Equality and Diversity: Gender Divide in Leadership at Boots plc

This report investigates the gender divide in leadership at Boots plc, focusing on equality and diversity within the company. It begins with an introduction outlining the research background, aims, objectives, and research questions. The project management plan details the cost, scope, and time frame. The report then presents a work breakdown structure and Gantt chart, followed by a description of the research methodology, including qualitative research, an inductive approach, and interpretivism. Data collection involved primary and secondary sources, with a sample of 20 employees. Data analysis, using thematic analysis, reveals insights into employee perceptions of gender divide, company practices, and challenges. The report concludes with recommendations for training sessions, personal development classes, and reducing cultural gaps to foster a more inclusive work environment, and includes a reflection on the research process.

EQUALITY AND
DIVERSITY IN THE
WORKPLACE

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Research background...................................................................................................................3
PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN...............................................................................................3
WORK BREAKDOWN AND GANTT CHART...........................................................................5
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY....................................................................................................7
DATA ANALYSIS.........................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION............................................................................12
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................12
Recommendation.......................................................................................................................13
REFLECTION...............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................15
Questionnaire.............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Research background
Managing equality and diversity is the major issue which is being faced by the company
to a great extent. Thus, it is very crucial for all the companies to manage the equality among all
the employees irrespective of gender, age, income, experience and many other differentiating
factors (De Vries, Rook and Engellau, 2016). Gender divide in leadership is refers to as the
discrimination done at time of choosing the leader on basis of gender that is giving preference to
male rather than females. The current project will discuss about the major reason behind having
high gender divide in leadership at Boots plc.
Aim and objective
Aim
To investigate the reason behind the high gender divide in leadership with respect to
maintenance of equality and diversity. A study on Boots plc.
Objectives
 To understand the concept of gender divide in leadership.
 To examine the major factors which lead to high gender divide in leadership with respect
to Boots plc.
 To analyse the challenges faced by Boots plc in decreasing the gender divide in
leadership.
 To recommend some solution in dealing with high gender divide in leadership.
Research questions
1. What is the meaning of gender divide in leadership?
2. What are the factors which leads to high gender divide in leadership?
3. What are the challenges being faced by company in managing gender divide in
leadership?
4. What are some suggestions to company in reducing high gender divide in leadership?
PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
Cost- This is defined as the money which is attributed in order to complete the whole
project and to purchase and use all the resources which are necessary for the completion of
research (Kusters, 2016).

Scope- The scope of this research is very wide as this help other similar companies in
identifying the reason behind the gender divide in leadership. Also, this helps other researcher in
keeping this research as base and conduct their own study.
Time- This is the complete duration which is taken for accomplishing the whole research.
For the present study time taken is around 11- 12 weeks.
Quality- This is the most important thing which researcher need to take care of because if
the research will not be conducted with good quality then it will not be liked by the other people.
Communication- This is necessary in collecting the data and sharing the result of the
research. It is so because without communication both these tasks cannot be worked.
Risk and resources- The resources are the thing which makes the research better and
relevant. These are the things which assist the researcher in conducting the research in better and
reliable manner (Kerzner, 2017). The resources are money, technology, computers, laptop and
other electronic equipment.
Milestone schedule
Particulars Due date Justification
Formulation of aim and
objective
27th Feb For this the due date will be
24th Feb because the topic
needs to be checked with
tutor and three days earlier
will provide time to rectify all
the mistakes (Kubu, 2018).
Data interpretation 20th April This need to be completed till
17th of April because a
rechecking of the data
interpretation needs to be
done.
Taking feedback 4th May This need to be considered a
day before as this feedback
will help the researcher in
knowing the fact that whether
the research is accomplished

in the same manner or not.
WORK BREAKDOWN AND GANTT CHART
Gantt chart
Task Mode Task Name Duration Start Finish Predecessors
Auto
Scheduled
Formulation of research aim and
objective 5 days Fri 2/21/20 Thu 2/27/20
Auto
Scheduled Project management plan 6 days Fri 2/28/20 Fri 3/6/20 1
Auto
Scheduled Research methods selection 8 days Mon 3/9/20 Wed 3/18/20 2
Auto
Scheduled Formulation of questionnaire 3 days Thu 3/19/20 Mon 3/23/20 3
Auto
Scheduled
Sending questionnaire for data
collection 4 days Tue 3/24/20 Fri 3/27/20 2,4
Auto
Scheduled Collecting of data 6 days Mon 3/30/20 Mon 4/6/20 5
Auto
Scheduled Data interpretation 10 days Tue 4/7/20 Mon 4/20/20 6
Auto
Scheduled
Conclusion and
Recommendation 4 days Tue 4/21/20 Fri 4/24/20 7
Auto
Scheduled Formatting 2 days Mon 4/27/20 Tue 4/28/20 8
Auto
Scheduled Taking feedback 4 days Wed 4/29/20 Mon 5/4/20 9
Auto
Scheduled
Doing changes as per the
feedback provided 6 days Tue 5/5/20 Tue 5/12/20 10
Auto
Scheduled Final submission 1 day Wed 5/13/20 Wed 5/13/20 11

Workbreak down structure

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research type-For the present project the qualitative research was being used because of the fact
that this type of research helps the researcher in getting theoretical knowledge of the concept of
gender divide in leadership (Wiek and Lang, 2016).
Research approach- For conducting the present research the approach used was inductive for the
reason that this assist the researcher in observing the pattern of the data and information and then
draw some inferences to reach to the conclusions.

Research philosophy- In continuing for the present research on gender divide in leadership the
philosophy used was of interpretivism (Attia and Edge, 2017). This was selected by the
researcher because of the reason that this is more suitable with the qualitative research and
integrates the human interest in the study.
Data collection- For this researcher opted for the mix of both primary and secondary data
sources. This was used because of the fact that both of the sources of data provide a more
reliable and valid source of data.
Sampling- This is the selection of the sample on which the whole study is being conducted and
conclusion and result are drawn upon these samples. For the continuation of the present study the
sample was taken of 20 employees of Boots plc.
Data analysis- This is the main method of whole research because if the data will not be
analysed in proper manner then the whole research is of no use (King and Mackey, 2016). Thus,
for this the thematic analysis was used as this help in proper interpretation with help of charts
and tables.
DATA ANALYSIS
Theme: 1 Yes, the concept of gender divide in leadership is known by the employees.
Particular Respondent % of Respondent
Yes 15 75
No 5 25
Total 20 100

Interpretation: with the help of above data and its analysis it was outlined that the employees of
the company are known with the concpet of gender divide in leadership. This is evident from the
fact that they know that there is gender divide in leadership prevailing at the workplace.
However, rest of the 25% respondent do not agree to the fact that people within worklace are
known with the coencpet of gender divide in leadership.
Theme: 2Agree that company uses practices which result in gender divide in leadership.
Particular Respondent % of Respondent
Strongly agree 3 15
Agreed 10 50
Neutral 1 5
Strongly disagree 3 15
Disagree 3 15
Total 20 100
Interpretation: from the evaluation of the data it is inferred that most of the resondent that is 50%
agrees that yes the company is using th epractices which leads to gender divide in leadership.
This is majorly because of the reaosn that women are not much considered at time of leading and
managing the buisnes. Moreover, some of the participant strongly agree and some disagree.
Theme: 3 Sometimes company respect males and females at time of choosing for leadership.
Particular Respondent % of Respondent
Yes 5 25
No 5 25
Sometimes 10 50

Total 20 100
Interpretation: with help of analysis of the data related to this question it was analysed that
majorly of respondent agrees that sometimes the company respect both male and females at time
of choosing ofr leadership and management of company. However rest of the respondent feels
that yes company pays attention to both male and female and sometimes not.
Theme: 4 All of the above are the factors which lead to gender divide in leadership
Particular Respondent % of Respondent
Thinking of people 2 10
Lack of knowledge 2 10
Differences in
culture 4 20
All of the above 12 60
Total 20 100

Interpretation: with assistance of data collected form the primary source it was evident that 60%
of respondent agrees to the fact that all of th above are the factors which leads to gender divide in
leadership. All of the above includes thinking of people, lack of knwoeldge and cultural
differnce. These are the factors as this degrades the valuse of female within the company.
However, the remaining respondent feels that all thes factrs individually lead to gender divide in
leadership.
Theme: 5 All of the above is the major challenge in reducing the gender divide in leadership
Particular Respondent % of Respondent
Mentality that women are less competent than men
2 10
Women have less knowledge of market
2 10
Acceptance that women can too work in corporate
world
2 10
All of the above 14 70
Total 20 100

Interpretation: from the analysis of data it can be said that majorly of participant that is 70%
articulates that all of the above are the challenges being faced by the company at time of
implemitng good balance between males and females. But th challenges being faced by company
are metality of employees that women are less competent with men and also has low knowledge
of market and accepting that women can work in corporate world. But in against of this the
remaining participant agress to all these challenges on individual basis.
Theme: 6 Some suggestion for reduction in gender divide in leadership.
Interpretation:with th ehlep of data of above question it was analysed and interpreted that there
are many ways in which gender divide in leadership can ebe managed. The major agreed method
is the trainign to the male employees that female can work in much better way as compared to
males. Another major suggestion is to reduce the differences in cultures and mindset of people
coming form different cultural backgrounds.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Conclusion
In the end it can be summarised that equality and diversity is necessary to be maintained
within the company along with low gender divide in leadership. Thus, the present study focused
on the gender divide in leadership which is prevailing at Boots plc. The research started with
formulation of aims and objectives and then with help of project management plan the cost and
time of research was ascertained. Also, with help of research methodology, all the methods was