were
validated. The organizations need to allocate resources for training, have proper processes in
place to effectively recognize good employee performance as well as re-structure it’s ways that
employees are able to communicate their experiences at work. These gaps seemed to be closely
connected to the MROs motivation as they indicate that retention may not be a priority to the
organization. The MROs are provided a budget and time, but possibly do not prioritize these
resources for the purpose of training their Store Managers about retention because it is not a
clearly defined goal or expectation by the organization. MROs agreed that retention is an
important to the success of the organization however seem to lack the resources as well as formal
processes given by the company to effectively manage the employee experience such as formally
holding Store Managers accountable.
GAP ANALYSIS 90

MROs agreed that Senior Leadership are aware of the positive behaviors that are
happening in the stores that they oversee, however no one, including themselves are formally
responsible for recognizing employees due to the lack of a process outlined by the organization..
This gap in accountability and process contributes to the MROs achieving their performance
goal. As addressed in greater detail for each gap, there was a sense amongst participants that the
lack of formal processes was an indication of empowerment to create processes when there are
gaps. However, with this, it is assumed that an MRO would need to be motivated to create
processes where there are gaps such as soliciting feedback from employees about their
experiences at work. Table 3 shows which assumed influences were validated.
Table 3
Summary of Validated Influences
Assumed Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational
Influence: Cause, Need, or Asset*

Validated, Not Validated,
Unable to Validate

(V, NV, UV)
MROs need to know the goal for employee retention and their
role in improving retention amongst staff (K)
V
MROs need to know how to effectively recognize good employee
performance (K)
NV
MROs need to understand how to provide on-going feedback to
employees (K)
NV
MROs need to make employee retention a part of rating the Store
Manager’s individual performance (K).
V
MRO’s should expect that their work in coaching Store
Manager’s will improve retention (M)
UV
MRO’s need to believe that they are capable of coaching and
developing the Store Managers to positively influence retention.
(M)
NV
MRO’s need to prioritize training Store Managers about retention
(M)
V
Beauty, Inc. needs to allocate resources for training (O)
V
Beauty Inc. needs to have proper processes in place to effectively
recognize employees for positive behaviors at work (O)
V
GAP ANALYSIS 91

Beauty Inc. needs to have proper processes for employees to
communicate to Senior Leadership their experiences at work (O)
V

Chapter Five will present recommendations for solutions to address the various
performance gaps that exist within the organization based on empirical evidence. These
recommendations are designed to help the organization and stakeholders address the gaps that
exist and better equip them to achieve their overall organizational goal.

GAP ANALYSIS 92

CHAPTER FIVE: RECOMMENDATIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of this project was to conduct a gap analysis in the areas of knowledge and
skill, motivation, and organizational resources necessary to reach the organizational performance
goal—achieving 80% employee retention. The analysis began by generating a list of possible
needs from the research literature about the implementation of successful training programs that
focus on increasing the level of employee motivation. The study then moved to examine and
compare these systematically against the assets available in the organization to focus on actual or
validated gaps and make recommendations for the implementation plan. While a complete
needs’ analysis would focus on all stakeholders, for practical purposes the stakeholder that was
focused on in the analysis was the Manager of Retail Operations.
The study questions this project sought to answer are:
1. What are the knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences that
interfere with the MRO’s implementing 100% of strategies known to
increase retention?
2. What are the recommended knowledge, motivation, and organizational
solutions to MRO’s implementing 100% of strategies known to
increase retention 100% of the time?
Knowledge Recommendations
There were a number of assumed influences that contributed to the problem of practice at
Beauty, Inc. The first influence that was discussed was based on the stakeholder’s lack of
procedural, declarative and metacognitive knowledge that is preventing them from achieving the
goal. Each assumed influence was validated through various forms of data collection and were
prioritized based on the Krathwohl’s four knowledge types. The researcher started with
GAP ANALYSIS 93

declarative (factual) knowledge as a basis that feeds the need for procedural knowledge.
Recommendations for the stakeholders are derived based on learning and motivation
theory. Table 4 displays a visual representation of each knowledge type and the recommended
treatment based on theory.
Table 4
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations
Assumed
Knowledge
Influence: Cause,
Need, or Asset*

Priority
Yes, No
(Y, N)
Principle and Citation
Context-Specific Recommendation
Managers need
to know the
goal for
employee
retention and
their role in
improving
retention
amongst staff
(F)
Y The stakeholders’ lack of
factual knowledge of the goal
for retention was revealed
during survey data collection
and the review of
literature. Without clear goals,
it is not possible to know
whether we are succeeding or
failing (Clark and Estes, 2008
pg. 26)
Self-regulatory strategies,
including goal
setting, enhance learning and
performance
(APA, 2015: Dembo & Eaton,
2000; Denler,
et al., 2009).
Provide information to
managers about company
retention and the goal as well as
their role in how to improve
retention. If people do not need
help practicing in order to apply
the information successfully,
then information is all that is
necessary to reduce their
uncertainty about to how to
achieve a performance goal
MROs need to
make employee
retention a part
of rating the
Store
Manager’s
individual
rformance (M)
Y
The stakeholders’ lack of
metacognitive knowledge of
how to reflect and hold
managers accountable to
retention was revealed through
interviews and the literature
review. The literature on being
specific in goal setting and how
to achieve a goal notes that
application knowledge must be
very specific in order to have
value for most people at work
(Clark and Estes, 2008).
Provide a job aid to the MROs
asking them to highlight the
occurrences their Store
Managers have provided
feedback, recognition or
meaningful experiences to their
employees.

