ACCT2127: Sustainable Development Goals Essay - Inequality in Business

This essay explores the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) focused on reducing inequality, particularly within the business context. It begins with an introduction to the concept of inequality, highlighting its various forms (income, gender, race) and its impact on individuals and organizations. The literature review delves into the role of accounting in addressing income inequality, emphasizing the importance of fair wages and ethical practices. The discussion centers on Sainsbury's, a UK supermarket facing equal pay challenges, and analyzes the causes and consequences of income inequality within the company. The essay suggests potential solutions, such as stakeholder meetings and salary structure revisions, to promote fair wages and improve the organization's overall performance. The student document is available on Desklib, a platform offering study tools and resources for students.

SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT GOALS
(SDG) REPORT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................4
DISCUSSION..................................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Inequality is considered as phenomenon of unequal or unfair distribution of key growth
opportunities and resources among individuals in the society or business world. It is one of the
most common topics in the recent time that has been discussed as contemporary issue. As it
impact on well-being, productivity, effectiveness and capability of those candidates, who work
harder to reach specific aim or position, but still unable to work productively, as they face issues
at work areas in term of gender, race, and different types of inequalities. It divided into different
categories such as income, pay, wealth, etc. which put direct impact on mental and physical well-
being of humans. It can be said that inequality might be considered in different terms or
perspectives, all of which are connected. It emerges as contemporary business problem, which
drive the attention of several organizations whether it is small or large, public or private, towards
conducting those practices that help to reduce inequality at their premises.
It is important for any firm to take action to eliminate this type of practice conducted at
work area, by anyone whether it is leader, manager or co-workers. Inequalities are not only
emerged and measures by income, but also identified by other forces as well like ethnicity,
origin, age, sexual orientation, etc. For purpose of reducing inequalities and practices regarding
this term, in the corporate world, firm utilized several tactics and approaches. For example, they
attempt to develop those strategic plans through which management creates positive and
productive working environment by taking initiative to provide fair growth chances.
The current assignment will be based on specific sustainable development aim and that is
to reduce inequality, which affect in negative manner upon number of individuals when they are
working within a company. This unfair treatment is conducted on the basis of income, or pay, for
which people work harder and efforts a lot to achieve strategic aims and objectives. For purpose
of conducting research based on chosen topic or goal, case study as particular research approach
will be utilized. According to this method, specific case of contemporary business will be chosen
and that is Sainsbury, as it face several problems of pay inequality at work area and deal with
several complains about the same topic from employees due to accounting system. The study
will shed light on selected sustainable development goal in term of literature review and depth
discussion about the same in organizational context.

LITERATURE REVIEW
Inequality refer to practice of conducting unfair or discriminative practices within an
organization, workplace or business. According to, Tchamyou, Asongu and Odhiambo, (2019),
income inequality is one of those factors that directly put negative impact on accounting
operation of a company, in term of putting a lot of pressure on management to change the way
they structure salary or wage of male as well as female employees. Accounting department in the
organizations is responsible to pay fair wages to everyone, without conducting any unethical
practice, as it may affect effectiveness and productivity of staffs and also lead to decrease their
performance level. When they conduct unfair practice as income inequality and take action to
pay differently to male and female, it may contribute to create legal challenges for them, which is
not that easy to resolve as it directly put negative impact on a brand image & their reputation. It
may affect negatively upon companies in term of losing profitable stakeholders, such as
investors, workers, etc. who may do not tend to work with those firms within these accounting
and other types of operational units conducted discriminative practices.
Nolan, Richiardi and Valenzuela, (2019) stated that accounting is one of the most
important functions of successful companies or ventures, because it is responsible to retain
skilled candidates by providing them fair wages and creating structure of salary on the basis of
their absenteeism, work, etc. not in term of gender, colour, race and other factors. They may
contribute to reduce income gap between men and women's by providing access to earn in fair
manner. For example, they may conduct practice of fair salary division, which is equal in term
and beneficial for the companies where people may get chance to earn money on the basis of
what they did and commit, instead of what personality and looks they have. Furthermore, they
may drive their attention towards female growth and development by developing effective plan
that help to solve range of environmental as well as social issues. For instance, within
organizations, accounting section may contribute to reduce inequalities at workplace in term of
providing job opportunities to female's or household women's who are unable to earn money or
obtain salary like male does, by working same. It may impact on their mental abilities and
physical well-being. They may train new female candidates and give the key opportunity to
utilize their accounting or budgeting skills, which drive the attention towards becoming
independent human being. In the recent decades, females, especially married women's are facing
issue to run their family and fulfil the needs of family members, they work hard to earn money.

