Dissertation: Women's Career Development in the Workplace Factors

This dissertation proposal explores the factors impacting women's career developmental progress in the workplace, focusing on a qualitative research approach. The study aims to identify positive and negative influences, examining the significance of women's career development, and investigating factors like motivation, training, and workplace dynamics. The research includes a literature review analyzing existing studies, definitions of key variables, and relationships between them. The methodology involves interviews to gather qualitative data, ensuring ethical considerations and addressing potential limitations. The dissertation is structured to include an introduction, literature review, methodology, results and discussion, conclusion, and reflections, providing a comprehensive analysis of the research question. The findings are expected to offer insights into how to minimize negative impacts and promote women's career advancement, contributing to both theoretical understanding and practical improvements in the workplace.

Dissertation
Proposal
(What factors impact on women’s career developmental
progress in the workplace?)
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Executive Summary
Main purpose of preparing this dissertation is to analysis number of positive and negative
factors that have direct impact on career developmental progress of women in the workplace. In
order to achieve this purpose, some activities have been completed by researcher. Introduction is
a first activity and in order to done this activity research make some research objectives and
questions. It has been supported researcher in completion of research purpose and aim in
effective manner. literature review another activity that was completed by using number of
secondary sources which are articles, magazines, books, journals, publication research and many
other sources relevant to the study. All these are useful sources because they helped researcher in
collecting of detailed and in-depth data regarding the significance of developing women career at
workplace, contribution of positive factors towards career development progress of women,
negative effect of factors on women’s career development and several ways for eliminating
negative impact of factors over women’s career development progress. Research methodology is
another activity which is based on primary data collection. For gathering primary information or
data, interview has been applied for the reason that provides qualitative data. Conclusion and
recommendation is last part of the dissertation that proof, research aim and objectives are
achieved effectively.
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Contents
Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................2
Introduction......................................................................................................................................5
Overview of the topic..................................................................................................................5
Research Question:......................................................................................................................5
Research sub-questions................................................................................................................5
Research aim................................................................................................................................5
Research Objectives.....................................................................................................................6
Importance of research question in practical and theoretical level..............................................6
Structure of the dissertation:........................................................................................................6
Literature Review.............................................................................................................................8
Definitions of the variable present within research model..........................................................8
Relationship between variables...................................................................................................8
Literature review of research sub-questions................................................................................8
Significance of developing women career at workplace?.......................................................8
Factors have positive contribution towards career development progress of women at
workplace of ASDA?.............................................................................................................10
Several factors that have negative effect on women’s career development progress at
workplace of ASDA?.............................................................................................................11
Several ways by which ASDA can easily minimised negative impact of factors over
women’s career development progress?................................................................................13
Planned research Method...............................................................................................................15
Types of study............................................................................................................................15
Data Collection:.........................................................................................................................15
Research philosophy:.................................................................................................................16
Data analysis approach:.............................................................................................................16
Research design:........................................................................................................................16
Time horizon:.............................................................................................................................17
Sampling....................................................................................................................................18
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Research Instrument..................................................................................................................18
Reliability and validity of the research:.....................................................................................19
Ethical consideration:................................................................................................................19
Research Limitations:................................................................................................................20
Results and discussion...................................................................................................................21
Conclusion and Recommendations................................................................................................28
Reflection and alternative methodology........................................................................................30
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................33
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Introduction
Overview of the topic
Career development introduces to the lifelong process of managing work, leisure, learning
and transitions in order to turn toward a personally determined as developing preferred future
(Bozer and Jones, 2018). Along with this, there are number of factors that have impact on
women’s career development progress in the workplace. ASDA is a chosen workplace or British
supermarket retailer. It was founded in 1949 by Peter and Fred Asquith and headquartered in
Leeds, West Yorkshire. At this workplace, numbers of women employees are working. Along
with this, there are number of factors that have negative impact on career developmental
progress of women at workplace including, age, gender, employment level, childcare
responsibility, lack of formal training etc. These are main factors that have negative effect on
women’s career development progress in the workplace. There are some positive factors that
positively impact on career development progress of women employees at workplace such as
motivation, recognition and reward, education, training and many others. Therefore, there are
positive and negative factors that impact on women’s career developmental progress at
workplace.
Research Question:
(1). What factors impact on women’s career developmental progress in the workplace?
Research sub-questions
(I) What is the significance of developing women career at workplace?
(II) Which factors have positive contribution towards career development progress of women at
workplace of ASDA?
(III) What are the several factors that have negative effect on women’s career development
progress at workplace of ASDA?
(IV) What are the several ways by which ASDA can easily minimised negative impact of factors
over women’s career development progress?
Research aim
Main aim of this dissertation is to identify several factors that have direct impact on career
development progress of women in the workplace. A study of ASDA.
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Research Objectives
To determine the importance of women career development at workplace.
To determine the factors those have positive contribution towards women’s career development
progress at workplace of ASDA.
To analysis factors that negatively impact on career development progress of women at
workplace of ASDA.
To find out several ways by which negative impact of factors over women’s career development
progress can be minimised by ASDA.
Importance of research question in practical and theoretical level
It is important to identify different factors that support women’s in development of its career
progress at workplace. This research question is practical as well as theoretical important. In
practical manner, it will help in identification of women’s opinion about the different factors that
have impact on their career progress in the existing workplace. In theoretical manner, it will help
in increasing knowledge about the different factors that impact over women’s career progress. If
this dissertation is publish, it will help an individual, organisation and overall society by
improving their understanding regarding the importance of developing women’s career progress
at workplace (Douglas and et. al., 2018).
Structure of the dissertation:
This is an important part of the dissertation that will support reader in identification of
information about the each chapter. In order to complete dissertation, number of activities or
chapters will be followed by researcher. These chapters apart from their purpose or importance
will be explained as below:
Introduction: First part of preparing dissertation is Introduction. This is a significant chapter
because it includes research aim, objectives and questions. This activity of the dissertation helps
researcher in identification of importance of research topic in practical as well as academic
manner. Main purpose of this chapter is to support reader by providing information regarding the
aims and objectives of study.
Literature review: This is second and main part of dissertation which will support in
collecting of secondary information from large number of sources which are books, magazines,
articles, journals, publication research etc. All these are main sources that will be used for
literature review in collecting detailed and in-depth data regarding the current study. Main
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purpose of literature review is to identify inconsequence and gaps in previous studies. By
identifying literature gap, researcher will use to make research questions in fulfilling those gaps
in effective and systematic manner.
Research methodology: This is another part of dissertation that has their own importance in
the report. Research methodology is a process that used by investigator for accumulating and
analysing information about the study in qualitative or quantitative manner. Current study is
completely based on qualitative study and for collecting and analysing this type of information
number of methods will be applied. These methods are interpretivisim philosophy, inductive
approach, interview method, descriptive analysis and many others. All these are effective
methods in gathering and analysing of valid information regarding the factors that have impact
on women’s career developmental progress in the workplace.
Results and discussion: This part of the dissertation is based on data collection method
which is Interview. This type of methodology support researcher in gaining of valid results
within lesser time duration. This section covers number of questions which will be beneficial in
identification of women’s opinion about their career progress at workplace.
Conclusion and recommendation: This is most important chapter because it includes entire
summary of the dissertation and support researcher in achievement of research aim and
objectives through research questions.
Reflection and alternative research methodology: This section of research includes
individual experience about doing this research. Reflection also based on effectiveness of
research method. Along with this, there is some recommendation that have to provide to the
researcher in used of alternative research methodology.
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Literature Review
Definitions of the variable present within research model
Within the research model, there are two variables which are depended and independent.
According to the research questions, women’s career developmental progress in the workplace is
dependent variables and factors are independent variables. For example: career developmental
progress of women at workplace is dependent on different factors.
Relationship between variables
Dependent and independent variable has strong relationship because in absence of any
variable, researcher cannot conduct dissertation in effective manner. Within a study, if researcher
not has information about the factors then they are not able to identify carer development
progress of women in the workplace. Therefore, in conducting dissertation successfully both
variables are important for the researcher (Fletcher, Alfes and Robinson, 2018).
Literature review of research sub-questions
Significance of developing women career at workplace?
According to the Gati Levin and Landman-Tal, (2019), development of women career at
workplace is important for an organisation because they plays significant role in improvement of
business growth and success at marketplace. At the present time, men and women are not
presented in an equal manner in the global work force. Despite the fact that women represent
more than half of the population across the world, it is seen that women are underrepresented
within the labour force working at small to big companies. Initiatives are being taken by many
countries as well as companies to reduce the gap between rate of women and men working
within the premise of an organisation. However, there are still many nations as well as
corporations that are lacking behind in taking efforts to do the same. Women are prevented from
pursuing career options or seeking employment owing to a number of reasons such as taking due
care of children and families, discriminatory policy and practice of some companies, cultural as
well as social beliefs in some nations and so on. However, it is important that with time, people
and their mindsets enhance to promote women to pursue and develop their careers at workplace.
This is important so as to ensure that each and every individual pertaining to the population of
any particular nation or world get equal empowerment opportunities. With the help of such
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opportunities, women can grow and sustain their livelihood in an effective manner and not
depend upon men for the same all the time.
There are number of significance of developing career of women at workplace such as it
boosts productivity level, attract more talent, increased employees engagement and creativity etc.
These are the main reasons for developing career of women in the workplace. Therefore, it is
significant to persuade women to pursue careers at entire levels of work (particularly in male-
dominated fields). Furthermore, women must be provided with the useful resources to enhance
their skills and knowledge. This provides assistance to them in making themselves compatible
for the outside world and carrying out the activities and tasks of business in the same manner as
men do. When women are given empowerment opportunities, they tend to respect the same and
take due advantage of it. This makes them show their true and full potential to the firm so that
the company can attain success and growth in due course of time.
As per studies conducted over this subject matter, it has been recognised that inflated gender
parity tend to have a number of potential positive consequences. For instance: in this relation, the
World Bank has given the recommendation that enhanced gender parity at workplace tend to
facilitate the political stability of a country and thereby also leads to a decline in the likelihood of
occurrence of conflicts. In addition to this, the development of women career at workplace tends
to develop opportunities for the nations in terms of increment in the workforce size and as well
as accomplishment of additional economic growth. The GDP of a country tends to significantly
rise whereby women are facilitated to pursue and develop their careers at workplace. In terms of
benefits to an organisation, it can be acknowledged that development of careers of women at
workplace would imply more number of creative ideas and thoughts. These can take company to
another level, making it pave the way to success. Further, when an enterprise exhibits their
support to women, this tends to attract the attention of customers towards the company. This is
so because customers in today’s world prefer to purchase products and services from those
companies only which take effective and constant efforts to uplift the status of society and create
opportunities through which the nation can develop as a whole. Giving due emphasis to women
career at workplace enables a company to develop a diverse working environment whereby an
individual is not viewed from the lens of a gender but from the lens of business performance and
output given by them to the company in terms of productivity, ideas, thoughts etc.
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Factors have positive contribution towards career development progress of women at
workplace of ASDA?
ASDA utilizes in excess of 149,000 individuals over the United Kingdom, 57% of
women workers. Today, more than 33% of our senior chiefs over the business are female, which
is an expansion of 4% in the past 3 years (ASDA Gender Pay report, 2017). ASDA have to set-
up various numbers of activities in the place that have contributed to this advancement, however
company know there is a whole other world to do. At ASDA, aim is to offer the entirety of our
associates the chance to build up their vocations with us, just as the adaptability to accomplish
what's imperative to them, both in and outside of work. One of the main factors at workplace of
ASDA is Gender bonus gap that have positive contribution towards women’s career
development progress. According to the fact, proportion of men and women paid a bonus is
85.3% and 88.3%. There are also other factors that support women in its career development
such as effective organisational culture, motivational factors and many others.
