Equality and Diversity in the Workplace: A Case Study on Tesco

This research project focuses on the significance of equality and diversity in the workplace, specifically in the context of Tesco. It aims to study the impact of workplace discrimination on employee's performance and identify strategies to manage equality in the workplace. The research methodology follows an interpretivism philosophy.

Research Project
Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Title of research project..........................................................................................................1
Overview of company............................................................................................................1
Research Aim.........................................................................................................................1
Research Objectives...............................................................................................................1
Research questions and problem statement............................................................................1
Rationale for selection of project...........................................................................................2
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................2
To study the significance of equality and diversity for an organisation.................................2
To determine the impact of workplace discrimination of employee productivity.................4
To identity the manage the strategies of equality workplace in context of Tesco plc company.
................................................................................................................................................5
Research Methodology....................................................................................................................6
Timeline of research activities.........................................................................................................9
References......................................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Title of research project
The research topic selected for current project is : “Equality and diversity in the
workplace". A case study on TESCO
Overview of company
The company selected for current research project is Tesco that is a well known British
international groceries and general merchandise retailer having its headquarter in Hertfordshire,
England, United Kingdom (Foster, 2019). Tesco basically deals in wide range of product that
consists of Food, Beverages, Frozen food, Technology and gaming products, Home electrical
products, Bakery products, Home and garden products, Toys and car products Together with
Sports and leisure products, Baby and toddler products, Party and gift products, Health and
beauty products, Clothing and jewellery, Entertainment and books. Tesco is having large number
of stores at diversified locations of world thus, issue of management of equality and diversity is
common for this organisation. Thus, Tesco Company is selected for current research work to
study the significance of equality and diversity for an organisation.
Research Aim
The aim of this research project is, “ To study the impact of workplace discrimination on
employee's performance”. A case study on TESCO.
Research Objectives
The main objectives of conducting this research work on Tesco are stated as follows:
 To study the significance of equality and diversity for an organisation (Bowl, 2018).
 To determine the impact of workplace discrimination of employee's productivity and
performance.
 To identify various strategies that could be employ by TESCO to manage equality at
workplace.
Research questions and problem statement
The main problems and questions addressed through current resrch work are as follows:
 What significance is lead by equality and diversity for an organisation?
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 What impact is created by workplace discrimination on employee's productivity and
performance?
 What are the possible strategies that could be employ by TESCO to manage equality at
workplace?
Rationale for selection of project
The two main aspects and justification for selection of current research project are stated
as follows:
Professional or business aspect- The rationale for selection of current research topic
from view point of professional or organisational aspect includes the fact that creation of equality
and diversity is helpful for an organisation to enhance its productivity and performance thus, this
research is crucial and justifiable from view point of an organisation.
Personal or academic aspect- The current research topic is also rationale from academic
and educational view point of researcher as it ensures better personal development and
enhancement of managerial skills and competencies in investigator.
LITERATURE REVIEW
It is vital part of every research work that contain discussion about various scholarly articles
and publication that rate reviewed by a researcher to get better understanding about selected
research topic (Klein, 2016). Following literature review is based on topic of equity and diversity
for which use of various online articles and journal are made a discussion of which is provided
below.
To study the significance of equality and diversity for an organisation
As per the opinion of Louise Petty. 2016, equality and diversity is a significant concept
for all organisation as equality is directly associated with creating and providing fair and equal
chances of job and growth for all individual irrespective of any discrimination on any grounds.
On the other hand diversity is associated with eliminating the chaos and conflicts from
diversified people who belongs to different cultures and backgrounds through establishing and
leading a feeling of bonding and respect. Thus, both equality and diversity are important and
significant for an organisation as it ensures creation of a more positive and efficient workplace
through eliminating all kind of discrimination and favoritism from workplace. One of the biggest
significance of Equality and diversity is that it add new skills to teams through brining together
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employees who are belonging to different culture and background thus, proper management of
equality and diversity lead to enhancement of skills and decision making power of an
organisation through leading view point and perspective of diversified workforce that facilitates
better decision making and outcomes (Gawrych, 2019).
Further, as per the opinion of Parnacott and Whitehouse, 2019, Diversity in the
workplace also promotes and enhance level of innovation and creativity as it lead to better
bouncing ideas through facilitating better discussion among diversified employees each other
which results in generation of more creative and innovative ideas through enhancement in skills
diversity of organisation. Thus, it can be evaluated that good diversity management and
maintenance of equality is key to future business success through enhancing overall creativity
and innovation level of an organisation that also lead to better competitive strength (Healy and
Oikelome, 2017). Beside this, Diversity and inclusive workforce also opens business up to new
markets as introducing and employing people into teams and organisation with different social,
geographical and cultural backgrounds would ultimately get a new knowledge base for a firm
that engage its for potential new markets. Beside this, a diversified workforce also enhance the
cultural connection and interaction of an organisation through enhancing knowledge about
various potential markets and also lead to effective communication with customers who belongs
to a diversified culture as knowledge about various language is also get enhanced with
diversified and inclusive workforce.
