Strategies for Building a Diverse and Inclusive Workforce at LACOSTE Company

This project report focuses on the strategies and initiators used by LACOSTE Company to build a diverse and inclusive workforce. It aims to explore different strategies, discover new initiators, and recommend improvements. The project management plan covers cost, scope, time, quality, communication, risk, and resources. The research involves qualitative and quantitative methods, with a sample size of 40 respondents. Data analysis reveals insights on recruitment, selection, and training processes at LACOSTE Company.

Managing a Successful
Business Project

TITLE
“What are the best strategies and unique initiators that are available with the multinational
companies in order to build a diverse and inclusive workforce?” A study on LACOSTE
Company
INTRODUCTION
For an organisation to survive in the competitive global market it is important to manage
its employees, the most valuable assets of an organisation. Effective recruitment and selection
processes provides higher quality and more engaged pool of employees to the company which
provides a competitive advantage and enhances its performance (Beck, 2018). Effective training
process gives employees a greater understanding of their roles and responsibilities and increases
their productivity which in turn improves their morale and job satisfaction. In this project report
the company chosen is LACOSTE Company which is a French multinational sportswear
conglomerate with its headquarters in Troyes, France. It predominantly operates its services in
the regions of Asia, Budapest, Europe and USA. This project will focus on framing the aims and
objectives of improving the recruitment, selection and training of employees in LACOSTE so as
to meet the international requirements. A project management plan will be developed
considering the risks, resources, cost and time involved in the research. Further a small research
is conducted so as to determine the importance of implementing the project.
TASK 1
P1 aim and objective
Overview: The project report is aimed to analyse and understand the importance of improving
recruitment, selection and training process of a company so that the international requirements
can be met (Creemers, De Reyck and Leus, 2015).
Aim:
To discover the best type strategies and unique initiators of LACOSTE put in place to
build diverse and inclusive workforce.
Objectives:
 To explore different types of strategies that applies by LACOSTE to build a diverse and
inclusive workforce.
 To discover the new types initiators of LACOSTE to improve diverse and inclusive
online platform in UK.

 To recommend ways in which current strategies can be improved.
Research Questions
 What are different types of strategies that apply by LACOSTE to build a diverse and
inclusive workforce?
 What are the new initiators of LACOSTE to improve diverse and inclusive online
platform in UK?
 Which strategies can be used to improve the current employment strategies?
Literature review
According to Ong, Wang and Zainon (2016), there are various strategies that are being
adopted by the multinational companies in order to operate successfully and employ a diverse
workforce, the best strategy is to ensure that the company constantly try to use innovative
technologies while working and this has led to constant innovation.
However, it can be argued that it is not easy to constantly keep changing and innovating
the practices adopted by the MNC and this has led to inclusion of redundancy in the company’s
operating at a normal or regularised level and therefore it is not easy to compete by regularly
incorporating innovation.
Further, another author, Orne (2017), has stated that in order to build up a
comprehensive, loyal and motivated workforce, it is extremely essential to incorporate equality
as well as diversity and this can be done only when the culture of the company is extremely
strong and they support each other. However, it is not always sufficient to just focus on cultural
aspect to maintain equality and this can be done only when the company build a work culture
and environment that is motivating in both monetary as well as non-monetary aspect.
P2 Project management plan
Project Management Plan is a formal, approved document that defines how a particular
project is to be executed, monitored and controlled. It includes baselines, subsidiary management
plans and other planning document which defines the approach project team needs to take to
deliver the intended scope of the project (Project Management Plan: Definition, Purpose &
Examples, 2019). It also provides appropriate information to the stakeholders regarding
understanding and importance of the task. A project management plan covers following aspects:
Cost Cost is a vital component of project management so that the desired objectives
of the project can be achieved within a predetermined budget and stipulated