GAP ANALYSIS 94

Factual knowledge solutions. Table 4 highlights the stakeholder knowledge needs and
recommended solutions to address the problem of practice and close the knowledge gaps for the
Managers of Retail Operations. In order to best address the factual knowledge gaps with this
stakeholder, it is recommended to provide information to managers about company retention and
the goal as well as their role in how to improve retention. This knowledge need was assumed
and validated through surveys that showed a frequency in the lack of knowing the organizational
goal as well as a literature review. Understanding that a lack of this knowledge prevents the
stakeholder from achieving its goal, providing information will help the stakeholder develop a
deeper understanding of the goal and what is needed to achieve it. If people do not need help
practicing in order to apply the information successfully, then information is all that is necessary
to reduce their uncertainty about to how to achieve a performance goal (Clark & Estes,
2008). The stakeholder simply needs to know that there is a goal, and what part they play in
achieving it. Without clear goals, it is not possible to know whether we are succeeding or failing
(Clark and Estes, 2008 pg. 26).
Furthermore, providing information to the stakeholders is an advantageous
recommendation as the nature of the MRO and the population they are seeking to improve is
action oriented-once they know what the goal is and their role, they will be able to understand
that they have a responsibility to improve retention amongst staff. Literature highlights that self-
regulatory strategies, including goal setting, enhance learning and performance (APA, 2015:
Dembo & Eaton, 2000; Denler, et al., 2009). Providing information to the MROs will improve
their performance in the area of retention and enhance knowledge.
Behavior that is reinforced is
strengthened. (Daly, 2009)
GAP ANALYSIS 95

Metacognitive knowledge solutions. In addition to declarative knowledge,
metacognitive knowledge was also validated through data analysis. Table 4 displays a
metacognitive knowledge need to improve the problem of practice for the MRO. The
stakeholders’ lack of metacognitive knowledge to reflect and hold managers accountable to
retention was validated through interviews, surveys, document analysis and literature review.
The literature on being specific in goal setting and how to achieve a goal notes that application
knowledge must be very specific in order to have value for most people at work (Clark and
Estes, 2008). Additionally, behavior that is reinforced is strengthened.
(Daly, 2009) making reflecting about and including retention as a part of the annual rating an
important knowledge influence gap to improve.
It is recommended to provide information to the MROs about how to incorporate
retention into the accountability of a Store Manager. A good education provides people with
solid but general conceptual and analytical knowledge. In addition to this, MROs will engage in
a reflective activity where they are given mock performance metrics including the amount of
employees retained and will be asked to draft a performance review.
Motivation Recommendations
Introduction. Continuing with the assumed influences that contribute to the problem of
practice at Beauty, Inc, the next section will explore motivation. The influence that is discussed
is based on the stakeholder’s lack of expectancy and utility value motivation that is preventing
them from achieving the goal. The assumed influence was validated through various forms of
data collection and were prioritized based on Clark and Estes gap analysis (Clark and Estes,
2008). Recommendations for the stakeholders are derived based on learning and motivation
theory. Table 5 displays a visual representation of each motivation type and the recommended
treatment based on theory.
GAP ANALYSIS 96

Table 5
Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations
Assumed
Motivation
Influence:
Cause, Need,
or Asset*

Priority
Yes, No
(Y, N)
Principle and Citation Context-Specific
Recommendation
MRO’s need
to prioritize
training Store
Managers
about
retention.
Y
The stakeholders lack of utility value
was revealed through interviews,
surveys and document analysis. Much
of what people do is chosen not
because they love it or excel at it, but
because they want the benefits that
come when they finish it (Clark and
Estes, 2008). It is important to include
rationales about the importance and
utility value of the task (Pintrich,
2003). Incentives can significantly
increase people’s willingness to
choose and persist at work goals
(Clark and Estes, 2008)
Provide information to
MROs about the
productivity of engaged
employees. Additionally,
provide a reward system
for MRO’s whose
territories increase
retention percentages.

Expectancy-Value: It was revealed through various forms of data collection that MROs
need to prioritize training Store Managers about retention. Much of what people do is chosen not
because they love it or excel at it, but because they want the benefits that come when they finish
it (Clark and Estes, 2008) therefore providing information to the MROs about the productivity of
engaged employees is important increase value. It is important to include rationales about the
importance and utility value of the task (Pintrich, 2003) so that the MROs prioritize training in
their schedules. Incentives can significantly increase people’s willingness to choose and persist
at work goals (Clark and Estes, 2008) so providing a reward to add value to the motivation for
MROs.
Expectancy, reflected through utility value and intrinsic interest is key to maintaining
motivation. People who are pessimistic or believe that they cannot be effective no matter what
GAP ANALYSIS 97

they do will not achieve work goals (Clark and Estes, 2008). Wigfield & Eccles (1992) argue
that a learner’s choice, persistence, and performance can be attributed to their beliefs about how
well they expect to do on the activity and how much value they put on completing the activity.
Taormina (2009) notes that more effective motivational strategies focus on the employee’s sense
of achievement, affiliation, autonomy, and power. It is anticipated that the MROs value will be
revealed through the action plan they develop for training implementation.
Learning and motivation are enhanced when learners have positive expectancies for
success (Pajares, 2006). Phillips & Gully (1997) note that there is a positive correlation between
ability, learning goal orientation and self-efficacy, making self-efficacy a key contributor to
expectancy and utility value. Skinner and Belmont (1993) discuss that a teacher’s ability to
motivate and inspire students has a direct impact on their learning. This theory can also be
applied to the idea that the MRO as the teacher and Store Manager as the student can produce the
same results for the MRO to motivate and inspire Store Managers to improve retention by
prioritizing training them to do so.
Organization Recommendations
Introduction. As this study seeks to understand influences, recommendations finish
with considering organizational culture. The first influence that is discussed is based on the
organization’s lack of resource allocation that prevent stakeholders from improving the problem
of practice and reaching the goal. The considerations continue with addressing organizational
processes to recognize employee performance Each assumed influence was validated through
various forms of data collection and were prioritized based on Clark and Estes gap analysis.
Recommendations for the stakeholders are derived based on a variety of organizational change
theory. Table 6 displays a visual representation of each organizational culture influence and the
recommended treatment based on theory.
GAP ANALYSIS 98

Table 6
Summary of Organizational Influences and Recommendations
Assumed
Organization
Influence: Cause,
Need, or Asset*

