Important Facts Surrounding

How Organizational Management Affect Employees’ Motivation and Service Quality: A Study of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)

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Important Facts Surrounding the Case

On matters of job satisfaction, various issues can determine how employees perform their duties and the motivation they have. Job satisfaction is directly linked with the quality of service which is given to customers. This research conducted on Kentucky Fried Chicken, famously known as KFC found that organizational management has an effect on employee motivation. KFC has been renowned worldwide for its high customer satisfaction. The restaurant has proved that how an employer treats its employees has a direct impact on the services. If the management shows a positive attitude, it results in increased motivation which leads to good performance and good services, and customer satisfaction. Judging from the information provided from this study, it is evident that the decision by the management of KFC has helped the organization become successful. The important fact brought about by the text is that although motivation is a complex concept it is capable of harming or making an organization or business. It also [presents the fact that KFC has managed to capitalize and use motivation to make their business a success. Worth noting, the study was done in KFC restaurants in Malaysia and India regions with a special focus on how the management in these franchises affects employee satisfaction and service delivery. Notably, the study employs both primary and secondary data sources to collect information. The study has a sample size of 100 and it bases its information on users of websites and hotel booking applications in India and Malaysia. Primary data was gathered through making observations and questionnaires to gather as much information as possible about the impact of organizational management on employee satisfaction. The questionnaires are reliable as they collect data that is unbiased and reliable from a sample of respondents who represent the larger population. The method of data collection is not only accurate but also flexible and specific. Secondary data, which refers to information that has already been documented was employed. This study used magazines, social media, and websites among other sources to get information. This method has the advantage that it saves on cots and is also fast. The data collected through the questionnaire was gathered online with the use of a Google Form which the respondents accessed online.

KFC is a subsidiary brand of Yum! and over the years it has gained international recognition as the second most famous restaurant franchise in the world. KFC is famous for its slogan finger lickin good. The restaurant has been in the restaurant business since 1930 and to date, it has established operations in over 118 countries with its restaurants totaling 18, 875. The fast food especially specializes in fried chicken. The headquarters are in Louisville, Kentucky. The company was founded by an entrepreneur, Harland Sanders, who started selling chicken by the roadside in Kentucky in 1930. KFC attributes its success to the fact that it was among the first food chains in America to begin expanding internationally; by the mid-1960s, it had outlets in Mexico, United Kingdom, and Canada. KFC’s main product has to its pressure fried chicken, with bone, seasoned with the Sander’s original recipe which uses 11 spices and herbs.

Key Issues

The main problem affecting Kentucky Fried Chicken has to do with the lack of motivation among employees as a result of poor organization management. Another issue that has emerged is the poor quality of service which customers have to deal with as a result of the lack of satisfaction of employees at Kentucky Fried Chicken. Without a doubt, the biggest challenge to the service business particularly the restaurant industry is how to keep employees happy and motivated so that they can remain motivated to continue carrying out their duties. This way, they remain motivated to provide the best customer service to the clients that walk into their restaurants. Lack of satisfaction can affect a company and even cripple it which brings it down to its knees. Very many companies have been through this kind of situation. A company might have a good product or offer a service that appeals to its customers, but if they do not find a way to keep the clients satisfied, the business tends to fail. If KFC employees are not satisfied, it will directly affect an organization’s performance. This is because, if customers are unhappy with the service of the employees, it is highly likely that they will not return to the restaurant. As such, it is always important for companies to put the needs of their customers first before the needs of anybody else because it is customers who have the power to break and make a business. Negative reviews can translate into a loss of sales especially in the current age of social media where clients post restaurant reviews online where other potential clients can access them. Lack of employee satisfaction is an issue that is partly a management issue and an organizational problem as well. This is because it relates directly to the kind of leadership that takes place in the organization.

In this case, KFC issues that relate to lack of satisfaction among employees and poor quality of services stems from internal processes of the business such as leadership and poor organizational management. One of the factors linked with poor job satisfaction is the refusal of the management to offer employees a competitive salary and benefits package. If employees are not well remunerated, they tend to bring it out on customers. They tend to speak to them rudely and they might take longer to process orders. But if employees are treated well and accorded the respect they need, they are more likely to treat their clients well and this increases their success. Managers should also try and give their employees enough off days for them to rest. They should have a schedule that is manageable for employees and they should also plan staff activities such as team building. Team building is important as it leads to improved team bonding which improved the relationships between employees. With an improved relationship, employees are a better place to coordinate their activities which leads to better customer satisfaction.

Alternative Actions

There are various ways on ensuring to ensure the problem of lack of satisfaction and poor quality of services is addressed. By addressing these issues, the company will be better placed to give quality services to their clients. To improve the motivation of employees, the organization can take various measures such as giving them incentives and benefits such as allowances for working overtime. Another way they can motivate employees is by giving them insurance covers, and transport allowance which helps reduce their burden, and this way the employees become motivated to carry out their duties. Additionally, restaurants should make more effort to give their employees bonuses for the best employees. Bonuses help encourage employees to want to perform better and deliver the best results. If employees are motivated then they tend to treat the customers well with respect. This creates an environment for employees to want to perform well in their duties so that they can receive the award. The company should also make a deliberate effort to follow up on the customer’s complaints so that they can improve the experience. This will help the company to know the areas they can improve on. They can do this by having regular staff meetings with the employees where they encourage open communication and feedback or to make use of an anonymous suggestion box where employees can raise their issues without the management knowing their identity. Having a suggestion box will help increase the level of trust between the employee and the employer and this way they will have high morale to continue executing their duties. Worth noting when there is trust, the employees tend to own their work and they are better placed at working effectively under minimal supervision. The organization should also introduce flexible working hours to allow maximum productivity of the employees. Implementing the strategy of flexible hours would require a change of policy included the laid down rules in the human resource manuals. Further, it would also require the consultation of top-level management individuals such as board members.

Alternative Actions

Implementing the above strategies comes with benefits and risks and while some are feasible others might present a challenge during the implementation stage. The option of implementing flexible hours may not be as feasible because it requires lots of consultation with the senior management as it requires approvals and it is likely that it will be met by resistance. Staff meetings are a great idea to ensure open communication but it may not be effective as employees might shy away from opening up about the challenges they are going through openly to their employees. It requires a person to be bold to come out and raise their issues since they are at risk of victimization especially if the other people do not agree with their opinions. On the other hand, having a suggestion box whereby employees can give feedback to their employees by noting down the problems they undergo at work and submitting them anonymously can work well as compared to other issues. This is because most of the employees are likely to shy away from coming forth and presenting their problems to their employees if they are doing it in person as opposed to anonymously. Following up on customer complaints is a good strategy but on the other hand, it is tough to implement because not many organizations are likely to invest in improving the customer experience of their employees. Most employers are likely to turn a deaf year to negative customer reviews from clients. Bonuses are a good strategy to ensure employees remain satisfied but the strategy may not be implementable because of cost factors. Giving salary bonuses to employees requires the company to set aside a budget in the company’s expenditure to cater for the annual bonuses which is expensive. In most cases, such a decision can also be met with resistance between it will require board approvals. Ensuring the employees have benefits such as health insurance covers and transport is a way of keeping employees motivated but on the other hand, it also requires the company to invest in company vehicles to drop off employees at work or including a transportation package in their salary. Health insurance packages are expensive and many require companies to prepare adequately and reserve money in their annual budget to cater for group insurance to cater for all employees.

Analysis of Alternative Actions

The best cause of action which KFC should employ in its bid to improve employee satisfaction would be the provision of incentives and other benefits for employees. By providing employees with the necessary benefits, they become well settled and this places them in a better position to tend to their customers. Employers should treat their employees with the respect they deserve. If employees are given transport allowance or if the company makes a deliberate effort to be involved in their welfare and ensuring they have health benefits, they will be in the right state of mind to carry out their duties well. If the employees’ social welfare is well taken care of, their physical well-being will also be in a good state and they will be more productive in their work. The assumption here is that the attitude of employees changes if they are treated well by employees and that it motivates them to offer quality services to their customers. Further giving the employees flexible time is recommended as it also touches on their well being. It requires employers to consider the fact that employees also have other duties particularly women who have double roles of taking care of the family. Following up on the clients’ feedback is not the best strategy because there is no assurance that the employer will take necessary action and improve the experiences of the employees because they tend to put the needs of their clients before those of employees. Staff meetings are not the best strategy as there is no secrecy and employees will fear coming out openly to tell employees their problems.

Source:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343991215_How_Organizational_Management_Affect_Employees’_Motivation_and_Service_Quality_A_Study_of_Kentucky_Fried_Chicken_KFC