To Investigate The Causes Of High Turnover Of Prison Officers

Human resources management plays a vital role in enhancing success in every organisation in the contemporary society as they are obligated with running the technology as well as managing the employees (Agarwal 2017, p. 16). The long-term health of the company immensely depends upon the retention of most talented staff who develops strategic objectives and ensure they are effectively executed as planned (Younge and Marx 2015, p. 653). With the all-round development in different aspects of the economy, there are overwhelming challenges and opportunities that are brought about by these transformations (Wang 2016, p. 15). One of the biggest problem most institutions are facing include managing and retaining of human and other critical resources. By securing and retaining workers in the organisation plays a pivotal role which is basically achieved by creating a propitious working environment and providing them with reasonable benefits and compensation (Agarwal 2017, p. 4). Employee retention is the process that entails encouraging workers to remain in the company for an extended period until the project is completed. Despite many institutions striving to retain their employees especially those whose skills are irreplaceable, there is a great concern about the high rate of turnover among employees working in prison environment (Wang 2016, p. 7).

In the recent period, there has been increased cases of high turnover among employees working in the prison environment. The trend is associated with poor work environment and inappropriate performance management policies that can inherently improve commitments among the workforce. Most of the existing studies have basically examined causes of high turnover in different organisations. Therefore, this study indents to investigate into the causes of high turnover in the prison environment and further recommend effective ways of enhancing employee retention. The proposal commences with an introduction, followed by a literature review, research methodology, plan of ethics and critical analysis, and ends concludes with a Gantt chart.

Background of the Study

Effective performance management practices creates the foundation for aligning workers efforts with firm’s goals. Such activities are key motivator because it enables the organisation and employees to achieve overall objectives. Ostensibly, there are high degree of satisfaction among employees who consistently realise their aims and this ultimately increases retention of workers. According to Becker, Cropanzano, Van Wagoner and Keplinger 2017, p. 39, people working in prison environment experiences high levels of job-related stressors that impairs their performance and well-being. There is a wide range of working conditions that are considered stressful including heavy workload, weighty input into decision making, poor quality training, high emotional demand and aggression, and lack of resources and rewards (Agarwal 2017, p. 8). High exposure to the stressful working environment has a negative impact on employees; whereby, staff are at a considerable risk of psychological distress, physical health problems, and post-traumatic stress disorders (Suazo et al. 2009, p. 162). To overcome these challenges, some studies relate effective performance practices to employee retention as it allows the management to focus on improving overall results through empowering the workforce (Al Mamun and Hasan 2017, p. 63). Therefore, evaluation of the primary causes of high turnover in the prison environment will enhance development of effective policies that promotes employee retention by providing a favourable environment.

Aim and Objectives

The overall aim of the research includes evaluating causes of high turnover of prison officers and suggest effective measures of enhancing their retention. The HR plays a crucial role in attracting, recruiting, developing, and retaining more talented and determined employees in the organisation. Hence, this study will unearth major drivers of increased cases of resignation of officers in the custodial environment.

Specific Goals

a) To critically review of Her Majesty’s Prison Establishment Z focused on an explanation of the concept of retention, its link to turnover, key causes of turnover and recommendations to enhance retention.

b) To profile and review current retention policies within Her Majesty’s Prison Establishment Z.

c) To investigate perceptions and experiences of prison officers focused on key causes of high turnover, factors that could prompt increased retention.

d) To investigate primary management challenges faced regarding retention, impact, constraints, experiences, and value.

Justification of the Objectives

The study aims at determining critically review of Her Majesty’s Prison Establishment Z focused on an explanation of the concept of retention, its link to turnover, key causes of turnover and recommendations to enhance retention. Through this, the research will uncover major causes which can be used by the human resource managers in enhancing performance. On the next objective to profile and review current retention policies within Her Majesty’s Prison Establishment Z will provide a profound understanding of retention policies used in prison environment. There is a perception that appropriate performance management systems promotes productivity among the workforce and further reduces turnover. Thirdly, the research will examine the perceptions and experiences of prison officers focused on key causes of high turnover, factors that could prompt increased retention. Through this aim, the study will provide in-depth understanding regarding the relationship between performance management practices, productivity, and employee retention. Lastly, the research will investigate primary management challenges faced regarding retention, impact, constraints, experiences, and value. The objective will provide deeper insights on various issues affecting employee retention practices in the prison environment.