According to Helena Knörr, (2019), women’s are facing many issues and challenges at the
workplace that affect directly on their overall development progress. The women’s are not
getting the rights due to which they work under the pressure that impact on the performance as
well as productivity. There are various factors that positively contribute towards development of
progress of women. The first factor is supporting work environment, ASDA can develop family
friendly policies as it help women in managing a work life in an effective manner. If the culture
of organisation is positive and supportive then it motivates a women to work with full potential
and enhance their skills and knowledge level. In addition to this, it also help women to manager
their activities of family as well as jobs in a proper manner. Another positive factor which
contribute towards women’s progress is support from to management, if the higher authorities
commit to execute or implement initiatives to advance women then it will surely develop the
personality of women that effect positively on their career development. Moreover, it is
determined that mentoring also impact positively on the women career working at ASDA. It
means if the women is presenting as role model them it assist them to cope with discrimination,
self-esteem, social isolation, family or work balance and many more. For this, it is important for
higher authorities of ASDA to support as well as promote organisation culture in an appropriate
and proper manner. Along with this, providing training and development session to women’s
enhance knowledge and skills of women’s working in ASDA that impact on the career
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development in a proper manner (Deere, and León, 2019). Increase in skills and competencies of
women’s working in ASDA not only enhance their productivity level but also develop reputation
of the company in market which directly impact on productivity as well as profitability of the
organisation. Furthermore, following all the laws and legislation of Equality act within the
organisation give an opportunity to women to stand as equal to the mana and share their thoughts
and ideas to other staff members of the company. This factor contribute positively on the career
development of women’s working in the company. The government initiated many policies with
an aim to gender equity at the workplace, all this policies and legislations is adopted by the
managers of ASDA in order to give right to women’s. Along with this, its higher authorities also
allows women staff to participate in the decision making process so that they can share their
thoughts, ideas and plans which leads to innovation, creativity and also develop confidence in
women’s which has a positive impact on the career development of women’s in a best manner
(Folbre, 2019). It is determined that if women’s get the output equal to the input or hard work
they put, then it will increase their productivity and efficiency level which leads to growth and
career development of women’s working in ASDA.
Several factors that have negative effect on women’s career development progress at
workplace of ASDA?
As per the view point of Glambek, Skogstad and Einarsen, (2018), there are various
factors that have negative effect over women’s career progress in the workplace of company
such as discrimination, violence, employment, lack of formal training and many other types of
discrimination. These are major factors that have direct impact on women.
The mostly women Asda shopfloor employee claim they are low paid compared with
mainly male staff working within the supermarket’s warehouses (Asda faces mass legal
action from staff over equal pay, 2020). In this, some women’s are not satisfied about
their pay which has negative effect on their career progress at workplace of ASDA. Therefore,
these are main factors that impact on women at workplace of ASDA.
These are the various factors by which women face negative impact on their growth and
development in their professional life. Therefore, it is quite essential for them to adopt all these
elements in a positive manner and grab all the opportunity available in front of them so that they
can beat the level of competition at the workplace. Along with this, managers need to provide
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equal opportunities to the staff members so that they can work in an effective manner and feel
motivated and encouraged. This as a result help them in order to produce positive outcomes in an
effective manner and within given time period.
As per the view point of Sophia Zhao and Roland B smith (2020), women face many
issues and challenges in order to climb up to the higher position and to in development of their
career. One of the factor that has negative impact on women’s progress is traditional perception
of society as well as man. As in many cities till now women’s are not getting the right to work in
offices as they still think they are just for doing household work. In addition to this, another
factor is organisational practices and policies which reflect on the women’s live as well as
situations. In many multinational companies such as ASDA there are overseas rotation and
projects which means that staff members transfer from one location to another in order to
perform particular project. This sometimes prohibit women’s to as they are not easily move
along to the overseas. In addition to this, they also have some prohibitions to work in another
place then their home place that directly impact negatively on their progress as well as
development. Furthermore, women’s are more expected to take family responsibility and work
than men, this factor negatively impact on the women’s career as they are totally entrenched with
the culture along with the family commitments (Lind, 2018). Another negative factor is family
and children, as women are surrounding with all the responsibilities that is children, family,
offices and many more. In all this working, they are not easily capable to give their best at all the
time in the organisation and sometimes they have pressure of family that decline their
productivity as well as efficiency level. This diverse the focus of women in working of
organisation due to which a women is not working with full potential that directly effect on its
performance in a negative manner. In addition to this, some multinational companies have less
ratio of women as compare to the men which bring down the moral of women’s and effect on
their career development negatively as well as adversely. In addition to this, women have limited
access to networks as they are not directly contact with high leaders along with this they are
hesitant to advocate for themselves that what they exactly want and need in their life. It has been
analysed that organisational policies is also consider as a negative factor that effect on the career
development of women’s. The companies till now did follow all the laws associated with the
equality law and also did not allow women to participate in the decision making progress. This
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