Priority
Yes, No
(Y, N)
Principle and Citation

Context-Specific
Recommendation
Beauty, Inc. needs
to allocate time
and financial
resources for
training Store
Managers
Y The organization’s lack of resource
allocation toward training Store
Managers on the skills known to
improve retention was revealed
through interviews. Clark and Estes
(2008) note that organizations require
material resources in order to achieve
goals.
Effective accountability systems must
ensure that adequate fiscal resources
are in place to meet organizational
goals or drive improvement (Dowd &
Grant, 2006).
Provide research-
based information to
the organizational
leaders about results
from other
organizations who
have invested
resources in retention
trainings.
Beauty Inc. needs
to have proper
processes in place
to effectively
recognize
employees for
positive behaviors
at work.
Y The organizations need to improve
employee recognition processes was
identified through interviews.
Effective organizations insure that
organizational messages, rewards,
policies and procedures that govern
the work of the organization are
aligned with or are supportive of
organizational goals and values (Clark
and Estes, 2008). When work
processes are inadequate or
misaligned with business goals, the
risk of failure is great (Clark and
Estes, 2008). Additionally, the
authors note that effective change
begins by addressing
motivation influencers; it ensures the
group knows why it needs to change.
It then addresses organizational
barriers and then knowledge and skills
needs (Clark and Estes, 2008)

Provide evidence-
based information to
organizational leaders
about empirical
research studies of
organizations that
have successfully
implemented
recognition
programming
GAP ANALYSIS 99

Beauty Inc. needs
to restructure its
communication
channels for
employees
Y The organization’s need to
restructure the ways employees can
voice their opinions about work was
revealed through
interviews. Organizational barriers
such as such as missing tools,
inadequate facilities or faulty
processes or procedures prevent or
delay work (Clark and Estes,
2008). Furthermore, Denning (2005)
notes that effective leaders are
knowledgeable of communication
processes and how to use them for
effective organizational
change making it paramount for the
organization to have a structure in
place for employee to effectively
communicate. Effective leaders have
the skills and
strategies needed to redesign their
organization for effective
communication (Denning, 2005).
Implement an
employee survey and
create a monitoring
process, with
regular check in
meetings to review
data and make
changes to work
processes if needed

Processes: It was revealed through interviews with stakeholders that Beauty Inc needs to
allocate resources including time, money and content to train managers on how to improve
retention amongst staff. Clark and Estes (2008) note that organizations require material
resources in order to achieve goals which supports the cause that the organization needs to
allocate resources in order to improve the problem of practice. Furthermore, in order to ensure
that there is an accountability of Store Managers to improve retention amongst staff, the
organization must ensure that adequate fiscal resources are in place to meet organizational goals
or drive improvement (Dowd & Grant, 2006). Kotter (1995) notes that one of the fundamental
steps to an effective organizational change process includes empowering others to act on the
vision. With this, in order for MRO’s to be empowered to develop the Store Managers skills
with improving retention, they need resources from the organization to swiftly mobilize them
into action. In order to improve this, it is recommended that research-based information be
GAP ANALYSIS 100

provided to the organizational leaders about results from other organizations who have invested
resources in retention trainings. This will institute a best practices model for the organization to
frame how they include retention focused training resources to the budget.
Processes: The organizations’ need to improve employee recognition processes was
identified through interviews as well. Effective organizations ensure that organizational
messages, rewards, policies and procedures that govern the work of the organization are aligned
with or are supportive of organizational goals and values (Clark and Estes, 2008). When work
processes are inadequate or misaligned with business goals, the risk of failure is great (Clark and
Estes, 2008), making the recommendation to improve this barrier advantageous for Beauty
Inc. Additionally, the authors note that effective change begins by addressing motivation
influencers; it ensures the group knows why it needs to change. It then addresses organizational
barriers and then knowledge and skills needs. With this, it is recommended that evidence-based
information be provided to organizational leaders about empirical research studies of
organizations who have successfully implemented recognition programming
Cultural Model: The organization’s need to restructure the ways employees can voice
their opinions about work was revealed through interviews. Organizational barriers such as such
as missing tools, inadequate facilities or faulty processes or procedures prevent or delay work
(Clark and Estes, 2008). Furthermore, Denning (2005) notes that effective leaders are
knowledgeable of communication processes and how to use them for effective organizational
change making it paramount for the organization to have a structure in place for employee to
effectively communicate. Effective leaders have the skills and strategies needed to redesign their
organization for effective communication (Denning, 2005). It is recommended that the
organization implement an employee survey and create a monitoring process, with regular check
in meetings to review data and make changes to work processes if needed.
Running head: GAP ANALYSIS 101

Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan
Implementation and Evaluation Framework
The model that was used to design the implementation and evaluation plan was
Kirkpatrick’s New World Model (Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick, 2016). This model serves as a
guide for executing effective organizational change in tandem with the Clark and Estes (2008)
gap analysis which was used to understand the knowledge, motivation and organizational culture
influences contributing to the problem of practice. Kirkpatrick’s New World Model of
evaluation takes a somewhat unconventional approach as it “works backward” by starting with
outlining the organizational goal and connecting the achievement of the goal through leading
indicators that bridge recommendations to goal attainment. Furthermore, the New World model
ensures that recommendation implementation is both useful and credible to the organization by
measuring results beyond the reaction and learning level to measuring a behavior change and
achievement of results. Lastly the model takes into account three phases to properly vet
implementation and evaluation of treatment; phase one: planning, two: execution, and three:
demonstration of value. As it is important for the organization to account for cost-benefit when
implementing a financial investment within the organization, it is important that evaluation begin
with results.
Organizational Purpose, Need and Expectations
The mission of Beauty Inc. is to be the world’s leading makeup authority serving both
professional makeup artists and consumers while supporting the credo all ages, all races, all
sexes. In order to achieve this the organization must have an engaged, well trained
workforce. The organizational performance problem at the root of this study was employee
retention and motivation. According to self-reported data by the organization, 32% of retail
employees have left in the last twelve months (July 2015-July 2016) which is a substantial
GAP ANALYSIS 102

increase in attrition compared to the national average of 7% reported by the Bureau of National
Affairs in 2014. During August of 2016 Beauty, Inc. saw a drastic uptick in attrition rates
peaking at 42% of employees that month compared to 24% in March of 2016. The primary
reasons according to exit surveys conducted by the human resources for employees leaving are:
recognition, work-life balance, lack of career opportunities and the relationship the associate has
with their manager.
In order to improve the problem of practice, by 2019 100% of the Managers of Retail
Operations will implement 100% of training strategies known to increase retention 100% of the
time. The MRO’s have a direct impact on the training and performance of Store Managers who
are leading the population most affected therefore, implementation of training strategies by
MROs will likely have a widescale impact on the entire Store Manager population. Successful
implementation of this will aim to result in an increase of retail staff retention at 80% by fiscal
year 2020. It is expected that MROs will implement training strategies and evaluate progress of
staff’s level of engagement on a quarterly basis.
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators
Table 7 displays the proposed Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators as explained in
Kirkpatrick’s New World model. These indicators are represented by outcomes, metrics and
methods for internal and external outcomes as a result of implementation of recommendations. If
the internal outcomes are met as a result of implementation of training strategies known to
improve retention on the job then vicariously the external outcomes will be met as well.
Table 7
Outcomes, Metrics and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes
Outcome Metric(s) Method(s)

