Impact of Gender Inequality on Employee Performance at Sainsbury's

This research proposal investigates the impact of gender inequality in leadership and management on employee performance, focusing on Sainsbury's as a case study. The study aims to identify the influence of gender discrimination on employee performance within the retail sector. The objectives include understanding the concept of gender discrimination, determining contributing factors, analyzing the effects of inequality, and recommending solutions. The report employs a qualitative methodology, utilizing both primary and secondary data sources, including questionnaires, interviews, and literature reviews. The research will use a purposive sampling method involving 20 employees, and the data will be analyzed thematically. The proposal includes a detailed literature review, research methodology, and timescale, along with considerations for data analysis, ethical approvals, and recommendations. The study seeks to provide insights into the relationship between gender inequality and employee performance within the retail sector, offering practical recommendations to mitigate gender discrimination and improve workplace dynamics.

Research proposal

Table of Contents
Background..................................................................................................................................3
Aims and objectives ....................................................................................................................3
Rationale .....................................................................................................................................3
Significance .................................................................................................................................4
Research methodology ................................................................................................................4
Timescale.....................................................................................................................................5
P 2. LITERTURE REVIEW............................................................................................................1
P 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.............................................................................................2
P 4. DATA ANALYSIS..................................................................................................................4
P 5. COMMUNICATE RESEARCH OUTCOMES.....................................................................12
Covered in PPT..........................................................................................................................12
P 6. REFLECTION........................................................................................................................12
P 7. RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION.....................................................................12
Alternative research methodologies...........................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................17
Research Ethics Approval Form................................................................................................19

Title- To assess an impact of gender inequality in the leadership and the management on the
performance of employees with respect to retail sector organization: A case study on
Sainsbury
Background
Gender discrimination acknowledges that men and women are not counted as equal
within the work environment that in turn affects living experience of an individual. Such
differences arises due to the distinctions in the cultural norms, biology and the psychology. Some
distinctions or differences are grounded empirically whereas others appears as socially
constructed. It has been stated that different lived of the gender around many domains involving
life expectancy, education, family life, personality, careers, interest and the political affiliations.
The present study is based on Sainsbury, a largest or leading retail and the chain of the
supermarket in United Kingdom. It is the brand that is built upon heritage of facilitating the
customers with the healthy, tasty, fresh and safe food. Furthermore, the report highlights the
rationale and an importance of the study to the scholars and the organization. Moreover, it
presents review of the research problems on the basis of the objectives framed and the use of
appropriate research methodologies in making the study more useful.
Aims and objectives
Aim
“To identify influence of gender discrimination in management and the leadership on
employee's performance in context of the retail sector companies: A study on Sainsbury.”
Objectives
 To demonstrate an understanding regarding the concept of gender discrimination at the
workplace
 To determine the factors that leads to gender discrimination within the work environment
 To analyse an effect of gender inequality on performance of an employee
 To recommend appropriate measures in order to avoid gender discrimination in
workplace
Rationale
The major reason behind conducting this study is to make detailed analysis on the impact
of the gender inequality on the performance or working efficiency of an employees. This has
been seen as the major issue in today's world because gender inequality is seen in most of the

organization in respect of any of the factors whether it is pay or working capacity. Therefore it is
important to understand and analyse the extent to which an employees performance gets affected
because of the gender discrimination.
Significance
The study would helps the organization in understanding an impact of gender inequality
on the effectiveness and efficiency of its employees which in turn affects the overall productivity
of an enterprise. This research report will also helps the other scholars, students and the
professors who are looking for conducting the study or thesis regarding this research problem. It
enables an investigator in gaining knowledge relating to various methodologies and in drawing
appropriate inferences from the report. This study assist the participants in making critical
analysis of relationship between gender inequality and the employee performance.
Research methodology
Research Type- Under this report, qualitative method will be utilised by the researcher
which helps in studying the qualitative features that is feelings, emotions and attitudes regarding
gender discrimination (Fletcher, 2017). This method is tend to be most suitable as it provides for
detailed assessment of the research problem in an effective way.
Research Approach- In this study, inductive approach would be used by an investigator
that helps in beginning with the observation and ending at drawing adequate findings.
Research Philosophy- referring to this research report, interpretivism philosophy will be
opted by the scholar that enables in studying all the elements of human interest in a better way. It
is counted as the suitable philosophy in making the qualitative analysis.
Data collection- Researcher would be collecting the data by using both the sources that
primary and the secondary. These sources helps in gathering the data accurately through
structuring questionnaire, conducting direct interview, survey, internet, journals, books and
articles.
Sampling- An investigator in this study make use of purposive sampling which is said as
the non-probabilistic sampling in which sample is selected on random basis. This reduces the
chances of errors in the study as equal chance is not been given to the populating in getting
chosen (Attia and Edge, 2017). The sample is taken as 20 employees of retail sector company in
terms of respondents.