Few of them are working in those companies where they do not get specific amount by working
like male workers, because of discriminative practice that accounting and other departments
conduct.
In the view of, Uzar and Eyuboglu, (2019) accounting department play significant role to
reduce income inequalities, by conducting practice of recruiting women's who may get chance to
grow rapidly and effectively and live a normal life which is not possible for them to do so. It is
one of those growth chances that women's may grab and grow successfully that may help to
enhance their living standard, even better than last few years or months. It can be said that
accounts are highly concerned about social problem such as chosen one, according to a new
international survey. Accounting is a wide field, where people may grow and achieve their desire
aims and objectives in effective manner. It is the best platform for women's that they may utilize
for further and current benefits in term of overcome impact of income inequalities. Accounting
department within the organizations may effort to achieve set aim and that is reduction of income
inequalities, which is beneficial and essential for them to do so. It may enable them to chance the
status of female's in the world and give the opportunity to show their skills, efficiency and
knowledge through which they may grab the best position in the firms, where hard-working
candidates are needed. In many companies female are working but not getting chance to earn
more or similar then male, as they are becoming a victim of income inequality workplace
discrimination term, which directly decrease their morale and confident level.
Furceri and Ostry, (2019) contradict that accounting is essential to run a business
successfully and increase their profitability more than last few weeks or months, in term of
tracking income and providing the same to individuals. They may contribute to solve income
inequality as social or sustainable development issue, by developing wage reports of individuals.
They may effort to create the best and clear structure including number of hiring, current
employees and their earning criteria, which drive the attention of management towards providing
fair pay to all instead of making differences between candidates on the basis of their age, &
gender, which is one of the biggest discrimination factors that exist in the corporate world and
utilize in several time. The most important function of accounting department in the companies
is to measure and then disclose the monthly financial report that allow administration to pay
salary accordingly. They may contribute to reduce the extent of chosen issue by working even
better and following ethical concepts that designed for purpose of driving organizational

attention towards sustainability. These practices and attempt are play vital role in growth of
economy and improving living standard of many women's in the society.
Along with above approaches, accounting department may take action of find out more
methods such as they may effort to create transparency at workplace that is important for them to
do so, in term of reducing inequalities on the basis of income. They may contribute in excellent
manner and work productively in way of decreasing women's illness.
DISCUSSION
Sainsbury is one of those leading supermarkets in the United Kingdom, which provides
quality products and services to local people on the basis of their needs and expectations. After
conducting several practices at work areas for consumers benefits, firm may face challenge or
contemporary issue related to accounting, because of unequal pay battle at workplace that may
put negative impact on its growth, success, brand reputation and position in the retail industry. In
the organization, female candidates may experience discriminative practice as accounting
management is unable to pay fair wages to them as compare to male workers, which lead to
decrease their confident and performance level (Sainsbury's faces equal pay battle with female
shop floor workers, 2021). It is not good for company to run and operate venture long time as it
may decrease its operational efficiency or effectiveness more than key competitors that are
accessible in the retail sector. In the corporate world, there are different forms of practices under
term of inequality has been conducted by several corporations and management such as
accounting, which consider as crime (Chambers and O'Reilly, 2021). The most common type of
practice is income inequality that rise in today's era rapidly and affect in same manner upon
individuals, usually female who work harder unlike male but still unable to obtain equal amount
of money.
When accounting management within Sainsbury conduct unfair practice on the basis of
income differences between male and female employees, it may drive them towards facing legal
problems that affect negatively upon venture progress. For example, in supermarket, four female
shop floor employees file case against organization as they claim that administration pay less
than male candidates (Blanco and Ram, 2019). It is a kind of unethical practice that they
conduct, which directly or indirectly impact in negative way upon staffs performance and
straightly to supermarket. It can be said that less equal distribution of income, emerged many
challenges for a company and stakeholders who are committed with it. It may lead to create

