BTEC HND Business Project: Managing Equality and Diversity at M&S

This project explores the critical aspects of equality and diversity within organizations, using Marks & Spencer as a case study. It delves into the significance of maintaining equality and diversity, highlighting its positive impact on employee motivation, satisfaction, and overall performance. The project outlines a project management plan, including a Gantt chart and work breakdown structure, to effectively manage the project's scope, time, and resources. It analyzes the importance of equality and diversity, explores methods to reduce workplace discrimination, and evaluates the benefits of such reductions, such as increased employee engagement and improved brand reputation. The project incorporates a literature review, research methodology, and data analysis to support its findings and recommendations. The project aims to provide practical insights and strategies for M&S to foster a more inclusive and equitable workplace, ultimately enhancing its business performance.

PROJECT

ABSTRACT
Equality and diversity are two most important things that are required to be focused upon
by an organization as it helps organization in maintaining motivational and satisfactional level of
their employees. Not only this it further helps in enhancing overall performance of their
employees. This project has focused upon ways to reduce the workplace discriminations by
managing equality and diversity in marks and Spencer by analysing the importance of the
equality and diversity, ways for maintaining equality and diversity and by evaluating benefits for
reducing the workplaces discrimination.

Contents
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................3
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................3
PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN...........................................................................................4
Gantt Chart...................................................................................................................................4
Work Breakdown Structure.........................................................................................................5
LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................................................................6
Theme 1: Analyse the importance of equality and diversity in the firm.....................................6
Theme 2: analyse ways of maintaining equality and diversity to reduce discrimination............6
Theme 3: Evaluate the benefits of reducing workplace discrimination in marks and spencer....7
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY................................................................................................7
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................9
performance review.....................................................................................................................9
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................10
Data Analysis.............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................20
Appendix........................................................................................................................................22

Task 1
INTRODUCTION
For the each of the organization, it is important to have the maintaining of equality and diversity
in the company as the there are various type of employee are working into the company. The
employee has the belongings to the different caste, colour, nationality and backgrounds. the firm
have the major level of obligations to treat the employees with dignity and value here (Booysen,
Bendl and Pringle, 2018). Moreover, the diversity and equality help in developing the positive
culture in order to have the boosting of employee motivations at the workplace which is being
successes by the performance appraisal, motivation, recruitment and selection policy etc it
depends on company and management that what type of policy is being followed in it
Aim – To reduce the workplace discriminations by managing equality and diversity in the
organization – A case study on marks and spencer
Company overview
Marks and spencer is the lading company dealing in fashion industry as the major British
multinational retailer headquarter in England. There company specialize in the selling clothing,
home products and food products (Jin, Miao and Park., 2018). The company is having their
different policy implication rested to equality and diversity as it helps in developing the positive
culture in order to have the boosting of employee motivations at the workplace which is being
successes by the performance appraisal, motivation, recruitment and selection policy etc.
Objectives
 To analyse the importance of the equality and diversity in the firm
 To analysis the ways for maintaining equality and diversity to reduce the workplace
discriminations
 To have the evaluation of the benefits for reducing the workplaces discrimination as
Marks and Spencer.
Research question
 What is the importance of the equality and diversity in the firm?
 How many the ways for maintaining equality and diversity to reduce the workplace
discriminations?
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 How the company will be benefitted by reducing the workplaces discrimination as Marks
and Spencer?
Rationale
Marks and spencer have the specific level of concern over maintaining the statuary level of
requirements in order to have the completion of the managerial level of commitments. So, the
firm have the facing their specific level of challenges for managing the equality and diversity in
the firm. Hence the research project will help the M&S company to analysis the benefits which
are rising in the up coming future for introducing the effective level of the diverse level of
workforces at the retail industry employee.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN
 Cost
As per the estimation of the cost this project can cost around 3000 to 3500 Euros.
To mee the aim of the project organization have to organize capital to develop proper
plan to reduce the work place inequality in organization.
 Scope-
The processes that are implemented in the project will be beneficiary for the
business organization this process will help the organization to improve the work culture
on the work place. By this process organization will be able to provide better working
environment to the employees to improve their performance standards to generate higher
benefits from the business operations. The processes and methods that are suggested in
the project management plan can be used by the organization in future to reduce the cases
of work place discrimination to improve the internal operations of the organization in
effective manner. This is how this project will be so effective for the business
organization to manage the equality and better working environment in the work place.
 Time
Time which is required to implement the project in the organization will be
around 10 weeks. With in 10 weeks the project can be implemented in the organization to
generate better result from the market pace.
 Quality
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In this project management plan all the standards and policies are effectively
followed in effective manner to get better result with the project. By considering proper
processes and methods organization can offer better solutions to the company regarding
project management plan for equality and diversity with in the work place of the
company.
 Communication
There are different stakeholders are available in the organization who are ned to
be communicated in effective manner to make the project effective. Through process
organization can develop better process to get better performance standard in
organization. all the stake holders of the organization are communicated with all the
information and data that is used in the project to manage the equality and diversity in the
organization.
 Risk
There are different type of risks are associated with the project management plan
that is implemented in the organization to improve the work conditions in the
organization. Major risks in the project management processes are- data and information
falsification by information source, impact of influencing factors on the project
management plan. Project failure is also a possible failure for business organization.
 Resources-
There are different sources are used in the project management plan. Some of the
major resources that are used in the project management plan are- internet connection,
computer, stationery, papers and information sources cost. These all resources are used in
the research process for the project management plan.
Gantt Chart
Gantt chart can be defined as a bar chart that helps in illustrating overall project schedule
with all the milestones that are required to be achieved in defined time period. Gantt chart is one
of the best ways that can help in analysing and showing dependency between sub- activities and
current schedule of the project (Sharon and Dori, 2017). It also helps in identifying starting and
end time period of the project. It is one of the best way with the help of which project manager
can track specific task of the project and its impact upon other task as well. Gantt chary of this
project has been shown below.
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Activity 1st week 2nd
week
3rd
week
4th
week
5th
week
6th
week
7th
week
8th
week
9th
week
10th
week
Introduction
Aim and
objectives
Project
management
plan
Research
methodology
Data
Collection
Data Analysis
Conclusion
and
Recommendat
ions
Submission
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Work Breakdown Structure
Work breakdown structure in project management can be defined as a delivery- oriented
breakdown structure of a project in which a project is divided into smaller sub segments. It is one
of the most important key project deliverables that helps organizing whole project in team work
into manageable sub- sections. It can also be defined as a hierarchical decomposition of overall
scope of the project which is accomplished by defining and achieving project objectives and
creating required deliverables (Park and Cai, 2017). It helps in providing a framework to the
project manager so that they can do a detailed cost estimation, provide proper guidelines for
proper, specific scheduled development and control of the project. Work breakdown structure of
this project is shown below.
Figure 1 Work Breakdown Structure
Milestone planning
Milestone How to achieve Times
To have preparations of the project
management plan with respect to aims and
objectives.
To have the proper guidance form the
tutors and working on the feedback.
2
weeks
To have development of questionnaire as to
have effective research .
Preparing form different sites and
suggestion form the friends and tutor.
2
weeks
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LITERATURE REVIEW
Theme 1: Analyse the importance of equality and diversity in the firm
As per the view of Mertkan and et.al., (2017) there is the need of the company to make
promoting of equality and diversity in the organizations which will help in assisting the building
of brand reputation and equity in perfect manner. equality make the firm make the increase in
employee loyalty by not engaging any level of discriminations and creating the employee
belongingness. On the other the Westwood, (2017) constrict that equality helps in the assisting
and enhancing the business performance as no level of discriminations will make proper
enhancing the skills in increasing the productivity. In addition, it has been analgised that’s
equality and diversity in organization can making the culture better, employees are been satisfied
