Sainsbury's: Gender Equality and Business Productivity

This research project investigates the influence of gender equality on business productivity, using Sainsbury's as a case study. The introduction highlights the importance of gender equality in the workplace and its impact on employee productivity and retention. The research aims to understand the concept of gender equality, evaluate its effect on worker performance, and identify the consequences of not implementing it. The project includes a literature review exploring the concept of gender equality, its role in worker performance, and the consequences of inequality. The research methodology includes both primary and secondary research methods, with a focus on interviews and quantitative data analysis to gather relevant information. The project aims to provide insights into the benefits of gender equality, such as improved employee relations, increased productivity, and a positive brand image, while also highlighting the negative consequences of gender inequality, such as decreased productivity and workplace issues. The conclusion summarizes the key findings and provides recommendations for Sainsbury's to promote gender equality and enhance business performance. The project also acknowledges research limitations and provides references to support the findings.

Research Project

ABSTRACT
Globalisation has provided companies with a lot of opportunities in terms of increasing
their profitability and market share. They can now hire people of different categories and utilise
their talents in gaining benefits. In this global world, where everybody has got an equal chance of
showing their talents there are some people who face gender inequality. Therefore, this report is
supported on the contact of gender equivalence and how it influences company in enhancing
productivity of the organization or individual itself. Management of the company has to take
care of the same and must ensure that everything goes right. Other than this, this report will
provide an insight of gender equality and its consequences after implementing the same at
workplace. Moreover, to do this research both primary and secondary research was taken into
consideration and focus was more on interview method. Therefore, it will be effective in
evaluating appropriate outcomes. In addition of this, quantitative research is also includes in this
investigation to assembling applicable data and content in an effectual style to draw a sound
judgement.

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1 ...........................................................................................................................................1
P1 Research proposal ..................................................................................................................1
P2.................................................................................................................................................5
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................8
P3.................................................................................................................................................8
P4 ................................................................................................................................................9
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................10
P5 ..............................................................................................................................................10
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................13
P6 ..............................................................................................................................................13
P7 ..............................................................................................................................................14
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................14
RECOMMENDATION.................................................................................................................15
RESEARCH LIMITATION..........................................................................................................16
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................17
.......................................................................................................................................................18

Title: To investigate the influence of gender equality on business productivity in
Sainsbury's.”
INTRODUCTION
Gender equality is referring to the equal opportunities and chances provides individual at
working place. It is crucial for organization to maintain equality within their operational
functions for encouraging employees (Galea and et. al., 2015). It may aid in retaining workers
for longer duration within the company. Along with this, each and every individual wants to get
equal chances to show their abilities or efforts for organization goals which help them to acquire
positive response towards working culture of firm. This will impact positively over the
employees and organisation as well by improve their productivity ratio (Agénor and Canuto,
2015). For attaining the same, manager of company ensures that every individual whether they
are male or female get equal treatment and does not discriminated on the basis of pay, work and
gender. With the assistance of this, firm can keep workers productive and efficient on the basis
of the job activities. It may provide support to company in accomplishing success at market
place. Current investigation is focus on Sainsbury's, is one of renowned and big chain of grocery
store operate their business in UK. Firm focal point on serving foremost choice products to its
customers by analysing their needs and wants. This is attained by developing employees’
capabilities in handling their customers.
TASK 1
P1 Research proposal
Overview and background of the investigation
Equality is crucial concepts for every organisation and its workers as well. In this,
company is responsible for treating workers equally so that they can improve their involvement
within the activities and also tries to attain their target. The primary benefit of implementing
equality at workplace is to develop positive and healthy relation among all the employees
perform in company. This will improve productiveness of business organisation and its
workforce as well. Along with this, gender equality is the major concern for organisation as they
must ensure that each and every worker are treated equally (Alhejji, Ng, Garavan and Carbery,
2018). Due to which employees are encouraged and influence about their job roles at workplace.
This will be beneficial for organisation in reducing their employee turnover and also established
1

