Managing Cultural Diversity in the Workplace

This research project focuses on the importance of equality and diversity in Apple Inc. UK. It examines the incorporation of diversity and equality policies in the company and their impact on the workplace. The study aims to identify contradictions between formal discourse and practice, assess current practices and changes in organizational culture, and recommend strategies for better diversity policies.

Research Projeect

Equality & Diversity 2
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION........................................................................................4
1.1 Background of the Study..................................................................................................4
1.2 Research Questions..........................................................................................................5
1.3 Aim of the Study..............................................................................................................5
1.4 Objectives of the Study....................................................................................................5
1.5 Structure of the Study.......................................................................................................5
1.6 Rationale..........................................................................................................................6
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................................7
2.1 The Issue of Diversity and Equal Opportunities in Companies.......................................7
2.2 The Sustainability Report and the Themes of Diversity and Equality.............................8
2.3 The Investigation of Diversity and Equality in the UK...................................................9
2.4 Diversity and Equality in Apple Inc...............................................................................11
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY................................................................................14
3.0 Introduction....................................................................................................................14
3.1 Research Philosophies....................................................................................................14
3.2 Research Approaches.....................................................................................................15
3.3 Research Methods and Techniques................................................................................15
3.4 Research Instruments.....................................................................................................16
3.5 Sampling Methods.........................................................................................................16
3.6 Ethical Issues..................................................................................................................17
3.7 Data Analysis and Interpretation....................................................................................17
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS & ANALYSIS........................................................................17
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION..........................................................................................21
REFERENCES.........................................................................................................................22
APPENDIX..............................................................................................................................25

Equality & Diversity 3
Research Topic:
Topic selected for conducting the research is ‘Managing cultural diversity in the workplace.’
Research Title:
To assess the importance of equality and diversity in Apple Inc.UK.
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
The phenomenon of globalisation has meant that companies increasingly have to
dealing with issues that go far beyond making a profit (Sarvaiya and Eweje, 2016). Thus, the
growing changes in the international panorama, both at the economic and social levels, led
companies to deal with relatively new concepts. The fact that companies have branches
around the world and have to compete internationally with other companies, in addition to the
increasing mobility of people and goods, led them to live with very socio-economic realities
varied (Ravazzani, 2016). Companies have been forced to react to the increasingly wide-
ranging requests for information by its stakeholders and started to incorporate in their reports
issues related to sustainability.
In this context, traditional accounting has become unable to report all the dynamics
business environment (Nachmias, et al., 2019), namely in the recognition of mutual
influences that occur between them and the communities where they live insert (Nachmias, et
al., 2019). This set of measures that aim to identify, evaluate and report all the information on
the social context of companies called the Social Responsibility of companies (CSR)
(Klarsfeld, et al., 2016), which elects as one of its themes the problematic of diversity and
equal opportunities. These themes, in spite of their increasing diffusion, are still not well
studied and published in the UK. That is why this report explores the report of diversity and
equal opportunities presented by Apple Inc. It is also intended to verify whether there are
differences in terms of disclosure about these aspects depending on the sector of activity.
In the search for credibility regarding its disclosure of CSR, more and more
companies seek certified bodies to guide themselves in the preparation of their reports, the
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) being the most used. All information that is made public by
companies to communicate their social relations can be considered CSR, although the report
and accounts, for be an annual report, it remains a privileged means of information, because
for moreover, it is also an instrument that allows companies to disseminate information that

Equality & Diversity 4
they consider most important and allows them to reconcile information, both financial and
social (Khanum, et al., 2019).
Its importance is even more emphasised when it comes to listed companies because it
is a mandatory and available report (Nachmias, et al., 2019). In case of this study, was chosen
precisely for these characteristics, since it is intends to analyse the diversified and equality
practices in Apple Inc. With the world in crisis, economic and values, the importance of this
theme is revealed competitive advantage that companies can enjoy by providing a good
organisational environment, which can be acquired through reflection and implementation
measures aimed at knowing its human resources, as a way to satisfy the employees and
motivate them to achieve their best performance, in front of those who are not aware of these
issues. This study is intended contribute to increase knowledge about the treatment and
dissemination of these matters, in Apple Inc., because according to Sharma, (2016) social
accounting when compared to financial accounting.
1.2 Research Questions
1. What is the importance of incorporation of diversity and equality for Apple Inc.?
2. How does Apple Inc. manage diversity and equality?
3. Does Apple Inc. apply a diversified approach in all its policies?
4. How does Apple Inc. incorporate diversity and equality policies?
1.3 Aim of the Study
The aim of this project is to assess the importance of equality and diversity in Apple
Inc.
1.4 Objectives of the Study
1. To identify possible contradictions between the formal discourse and the practice of
Apple Inc. with reference to diversity;
2. To assess the current practices and identify changes in the organisational culture due
to application of diversity policies; and
3. To be able to recommend better strategies for the application of diversity policies
which support Apple Inc.’s financial interests.