Beside all theses factors, it can also be concluded that proper management of equality and
diversity is significant for an organisation as it lead to creation of a more healthy and positive
workplace environment that lead to retention of talented employees for a longer period and also
improves the efficiency and productivity level of an organisation. Thus, it can be observed that
the various significance and crucial benefits are lead by equality and diversity for an organisation
that consists of improvement in creativity and productivity level through facilitating better
mindset and motivation in employees that also improves efficiency and commitment level of
staff towards organisation (Stein, Hannah and Zimmerman, 2019). Thus, equality and diversity,
lead to enhanced productivity and performance level of employees that brings higher profit and
competitive strength for an organisation.
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To determine the impact of workplace discrimination of employee productivity.
According to the Michelle Seidel, 2019. The workplace discrimination in the organization or
workplace is determining th factors which are involved in demographic factor in terms of age,
gender, religion, education etc. A discrimination ha sit own a psychological impact , where it
disturbed and deeply hurt the emotions and sentiments by enhancement of discrimination within
the organization premises, it generates the negativity environment as well as an individual suffers
through not having the vibe of job satisfaction as well as employee morals reduces through not
gaining the appraisal by contributing lots of efforts towards the company welfare and its value,
it arises the negative emotion which leads the predicting of an individual towards the future
outcomes by which it reduces the communication, team work, coordination, work morale and
productivity where it comprises the high form of unsatisfactory by which it creates the
distraction from the work as well as the professional life (Taylor, 2018). Basically more
workplace discrimination is considered through the gender basis and age basis in which the
factors are determining potential capabilities and the male and women comparison where it
create the myth about the men are more efficient enough than women. Other reasons which
represent the employee productivity decreases through facing the workplace discrimination
where the to facilitating the resources to only those employees whose productivity values are
more effective in terms of competences in higher form by providing the rich benefits rather than
organization doesn’t focuses of low competence employee, by not providing the enough and
effective training which can helps to increase their proficiency in spite of that employees are
demotivated by themselves and faces the challenges which destructed from their focuses towards
o achieving the goals. Such as if an employee consistently observed to sees the promotion, bonus
and other incentives enhancement in Ages and gender basis the employee gets affect the rigid
perform to the best of his or her ability gets negatively affected. As recruitment and training
development are the major component of the organization where it comprises very costly
towards the workforce skills and knowledge enhancement by which if an employees believes
that if there would be no future for him within the organization, he or she will be having a less
concerned towards the jobs, and it hams the individual workforce career as it won’t be resumes
the career plateaus of an employee as for the long term perspective. The regulatory system has
implies the discrimination act towards the employee stake, responding towards the
discrimination complaint is well time consuming for managers. In the small ventures business
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doesn’t have and experienced staff or an effective workforce which can directly effected the
bottom line even if the charges it ultimately reduces.
To identity the manage the strategies of equality workplace in context of Tesco plc company.
According to the Tahir Nisar, 2016. As to manage the workplace equality in the company
where it follows many drawbacks of negativity by which it reduces the core values and
objectives of individual employees who believed in the organization that it will provide the
appraisal which it belong to its workforce. The strategies to manage the equality workplace in the
aspect of Tesco plc, where this company is United Kingdom based company and it helps to
arises the well effective desirable products in all over retail industry, the workforce are very
effective where it helps to mapped the employees productivity but also faces some challenges
toward the inequality in the organization where equality provide the equal pay of platforms and
opportunity. There are the some ways which helps to manage the workforce equality in Tesco
Plc, revaluate job specification of senior management team workforce in this the women has
faces the challenges towards the work equality where the companies hires only the male
employees where they believed that male are more efficient enough than women but time has
change women are also getting placed in that same platform where they served their skills and
knowledge towards the valuable of the organization (Nachmias, Aravopoulou and Caven,
2019). The gender pay gaps are the more disturbing which has eliminate by equality in
workforce by which it gains the transparency of equal pay to every workforce as per their job
role and performance basis, in this women get struggle by which they doesn’t get enough wages
which they have contributed more in terms of business objective accomplishment. The providing
and generating the effective leaders and managers and make them appointed to every employee
who are working in the company’s objectives the role of leaders and manager would be they will
guide the workforce as per their capabilities and allotted the work assignment on the basis of
competences in which it helps to ease and control the productivity generates in terms of proper
guidance, enhancement of the procurement of skills where it goes into the compliance format
which brings the work discipline. Any type of negative physical activities should be prohibited in
the premises of organization such as bullying, sexual harassment and other type of activities
which belong towards the inconvenience intentionally eliminated by the top level of management
where it will help to the women as well as overall workforce safety, it is the type of security of
employees during the working in the premises where it brings the equality in among the peers of
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the company. At last the work life balance between the professional and personal life priories
within the employees are getting focuses toward the organizational objective where it get
distracted from balancing personal priorities. Some of the companies are reliable and showing
the concerned towards the women workforce specially at their pregnancy days by allocating
them a proper hospitality in terms of taking care as provides the maternity leaves in which it
consider the employee welfare.