time. The cost for the research activities such as sampling, data collection etc.
by the researcher will be £150 whereas the total cost that will be borne by the
company for research and development activities will be £360.
Basis Cost
New computer £120
Books an article £20
Food cost £40
Transport cost £150
Internet cost £30
Total £360
Scope The scope of the research for the company is that it will enable it to hire more
efficient and qualified staff who are motivated to learn and enhance their
skills through the new training and development programs and acquire skills
that will enhance their performance and increase the profitability of the
company. On the other hand this research will give the researcher to exercise
his knowledge and skills in a way that benefits both the company and the
researcher. This project also provides earning opportunity to the researcher
while increasing his knowledge about recruitment, selection and training.
However the company will be limited by the local and political boundations.
Time The total time in sampling, collecting data, forming various charts and reports
etc. required to interpret the results of the research, the researches would need
a stipulated time of 10 weeks starting from 9/9/2019 to 15/11/2019. The
company would need a time of 6 - 8 months to successfully implementing the
improved recruitment, selection and training in the company so as to meet the
international requirements.
Quality The researcher can use qualitative and quantitative methods to conduct the

research. Qualitative methods are easy to apply and interpret so
questionnaires, interviews etc. can be used so as to collect qualitative data.
Pilot test will be used for collection of data and secondary data will be
collected form reliable sources that will help in collection of right information
and maintain international standards.
Communication In order to complete the project efficiently and effectively within the
stipulated time and budget, proper interaction is required between various
aspects related to the project. The researcher uses telephone and e-mails to
interact with the clients from where the data is being collected.
Risk The risk involved in the project is high for the company as a huge cost is
involved and the time to complete the project is limited. The risk of incorrect
sampling and data misinterpretation is also involved. For the researcher the
risk of incorrect size of sampling within the limited time is involved.
Resources The company requires various resources to complete the project on time like
technology, human resources, money, better facilities for improving
recruitment, selection and training process. The resources required by
researcher are better internet connection, time and money to carry out the
research successfully.
P3 Gantt chart and WBS
Gantt Chart : This chart was invented by Henry L. Gantt and is the most widely used
chart in project management. It helps in depicting the exact start and finish dates of elements of a
project such as resources, tasks etc. which helps the researcher in finishing the task within time
(Flaherty, 2015).

Work Breakdown Structure : A WBS helps in dividing complex projects into simpler
and manageable tasks which helps in simplifying the project execution. Larger tasks when
broken down into smaller tasks helps in easy supervisor and estimation. This helps in completion
of the project on time (Fletcher, 2017).

M1 Timeline

TASK 2
P4 Qualitative and Quantitative research
The researcher needs to conduct a research for completing the project on time and in an efficient
manner. For this the researcher can use various methods of conducting the research and data
collection that are discussed below:
Methods of data collection
 Primary data collection: By using this method primary data can be collected through
original or first-hand research. In this method the researcher directly goes to the source
from where appropriate information can be gathered based on questionnaires, surveys,
observations, interviews etc.

 Secondary data collection: Secondary data is the data that have already been collected by
someone else and is readily available from other sources. This is a cheap method as the
data is more quickly obtainable (George and Park, 2016). The sources of data involve
books, journals, websites etc.
Methods of research
Different methods can be used by the researcher for collecting and analysing the data.
 Quantitative method: Through this method information can be collected based on facts
and figures which helps in proper interpretation of data. This method focuses on
gathering numerical and unchanging data with detailed convergent reasoning (Issa and et.
al., 2015).
 Qualitative method: This is a scientific method of observation which is used to gather
non-numerical data through open-ended and conversational communication. This
research helps in understanding of underlying reasons, opinions and motivations of the
human-beings through direct inquiry. It is a form of explanatory research that gives an in-
depth knowledge about views and opinions of individuals (Milanovic, 2016).
Sample size: It measures the number of individual samples measured or observations used in a
survey or experiment. The researcher has taken a sample size of 40 respondents to analyse their
opinions so as to conduct the research for successful completion of the project (Mahmood,
2015).
M2 Accuracy and reliability of research methods
The researcher uses quantitative research for the project to enumerate the problem
through creating numerical data by converting it into useable statistics (Ong, Wang and Zainon,
2016). This method studies attitudes, opinions, and behaviours of the sample population to
determine results. This is done through questionnaires, pie-charts, frequency tables to understand
better the views of respondents. This resembles the accuracy level and precision in the research
work that has been carried out by the researcher.
The researcher prepares a questionnaire for 40 employees of the LACOSTE Company to know
their opinions on some of the questions:

P5 Data Analysis
Theme 1: Following appropriate recruitment, selection and training of employees.
Q1) Do you think multinational companies follow appropriate
recruitment policies?
Frequency
 Yes 30
 No 10
30
10
Yes
No
Interpretation : It can be interpreted from above data that out of the 40 respondents, 30 agree
that appropriate recruitment, selection and training of employees is adopted whereas 10 do not
agree regarding the same. This shows that maximum people of the company agree about the

appropriateness of recruitment, selection and training of employees which encourages them to
participate enthusiastically in the improvement of these processes in the company (Orne, 2017).
Theme 2 : Arrangement of recruitment, selection and training
Q2) Do you think MNC’s like Lacoste arranges recruitment,
selection and training as per the international levels?
Frequency
 Yes 30
 No 10
30
10
Yes
No
Interpretation : It can be interpreted from above data that out of 40 respondents, 30 knows
agree that the recruitment, selection and training and their importance in the organisation are as
per the international levels which helps acquiring highly competent employees who have the
desired skills and knowledge required to fulfil the needs of the job. Training programs in a
company helps in enhancing the performance levels of the employees which in turn increases the
profitability of the company (Papke-Shields and Boyer-Wright, 2017). 10 respondents are do not

agree about the levels or standards of recruitment, selection and training in the company stating
that do not meet international standards. So the company should improve recruitment, selection
and training to meet international requirements.
Theme 3 : Methods of recruitment
Q3) Which method of recruitment should be followed in
multinational companies such as LACOSTE?
Frequency
 Internal recruitment 5
 External recruitment 15
 Referral 5
 Recommendations
 All
3
12
Interpretation : From the above data it can be interpreted that 15 respondents out of the selected
40 respondents thinks that external recruitment should be followed in the company which helps
in recruiting highly talented workforce which will be efficient in meeting the requirements of the
customers internally (Peltokorpi, 2017). Only 5 respondents think that internal recruitment

should be used which helps in saving cost and time of recruiting employees from outside the
company. Further employees preferring recommendation and referral as a method of recruitment
are 5 and 3 respectively and lastly employees believing that all the methods are appropriate are
only 12. So the company should use external recruitment methods to employ the staff.
Theme 4 : Method of selection that is better
Q4) Which method of selection MNC’s use for their selection
process?
Frequency
 Formal Selection 25
 Informal selection 10
 Both of them 5
Interpretation : It can be interpreted from the above data that 25 out of the 40 respondents think
that formal selection is a better method of selection as it helps in analysing the interpersonal
skills, communication skills, confidence etc. of the candidates that are required to meet the
requirement of the international customers. Lacoste is a multinational retailer company which
needs highly competent employees to deal with customers (Perlmutter, 2017). Only 10

candidates think that informal selection is a better selection method for selecting the candidates
and further, only 5 think that both methods are appropriate. Hence, the company should use
formal method of selection.
Theme 5 : Fair and equal opportunities
Q5) Do you think MNC’s training programmes are fair and equal
opportunities for all the employees?
Frequency
 Yes 25
 No 15
Interpretation : It can be interpreted from the above data that 25 respondents are in favour on
fair and equal opportunities in the organisation as they feel that training given during the
working hours saves time and cost of training them separately. It also helps in implementing the
skills acquired through training on the spot during their working hours which enhances their
productivity and encourages them to work better (Silverman, 2016). While 15 respondents are in
favour of it is not so as they think that training in outer environment reduces errors and is
economical as large groups of trainees can be trained simultaneously.