Equality & Diversity 5
1.5 Structure of the Study
The work is organised as follows. In chapter two, an attempt is made to brief
bibliographic review, contextualise the issue of diversity and equality of opportunities,
present the GRI as a guide generally accepted and used in the preparation of reports and show
how these topics are disseminated. The following chapter describes the methodology
analysis, defining the sample and data collection method. In chapter four proceed with the
presentation and analysis of the results obtained, and in the chapter next, we present the
conclusions, as well as the limitations of this investigation and suggestions for future studies.
1.6 Rationale
Access and legitimacy organisations tend to emphasise the role of cultural differences
in the organisation without actually analysing these differences to see if they actually affect
the work being done (Bain, 2017). That is, what is behind it is a perspective that merit and
diversity are two poles in a continuous: if there is merit, there is no possibility of diversity
and vice versa (Barak, 2016). If these characteristics are assessed individually: merit or
diversity, in a process, for example, of recruitment and selection, which may occur and has
already been described in the literature, is that leaders choose the worst candidates possible to
undermine and affirm that affirmative policies do not work (Guillaume, et al., 2017).
The learning and effectiveness paradigm inorganisations developed a vision of
diversity and inclusion that allows them to incorporate the contributions of employees in the
organisation’s work. The latter paradigmin contrast to the previous two is organised around
the theme of integration and inclusion. This new model for diversity leads the organisation to
internalise the differences between employees so that it can learn and grow from the
differences. The focus is: “We are the same team, with our differences - and not despite
them”.
Unless organisations that are currently working with the other two perspectives can revise
their view of diversity to avoid cognitive blind spots, several opportunities will be lost,
tensions will be misdiagnosed, and organisations will continue to perceive the potentials
of diversity as effusive. Therefore, a question arises: what happens to organisations that
follow the emerging perspective that makes them get the best out of their diversity? The
research lines guided by Lindblom, (2017) suggest preconditions that help organisations
to use the differences of identity groups in service of organisations and their growth and
renewal. These preconditions can be found in .the study by Sarvaiya and Eweje, (2016)
and, in general, refer to the attitudes, behaviours and policies of the leadership, the

Equality & Diversity 6
organisational culture, the mission and the organisational structure. Therefore, in order to
assess the importance of diversity and equality, the case study of Apple Inc. has been
selected as taking into consideration all the organisations in UK would have been
challenging due to limited time and resources.

Equality & Diversity 7
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 The Issue of Diversity and Equal Opportunities in Companies
The issue of diversity and equal opportunities is part of the CSR theme, therefore,
framing each one of them. CSR has undergone several developments over time. First the CSR
studies focused on research and dissemination of environmental information, subsequently
also focusing on the investigation and dissemination of social issues (Gordon, 2018), aiming
to cover all issues related with sustainability. Since CSR is mostly voluntary, the motivations
for its reporting by the companies, can cover the most varied reasons, namely to comply with
legal requirements, to consider the business benefits of showing what is being done, or
apparently done, to satisfy the need for information and expectations of various audiences, to
comply with the requirements required to finance themselves, to overcome negative effects
that already exist or may arise, to attract investment, to enforce legislation on these matters,
to increase its reputation, (Avis, 2018), to cultivate his image, to legitimise certain actions, to
reflect their social commitment (Ashe and Nazroo, 2017).
The importance of CSR is highlighted by the continuous increase in studies that have
emerged and that investigate the most diverse themes, going through studies on: its evolution
history; systems that can improve the information contained therein; the report; the attempt to
establish relations between his report and the performance of companies at various levels; the
impact of regulation on CSR. In addition to the subject itself all of these investigations use
varied approaches, theories and study methods (Brown, 2017), always contributing to the
enrichment of the theme. In other words, although not a new topic, the issue of diversity and
equal opportunities in the business environment, it has only recently begun to be addressed,
as companies have become aware that work is an essential asset to its employees, affecting
their life experiences and access to various needs, in addition to being a means of livelihood
and an important vehicle for the acquisition of social status (Georgiadou, et al., 2019).
Hence in all relationships diversity must be taken into account in order to allow
equality of opportunities for all. Hawkins, (2017) points out that it is important to take
advantage of and diversity, as this can contribute to a more productive environment, in which
all feel valued and where their talents are maximised, getting more tuned and open to comply
with organisational objectives. Managing that diversity it is not simple, as it implies a
constant change and improvement of values to ensure that all employees perceive, in a
positive, these issues. Hatipoglu and Inelmen, (2018) state that companies have been slow in
the process of managing diversity and that the way they have done it can jeopardise the whole

