Issues and Challenges of Equality and Diversity in the Workplace

This document discusses the issues and challenges that arise out of equality and diversity in the workplace, with a focus on Next Plc. It explores the concept of equality and diversity, analyzes the challenges due to gender pay gap, and suggests measures to resolve them. The research methodology includes qualitative research and data collection through questionnaires. The findings highlight the importance of reducing gender pay gap for improving employee retention, engagement, and productivity.

Managing a Successful
Business Project

TOPIC
What issues and challenges may arise out of equality and diversity in the workplace and
what measures could be taken to resolve them?
INTRODUCTION
Diversity and equality both components are concerned as internal factors of an
organisation and they affiliate with it in direct form of attain high extent of profit and
productivity in all effective manner. Equality refers to similarity like when all the people of a
firm are treated in same manner on the basis of values, ethics, culture and religion in the
workplace. Diversity indicates to the accumulation of different languages, beliefs, culture,
religion, ethnicity and others on the basis of sameness (Axinte, Petrică and Barbu, 2017). It can
state those all elements that devise individual unique form each other and while there numerous
diverseness in humans. This written document is based on Next Plc which is a British
multinational foot wear, clothing and home products retailer company. The report will discuss
about aims, objectives and project management plan that include different aspect. Moreover, the
assignment will define about research methods, data collection sources and interpretation of the
data. Finally, providing appropriate suggestions and reflection that will be support to investigator
experiences and activities of the project.
TASK 1
P1.
Overview of the company
Next Plc is a British transnational clothing, foot wear and home commodities retail
organisation which was incorporated in 1864 by Joseph Hepworth. This company is
headquartered in Enderby, Leicestershire, England. The firm operate its business approx 200
nation of the world with the help of its 700 stores in which 500 are in UK (Cha, Newman and
Winch, 2018). There are 43,970 employees make their contribution in running the business of
this enterprise.
Research aim

“To monitor the issues and challenges that arise out workplace due to gender pay gap. A
case study on Next Plc.”
Research objectives
 To study the concept of equality and diversity and its importance for the company.
 To analyse the challenges that are arisen at workplace due to gender pay gap.
 To determine the measures and strategies that can be used by the company to resolve the
issues.
Research Questions
 What is the conception of equality and diversity and why its is crucial for an
organisation?
 What are the challenges that are occurred in the workplace of a company due to gender
pay gap?
 What are the strategies that can be implement by the firm to overcome the issues of
gender pay gap?
P2.
Project management plan
This plan define as a set of activities that is beneficial for the effective functioning of the
company. It consist better frameworks of firm that is essential and effective for surveyor to
perform different project activities in appropriate way (Defusco and et. al., 2017). This plan
consists several phases that is supportive in administration of diverse activities of project in
context of execute work in proper way. Project management plan is produced with the purpose of
finding out various aspect of project plan that are crucial for efficient execution of research
project. The description of different aspects of project administration plan are defined as under:
Cost- It refers to that monetary value which is required and invested by the investigator to
execute all activities of project in adequate manner. Cost mention to the finance which is require
to all the task of research report. It is important to have proper fund to complete all the research
activities in accurate manner. For this research estimate £250 will be required fro administrating
all the task properly. For entire research report £450 amount of monetary value will be needed to
accomplish all the project activities in successful way.
Scope- It is necessary for investigator to monitor the scope of investigation project
because it will assist in finding out influence on equality and diverseness at workplace. With the