Data Analysis- The researcher will use thematic analysis in the report where several
themes are been developed based on the responses of the participants. This helps in making
qualitative study more useful and presentable to the other scholars and retail segment companies.
Timescale
Activiti
es/
Week
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Choosi
ng
topic
stating
aims
and the
objecti
ves
Condu
cting
LR
Selecti
ng
adequa
te
researc
h
metho
ds
Gather
ing
data

Assess
ment
of the
data
Discuss
ion
Conclu
sion
Recom
menda
tion
Alterat
ions as
per the
specific
ation
of
clients

P 2. LITERTURE REVIEW
To demonstrate an understanding regarding the concept of gender discrimination at the
workplace.
In accordance to the Sipe and et.al., (2016), gender discrimination in an organization is
considered as the complex phenomenon which could be reflected in the organisational structures,
practices and the processes. For the women, most of the harmful gender discrimination issues are
been enacted in the human resources. It is because practices of human resource directly affects
the training, hiring, promotion and the pay of the women. Gender discrimination is largely based
on the gender and sex of the individual person. Park and et.al., (2017) sought to establish the
fact that, workplace discrimination based on the gender of the individual person. The employee
within the organization is treated differently based on their gender. Female in the workplace are
paid less as compared to the men for the same task. This eventually leads to lower productivity
of the employees within the organization. This negatively influence the morale of the female
employees within an organization. Gender discrimination is considered to be illegal and
government should focus on developing laws to reduce such inequality within the work place
environment. Gender discrimination in turn also leads to high degree of stress within the victim.
To determine the factors that leads to gender discrimination within the work environment
Verniers and Vala, (2018), stated that gender disparities exist due to various factors that
includes unequal pay, working capability, decision making, leadership etc. In terms of unequal
pay, employer pays higher wages and the salaries to the men than women because they feel that
men works more in comparison to women. Moreover, with respect to working capacity,
employers in an organization feels that men is having higher capacity of working than the
women due to which gender inequality resulted within firm. In context of decision making, in the
workplace of most of the organizations, men are invited for participating in the management
decision and the women are not given priority in making the decisions rather they are instructed
the manner in which the task need to be performed. As in respect of leadership, men are
preferred by the company to act as the leader or representative instead of women. Tiwari, Mathur
and Awasthi, (2018) examined the fact that, Men within the organization is given higher salary
packages when compared with the female employees for the same level of work or task within
the organization. This in turn results in lower level of productivity within the organization.
Women within the workplace are promoted less often when compared with the men. This results
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in low degree of employee satisfaction within the work place. High degree of income gap in turn
largely influence the motivation of the employees within the organization. Racism is also one of
the major factor which eventually leads to gender discrimination within the work environment.
Gender discrimination within the organization tends to result in low degree of accessibility to the
resources within the organization.
To analyse an effect of gender inequality on performance of an employee.
Heilman and Caleo, (2018), reflected that diversity on the basis of gender is the largest
factor that affects performance of an employees in both positive and the negative ways. Gender
inequalities affects the morale of an employees that in turn leads to reduction in the productivity
of the company. This could affect the performance and the position of the company in an entire
industry. Hussain, Malik, Hyder, Khan, and Anwar, (2016) established the fact that, finding an
appropriate level of work life balance within the organization is considered to be one of the
relevant challenge which in turn largely affects the performance of the employees within the
company. High degree of gender discrimination within the organization in turn causes damage to
the employer and employee relationship. Gender discrimination leads to high degree of stress
and tension within the employees which in turn eventually causes high degree of mental and
physical problem.
P 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research methods:It is a prominent measure as it helps in gathering new and valid
information related to subject matter. It is grouped into qualitative and quantitative
methodologies. The researcher of the study has chosen for qualitative set of methodology
because it is useful in utilizing various set of new range of data in order to determine the
influence of gender discrimination in management and the leadership on employee's performance
in context of the retail sector companies.
Research philosophy: It is a way in accordance to which the particular study will be
carried out (Cuervo‐Cazurra and et. al. , 2017). It is grouped into interpretivism and positivism
philosophy. The researcher of the study has chose interpretive philosophy method because it
tends to evaluate various components of the study by integrating human interest.
Research approach: This is the planned procedure which is useful in resolving various
research problems. It is grouped into inductive and deductive approach. The researcher of the
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study has chosen inductive approach in order to attain valid conclusion related with the concept
of gender discrimination at the workplace.
Research design: It is an effective frame work to analyse various elements and patterns
related with the research problem. It is grouped into exploratory and descriptive design (Tuffour,
2017). The researcher of the study has chosen descriptive design method to gain wide and in-
depth knowledge to determine the factors that leads to gender discrimination within the work
environment.
Data collection: It is a procedure to gather relevant information to answer stated research
questions. It is grouped into primary and secondary source of collecting data (Dougherty, Slevc
and Grand, 2019). Primary sources such as questionnaires helps in gaining new data sets and
secondary helps in exploring the already collected data sets through books, journals, etc. The
researcher of the study has chosen both primary and secondary sources to analyse effect of
gender inequality on performance of an employee and also recommend appropriate measures to
avoid gender discrimination within organization.
Sampling: It is one of the prominent methods which helps in choosing appropriate
sample to carry out the set research project (Edson, Henning, and Sankaran, 2016). It is grouped
into simple random probabilistic and non- probabilistic sampling method. Random method gives
every person within the large population equal chance of getting selected. The researcher of the
study has selected 20 employees of retail sector company with the use of random probabilistic
sampling method.
Data analysis: This is one of the prominent procedure to cleanse and model data to
discover conclusive and valid results (Winit‐Watjana, 2016). It is grouped into thematic and
SPSS analysis. The researcher of the study has chosen thematic analysis where each themes of
the study will be analyse to recommend appropriate measures in order to avoid gender
discrimination in workplace.
Cost consideration: Cost associated to carry out the project must be accurate. The
researcher of the study evaluates that, the cost associated with carrying of the study is $3000.
Proper budget plan and Gantt chart must be prepared to analyse the cost associated with carrying
out each activity.
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Accessibility: It is an effective measure which helps in removing different set of
obstacles associated with the research study (Moon and et. al. ,2019). The researcher makes sure
that their data on the website is accessible by the individuals.
Ethical issues: The key ethical issue associated with the research is to protect the
confidential information of the participants (Edson, Henning, and Sankaran, 2016). Informed
consent is also considered to be one of the ethical issue while carrying out the research. Issue of
anonymity and confidentiality are key ethical issue while carrying out the research.
P 4. DATA ANALYSIS
Theme 1: Large number of employees have been working for 14 to 21 years within the
Sainsbury retail company.
PARTICULARS NUMBER OF
RESPONDENTS
% OF RESPONDENTS
0 to 7 years 4 20%
7 to 14 years 2 10%
14 to 21 years 11 55%
More than 21 years 3 15%
TOTAL 20 100%
4

