BTEC Business Project: The Impact of Diversity on Business Performance

This report analyzes the impact of equality and diversity on business performance, focusing on a case study of Tesco. It begins with an introduction to diversity and its effects, both positive and negative, on employees and company performance. The report outlines the project's aims, objectives, and research questions, followed by a detailed project management plan that includes cost, scope, quality, time, resources, and risk assessment. It then delves into the research methodologies, including qualitative and quantitative approaches, data collection methods, and data analysis techniques. The report presents research findings through graphical representations and interpretations, exploring whether the company treats employees equally, challenges related to interacting with diverse cultures, the main problems arising from a diverse workforce, and the benefits derived from it. Finally, the report offers recommendations for addressing diversity-related issues and concludes with a reflection on the project.

Managing a Successful
Business Project
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Table of Contents
TOPIC: Effect of equality and diversity on business......................................................................3
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LO 1.................................................................................................................................................3
P1 Producing research aims and objectives.................................................................................3
P 2 Project management plan that includes including time, quality, resources, cost..................4
P3 Producing work breakdown and Gantt chart..........................................................................6
LO 2.................................................................................................................................................7
P4 Small scale research by applying qualitative and quantitative research methods..................7
LO 3.................................................................................................................................................9
P5 Research data by using appropriate tools...............................................................................9
Theme 7: Recommendations to respond diversity and equality at workplace issues................16
P6 Recommendations as a result of research............................................................................17
LO 4...............................................................................................................................................17
P7 Reflection.............................................................................................................................17
TASK B.........................................................................................................................................18
Project Log Book.......................................................................................................................18
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................19
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TOPIC: Effect of equality and diversity on business
INTRODUCTION
Diversity is a broad concept which shows that each individual from different age, gender and
background has some unique features that need to be recognized. Diversity and equality has both
positive and negative impacts on employees and the overall performance of the company
(Baselga and et.al., 2017). Some positive impacts which it has includes: innovation, creativity,
learning opportunities etc. On the other hand, negative impacts includes: miscommunication, de
motivation, conflicts etc. By implementing some policies, an effective diverse workforces can be
made.
Background of the study
This study is based on Tesco who is a British multinational groceries retailers with having
headquarters is in the Tesco House, England. It provides diverse range of products to some areas
such as: clothing toys, furniture, software etc. It is listed on London stock exchange. It has
approximate 450,000 employees. As it is the large retailer so, it is important for this company to
maintain its position in the market and become the market leader. It can be possible when it
satisfy needs of customers and employees and also employ diverse workforces. By employing
diverse workforces it makes it working environment innovative and accomplish goals (Gonen
and et.al., 2017).
This present will show the main aim and objectives which Tesco wants to accomplish by
developing this research. This study will also show project management plan that includes
several elements like cost, resources, time required by researcher to complete this research.
Research methodologies and data collection also plays an important role as on the basis of
collected information’s, researcher complete and makes its research successful. For collecting
information’s, primary and secondary data collection plays an important role and with the help of
questionnaires, scholar completes its research by getting authentic reliable answers.
LO 1
P1 Producing research aims and objectives
Aims and Objectives
Aim
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“To explore challenges and effects of diversity in the workplace and the way of solving
issues of equality and diversity at workplace. A case study on Tesco”
Objectives:
 To identify the actual meaning of diversity.
 To explore issues of equality and diversity at workplace.
 To evaluate critic impacts of diversity on employees and Tesco’s business working
environment.
 To recommend some strategies of responding diversity related issues to Tesco.
Research Questions:
1. What is the meaning of diversity?
2. What are some issues occurred at Tesco’s workplace due to employing divers workforce?
3. What are some positive and negative impacts of equality and diversity on employees of
Tesco?
4. What are some ways of resolving diversity related problems?
Rationale:
Diversity is a broad term and it is a hot topic. It creates several challenges as well as
gives benefits and for making more beneficial to the company this topic has been selected. The
other main reason of selecting this topic is to increase knowledge of researcher as it is a hot topic
and it is interesting because it can be beneficial at academic and commercial level.
Research problem:
Some types of problems that occur at the time of conducting research includes: Shortage of
time and lack of reliable finance sources, ineffective technical staff, weather condition etc. Both
type of factors like internal and external can create problems while conducting research
P 2 Project management plan that includes including time, quality, resources, cost.
Project management plan is the key and integral part of the research because its helps scholar in
estimating some elements like cost, time, required resources, communication, quality of research
etc. All elements are discussed as below:
Cost: Cost is an important element as with the help of cost, researcher can complete its research.
Scholar estimate cost of conducting research and for this diversity topic, estimated cost is £
35,000 as it is broad topic (Nicholas and Steyn, 2017).
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Scope: Scope means benefits of conducting research on a particular topic. Diversity and
equality plays an important role as by employing diverse workforce, company can make itself
beneficial. It is also beneficial at both commercial and academic level.
Quality: Quality is the main key of the success of research. Producing research without
having quality can give negative impacts on viewers. So, maintaining quality is important for
scholar and for this purpose he/she will use KPI tool. With teh help of this tool he/she can
measure effectiveness of its research.
Time: Time shows duration in which each task completed by researcher. It is important
for scholar to make qualitative research before and on the given deadline for having a great
impression. This research will take approximate 25-30 days.
Resources: For completing research, there is a requirement of several tangible and
intangible resources. For this research, it will require human resources like technical staff,
employees and other financial resources, laptop, stationery resources will make this research
more effective.
Communication: For introducing the topic with participants nd employees there is a
requirement of effective communication tools. For this research, scholar will take help of E-mail
and different platforms of social media.
Risk: It is stated that at the time of conducting research, different types of factors occur as
a barrier so, it is important to remove them by analysing and measuring risks. For this particular
research, researcher will use balance score card for measuring and solving problems.
