Corporate Social Responsibility and Workplace Equality at M&S

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and workplace equality, specifically focusing on Mark & Spencer (M&S). The report begins with an introduction defining CSR and its importance, followed by a literature review that examines the definitions of CSR and its impact on the organization. The literature review explores key issues related to CSR, including environmental and social concerns, employee rights, and diversity. The report then analyzes the concepts of CSR and equality, drawing on examples and case studies to illustrate these concepts. The analysis examines the role of government policies and corporate strategies in promoting equality and diversity within the workplace. The report concludes with recommendations for M&S, suggesting ways to improve its CSR practices and promote a more equitable and inclusive work environment. The report also includes references to relevant studies and literature.

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Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................3
1.1 What is Literature review?...............................................................................................3
1.2 What is the purpose of literature review?.........................................................................4
2. LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................................................................4
2.1 Give a definition of CSR according to the literature review............................................4
2.2 What is Individual reportown about this topic? Refer to studies on CSR and discuss.. . .5
2.3 Find a focus and choose appropriate literature to mention at least 3 key issues relating to
CSR – what are the most important areas/ topics/ subtopics?................................................5
3. ANALYSIS..................................................................................................................................6
4. RECOMMENDATIONS.............................................................................................................7
5. CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................8
6. REFERENCES............................................................................................................................9

1. INTRODUCTION
Corporate social responsibility are the activities which are performed by organisations so
that they can make changes in functions and perform them in favour of society. This is a
mechanism which is used by organisations, so that they can perform their operations which are
good for factors like ecological, ethical, social and legal standards. Where as, equality in work
place stands to the manner in which each and every individual of organisation get treated. This
help organisation in making it sure that positive and healthy working environment can get
created at work place (Baird, McFerran and Wright, 2014). This report is based on Mark &
Spencer, which is one of the leading retaining organisation of the world, and use to provide their
products and service in clothing industry. In this report, literature review will get prepared which
will help in providing detail about specific topic. Along with corporate social responsibilities and
equality at work place will get discussed.
1.1 What is Literature review?
Literature review can be systematic, organised and comfortable method of identification
and evaluation of information which is given by some authors in their different articles given by
them. It is a document which use to provide context over a specific subject or topic on which
report is going to be written. Along with this, it use to provide deep knowledge about that topic,
so that it help readers to improve their knowledge and skills after reading the literature review
given over some specific topic or subject. Now, lets suppose, researcher is performing some
research over a topic like advanced authentication using OpenCv, via use of specific language
like Java (Beirne and Hunter, 2013). And now if the researcher use to complete same research
using same language, then it will get invalid, because it has already been conducted and efforts
given by researcher over it will get wasted.
There are ample number of roles which literature review use to play. Some of these are
given below :-
 This help a researcher to get proper knowledge and make them experienced over some
specific topic.

 This also help a researcher in identifying different issues over some specific topic like,
professional issue, literature issue. Also it help researcher in finding the way, in which
they can make contribution for solving that issue.
 It also help in detailing the new trends, and issues of that topic on which literature review
is going to be prepared. Also help them in making brain storming over that topic.
1.2 What is the purpose of literature review?
There are ample number of purposes for which researcher use to conduct literature
review. Some of these are explained below :-
 This help in identifying the relationship among the different works performed under a
specific topic. It also help in analysing that what has been done with respect to specific
topic.
 This help in identifying the new ways, which can help in making improvements to the
work done before on some specific topic. Along with this, it help in gaining some thing
new, which is help in making improvements.
 It also help researcher in gaining information about the work which they has covered in
research, so that duplication in research get reduced.
 Literature review also help in giving detail about the contribution made by researcher
over some specific topic.
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Give a definition of CSR according to the literature review
As per Guay, Goncalves and Jarvis, (2014), corporate social responsibilities are the self
duty of organisations and is a business model, which says that organisations are self responsible
for their social responsibilities of them and also towards stakeholders and public. Therefore, it is
the duty of Mark & Spencer to get information about the impact of their activities and also their
functions on society and on it's factors like, environment, social and economy. While Mark and
Spencer is for performing their activities with CSR, that means that the operations performed by
them are good for society and also they have considered different factors of society while
performing their activities. Environment and society are the factors which are considered by
them while making strategies and performing operations, so that they can pose some positive
impact on them, rather then negative image.

2.2 What is Individual reportown about this topic? Refer to studies on CSR and discuss.
According to Hayes and et.al, (2012), the major factors which lead an organisation to
attain some equality in an organisation are mostly government and CSR decisions. In most of the
nation, there are several financial resources, which help them in identifying equality among
employees and other human beings. Along with this, it is very important for an organisation to
provide proper rights, respect to human beings along with democracy to them. Therefore, it is
very important for Mark and Spencer to make plans and strategies for effective development of
their employees. This also help them in making proper use of the potential of their employees of
any gender, this will help them in standing high with national development strategies. Along
with this, it is very important for them to keep their focus on hiring well skilled employees rather
then on their genders, this will help them in making a skilful work force. Where as, diversity at
work place and also equality are considered as the most important pillars for an organisation. As
these help them in achieving equality at work place, so that they can perform their activities,
implement strategies, and also take initiatives which poses equal effect and profit to all jobs in
organisation.
2.3 Find a focus and choose appropriate literature to mention at least 3 key issues relating to CSR
– what are the most important areas/ topics/ subtopics?
According to Lanctôt and Guay, (2014), for an organisation, corporate social
responsibilities plays a vital role in solving environmental and social issues. Also, it is
considered that, employees are the major stakeholders for an organisation, therefore it is very
much important for them to make strategies, which can avail some profits to them. Along with
this, it is essential for them to provide training and development sessions to their employees, so
that they can perform their work in a manner that can provide some benefit to environment and
society. It is also required to understand equality needs of them like, there should not be any type
of discrimination with them related to their colour, caste, or nationality. Therefore, Mark and
Spencer has implemented some CSR policies in their operations, which has helped them in
increasing the level of equality in their work place. Along with this, working environment with
high equality and low discrimination help them help employees in performing better, as this help
Mark and Spencer to provide a positive working environment to their employees. Along with
this, it help them in achieve the level of job satisfaction to their employees, so that their
engagement with work get increased and they perform their task in a systematic manner.