Equality & Diversity 8
process, creating a lack of involvement on the part of employees. He suggests a change
diversity management, especially focusing on the needs and aspirations individual
employees; that a shared vision of values and behaviours to adopt, where everyone
contributes, understands and accepts these values, for appropriate behaviours to emerge; that
these questions be asked as priorities for the day-to-day life of the company and linking the
objectives of diversity and equal opportunities to business objectives.
Also Cletus, et al., (2018) argue that linking business goals to diversity and equality
goals opportunities, is a smart way to align these goals, although they suggest which is also a
useful tool to achieve less resistance to policies unpopular. For Flynn, et al., (2017) the
importance of addressing the theme of diversity and equality opportunities becomes more or
less depending on the historical context of each country. Thus, countries where there are large
mixes of peoples of different origins, religions, races, etc. feel more need to legislate, hold
accountable and report with greater preponderance of these issues. For Benschop, (2016), the
UK is an interesting location to perform a study on diversity and equal opportunities, because
the various changes that has taken place in social terms, such as the 1974 revolution, which
attracted populations from several former colonies and integration into the European Union,
made one of the companies more homogeneous in Europe if it becomes a society with several
social problems, where there is diversity and lack of equal opportunities.
2.2 The Sustainability Report and the Themes of Diversity and Equality
Most of the information contained in the CSR reports is voluntary and therefore
according to Rojas, (2018), “studies on social communication corporate governance, often
depend on management decisions and usually have little or no opportunity to compare what is
reported with reality underlying or alternative realities, and there may be a gap between these
realities”. Due to its voluntary character, although the CSR report is several years old, there is
still uniformity on the correct disclosure of these matters (Roberson, 2019). It is important for
companies to find a reporting strategy that allows them to satisfy the expectations of all
stakeholders on sustainability and CSR reporting.
One of the most popular approaches is the GRI guidelines. GRI is an international
organisation that intends to establish a conceptual framework for reporting of sustainability
(Manfredi, 2016). For that, it presents in its guidelines a set of principles and protocols that
help companies learn how to report and standard information and industry supplements to
know what to report. This set of principles supports companies in deciding on content
(participation interest groups, materiality, sustainability context and completeness), the

Equality & Diversity 9
quality of elaboration (comparability, between companies and over time, balance and
accuracy) and the understanding and confidence of the report (transparency, periodicity and
reliability) (Daniels and Thornton, 2019).
Standard information should contain the organisation’s profile and strategy, the
structure of governance and performance indicators (Lindblom, 2017). The performance
indicators should follow technical protocols to allow easy interpretation. Sector supplements
help companies to interpret the guidelines accordingly with the sector in which they operate.
To inform readers of the report about the levels of application of the GRI guidelines, this
establishes a rating according to the criteria that are met in the preparation of the reports. This
notation is A, B or C, depending on the greater or lesser extent of criteria in the report, and a
“plus sign” (+) can be added in each notation, in the if an external assurance assessment has
been used.
2.3 The Investigation of Diversity and Equality in the UK
Although the theme of diversity and equal opportunities is not a recent one, its report,
in general, is not very developed in the literature. First, based on a previous study (Daniels
and Thornton, 2019) and using the same methodology and analysis, extended their research
to a period between 2009-2019. They concluded that there was an increase in the number of
companies report on diversity and equal opportunities, except in relation to the issue of
people with disabilities but that there have been no major developments in reporting the
information quantitatively. Two other great pieces of evidence have been drawn from this
study. The first findings showed that most firms were not complying with legislation existing
legislation, namely with legislation on people with disabilities. The second, related to non-
reporting, is that unlike other authors who claim that the report is related to the attempt to
legitimise their behaviour, companies may not report precisely so as not to affect this
legitimation due to the weak performance in these matters.
Second, they presented the conclusions of an earlier study (Nachmias, et al., 2019),
where they had carried out a longitudinal analysis of ten companies in the sector banking and
eight companies in the non-food retail sector in the UK in the period 2015-2019, focusing on
the issue of gender equality. Due to the sample, they had divided it into six periods of time, in
order to able to carry out a more complete analysis of social, political and economic
influences in these matters. They came to the conclusion that these influences led to in the
analysed period there were few disclosures about gender equality presented. In the third

