Examining Business Strategies for a Diverse and Inclusive Workplace

This research proposal aims to examine strategies implemented by businesses, specifically Marks & Spencer, for developing a diverse and inclusive workforce. The study investigates the concepts of equality and diversity, potential issues faced by organizations, and the impact of an inclusive workforce on performance. The research objectives include analyzing the concepts of equality and diversity, identifying challenges, determining strategies, and understanding the impact on organizational performance. The literature review covers definitions of equality and diversity, benefits of an inclusive workforce, and challenges faced by businesses. The methodology involves quantitative research, a deductive approach, and data collection through surveys and secondary sources. Ethical considerations include ensuring respondent safety and data source authenticity. The expected outcomes of the research will provide insights into effective strategies for promoting workplace diversity and inclusion, contributing to academic and professional fields.

Research Proposal
(Equality and diversity in the workplace)

Table of Contents
Project Title.................................................................................................................................................3
Aim and Objectives......................................................................................................................................3
Relevance to professional or Academic field/ Literature review.................................................................5
Research Approach or Methodology...........................................................................................................8
Ethical issues.............................................................................................................................................10
Expected Outcomes...................................................................................................................................10

Project Title
To examine the strategies implemented by the businesses for developing diverse and inclusive
workforce.
Aim and Objectives
Research Aim
The present study aim “To examine the strategies implemented by the businesses for developing
diverse and inclusive workforce.” Therefore, equality and diversity are two imperative aspect
which are effective for a business in attaining higher growth and success, thus in this overall
study is encompasses over Marks & Spencer. However, it is a large multinational corporation
which has its operations all around the world and the business is significantly concern over
implementing suitable strategies to promote inclusive and diverse workforce.
Research Objectives
Research objective is defined to be the most imperative area of an investigation as it is
encompasses over the aim of the research and provides a wider knowledge in relation to the
chosen study area and helps in providing significant direction to the researcher to draw valid and
reliable results. The key objectives of the research are associated as under:
 To critically analyze the concept of equality and diversity in the context of an
organisation.
 To identify the potential issues faced by Marks & Spencer due to managing diverse and
inclusive workforce.
 To determine strategies considered by Marks & Spencer for developing the diverse and
inclusive workforce.
 To understand the impact of diverse and inclusive workforce over the performance
enhancement of Marks and Spencer.
Research Questions
This section of research is very much effective as it is based on the aim and objectives of the
research and helps the investigator in executing literature review which provides detailed
theoretical analysis to draw appropriate results. The questions of the research are associated as

below:
 What is the concept of equality and diversity in the terms of business?
 What are different complexities Marks & Spencer faced in managing diverse and
inclusive workforce?
 What different strategies used by Marks & Spencer for developing the diverse and
inclusive workforce?
 Which kind of impact does diverse and inclusive workforce has over the performance
enhancement of Marks and Spencer?

Relevance to professional or Academic field/ Literature review
Literature Review is defined to be the most important area of an investigation as it supports the
detailed execution of an analysis over a specific area. Thus, this section mainly imperative in
developing individual understanding with the support of creating theoretical analysis in which
information is mainly accumulated via secondary sources like books, journals, articles and so on.
As per the views expressed by Zach Lazzari, 2019, equality is based on the aspect that each
individual within organsiation has an equal opportunity to create the most of their lives and
talents, thus, in the context of business means that no one should experience or fear
discrimination encompasses over their gender, age, race, sec and so on. In addition to this,
equality also refers as the aspect of accepting the skills, uniqueness and qualities of people
regardless of their culture, background. According to the views analysis of BY KIMBERLY
AMADEO, 2020, diversity is recognized as the aspect of employing individual who might be
different from each other on the basis of their background, culture, norms, believes, gender and
so on. Therefore, in the context of business, diversity is defined as the most imperative aspect
which is being considered by the management of the firm for the intention of promoting diverse
workforce as it creates tangible benefits for the business in developing their operations and
progressions in the manner of increasing profitability and revenue.
According to the views analysis of Sophia Lee, 2020, equality and diversity are two important
aspect which are considered by the primary recognition of the management department of the
business, thus, inclusive and diverse workforce is imperative in the context of business to
develop overall organisational operations and progression. A diverse and inclusive workforce is
comprised of individual of assorted backgrounds who are appreciated for their contributions.
This can provide employers with a competitive advantage by bringing new ideas, fresh
perspectives, and an engaged workforce. Marks and Spencer is a large British multination
clothing retail firm, which has its operations all around the globe and the primary consideration
of the business is to attaining growth via providing unique fashion facilities in their products and
services, however, for better business performance Marks and Spencer is concern over
implementing diverse and inclusive workforce to enhance operations. Therefore, the company
has faces multiple issues in managing diverse and inclusive workforce like ethnic and cultural
barriers, acceptance and respect, gender equality, language and communication barriers,