to work in that kind of environment in which equality is been promoted.
As per the views of Poushter, Fetterolf, and Tamir, (2019.), diversity is considered to the other
side and important factor for the organizations which is helpful in boosting the morale of
employees in order to make the work environment better. The author supported that statements
as their employee is making use of creativity and innovativeness which is necessary for the
growth of firm. The Raphael, (2019) contradict that statement stating that training and
development as the important aspect as compare to equality and diversity which helps in
achieving the goals and objectives by enhancing the proper level of profitability as well as
revenue of the company. Hence it will support in the growing the business objective s in perfect
manner.
Theme 2: analyse ways of maintaining equality and diversity to reduce discrimination
As the view of Keval, (2020), to have the proper level of maintaining the equality and diversity
in the company is important to have reduction of the discrimination along providing various level
of opportunities to employee for the growth and prosperity. The firm have the involvements in
implementing the business policy with application of clear guidelines for promoting the
respective diversity. Another way of promoting the equality in the placing the right person to the
right job along with right resource without having any level of discrimination. this will be helpful
in retaining the employees which will helps in the boosting the morale of the employees at
gaining the equal level of jobs at sustains level. On the other hand, (Inegbedion, Sunday and
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Adebanji, (2020) contradicted the statement stating that’s no level of discrimination will be
beneficials for the growth perspectives through the different ways by enhancing their
productivity as well as rage operational efficiency. Cultural diversity which helps their firm for
masking the use of various innovative and creative wat to gains the compete advantages and the
perfect edge.
Theme 3: Evaluate the benefits of reducing workplace discrimination in marks and spencer
As per the Backhaus, (2020), there are the various level of befit for the reducing the workplace
discriminations in marks and spencer. This will be resulted as the increasing he employee
engagements. This will be analysed as range equality and diversity can have the help in encasing
here productivity as well as the operational level of efficiency in perfect manner. on the other the
Raphael, (2019) contradict the statements as the enhancing more level of employee motivations
can be despite of the bias of their religion, colour, sex, disability. This can assist in enhancing the
employee’s motivation and also it can help in growing and achieving the goals and objectives.
The author addition that’s diversity managements have the opening the new level of talents
which is bale to have the hire and recruiting more talents and skill level of employees for
reducing the workplace discriminations on the bias of gender, religion and pay to another
aspects. There will be the coverage of the large areas for maintaining the brand reputations to
emerge the more employees during the uncreating situation. In addition, it has been analgised
that’s equality and diversity in organization can making the culture better, employees are been
satisfied to work in that kind of environment in which equality is been promoted. Diversity have
the inclusions of the opening the business up to new markets for reducing the workplace
discriminations for busking the brand reputations for energising the more employees and
assisting in creating the worker loyalty at the workplace in perfect manner.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research type
There are two types of research: qualitative and quantitative research type. Qualitative research
type focuses upon non- numerical data collection and analysis. Whereas quantitative
research type focuses upon collection and analysis of numerical data. Data collected for
quantitative type of research can be analysed using statistical or other numerical data
analysis methods. Whereas as data collected in qualitative type of research are mostly
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unquantifiable elements that cannot be analysed with the help of numerical methods. For
analysis of such type of data methods like thematic data analysis are used. For this research
will focus upon qualitative research type as it is much easier to conduct a qualitative
research.
Research Philosophy
There are two main types of research philosophies. First one is interpretivism research
philosophy in which all the elements of the research are interpreted as per the study
requirements (Kumar, 2019). It is majorly used in qualitative type of research. Whereas,
positivism research philosophy is a kind of philosophy in which most of the factual
knowledge is collected though observations. It is majorly used in quantitative type of
research. For this research, researcher has used interpretivism research philosophy as it is a
qualitative type of research, so this philosophy will suit the best.
Research Approach
There are three main types of research approaches: inductive, deductive and abductive research
approach. Deductive approach is a kind of approach in which hypothesis is developed which
helps in confirming or rejecting the research process. In inductive approach research
questions id developed which is required to answered during the research process. Whereas
abductive approach is used when there is incomplete observation involved. For this research,
researcher will be using inductive approach as it is a qualitative type of research so with the
help of inductive approach themes for the collected can be identified easily for answering
the research questions.
Data Collection
There are two main types of data that are mostly used in a research. First is a primary data which
is collected by the researcher for the first time. This data can be collected though various
methods such as interview, survey and many more (Fletcher, 2017). Second type of data is
secondary data which s already published and can be collected from books, journals, articles
and many more. For this research, research has used primary data because usage of primary
data can help the researcher in collecting the new and related information related to the
organization which will further help them to answer the research question in a much more
better and appropriate manner.
Sampling
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It is one of the most important part of pa primary research as it helps in making a primary
research manageable and further helps in completing the research in a timely manner and
also helps in reducing overall cost of conducting the research. There are two main methods
of selecting a sample size for a research (Basias and Pollalis, 2018). First is probability
method in which all the members of the population have a chance of participating within a
research study. Second method is non- probability sampling method in which all the
members of a population do not have a known chance of participating within a study. Non-
probability method is used for selecting small size of a population whereas probability
method is used for selection of a large number of respondents from population. For this
research, researcher has used non-probability method and has selected 30 employees of
Marks and Spencer organization in order to participate within a survey.
Data Analysis
There are two major type of data analysis methods. First method is thematic which is used in
qualitative type of research in which collected data is analysed and common themes are
identified so that research questions can be answered. Whereas second method is statistical
method which is used in quantitative type of research in which numerical data is analysed
with the help of mathematical methods. For this research, researcher has used thematic data
analysis method as it is a qualitative type of research in which non- theoretical data has been
collected so with the help of thematic analysis collected primary data can be analysed in a
proper manner.
TASK 3
Data Analysis
Theme 1 Diversity makes improvement in performance
particular- diversity at workplace can helps in improving the performance in retail
industry
participants
Yes 18
No 5
Not Sure 7
total 30
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