Equality & Diversity 10
study, they investigated three case studies, where they sought to compare what was reported
in the reports and accounts for the past five years, with other information public.
For this public information they resorted to several bodies that monitored these
companies, the courts and the unions. They explain that they had great difficulties in
obtaining this information and that this type of study really requires a great cooperation from
the companies under analysis, which was not the case and found internal information that was
not disclosed in the reports and accounts. They concluded that although one of them
apparently reports more fully the information about diversity and equal opportunities,
basically all three report little about these themes. Klarsfeld, et al., (2016) analysing several
previous works, theirs and those of other authors, criticise the way in which the report on
diversity and equal opportunities has been made by companies and suggest five proposals for
them to make their disclosures on these matters less limited, more complete, detailed and
transparent.
The first proposal is that companies should publish in their reports more details on the
equal opportunities policies used to combat the various items of diversity. They further argue
that it must be explained how diversity and equal opportunities policies fit into the strategy of
the company. Second, they recommend that companies should describe their commitment to
diversity and equal opportunities, reporting it in detail for each item and offering explanations
of its concrete realisation. Then they propose that companies establish a system of
information that allows monitoring of diversity and equality of opportunities, so that there is
better knowledge and planning of these questions. For this, it will be necessary that the
monitoring is regular and that goals to achieve and indicators to calculate its performance.
The fourth proposal presented is that companies report on investigations and legal
cases that may exist about the company, related to diversity and equal opportunities. Finally,
they propose that employees, unions and legal authorities be involved in all developments on
diversity and equal opportunities, namely in the establishment of its policies, information
systems and quantification. There are some studies focusing only on one or two items on
diversity and equality opportunities. Khanum, et al., (2019) prepared a study on the reporting
of ethnic minorities. For this examined the reports and accounts of the largest companies in
the banking and the UK. They divided the results into three time periods. Sharma, (2016)
carried out a study on the report of people with deficiencies, considering the reports and
accounts of the 100 companies listed on the stock exchange London values with FTSE 100
Index between 2000 and 2015. They concluded that over the time the report on this item of
diversity has increased but it continues relatively low.

Equality & Diversity 11
Few studies are known about reporting diversity and equality of opportunities in the
UK companies. Gordon, (2018) studied the rhetoric report on diversity and equality
opportunities adopted by the UK companies. They analysed the websites of the 50 largest UK
companies and the 20 best companies to work for in the UK, in 2018. In their content
analysis, they considered five categories: values and organisational aspects related to
diversity; minorities in organisations; diversity management policies, practices and
initiatives; awards and recognitions in diversity area; specific diversity issues. They
concluded that only 15% companies report on issues related to diversity and equality of
opportunities. They also concluded that the companies that report the most are those that have
the foreign control and that aim to reach international audiences.
2.4 Diversity and Equality in Apple Inc.
For Apple Inc., being the most innovative company is also the one that includes the
most and has the most diverse employee profile. Apple Inc. is known for being transparent in
disclosing its inclusion and diversity policies. The company releases annual inclusion and
diversity report. The company released details on hiring women and racial minorities over the
past year, reporting that 54% of new hires were from professionals from underrepresented
tech minorities (27%) and women (37%) (Sarvaiya and Eweje, 2016). The category "racial
minorities historically underrepresented in technology includes blacks, Hispanics, Native
Americans, Hawaiian natives, and other Pacific Islander races. The report covers all hires
made between July 2015 and June 2016 and shows that the hiring profile is focused on
improving the overall balance of the company's employees, which still depends on white men
(Nachmias, et al., 2019).
The number of women working for Apple worldwide has increased by 1% per year
since 2014, currently representing 32% of the global total of employees. In the racial
minorities category, the company arrives in June 2016 with 22% of employees in the USA
coming from racial minorities. In the USA, 56% of the company's employees are white.
Equal pay is also part of Apple's effort to eliminate differences and, according to the report,
can already be considered a reality in the United States where, according to the company,
women earn one dollar for every dollar earned by male employees. And sub minorities -
represented earn a dollar for every dollar earned by white employees.
Nachmias, et al., (2019) mention that Apple Inc. achieved the maximum score of the
Corporate Equality Index, an organization annual indicator Human Rights Campaign
Foundation (HRCF) that monitors companies with LGBTQ inclusion and equality

Equality & Diversity 12
policies.According to Ashe and Nazroo, (2017), the indicator considers non-discrimination
policies in business entities, equitable benefits for LGBTQ workers and their families and
support for an inclusive culture and corporate social responsibility.Thus, companies obtain a
percentage rating based on their stated policies, which range from the possibility of including
partners of the same gender in health care coverage to LGBTQ inclusion in various programs.
As per Ravazzani, (2016)UK organisations operate, primarily within the paradigms of
discrimination and justice and access (i.e. when concerned with diversity and inclusion) - the
working group and not the organisational structure as a whole, seems to be the catalyst for the
inclusion.Nachmias, et al., (2019) made a direct application of the Theory of Social Identity
(TSI) to diversity and identity among military police officers. Its “Military Police
Professional Identity Scale”, built on the basis of TSI, captured valuable evidence on ageism
(age discrimination) and promotion within the police corporation. Still on ageism, Klarsfeld,
et al., (2016) presented theUK panorama on discrimination against elderly people at work and
retirement, while Khanum, et al., (2019) pointed to the need to develop a program for
preparing for retirement with workers who work in urban cleaning, a very little researched
category and the target of constant class discrimination. Still within this functional category,
cleaning servants, two jobs carried out Nachmias, et al., (2019) pointed out that
discrimination at work occurs in several ways. Both surveys were done with sequences of in-
depth interviews.
In general, in the UK organisations, cleaning servants are subcontracted (i.e.,
outsourced) and, for this reason, considered second-level by other employees. It is also a type
of work with a high turnover rate, indicating a problem in the functional category, and not in
the company. Reports found about not responding to a good morning in the room, about total
ignorance or even curiosity in knowing the name of the outsourced by other employees,
among other aspects, are perceived as invisibility from work or social devaluation . This type
of work is typically performed by women (Sharma, 2016), although some companies choose
to hire men due to some heavier services (Gordon, 2018).
The low professional qualification, the sense and the meaning of the work emptied,
the perception of the work as discriminated are challenges that these individuals face in their
daily work environment. Social invisibility was also the subject of research by Avis, (2018)
in his work.Ashe and Nazroo, (2017) investigated women's opportunities for us to have
equality in occupying high-ranking positions in developing a measure to analyse the attitude
of civil servants regarding the possibilities and limits of the rise of women in the
organisation's job structure. The authors observed that the opportunities to occupy a senior