help of it, surveyor will be capable to monitor various ways through which organisation will be
able to execute activities. Scope of this research will assist in finding out the impact of gander
pay gap of companies and business activities.
Time- It indicates to the time duration that will be needed by the investigator to execute
all the project activities. It is essential for researchewr to determine the estimation of time frame
that is required by surveyor to accomplish all the actions of the investigation project in
efficacious way (Englund and Graham, 2019). In order to complete this report, the researcher
will required approx 4 moths time duration. The individual needs to set effective time according
to different task and activities of report.
Quality- It is essential for researcher to maintain the attribute to keep quality of activities.
In this report, individual is gathering information by utilising different sources. This will direct to
have instant impact on the quality of research. So it is crucial that the person should collect
information by using effective resources and use them in better way. It will assist in designing an
efficacious searches with high quality of data. Quality is crucial for devising high standards of
research in form of accomplish set objectives.
Communication- It is advised as essential factor of this plan and will support to gather
information. In this investigation, it is important for researcher to communicate with different
people to collect more information. Effective communication will assist in collecting and
analysing information in proper way in order to execute different task in amended form.
Risk- There are various kind of risk that can be arise at the time of accomplishment of
research report in effective manner. It is crucial to find out and monitor all set of risk to frame
effective plan of action for reducing and removing risk. The main issues and threat that is related
to research report consists lack of time, monetary value and resources.
Resources- It is essential for investigator to utilise all origins and assets in appropriate
manner. It will assist in executing research in successful way and accomplishing all the
objectives in set time duration. It is needed that investigator is utilising better tools for utilising
different resources in effective way (Halibozek and Kovacich, 2017). It will direct to attain
desired objectives of surveyor with offered resources.
P3.
It is most essential for researcher to find out and determine the time duration that is
needed to execute diverse activities in efficacious mode. Time frame will assist in offering

proper time that is important to complete all the business task in successful manner. This will aid
in effective determination devising and formulating guideline to organise task and activity of
investigation report. It is essential for investigator to produce better phase and time duration. It
will direct to effective running of research activities. There are diverse method like work
breakdown structure and Gantt Chart that will support surveyor to take effective decision to
conduct project task in better manner.
Work breakdown structure
It is a tool that will be utilized by the person to perform research in efficacious manner.
This framework is describe as the key factors of the project task that is beneficial in conducting
as well as administrating various activities of project in crucial way (Islam, 2019). It is a
important method that support in simplifying critical task into small sections so that investigator
can administrate them in effective way. This framework can be presented in form of hierarchical
tree that will direct to classify activities of project report in small sections in context of
completing research report in amended manner.
Gantt Chart
It can be define as an efficient method that will assist in organising several task and
activities with in granted time duration (Lei and et. al., 2017). This can be describe as an
effective method that will help in conducting different task and activities with in required time

frame. This model was formed by Henry Gantt to administrate different task of a project in
proper manner. A Gantt Chart is represented in the form of horizontal bar chart that consists
every activities of investigation with its time. It is framed with different factors like list of tasks,
timeline, date, bars, milestones, resources and many more. It is considered as most famous way
which represent the task and activities against with the needed time duration.
TASK 2
P4.
Research methodology
It is an activity of collection of information to devise business determination which assist
to determine and study about marketplace which is implemented organisation for upcoming time.
It is systematic and theoretical determination of activity that is utilised in market and applied for
developing business (Martinsuo and Hoverfält, 2018). It is implemented to describe the business
issues, development of hypothesis, determination and aggregation of information. There are two
forms of research methods that basically utilised by surveyors to gather information and they are
define as below:

Qualitative research method- This method reveals meaning of typically investigation
evaluated in form of quality that what results or action are determined. Random sample of
information are utilised which is not effective or fixed for research. It is primary explanatory
research which is utilised to understand of underlying reasons, opinion, encouragement. It assists
to devise ideas or hypothetical assumptions to organise a research to accomplish possible results.
The methodologies that are utilised to carry out a qualitative research consists interviews,
observation, group discussion, observation, case study, definition etc.
Quantitative research method- It is completed in systematic way with the tolls and
techniques of statistical, Mathematica, visual communication, computer. Such survey utilise
instrument needed in numerical style with is defined to the subject of research (Morozov,

