Equality and Diversity in the Workplace

This report discusses the ways to reduce gender discrimination at workplace and improve worker's performance. It includes a case study on Airdri Ltd, exploring the benefits of diversity, impact of discrimination on performance, and strategies to eliminate discrimination. The research methods and approaches used are also discussed.

Equality and Diversity in
the Workplace

ssTable of Contents
Topic................................................................................................................................................3
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Task1................................................................................................................................................3
Research questions supported by literature review.....................................................................3
Research methods and approaches..............................................................................................5
Task2................................................................................................................................................7
Cost, access and ethical issues....................................................................................................7
Research and data analysis..........................................................................................................7
Merits, limitations and pitfalls of approaches to data collection and analysis..........................17
Research outcomes....................................................................................................................18
Reflection..................................................................................................................................18
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................19
References......................................................................................................................................20
Appendix-1....................................................................................................................................21

Topic
“To determine the ways in which gender based discrimination at workplace can be
reduced so that the performance of workers can be increased” A case study on Airdri Ltd.
Introduction
The employees of an organisation are the most valuable resources as they use their skills
and talents in achieving company goals so that company can achieve a competitive edge in
market by efficiently satisfying customer needs by providing them with high quality goods and
services. It is important that a friendly and cooperative working environment is developed by
treating all the workers equally irrespective of their differences like sex, age, caste, experiences,
backgrounds etc. so that their confidence can be boosted which can help in improving their
performance (Begum and Brindha, 2019). Discrimination based on gender affects the
performance of workers which can affect the overall productivity of company and so it is
important that equality and diversity among workers is established effectively. In this report
Airdri Ltd is taken which is a manufacturing company which deals in designing hand dryers that
are recognised for their reliability, low energy consumption, longevity, reduced noise, ease of
services etc. In this report the ways in which workplace discrimination can be reduced will be
discussed with the help of small scale research and use of effective research tools. Also the
research findings will be analysed so that better results can be drawn which can help in
completing the research effectively.
Task1
Research questions supported by literature review
For creating an effective working environment it is important that the differences among
workers are respected so that they can coordinate and collaborate together to achieve company
objectives on time. Equal and fair treatment of workers is important so that they can grow and
develop in the company which help in improving their job satisfaction so that their commitment
towards company can increase which can help in improving the profitability of company
(Cachat‐Rosset, Carillo and Klarsfeld, 2019).
Aim: To determine the ways in which workplace discrimination related to gender can be reduced
so as to improve the performance of workers.

Research objectives
• To evaluate the benefits of inclusive and diverse workplace.
• To analyse the impact of gender based discrimination on the performance of workers.
• To determine the strategies which can help in reducing workplace discrimination based
on gender.
Research questions
• What are the benefits of having an inclusive and diverse workforce?
• How does gender based discrimination impact on the performance of workers?
• What are the strategies which can be implemented in company to eliminate gender based
discrimination?
Literature Review
Benefits of inclusive and diverse workforce
As per the views of Shandia, (2020), having an inclusive and diverse workplace help the
organisation in improving their success rate and profitability which is important in order to
sustain in competitive marketplace. It is therefore important that the employees are given equal
opportunities in company so that they use their skills efficiently which help in creating a pool of
talented employees in company (Elsesser, 2016). This can also help in motivating workers so
that they can come up with innovative and creative ideas which can help in dealing with
changing customer needs and wants. It also help in improving their performance as they feel
equally valued in company irrespective of their differences which is essential in increasing the
profits of company.
Impact of gender based discrimination on the performance of workers
According to the views of Kimberlee, (2019), discriminating among workers based in
their gender can negatively impact the profitability of company along with deteriorating its
brand image in the market. Workplace discrimination lead to decreased in morale of the workers
which also lower their self esteem which impacts their performance and can also lead to
increased conflicts among workers. Workplace discrimination can also lead to increased
employee turnover in the company which can lead to increased cost of frequent recruitments,
low job satisfaction among employees, decreased commitment of workers towards the company
etc. which lead to overall decreased productivity of company.

