Research Project: Age Discrimination's Influence on Sainsbury's Staff

This research project investigates the impact of age-based discrimination on employee productivity and performance at Sainsbury. The report begins with an introduction to the concept of workplace discrimination, particularly focusing on ageism, and establishes the research rationale, aims, objectives, and research questions. A comprehensive literature review explores the existing research on age discrimination, its impact on employee performance and productivity, and strategies for preventing age discrimination in the workplace. The methodology section details the research philosophy (positivism), approach (deductive), choice (mono-method), strategy (questionnaire), and time horizon (cross-sectional) used for data collection and analysis. The report also includes ethical considerations, data collection methods, and sampling techniques. The data analysis and interpretations section presents and analyzes the survey results. The findings section summarizes key observations, followed by a discussion of research outcomes and recommendations for preventing age discrimination. The report concludes with reflections on alternative research methodologies and includes a list of references and an appendix with the questionnaire used in the study.

RESEARCH PROJECT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................3
LITERATURE REVIEW....................................................................................................................................5
METHODOLOGY AND DATA COLLECTION....................................................................................................7
DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATIONS...................................................................................................10
FINDINGS...................................................................................................................................................19
RESEARCH OUTCOMES..............................................................................................................................20
CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS......................................................................................................20
REFLECTION & RECOMMENDATION OF ALTERNATIVE RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES ..............................21
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................................23
APPENDIX..................................................................................................................................................25

TITLE: To analyze the impact of age based discrimination on the productivity and
performance of employees.
INTRODUCTION
Background of Research
The discrimination in the workplace is prejudiced and arises when workers are
unfavorably treated due to gender, religion, race, disability, age and some other characteristics. If
company treat some person differently due to possess various characteristics to some other staff
members that is unlawful. There is a discrimination arising on the basis of age and this can
impact on the employee relation at workplace. In an organisation, Age discrimination is an
improper letting of a person's age when determining who gets new jobs, advancement and any
other work advantages. Sainsbury is the United Kingdom's largest retail chain and was founded
in London in 1869 by John James Sainsbury. In this organisation, there are many employees who
are working from the long period of time and company treat them in a better manner. The present
research considered the age discrimination and in this there is discrimination with the old
employees and give the importance to new staff (Assari and Moghani Lankarani, 2018). It
develops the impact on productivity as well as profitability of company. The effect of
discrimination is not limited to the physical but it develops the mental impacts on staff members
consisting depression, self control loss, developing the anxiety disorders which leading to staff
members becoming hostile.
Rationale of Research
Current investigation is based on impact of workplace discrimination on employee
relation at workplace. Discrimination negatively influence on the employees productivity as well
as relations at workplace. This reduces the organisational productivity. Researcher mainly
conducts the present investigation from personal and professional context. In personal manner,
researcher wants to enhance the understanding regarding the workplace discrimination. It can
increase the skills and core competencies. Other than this, investigator can able to get the
understanding about conducting research by performing all the activities of an investigation. This
can help in enhance the professional understanding of an investigator (Axelrad and James, 2016).

Aim
“To analyse the impact of age based discrimination on the productivity and performance
of employees;” a study on Sainsbury, Moor Lane, Clitheroe BB7 1BE, London, United
Kingdom.
Objectives
 To understand age based workplace discrimination concept.
 To analyse impact of age based discrimination on the performance and productivity.
 To determine ways to prevent workplace from age discrimination.
Question
 What do you mean by age discrimination?
 In which manner age discrimination influence on productivity and performance of an
organisation?
 What are the ways through which age discrimination can be reduced at workplace?