External Outcomes

GAP ANALYSIS 103

Increase in sales performance Increase in conversion of shoppers into
transactions
Shoppertrak data and
transaction performance
versus last year
Improved customer
satisfaction
Increase in transactions Customer satisfaction
surveys
Improved market share of
Beauty Inc compared to total
cosmetic sales
Improvement in rank amongst prestige beauty
brands based on an increase in sales
performance
NPR data rankings

Internal Outcomes

Improved retail staff retention Decrease in the amount of employee
separations
Human resource staffing
reporting
Improved staff morale Increase in retention of staff continuing in their
roles with the company
Employee satisfaction
survey
Improved staff productivity
performance
Increase in average unit sale and items per
transaction
Store productivity reporting

Level 3: Behavior
Critical behaviors. In addition to outcomes, the MROs behaviors will also be gauged as
a result of implementation of strategies known to improve retention. Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick
(2006) note that critical behaviors are key in understanding the degree to which stakeholders
apply what they learned during implementation back on the job. Furthermore, Level 3:
Behaviors also considers how the organization is supporting the stakeholder to use skills on the
job. The critical behaviors that are expected and measured for the MROs at Beauty Inc. are
prioritizing the skills learned by scheduling time to coach Store Managers about retention
strategies, facilitating trainings to the Store Managers, as well as recognizing and providing
performance-based feedback to Store Managers who are or are not improving retention in their
stores. Table 8 below shows each critical behavior and how each will be measured.
Table 8
Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods and Timing for Evaluation
Critical Behavior Metric(s) Method(s) Timing
MRO will coach Store
Managers on the skills known
to improve retention
The decrease of
employee separations
The MRO will track
the amount of
separations that occur
quarterly
Over the
course of
fiscal 2020
GAP ANALYSIS 104

Stakeholder will provide
performance-based feedback
to Store Managers about
employee retention skills
The Store Manager
rating on aligning and
engaging the team in
performance review
Performance review End of
fiscal 2020
MRO will recognize Store
Managers who demonstrate
behaviors known to improve
retention such as on-going
feedback and recognition.
Decrease in employee
separations
Quarterly “shout
out” of these
managers to territory
Quarterly
Stakeholder will schedule
time to coach Store Managers
to develop recognition and
feedback skills
Improvement in skills MRO will include
this training in
calendarization
priorities
Quarterly

Required drivers. To support the MROs implementation of skills on the job. Level 3:
Behaviors also suggest that the organization provide rewards and/or recognition that reinforce,
encourage and reward the MROs as they demonstrate the critical behaviors highlighted in Table
XIII. It is recommended that the organization reinforce the training through follow ups from
Senior Leadership to the MROs to ensure that skills they are not confident in gain clarity as well
as require a quarterly reflective memo to be written to capstone the skills learned and reinforce
the importance of retention to the organization. Lastly to the training implementation should be
included as a part of each MROs yearly personal development plan in which they will highlight
the results of the implementation of skills in their coaching of Store Managers. The organization
is also encouraged to provide feedback about the MROs implementation of training strategies
known to improve retention on an ongoing basis during weekly check-ins as well as provide
opportunities for MROs to work together to share ideas and best practices in their
implementation of what they’ve learned. Additionally, it is recommended that the organization
provide both monetary and qualitative reward systems to highlight and acknowledge MROs who
are implementing skills they’ve learned on the job. These motivational influences or “drivers”
are displayed in Table 9 below.
GAP ANALYSIS 105

Table 9
Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors
Method(s) Timing
Critical Behaviors
Supported 1, 2, 3
Etc.
Reinforcing
Follow up training to revisit the skills learned in the
original training
Semi
annual
1,2,3,4
Reflective memo from MROs as a part of the review
process to recount how they’ve developed in training their
managers about retention strategies
Yearly 1,2,3,4
Senior leadership include territory retention performance
in performance development plan for each MRO
Yearly 1,2,3,4
Encouraging
Each MRO cross train with a peer Quarterly 1,2,3,4
Informal feedback from Senior Leadership about each
MROs understanding of training
Monthly 1,2,3,4
Rewarding
Monetary rewards included in MRO yearly bonus Yearly 1,2,3,4
Announcement to organization about MROs whose
territories show an increase in retained employees
Quarterly 1,2,3,4
Monitoring
Senior leadership can ask for highlights about what each
MRO has learned in weekly group wide conference calls
Weekly 1,2,3,4
Senior Leadership can review territory retention for each
MRO in the mid-year review check in
January 1,2,3,4