implementation of diversity policies and so on. Thus these are recognized to be the key issue
which is mainly faces by the businesses in developing diverse and inclusive workforce, thus
people from diversified area are valuable for a business in terms of gaining higher profitability
and growth.
As per the opinion expressed by Sharon Florentine, 2019, diversity and inclusion are termed to
be the primary consideration of the human resources department, thus a valid diversity and
inclusion strategy can help a business to attract and retain top talents for the intention of driving
effective results. In today’s modern business environment the key motive of each small as well
as large business enterprises is to attaining higher growth and success and for this, inclusion and
diverse workforces are considered to be the imperative aspect for the businesses in promoting
unique and skilled workforce to attempt business projects in more liable manner. Marks and
Spencer is a large retail firm which is mainly operated via the help of its stores and needs wider
workforce to gain growth and for developing inclusive and diverse workforce the firm is concern
over implementing suitable strategies like proper inclusive and diverse training, recognize bias,
communicate diversity policy, improvising hiring scale and so on, thus, these are the imperative
aspect which provides significant assistance to the business or its management to gain growth
and success. In addition to this, it is also important for the business or its management to
improvise communication for the intention of developing relationship among employees to
enhance collaborative working which would be effective in terms of enhancing the working
ability and production of business.
According to the views provided by Vijay Eswaran, 2019, diversity and equality are refers as the
two important aspect of human resource management, thus these are not simple terms rather
these are recognized to be the effective approaches to business that unites ethical management
and increasing business performance. Business leaders in the global economy are considered as
the significant aspect of a diverse workforce and see it as a business strength, not as a mere
slogan or a form of regulatory compliance with the law. Therefore, in the context of business,
inclusion and diverse workforce brings assorted benefits to a business in increasing profitability,
promoting creativity, stronger governess and better problem solving and so on. Thus, inclusion
and diverse workforce has direct positive impact over the performance of Marks and Spencer.
However, the company has its operations all around the globe and the diverse and inclusive
workforce is imperative in the context of the business to improvise their operations with the

emergence of new and string ideas and uniqueness in their operations. Despite from this, diverse
and inclusive workforce is significant in developing the operations via the help of using unique
capabilities of the employees, thus the management of the business is concern over strengthen
the workforce of the firm via hiring people from diverse area to attain better position within
market.
Online
Lazzari. Z., 2019. Definition of Equality in the Workplace. [online] Available through:<
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/definition-equality-workplace-14653.html>
Amadeo. K., 2020. Cultural Diversity in the Workplace. [online] Available through:<
https://www.thebalance.com/cultural-diversity-3306201>
Lee. S., 2020. Diversity in the workplace – benefits and challenges. [online] Available through:<
https://www.cultureamp.com/blog/diversity-in-the-workplace-benefits-and-
challenges/>
Florentine. S., 2019. Diversity and inclusion: 8 best practices for changing your culture.
[online] Available through:https://www.cio.com/article/3262704/diversity-and-
inclusion-8-best-practices-for-changing-your-culture.html
Eswaran. V., 2019. The business case for diversity in the workplace is now overwhelming.
[online] Available through:< https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/04/business-
case-for-diversity-in-the-workplace/>