LITERATURE REVIEW
Age based workplace discrimination
As per opinion of ALISON DOYLE (2019), Age discrimination in company happens
when age of an individual is unfairly used as factor in employment. It is practice of age letting of
an individual to deciding about promotion as well as some other job benefits. Termination
decisions cannot be based entirely on their age. Older staff members who claim they are
discriminated against to help new staff are typically impacted by age discrimination, but even
cases of younger employees being replaced by older workers have taken place. The old
employees have the more experience as comparison to the new or younger employees. They can
give the training to the new staff members regarding the work and also about the job role (Biglio,
2020). Other than this, ageism is when someone is treated in an unfavorable manner due to the
age. Its main focus on that the experience get at workplace and protected through law. In order to
prevent it, Age Discrimination in the Employment Act is applied effectively. This us federal
legislation that protect the people of 40 years age or older from the age based employment
discrimination. As the old staff members bring with more experience, true ideas and also
problem solving approached which provide the benefit to business.
Impact of age based discrimination on the performance and productivity
According to viewpoint of Uschi Backes-Gellner and Stephan Veen (2014), at workplace,
discrimination issue influence on the performance of employees at workplace in negative
manner. This demotivated the employees towards firm and also enhance absenteeism rate. Age
diversity has also been identified as being one of strategic capabilities which will create value
over its rivalry to organizations. There's been no effects of organizational productivity that are
more than the amount of individual productivity. As workplace ageism has negative effects not
only on older employees but also on the efficiency and output of businesses, the goal should be
to prevent the incidence of ageism and reduce its impact. The age discrimination develops
negative impact on the organisational performance as well as productivity. In this, company
treated the old employees in an unappropriated manner. The old employees have more

experience than the young employees and if company will not treated them properly then this
develops the negative impact on their performance level as well as firm growth.
Ways to prevent workplace from age discrimination
According to viewpoint of Allen Smith (2020) Workplace discrimination is main issues
for Sainsbury Company and this negatively impact on performance level of staff members.
Arising the age discrimination issue leaving the old and experienced employees from workplace.
In regards, this is more essential for management to take some action for managing age
discrimination in an organisation. It is necessary that all staff members of any age are mainly
protected from the age discrimination. There are some of the effective strategies given below:
Redundancy procedures- Sainsbury should assure that redundancy policy does not
indirectly or directly discriminate against the old staff members. The right to the mandatory
redundancy pay is not constrained by higher or lower level. If the employees are under 18,
employer will pay the mandatory minimum redundancy allowance to them (Cherry, 2019).
Retirement rights- The retirement age is when a staff member selects to retire. It is
necessary for Sainsbury Company to set the compulsory retirement age for the staff members.
Manager can only make employee retire if they can explain it in specific circumstances
(Wainwright and et. al., 2019).
Develop policy- It is essential to organisation to create policy related to age
discrimination so that this issue can be removed. If at workplace, there is any unacceptable
behaviour happen then manager needs to take the strict action immediately. It may include an
individual that has been discriminated against aside (Dipboye, 2016).
Discrimination theory
Social identity perspective- This theory holds that the employees are motivated to protect self
esteem and also attain the positive as well as distinct social identity. Drive for the positive social
identity can be result in the discrimination that either harm to out group and providing the
preferential treatment to in groups.

METHODOLOGY AND DATA COLLECTION
Research methodology is a key component of all research, which systematically supports
the completion of entire research. The researcher uses research onion that consists of several
layers for the ongoing investigation (Temple and et. al., 2019). Various layers considered in the
research onion given below:
Research Philosophy- This layer simply shows the nature or belief of the researcher that
it is primarily of two types and positivism and interpretativism for completion of this report.
Amongst these, the investigator has used Positivism research philosophy as this provides specific
information on impact of age based discrimination on the productivity and performance of
employees (Egdell and et. al., 2020).
Research Approach- Two research approaches followed by researcher in keeping with
the basic criterion of their study are deductive and inductive. The investigator has used a
quantitative method for performing the current studies as a deductive approach, which produces
accurate research results (Reavley, Jorm and Morgan, 2017).
Research Choice- During the research, researchers must select the right method for
several of the main choices. There are primarily three types of research that are mono, mixed and
multi-method. The investigator has adopted a mono-method for present study as the quantitative
method is an option for study that involves reliable and authentic information. The respective
researchers used graphs to analyze the results as self explanatory and assists readers to detect
results by correctly examining them (Gözde, 2018).
Research Strategy- The investigator is based on the strategy to employ the
Questionnaire as their core research technique for the successful execution of this study, as it
allows to collect more data with much less time.
Time horizon- Under this, cross sectional time horizon has been used in conducting the
present investigation. The main reason behind using this is that it helps in provide the time
period on the basis of activities in an effective manner (Jones, 2016).
Cost- It is one of the main factor that need at the time of conducting an investigation.
When researcher conducts research then it need to focus on developing the money management

plan and set it on the basis of research activities. From this, researcher can able to complete the
whole investigation and getting the positive outcomes properly. The cost involved in research
consists printing, stationary, internet charges and others.
Initial Investment 100000
Operational Activities 20000
R&D Activities 40000
Stationary expenses 10000
Internet charges 30000
Access- It is necessary that researcher should have the proper access about collection of
information from the different sources. Without the access, it is unethical to gather information
and data effectively. Other than this, to collect the authentic information and data, proper access
should be required to researcher.
Ethical consideration- In this, ethics is one of the important concept while conducting
the research related activities effectively. It is related to the values, norms and the principles
which should be followed at the time of conducting an investigation. It is necessary that an
investigator should keep the information and data of respondents confidential. Other than this,
researcher should follow all the ethical principles such as confidential, anonymity, data privacy,
authenticity and others.
Data collection- For the present study, a researcher has chosen both primary and also
secondary forms of data collection resources to gather as much information as possible about the
research question which helps achieve research results faster. The questionnaire was primarily
chosen through the survey investigator. This would be completed by 30 employees of Sainsbury
sample population. The researcher was the primary secondary source for books, magazines,
internet publications and other written data (King and Bryant, 2017). The questionnaire
developed for this investigation is as follows:

Sampling- Samples are known as an effective means of choosing individuals from the
population at large by the researchers. Two types of sampling are primarily probabilistic and
non-probabilistic. In current research the sample population was selected using a probabilistic
sampling process. For this search, a total of 30 staff members were chosen (Nelson, 2016).

DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATIONS
Data Sheet
Q1) Do you have understanding regarding workplace discrimination? Frequency
a) Yes 25
b) No 5
Q2) How long are you working in Sainsbury company? Frequency
a) 3 years to 5 years 5
b) 6 years to 8 years 7
c) 9 years to 12 years 18
Q3) What are different kinds of discrimination arise at workplace? Frequency
a) Age 10
b) Gender 15
c) Religion 5
Q4) Do you ever victim of the age discrimination issues? Frequency
a) Yes 3
b) No 27
Q5) According to your opinion, what is the impact of discrimination
in company?
Frequency
a) Reduce employees performance 10
b) Poor communication 10
c) Arise conflicts 10
Q6) As per your viewpoint, how does the age discrimination impact
workplace environment of a firm?
Frequency
a) Refusing to hire older employees 12
b) Treating older employees differently 10
c) Firing older employees 8
Q7) Which strategies company needs to be applied for managing the
discrimination at workplace?
Frequency
a) Provide training 10
b) Retirement rights 7
c) Redundancy procedures 13
Q8) What are the different legislations applied by Sainsbury to
reduce workplace environment from the age discrimination?
Frequency
a) The Equality Act 2010 10
b) Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) 10
c) Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 10
Q9) What benefits Sainsbury can get by get over from workplace
environment from the age discrimination issue?
Frequency
a) Everyone to have equal opportunity to work 10
b) Sustain experienced employees 12
c) Develop skills regardless of age 8

THEME 1: Understanding regarding workplace discrimination
Q1) Do you have understanding regarding workplace
discrimination?
Frequency
a) Yes 25
b) No 5
Interpretation: It has been stated from the above mentioned graph that there are 25 respondents
which said that they have understanding about the workplace discrimination. 5 respondents do
not have any knowledge regarding it.
THEME 2: You working is Sainsbury Company
Q2) How long are you working in Sainsbury company? Frequency
a) 3 years to 5 years 5
b) 6 years to 8 years 7
c) 9 years to 12 years 18
25
5
a) Yes
b) No

Interpretation: According to the opinion of 5respondents, they work for Sainsbury from 3 to 5
years. 7 respondents said they work from 6 to 8 years. 18 respondents said that they are very old
in this organisation and they have experience of 9 years to 12 years.
THEME 3: Kinds of discrimination arise at the workplace
Q3) What are different kinds of discrimination arise in company? Frequency
a) Age 10
b) Gender 15
c) Religion 5
5
7
18
a) 3 years to 5 years
b) 6 years to 8 years
c) 9 years to 12 years
10
15
5
a) Age
b) Gender
c) Religion