Strategies which can help in eliminating workplace discrimination based on gender
As per the views of Jess, (2018), workplace discrimination can affect the performance of
workers which need to be reduced by implementing certain strategies so that a culture can be
created in organisation where differences are valued and employees are given equal chances to
grow and develop. Through the effective implementation of the Equality Act, 2010 company can
change its policies and laws so that equal treatment can be given to all the workers and
discrimination among them can be reduced (Hacker, 2017). Also through training and
development of managers and leaders the equal treatment among workers can be promoted
which can help in eliminating gender based discrimination. Giving equal opportunities to all the
workers is also important so that equality among them can be promoted and gender based
discrimination can be reduced.
Research methods and approaches
Research methodology relates to the methods and approaches which will be chosen by
the researcher so as to collect information regarding the topic being investigated so that the
research can be efficiently conducted and desired results can be achieved. The quality of results
achieved depends on the methods chosen by researcher and so it is important that effective
methods are chosen by the researcher which can help in interpreting the information collected.
Research philosophy: It is the belief related to the way in which a researcher should
collect data for performing research. Positivism philosophy will be used by as this will help in
analysing the quantitative data collected by the researcher for determining the ways in which
discrimination at workplace based on gender can be reduced so that worker's performance can be
improved. Interpretivisim philosophy is not used by the researcher as it help in analysing the
qualitative data collected and also consumes a lot of time (Heilman and Caleo, 2018).
Research approach: It is related with the approach which will be used by researcher so
as to collect data which can be done either quantitatively or qualitatively so as to gather the
required information which can be analysed and the desired results can be achieved. In this
research quantitative approach will be used by the researcher as it help in saving time and also in
increasing the reliability and authenticity of the data as it is collected directly from the main
source. For analysing quantitative data deductive approach will be used by researcher which will

help in gaining information so that the research aims and objectives can be achieved and the
hypothesis of research can be proved.
Research choice: There are two ways of conducting a research which are qualitative and
quantitative depending on the method with which data has been collected. In this research the
researcher will use quantitative method as it is both cost and time effective which help in
increasing the benefits of this method for the research. Qualitative method on the other hand
consumes time and cost and also requires huge input of efforts and also this method contain
information which cannot be effectively analysed (Kang and Kaplan, 2019).
Data collection methods: There are two sources of data collection i.e. primary and
secondary from where the researcher can collect required data so that based on their
interpretations effective results can be found. Primary sources are the ones from where the
researcher can collect fresh information from the main source through questionnaire, survey,
interview etc. In this research the researcher will take the help of questionnaire which will help
in collecting quantitative information and also help in saving the cost and time of research.
Secondary sources like books, journal articles, magazines etc. will also be used by the researcher
so that information regarding the topic can be collected from the view points of various authors,
writers etc. Literature review will be formed based on the secondary information collected by the
researcher. Thus, in order to perform this research the investigator will use both primary and
secondary sources of information (Mara, Ginieis and Brunet-Icart, 2020).
Sampling techniques: It is the method through which sample population is chosen from a
large population having similar characteristics so that research can be conducted on sample and
results can be evenly applied on the complete population. There are two methods of selecting a
sample like probabilistic and non-probabilistic. In this research, 30 employees of Airdri will be
selected on non-probabilistic basis as this will help in consuming less time and also help in
collecting required information (Martin and Phillips, 2017).
Data instrument: There are various instruments which can help the researcher in
gathering information regarding the specific area of study like questionnaire, interview etc. In
this research use of questionnaire will be done as this will help in collecting quantitative and
reliable information.

Task2
Cost, access and ethical issues
These are the most important factors which help in completion of research in an effective
manner like the cost of research help in appropriately allocating required amount of funds to
various activities of research so that it can be carried out in an efficient manner. The investigator
can conduct research effectively because of the access they have to the company employees
which help them in conducting the research (McCusker and Gunaydin, 2015). It is important that
ethical code of conduct is followed by the researcher so that the research can be efficiently
completed from consent of the employees, maintaining the confidentiality of the data gathered
etc. so that the authenticity and reliability of research can be increased. These three factors also
help in conducting the research in a systematic and ethical manner.
Research and data analysis
Frequency distribution analysis will be used by the researcher so that the information
collected based on the questionnaire can be effectively interpreted which can help in collecting
required information:
Q1) Do you understand about the importance of inclusion and diversity
of workers in an organisation?
Frequency
a) Yes 12
b) No 18
Q2) Do you think that workplace discrimination exist in Airdri Ltd? Frequency
a) Yes 17
b) No 13
Q3) What are the benefits of creating equality and diversity among
workers?
Frequency
a) Improved motivation 12
b) Better performance 8
c) Brand image of company 10
Q4) How does gender based discrimination among workers affect their
performance?
Frequency
a) Reduced morale 8
b) Increased employee turnover 12