Kalnichenko and Liubyma, 2017). The aggregation of information is displayed in numerical
form which is collected by implementing methods like questionnaires, survey, online survey,
telephonic interview, mail etc. it concentrate on accumulation of numerical information with the
assistance of group of individual which connected or specific activity and task.
From the above defined research methodologies, researcher can utilise qualitative method
of research because it assist in providing efficacious and detailed information about particular
topic (Nicholas and Steyn, 2017). It is used by surveyor as it provides relevant data which is
useful to offer understandable information to accomplish project report.
Data collection methods
There are two form of information aggregation sources an they are defined as under:
Primary source- It explain as the aggregation of information that is completed by itself.
With the utilisation of this method, data is not collected by secondary sources like journals,
books etc. Its nature is original and instantly gathered through research by organising survey on a
chosen population to address the research issue. The source for primary data collection consists
survey, questionnaire, observation, group discussion and many more.
Secondary source- It indicates to the collection of information from those sources which
are already accessible. In this data collection method, the researcher collect data that is already
available. For this, the individual can utilise diverse source of information gathering such as
books, magazines, journals, newspapers, internet, articles etc.
From the preceding explain information data collection method, it can be analysed that in
existing research report, the surveyor use primary source of data collection as it assist in making
instant communication and collect pure or first hand data from targeted sample of people. The
individual will use questionnaire as a tool of primary method to collect accurate information.
Sampling- It refers to monitor the statistical activity that is related to the population. This
technique assist in choosing the sample of small size from a large group of people. To complete
this research project, the research chose sample of 30 individual from the employees of Nest Plc,
by implementing simple random sampling.
Questionnaire- It is a written report that consist a series of questions with the motive of
collecting primary information from selected group of people (Pandya, 2017). It is an effective
tool because with the help of it, research can make direct communication with individual and
collect right inanimation.

Questionnaire
Q1. Do you have awareness about the development of conception of equality and diversity
at workplace?
(a) Yes
(b) No
Q2. What are the challenges that are occurred in the workplace of Nest Plc due to gender
pay gap?
(a) Ineffective working culture
(b) Unequal pay
(c) Lack of flexibility
Q3. What are the strategies that can be implement by Nest Plc to overcome the issues of
gender pay gap?
(a) Promoting female entrepreneurs
(b) Transparency in salary
(c) Mentoring programs
Q4. What are the reason of arising gender pay gap at workplace?
(a) Lack of flexibility
(b) Stereotypes at workplace
(c) Discrimination at workplace
Q5. What the advantages that can be gain by Next Plc by maintaining gender pay gap at
workplace?
(a) Fairer growth options
(b) Raise staff morale
(c) Recruiting best talent
Q6. What are the difficulties that Nest Plc suffer while imposing the equality at
workplace?
(a) Lack of employee engagement
(b) Unfavourable employee attitude
(c) Employee turnover
Q7. What can be potential reasons that facilitate development of equality and diversity at
workplace of a company?

(a) Accessibility of cheap labours in some other country
(b) Worldwide operations of company
(c) Better interactions of economies and culture
Q8. Are you support the fact that increasing equality and diversity also have some
unfavourable influence on operations of the organisation?
(a) Agree
(b) Disagree
Q9. Why it is crucial for Next Plc to reduce the issues of gender pay gap from workplace?
(a) Improve employee retention
(b) Enrich personnel engagement
(c) Enhance productivity
Q10. Provide the suggestions so that issues of equality and diversity can be minimise in the
workplace.
TASK 3
P5.
Theme 1: Awareness about the development of conception of equality and diversity at
workplace
Q1. Do you have awareness about the development of
conception of equality and diversity at workplace?
Frequency
(a) Yes 16
(b) No 14

Interpretation- From the preceding defined information, it can be concluded that between the
aggregation of 30 people, 16 are viewed that they are aware with the concept of sameness and
diverseness. Whereas leftover 14 employees are replied that they are not familiar with the
conception of diverseness and equality.
Theme 2: Challenges that are occurred in the workplace due to gender pay gap
Q2. What are the challenges that are occurred in the
workplace of Nest Plc due to gender pay gap?
Frequency
(a) Ineffective working culture 11
(b) Unequal pay 9
(c) Lack of flexibility 10
Interpretation- As per above characterised graph, it can be summarised that among the sample
size of 30 representatives, 11 are answered that ineffective working culture is the leading
(a) Yes (b) No
13
13.5
14
14.5
15
15.5
16
16
14 Frequency
(a) Ineffective working culture
(b) Unequal pay
(c) Lack of flexibility
0
2
4
6
8
10
12 11
9 10
Frequency