their affirmative image at market. It assists in inviting talented workers towards the company. In
this regard, gender inequality is referring to the female workers who get less as compare to male
female in their pay scale. This is the reason that women get demotivated at workplace and also
reduce their involvement (Ali, 2016). It may put negative impact on the employee’s relation and
arises issues among them. Thus, it is significant for Sainsbury's to maintain equality at work area
and also be fair with their employees so that they feel their value for company and tries to attain
their set targets. By this, firm increase their productivity level at market.
Research aim:
The primary purpose of this investigation is “To investigate the influence of gender
equality on business productivity in Sainsbury's.”
Research objectives:
 To understand the concept of gender equality at workplace.
 To evaluate the role of gender equality over workers performance in company.
 To identify the major consequences of not implementing gender equality at workplace.
Research Questions:
 What is the concept of gender equality at workplace?
 What is the role of equality over workers performance within the company? What are the major consequences of not implementing gender equality at workplace?
Significance of Research
The primary intention of carry out current study is to analyse the determinant of gender
equality on Sainsbury's execution and productivity as well. This research provides vast
information to company and individual to improve their knowledge about gender equality and
why it is important (Grown, Addison and Tarp, 2016). By this research topic, investigator
analyse detailed content that help in accomplishing affirmative and reliable results within the
inquiry. It put positive impact on making whole research much successful and evidence based.
Furthermore, it is also effective for business organisation to analyse that managing gender
equality is beneficial to attaining growth at market place.
LITERATURE REVIEW
This phase of research plays a essential part in carry out study as it provides detailed or
critical information on the basis of research area. Primarily, it is related to information which are
2

already completed through other researcher and also published in online sources. This will aid in
providing vast and huge analysis to investigator to set research topic (Brunila and Ylöstalo,
2015). As it includes views of various authors about the selected research field that aid in
accomplishing effectual outcomes. Furthermore, it includes various aspects like books, journals,
articles, journal and so on. All are used to gather in-depth analysis to draw a valid result. Mainly,
this chapter focus on providing detailed information that include the related with the influence of
gender equality over the productivity of the organization. Under this researcher set some
objectives in order to analysis the overall information so that optimistic and reliable outcome can
be easy to attained. For this researcher consider view point of various authors on the basis of
authors in detailed form. The important focus of this section is to collection of data and
information about the gender equality at working area that assist in rising the possibilities of
eliminating the work discrimination. By this investigator easily gully a effectual judgement in
investigation.
Concept of gender equality at workplace
According to Flynn, Haynes and Kilgour, 2017, gender equality is maintain or attained
when both male and female worker are get the equal rights and chances within the company and
society as well. Mainly, it is a fundamental human right that is crucial for company to protect as
it helps in maintaining healthy connection between all the employees at workplace. Along with
this, gender equality also includes the interests, needs and priorities of both male and female are
taken into consideration. Thus, it is essential for business organisation to maintain equality at
workplace that may support in ex-hortatory person to give their best efforts and accomplished
their targets as well. In business organisation, gender equivalence is manage when individual is
capable to utilize same rewards, opportunities, resources thoughtless of gender. It arises when
female employee continues to earn less than men. This can be put negatively impact over the
workers execution at on the job area and also may reduce company performance. In this regard,
company is responsible for providing equal pay for work of comparable value (Shannon and et.
al., 2019). Through, company can easily retain workers and also improve their optimistic brand
image as well. In this regard, workplace gender equality is related with improve productivity
level of national and economic growth, organisational presentation, enhance ability of company
3

to invite talent and at the same time retain employees and so on. All these are assisting in
enhancing reputation of the company at marketplace.
Role of gender equality over workers performance within the company
According to Galea and et. al., 2015, Every business organisation tries to give equal and
fair possibility to their workers so that they can do their top-grade to succeed set targets. In
context of this, gender equity is one of the significant actions of business. It is a viable practice
for creating positive environment within the organization. In this regard, employees are the
major asset for company in developing its growth level by making them able in attaining their
targets. Therefore, it is vital for organization to adequately director fairness at work environment
and also ensure that each employee must be equally treated at working area. Organization
operate their activities in dynamic environment where in everybody has the precise to activity in
a situation that is thoroughly free from any kind of favouritism, bulling, exploitation and some
more (Rubery, 2015). By this, company easily promote their individual to execute in a team
achieve accomplishment of goals. Implementation of managing equality at work environment
implies that organization can take advantage of certain thoughts, aptitudes, assets and a lot more
that provide competitive edge to business in market place (Shan, Fu and Zheng, 2017). In this
regard, it may also help in eliminating poverty by maintaining or building strong governance that
focus or protect human rights at working area and society as well. Apart from this, if all male and
female employees are equally treated then they maintain positive and healthy relation among
them. It may encourage them to take part within the working activities and decision making. By
this, company amend their productiveness and growth level as well. This is possible by
managing gender equality at working area and influencing workforce to put their best.
Major consequences of not implementing gender equality at workplace
According to Grown, Addison and Tarp, 2016, Equality is believed as an essential aspect
for every organisation as it promote encouragement within the company and also influence
workers to perform in a team. At workplace both male and female workers are performing their
task so that it is important to maintain proper equality among them. This can be effective for
improving their motivation level towards their task and activities. If proper gender equality is
managed at working area them company can invite more talent within their operation. As it
provides opportunities to enhance workers productivity and its growth level as well. In this
regard, it is significant for organization to execute gender equality so as to creating positive or
4