c) Low job satisfaction 10
Q5) What are the advantages of creating an inclusive and diverse
working environment?
Frequency
a) Employees feel valued 11
b) Increased innovation 9
c) Better decision making 10
Q6) How are employees discriminated in Airdri based on their gender? Frequency
a) Unequal pay for equal work 13
b) Unequal opportunities 10
c) Measuring employee's performance 7
Q7) What are the ways in which discrimination in workplace can be
reduced?
Frequency
a) Implementation of Equality Act, 2010 10
b) Training and development programmes 10
c) Participative leadership 10
Q8) Why is diversity among employees important? Frequency
a) Varied ideas 18
b) Variety of work can be done 12
Q9) How can diversity among workers in company be promoted? Frequency
a) Indiscriminate recruitment 14
b) Acknowledging differences 8
c) Fair and equal treatment 8
Theme1: Importance of inclusion and diversity
Q1) Do you understand about the importance of inclusion and diversity
of workers in an organisation?
Frequency
a) Yes 12
b) No 18

a) Yes b) No
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
12
18
Frequency
Interpretation: From this graph it can be said that from 30 respondents, 12 understand
about the importance of inclusive and diverse working environment in company while the rest 18
do not understand about the same.
Theme2: Presence of workplace discrimination
Q2) Do you think that workplace discrimination exist in Airdri Ltd? Frequency
a) Yes 17
b) No 13

a) Yes b) No
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18 17
13
Frequency
Interpretation: Most of the employees i.e. 17 out of 30 respondents say that workplace
discrimination exist in Airdri while the rest 13 do not agree on the same. It can thus be said that
company needs to include ways to reduce workplace discrimination so that worker's performance
can be improved.
Theme3: Benefits of equality and diversity
Q3) What are the benefits of creating equality and diversity among
workers?
Frequency
a) Improved motivation 12
b) Better performance 8
c) Brand image of company 10

a) Improved motivation
b) Better performance
c) Brand image of company
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Frequency
Interpretation: There are various benefits of having an equal and diverse environment
like from this graph it can be said that of the 30 employees, 12 say that it can help in improving
motivation, 8 say that it help in making the performance better while the rest 10 say that it help
in creating better image of company.
This information is related with the literature review which is based on secondary sources
which help in achieving the research objectives.
Theme4: Affects of gender based discrimination
Q4) How does gender based discrimination among workers affect their
performance?
Frequency
a) Reduced morale 8
b) Increased employee turnover 12
c) Low job satisfaction 10

a) Reduced morale
b) Increased employee turnover
c) Low job satisfaction
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Frequency
Interpretation: Gender based discrimination affect the performance of workers in many
ways as from this graph it can be said that of the 30 workers, 8 say that it reduce the morale of
workers, 12 say that it lead to increase in employee turnover while the rest 10 say that it reduce
the job satisfaction of employees.
This information is related with the literature review which is based on secondary sources
which help in achieving the research objectives.
Theme5: Advantages of inclusive and diverse working environment
Q5) What are the advantages of creating an inclusive and diverse
working environment?
Frequency
a) Employees feel valued 11
b) Increased innovation 9
c) Better decision making 10

a) Employees feel valued
b) Increased innovation
c) Better decision making
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Frequency
Interpretation: There are various advantages of creating an inclusive and diverse
workplace as of the 30 respondents, 11 say that it helps the employees feel valued, 9 say that it
help in increasing innovation in company while the rest 10 say that it help in making efficient
decisions in company.
Theme6: How are employees discriminated
Q6) How are employees discriminated in Airdri based on their gender? Frequency
a) Unequal pay for equal work 13
b) Unequal opportunities 10
c) Measuring employee's performance 7

a) Unequal pay for equal work
b) Unequal opportunities
c) Measuring employee's performance
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Frequency
Interpretation: Companies need to identify the various ways which lead to gender based
discrimination in company so that effective decisions can be made in reducing workplace
discrimination. This graph help in interpreting that of the 30 employees 13 say that unequal
payment lead to discrimination, other 10 say that unequal opportunities while the rest 7 say that
measuring employee's performance lead to gender based discrimination in company.
Theme7: Ways of reducing workplace discrimination
Q7) What are the ways in which discrimination in workplace can be
reduced?
Frequency
a) Implementation of Equality Act, 2010 10
b) Training and development programmes 10
c) Participative leadership 10

