Research Report: Communication Gap in Unilever's Diverse Workplace

This research report investigates the negative effects of communication gaps on managing cultural diversity within Unilever Plc, specifically at its Port Sunlight, UK location. The study employs a literature review, research methodology, data analysis, and recommendations to address the research question: What are the negative influences of communication gaps within the management of cultural diversity at the workplace of Unilever? The research explores the impact of communication gaps on business performance and productivity, analyzing ways Unilever can manage cultural diversity effectively, and determining the relationship between communication gaps and diversity management practices. The methodology includes a positivism philosophy, a deductive approach, and a survey strategy using questionnaires to collect primary data from 50 managers. The report also covers research outcomes and provides recommendations for alternative research methodologies, aiming to identify and mitigate the challenges posed by communication gaps in a culturally diverse workplace.

Research Project
(Equality and Diversity in the Workplace)
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Executive Summary
This report is based on the negative effect of communication gap on business while
management of cultural diversity in the workplace of Unilever Plc. In order to achieve this
purpose, researcher followed literature review, research methodology, data analysis and
interpretation conclusion and recommendation and reflection and alternative research
methodology. These are effective activities that were used by researcher for completing research
in systematic and ethical manner. Along with this, with the help of literature review researcher
gathered secondary data that was useful in overcoming research gap. Questionnaire was prepared
for collecting primary and quantitative data within lesser time duration. Conclusion and
recommendation helped researcher by explaining entire information briefly that resulted in
accomplishment of research aim and objectives.
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Contents
Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................2
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Background to the study .............................................................................................................4
Research Question ......................................................................................................................4
Sub-Questions of Research..........................................................................................................4
Research aim and objectives........................................................................................................4
Rational of the research .............................................................................................................5
Literature Review ............................................................................................................................6
How communication gap impact on performance and productivity of culturally diverse
workplace of Unilever, Port Sunlight, UK? ................................................................................6
What are the ways that may be apply by Unilever for managing cultural diversity at the
workplace of Port Sunlight? ........................................................................................................6
What is the relationship between communication gap and practice of managing cultural
diversity at workplace of Unilever, Port Sunlight, UK? ............................................................7
Methodology and Data collection ...................................................................................................8
Covered in Appendix ...............................................................................................................11
Data analysis and interpretations...................................................................................................12
........................................................................................................................................................14
Research Outcomes........................................................................................................................21
Covered in PPT .........................................................................................................................21
Conclusion and Recommendations................................................................................................21
Reflection and Recommendations for alternative research methodology ....................................22
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................23
Appendix........................................................................................................................................25
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Introduction
Background to the study
Equality and diversity at workplace refers as the presence of culturally diverse employee’s
who enjoying equal opportunities irrespective to their gender, colour, race, religion etc. There is
huge importance of this concept within an organisation or at workplace for the attainment of
positive growth. This builds the trust of employees over the practices of management where they
work with high level of engagement and motivation (Han and Beyerlein, 2016). The exercise of
managing culturally diverse employees is not easy. This requires the application of large number
of strategies and tactics. The diverse culture creates the major hindrances at workplace those
resultants into conflicts. One of the main aspects which are required to effectively manage the
diverse nature employees is good communication. This help to know their views and ideas so the
same can be applied in fulfilment of their needs. This delivers the positive impact where positive
working culture framed at workplace.
Research Question
 What are the negative influences of communication gap within management of cultural
diversity at workplace of Unilever?
Sub-Questions of Research
 How communication gap impact on business performance and productivity of Unilever?
 What are the ways that may be apply by Unilever for managing cultural diversity in the
workplace?
 What are the relationship between communication gap and management of cultural
diversity at workplace of Unilever?
Research aim and objectives
Research Aim:
Main aim of this research project is To analyse the influence of communication gap
within a culturally diverse workplace: A study on Unilever, Port Sunlight, Wood St, Birkenhead,
Wirral CH62 4UY, UK.
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Research objectives:
 To identify the impact of communication gap over performance and productivity of
culturally diverse workplace of Unilever, Port Sunlight, UK.
 To analyse the ways of managing cultural diversity in the workplace of Unilever, Port
Sunlight, UK.
 To determine the relationship between communication gap and practice of managing
cultural diversity at workplace of Unilever, Port Sunlight, UK.