Diversity in work force can be defined as a team which have employees of different skills,
strengths, experiences, ability and knowledge. Along with this, it include team which have
member of different regions, sex, caste and physical abilities. CSR strategies and activities of
Mark and Spencer is made up of several factors which helps them in increasing their profitability
and also help them in gaining some competitive advantages. Diversity in work force help Mark
& Spencer in creating working environment innovative, so that they can make innovative
products. This all will pose some positive impact on profitability and on competitive edges of
Mark and Spencer.
3. ANALYSIS
According to McDonald, (2012), in CSR, equality and diversity refers to qualitative and
it can be understand and analysed with the help of an example. In Japan, public policies which
are developed by the government underscore for the promotion of the gender equality and for
female employment so that they can make advancement in career. In 2102, in Japan, its analysed
that female earning was 29% less than male. Now this ratio of educated women have increased.
The aim of public policies to develop women share within the leadership positions to approx
30% in 2020 in diverse areas of the society. It defines that the government design strong policies
fro the equality. In 2010, the UN Global Compact has create equality on CSR by introducing
various principles of women empowerment. These principles focus on the supply chains,
leaderships and entrepreneurship for offering equality inside the company.
In M&S, there are various people working under it so the workplace culture is diverse
and they belong from different religion, ethics, gender and age etc. For providing a better
organisational environment to all employees who belong from different religions and culture, the
management department of the company develop various strategies and policies. Globalization is
the main reason which generate diversification in culture within the firm (Beirne and Hunter,
2013). In M&S the management department of the company have develop some plans and
strategies which can be beneficial fro the cultural diversification. In order to reduce it, they
involve the employees and workers who belong from different religion and culture to celebrate
employees diversity so that they can provide motivation to them regarding their work. Cause of it
the workers who are from different background work together and help in the organisational
development (The Importance of Cultural Diversity in the Workplace, 2017).

If there are equality in the organisation, the employees of the company can get
opportunities for the development of them at personal and professional level or career growth. It
is important and necessary for that the leader and manager maintain the employees and workers
in appropriate manner so that every worker of th organisation can get equal opportunists and
chances for the development (Guay, Goncalves and Jarvis, 2014).
In UK, the laws and legislation that are made by the government authorities of the
country help in supporting equality within the organisational environment so that any kind of
discrimination do n not generate and affect the organisation. In M&S, the employees belong
from different culture so the company promote equality in the workplace so that they can provide
different ideas and views for increase the profitability and enhance the productivity of the firm.
According to Harshakumari Sarvaiya, CSR deals with internal and external stakeholders
and the companies who are social responsible help in the development of human. In
M&S,internal stakeholders refers to the employees,culture and others whereas external
stakeholders include suppliers, customers, community and others. It is important for for linking
CSR and HRM so that they can have a common aim by which they can promote the practices for
social responsibilities. In context of M&S, it require that to reduce the discrimination related to
culture and religion, the company should develop policies and plans accordingly.
4. RECOMMENDATIONS
Corporate social responsibilities are the activities which are associated with business
operations, and help them in making changes in their functions and strategies, so that their
operations and key performance poses some positive benefit to society and environment. Mark
and Spencer is one of the leading organisation of the world, which use to provide their products
and services in retail industry of clothing and food beverages. They use CSR activities, so that
they can improve the performance of their employees and also so that a positive image of them
can get out in marketing environment. It is recommended to them, that they can make better
strategies related to employment equality in their organisation, so that the performance of their
employees can get improved in a manner that organisation can achieve their goals and objectives
with efficiencies.

5. CONCLUSION
From the above report, it has been concluded that, corporate social activities are very
much important for an organisation, as they help them in making a positive image of them in
market place. Along with this, literature review is very much important part of a study, as it is
the part where writer use to provide the detailed information over some specific topic, so that
reader can get a deep knowledge after reading it.

6. REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Baird, M., McFerran, L. and Wright, I., 2014. An equality bargaining breakthrough: Paid
domestic violence leave. Journal of Industrial Relations. 56(2). pp.190-207.
Beirne, M. and Hunter, P., 2013. Workplace bullying and the challenge of pre-emptive
management. Personnel Review. 42(5). pp.595-612.
Guay, S., Goncalves, J. and Jarvis, J., 2014. Verbal violence in the workplace according to
victims' sex—A systematic review of the literature. Aggression and violent behavior.
19(5). pp.572-578.
Hayes, L.J., and et.al., 2012. Nurse turnover: a literature review–an update. International journal
of nursing studies. 49(7). pp.887-905.
Lanctôt, N. and Guay, S., 2014. The aftermath of workplace violence among healthcare workers:
A systematic literature review of the consequences. Aggression and violent behavior.
19(5). pp.492-501.
McDonald, P., 2012. Workplace sexual harassment 30 years on: A review of the literature.
International Journal of Management Reviews. 14(1). pp.1-17.