problem and issue that generates due to gender pay gap. Whereas remaining 9 are supported to
unequal pay and 10 agreed with lack of flexibility that they are the main issues that are occur in
the working environment of a company cause of gender pay gap.
Theme 3: Strategies that can be implement to overcome the issues of gender pay gap
Q3. What are the strategies that can be implement by Nest Plc
to overcome the issues of gender pay gap?
Frequency
(a) Promoting female entrepreneurs 13
(b) Transparency in salary 9
(c) Mentoring programs 7
Interpretation- Form the mentioned graph, it can be concluded that between the group of 30
individual, 13 respondents are replied towards promoting female entrepreneurs that it is the
effective strategy that can be use by the firm to overcome the issue of gender pay gap. While
remaining 9 are viewed regarding transparency in salary and 7 agreed with mentoring programs
that they are the effective plan of action that can be implement by the organisation to deal gender
wage disparity problem.
Theme 4: Reason of arising gender pay gap at workplace
Q4. What are the reason of arising gender pay gap at
workplace?
Frequency
(a) Promoting female entrepreneurs
(b) Transparency in salary
(c) Mentoring programs
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14 13
9
7
Frequency

(a) Lack of flexibility 12
(b) Stereotypes at workplace 8
(c) Discrimination at workplace 10
Interpretation- According to preceding defined visual communication, it can be analysed that
between the sample size of 30 individuals, 12 representatives are viewed to lack of flexibility
that it is the primary reason of arising gender pay gap issues at workplace. Whereas remaining 8
people supported to stereotypes workplace and 10 viewed regarding discrimination in working
environment are major reason of generation of workplace discrimination.
Theme 5: Advantages that can be gain by maintaining gender pay gap at workplace
Q5. What the advantages that can be gain by Next Plc by
maintaining gender pay gap at workplace?
Frequency
(a) Fairer growth options 14
(b) Raise staff morale 7
(c) Recruiting best talent 9
(a) Lack of flexibility
(b) Stereotypes at workplace
(c) Discrimination at workplace
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
12
8
10
Frequency

Interpretation- According to explained visual communication, it can be analysed that among
the sampling of 30 individual, 14 respondents are agreed with fairer opportunities that it is the
primary benefit that can be gain by maintaining gender pay gap in working environment.
Whereas remaining 7 people supported to raise staff morale is the main advantage which can be
get by maintaining gender pay gap. While 9 employees are viewed that if the company hiring
best talent then it can decrease the gender pay gap issues and it can be a benefit for the company.
Theme 6: Difficulties that suffer while imposing the equality at workplace
Q6. What are the difficulties that Nest Plc suffer while
imposing the equality at workplace?
Frequency
(a) Lack of employee engagement 10
(b) Unfavourable employee attitude 9
(c) Employee turnover 11
Interpretation-As per above graphical representation, it can be summarised that between the
group of 30 representatives, 10 individual are agreed with lack of employee engagement is the
major difficulty that face by company at the time of imposing equality at workplace. While 9
(a) Fairer growth options
(b) Raise staff morale
(c) Recruiting best talent
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
14
7
9
Frequency
(a) Lack of employee engagement
(b) Unfavourable employee attitude
(c) Employee turnover
0
2
4
6
8
10
12 10 9
11
Frequency

individuals are agreed with unfavourable employee attitude that is the main issue that arise
during the item of imposing equality in working environment of the company. Whereas
remaining 11 responders are responded to employee turnover that it is the difficulty which is
generate due to impose equality at workplace.
Theme 7:Potential reasons that facilitate development of equality and diversity at
workplace
Q7. What can be potential reasons that facilitate development
of equality and diversity at workplace of a company?
Frequency
(a) Accessibility of cheap labours in some other country 7
(b) Worldwide operations of company 10
(c) Better interactions of economies and culture 13
Interpretation- Accordant to above define visual communication, it can be concluded that
between the population of 30 responders, 7 people are responded that accessibility of cheap
labours in some other country is the possible reason that improve improvement of sameness and
diverseness in working environment of the firm. Whereas 10 people are supported to worldwide
operations of the company is the potential cause that assist improvement of equality and diversity
at working environment of company. While remaining 13 representative are viewed regarding
better interactions of economic system and civilisation that it is the important cause that help in
development of diverseness and equality in working environment.
Theme 8: Fact that increasing equality and diversity
Q8. Are you support the fact that increasing equality and Frequency
0
6
12 7 10 13
Frequency