healthy workplace (Winchester and Browning, 2015). By this, workers can play out their job
activities and also put their productive attempts to accomplishing all the set objectives and
targets in an effective manner. In case company fail in focusing on managing equality at
workplace then they face different issues that can be adversely impact over the profitability level
of company. In this, there are some consequences of not managing or implementing gender
equality within the organization can be understood by following points:
Decrease worker's productivity: It is one of the significant difficulties that employees
are faced at workplace. In this, employees feel less encouraged towards their position and job
role because of they are not similarly treating at working environment. Due to this, male and
female much focused towards their activities and also reduce their involvement. It set harmful
contact on the performance of company and its manpower as well.
Issues related to interest: This type of issues is also occurred due to gender inequality
within the working environment, the result in there will be no coordination or team effort among
workers. This will negatively impact on their thoughts and perspectives to other individuals (Wu
and Cheng, 2016). Due to this, workers are failing in managing better relation and coordination
that may put negative impact by arising misunderstanding at working area. It also reduces the
productivity of company and workers performance.
P2
RM is considered as a procedure of collecting relevant data and information by which
researcher easy stand-off a determination. Mainly, it is systematic procedures which used by
investigator with the aim of attaining reliable and authentic results in research (Johansson and
Ringblom, 2017). Along with this, it also includes different tools and techniques to undertake
research thus researcher is accountable for choosing right and appropriate methods so that they
can collect valid data. This will contribute in taking or determining a valid judgement that make
entire investigation more successful and reliable.
Research Philosophy: There are basically two type of philosophy for undertaking study
in systematic manner. These are positivism and interpretivisim. Thus, as to do this investigation
positivism research philosophy will be going to applied by investigator because it is feasible for
assembling detailed information about the topic by understanding the viewpoints of selected
respondents. By applying this kind of research philosophy, the investigator would be skilled to
accumulate information from specific sources (Johansson and Ringblom, 2017). On the opposite
5

side, interpretivisim is another segment of research philosophy that isn't fitting for chosen point
as it is focus on subjective research or perception. In this regard, the advantage of using
positivism research philosophy is that it provide validity and objectivity to the investigator that
may aid in taking right and accurate conclusion in investigation. On the other side, it also
includes lack of in-depth understanding of specific context.
Research approach: It is also considered as crucial method of investigation that provide
an effective framework in which study will carried out. It includes two type of research
approaches such as deductive and inductive. For undertaking this research deductive
methodology will be effective and used by investigator to examination quantitative data and
Whereas, inductive methodology isn't much effective for this research as it used when
investigator require data in quality manner (Kato and Kodama, 2015). Furthermore, it also
requires huge time, cost and resources. This is the reason that researcher prefer to use deductive
research approach that help them in taking right decision to draw a valid assumption. The main
advantage of using deductive investigation approach is that it includes possibility to effectively
explain casual relation between all the concept and variables that can be easier in measuring
concepts quantitatively. On the other hand, major drawback of using this method is that
sometime it includes less involvement of participants as they do not take part in drawing a
conclusion within the research.
Research strategy: This area of research methodology also plays a important duty
because it helps investigator in assembling applicable data and information. Mainly, it considers
different strategy such as interview, observation, focus group, questionnaire and so on. These
strategies are assist in assembly authentic data about the selected area of research. For
undertaking this research, interview will be used by investigator as it provides accurate data
towards the selected topic (Kato and Kodama, 2015). It may assist in developing the possibilities
of accomplishing best optimistic results. The main benefit of using interview is that it is more
effective for complex situation as it provide in-depth content as per research topic. Along with
this, respondents can easily explain all the questions in-front of researcher. Whereas, it also
includes some drawbacks like interview is time consuming and expensive for researcher.
Choice of research: While carry out research, it is crucial for researcher to chose
effective and suitable method as it helps in devising investigation more effectual. In this regard,
there are two type of research method like quantitative and qualitative. Form these research
6