Organizational support. The organization is encouraged to be actively involved in the
implementation of skills by the MROs. In order to support this, Beauty Inc Senior leadership is
encouraged to cascade its yearly budget internally to the organization for MROs to understand
how resources are being allocated to support their implementation of skills known to improve
retention. Additionally, this will reinforce to the entire organization that the leadership is
invested and taking the retention of its employees seriously. The organization is also encouraged
to make companywide announcements for exceptional achievement and accomplishments from
Retail Store staff. This support from the organization reiterates the need for a focus on retention
GAP ANALYSIS 106

and thus will encourage MROs to be engaged in the critical behaviors that are reflective of their
learning, implementation and understanding of the training.
Level 2: Learning
Learning goals. Upon successful completion of the recommended solutions the stakeholder will
be able to:
1. Understand their role in improving employee retention (D)
2. Recognize key indicators of employee engagement and morale 100% of the time (D)
3. Understand and implement the skills known to improve employee retention (P)
4. Understand how to provide on-going performance based feedback (P)
5. Understand how to measure the Store Manager’s performance in regard to improving
retention (P)
6. Prioritize developing the Store Managers’ skills to improve retention through a balance
schedule and forward planning process (M)
7. Feel confident that they can positively affect retention within their territory (Confidence)
8. Expect that their work in developing skills that are known to improve retention will
improve attrition rates in their respective regions (Expectancy)
Program. The learning goals listed above will be achieved through a training where
participants will learn and explore the skills known to improve retention. The participants will
engage in the learning in tandem with their direct report supervisor on a variety of topics
including a review of company goals for improved retention, indicators of employee
engagement, disengagement, recognition, communication, feedback and goal
setting. Participants will engage in the learning in a blended format with live facilitation and
asynchronous e-learning modules. The asynchronous materials will provide an opportunity for
learnings to understand concepts, review moot case studies and develop an on-going
implementation action plan that will enable them to create tangible action items to include on the
job. The total completion time for the training is 10 hours (2 hours facilitation, 6 hours e-
learning and 2 hours reflection) for a one-time completion. It is recommended that the
organization offer the training annually for new MROs.
GAP ANALYSIS 107

The asynchronous materials in the training will review key definitions to understand
strategies to improve retention as well as a supplemental job aid for participants to utilize as a
tool for later review. Additionally, these e-learnings will include moot style case studies that
will allow participants to dissect employee and supervisor behaviors and identify effective
strategies based on the learnings, that may lead to an improved employee experience which will
ultimately improve retention. Videos will include an instructor lead discussion of the various
topics, followed by a visual aid of key takeaways for learners to hone in on. At the end of each
module participants will be asked to pause, reflect and write down ideas for their actions plans to
take back on the job.
During the synchronous training participants will engage in a guided group discussion
about the state of employee retention within the organization and what they believe contributes
to this. The facilitator will review empirical and theoretical information about retention as well
as key findings in independent studies. During the final synchronous training the team will
analyze who they can put the skills learned through the first synchronous training as well as
asynchronous learnings into practice on the job.
At the completion of the training the learners will engage in reflective practice together to
discuss takeaways and their action plans for implementation. Organizational leaders will be
asked to develop a quarterly goal for retention results and systems or recognition and reward for
those who achieve.
Components of learning. A learner’s ability to demonstrate knowing the “what” is a
fundamental step in knowing the “how” in the learning process. With this, participants will be
asked to demonstrate their declarative knowledge of the goal for employee retention, their role in
accomplishing this and the importance of strategies known to improve retention such as
recognition and ongoing feedback. The learners will then demonstrate their understanding of
GAP ANALYSIS 108

procedural knowledge of “how” to put these strategies into action back on the job. WIth this, it
is important that participants value and feel confident in their abilities to positively impact
improved retention on the job. Table 10 lists the evaluation method and timing for each
component of learning.
Table 10
Components of Learning for the Program
Method(s) or Activity(ies) Timing
Declarative Knowledge “I know it.”
Knowledge checks through written summary of module
narrative activity
After each asynchronous
module
Knowledge checks through discussion After synchronous activities
Procedural Skills “I can do it right now.”
Action plan at the completion of training describing how the
learner will apply skills on the job
Completed throughout
training, implemented after.
Group discussion during live trainings about topics
discussed and how MROs can work together to implement
back on the job
Completed during live
trainings
Attitude “I believe this is worthwhile.”
Discussion of value with direct report supervisor Throughout training
Whole group discussion of any issues about material during training
Confidence “I think I can do it on the job.”
Likert scale survey of ability At the middle and completion
of training
Group discussion of application of skills during training
Commitment “I will do it on the job.”
End of training assessment At the completion of training
Action plan of how MRO will implement all of the skills
learned back on the job. Plan should include 30, 60 and 90
day goals.
At the completion of training

Level 1: Reaction
Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick (2006) note that level one “reactions” measure the degree to
which the participants favorable, engaging and relevant to their jobs. The components listed
below aim to measure the degree to which participants feel engaged, satisfied and feel that the
information is relevant to their jobs.
GAP ANALYSIS 109

In order to gauge the participants level of engagement there will be a variety of
observations made by the facilitator during live trainings and attendance will be taken to ensure
that all participants are a part of the experience. Completion of the end of training survey will
allow participants to reflect on their learning experience and key takeaways which is a direct
measurement of their engagement, satisfaction and level to which they found the information
relevant to their jobs. Table 11 shows the components that measure reactions to the program.
Table 11
Components that Measure Reactions to the Programs
Method(s) or Tool(s) Timing
Engagement
Completion of online modules Ongoing throughout training
Observation by facilitator During synchronous trainings
Attendance at 2 synchronous trainings During synchronous trainings
End of training survey End of training
Relevance
Written training evaluation Completion of training
Customer Satisfaction
Written training evaluation Completion of training

Evaluation Tools
Immediately following the program implementation. Participants will engage in
evaluation of the training both from the first synchronous meeting, continuing throughout
asynchronous activities and after completion when they are applying skills on the job. The goal
of the evaluation is to measure Kirkpatrick’s four levels of training evaluation to ensure that the
training is a worthwhile investment from the organization and that participants have effectively
gained knowledge to apply on the job. Evaluation is both formative and summative by the
GAP ANALYSIS 110

facilitator for synchronous activities and on the learning management system for asynchronous
activities.
For level one “reactions” during the in-person, synchronous workshops, the facilitator
will conduct randomized “pulse checks” by asking participants how the material relates to their
roles as MROs within their designated territories as well as how they would implement the
information into the action plans to apply back on the job. Level two “learning” will be
measured through discussions lead by the facilitator recapping the material and asking
participants to summarize their learnings.
For level three “behaviors” the MROs will engage in an accountability driven informal
conversation with senior leadership about how they will modify their schedules to reflect time
spent coaching Store Managers about the behaviors needed to improve retention. For level four
results, MROs will be asked to submit to their direct supervisor their current staffing and to
monitor any attrition over the course of the corresponding three months.
Throughout the asynchronous portion of the training, the LMS will note the completion
of each module as an indicator of level one engagement in the learning material. Additionally, at
the end of each asynchronous learning module, the LMS will ask participants to rate their level
of satisfaction and efficacy with the material discussed as it relates to implementation on the job
Appendix D displays an example instrument used to gauge level one and two during the
asynchronous training.
Delayed for a period after the program implementation. Approximately six months
after the completion of the training, participants will complete a survey which aims to measure
their progress with skills learned and results from implementation. The survey will contain both
open and likert scaled items which aim to gather qualitative and quantitative data about the on
the job experience after the training. The survey will contain items aimed to understand
GAP ANALYSIS 111