Equality & Diversity 13
manager position are less for women than for men, even with women with higher
qualifications than them. Such an effect is described as “glass ceiling” (i.e., glassceiling) in
UK public organisations.
The same was also observed by Brown, (2017) in hospital organisations. Brown,
(2017) analysed discrimination by sexual orientation in organisations highlighting the
humour of heterosexuals about homosexuals as a way of manifesting this
discrimination currently legitimised by the organisations.Georgiadou, et al., (2019)
analysed the effectiveness of implementing diversity policies in the UK branches of a
multinational company, suggesting the existence of counter- conditions between
discourses and practices adopted. For the authors, these contradictions occur, among
other factors, by directing diversity and inclusion policies that are more focused on
the market than on society's demands, which again points to the prevalence of the
paradigms of discrimination and justice and access and legitimacy (Hawkins, 2017)
inthe UK organizations.

Equality & Diversity 14
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction
For understanding the process of research and the methodologies undertaken in this
study, the research onion developed by Saunders, et al., (2007) has been used. The research
onion gives a detailed description about each stage of the research process.
Figure 1: Research Onion
3.1 Research Philosophies
The selection of philosophy in a research refers to selection of a phenomenon which is
to be employed within the study to gather and analyse data. there are four different types of
research philosophies which are the positivist research philosophy, interpretivist research
philosophy, pragmatist research philosophy, and realistic research philosophy. Each of these
research philosophies aims at exploring different variants involved within a study. In this
study, the pragmatist philosophy has been applied as the researcher believes that the choice of
methodology is determined by the research problem which is the core context of Pragmatist
Research Philosophy. In this philosophical approach, the practical results are considered
important, however the researcher can choose the appropriate techniques and methods of data
collection at his own free will.

Equality & Diversity 15
3.2 Research Approaches
Research approach refers to the plans for research which are aimed at spanning the
broad assumptions to detailed methods and steps which are to be used while conducting a
research study. It can be broadly divided into deductive and inductive approach. The
deductive approach tests an already existent theory, whereas in comparison inductive
approach is focused at formulating a new theory based upon the major findings from the
research. This study employs inductive approach as the aim of this study was to assess the
importance of diversity and equality for Apple Inc. Therefore, there was a need to formulate a
new theory to assess the importance of equality and diversity for the selected organisation.
3.3 Research Methods and Techniques
The method used in this study provides important data on the actions and vision on
diversity of Apple Inc. The qualitative approach is employed in this study to assess the
diversity policies implemented by Apple Inc. (Attia and Edge, 2017). Apple Inc.is selected as
a central point for research because conducting research on a larger paradigm would have
been challenging in terms of limited time and resources available. The UKliterature still lacks
specialised production on diversity and inclusion. A survey carried out on the basis of Google
Scholar pointed to 33 articles published on the topic in national journals. We searched for
articles published between 2016 and 2020, using as keywords the terms “diversity in
organisations”, “inclusion in organisations”, “exclusion in organisations”, “diversity and
inclusion” and their respective combinations. To ensure that all studies on the topic were
identified, the “snowball” technique was used, which consisted of checking the bibliographic
references of the studies initially selected in search of works that for some reason had been
pointed out by the initial survey (Brannen, 2017). Thus, theses, dissertations, complete
articles and abstracts published in annals of congresses, in addition to works still in
development (i.e. works in progress), but already presented, were also identified and
included, resulting in 25 studies obtained.
The analysis of the publications followed criteria that included and described relevant
characteristics of the work, such as the context of the publications, the theoretical basis used,
the methodological procedures, the variables studied and the results found. Among the works
found, some seem to illustrate well the main themes addressed in the country (Brown and
Rhoades, 2019). For example, Cletus, et al., (2018) sought to identify the concepts and
practices for the management of cultural diversity in organisations according to the three