All above consideration towards the workforce equality in the context of Tesco company
where it allows the managing strategies through various steps by which highlight the purpose and
importance of the organization work equality.
Research Methodology
A research methodology provides the set of specific process and techniques which are
assorted by researcher or manager to identify, select, process and analysis information and data
related with respective topic (Finnis, 2016). The research methodology facilitates information
about the data is collected and evaluation for reaching the result as well as conclusion of
research.
Research philosophy:
It provides a belief about the ways in which the data is collected on the particular topic by
which the data should be collected analyses and utilized by researcher. It contain two main
research philosophy that can be used by researcher as it described below:
Positivism:According to this philosophy thee researcher is focuses into predicting in
outcomes assumptions. Positivism Method is also known as Scientific method on which it
comprises the data into detailed interpretation and mapped in a high structure which is making
any effect on researcher’s values and behavior.
Interpretivism: As per this philosophy is used by the researcher who are concerned with
collecting and gathering the precious data which is having an influencing power and it also
comprises the subjective data that shows some specification (Nachmias, Ridgway and Caven,
2019).
As for the above research there is use of Interpretivism philosophy where it is used to
provides the data collection on a specific subjective topic by which it generates some new
specification that makes the research effective.
Research Approach:
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It formally represent the plan or procedure that is assorted for research on which it
involves the various steps and precious assumption for effective method of data collection,
analysis and evaluation. This having two essential approaches which are elaborated below:
Deductive: This approach is selective theory includes and developing from providing
hypothesis to created theory and finally collecting and analyzation data is basis on these
hypothesis. Therefore, it allows to the approach in form testing theory by which it represent the
data authencity.
Inductive:As this approach is basically concerned with the new theory generation which
emerge with the data by which it provides the logical process of format through multiple
assumptions where it complies with particular research conclusion (Manfredi, 2016).
For this particular research there is use of inductive approach is made for which it helps
to leads the reach a specific conclusion and considering to the outsourcing of function.
Research Method:
A research method is generates a systematic plan for conducting for attaining up the
objectives of any research. There are two main research method that shows the data format
collection basis given below:
Qualitative Research:By using of this research method the researcher are focuses on the
data collection in a theory basis which allows the depth information about the data or detailed
theoretical knowledge about the research data for completing the objective requirements.
Quantitative Research:As per this research method the researcher is determining on the
data gathering in form of numeric or arithmetic framework which reflect the point of view on
brief perspective participant and having no more interesting agenda into depth knowledge
(Sanfelici, 2019).
As for this particular research method there is been use of Quantitative research method
which helps to provides the data information as with facts and figure that allows to the statistical
format of the data which accomplish the objectives of research.
Sources of data collection:
In this process it represent the origin of the data from where it actually collected or
gathered from where it belongs. The Sources of data have two types on which it determine as
follows:
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Primary Source:The data is collected from sources which provides the first hand data
that shows the reliability and authentic form of data information which has been collected
through self-efforts of researcher. The tools and techniques which helps to assorted the primary
source of information through interviews, polls, survey and feedback etc.
Secondary Sources:This data is been collected the mobility to data by which it is having
the existence and collected through of some past research document data or research work
related. Secondary data is been easier and flexible on the researcher perspective where it helps to
collects the data form newspaper, articles, books and Journal, internet or websites etc (Ashurst,
2019).
As the research includes the both primary and secondary data is formatted by researcher,
where the primary data collection is allows the sources to making of questionnaires through help
to support the facts and findings and Secondary data is to evaluates the data of quantitative
research method of primary data outcomes.
Sampling Method:
A Sampling is a method which is used by a researcher for to choose or determined
number of units or observation on the basis of purpose of analyzation and evaluation of data on
behalf of set of data consideration (Foster, 2019). There is been use of simple random sampling
method where it helps to indicates the provide the chances of all observation and assumptions is
completely depends upon the probability , therefore it reduces the chances of discrimination from
the research other wise it can create the conflict to the research motives.
