Cultural Diversity Practices and Employee Performance at M&S

This research proposal investigates the impact of cultural diversity practices on employee productivity and performance within Marks & Spencer (M&S) in the UK retail sector. The study aims to analyze M&S's cultural diversity management, identify its impact on employee productivity, ascertain challenges in implementation, and recommend strategies for improvement. The research will employ an inductive approach, using qualitative data collected via literature review and questionnaires, analyzed through interpretivism. The proposal outlines the research objectives, methodology, literature sources, activities, and ethical considerations, including participant consent and data storage. The project's timescale, research approach, and ethical approvals are detailed, ensuring compliance with data protection and research ethics policies. The goal is to provide insights into managing cultural diversity effectively to enhance employee performance and productivity within a retail context.

Research Proposal Form
Student Name: ______________________ Student ID: ____________
Centre Name: _____________________
Tutor: ________________ Date: ___________________
Unit: ____________________
Proposed Title: To evaluate the impact of Cultural Diversity practices on the employees' productivity and
performance at workplace in the context of retail sector in UK. A study on Marks & Spencer (M&S).
Section One: Title, objective, responsibilities
Title or working title of the research project (in the form of a question, objective or hypothesis)
TOPIC
To evaluate the impact of Cultural Diversity practices on the employees' productivity and performance
at workplace in the context of retail sector in UK. A study on Marks & Spencer (M&S).
AIM
To study the impact of Cultural Diversity practices carried out in M&S on the productivity and the
performance of the employees at the workplace.
OBJECTIVES
 To analyse the overall concept of cultural diversity management at M&S.
 To identify the ways in which cultural diversity impacts the overall productivity and performance of
the employees at the workplace.
 To ascertain the challenges which can be faced by M&S in the implementation of the practices to
manage cultural diversity.
 To recommend the strategies through which M&S can meet up the challenges above in order to
increase the productivity and performance of the employees at the workplace.
Research objectives (e.g what is the question you want to answer? What do you want to learn how to
do? What do you want to find out?):
Through the research question researcher wants to find the way cultural diversity practices impact on overall
employee’s performance and productivity level. Want to learn different strategies or method that could be
used to manage diverse individuals in the firm.
Section Two: Reasons for choosing this research project
Reasons for choosing the project (e.g links to other subjects you are studying, personal interest, future
plans, knowledge/skills you want to improve, why the topic is important):
Culture diversity management is primary concern of various international organisation so it required deep
research in order to know method or techniques that can be used to manage diverse individual that have
different taste and preferences. So it helps in studying different ways company have managed with cultural

diversity in the organisation. Another reason is that Through this research, want to learn skills to manage
culture diversity in workplace so that employees are ready to give best for growth and success of organisation.
Section Three: Literature sources searched
Use of key literature sources to support your research question, objective or hypothesis:
Bouncken, R. B and et.al., , 2018. Cross-cultural diversity management in service firms. European Journal of
International Management, 12(5-6). pp.510-535.
Chouari, A., 2016. Cultural diversity and the challenges of teaching multicultural classes in the twenty-first
century. Arab World English Journal (AWEJ), 7(3). pp.3-17.
Dreamson, N., 2016. Reinventing intercultural education: A metaphysical manifest for rethinking cultural
diversity (Vol. 41). Taylor & Francis.
Legare, C. H., 2017. Cumulative cultural learning: Development and diversity. Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, 114(30). pp.7877-7883.
Moody, P., 2017. The UK film council and the ‘cultural diversity’agenda. Journal of British Cinema and
Television, 14(4). pp.403-422.
Section Four: Activities and timescales
Activities to be carried out during the research project (e.g research, development and
analysis of ideas, writing, data collection, numerical analysis, tutor meetings, production
of final outcome, evaluation, writing the report):
Time-frame Week
1
Week
2
Week
3
Week
4
Wee
k 5
Week
6
Week
7
Week
8
Week
9
Week
10
Week
11
Topic, Aim
and
objectives,
Rationale
and
Significance
Literature
Review
Data
collection
and
Questionnaire
How long this
will take:
11 weeks
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Research
Methodology
Data analysis
Finding
Submission
Milestone one: _________________
Target date (set by tutor): ____________________
Milestone two: _______________________
Target date (set by tutor): ______________________
Gantt Chart
Section Five: Research approach and methodologies
What type of research approach and methodologies are you likely to use and why? What your areas of
research will cover:
The research will be based on the inductive approaches as there is not theory to be tested. According to the
experiences and observations in the research, the theory will eb developed. The qualitative type of data will be
used in order to analyse the impact of the cultural diversity on the performance and productivity of the
employees. Interpretivism philosophy will be used for qualitative data as there is a need to analyse the
experience and the opinions of the employees of Marks & Spencer. The primary and secondary methods will
be used to collect the data under which literature review and the questionnaire method will be used.
Comments and agreement from tutor
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Comments (optional):
I confirm that the project is not work which has been or will be submitted for another qualification and
is appropriate.
Agreed: __Yes_____________ (name)_______________ Date ______________
Comments and agreement form project proposal checker( IV sampling)
Comments (Optional):
I confirm that the project is appropriate.
Agreed /Disagree: (Name of the IV) Date
Page Break
Research Ethics approval form
All students conducting research activity that involves human participants or the use of data collected form
human participants are required to gain ethical approval before commencing their research. Please answer all
relevant questions and note that your form may be returned if incomplete.
For further support and guidance please see your respective Unit Tutor:
Before completing this form, we advise that you discuss your proposed research fully with your unit tutor.
Please complete this form in good time before your research project is due to commence.
Section 1: Basic details:
Project title:
To evaluate the impact of Cultural Diversity practices on the employees' productivity and performance at
workplace in the context of retail sector in UK. A study on Marks & Spencer (M&S).
Student name:
Student ID number:
Programme:
College Name:
Intended research start date:
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Intended research end date:
Section 2 Project summary
Please select all research methods that you plan to use as a part of your project:
 Interviews Yes No
 Questionnaires Yes No
 Observations Yes No
 Use of personal records Yes No
 Data Analysis Yes No
 Action Research Yes No
 Focus Groups Yes No
 Others (Please specify) : Secondary resources like books and journals, blogs, websites,
research papers, recent publications etc.
Section 3: Participants
Please answer the following questions, giving full details where necessary.
Will your research involve human participants? Yes, the employees of the M&S will be chosen as
respondents of questionnaire.
Who are the participants? Tick all that apply:
Ages 12-16: Young people aged: 17-18 Adults: Yes
How will participants be recruited (identified an approached)?
30 employees will be chosen at random from Marks and Spencer company.
Describe the processes you will use to inform participants about what you are doing:
Respondents will be given the questionnaire by meeting in the company.
How will you obtain consent from participants? Will this be written? How will it be made clear to
participants that they may withdraw consent to participate at any time?
The written consent forms will be given or submitted by them at the time of submitting the questionnaire
which suggest they are not forced to participate instead they are willingly participating in the
questionnaire method.
Studies involving questionnaires: will participants be given the option of omitting questions that do not
wish to answer?
Yes No
If no please explain why below and ensure that you cover any ethical issues arising from this
Studies involving observation:
Confirm whether participants will be asked for their informed consent to be observed.
Yes No
Will you debrief participants at the end of their participation (i.e give them a brief explanation of the
study)?
Yes No
Will participants be given information about the findings of your study?(This could be a brief summary
of your findings in general)
Yes No
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Section 4: Data Storage and Security
Confirm that all personal data will be stored and processed in compliance with the Data Protection Act
(1998)
Yes No
Who will have access to the data and personal information?
Researcher as well as other who are interested in it.
During the research:
Researcher and professor
Where will the data be stored?
Data will be stored in digital as well as document form.
Will mobile devices such as USB storage and laptops be used
Yes No
If Yes, please provide further details:
After the research:
Where will the data be stored?
It will store on Google-drive.
How long will the data and records be kept for and in what format?
It will be in digital form and will be kept for more than one year.
Will data be kept for use by other researchers? Yes No
Section 5 : Ethical Issues
Are there any particular features of your proposed work, which may raise ethical concerns? If so, please
outline how you will deal with these:
It is important that you demonstrate your awareness of potential risks that may arise because of your
research. Please consider/address all issues that may apply. Ethical concerns may include, but are not
limited to the following :
 Informed consent.
 Potentially vulnerable participants.
 Sensitive topics
 Risk to participants and /or researchers
 Confidentiality/anonymity
 Disclosures/ limits to confidentiality
 Data storage and security, both during and after the research (including transfer, sharing,
encryption, protection).
 Reporting
 Dissemination and use of your findings.
Section 6: Declaration
I have read, understood and will abide by the institution’s Research and Ethics Policy: Yes No
I have discussed the ethical issues relating to my research with my Unit Tutor:
Yes No
I confirm that to the best of my knowledge:
The above information is correct, and this is a full description of the ethical issues that may arise in
the course of my research
Name: Date:
Please submit your completed form to your supervisor and also attach to the Research Project
when submitting the full Research Projecton
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