Equality & Diversity 16
paradigms of (Cletus, et al., 2018), as discussed in the literature review (See Chapter Two).
Among the organisations investigated by the author, only one presented management
practices consistent with the perspective of learning and effectiveness. When investigating
the results of the perspective adopted by the organisation, it was observed that inclusive
behaviour of the working group was the one that most explained the experience of inclusion
of its employees.
Several situations presented indicated the existence of discriminatory practices in the
business context, and interestingly, even in the face of statistical data, revealing differences in
opportunities among workers, it is worth mentioning the frequent use, on the part of this
segment,of rationalisation and denial mechanisms of discrimination (Creswell and Creswell,
2017). Another important aspect to be mentioned refers to the issue qualitative nature of the
programs, as it is not enough to present an organisational structure made up of members from
the most diverse ethnic- cultural events in the Apple Inc. (Flick, 2018). Therefore the primary
data is collected through online interviews. The interviews are conducted among the
employees of Apple Inc. A sample size of 15 individuals was selected for this purpose (Attia
and Edge, 2017).
3.4 Research Instruments
The data collection instrument was online questionnaire which comprised of 12
questions in total. The initial questions were demographic aimed assessing the experience as
well as the position of participants in their respective companies (Brannen, 2017). Therefore,
the initial 4 questions were demographic and the rest were open-ended aimed at analysing the
perspectives of participants about workplace diversity and equality in Apple Inc.
3.5 Sampling Methods
Due to limited availability of time and resources, the snow ball technique was
employed. It allows the researcher to recruit the initial participants of the study and the rest
are recruited by the participants. This technique was appropriate because the researcher did
not have direct contact with employees at Apple Inc. (Brown and Rhoades, 2019). Therefore,
the snow ball technique made it easier for the researcher to recruit the participants of the
study.

Equality & Diversity 17
3.6 Ethical Issues
For conducting interview, the participants were given consent sheet informing them of
their rights. Moreover, it was made sure that the identity of the participants was kept
anonymous.
3.7 Data Analysis and Interpretation
The data in this study is analysed using content analysis. The data is collected using
both secondary and primary sources. The data collected from both the sources are analysed
using content analysis. The patterns are identified from the data collected from the
interviews, these patterns are then identified with the findings from
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS & ANALYSIS
This chapter presents the results from the interviews conducted. A total of 15
participants who were employees at Apple Inc. were interviewed to analyse how diversity
and equality are observed at their organisations. The results were analysed using content
analysis and are discussed briefly in this chapter comparing the findings from secondary
sources. The participants described diversity in organisations as means of the inclusion of
different people. According to majority of the participants, the most important aspects of the
diversity in the organisational context are inclusion, recognition of individuals with different
backgrounds, reinforcement and valuing differences and similarities between people, which
will help to achieve organisational and individual goals in a win-win proposal.
Again, the effect is different from the intention. The popular saying goes that, “with
good intentions, hell is full”. Therefore, as per the participants diversity is related to increased
communication, better ways of solving problems, more effective decision-making, increased
productivity, greater flexibility and high morale among employees. The majority of the
participants of the study clearly talked about predominantly affective domain training. It is
important to consider, however, that, in Apple Inc., there is a certain appreciation of the
different origins of individuals, but work positions are still defined by economic and racial
origins.
One of the participants in this regard mentioned that:
“Still, there are regions, religions, skin colours, etc., which are rated as more
hardworking than others. Or if so, they call for the need to manage diversity. But is there a
single way to manage diversity? Should we reject or accept and emphasise quota systems and

Equality & Diversity 18
affirmative actions? And isn't the white man, heterosexual not being forgotten? What is the
“best” way to treat women, non-white people, PCDs or people with disabilities, or people
with special needs (PNEs) and other “minority” groups in the organisation? If you have ever
suffered any discrimination for being, for example, the UK (outside the country), for being a
woman, for being homosexual, for being a mother or father, for not having a Camaro or
Lamborghini, for being dark, etc. ., you will understand that this discrimination, occurring
every day when leaving home, is an ordeal that can be modified. This change is slow, but it is
not even that difficult and I still face it.In addition to a question of profitability (of course, the
entrepreneur needs to think about it, because if he doesn't survive, he sends everyone away),
it is a human question, of justice, of equality, of valorisation and, why not, of fun! What we
have presented here were some concepts and tools to work with and, fundamentally, to
understand the process of diversity in the organisational context, which we hope will be
useful.”
The diversity planning and implementing systems and practices in the organisation to
treat people in such a way that the potential advantages of diversity are maximised and their
potential disadvantages are minimised. One of the participants suggested that the effects of
diversity on the effectiveness or performance of teams are not yet clear. This lack of clarity is
mainly due to four factors: nature of the task; what are the results you want to tell me
(e.g.creativity or reaction time); time (i.e., in the short term, its effect tends to be slower; over
time, its effect improves, with the group tending to present itself as more creative); and the
measured diversity attribute (i.e. deformation or, for example, differences in professional
training, personality, skill levels, etc.).
However, the effect of diversity depends directly on the paradigm, or the way it is
thought of in the organisation. There is agreement between the participants which are the
diversity paradigms that can be adopted by organisations. Diversity paradigms include
discrimination and justice, access and legitimacy, learning and effectiveness. These
paradigms are listed by majority of the participants highlighting the reasons for the
organisations to manage diversity. The authors name these paradigms as ‘discrimination and
justice’, ‘access and legitimacy’ and ‘learning and effectiveness’. They are also detailed in
Sarvaiya and Eweje, (2016). What follows is a brief summary, with the inclusion of
discussions hitherto not included. It is important to note that most people believe that
diversity in work refers to if only to increase racial, national, gender or class representation.
The issue of demographic distribution is important, but not enough to understand
diversity. Other variables, such as job stability, diversity at different organisational levels and

