Importance of Equality and Diversity in Enhancing Staff Performance

RESEARCH
1

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
Background of research...............................................................................................................3
Literature review..........................................................................................................................4
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY................................................................................................6
Recommendation.......................................................................................................................19
Reflection...................................................................................................................................20
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................20
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................21
2

Title - "To evaluate the importance of equality and diversity in enhancing the staff performance."
A research conducted on Aviva plc.
INTRODUCTION
Equality and diversity is one of the crucial component of organisation and it is very
important for company to enhance diverse culture (Michie, 2019). This will lead to have major
impact on performance of organisation as well as motivate staff member to conduct business task
more effectively. There are different ways that can be used by company in order to enhance
equality and diversity activities with in organisation. This report is based on Aviva Plc company.
This is a British insurance company that is operating its business activities in different part of the
world. This company is dealing financial service industry and it is providing different types of
financial services to customers. Aviva plc company was founded in 2000 and its headquarter is
located in London, United Kingdom. This report will includes the impact on equality and
diversity on this company. There are different methods and approaches is used in order to collect
most appropriate data for conducting different activities of research.
MAIN BODY
Background of research
This research project is based on Aviva plc organisation that is one of the leading British
company. This is a multinational organisation that is offering its products and services to
different part of the world. Aviva plc company is considered as the largest general insurer
company as well as provide pensions to different types of clients.
Aims
" To understand the role of leaders and manager in managing equality and diversity at
workplace in order to enhance performance and efficiency of employees."
Objectives
 To review the impact of equality and diversity on performance of employees.
 To understand the role of leaders and manager in managing equality and diversity at
workplace.
 To evaluate the various positive and negative implications of equality and diversity on
overall performance and success of Aviva plc.
3

Literature review
To review the impact of equality and diversity on performance of employees.
According to Louise Petty, 2016, Equality and diversity is one of the essential topic at the
workplace and now it is essential for every firm to adopt practices related to equality and
diversity because it impact positively on the performance of employees (How Equality &
Diversity Improves Your Workplace: Examining the Benefits, 2020). There are several
legislations which are adopted by a company in order to develop and maintain equality and
diversity practices such as Equality Act, Sex Discrimination Act, Race Relations Act,
Disabilities Discrimination Act, Human Rights Act and many more. In order to implement
equality and diversity company need to consider list of characteristics on the basis of which they
need to develop practices such as gender reassignment, age, disabilities, marriage and civil
partnership, maternity and pregnancy and many more. According to study when an organization
implement equality as well as diversity practices at their workplace employees feel motivated
because they get equal chance and it also help in promoting positive working environment. In
addition to this there are also several other impacts on employee’s performance due to equality
and diversity culture such as it encourage employees to conduct work properly because they feel
that they are essential part of the company and company’s goal is their goal so they give their
best of attain it. Through respective practices or activities staff get equal opportunities of growth
as well as no one conduct discrimination with them which motivate them and increase their
performance quality as well as by it company productivity get enhanced and it will also lead to
high customer’s satisfaction. So it is essential for each and every firm to adopt as well as
implement practices related to equality and diversity so that they can also enhance productivity
of employees as well as it will also help them in promoting positive working environment
successfully. Moreover it also help firm in enhancing their production, profitability ratio, market
shares and goodwill at potential marketplace.
To understand the role of leaders and manager in managing equality and diversity at the
workplace.
According to the article given on MSG (Management study guide), 2020, There are
several role played by manager and leader of a company in order develop as well as maintain
4

equality and diversity at the workplace. Some of the main role in which leader and manager of a
company get engaged for maintaining equality and diversity at workplace are given below:-
 Leader and manager of an organization ensure that each and every individual at the work-
place follow all policies, rules and regulation in order to maintain equality and diversity.
They also ensure that no discrimination activities will conducted at their workplace on
the basis of age, gender, colour, religion, belief, language and many more.
 Leader and manager also engaged in appraisals as well as incentives plan, so while con-
ducting respective practices they ensure that they treat each and every employee equally
(Role of Management in Managing Organizational Diversity, 2020). This is so because
through it they able to develop as well as maintain equality and diversity at the work-
place.
 It is also role of leader and manager to encourage all employees to celebrate each and ev-
ery festival in order to accept and maintain equality as well as diversity at the workplace.
Along with this it will also help in motivating employees and encouraging to positive
working culture.
 Leader and manger also need to develop proper strategies, rules, policies and regulations
so that every employee follow equality and diversity practices at the workplace strictly.
These rules, regulation and policies are for all employer as well as employees of the
workplace. This is so because that will help in minimizing change of discrimination and
lead to positive working culture.
These are main roles which are played by manager and leader of an organization in order to
develop as well as maintain equality and diversity their workplace. This will also help them in
maintaining goodwill and retaining employees for the long period of time at the workplace.
To evaluate the various positive and negative implication of equality and diversity on
overall performance and success of Aviva Plc.
As per the perspective of article given on Future of Working, 2020, like everything
equality and diversity also have several positive and negative aspects which are necessary to be
considered by manager and leader of a company (20 Advantages and Disadvantages of Diversity
in the Workplace, 2020). This is so because through that they able to take effective decision
which will base on situation of workplace. Below some positive and negative aspects of equality
as well as diversity are given:-
5

Positive aspect of equality and diversity at workplace
 Through adopting equality and diversity at the workplace employees able to understand
about their strengths which help them in increase their productivity at workplace.
 Equality and diversity also help minority workers to get numbers of job opportunities at
the good workplace.
 By adopting and implementing equality and diversity company able to access more tal-
ented candidates because every individual get equal opportunities to showcase their talent
and effectiveness.
 Equality and diversity also help in increasing productivity of employees because when
they get equal opportunity they then feel connected toward the workplace. This will also
beneficial for company because they able to increase their profitability ratio and market
shares.
Negative aspect of equality and diversity at workplace
 Equality and diversity create too many options for companies which impact on the per-
formance of existing employees. This will happen because they feel insure in their job
profile as well as they always have fear of getting fired due to some better candidate.
 Too much diversity at the workplace leads to communication issues because at a com-
pany not everyone knows the same language. So there will be high change that when
same language people meet they develop group and tease to other which lead to conflict
situation.
These are some of the positive and negative aspect of equality and diversity which are faced
by a company when they adopt it in their business operations and functions.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research methodology is used for the purpose of having a in depth knowledge of analysis
of information based on given topics of research. This is a section that is helpful in gathering of
information and it includes various techniques as discussed below:
Primary data: It is a form of data that is sued by researcher in their research work. There
are various sources that can be used for the purpose of collecting data and it includes personal
6