participants reactions to the training (level 1), what they learned (level 2), how they have been
able to apply their knowledge to improve retention (level 3) and lastly how their results with
reaching their benchmark for retained employees as indicated in their post-training action plan
(level 4). The goal of this survey is to provide a metacognitive exercise for participants as well
as reinforce the skills learned in the training. With this, the survey aims to be an instrument of
accountability of participants to measure their application of skills learned in the
training. Appendix E shows an example of items that will be included in the survey.
Data Analysis and Reporting
Immediate data collection will allow for the organization to gauge all four levels of
Kirkpatrick’s Training Evaluation to understand what the key takeaways from participants
are. This information is useful to measure if the investment was worthwhile as well as to use as
comparative data against the delayed findings once participants have been implementing the
skills learned into their routines back on the job. Results from the survey during program
implementation and delayed after 6 months will be compared to see if participants reactions,
learning, behavior and results have improved toward the desired stakeholder goal or if they have
not. This information can be used to modify or improve the training for future MRO’s as well as
understand what improvements can be made while participants are still in the training. Results
may also indicate the need for follow up training or areas that need further development.
Delayed survey results as well as tracking consumer feedback about their experiences in
Beauty Inc. stores will help to measure if the training was successful. Dashboards will be used
to display if the amount of attrition has improved in the territories where participants oversee
from training implementation until the stakeholder goal is achieved. Each 6 months after
program completion there should be a consistent improvement in staff retention from each MRO
territory. If the results vary, it is suggested that further qualitative research is done to explore the
GAP ANALYSIS 112

varying results from each MRO. An example of a pie that would indicate the attrition results is
shown below.

Summary
One of the pivotal points of difference in utilizing the Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick 2016
New World Model of Training Evaluation is to trust the process and commit to evaluating
“backwards” from results to reactions. It is important to keep “the main thing, the main thing
(Covey, 1994)” and that is training to reach the stakeholder goal which ultimately impacts the
organizational goal. In analyzing the data derived from the training evaluation, it is important to
reflect on these questions:
1. Did the training meeting expectations? Did the MROs learn or implement the
skills?
2. If not, why did the MROs not learn or implement the skills?
3. If they did learn and implement the skills, why did they?
Throughout this chapter I have explained my recommendation to utilize the Kirkpatrick
New World Four Levels of Training Evaluation to implement and assess a program for Manager
of Retail Operations in the Southwest division of Beauty Inc. with the goal of improving
retention amongst retail staff in this area. The program is expected to provide participants with
the knowledge and skills necessary to improve the critical behaviors that are necessary to
GAP ANALYSIS 113

achieving the stakeholder goal. By utilizing this framework, the program facilitator coupled with
data derived from asynchronous coursework will help to improve the learning experience for
participants. I have outlined a variety of methods the training will seek to measure results,
behaviors, learning and reactions. Based on this data, ultimately the organization will be able to
gauge the effectiveness of the program both during and after implementation. Comparative data
from these two time periods will allow for further amendments to the curriculum as well as
identify any gaps where additional training or follow up may be needed which ultimately helps
participants achieve the stakeholder goal. By improving critical behaviors and ensuring MROs
have the knowledge and skills necessary to improve retention, the organization is better set for
success to achieve the global goal of being the world’s leading makeup authority.
There are multiple influences of turnover (wages, morale, engagement etc.) and this study
sought to focus on the role of the manager in influencing employee turnover. Findings of this
study revealed that the primary performance gap lied in the organization making a greater effort
to connect its goal for retained employees in the expectations of managers. Improving this gap
mitigates the cost of unnecessary training expenses and the loss of employees as the MROs have
the skills, however need to understand their role in improving retention as an expectation. Often
times as found in various studies, leaders default to a gap in the knowledge influences affecting
organizational performance however this study revealed that the gap lied in the organizational
barriers. It is important to engage in inquiry that assesses the knowledge, motivation and
organizational barriers in order to develop a more informed outcome for effective
recommendations.

GAP ANALYSIS 114

Limitations
Limitations
Sample size: The population of the stakeholder group of focus was 6. All members of the
population participated in the study however in the size provided limited data from the
stakeholder group.
Self-reported data: The research was derived from self-reported data from the
organization about the current employee attrition rates and reasons for separating. This data
cannot be verified and must be used for the purposes in identifying the problem of practice.
Suggestions
In reflecting about the study goals and data collection/analysis for this study there are
suggestions the researcher encourages for future research in the area of retention at a for-profit
organization. This study included document analysis, surveys and interviews to assess the
influences preventing the stakeholder from achieving its goal. For future research observations
may add additional value when assessing the procedural and declarative knowledge influences
for the stakeholder. It may be beneficial to see the stakeholder in action applying or lacking in
applying skills to give an accurate assessment of their knowledge. Additionally, a quiz is
suggested to be completed to assess factual knowledge as well. These two methods of data
collection may help to address areas that survey and interview data found to be ambiguous and
difficult to grasp a concrete answer or point of view.
In this study the researcher was an internal member of the organization in a peer-level
position to the stakeholder of study, therefore unable to complete the interviews (interviews were
completed by a co-investigator). For future research it is encouraged that researchers be outside
members of the organization to further mitigate researcher bias as well as have the ability to
complete interviews. This study proved to be primarily qualitative in nature with interviews
GAP ANALYSIS 115

providing the majority of data. As this study was completed, there was value in the principal
researcher completing the interviews as they had knowledge of the document analysis and survey
data and could better gauge gaps in data.
Lastly, it is encouraged that future researchers obtain a larger sample size for the
stakeholder of focus. Although this study was able to gauge trends of data based on responses,
there were limitations in the ability to compare data based on race, age, education level and other
demographic information because of the small sample size. In this study, the protocol aimed to
ensure that all responses were anonymous and with the small sample size and diverse group of
participants, this study was not able to compare responses based on demographic information.
As there were consistent themes and few outlier responses, it was not necessary to make these
comparisons for this study but may be for future research If future researchers are unable to
obtain a larger sample size, it is recommended that the findings of the research not be
anonymous in the protocol and the researcher obtain permission to publish demographic
information.