Rational of the research
Main reason behind choosing this topic is to identify the negative effect of communication
gap over business in managing of cultural diversity at workplace. Another reason for selecting
this topic is to identify the ways for managing cultural diversity and reducing the impact of
communication gap on business (Ravazzani, 2016).
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Literature Review
Literature is a process that will be essential for investigator in gathering of secondary data
from variety of sources i.e. magazines, articles, books, publication study, journals and many
other secondary sources relevant to the current investigation. Literature review is an important
section because it helps investigator in identification of research gaps or conflicts in previous
study. Main research gap of this study is the impact of communication gap on management of
cultural diversity. In previous investigation there is data about the communication gap but there
is lack of information regarding its impact on business while managing cultural diversity (Mousa
and Alas, 2016). For overcoming this gap, research questions will be explained as below:
How communication gap impact on performance and productivity of culturally diverse
workplace of Unilever, Port Sunlight, UK?
The negative impact of communication gap ascertained by all the aspects of organisation.
The two main major points that harmed due to ineffective communication includes business
performance and productivity. The impact and justification in regards to both is provided below:
Business performance: Ineffective communication directly resulted into lack of
performance because it does not allow the building of effective teams. Team is important part of
an organisation to attain overall targets and improving the performance of business.
Productivity: Communication gap does not allow the effective deliverance of roles and
responsibilities. Also, not support in managing the need of diverse workforce. This resulted into
less engagement and productivity (Gurung and Prater, 2017).
What are the ways that may be apply by Unilever for managing cultural diversity at the
workplace of Port Sunlight?
For management of the cultural diversity, it must for an organisation like Unilever to adopt the
effective strategies and tactics. These are provided below along with justification:
Good communication: Effective communication provides the opportunity to get the
views of each other where easily ascertain the information about values and belief of each other.
This provides the opportunity to respect the view of each other and complete the work with
support.
Global citizenship programmes: This is the programme that holds within an organisation
to improve knowledge about the different cultures. This help to get the information so they can
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behave in the respectable way to attain support of each other (Schilpzand, De Pater and Erez,,
2016).
What is the relationship between communication gap and practice of managing cultural diversity
at workplace of Unilever, Port Sunlight, UK?
The relation between communication gap and management of cultural diversity is direct. It
is not possible to manage culturally diverse employees without the use of effective
communication practices. The relation between both will be understood from the description of
communication benefits over employee’s management provided below;
 Good communication helps to gain knowledge about the values that create trust and aid in
effective management with improving supportive behaviour.
 Effective communication provides the opportunity in effective dissemination of information
to all whether belongs from different culture. This further provides the opportunity in
effective direction where they not feel burdened. Finally, this help in employee’s effective
management (Barak, 2016).
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Methodology and Data collection
Research methodology is a main and effective part of investigation as it facilitate in
collecting as well as analysis of reliable information about the study. Under this section of
research, different number of approaches and methods have been included that will be used
within a study for collecting valid information or data regarding the current topic (Amjad and et.
al., 2018). There are some valuable and useful methods, techniques, approaches philosophies etc.
which will be explained as below:
Research philosophy: This is an important part of data collection data analysis. There are
different types of research philosophy but according to the project, there are two main
philosophies which are positivism and interpretivisim. Both are considering effective types of
research philosophies but within a current investigation only positivism philosophy will be used.
Main reason for applying positivism philosophy as it will be suitable in collecting and analysing
of quantitative information by consuming less time. On the other hand, another philosophy of
research is interpretivisim that will be not accurate for collecting data regarding the existing topic
because it get maximum time and also need data in form of qualitative which resulted in
requirement of different sources (Aoyama, Hoshika and Honda, 2018).
Research approach: This section of methodology also has two parts which are known as
inductive and deductive. These approaches are used in analysis and interpreting of qualitative
and quantitative collected data. Within a current study, deductive approach is more valuable as
compare to inductive approach because it facilitate in analysing and finding of quantitative data.
In contrast, inductive approach of study is not valuable and useful for conducting current
investigation because it is completely based of qualitative collected data and also obtain
maximum time period (Gaur and Kumar, 2018).