Literature Review

Chapter Overview

The section will provide a review of scholarly works about causes of high labour turnover in the in prison environment and propose retention strategies that can overcome the problem. There will be an evaluation of theoretical frameworks describing employee retention followed by factors contributing to increased turnover. Therefore, the review is as follows:

Causes of Labor Turnover

Bello-Pintado 2015, p. 326 describe staff turnover as the proportion of workers leaving the organisation before the expiry of the contract period. It has been observed that individuals who leave the institution are the most talented because they are likely to get another opportunity elsewhere (Kossivi, Xu and Kalgora 2016, p. 261). Arguably, this observation was underpinned by other studies that low retention in the company emanates from poor human resource practices which is the most applicable findings that back high labour turnover in prison environment (Al Mamun and Hasan 2017, p. 65). According to Binyamin 2018, p. 3, it is only desirable that human resource managers develop most effective ways of attracting and retaining talented and committed employees.

Employee Retention

Kossivi and Kalgora 2016 p. 262 states that employee retention is concerned with encouraging workers to remain in the company for a maximum period of time to assist in meeting overall objectives. By keeping employees on the job for an extended period significantly aids the organisation to stay focused on meeting its aims. According to Bidisha and Mukulesh 2013, p. 9, employee retention is the method embraced by companies to maintain an effective workforce that can help in accomplishing operational requirements. Basing on this premise, the business cannot survive without influencing individuals to stay committed on smoothly implementing designed roles. Surji 2013, p. 55 concludes that it is paramount for the human resource department to initiate measures that enhance a sense of loyalty in the employees so that they can strive to line up with the expectations of the management. Mita et al. 2014, p. 155 define employee retention as the measures pursued by the organisation to encourage workers to remain in the business until the completion of their contracts. Thereafter, the management will have the opportunity to focus on crucial issues that can assist in overcoming various challenges emanating from the external business environment. According to Surji 2013, p. 53, employee retention is a systematic effort adopted by the organisation to create and foster a work environment that inspires the workforce to stay employed though having policies and regulations that addresses their diverse needs.

Employee retention are activities that are aimed at increasing workers commitment through offering them a wide range of opportunities and overall ambitions where they can achieve professional growth by outperforming others (Becker et al. 2017, p. 38). Basing on this definition, it is evident that prison environment deters individuals from achieving self-actualization and further denies them the capability to explore their potentials (Al Mamun and Hasan 2017, p. 69). To overcome such limitations, it is important for the administration to create an environment which engages workers for an extended period. According to Younge and Marx 2015, p. 642, retaining valuable workforce is crucial in maintaining a corporate competitive advantage.

Employees are crucial asset in the organisation, and this imperatively requires the management to make them feel valued (Karatepe and Olugbade 2016, p. 351). Through recognising their hard work, staying transparent, and keeping an open line of communication makes the workers happy and ultimately reduces labour turnover (Ambrosius 2016, p. 55). Other scholars improved on this by proposing that employee retention is no longer an aspect of the management being good but a crucial practice to implement (Presbitero et al. 2015, p. 638). Some of the activities advocated in the recent studies include allowing employees to equally access training and development programs, being compensated according to their contribution on the company, embracing diversity in the hiring process, and providing a supportive a conducive work environment (Allen et al. 2016, p. 4341). Employee retention programs is a collective responsibility between the top management and the HR to create a conducive work environment for everyone (Bello-Pintado 2015, p. 322).

Factors that influence Employee Retention Initiatives

According to Karatepe and Olugbade 2016, p. 338, a deep evaluation of the employee trends shows an impending shortage of workers who have the requisite skills to execute high-level jobs (Binyamin 2018, p. 12). Despite having an understanding of the essentials of nurturing highly-skilled employees in the company, these scholars failed to provide more insights various initiatives employed by most organisations (Ambrosius 2016, p. 54). Research indicates that trends that are redefining modern retention approaches that go beyond traditional compensation, salary, and benefits (Suazo, Martinez and Sandoval 2009, p. 154). Instead, the research reiterates on the importance of adopting employee motivation as the most appropriate method attracting workers attention and making them more committed on company activities (Allen, Lehmann-Willenbrock and Sands 2016, p. 4340). Despite these scholars advocating for modern strategies, it is notable that also modern methods are still applicable and will be of great importance in this research (Mansouri and Goher 2016, p. 54). Retention factors that incorporate desires and needs of the workers and promote job satisfaction, commitments and loyalty among the workers (Presbitero, Roxas and Chadee 2015, p. 635). Individuals rank employee recognition, training, and flexibility as the top factors that prolong people stay in the company whereas others claim to learn and working climate as the key determinants (Al Mamun and Hasan 2017, p. 66). Other factors include skill recognition, cost-effectiveness, training, career development, communication, superior-subordinate relationship, and organisational commitment (Wallace and Sheldon 2014, p. 268). However, one downside of these studies is that their findings are grounded on the organisations that majorly aims at capitalising on the capabilities of the employees to achieve their ultimate goals (Bello-Pintado 2015, p.313).

Low Employee Retention and its Effects

According to Mita, Aarti and Ravneeta 2014, p. 159, low employee retention can negatively affect the workforce as well as the company many ways. There will be a constant need for hiring and training programs which are costly to the organisation since such individuals use the acquired skills to help rivals achieve their goals. Through developing appropriate strategies that encourage employee retention, the business can create a higher calibre workforce that positively affects the bottom line of the company. High turnover in the prison environment can be lowered by providing training, creating a company culture of trust, and offering rewards depending on individual’s contributions to the organisation's success. According to Surji 2013, p. 53, low retention is financially costly to the company because a lot of time and resources is spent filing the vacant positions and conducting training activities. Equally, low employee retention adversely affects the morale of the workers and this ultimately influences many people to leave because they see others doing the same (Surji 2013, p. 55). Low employee retention negatively affects the quality of services provided by individuals which in the long run impacts the overall performance of the organisation. As a result, the competitive advantage of the business will be comprised which in turn influences the risk of loss of long customer relation.

Methodological Framework

Chapter Overview

To ensure the right information is gathered and analysed within the required time, Honeycomb research methodology will be deployed. The primary areas to be covered include the philosophy, approach, design, collection, and data analysis techniques. By investigating into employee retention through the deployment of best HR practice within a prison environment requires processing of various issues and adopting appropriate research methodology to allow collection of accurate data. The Honeycomb approach will be employed because it will enhance explanation of the causes of high labour turnover of prison officers.

Research Philosophy

The research will employ assumptions from interpretivism. The aim of the paper is to evaluate the causes of high labour turnover of prison officers and suggest employee retention practices that should be deployed by the human resource department. The focus will be on different companies where the information gathered will assist in providing the further recommendations on how the management can capitalize on these practices to enhance success (Bryman and Bell 2011). To overcome the problem associated with interpretivism, proper records will be stored in relation to collection and analysis of information to enable future scholars to carry the same piece of work.

Research Approach

The study will utilise inductive approach. With the fact that inductive approach is a theory building process, this will enhance generalisation about the topic under investigation. The inductive system will be used because it will enhance observation of different perspectives regarding the topic and perhaps make contributions on the topic (Bryman and Bell 2011). Quite simply, an inductive approach will enhance the use of findings to add to the existing theory whereas deductive method will facilitate application of literature on employee retention. The approach will allow collection of qualitative information through interviews.

Research Strategy

Fundamentally, multiple methods especially qualitative will be used to examine information that is narrative while quantitative enquiry will determine data that is numerical. A qualitative strategy is associated with an inductive approach that enhance the use of researchers’ opinion in formulating the findings. By combining inductive theory and qualitative study will be applied because they are best-suited to giving insights for the creation of theoretical frameworks that illustrates employee retention programs by deploying best HR practices within a prison environment (Wilson 2014). A quantitative approach will enhance drawing of a representative sample from the target population, measure the behaviour, and determine their characteristics. Multiple method is preferred for this study because it offers rational and bilateral advantages when investigating multidimensional aspects that increase dissatisfaction among employees in prison environment. Numerical data will essentially aid in quantifying relationship among variables such as the rate of labour turnover and causes of employee dissatisfaction (Bryman and Bell 2011). Despite quantitative research having the limitation of using more statistics, it is worth noting that the interpretation process is straightforward which will enhance generation of more realistic results.

Research Design

Case study design will be used because of the various merits that are associated with it. First, this design is preferred because it will allow testing whether specific theories and models actually applies to the topic in the real world. Also, case study design will bring an understanding of how the deployment of excellent human resource practices that promote extended stay of workers in the organization. The approach supports the use of qualitative and quantitative strategies as well as employ a variety of sources in investigating the problem. Moreover, this design will add strength to what already exists (Saunders et al. 2012). Case study design has some limitations such as does not facilitate assessment of cause and effect and may not be a representative of the entire problem being investigated. To overcome these challenges, interviews will be extremely administered to first-line managers and those exiting the company. Also, a cross-sectional study will be used to capture data and this is preferred because it will help to remove assumptions. Further advantages of cross-sectional study include being less costly and does not require a lot of time.

Data Collection

In this study, the researcher will use interviews to gather information from first line managers during the exit. Structured interviews will be conducted as well as notes taking which will be applied for open interviews with the respondents. Some open-ended questions that require interpretation and analysis during the interview will be conducted by enumerators or well-trained observers (Yin 2014). At least 20 members from different companies will be interviewed to ensure enough information is collected to offer profound information concerning employee retention and their opinion on the most common factors contributing to high labour turnover. Similarly, open and closed-ended questionnaires will be used to gather information from human resource managers concerning various practices currently employed in the different companies. Lastly, the focus groups will also be used to collect data because of its simplicity.

Data Analysis Techniques

The section seeks to reduce the vast amount of data collected from interviews and questionnaires so that the solutions for the research questions can be realised. In this section, descriptive data will be well-interpreted and presented (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill 2012). To get a better understanding of the research objectives, there will be a use of thematic analysis. The technique will be applied because it is simple and flexible. Other theories are more tied up to specific models; hence, thematic analysis can be applied to different approaches (Wilson 2014). Again, this method lacks substantial literature compared to those grounded on theory; therefore, consistency and cohesion will be enhanced through applying and making explicit an epistemological position that can underpin empirical assertions. The findings from the study will be presented in charts, graphs, and tables to enhance the understanding.

Conclusion

A mixed method will basically be used because any weaknesses in one model are strengthened by the other. Consequently, a comprehensive information concerning the problem will be collected hence enhancing the formulation of the most appropriate decisions. The honeycomb research methodology provides more opportunities to the scholars on the most important issues to consider in order to gather, analyze, interpret, and present the data.

Plan, Ethics, and Critical Analysis

Gant Chart and Discussion

The figure provides the timeframe in which the research will be conducted. In this case, the study will be completed in 5 months period. The primary activities regarding writing, collection, analysis and presentation of data will be as follows:

Activities

Month

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

To compose the introduction section.

To write both the literature review and research methodology chapters.

To plan and carry out the research.

To analyse the collected data and write the discussion section.

To write the conclusion, review the entire research and submit the final copy for review by the professor.

Ethical Consideration

Moral considerations are crucial in eliminating biasness and promoting an understanding between the researcher and the respondents. Morality promotes the aim of the study including avoidance of error, truth, and knowledge (Brand 2008, p. 432). To avoid such issues, various moral aspects will be reflected in the research such as confidentiality, respect for intellectual rights, objectivity, and informed consent. In regards to confidentiality, the names of those that participated in the study will be protected from unauthorized disclosure as this might result in intimidation. Secondly, unpublished data and results will not be used without permission, and where they are utilized, an acknowledgement will be provided to avoid plagiarism (Brand 2008, p. 542). On objectivity, various forms of biasness in information collection, analysis, and interpretation will be avoided to enhance the generation of accurate findings. Finally, the respondents will be informed about the importance of taking part in the study and its objectives for them to make informed decisions whether to participate or not.

Anticipated Challenges and Potential Limitations

There are several problems that may affect the study. First, it is expected that there will be difficulties in getting the right individuals to participate in the interviews as well as appropriately fill the questionnaires. To overcome this, the target population will be earlier informed about objectives of the research. Secondly, there will be a challenge of getting consent from the management to conduct the study. The problem will be handled through sending a letter to the administration seeking the permission for the research in the firm. The main limitation of the research will be based one organisation; hence, it is important for other scholars to conduct a similar study in different companies.

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