workplace conflicts and other issues that decrease ventures productivity and drive management
towards facing legal complications, which is essential for them to overcome with the help of
laws, and regulations governed by government bodies (Manduca, 2019). There are several causes
of income inequality exist such as poor quality jobs, low paid, unemployment, as all these terms
are included in list of discrimination.
In the context of Sainsbury's, unfair pay is a discriminative action or activity that conduct
in regard to female employees who are working at supermarket floor, who provide satisfactory
services to all customers. Regarding contemporary business issue, organization may take
approach and develop effective methods (Connor and et.al., 2019). For example, in order to
reduce income inequality at workplace, it may take initiative to conduct group meeting with its
key stakeholders, who are capable to provide strategic solution. It may effort to recreate salary
structure of all candidates that are working currently and monitor their performance, which may
contribute to set specific amount of pay accordingly.
Supermarket may take initiative to eliminate current issue in effective manner by hiring
more people and providing them fair wages along with existing workers, which is quite
beneficial and essential for its venture growth. It is beneficial for the company in term of running
accounting operation in effective manner. It may plan to hire people on the basis of their
effectiveness instead of elements on the basis of that other firms recruit individuals such as age,
gender, etc. Its management, legal unit and other stakeholders may take initiative to find out and
utilize global solutions, which in return provide them benefits of retaining and acquiring
knowledgeable, talented, skilled and hard-working candidates (Akee, Jones and Porter, 2019).
They may develop list of female and male candidates and then set their pay structure equally,
without conducting any unessential practices. Furthermore, along with above initiatives, for
purpose of achieving set goal related to sustainable development, Sainsbury's may drive its
management attention towards complying with Equality Act 2010 terms, which give them power
and make capable to reduce income inequality. For example, they conduct practice of hiring
those women's who faced issue as inequality at workplace and enable to work with any brand
who may do not did that.
Accounting department of Sainsbury may help to overcome the impact of income
inequality by conducting several practices. For example, they may effort to create a balance sheet
including workers salary which is quite easy to understand.

It can be said that income inequality is one of those global issues that existed for
thousands of decades and its shape is rapidly fluctuated (van Holm, 2019). It can be supported
with literature review section that, in regard to chosen issue there are varied options or legal
terms and actions accessible that make a firm capable to resolve challenge in systematic as well
as ethical manner. Sainsbury's may adopt concept of equality in many terms, such as fair pay
structure, which contribute to enhance satisfactory level of existing and new candidates at
workplace and give them reason to stay in firm for longer or ever (Solt, 2020). All above
initiatives, methods and actions are essential in the context of income inequality. Still, firm may
approach more to utilize other as well. For instance, accounting management may conduct
practice for reforming workplace laws, salary processes and policies. Sainsbury's and its manager
and leader may effort to reform their employment policy, according to which they may add new
terms and conditions of Equality Act 2010 and Minimum Wage Act 2019. It drives their
attention towards reducing income inequality issue and increasing employees productivity as
well as morale, whether they are female or male staffs (Parker and Cox, 2020). They may take
initiative to conduct and follow the concept of sustainability & ethical business practices as well
as CSR, which is beneficial for everyone who are become or becoming important part of
supermarket. For example, accounting department within supermarket may effort to hire
women's on several designations, where they may work even better than male and contribute to
grow venture rapidly. It may help to achieve aim of women empower, which is quite important
for firm and its management to do so.
CONCLUSION
On the basis of above discussion, it has been concluded that organization has gained
benefits of retaining skilled, experienced and knowledgeable employees by conducting practices
of reducing inequalities at workplace. It has obtained competitive advantages by creating
discrimination free work area, where people may work for long time without facing any issue
regarding gender, culture, age inequalities. Supermarket has ruined its venture by conducting
sustainable and ethical business practices. It has operated its business by conducting ethical and
sustainable corporate practices by providing fair wages to all its staff members, whether it is
male or female. By reducing unethical practice at workplace, firm has builds wide and diverse
workforce, among which each candidate is highly efficiency to perform specific role within
supermarket. They work even better and in productive manner than last few years after getting

