BM631: RESEARCH METHODS

CW1: Initial proposal including methodology design

and justification of research approach

TITLE
To investigate the impact of hybrid working on
employes motivation in the uk:
A case study of Deloitte

ANCA OTILIA SALARU

Student ID: 22027967

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Executive Summary:

This report has analysed the concept of hybrid working model and has explored its avenues
along with its applications. The term ‘hybrid working’ refers to the combination of two
different modes of working, namely work from office and remote working. It offers a unique
solution to the crisis of shortage of workplaces, while introducing the element of flexibility in
the operations of a business. It has thus been preferred to traditional working practices and
opted by many businesses worldwide. The report has examined select literature available on
this concept in depth. In addition to that the research report has attempted to explore the
effect of utilising such a model on the operations of a business in great detail. Elaboration on
the data collection methods used during the research have also been included in the
following report. Further, the report has included an objective commentary on research
methodology and justification of the chosen research methodology. Overall, it can be said
that this research report has attempted to analyse the impact of hybrid working model on the
business of Deloitte.

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 Table of Contents
Introduction:

Literature Review:

Methodology:

Data Collection:

References:

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Introduction:
The practice of hybrid workplace has been steadily gaining popularity in the business
firmament (Stein, 2022). Especially in the aftermath of the recent pandemic the practice of
hybrid working as come up as the alternative to traditional office work. Over 83% of
employers have chosen this approach to work (employeebenefits.co.uk, 2021). Utilising such
a model might prove effective for businesses (Diab-Bahman, and Al-Enzi, 2020). This report
will be centred around the concept of hybrid working. In addition to that, the report will
analyse how hybrid working has helped the business of Deloitte and the impact it has had on
the operations of the business. The report will include an in-depth literature review and
analysis of the research methodology and elaboration on the data collection methods to be
used. In accordance with the statement made above, it can be said that this report will
attempt to analyse the concept of a hybrid workplace model in an overarching yet inclusive
manner.
Company Background:
Deloitte is a consulting firm with a presence in over 150 countries. Founded by William W.
Deloitte in 1845, the institute first began its operations in London, UK. The business employs
over 334,800 people and has managed to generate a revenue of £ 52.47 billion in the year
2020 (Deloitte.com, 2022).

Figure 01: Logo of Deloitte

(Source: Deloitte.com, 2022)
Research Aim:
The research aims to investigate the impact of the hybrid working model on the operations of
Deloitte.
Research Objective:
 To analyse the impact of the hybrid working model on the businesses in the industry.
 To analyse the importance of the hybrid workplace model in the business firmament.
 To identify the ways in which a hybrid workplace model can affect the business
operations of Deloitte.
Research Questions:
 What is the hybrid workplace model and how does it affect the operations of a
business?

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  What is the impact of employing a hybrid working model observed on the business
operations of Deloitte?
 What are the ways to analyse the role of hybrid working in the operations of Deloitte?
 How has employing hybrid working affected the employees of Deloitte?
Rationale:
In the aftermath of the pandemic, the concept of a hybrid workplace has been accepted and
put into practice by many firms. Similarly, the business of Deloitte, a leading international
consulting agency, has utilised this approach for their employees. Thus, this study aims to
analyse how this particular workplace model has affected the business operations of
Deloitte.

Background of the research:

The hybrid workplace is the flexible approach to work, which is a combination of work from
office and remote working. This approach has become the alternative to traditional work. The
Corona crisis of 2020 highlighted the necessity of such alternatives. Furthermore, in the
aftermath of pandemic, it has become necessary for the businesses to have other
alternatives available should such a crisis occur again., this research attempts to explore
how hybrid working can affect the operations of a business. It will also examine how
implementing the hybrid model has influenced the business of Deloitte.

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Literature Review:
According to (Iqbal et al., 2021), hybrid system is not a new concept. Often referred to as the
blended system, it is usually the approach taken if there is a need to strike a balance
between two differing kinds of demands. Such a system offers a unique solution without any
possibility of class when it comes to hybrid workplace the term usually refers to the
combination of work from office and remote working that has been offer to the employees.
System such a system introduces flexibility in the operations of the business. It might pose
as an end-all solution to the problems faced by businesses regarding the availability of
resources and location. Such type of system has been the preferred solution for many
businesses mainly due to its feasibility and convenience. Examples of such hybrid work
models include content creators and professionals working in creative fields. In light of
recent pandemic has only accelerated the popularity of the system. Due to the restrictions
put in place by the government, the remote working approach was adopted by businesses
worldwide. Now that the severity of the pandemic has decreased more and more businesses
have chosen the hybrid work arrangement. The authors note the numerous advantages of
the hybrid workplace system which are, including but not limited to, continuity of operations
higher rate of productivity flexibility decreasing expenses and encouraging the popularity of
using technology the disadvantages of such a workplace. Such disadvantages include the
possibility of marginalisation or isolation experienced by the employees, risks of cybercrimes
and possible data breaches.

According to (Baker, 2021), endemic has the pandemic has revolutionised traditional office
work as we know it as. In the post-pandemic period, many officers have started doubting the
effectiveness of traditional office work. Many employees have shown reluctance to work from
the office. The real-life application and implications of organisation-wide remote working
were illuminated due to the remote working approach adopted by businesses during the
pandemic. The author notes that the major drawbacks of remote working that could deter the
growth of a business include decreased motivation and the inability to integrate remote
working within the traditional organisational structure, which, in turn, may discourage firms
from fully embracing the remote working model.

As the authors (Mortensen and Hass, 2020) note, the new reality for working from now on is
to be hybridity. The concept of hybridity refers to employees having access to avoid va ariety
of resources and possessing visibility on all the levels possible full stop this directly
translates to employees having power as well as influence. Since the hybrid working model
encourages employees to work at their convenience it means that the employees are much
more efficient and effective in their work. In a hybrid environment, it is irrational to expect all

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employees to be equally skilled. Thus, the ability to successfully navigate a hybrid workplace
can be uploaded as a scale that is desirable to possess. The authors note that in a hybrid
workplace, the challenge of ensuring participation from the employees falls on to the
managers. Managers need to keep updated about the employees and their respective work.
The report suggests four distinct methods which can be utilised by managers to properly
manage the employees (Mortensenn and Hass, 2020). The first method is tracking and
communicating the details, second designing the policies and regulations. After that, the
third one is educating those affected by the hybrid environment and the last one is
monitoring the progress. Such practices ensure that there is little to no power imbalance in
the workplace.

The authors (Bloom et al., 2022) describe hybrid WFH as “combining the best of working in
the office and working from home”. This concept involves taking note of the tasks assigned
to the employees and grouping them based on whether they require attending in person.
Tasks that require personal attendance are organised to take place on office days while
other tasks can be done from the homes of the employees. The answers note that such an
approach has four benefits which further increase the attractiveness of said approach. The
advantages include saving time flexibility of time better focus for individual tasks and
reduction in space cost. The study reports a reduction in attrition rates by 35% and increase
in work satisfaction score (Bloom et al., 2022). In accordance with the statements made
above, it can be said that hybrid workplace model is quite beneficial, from a business
perspective

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Methodology:
Research methodology is in essence the belief which steers any research. It has three
components. the research will utilise the two philosophies described below:
Research Philosophy:
 Interpretivism:
This is the philosophy that insists on the interpretation of reality. Research
researchers who utilise interpretivism assume that to perfectly comprehend reality,
subjective interpretation of the same is necessary. Interpretivism is rooted in the
idealistic branch of philosophy (Nickerson, 2022)
 Positivism:
Positivism is the philosophy that assumes the stable nature of reality. The belief that
reality is inherently changing is at the core of this particular philosophy. It makes use
of empirical means (WYLLIE, 2019). Thus, according to positivism, the results of any
research can be successfully replicated if one can perfectly recreate the
circumstances at the beginning of the research. It can be said that positivism
supports the idea that one can make predictions about the results of research.
Research Approach:
The approach used in this research is the deductive research approach. This approach is
the most scientific and methodical approach and thus is the most frequently used research
approach. In this, a researcher applies existing theories and hypotheses to the research in
order to check whether they apply. This approach helps in building a viable and convincing
argument which can save time for the researcher and help the researcher come to a
conclusion that is as accurate as possible.
Research Strategy:
This component of research methodology is concerned with constructing a methodical action
plan for conducting the research. For a research strategy to be effective, there need to be
three crucial steps, namely, research method, research design and sampling. In this
research quantitative method will be utilised for data collection.
Ethical considerations:
Ethical considerations in research are the principles in the code of conduct that guide the
research. Such considerations can assist in increasing the validity of the research and
maintaining academic integrity. This research will be approved from the relevant authorities.
Further, the research will make sure that the participation for the primary research is entirely
voluntary. Participants will be made aware of the purpose and such elements of the research

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so as to receive informed consent. Furthermore, the participants will remain anonymous and
their information confidential.

Data Collection:
This research will utilise primary research and a quantitative method will be employed for
data extraction purposes. The main method for data collection will be carefully curated
questionnaires. For this, a questionnaire with reflective and inclusive questions will be
created, which will then be circulated amongst the employees of the business. Upon
collecting such filled questionnaires, results will be compiled and analysed to reach a
feasible conclusion that further solidifies the proposed argument. Another method will be the
survey method, which will utilise detailed surveys to properly collect the data. This method
gives insight into the participants and helps identify trends and patterns if any.

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Conclusion:
In the business world, the concept of a hybrid workplace has been progressively gaining
ground. Hybrid working has emerged as an alternative to typical office labour, particularly in
the wake of the recent epidemic. The idea of hybrid working is the focal point of this research
project. The research also examines how hybrid working has benefited Deloitte's operations
and how it has affected the company's business. An extensive assessment of the relevant
literature, an analysis of the research design, and a discussion of the proposed techniques
for data collecting are included in the report. It can be said that this paper attempts to
analyse the idea of a hybrid workplace and how it can affect the operations of a business,
more specifically those of Deloitte.

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References:
Baker, D., 2021. The Future of Work is Hybrid: Could Covid be the Catalyst for
Organizations to Implement a Hybrid Workplace Model
Bloom, N., Han, R. and Liang, J., 2022. How hybrid working from home works out (No.
w30292). National Bureau of Economic Research.
Businessleader.co.uk, 2021 Business Leader [Online] Are UK companies still committing
to hybrid working models? Available at: https://www.businessleader.co.uk/are-uk-
companies-still-committing-to-hybrid-working-models/ [Accessed on 17 October
2022]
Business-live.co.uk, 2021 Business Live [Online] Deloitte launches UK first 'future of
work' offices in Newcastle Available at: https://www.business-live.co.uk/professional-
services/deloitte-launches-uk-first-future-23487824 [Accessed on 17 October 2022]
Deloitte, 2022 Deloitte [Online] About Us Available at:
https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/about-deloitte.html?
icid=bottom_about-deloitte [Accessed on 17 October 2022]
Deloitte.com, 2022 Deloitte [Online] Global impact report Available at:
https://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/global-impact-
report/global-report-business.html?icid=learn_more_content_click [Accessed on 17
October 2022]
Deloitte.com, 2022 Deloitte [Online] Homepage Available at:
https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en.html [Accessed on 17 October 2022]
Deloitte.com, 2022 Deloitte [Online] Hybrid working for all Available at:
https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/blog/business-chemistry/2022/hybrid-working-for-
all.html [Accessed on 17 October 2022]
Deloitte.Com, 2022 Deloitte [Online] Making hybrid work for everyone Available at:
https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/blog/business-chemistry/2022/making-hybrid-work-
for-everyone.html [Accessed on 17 October 2022]
Diab-Bahman, R. and Al-Enzi, A., 2020. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on
conventional work settings. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy.
Employeebenefits.co.uk, 2021 Employee Benefits [Online] 83% of employers have a
hybrid working model Available at: https://employeebenefits.co.uk/83-employers-
have-hybrid-working-model/ [Accessed on 17 October 2022]
Finance-monthly.com, 2021 Finance Monthly [Online] Moving To A Hybrid Work Model:
An Interview With Deloitte Available at:
https://www.finance-monthly.com/2021/12/moving-to-a-hybrid-work-model-an-
interview-with-deloitte/ [Accessed on 17 October 2022]

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Find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk, 2022 Government of UK [Online]
DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU LIMITED Available at: https://find-and-
update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/07271800 [Accessed on 17
October 2022]
Forbes.com, 20 Forbes [Online] Deloitte Available at:
https://www.forbes.com/companies/deloitte/?sh=70ff9e017e1f [Accessed on 17
October 2022]
Forbes.com, 2021 Forbes [Online] The ‘Hybrid Model’ Of Working Remotely and In The
Office Could Create Big Expenses For Companies And Give Rise To Two Classes Of
Employees Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2021/02/22/the-
hybrid-model-of-working-remotely-and-in-the-office-could-create-big-expenses-for-
companies-and-give-rise-to-two-classes-of-employees/?sh=546c165a1bde
[Accessed on 17 October 2022]
Independent.co.uk, 2021 Independent [Online] Deloitte tells its 20,000 UK employees
they can work from home forever Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-
style/deloitte-work-from-home-employees-b1868977.html [Accessed on 17 October
2022]
Iqbal, K.M.J., Khalid, F. and Barykin, S.Y., 2021. Hybrid workplace: The future of work.
In Handbook of Research on Future Opportunities for Technology Management
Education (pp. 28-48). IGI Global.
Mortensen, M. and Haas, M., 2021. Making the hybrid workplace fair. Harvard Business
Review, 24.
Nickerson, C., 2022. Interpretivism paradigm and research philosophy.
WYLLIE, T.M., 2019. Quantitative and quantitative research approaches.

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