Research Project: Cultural Diversity and Sales Performance at ASDA

This research project examines the impact of cultural diversity on the sales performance of ASDA, a British supermarket retailer. The introduction highlights the importance of cultural diversity in a globalized business environment, emphasizing the need for equality and its influence on employee performance. The research aims to determine this impact, exploring the influence of cultural diversity, the challenges of managing a diverse culture, and the relationship between diversity and sales. The research includes a literature review that discusses the positive and negative impacts of diversity, challenges like language and cultural differences, and the relationship between diversity and sales. The research methodology section covers data collection, research design, philosophy, strategy, and approach, detailing the use of primary and secondary data collection methods, a quantitative approach, and a deductive research approach to analyze data and draw valid conclusions. The report aims to understand how cultural diversity influences the sales performance of the organization.

Research Project

Contents
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................3
P1 Produce a research proposal that clearly defines a research question or hypothesis supported
by a literature review.........................................................................................................................3
LITERATURE REVIEW .............................................................................................................................4
P2 Examine appropriate research methods and approaches to primary and secondary research....5
REFERENCES..........................................................................................................................................9

Title: To determine the impact of cultural diversity over sales performance of an
organization. A study on ASDA.
INTRODUCTION
In a globalized world, majority of business organization focus on inviting diverse
workers with the aim of attaining competitive success at market place. While operating
business at global level, it is important for company to ensure that all the employees treated
equally. The main reason behind this is that diverse culture at working area also put both
positive and negative impact over the employee’s performance within the company. As
promoting equality and diversity is crucial for company because it help in maintaining
positive and healthy working environment wherein workers easily share healthy relation with
others (Watson, 2017). In this context, diverse culture is one of the major concerns for
business organization wherein employees are from different culture and background and
perform their activities at same working environment. This will create issues and
complexities among employees that reduce the overall performance of the company at market
place. Current research is based on ASDA, is a famous British supermarket retailer operate
their business in over the world in order to capturing larger market share from its competitors.
Company also include diverse workforce to execute their business activities. This is the
reason that organization is responsible for maintaining equality and diversity at working area
in order to improve overall performance level.
P1 Produce a research proposal that clearly defines a research question or hypothesis
supported by a literature review.
Research aim:
“To determine the impact of cultural diversity over sales performance of an
organization”. A study on ASDA
Research Objectives:
 To explore the influence of cultural diversity in business organization.
 To access the challenges faced by company while managing diverse culture at
working environment.
 To evaluate the relationship between cultural diversity and sale performance of the
company.
Research Questions:

 What is the influence of cultural diversity in business organization?
 What are the challenges faced by company while managing diverse culture at working
environment?
 What is the relationship between cultural diversity and sales performance of the
company?
Rationale of the research
The primary purpose of undertaking this research is to develop better understanding
impact of cultural diversity over the sales performance of company. By executing current
research activities, researcher is able to gather relevant data and information about the
specified area that directly supports business organization in maintaining positive working
environment wherein employees are equally treated (Cavaghan, 2017). Along with this, it
also helps in increasing researcher skills and knowledge about the research topic that help in
improving the overall effectiveness of the study.
Research gap
The main gap under this study is to determine the influence of diverse culture on the
sales performance of company at market place. As per previous studies, lack of information
about the cultural diversity affect the workers performance and their efficiency level and also
contribute in organizational sales activities. Thus, it is crucial for researcher to fulfill this gap
by analysing the same in current research activities. This will directly contribute in improving
the possibilities and at the same time also fulfil the gap of research. It helps in attaining all
the set aims and objectives of the research activities in an effective manner.
LITERATURE REVIEW
The Literature Review incorporates an essential piece and procedure for accumulating
secondary data on any area of study. This part of this research needs a variety of secondary
sources, such as magazines, books, articles, publications, etc. These are also considered to be
essential and valuable sources of secondary data collection and compilation for review of the
literature. This is an interesting and valuable section of the research report because it will
help researchers to identify research gaps in past studies. There are some research objectives
that will be important for students to efficiently find answers to the research gaps listed

before. It may include various objectives on which researcher gather data and information
that help in attaining positive and reliable outcomes.
Influence of cultural diversity in business organization
According to Batz-Barbarich and et. al., (2018), Because of globalization business
organization operate their working activities at global level and also invite people who are
from different culture and nation as well. Diverse culture at working area is not always put
their negative impact but also having positive influence within the company. As it also create
innovation because employees share their views and opinion with each others. Along with
this, it would be beneficial to the company in increasing its productivity level. This is the
reason that company is responsible for managing it properly so that employees feel valued.
Providing chance to employee is also beneficial may improve the possibilities of improving
overall performance of the company at market place. When people who are from different
backgrounds and work together with more comfort zone support in encouraging them to
share their ideas and at the same time build positive relation with each others. This will
directly contributes in attaining competitive success at market place.
Challenges faced by company while managing diverse culture at working environment
According to Ollier-Malaterre and Foucreault, (2017), managing cultural diversity is
major concern for company because it create negative relation among staff members, create
complexities, reduce efficiency level, reduce motivation of employees and many more. All
these are negatively affecting the overall performance of the company at market place. Thus,
it is crucial for business organization to manage it effectively because at the time managing
the same company face various issues such as:
Difference in language: Cross cultural communication is one of the major issue that faced by
company at the time of managing diversity at working area. Due to this, workers fails in
understanding others view points that negatively impact over the company and its overall
performance as well.
Cultural difference: While operating business at global level, company face issues related
with cultural differences. As manager face issues in managing the same in which workers fail
in executing their task activities in a team. Due to this, individual harbor unfair prejudices
against the people who are from different culture and culture as well. It may also put negative
impact over the company and its workers as well.

Relationship between cultural diversity and sales performance of the company
According to Abraham, (2017), it is important for company to manage diversity at
working area with the aim of making employees able to perform their best and also maintain
healthy relation with others. In this regard, company is also responsible for implementing
appropriate ways to managing equality. As training and development, equal pay scale, equal
promotion, involvement of workers in organizational activities and many more are the
effective way that may assist in improving overall performance of the company and at the
same time also contributes in reducing employee turnover at market place. All these are help
in making employees able to execute their task and activities in an effective manner. This will
support in increasing sales and profitability level of the company at market place. Mainly,
every business organization wants to enhance their sales as it is beneficial for company to
manage diverse workers. By this workers can easily share positive relation with others and at
the same time also contributes in establishing positive brand image of company at market
place.
P2 Examine appropriate research methods and approaches to primary and secondary research
Research methodology is playing a crucial role in undertaking study that help in
providing guideline that help collecting relevant data and information towards the set
objectives. Mainly, it includes various methods and techniques that may assist in analysing
the aspects and facts that may directly contributes in attaining positive outcomes (Amis and
et. Al., 2018). Thus, it is crucial for investigator select right and suitable method and
techniques with the aim of improving the possibilities of attaining reliable outcomes at the
end of the research.
Data collection: Data collection is used as an appropriate way of collecting data on the
proposed topic that used a variety of sources. Primary and secondary data collection methods
are two major forms into which the researcher assembles the optimum information about the
selected subject within the specified periods. Throughout the primary method, the main focus
of the researcher is on collecting the required information on the project title with direct
communication with the participant. This contains first-hand data that is relatively new and
also endorses the compilation of relevant information on the topic area in a valid method that
contributes to the success of the study result. On the other side, secondary method of data
collection is focus on gathering information by using different sources such as books,

journals, articles and many more. Mainly, investigator will use both primary and secondary
method of data collection in which researcher prepare structured questionnaire for gathering
primary data and literature review is also undertaken by researcher that help in collecting
theoretical framework on the basis of research topic.
Research design: This is known to be the framework adopted by the investigator during the
execution of all scientific research from the beginning to the late stages. Research design
divided into various sections, such as exploratory, descriptive and experimental. All
qualitative kinds of research methods are being selected to recognize valid results with
primary analysis.
Research philosophy: It is understood as a collection of values done by the researcher within
the investigation. It can classify on the basis of two method such as interpretivism and
positivism. Interpretivism and positivism researchers have chosen the approach of
interpretivism as endorsing the processing of quantitative data in such a way that it outlines
certain dimensions of analysis that lead to the accomplishment of a clear study findings.
Research strategy: There's many different strategies which used in the collection of primary
and secondary knowledge on the subject. These methods usually involve interviews, survey
design, action research, case studies, comprehensive related literature and questionnaires.
These will be the essential techniques for obtaining data on the subject or analysis (Correll,
2017). A research will be conducted for the collection of primary data, while a review of
literature will be followed as an effective part of research method for the secondary data
collection. Both of these are important and beneficial methods, because this will support to
collect justifiable and comprehensive data on the topic.
Types of investigation: While undertaking research activities qualitative and quantitative are
two methods that used by research with the aim of analysing as well as collecting reliable
data and information on the basis of specified topic and area as well. Thus, it is crucial for
researcher to select best and suitable method that may assist in attaining reliable outcomes
within the research activities (Huffman, King and Reichelt, 2017). In current research
activity, investigator will use quantitative method that support in analysing measurable data
that contributes in taking right and authentic judgement within the research. This will directly
contribute in making overall research activities more reliable and at the same time also
maintain accuracy within the collected content within the research activities.

Research approach: It is referring to the effective plan and procedures that used by
researcher in undertaking research activities in systematic manner. Mainly, it includes
collecting data, analysis the same and also interpretation all the collected data in order to
address the specified research problem. By this investigator easily draw a valid conclusion at
the end of the study with the aim of making it more successful. Along with this, it is also
classified on the basis of two approaches like inductive and deductive. In order to undertake
current study, researcher will use deductive research approach as it effective for gathering
quantitative data and information that directly support in evaluating the facts and figures
within the research. This will directly contribute in drawing a valid conclusion at the end of
study that make overall research more authentic and reliable as well.
Sampling: Sampling can be seen as an effective method by which researcher identifies the
population sample again from total population sample. It is effective with the use of two key
types of techniques, including the probability and non-probability sampling techniques. For
undertaking current research, probabilistic method will be used that help in selecting sample
size as per random basis. In this the selected sample size is 50 who are the employees and
manager of the company.
Time horizon: It is also considered as an important aspect of that support investigator to
undertake research activities in specified time frame. This can be beneficial in reducing the
possibilities of creating issues at the time of undertaking research. There have been different
sorts of time horizons named longitudinal approach and cross-sectional approach. These are
all the major concepts that got the right the implementation of the research study (Carnahan
and Greenwood, 2018). Each of the actions of the current investigation, the cross-section time
framework has been used as it facilitates the completion of the full report within a limited
time period and is also looking at the current situation. The Gantt chart is being used to
introduce each study activity graphically. Gantt chart is a managing time system that involves
various activities, with the exception of the start or end time, which contributed in the
reaching the end of project within a reasonable period.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Carnahan, S. and Greenwood, B.N., 2018. Managers’ political beliefs and gender inequality
among subordinates: Does his ideology matter more than hers?. Administrative Science
Quarterly, 63(2), pp.287-322.
Huffman, M.L., King, J. and Reichelt, M., 2017. Equality for whom? Organizational policies
and the gender gap across the German earnings distribution. ILR Review, 70(1), pp.16-41.
Correll, S.J., 2017. SWS 2016 Feminist Lecture: Reducing gender biases in modern
workplaces: A small wins approach to organizational change. Gender & Society, 31(6),
pp.725-750.
Amis, J.M. and et. Al., 2018. Inequality, institutions and organizations. Organization Studies,
39(9), pp.1131-1152.
Abraham, M., 2017. Pay formalization revisited: Considering the effects of manager gender
and discretion on closing the gender wage gap. Academy of Management Journal, 60(1),
pp.29-54.
Ollier-Malaterre, A. and Foucreault, A., 2017. Cross-national work-life research: Cultural and
structural impacts for individuals and organizations. Journal of Management, 43(1), pp.111-
136.
Batz-Barbarich, C., Tay, L., Kuykendall, L. and Cheung, H.K., 2018. A meta-analysis of
gender differences in subjective well-being: estimating effect sizes and associations with
gender inequality. Psychological science, 29(9), pp.1491-1503.
Cavaghan, R., 2017. Bridging rhetoric and practice: New perspectives on barriers to gendered
change. Journal of Women, Politics & Policy, 38(1), pp.42-63.
Watson, T., 2017. Sociology, work and organisation. Taylor & Francis.