salaries or pays on time according to their hard work and all the efforts they made to make
company successful.
Furthermore, by summing up above discussion, it has been summarized that by choosing
case study analysis as research method, in depth analysis of Sainsbury is possible to conduct,
through which it has been identified that firm has successfully deal with current contemporary
business issue in effective manner. It has developed plan to provide way on the basis of work,
commitment and effectiveness as well as efficiency of employees. Accounting Manager and
leader by following and considering current chances in their employment contract has boost
morale of individuals that in turn increase productivity and boost staffs morale. By solving the
specific issue regarding income inequality, organization has gained benefits of acquiring more
people from talent pool, which contributed to increased organizational productivity and
performance level, even better than its rivals. Its practices and attempts provide firm advantages
in the future as long growth & success.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Akee, R., Jones, M.R. and Porter, S.R., 2019. Race matters: Income shares, income inequality,
and income mobility for all US races. Demography. 56(3). pp.999-1021.
Blanco, G. and Ram, R., 2019. Level of development and income inequality in the United States:
Kuznets hypothesis revisited once again. Economic Modelling. 80. pp.400-406.
Chambers, D. and O'Reilly, C., 2021. Regulation and income inequality in the United
States. European Journal of Political Economy. p.102101.
Connor, P. and et.al., 2019. Income inequality and White-on-Black racial bias in the United
States: Evidence from project implicit and Google trends. Psychological science. 30(2).
pp.205-222.
Furceri, D. and Ostry, J.D., 2019. Robust determinants of income inequality. Oxford Review of
Economic Policy. 35(3). pp.490-517.
Manduca, R.A., 2019. The contribution of national income inequality to regional economic
divergence. Social Forces. 98(2). pp.622-648.
Nolan, B., Richiardi, M.G. and Valenzuela, L., 2019. The drivers of income inequality in rich
countries. Journal of Economic Surveys. 33(4). pp.1285-1324.
Parker, R. and Cox, S., 2020. The state and the extractive industries in Australia: Growth for
whose benefit?. The Extractive Industries and Society. 7(2). pp.621-627.
Solt, F., 2020. Measuring income inequality across countries and over time: The standardized
world income inequality database. Social Science Quarterly. 101(3). pp.1183-1199.
Tchamyou, V.S., Asongu, S.A. and Odhiambo, N.M., 2019. The role of ICT in modulating the
effect of education and lifelong learning on income inequality and economic growth in
Africa. African Development Review. 31(3). pp.261-274.
Uzar, U. and Eyuboglu, K., 2019. The nexus between income inequality and CO2 emissions in
Turkey. Journal of Cleaner Production. 227. pp.149-157.
van Holm, E.J., 2019. Unequal cities, unequal participation: The effect of income inequality on
civic engagement. The American Review of Public Administration. 49(2). pp.135-144.
Online
Sainsbury's faces equal pay battle with female shop floor workers. 2021. [Online]. Available
Through: <https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jul/09/sainsburys-faces-equal-
pay-battle-with-female-shop-floor-workers>