Research strategy: This section is more useful because it has been included different
number of strategies that helps researcher in collecting of data or information about the particular
study. Name of different strategies are experimental research, systematic literature review, case
study research, survey, interview, action research etc. All these are effective but for collecting
and analysing quantitative data, surveys (Questionnaire) will be used. Questionnaire is a best
strategy of data collection that will be beneficial for researcher because it helps them in gathering
of reliable information in minimum time duration (Gjesfjeld and et. al., 2020).
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Types of research: There are two types of researcher that are called qualitative and
quantitative. These are main types of study that helps researcher in collection and analisation of
information regarding the field of study. Qualitative is a method that helps researcher in
obtaining of theoretical information, whereas quantitative study needs data in form of numerical
and hard facts. Both types of study are useful but for performing research activities of current
investigation, quantitative type more useful and appropriate because it not require more time and
also provide valid outcomes as compare to qualitative study.
Time horizon: This is a significant and valuable part of research methodology that has two
approaches i.e. cross section approach and longitudinal approach. Both are main approaches of
time horizon but for doing present study on communication gap, cross-sectional approach has
been applied as it is based on actual situation as well as not takes more time in completion of full
project (Güven, 2018).
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Data collection: This is an effective process that will be followed within a current study for
collecting primary and secondary data about the impact of combination gap in management of
cultural diversity at workplace. For gathering primary data, questionnaire is more appropriate
and valuable source that will be applied within an investigation. On the other side, for collecting
secondary data about the current study, books, magazines, publication study, journals etc.
sources has been followed for literature review. Therefore, for conducting current investigation
both sources of data collection have been taken into consideration.
Sampling: This refers to the systematic process of selecting respondents or sample size from
total population. For this process, there are two techniques which are probability and non-
probability. In this study, probability sampling will be applied by researcher and select 50
mangers of Unilever plc on random basis. Main purpose of using such type of technique is it not
consume more time and helps researcher in selection of large number of sample size. Non-
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probability is another technique that will be not useful because it takes more time and also there
are no chances for selection of large number of sample (Kelly and et. al., 2018).
Research instruments or techniques: This is a part of primary data collection that includes
number of techniques and instruments such as interview, questionnaire, focus group, observation
etc. These are effective techniques but according to the current investigation questionnaire will
be use because it helps investigator in collecting and analysing of quantitative information
without taking additional time and resources. There are some questions that will be presented as
below:
Covered in Appendix
Research ethics: There are basically five research ethics that must be following by
researcher while conducting this research. These ethics are minimising the risk of harm,
protecting confidentiality, providing the right to withdraw, protecting anonymity, avoiding
deceptive practices, obtaining informed consent etc. These are main principles that will be
beneficial and useful for researcher while doing this investigation in systematic as well as ethical
manner (Page and et. al., 2019).
Research reliability and validity of study: Questionnaire is a best part of testing the
reliability and validity of research. This is an instrument of collecting primary information that
helps researcher by providing reliable and valid data within lesser time period (Wu and et. al.,
2018).
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Data analysis and interpretations
Data analysis refers to the essential and useful process for researcher because with the use of
this process, they can analysis information about the topic. In order to analysis quantitative data,
deductive approach of study will be used. This approach helps in analysing of numerical and
reliable information from the selected respondents. Along with this, content analysis has been
followed as an analytical technique for analysis quantitative type of information in limited time
duration. In this tool, researcher makes some themes on each question that resulted in analisation
of valid data within lesser time period (Schoonderbeek, 2018). In addition, for analysis and
interpreting quantitative information about the existing topic or research, there is requirement of
following some useful steps which are making on frequency table, finding information,
presenting graphs and interpreting data. All these are effective steps that have been applied by
researcher within a study with purpose to analysis information effectively and systematically.
These steps will be described as below:
Frequency Table
Q1) Do you have knowledge about the communication gap in context of an
organisation?
Frequency
a). Yes 30
b). No 20
Q2) What are the main reason behind increasing communication gap at
workplace of Unilever Plc?
Frequency
a). Improper body of language or tone 16
b). Mistrust among employees 14
c). Lack of communication system or channels 20
Q3) According to you, what are the major impacts of communication gap on
productivity and performance level of Unilever Plc?
Frequency
a). High employee turnover 20
b). Dissatisfied clients 13
c). Limited employee engagement 17
Q4) Does communication gap impact on an organisation while managing of
cultural diversity at workplace?
Frequency
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