GAP ANALYSIS 116

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Appendix A

Survey Protocol
Thank you for volunteering to participate in this survey. Please note that your
participation in this interview is 100% voluntary and if at any point you should decide you no
longer want to participate, please close your browser and all captured responses will be discarded
and no longer used as data. Please note that all questions must be answered to the best of your
ability, and as this is not an assessment, there are no right or wrong answers. Additionally, for
the purpose of reviewing your responses at a later date, responses to save onto the database. You
are not required to identify yourself in this survey and all responses will be analyzed for
comparisons in data and trends. Also, I will be the only person reviewing your statements and
the goal of the study is to keep all of your responses anonymous. Please note that your
continuation into the survey will serve as agreement to this disclaimer.
Select the rating that best aligns with your belief:
Rate these factors according to how you feel about your workplace.
1-Strongly Agree
2-Agree
3-Neither Agree Nor Disagree
4-Disagree
5-Strongly Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Agree Neither
Agree
nor
Disagree
Disagree Strongly
Disagree
1. I believe that retention is
important to the company
1 2 3 4 5
2. Store Managers have the
tools they need to improve
retention
1 2 3 4 5
3. Store Managers provide
performance based feedback
to employees on a regular
basis
1 2 3 4 5
GAP ANALYSIS 124

4. Store Managers lead their
teams with fairness and
consistency
1 2 3 4 5
5. I believe employees
leaving is often a reflection
of the manager
1 2 3 4 5
6. Most employees leave the
company because of pay
1 2 3 4 5
7. I am satisfied with the
resources available to you to
recognize Store Managers
who meet employee
retention goals?
1 2 3 4 5
8. I prioritize discussing
retention with the Store
Managers I oversee
1 2 3 4 5
9. Store Managers are aware
of the goal for employee
retention
1 2 3 4 5
10. The company spends
enough money and time on
recognizing employees
1 2 3 4 5
11. I believe that any
feedback I give the
organization to improve will
be seriously considered
1 2 3 4 5
12. At this organization,
employees have a voice.
1 2 3 4 5
13. Employees are afraid to
offer feedback about their
work experience prior to
leaving the organization.
1 2 3 4 5
14. The company has
communicated a goal about
employee retention to me.
1 2 3 4 5
15. I believe employee
retention is important to the
success of the company
1 2 3 4 5
16. The company provides
me with resources to coach
Store Managers about
retention.
1 2 3 4 5
17. I am confident today
that any coaching I do with
Store Managers will
1 2 3 4 5
GAP ANALYSIS 125

improve retention amongst
staff?
18. The goal of employee
retention is discussed by
senior leadership with you
(as a group)?
1 2 3 4 5
19. The organization
provides professional
development opportunities
for me to learn about
strategies known to improve
retention
1 2 3 4 5
20. I believe it is important
that the organization
provides employee
satisfaction surveys to retail
store staff.
1 2 3 4 5
21. I am confident in my
own feedback skills
1 2 3 4 5
22. I provide incentives for
Store Managers who have
strong employee retention
1 2 3 4 5
23. I am confident in my
ability to recognize good
employee performance
1 2 3 4 5
24. In this organization,
employees have a voice.
1 2 3 4 5
25. Senior leadership are
aware of exceptional
employees in my region
1 2 3 4 5
26. I reflect about the
retention of employees in
my region.
1 2 3 4 5
27. Retention is an
important part of the Store
Manager performance
summary
1 2 3 4 5
28. I hold Store Managers
accountable to improve
retention
1 2 3 4 5
29. Employees leave
because of their manager at
this organization
1 2 3 4 5
30. Store Managers know
how to effectively supervise
employees
1 2 3 4 5
GAP ANALYSIS 126

Demographic Information
1. How long have you worked for the company? ____ years ___ months
2. Please indicate your gender.
a. Female
b. Male

3. Please indicate if you graduated from a college/university.
a. Attended and graduated
b. Attended and did not graduate
c. Did not attend

4. Please indicate the tenure in your role.
a. 0-1 year
b. 1-3 years
c. 3-5 years
d. 5-10 years
e. 10 or more years

5. Please indicate the amount of professional experience you have outside of this
organization.
a. 0-1 year
b. 1-3 years
c. 3-5 years
d. 5-10 years
e. 10 or more years

GAP ANALYSIS 127

Appendix B
Interview Protocol
Thank you for volunteering to participate in this study. Please note that your
participation in this interview is 100% voluntary and if at any point you should decide you no
longer want to participate, all information that your provide will be deleted and you may
withdraw at any time. Please note as I ask you questions, I will be taking notes. Additionally,
for the purpose of reviewing your responses at a later date, this interview will be recorded and
secured in a locked safe space in which I will only have access to. Also, I along with interview
transcriber and the research committee at the University of Southern California will be the only
people reviewing your statements and the goal of the study is to keep all of your responses
anonymous. I will start the recording and ask for your verbal agreement at the beginning to
acknowledge the aforementioned protocol to the study. Let’s begin.
1. Tell me a bit about yourself and your role in the organization.
2. Tell me about what topics/skills you prioritize when coaching your Store Managers.
3. Talk to me about your understanding of why employees leave their jobs at this
organization
4. From your perspective, what are the strategies that improve retention?
5. What do you think the Store Managers role is in improving retention? What should they
be doing to improve this?
6. What tools if any, have you been provided to aid you in coaching Store Managers to
improve retention?
IF NONE
7. Why do you think that you have not been provided with support by the company to
increase retention? What are the things that you feel you need to do this?
GAP ANALYSIS 128

8. How do you train Store Managers to recognize their employees?
9. Do you feel that employee feedback positively affect behavior?
10. What strategies do you use to develop your Store Managers’ feedback skills?
11. Provide me with examples of feedback that Store Manager’s should be providing.
12. How do your managers, if at all, recognize good employee performance? What are the
indicators?
13. Currently, how, if at all, can an employee provide feedback about their work experience
or their manager? Do you feel that there is an established channel/method for employees
to do this?
14. How confident are you that you can influence employee retention in your region?
15. What do you think is the amount of staff a Store Manager should retain each

year? Do you communicate this this them?