20.00%
10.00%
55.00%
15.00%
0 to 7 years
7 to 14 years
14 to 21 years
More than 21 years
Interpretation: The above research is conducted from 20 employees of the retail
company. Among which, 55% established and determined the fact that, maximum number of
employees has been working within the Sainsbury company for 14 to 21 years. This
demonstrates that, the employees tends to have high degree of complete knowledge regarding the
aims, mission and goals of the company. This way it helps in completing relevant set of tasks
with utmost accuracy.
Theme 2: Yes, maximum respondents understand the key concept of gender discrimination.
PARTICULARS NUMBER OF
RESPONDENTS
% OF RESPONDENTS
Yes 15 75%
No 2 10%
Maybe 3 15%
TOTAL 20 100%
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Yes No Maybe
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8 75.00%
10.00%
15.00%
% OF RESPONDENTS
Interpretation: The above research is conducted from 20 employees of the retail
company. Among which, 75% established and determined the fact that, gender discrimination
within the workplace is highly dependent on the unequal treatment between men and women.
Gender discrimination within the organization results in lower morale and low degree of
satisfaction among the victim. As supported by the literature review, gender discrimination is an
illegal activity and the government must develop necessary laws to reduce such inequality within
the work place environment (Motro and Ellis, 2017).
Theme 3: Highly agreed, leadership has effective influence of the performance of the
employees.
PARTICULARS NUMBER OF
RESPONDENTS
% OF RESPONDENTS
Agreed 10 50.00%
Highly agreed 2 10.00%
Disagreed 2 10.00%
Highly disagreed 4 20.00%
Neutral 2 10.00%
TOTAL 20 100%
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