Instrument used:There is used the instrument of mapping the sampling method of
research objective which provides the optimum used of research fulfillment of data through
Questionnaire. Through which 25 respondent are having to implementing of questionnaire terms
as the participants belong the Tesco company owns workforce to identify the changes and
benefits on the particular agenda.
Questionnaire:
It is an written documentation which emphasis about the specific set of question which
allows within the topic of the research requirement and the collection and gathering of data
respondent. Use of following questionnaire would be made for collection of primary data for
current research work from selected 25 respondents from employees of Tesco:
Questionnaire
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Q1) Do you having any perception and understanding about the significance of equality
and diversity for an organisation?
a) Yes
b) No
Q2) What impact is created by workplace discrimination on employee's productivity and
performance?
a) Positive
b) Negative
c) No impact
Q3) What benefits and advantages can be availed by Tesco through proper management of
equality and diversity at its workplace?
a) Enhanced Creativity and motivation
b) Increases in productivity
c) More Competitive strength
Q4) What are the possible strategies that could be employ by TESCO to manage equality at
workplace?
a) Regular cultural training
b) Fair decision making
c) Unbiased and flexible recruitment
d) Effective communication
Q5) Any further recommendations for Tesco in order to have better management of
equality and diversity at its workplace?
Timeline of research activities
In order to accomplish and meet research objectives in time it is necessary to have better
implication of research activities and timelines. Thus, use of Gantt chart is made for current
research work as it facilitates more clearer and systematic presentation of all activities together
with their prescribed timeline to ensure efficiency in work (Bowl, 2018). Further, use of Gantt
chat also reduce the overlapping of work through eliminating the chance of confusion and chaos.
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Following Gantt chart is prepared for current project that is facilitating information about
research activity and its timelines that are associated with current investigation.
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References
Books and Journal
Foster, S., 2019. Accommodating Intolerant Speech: Religious Free Speech Versus Equality and
Diversity. European Human Rights Law Review, (6), pp.609-625.
Bowl, M., 2018. Differentiation, distinction and equality–or diversity? The language of the
marketised university: an England, New Zealand comparison. Studies in Higher
Education. 43(4). pp.671-688.
Klein, U., 2016, January. Gender equality and diversity politics in higher education: Conflicts,
challenges and requirements for collaboration. In Women's Studies International Forum
(Vol. 54, pp. 147-156). Pergamon.
Gawrych, G. W., 2019. Equality and Diversity in the Late Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey.
Equality: More or Less, p.19.
Parnacott, S. and Whitehouse, P., 2019. P-71 Equality and diversity at ashgate hospicecare.
Healy, G. and Oikelome, F., 2017. Racial Inequality and Managing Diversity in the United
Kingdom and United States', Management and Diversity (International Perspectives on
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Volume 3).
Stein, H., Hannah, J. and Zimmerman, A., 2019, January. Using Equality and Diversity as a
Façade for Control. In Geophysical Research Abstracts (Vol. 21).
Taylor, A., 2018. P-49 All things being equal–improving our approach towards equality,
diversity and inclusion (EDI). BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, 8(Suppl 2), p.A28.
Nachmias, S., Aravopoulou, E. and Caven, V., 2019. Diversity and Equality Issues in Modern
Organisations. In Inequality and Organizational Practice (pp. 17-43). Palgrave
Macmillan, Cham.
Finnis, J., 2016. Equality and Religious Liberty: Oppressing Conscientious Diversity in England.
Nachmias, S., Ridgway, M. and Caven, V., 2019. The Legal Framework on Diversity and
Equality. In Inequality and Organizational Practice (pp. 15-36). Palgrave Macmillan,
Cham.
Manfredi, S., 2016. Equality and Diversity at Work under the Coalition. In Employment
Relations under Coalition Government (pp. 120-138). Routledge.
Sanfelici, M., 2019. Diversity and equality in social work: a qualitative study in Italy. European
Journal of Social Work, pp.1-11.
Ashurst, A., 2019. Key points of equality and diversity training. Nursing And Residential Care.
21(9). pp.534-536.
Online:
Petty. L. 2016. How Equality & Diversity Improves Your Workplace: Examining the Benefits .
[Online]. Available through:< https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/equality-
diversity-benefits-workplace/>.
Seidel. M., 2019.The Effects of Discrimination in the Workplace. [Online]. Available
through:<https://smallbusiness.chron.com/effects-gender-discrimination-workplace-
2860.html/>.
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Nisar. T., 2016.Managing diversity and equality in the workplace. [Online]. Available
through:<https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311975.2016.1212682?
src=recsys&/>
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