diversity also have some unfavourable influence on operations
of the organisation?
(a) Agree 17
(b) Disagree 13
Interpretation-From the describe graph, it can be concluded that between the group of 30
person, 17 employeees are agreed that they are supported the fact that increment in sameness and
diverseness have some destructive impact on trading operations of the organisation. Whereas
leftover 13 people are not agreed with it and replied that increasing equality and diversity does
not unfavourably affect operation and activities of the company.
Theme 9: To reduce the issues of gender pay gap from workplace
Q9. Why it is crucial for Next Plc to reduce the issues of
gender pay gap from workplace?
Frequency
(a) Improve employee retention 8
(b) Enrich personnel engagement 9
(c) Enhance productivity 13
(a) Agree (b) Disagree
0
5
10
15
20 17
13
Frequency

Interpretation- Accordant to above visual communication it can be concluded that between the
group of 30 respondents, 8 are supported to improve employee retention is essential to minimise
the problems of gender pay gap from working environment. Whereas leftover 9 are responded
towards enrich personnel involvement that it is important to minimise the problems of gender
wage disparity. While remaining individuals are viewed to enhance productivity is crucial for
reducing issues of gender pay gap from working environment.
Q10. Provide the suggestions so that issues of equality and diversity can be minimise in the
workplace.
Interpretation- According to the suggestions provided by selected respondents of Next Plc, it
has been interpreted that the issue of equality and diversity can be minimised at workplace if the
management of the company effective consider the rules and legislation. Administration of
respective company required to treat all employee in same manner and prove them equal growth
option as it help in dealing with the problem of gender pay gap. In addition to it by framing
policies and plans in context of equality also assists in overcome issue of gender pay gap.
P6.
Gender pay gap is an issue that highly generate in company when the administration of
the company devise favouritism in different manner like; pay, opportunities, reward etc.
(Polonsky and Waller, 2018). In Next Plc the problem of gender pay gap occur in working
environment and to overcome this issue the recommendations are defined as under:
 It has been suggested to Next plc that if the administration of the company will frame
new plans and policies in order to manage quality of work then it will assist in
minimising the problem of gender pay gap (Vanhaverbeke, 2017). The organisation must
threat all the employees in equal manner in term of offering equal pay and growth
options.
(a) Improve employee retention
(b) Enrich personnel engagement
(c) Enhance productivity
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
8 9
13
Frequency

 Moreover, the firm can offer training and learning programs to workforce so that they can
execute their task in efficient manner and attain the outcomes of their work in improved
way.
 It can also suggested to the firm that the administration must adopt democratic leadership
style that assist in increasing the effectiveness of the investigation. Because it will
provide an opportunity to employee to participate in decision making and motive them or
they attain the goals timely.
TASK 4
P7.
During the time of working in the research project, I utilised my all knowledge, skills and
effectiveness to perform my work and task more accurate manner. In addition to it, I also learn
about several thing when I was executing in this project report. It is developed my
communication skill as I interact with different people during the time of collecting information
with the help of questionnaire. I also get information about their culture because to gather data I
meet different individual who belong form different culture. The use of WBS and Gantt Chart
model help me in completing my work on time and maintaining the quality of results also
(Winter and Szczepanek, 2017). In addition to it, I also form improvement in my administration
ability because with the help of WBS, I segregate my work in small parts and accomplish them
in set time duration. By using effective information gathering tools like primary and qualitative
research methods I collect right and brief data that enhance my skill to complete future reports
more effectively.
CONCLUSION
This has been summarised that from the above explained data that sameness devise an
important role in an administration because it assist to increase profitabilitty in an amended way.
Along with it, one of the primary issue is gender pay gap that is currently suffered by most of
organisations. The outcome of this problem is that is totally affect the work process of company
in negative way. Therefore, by considering appropriate action, the firm can make improvement
in its market share and productivity in improved way

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APPENDIX I

APPENDIX II