Equality & Diversity 19
collaboration or competition between accomplices (cohort), must be considered (Ravazzani,
2016). In other words, the “diversity” phenomenon in organisations can be both an
antecedent and a consequent variable. Diversity can be a precedent of, for example,
organisational climate or a consequence of organisational policies. The measure here is made
based on demographics and job stability. Often, there is horizontal but not vertical diversity,
that is, the picture is different, but the type of work is not.
These findings from the interviews can be compared with the study by Nachmias, et
al., (2019) who conducted a survey on workers with disabilities. The author interviewed
several workers with various categories of disability and described how people with
disabilities (PCDs) perceive themselves in the performance of their work. In general terms,
PCDs are not limited. On the contrary, they report the astonishment of other people when
they see a PCD at work, perhaps relating the work to some form of heroism, and not to the
competence or the possibility that type of work is performed by people. There are often
reports of downword social comparison, that is, comparing oneself with people with more
severe disabilities to feel better and better able as predicted by Klarsfeld, et al., (2016). The
clear paradigm that these participants live in is that of discrimination and justice, as they were
all selected for the job thanks to varying quota systems.
It should be noted, however, that professionals working in recruitment and selection
often suffer from government programs and the disinterest of some groups of PCDs in
working (Khanum, et al., 2019). Sometimes a job opportunity is presented, the professional is
located in the market, but does not show interest in the job, since the scholarship provided by
the State is similar to or greater than that offered by the position. Thus, such programs also
end up hindering the entry of PCDs into the labor market. Apparently, it is “providing the
fish”, but not “teaching how to fish” and this has been a challenge for the area and for a
country. Highlight should be given to the studies conducted by Nachmias, et al., (2019)on
both diversity and inclusion.
With a fruitful production, the author and her collaborators have investigated both
concepts in the country, making a great contribution to the understanding and measurement
of these organisational phenomena in the UK culture. For example, the participants
interviewed in this study also presented a scale of attitudes towards organisational actions in
favour of valuing diversity and then presented together with colleagues, evidence of
validation of the scale of organisational inclusion behaviour in the UK, originally developed
by Sharma, (2016) in the USA, obtaining an emic version of the measure for the country.
Such a scale fills a gap in the operationalisation of the concept of inclusion, which

Equality & Diversity 20
systematically has had an unreasonable evolution when compared to that of diversity. The
participants agreed that the proposition of a theoretical model for understanding the attitude
towards diversity in organisations on diversity and inclusion in organisations. It is noted,
from the findings of literature review, that some academic works in the UK are already being
developed, which clearly shows a difference from what was presented in the chapter.
However, there is still a need to investigate several other research topics. As a
research agenda, it is suggested to evaluate intervention programs. Research on intervention
is rare in the UK, and in this area it would be no different. Furthermore, what is not evaluated
is not valued. Therefore, for the valorisation of diversity and inclusion actions in the country,
there is a need for systematic evaluations of the programs already implemented. Some sub-
areas of research are practically non-existent, such as, for example, work performance
(Gordon, 2018), creativity and organisational subsystems. These and others are a fruitful field
of research in the area, in addition to providing clear managerial implications on inclusion as
part of organisational strategies.
In this research primary data will be collected by the way of questionnaire so that the
views and opinions of people who are affected by the researched topic can be analysed in an
efficient manner which can help the researcher in drawing effective conclusions. In order to
carry out the research effectively the sample size which is chosen by the researcher is 50 and
the participants of the questionnaire will be the employees of Apple Inc., UK so that the
impact of equality and diversity can be analysed in an efficient manner. Following are the
questions which will be asked to the employees in the form of questionnaire:
Questionnaire
Q1) Do you understand about the concept of equality and diversity in workplace?
a) Yes
b) No
Q2) Do you think that equal treatment must be given to workers irrespective of their
differences?
a) Yes
b) No
Q3) How do you think can equality among workers help the company?
a) Improved performance
b) Better productivity