methods quantitative method helps in gathering information and subject matter in effectual style.
Primary point of selecting this method is that it provides detailed content that support in examine
the existent results present within the research. Along with this, it also saves time and cost of
researcher and company (Kim, Lee and Shin, 2016). Furthermore, qualitative research method
has been applied by investigator as it assist in providing data as per theoretical frame that
contributes in providing valid subject matter on the basis of particular topic and domain. Under
this, investigator implement interview that includes open ended questions asked from various
answerer. With the help of this, investigator can well determine a sound judgement.
Interview: It is also an important methods of collecting reliable data as it is structured
conversation wherein interviewer asks questions from the chosen respondents on the basis of
investigation theme. This method is referring to one on conversation between two people through
which investigator gather information by understanding their view points about the topic (Kim,
Lee and Shin, 2016). Under this research, selected respondent is manager of company who have
proper knowledge about gender equality and its influence on the overall productivity of
company.
Primary and secondary research: It is important for investigator to gather detailed
information through various sources with the aim of improving the possibilities of accomplishing
optimistic results. This section is referring to the process wherein investigator use various
sources to collect data. This can be effective for investigator taking right and appropriate
decision (Licumba, Dzator and Zhang, 2015). Mainly, it defines two sort of method i.e. primary
and secondary. Both methods play a important part in collecting data within the research as these
provide detailed information that assistance in making whole researcher more effective and
reliable. In context of this, primary method of data collection is effective in which researcher
gather information from first hand sources like interview wherein researcher ask questions to
understand respondent viewpoints. Whereas, secondary method of data collection is also used
within this research in which investigator use sources which are already published like books,
journals, articles and many more. All these are aid in collecting detailed information about
research area.
Sampling: It is referring to the procedure of choice sample size from larger group of
people in order to gather relevant data and subject matter that immediately help in accomplishing
authentic outcome. In addition of this, there are two short of sampling techniques like
7

probabilistic and non-probabilistic sampling techniques. For undertaking this research,
probabilistic sampling method in which participants get equal chances to be selected for sharing
their view points with researcher (Licumba, Dzator and Zhang, 2015). With the use of this,
investigator chose 30 participants who are the employees and manager of the company and
having appropriate knowledge about the research topic and area.
TASK 2
P3
When researcher undertake the primary and secondary investigation then they require
various methods that may help in completing the whole research in systematized mode. Thus,
researcher is responsible for managing all the sources with the aim of developing whole project
much effectual and authenticate. In this context, there are useful methods for undertaking both
primary and secondary research are as follows:
Cost: For making an effective research keep proper or enough fund is important as it is
significant and fundamental strategy or method. Without this, primary and secondary research is
not effectively undertaken. Thus, for collecting primary information by using interview is
required enough fund so that it can be effectively carried out (Mitra, Bang and Biswas, 2015).
Whereas, in context of secondary information researcher also needs fund for select topic through
published books, journals, articles and so on. Therefore, undertaking this research investigator
needs to keep sufficient fund in which investigator take right and valuable results in the project
(Mitra, Bang and Biswas, 2015).
Access: This type of method is also important as it applied by investigator with the aim of
undertaking both primary and secondary research without any kind of obstacles and issues. In
this regards, primary research has to provide full access to respondents that help them in
understanding their current view points towards the selected topic and area as well. On the other
side, secondary research has given access to different authors in context to present their opinion
on the basis of research topic (Onaran, 2016). This can be effective in gathering detailed
information about research activities. Furthermore, investigator also has access to gather valid
and reliable data from different sources such as articles, books, journals, online articles and so
on. Without giving access, investigator is not capable to gather valid content and also face issues
while taking decision at the end of the investigation.
8

Ethical issues: Under the research activities, ethics is important method or tool that help
investigator in undertaking primary and secondary research in systematic manner. For
maintaining ethics in primary research, investigator needs to includes informed consent, privacy,
respect for anonymity and so on. On the other side, in secondary research investigator face issue
in attaining exposes subjects towards the individual views’ points. Thus, it is critical for
investigator to overcome from the issues by making research activities more effective and
systematic as well. Along with this, researcher also responsible for following all the principles of
ethics so that entire activities can easily develop a successful research. For attaining the same,
investigator also keep confidential all the information about the respondents that help in
improving the possibilities of making it more successful.
P4
Investigating data is critical for investigator to efficaciously examine the finding that
support in accomplish optimistic and dependable outcome. It is considered as an important
analytical tool by which researcher can implement an effectual conclusion by determining entire
collected data and content. In this regard, content analysis is type of analytical tool to analyse
collected data (Razavi, 2017). By using this, researcher ask interview questions from manager of
company to effectively understand their view point towards gender equality and its influence on
productivity level of company.
Interview questions
Q1) Do you have knowledge about concept of gender equality at workplace?
Q2) Does gender equality impact on employees and organisational productivity?
Q3) What is the importance of gender equality for employees within the organisation?
Q4) What are the different consequences of not implementing gender equality at
workplace of Sainsbury's?
Q5) What are the ways by which Sainsbury's can easily manage equality at working area?
Q6) Do you think that, the concept of gender equality help organisation to maintain their
brand name in present community and society?
Q7) What are the factors that support company in maintaining or implementing gender
equality?
Q8) What are the reason that restrict Sainsbury's to implement gender equality at
9