So, from the above discussed elements of PMP, it can be said that all play an important role for
having an idea of all elements (Elmhedwi, Elmabrouk and Sherif, 2015).
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P3 Producing work breakdown and Gantt chart
Figure 1Work break down
Gantt chart
Activity 1-
3day
s
3-5
days
6-8
days 9-
13days
14-8
days
19-21
days
22-24
days 25-27
days
27-28
days
Producing Aim
and objectives
Project
management
plan
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Research
methodologies
drafting
Designing of
questionnaire
Data gathering
Data
interpretation
Discussion of
results
Final
submission of
project
LO 2
P4 Small scale research by applying qualitative and quantitative research methods
As like project management plan, research methodologies also plays an important role as it
covers all important elements by which, researcher makes its project effective and successful
(Yusuf, Adams and Dingley, 2016). Some elements of research methodologies includes: research
types, approaches, philosophies, data collection, data analysis etc.
Research types
There are 2 types of research such as qualitative and quantitative and the selection of this
type is important and difficult task. Because according to the selection decides further steps and
elements. In the types of quantitative research, information’s and data are being collected in
numbers form. Selection of research type also depends upon the type of topic and main purpose.
In the qualitative type, information’s are being gathered in non-numerical form as it is collected
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in the form of quality. Some sources of collecting this type of data are human behaviour,
observations etc. For this research, scholar will use qualitative research type.
Research approaches
It is a broad assumption of a detailed method of collecting as well as analysing data. It is an
important and broad procedure. Inductive and deductive are 2 types of approaches of research
which is related to collecting whether new information by developing new theory or existing
information’s by testing theory. In the inductive approach, researcher collects and interpreted
data by developing new theory. On the other hand, in the type of deductive research approach,
researcher collects data by old and testing theory. It collects and interpreted hypothesis data.
Researcher will use inductive research approach as it increases knowledge of scholar about the
topic (Abdalla and et.al., 2018).
Research philosophies
A research philosophy is belief about the ways in which data about a phenomenon should
be collected, analysed as well as used. There are several reasons of collecting and developing
research but the common aim of performing this step is to get more and deep knowledge about
the topic. Positivism and interpretivism are main philosophies of research. Positivism refers that
some positive knowledge and data are based on natural phenomenon as it is appropriate for
quantitative research type. Whereas, interpretivism believes that the reality is multiple. The main
aim of scholar of selecting this philosophy is to understand as well as interpreted meaning of
human behaviour in an effective manner. So, researcher will use and select this philosophy.
Data collection
Data collection is the most important part of research methodologies. It can be said that
without having proper and accurate data relevant to the topic of diversity, scholar cannot
accomplish its goals and even cannot complete the project. It can only be possible by data
collection. Data collection means to gather information’s and there are two type of data
collection such as primary and secondary. Primary means prime and first hand data and
secondary means second hand data. There are several sources by which researcher can get first
hand data such as questionnaires, interviews, observations etc. On the other hand, internet, books
and articles are sources by which researchers get those information’s that are published and
being used before by anyone. Researcher will collect data by both types but mainly focus on
primary data (Hoyos and et.al., 2018).
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Data analysis
After collecting data, it is also important for scholar to make them understandable and
accurate by which research can be made successful. Data analysis means to make some changes
and modifications in collected data for making it accurate and relevant. There are 2 methods of
data analysis such as qualitative and quantitative. This research type is qualitative so, researcher
will select qualitative data analysis tool. It is being used to analyse data that are not in teh form
of numbers So, researcher will choose this type.
Sampling
Sampling means to select a group of people among the whole population for getting answers
from them relevant to the topic. Target a group of people is not an easy task, researcher has to
select some people by which he/she can get data. There are mainly 2 types of sampling such as
probability and non-probability. In the non-probability type, researcher select and target random
people as it decreases the chances of biasness. On the other hand, in probabilistic, scholar select
known people sop there is chances of discrimination and biasness. For removing biasness and
collecting data in ethic manner, researcher will select random probabilistic sampling. For this
researcher select 20 employees of Tesco as a sample.
LO 3
P5 Research data by using appropriate tools
Findings
1. Do your company treat equally with different background of people?
 Yes
 No
2. Do employees face problem with interacting to different culture of employees?
 Yes
 No
3. According to you what is the main problem which is being occurred by diverse
workforce?
 Conflicts among employees
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 Staff turnover
 Resistance of employees to adapt change
4. As per your opinion what your company can take benefits by employing diverse
workforce?
 Competitive advantages
 Increased productivity
 Innovating working environment
5. Which type of leadership style are being followed by your company?
 Autocratic
 Democratic
 Transformational
6. Which policy and strategy is being used by your company to solve diversity related
issues?
 Rewards to employees
 Training to them
7. Recommend some ways responding issues of equality and diversity.
.................
Theme 1. Company treat equally to different cultures of employees
Participants Answers
14 Yes
6 No
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Interpretation: From the above graph and question it is interpreted that majority and 14
employees of Tesco believe that their company and manger treat equally to different background
of employees. On the other hand, 6 employees said that Tesco does not treat all employees
equally. They feel that local and existing employees are treated more effectively.
Theme 2 Do employees face Problems due to diverse workforce
Participants Answers
11 Yes
9 No
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Interpretation: From the above data it is interpreted that 11 employees of Tesco believe and
feel that employees face some problems when they talk and communicate with different culture
of employees due to language differences. On the other hand, 9 employees said that they not face
any type of problem as company has provided them training which solve their this type of
problem.
Theme 3 Problems occurred by diverse workforce
Participants Answers
9 Conflicts among employees
5 Staff turnover
6 Resistance of employees
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