16. Do you feel that some Store Managers are better at improving retention than others?
What contributes to this?
17. Do you include retention when reflecting about the performance of a Store Manager?
18. Do you feel that there is an accountability for Store Managers to improve retention?
How so?
19. What do you think will happen if you focus on retention in your coaching strategy of
Store Managers
20. Do you feel that you are expected to develop the Store Managers skills with the
strategies known to improve retention?

GAP ANALYSIS 129

Appendix C
Welcome Letter for Interview
Greetings Southwest Managers of Retail Operations!
On behalf Josh Swann, you have been cordially invited to participate in a study around
employee retention. Participation in the study is 100% voluntary and if at any moment you no
longer wish to participate, you are welcome to notify the researcher and your
submissions/responses will be discarded. The next phase of the study will involve an interview
on the subject of employee retention with a doctoral student from the University of Southern
California acting as the moderator for the purpose of mitigating bias as the researcher is a
member of your organization. Please confirm your participation in the interview with a yes or no
reply and the moderator will be in contact should you choose to participate.
All participants in the interview will be entered into a raffle drawing for a gift card as a
method of “thanks” for your time.
Best,
Jennifer Francis

GAP ANALYSIS 130

Appendix D
Sample Evaluation During Program
During the program
Method(s) or Activity(ies) Item
Declarative Knowledge “I know it.”
Knowledge checks through summary
of module narrative activity
In reflecting on this module, please describe in the
space below the role of the supervisor in employee
retention.
Knowledge checks through discussion Tell me about effective ways to engage employees
Procedural Skills “I can do it right
now.”

Action plan at the completion of
training describing how the learner
will apply skills on the job
In the space below, please describe an actionable
strategy you will implement within your territory
Role play with facilitator utilizing
S.M.A.R.T. principles
Today we are going to review your performance from
last week. When delivering the feedback to the
employee i would like you to identify each aspect of
SMART and utilize it in creating an action plan for
the employee
Attitude “I believe this is
worthwhile.”

Discussion of value with direct report
supervisor
What have you taken away from the training so far?
Discussion of any issues about
material
Does anyone want to play devil’s advocate that
employees do not typically leave their job for
monetary reasons?
Confidence “I think I can do it on
the job.”

Likert scale survey of ability On a scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree,
please indicate the level to which you feel confident
coaching your Store Managers on how to provide
feedback to their employees.
Group discussion of application of
skills
How can you all work together to improve retention
back on the job
Commitment “I will do it on the
job.”

End of training assessment Using the scale strongly disagree to strongly agree,
please answer the following:
GAP ANALYSIS 131

I will train my Store Managers on the skills
known to improve retention back on the job.
Action plan of a target quarterly goal
for improved retention and how
participants will improve it based on
fundamentals learned in the training
Please indicate your personal goal for retain
employees for the next six months and how you will
ensure that employees remain with this
organization. Where do you sit now with retention
and where would you like to finish?

Engagement
Successful completion of
online modules
Please complete the end of module assessment within 23
hours of completed module.
Online survey at the end of
training
Please complete the end of course survey within 48 hours of
last module.

Relevance
Online survey at end of
training
Using the scale strongly disagree to strongly agree, please
answer the following: I believe the topics in this training are
applicable to my role in this organization.
Facilitator lead discussion Do you feel that this training about feedback is helpful to you
as an MRO?
Customer Satisfaction
Online survey at end of
training
Using the scale strongly disagree to strongly agree, please
answer the following: I found the topics discussed in this
training valuable to my career growth.
Facilitator lead discussion
throughout synchronous
trainings
Did you enjoy completing this training?

GAP ANALYSIS 132

Appendix E
Sample Evaluation After Program

Evaluation Item
Level 1:
Reactions
Using the scale strongly disagree to strongly agree, please answer the
following: Now that I am back on the job, I was able to immediately apply
skills learned.

Using the scale strongly disagree to strongly agree, please answer the
following: Attending the training has helped me with coaching Store
Managers about the skills known to improve retention

Level 2:
Learning
Using the scale strongly disagree to strongly agree, please answer the
following: Now that I am back on the job, I am better able to train Store
Managers about effective feedback strategies

Using the scale strongly disagree to strongly agree, please answer the
following: This training has helped me better connect with employees in my
territory as opposed to prior to taking the training
Level 3:
Behavior
Using the scale strongly disagree to strongly agree, please answer the
following: I utilize the job aids provided in the training

Using the scale strongly disagree to strongly agree, please answer the
following: Now that I am back on the job, I have scheduled time dedicated to
training Store Managers about retention strategies
Level 4:
Results
Using the scale strongly disagree to strongly agree, please answer the
following: Since implementing the skills learned in the training, I have seen
improvement employee morale

Using the scale strongly disagree to strongly agree, please answer the
following: Since implementing the skills learned in the training I have seen
improvement in my overall territory sales performance

GAP ANALYSIS 133

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Asset Metadata

Creator Swann, Joshua Brandon (author)

Core Title Employee retention and the success of a for-profit cosmetics company: a gap analysis

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)

Publication Date 04/10/2018

Defense Date 04/09/2018

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag employee engagement,employee recognition,employee retention,OAI-PMH Harvest,retention,succession planning

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Sundt, Melora (committee chair), Crawford, Jenifer (committee member), Little, Sharoni (committee member)

Creator Email josh_swann04@yahoo.com,jswann@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-7971

Unique identifier UC11669372

Identifier etd-SwannJoshu-6200.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-7971 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-SwannJoshu-6200.pdf

Dmrecord 7971

Document Type Dissertation

Rights Swann, Joshua Brandon

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA