Employees Motivation – A Key for the Success of Fast Food Restaurants

Abstract: In this modern era where the flows of customers are increasing towards fast food restaurants it is becoming more challenging to offer good customer service. For this purpose, there is strong need of highly trained and skilful workforce as like other service oriented businesses, the frontline employees of fast food restaurants also have direct interaction with customers and are considering the backbone of restaurants. Therefore, the main intention to conduct this study is to understand the working conditions in fast food restaurants, to discover the core factors of employee motivation and to determine the role of management in attaining this inspiration. The theoretical framework of this study presents the well known theories and other important literature for employee’s motivation. The requirements for employee’s motivation in fast food industry are highlighted by the author on the basis of these literatures. Additionally, a conceptual model for employee’s motivation in fast food restaurants is derived from different literature and serves as an opening position for the empirical research.   This study based on qualitative strategy and inductive approach with research philosophy of constructionist and interpretivist stances. The data is collected through semi-structured interviews consisting of four managers and three employees of Max, Subway and McDonald’s restaurants in Umeå, Sweden. For analysis the data is categorized on the basis of different factors mentioned in the proposed model.   In the findings of this study, the elements of the conceptual suggested model are identified and validated for employee’s motivation in fast food restaurants. The findings are concerned with different motivational factors through which employees can be motivated in fast food restaurants. In which the main role of management is to work on human capacity and provide training, the best working environment, salaries and wages and promotional and growth opportunities to their employee. These are the most important functions highlighted after empirical finding and analysis, however, other factors i.e. cultural values, stress of work, respect and recognition are also important factors for frontline employee’s motivation in fast food restaurants.   This study is only limited to three fast food restaurant (Max, McDonald’s & Subway) of one city of Sweden (Umeå). The data was collected from a small sample (only seven individuals) which limits the generalization of this study to other restaurants in Sweden.