a) Implementation of Equality Act, 2010
b) Training and development programmes
c) Participative leadership
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Frequency
Interpretation: From this graph it can be said that of the 30 employees of Airdri, equal
number of respondents have their views regarding the ways in which workplace discrimination
can be reduced like implementation of Equality Act, 2010, including training and development
programmes and creating a participative leadership in company.
This information is related with the literature review which is based on secondary sources
which help in achieving the research objectives.
Theme8: Importance of diversity in employees
Q8) Why is diversity among employees important? Frequency
a) Varied ideas 18
b) Variety of work can be done 12

a) Varied ideas b) Variety of work can be done
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
18
12
Frequency
Interpretation: From this graph it can be said that of the 30 employees, 18 say that
diversity among workers help in bringing varied ideas in company while the rest 12 say that it
help the company in performing a variety of work so that customer demand can be fulfilled.
Them9: Promotion of diversity
Q9) How can diversity among workers in company be promoted? Frequency
a) Indiscriminate recruitment 14
b) Acknowledging differences 8
c) Fair and equal treatment 8

a) Indiscriminate recruitment
b) Acknowledging differences
c) Fair and equal treatment
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Frequency
Interpretation: from this graph it can be interpreted that there are various ways of
creating diversity among workers like 14 say that indiscriminate recruitment can help in doing
so, 8 say that acknowledging differences while the rest 8 say that fair and equal treatment of
workers can help in doing so.
Merits, limitations and pitfalls of approaches to data collection and analysis
There are two types of ways in which data collection is done which are qualitative and
quantitative methods the merits of qualitative method are that it is a more flexible approach and
help in developing knowledge about the changing attitudes of target audience so that deep
knowledge can be developed (Miller and et. al ., 2012). The demerit related this method are that
selecting a sample size can be a big issue also interpreting the collected information is difficult.
The merits of using quantitative method are that this method is time and cost effective and can be
conducted on a large population. The demerits of this method are that it doesn't help in
understanding the social phenomena and also there is no access to specific feedback in this
method.
There are two ways in which data analysis can be done which are inductive and deductive
and the merits of using inductive method are that it is a dynamic method, help in collecting
scientific information etc. while the demerits are that this method has a limited applicability, it

lack concreteness and can be time consuming. Deductive method merits are that it is time and
cost effective and help in solving problems efficiently. Demerits of this method are that the
conclusions are difficult to be concluded and the research can be based on wrong assumptions.
Research outcomes
The outcomes of the research needs to be communicated to all the stakeholders of the
company like customers, employees, government etc. so that they can be informed about the
change in strategies which can help in eliminating workplace discrimination based on gender in
company. Use of effective communication techniques needs to be done like e-mails, messaging,
uploading on company websites etc. so that the research outcomes can be communicated to all
the stakeholders (Newman and Mulholland, 2019).
From the data collected from primary and secondary sources it can be said that the
research objectives are efficiently fulfilled as the primary data and secondary data help in
drawing similar conclusions related to the research objectives. Thus the results achieved by the
way of research can be communicated effectively among all the stakeholders.
Following are the recommendations which Airdri can implement in company to reduce
gender discrimination:
• Participative leadership style must be used by the leaders in Airdri so that all the
employees can be given chance to participate in decision making.
• Effective implementation of Equality Act, 2010 can help in eliminating any type of
discrimination in company so that equality can be promoted.
• Developing an organisational culture where differences among workers is respected can
help in improving equality and diversity among workers (Scotland, 2012).
Reflection
The research which I conducted was based on an interesting topic which is related with
finding the effective ways in which Airdri Ltd can reduce workplace discrimination based on
gender so that the performance of workers can be improved. This research helped me in using
my research skills effectively so that authentic, correct and reliable data can be collected from
various sources which can help in improving the quality of research. This research helped in
improving my abilities as a researcher which will be helpful in my personal and professional
development and also help me in getting more research projects in future which will help me
financially. Through this research I also identified my strengths which are effective research

skills, interpretation skills, collection of data, effective communication skills etc. However I also
identified my weak areas which need improvement like deciding appropriate sample size,
dealing with stress, managing team etc. I have been able to use my skills and abilities effectively
in this research and can further improve so that I can conduct better research in future which can
help in gaining better results.
Conclusion
From the above report it can be concluded that it is important that workplace
discrimination is eliminated which can help in improving the effectiveness with which
employees preform their work. Equal and fair treatment is important irrespective of the
differences among workers so that they can feel valued in company and use their skills
efficiently in achieving company goals. Various strategies can be applied in companies which
can help them in establishing a working environment where are the workers are treated equally
and diversity among them is respected.