Research Approach or Methodology
Research methodology is considered to be the most imperative area of an investigation report, as
it helps the investigator in leading the whole work in right direction to draw valid and reliable
outcome. This section mainly encompasses over multiple applications in which significant
approaches that are valid for execution analysis over the area of examining the strategies
implemented by the businesses for developing diverse and inclusive workforce, are associated as
under:
Type of Methodology: This is the primary obligation of the investigator to make suitable choice
about the methodology as the whole investigation is based on the type as this section is
encompasses over qualitative and quantitative research aspects. In the context of this present
investigation work, quantitative research will be the most suitable tool to execute detailed
analysis which provides in-sight out about the area of equality and diversity with the suitable
facts and figures.
Research Approach: This defined to the useful and valuable process of information analysis
which is mainly relay upon two approaches such as inductive and deductive. Therefore, the
selection of approach works as the plan for the research to guide the research in right manner to
drawn valid outcome. In this existing research work, deductive research approach will be the
most effective aspect because it is based on quantitative research and provides detailed data with
the support of implementing suitable theories and hypothesis that are significant for the area of
inclusive and diverse workforce.
Data Collection Tools: This section is mainly based on two aspects i.e. primary and secondary
source of data collection, thus, these two are imperative in conducting detailed analysis via
accumulation of information from diverse sources. In this present investigation work, both
primary as well as secondary source of data collection tool will be valid as these are significant
to gather appropriative information. Therefore, primary research will be providing help in gather
specific data with the recognition of survey as in this questionnaire will be considered as the
primary aspect to collect information. On the opposite hand, secondary investigation will be
supportive in developing theoretical understanding via the help of accumulating data through
books, journals, published, non published articles and so on.
Data Sampling: Sampling is determined as the aspect which replicates from the original

population, thus the selection of participants is mainly based on probabilistic and non
probabilistic sampling tools. In the present research, random sampling will be approachable from
the probabilistic tool as it is reliable to make suitable selection of the candidates to gather
information. In this sample size will be 60 as it is appropriate number of gather valuable
information.

Ethical issues
In the execution of an investigation work, ethics are needs to be considered by the researcher as
it is the primary obligation of the investigator to follow all the research ethics and norms for the
purpose of better execution of the work without facing any sort of issue and hazardous. In the
undertaking project, access, time and cost are the key consideration which are needs to be
arranged by the researcher in the manner of accomplishing appropriate outcome, thus in this
primary research will be the most considered part to gather primary information and it is
important for the researcher to ensure their respondents about the safety and security of their
private information. In addition to this, researcher also make sure about the access of the sources
as the information needs to be gather via the authentic sources and the approval via the
respondents are required show the consent of participants. Furthermore, researcher also needs to
manage time and cost to better execution of the project, thus time scale is needs to be designed to
better execution of activities with appropriate time and cost management is essential to conduct
all the activities without making any kind of delay.
Expected Outcomes
From the detailed analysis of the project it has been concluded that, the management of diverse
and inclusive workforce is recognized to be the primary obligation of human resource
management, thus diverse and inclusive workforce are imperative for the intention of increasing
the production and operations of the business. Although, businesses now a day’s are concern
over implementing effective strategies like appropriate inclusive and diverse training, improved
hiring skills, incentives and rewards, recognize bias, creating cultural events and so on, thus
these are the remote strategies which are imperative in the context of business to gain growth and
success via managing diverse and inclusive workforce. Despite from this, diverse and inclusive
workforce are liable in attempting business operations in more effective manner as it also helps
in develop unique talent and skills which in turns in creating value in the production and
performance enhancement of the business.