Equality & Diversity 21
c) Competitive advantage
Q4) Why is equal treatment among workers important for them?
a) Job satisfaction
b) Equal chance of growth
c) Better working environment
Q5) How is diversity among employees in Apple Inc. Helpful for the company?
a) Varied ideas
b) Innovation
c) Variety of work
Q6) How is diversity among workers important for the employees?
a) Diverse working environment
b) Personal and professional development
c) Increased chance to work
Q7) What is the importance of incorporation of diversity and equality for Apple Inc.?
a) Increased competitiveness
b) Better brand image
Q8) How can creating an equal and diverse working environment be managed in Apple Inc.?
a) Improvement in policies
b) Training and development
c) Effective implementation of Equality Act, 2010
Q9) Is Apple Inc effectively able to apply a diversified approach in its policies?
a) Yes
b) No
Q10) How can Apple Inc. Increase diversity in company?
a) Indiscriminate recruitment
b) Improving work culture
c) Training of employees
Q11) What are the ways in which strategies for increasing equality and diversity among
workers be effectively implemented in Apple Inc.?

Equality & Diversity 22
a) Employee engagement
b) Participative leadership
c) Friendly work environment
Q1) Do you understand about the concept of
equality and diversity in workplace?
Yes
No
Q2) Do you think that equal treatment must be
given to workers irrespective of their
differences?
Yes
No
Q3) How do you think can equality among
workers help the company?
Improved performance
Better productivity
Competitive advantage
Q4) Why is equal treatment among workers
important for them?
Job satisfaction
Equal chance of growth

Equality & Diversity 23
Better working environment
Q5) How is diversity among employees in
Apple Inc. Helpful for the company?
Varied ideas
Innovation
Variety of work
Q6) How is diversity among workers important
for the employees?
Diverse working environment
Personal and professional development
Increased chance to work
Q7) What is the importance of incorporation of
diversity and equality for Apple Inc.?
Increased competitiveness
Better brand image
Q8) How can creating an equal and diverse
working environment be managed in Apple Inc.?
Improvement in policies
Training and development
Effective implementation of Equality Act, 2010

Equality & Diversity 24
Q9) Is Apple Inc effectively able to apply a
diversified approach in its policies?
Yes
No
Q10) How can Apple Inc. Increase diversity in
company?
Indiscriminate recruitment
Improving work culture
Training of employees
Q11) What are the ways in which strategies for
increasing equality and diversity among workers
be effectively implemented in Apple Inc.?
Employee engagement
Participative leadership
Friendly work environment

Equality & Diversity 25
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION
The findings from the study show that social movements being anti-discrimination
(e.g. affirmative action policies) and corporate social responsibility the main agents
disseminating diversity management practices at Apple Inc. Affirmative action policies serve
the moral and legal reasons for favouring diversity in organisations. The management of
diversity and inclusion is linked to economic reasons, being focused on the perspective that
managing diversity can bring financial benefits, in addition to complying with social
responsibility and legislation. It can be emphasised that the need to manage the growing
diversity in organisations, as this is an inevitable and irreversible process due to demographic
changes and market demands. Diversity management advocates a systemic transformation of
organisation and is not only concerned with recruitment and selection systems in
organisations.
Therefore, the management of diversity and inclusion begins with a diagnosis about
demography, the cultural diversity of the organisation and the statistics of its workforce, that
is, this would be the first step. Only then can a diversity plan be developed, which goes
through all organisational subsystems. Then, a cycle is formed. Through institutional policies,
starting with the profession or job description, there are included aspects to be valued in the
different subsystems (from demographics, through skills and training). Recruitment and
selection (often linked to affirmative actions, especially in cases where there is a
demographically homogeneous continent in the organisation - whether for political or
historical reasons), the demographic plurality of the organisation is obtained.
Through training programs and other organisational actions, the next step, the
management of diversity in the organisation, which goes far beyond its plurality or
demographic heterogeneity, can be accomplished. As such, it is only with the management of
diversity in progress that a culture of inclusion can be created, and that culture of inclusion
will lead to the realisation of a hiring and promotion system that will reinforce diversity itself.
Diversity management differs from affirmative actions in terms of two variables: the groups
affected and the effects on companies. In affirmative action, the changes brought about in
organisations are the result of external coercive pressures, such as quota laws for minority
groups or historically discriminated against. In diversity, all different identities are
contemplated, and their effective and effective management makes inclusion seen as a
competitive advantage for the organisation. It is precisely for this reason that there is a need
for a diagnosis about the organisation’s demographics and cultural diversity, that is, the
organisational structure itself.

Equality & Diversity 26
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Equality & Diversity 29
APPENDIX
1. Disability
 Yes
 No
2. Sexual Orientation:
3. Faith/Religion:
4. Gender:
 Male
 Female
5. Age Group
 Under 25
 25-50
 Over 50
6. Ethnic Background:
7. What does equality and diversity mean to you?
8. List what you consider are the main equality & diversity issues to be addressed by
your company?
9. Which of the main aims of these policies have the most impact on employees’ work?
10. How effective are the company’s policies and equality and diversity?
11. What would you change?
12. Have you received training or given any guidance on how to deal with equality and
diversity issues?
 Yes
 No
 If Yes, please specify: