Investigating Age Discrimination's Impact: A Study on ASDA

This research project investigates the impact of age discrimination on employee capabilities and company performance, using ASDA as a case study. The project begins with an introduction outlining the importance of equality and diversity in the workplace, followed by a literature review exploring the concept of age discrimination, its impact on employee performance and company productivity, and the challenges companies face in managing it. The research methodology employs a qualitative approach, utilizing a deductive research approach and interpretivism philosophy, with data collected through questionnaires and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings, presented through tables and graphs, reveal the extent of age discrimination awareness among employees. The project concludes with recommendations for managing age discrimination and improving workplace equality. The research also includes a reflection on the effectiveness of the research methods and potential alternative approaches.

RESEARCH PROJECT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................4
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.....................................................................................................7
DATA ANALYSIS..........................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION.............................................................................17
Conclusion................................................................................................................................17
Recommendation......................................................................................................................18
REFLECTION...............................................................................................................................18
Effectiveness of research methods............................................................................................18
Alternative research methods....................................................................................................19
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................20
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................21
QUESTIONNAIRE..................................................................................................................21

INTRODUCTION
For attaining success in the highly competitive world it is very important for the company
that they properly manage the equality and diversity within the workplace. This is probably due
to the fact that equality is defined as the act of company in which they provide for the equal
opportunities to each and every employee irrespective of their gender, age, income, experience
and many others (McLaughlin, 2019). Also, for getting success it is essential for the company to
be diverse that is it must have employees being recruited from different cultural backgrounds.
This is essential as equality and diversity takes the company in the direction of growth and
development.
But in this the major problem being faced is the age discrimination. This is a type of
discrimination which takes place on the basis of the age of the employees. In simpler words it
can be defined as the mistreating of the employees on the basis of their age. The current research
it based over company ASDA which is a large retailer in UK and is headquartered in Leeds. The
current research will outline the impact of high age discrimination prevailing in company and its
impact over the company and its performance.
Aim
“To investigate the impact of age discrimination with respect to workplace discrimination over
the capabilities of employees and performance of company. A study on ASDA”
Objectives
 To articulate the concept age discrimination.
 To identify the impact of age discrimination over the performance of the employees and
company.
 To evaluate the challenges being faced in managing age discrimination with respect to
ASDA.
 To suggest some improvement in policies to manage age discrimination in ASDA.
Research question
1. What is the concept of age discrimination?
2. What is the impact of age discrimination on the performance of employees?3. What are the challenges being faced by ASDA in managing age discrimination?
Rationale

For getting successful it is very essential for the business to keep the working
environment equal and diverse for all the employees. But this is not taking place and because of
this the research is directed towards the topic of age discrimination. If the age discrimination is
high within the company, then the productivity of the company will decrease. Thus, this research
will outline the ways of managing the age discrimination and its negative impact over the
productivity of company. Also, the personal and academic interest of the researcher was the
reason behind the selection of age discrimination as a topic.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Theme 1: Understanding the concept of age discrimination.
As per the views of Paraskevopoulou, Drydakis and Sidiropoulou (2019) discrimination
is defined as the misbehaving or mistreating the employees on several discriminating bases like
age, gender income, experience, knowledge and other discriminating points. Among all these
different factors the most common type of discrimination is the age discrimination. This is a type
of discrimination under which the employees are mistreated on the basis of the age of the
employees. This is pertaining to the fact that when the employees become old then the
management of the company thinks that they are less competent to working as compared to the
young people. Thus, because of this reason that the old people are less competent to working
they are mistreated within the company.
On the flip side, Stokes and Moorman (2017) states that managing of age discrimination
is very important as this will increase the working capacity of the company. This is due to the
reason that if there will be no age discrimination then the employees of the company will work in
more proper and effective manner. Thus, this will increase the working efficiency of the whole
company and takes it into direction of growth and development. Also, hiring of older employees
is beneficial as they more of the experience and knowledge relating to each and every aspect
relating to business. this is due to the reason that they have worked within the company since so
long.
Theme 2: Impact of discrimination relating to age over the performance of employees and
overall productivity of company.
Button (2017) articulates that managing of age discrimination is very essential for the
success of the company. This is particularly because of the fact that if there will not be any
discriminating activity then the employees will feel motivated and satisfied with the work. Thus,

this will have a positive impact over the working of the company as if the employees will be
happy and satisfied then they will work in good and effective manner. But on the flip side when
the discrimination relating to age is more then there are many different negative impact which
the company has to face because of the fact that this decreases the working capacity of the
employees.
In the views of Rychtaříková (2019) the major impact of the high age discrimination is
the negative impact of the morale of employees. The major reason underlying this fact is that
when the old employees are mistreated then they do not like this as they are losing their respect
among the group of people. Thus, this creates a negative behaviour of old employees towards the
company and also the morale of employees within the company decreases. Also, in addition to
this the major impact of the high age discrimination is the increase in employee turnover. This is
an impact as when the discrimination is high then the employees does not like this and they try to
go to other companies. Thus, due to this reason the working of company and the employees
degrades and this creates a negative impact over working of the company.
Theme 3: Challenges faced by company in managing the discrimination relating to age.
As per the thinking of Peres (2018) there are many different challenges which are being
faced by the company at time of managing age discrimination. This is particularly because of the
reason that the age discrimination result in the creation of negative working environment and this
result in facing many challenges which result in the reduction in working of company. The major
challenge faced by the companies is the employee resistance. This is a challenge because when
the older people are working in the company and some new task or activity is being given to
them than the other employees resist. This is due to the reason that when the old people are given
some task the other people think that they will not be able to manage the work as they have
become old and they will not be able to work in proper manner.
In addition to this Perron and McCann (2018) argues that the major challenge being faced
by companies in managing the age discrimination is the communication barrier. This is a
challenge because the older people has different thinking and perception and mind level. Thus,
when it comes to taking of any decision or any other discussion there is conflict between the
thinking of young employees and the older employees. Thus, this creates a challenge in
managing age discrimination as when there is conflict of thoughts then the efficiency of
companies decreases. Adding to it Horton (2020) states that there might be resistance to adaption

of new and advance things from the side of old employees. This is particularly because of the
fact that the business exists in the environment which is dynamic and changing. Thus, the old
employees resist from adapting to the latest changes and work in the old and traditional
principles only.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research type: Research is the word which generally used to mean a conducting a study
in the organization so that the solution of the issue can be find out very easily in the market.
Qualitative and Quantitative are two different type of research which is generally conducted by
all the researcher in the industry of research (De Groot and Hagoort, eds., 2017). Qualitative
research is generally research in which in depth research is generally conducted to gather
response of participant. Quantitative research at the same time looks at understanding numerical
fact and present the outcome in numeric form. For investigating impact of age discrimination
with respect to workplace discrimination over the capabilities of employees and performance of
company scholar has gone with the alternative of Qualitative research type.
Research Approach: Research approach generally related to the plan guidelines in the
study which used to give the systematic direction to different parties in the research. This
direction generally includes a good number of assumption which has to be made in the research.
Inductive and deductive are two approach which can be used in the study (Riazi, 2016)..
Inductive research generally looks at formulating the Aim and objective and form study on the
basis of previous theories. At the same time Deductive approach generally stands for making
different hypothesis on basis of the outcome of the research. For these study scholar has selected
the deductive approach as it used to support the type of research selected.
Research Philosophy: philosophy generally deals with variety of the sources through
which different sort of the knowledge can be made in the study. Interpretivism and positivism are
two philosophy option from which researcher can select anyone in the study. positivism research
philosophy generally looks at gathering the variety of the data from the factual data which is
presented in the past. At the same time Interpretivism research philosophy looks at the different
data related to the human interest in the research. For achieving the aim and objective of the
current project of Asda, researcher has shown the trust on interpretivism research philosophy
reason behind the same is that it will help researcher in understanding the human interest involve
in the research as well.
Data Collection: Outcome of the data is generally find out on the basis of the information
or data which has been collected with the help of different data collection tool. Two different sort
of data collection tool which will be used in the organization to collect variety of different type
of data in organization. Two tool are primary data collection and secondary data collection tool.

Primary data will be collected for the very first time from the employee itself in the organization,
this will be done with the help of conducting a survey via questionnaire. At the same time
secondary data in the study will be collected by going through different article related to topic of
study.
Data Analysis: Data which will be collected with the help of primary and secondary data
collection tool in the research will be analysed with the help of thematic data analysis tool in the
study. Different data in the study will be presented with the help of different table and graph. So
that viewer of data finds it easy to interpret.
Sampling: Sampling is the process of selecting the number of respondent in the
participant from which the primary data will be collected in the research. For current project 20
employee of organization has been selected as a participant base of the company. This
participant has been selected with the help of simple random sampling in which all the employee
was given the chance to get selected in the cut of the participant pool.
Ethical Consideration: Scholar in the research has make sure that all the activity which
are being carried in the study is carried out by considering ethical issue related to the same.
Scholar has make sure to take the consent of all the individual before collecting the data. Also,
scholar has make sure that good amount of confidentiality is maintained throughout the research.
DATA ANALYSIS
Theme 1: familiar with the concept of Age Discrimination
Particular Number of respondent percentage of respondent
Yes 18 90
No 2 10
Total 20 100

Data collected through survey has provided support to scholar in understanding that there is good
sort of understanding in the context of Age Discrimination at the work place. As from the
participant pool of 20 participant, 18 participant has chosen yes as their alternative. At the same
time 2 participant has gone with the alternative of No. This is good sign for the organization
reason behind the same as these will help the company in getting the employee support at the
time of bringing any sort of the policy change in long run of the business.
Theme 2: what aspect of impact is brought by Age discrimination on employee
Particular Number of respondent percentage of respondent
Mental impact 15 75
Emotional impact 4 20
Both of Above 1 5
Total 20 100
Yes No
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
90
10
Column I

Information which is gather from small research which was organized on the basis of the survey
which was carried out. Mental health is the aspect which used to impact the employee more as
compare to the Emotional impact of the company. Data gather from participant gives clear
recommendation of the same, as data shows that out of 20 participant 15 participant has selected
the alternative of Mental health 4 participant was with the opinion of emotional impact and only
1 participant was with the option of both of the above alternative. Reason behind the same might
be the opinion which is passed on by author that is Age discrimination used to reduce the mental
morale of the employee in the long run of the business.
75
20
5
Mental impact
Emotional impact
Both of Above

Theme 3: Managing age discrimination in the organization used to help the company in
managing good work force
Particular Number of respondent percentage of respondent
Yes 16 80
No 4 20
Total 20 100
Building and retaining good amount of the human being in the organization require a good sort
of efforts to be made by the organization. One of such type of the effort may be managing age
discrimination at the workplace. As above presented information represent that managing Age
discrimination and good work force in the organization used to go hand by hand in the
organization. As collected information shows that 16 participant has chosen yes as their
alternative, at the same time 4 participant in the research has gone with the option of no in
organization. This was highlighted by the author in the LR part of the study as well.
Theme 4: impact which is brought by Age discrimination on the performance of employee
Particular Number of respondent percentage of respondent
Yes No
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Column I

Negative impact on morale of
employee 2 10
Negative working environment 1 5
Employee Turnover 16 80
All of Above 1 5
Total 20 100
As highlighted in the previous theme that managing and retaining employee function of the
organization used to be heavily depended upon the Age discrimination at the workplace. This
statement is supported by above presented data as well. As data shows out of 20 participant pool
16 participant has chosen the alternative of Employee turnover as their choice in the study. 2
participant was having the opinion toward Negative working environment and remaining 1 each
participant in the study has selected the option of Negative working environment and All of the
above option. So it is clear that Employee turnover is the biggest impact which is seen by the
researcher in the market. This result was also elaborated by the different author in the LR section
10
5
80
5
Negative impact on morale of
employee
Negative working environment
Employee Turnover
All of Above