Theme 6 : Quality and Nationality in recruitment, selection and training
Q6) Do you believe MNC’s select people based on quality rather
that nationality?
Frequency
 I agree with this statement 25
 I disagree with the statement 15
Interpretation : It can be analysed from the above data that 25 respondents are of the opinion
that there is preference for quality rather than nationality in recruitment, selection and training
methods can help the company in various ways such as increasing its profitability, increase in
employee retention in the company and it will also help in meeting the requirements of
customers internally (Taylor, Bogdan and DeVault, 2015). So the company should improve its
recruitment, selection and training methods.
Theme 7 : Barriers faced in improving recruitment, selection and training

Q7) What are the potential barriers that can be faced by the
company in improving its recruitment, selection and training
methods?
Frequency
 Limited resources 5
 Limited time 7
 Inappropriate interpretation of results of research 8
 All of the above 20
5
7
8
20 Limited resources
Limited time
Inappropriate interpretation of
results of research
All of the above
Interpretation : From the above data it can be interpreted that 20 respondents are of the opinion
that there are various potential barriers that can be faced by the company while improving its
recruitment, selection and training methods. These are limited resources, limited time and
inappropriate interpretation of results of research which may have negative impacts on the
overall research process and can lead to long-term losses to the company once the misinterpreted
results are implemented in the company (Voegtlin, Boehm and Bruch, 2015).

Theme 8 : Companies arranging and giving regular training opportunities
Q8) Do you believe companies arrange regular training
opportunities for their employees?
Frequency
 Yes 35
 No 5
35
5
Yes
No
Interpretation : It can be interpreted from the above data that 35 out of the 40 respondents are
of the opinion that HR functions regarding training and development in Lacoste are adequate and
will benefit the company in meeting international requirements. The improved recruitment,
selection and training methods will ensure that diverse teams can work together in the company
in an integrated manner. Through improved recruitment and selection techniques a pool of highly
qualified and skilled workforce can be employed that will help in achieving the organisational
goals and objectives in efficaciously.

P6 Finding and analyses
By analysing the above report it can be recommended that Lacoste Company should
improve its recruitment, selection and training methods in order to attract candidates who are
highly qualified and skilled so that they are able to meet they are able to achieve the goals and
objectives of the company. This also enables the company to meet the international requirements
which helps it in expanding its market share and increasing customer satisfaction. The company
should follow external recruitment methods so as to bring new and innovative ideas in the
company through the diverse pool of employee talents and skills. The company should use
personal interview method in order to analyse the influential and communication skills of the
employees which will help in increasing customer satisfaction through efficient problem solving
which also helps in customer retention.
P7 Discussion
While conducting the research for Lacoste Company on the issue of improving its
recruitment, selection and training so as to be able to meet the international needs I was able to
use my skills to identify the ways in which this can be done. I was also able to realise my own
strengths and weaknesses through this process. I was able to manage the limited time effectively
so as to finish the project on time. Also I practically applied my skills on managing limited
resources available so as to carry out the project effectively so that realistic results can be drawn
out from this project. Though I had to face many challenges such as selecting the correct sample
size, collecting data from employees and clients they deal with, research methods that can be
applied while analysing and interpreting data so that it turns out to be useful to the company etc.
The research topic was interesting and so it kept me motivated through the complete
process to accomplish the task within time. Moreover, this research has boosted my skills and
knowledge on various parameters such as how effective recruitment, selection and training can
help organisations in meeting international requirements.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
From the above project it can be concluded that improving recruitment, selection and
training in a company can help it in globalising and gaining competitive advantage in the market.
Employees are the most important resources in a company and they are to be utilized in a manner
so that the productivity and profitability of the company can be increased. Various methods can
be used while conducting the research and analysing the cost, resources, scope, risks etc.

associated with the research. The results of the project if implemented properly can help the
company in meeting the requirements of the customers at the international level and this
increases their satisfaction, helps in retaining the customers and making them loyal to the
company.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
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Flaherty, J.E., 2015. The effects of cultural intelligence on team member acceptance and
integration in multinational teams. In Handbook of cultural intelligence (pp. 210-223).
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Fletcher, A.J., 2017. Applying critical realism in qualitative research: methodology meets
method. International Journal of Social Research Methodology .20(2). pp.181-194.
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APPENDIX I
Project Logbook:
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APPENDIX_II
PerformanceReview:
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