References
Books and Journals
Begum, A.N. and Brindha, G., 2019. Forcing Gender Issues and Challenges Affecting Women
Employees to Continue their Career in IT Industry. Indian Journal of Public Health
Research & Development, 10(3), pp.1090-1092.
Cachat‐Rosset, G., Carillo, K. and Klarsfeld, A., 2019. Reconstructing the concept of diversity
climate–a critical review of its definition, dimensions, and operationalization. European
Management Review. 16(4). pp.863-885.
Elsesser, K.M., 2016. Gender bias against female leaders: A review. In Handbook on well-being
of working women (pp. 161-173). Springer, Dordrecht.
Hacker, S., 2017. Pleasure, power and technology: Some tales of gender, engineering, and the
cooperative workplace (Vol. 5). Routledge.
Heilman, M.E. and Caleo, S., 2018. Combatting gender discrimination: A lack of fit
framework. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 21(5), pp.725-744.
Kang, S. K. and Kaplan, S., 2019. Working toward gender diversity and inclusion in medicine:
myths and solutions. The Lancet. 393(10171). pp.579-586.
Mara, L.C., Ginieis, M. and Brunet-Icart, I., 2020. Strategies for Coping with LGBT
Discrimination at Work: a Systematic Literature Review. Sexuality Research and Social
Policy, pp.1-16.
Martin, A.E. and Phillips, K.W., 2017. What “blindness” to gender differences helps women see
and do: Implications for confidence, agency, and action in male-dominated
environments. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 142, pp.28-44.
McCusker, K. and Gunaydin, S., 2015. Research using qualitative, quantitative or mixed
methods and choice based on the research. Perfusion. 30(7). pp.537-542.
Miller, T.,and et. al ., 2012. Ethics in qualitative research. Sage.
Newman, E.A., Waljee, J., Dimick, J.B. and Mulholland, M.W., 2019. Eliminating institutional
barriers to career advancement for diverse faculty in academic surgery. Annals of
Surgery, 270(1), pp.23-25.
Scotland, J., 2012. Exploring the philosophical underpinnings of research: Relating ontology and
epistemology to the methodology and methods of the scientific, interpretive, and critical
research paradigms. English language teaching. 5(9). pp.9-16.
Online
Shandia .2020. Diversity in workplace [Online] Available through:
<https://www.impactbnd.com/blog/the-benefits-of-diversity-and-inclusion-in-the-
workplace-infographic>
Kimberlee .2019. Impact of discrimination on worker's performance [Online] Available through:
<https://smallbusiness.chron.com/effects-gender-discrimination-workplace-2860.html>
Jess .2018. Ways to eliminate gender bias in workplace [Online] Available through:
<https://www.sagepeople.com/about-us/news-hub/eliminate-gender-diversity-
workforce/#>

Appendix-1
Questionnaire
Q1) Do you understand about the importance of inclusion and diversity of workers in an
organisation?
a) Yes
b) No
Q2) Do you think that workplace discrimination exist in Airdri Ltd?
a) Yes
b) No
Q3) What are the benefits of creating equality and diversity among workers?
a) Improved motivation
b) Better performance
c) Brand image of company
Q4) How does gender based discrimination among workers affect their performance?
a) Reduced morale
b) Increased employee turnover
c) Low job satisfaction
Q5) What are the advantages of creating an inclusive and diverse working environment?
a) Employees feel valued
b) Increased innovation
c) Better decision making
Q6) How are employees discriminated in Airdri based on their gender?
a) Unequal pay for equal work
b) Unequal opportunities
c) Measuring employee's performance
Q7) What are the ways in which discrimination in workplace can be reduced?
a) Implementation of Equality Act, 2010
b) Training and development programmes
c) Participative leadership
Q8) Why is diversity among employees important?

a) Varied ideas
b) Variety of work can be done
Q9) How can diversity among workers in company be promoted?
a) Indiscriminate recruitment
b) Acknowledging differences
c) Fair and equal treatment
Q10) What are other recommendations so that gender discrimination in Airdrti can be reduced?