Equality and Diversity at Work: Gender Pay Gap Research Report

This report critically investigates the issues associated with equality and diversity in the workplace, specifically focusing on the gender pay gap. The research, conducted within the context of Aston Martin plc, examines the importance of equality and diversity, the influence of the gender pay gap, associated challenges, and potential strategies for eliminating the gap. The report includes a project management plan, work breakdown structure, Gantt chart, and a detailed research methodology employing qualitative methods. Data analysis, including thematic analysis, reveals insights into employee perspectives on diversity, equality, and the company's efforts to reduce the gender pay gap. Recommendations are provided based on the research findings and data analysis. The report concludes with a reflection on the author's learning and performance throughout the project.

Equality and diversity at
work place

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TOPIC: “To critically investigate the issues associated with equality and diversity in the
workplace in relation with gender pay gap.”...................................................................................1
LO 1.................................................................................................................................................1
P 1. Devising aim and objectives of the project..........................................................................1
P 2. Project management plan.....................................................................................................2
P 3. WBS and Gantt Chart..........................................................................................................3
Gantt chart........................................................................................................................................4
LO 2.................................................................................................................................................6
P 4. Small scale research.............................................................................................................6
LO 3.................................................................................................................................................7
Data analysis and interpretation..................................................................................................7
P6) Recommendations as outcomes of research and data analysis-400...................................17
LO 4...............................................................................................................................................18
P7) Reflection based own performance and learning...............................................................18
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................19
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................20
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................23

TOPIC: “To critically investigate the issues associated with equality and diversity
in the workplace in relation with gender pay gap.”
LO 1
P 1. Devising aim and objectives of the project.
Background
Equality and diversity within the workplace helps in effectively promoting various range
of equal opportunities within the business. This helps in giving equal opportunity to the
individual in order to achieve the full potential of the individual which is free from
discrimination and prejudice. Gender pay gap is referred to as the average difference in the
remuneration for the men and women who tends to focus on carrying out several other
operations within a workplace. This study will highlight in critically investigating the issues
associated with equality and diversity in the workplace in relation with gender pay gap.
Aston Martin is one of the top leading luxury auto mobile manufacturing company which
was founded in the year 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. This company is
headquartered in Gaydon, Warwickshire, UK. This company tends to sell luxurious sports car,
grand tourers and auto mobiles.
Aim and Objectives
Aim:
“To critically investigate the issues associated with equality and diversity in the
workplace in relation with gender pay gap. A study on Aston Martin plc.”
Research Objectives
 To determine the importance of equality and diversity within workplace.
 To critically investigate how gender pay gap influences equality and diversity within
workplace.
 To determine the challenges linked with gender pay gap in workplace.
 To provide effective recommendation strategies in order to eliminate gender pay gap in
workplace.
Research Questions
 What is the importance of equality and diversity within workplace?
 How gender pay gap influences equality and diversity within workplace?
1

 What are the challenges linked with gender pay gap in workplace.?
 What are effective recommendation strategies in order to eliminate gender pay gap in
workplace?
P 2. Project management plan.
Project management plan is considered to be an effective approach which in turn helps in
critically evaluating and describing every phase of the project.
Cost: This helps in outlining the cost associated with carrying out various activities or
task of the particular project (Eskerod and Jepsen, 2016). The estimated cost associated with
carrying out the particular project is $2500.
Scope: The scope of carrying out the project is very broad because it helps in determining
the factors which results in gender pay gap discrimination within the workplace. This is very
useful in determining the challenges and effective recommendation strategies linked with gender
pay gap in workplace.
Time: This helps management in organizing the specific plan to determine the time spent
to carry our each activity (Hazır, 2015). This helps in outlining the specific task and also helps in
determining how much time is required to carry out specific task. The estimated time to complete
the particular project is 15 weeks.
Quality: This helps project management in determining the quality procedure and
policies which in turn helps in ensuring that the quality level is effectively maintained at the time
of project deliverables and processes.
Communication: This is considered to be an effective tool as it helps in
enabling each individual to communicate the message in an efficient and sustainable manner
(Papke-Shields and Boyer-Wright, 2017). The team members can use effective communication
tools like voice message, text message, video calling, telephone, etc. in order to communicate the
message effectively.
Risk: This is considered to be an event which in turn helps in assessing several risks
while carrying out the research project. This helps management in effectively developing a plan
in order to addressing the relevant issues like time boundedness, limited resources, etc.
associated with research project.
2

Resources: This helps in summarizing the resources required to complete a particular
project (Eskerod and Jepsen, 2016). The resources required to carry out particular project are
stationary, petrol, financial resources, human resources, etc.
Milestone schedule
Milestone Due date Justification
Formulation of aim and
objectives
/12/2019 The project management will
formulate aim and objectives 2
days before the deadline. This
will help them in taking
feedback from tutor and make
relevant changes accordingly.
Primary and secondary
research
/01/2020 This activity will be completed
7 days before in order to
determine the data collected is
valid, authentic and relevant.
Data analysis /01/2020 Data collected will be analysed
and completed 5 days before
the stipulated time in order to
take feedback from the tutor
and make necessary changes.
P 3. WBS and Gantt Chart.
Work breakdown structure
This is a deliverable oriented hierarchical structure which mainly focuses on
accomplishing the aims and objectives of the project in a systematic and timely manner.
3

Gantt chart
This is considered to be a part of bar structure which in turn helps in illustrating the
schedule of the project. This helps in determining the number of task and time associated with
carrying out each task.
Task Mode Task Name Duration Start Finish Predecessors Resource
Names Cost
Auto
Schedule
d
Selection of
appropriate
topic
2 days Mon 16-
12-19
Tue 17-
12-19
human
resource $0.00
Auto
Schedule
d
formulation of
aim and
objectives
3 days Wed 18-
12-19
Fri 20-12-
19 1 human
resource $0.00
Auto
Schedule
d
carrying out
project
managemnt plan
4 days Mon 23-
12-19
Thu 26-
12-19 2,1 financial
resource $0.00
Auto
Schedule
d
Preparing
milestone
schedule
2 days Mon 23-
12-19
Tue 24-
12-19 2 technical
resource $0.00
Auto
Schedule
d
Carrying out
research
methodology
6 days Fri 27-
12-19
Fri 03-01-
20 3 human
resource $500.00
Auto
Schedule
Preparing
questionnaire
7 days Mon 06-
01-20
Tue 14-
01-20
2,5 human
resource
$700.00
4

d
Auto
Schedule
d
carrying data
analysis 9 days Wed 15-
01-20
Mon 27-
01-20 5,6 human
resource $1,200.00
Auto
Schedule
d
interpreting
various data
collected
12 days Tue 28-
01-20
Wed 12-
02-20 6,7 human
resource $0.00
Auto
Schedule
d
recommendatio
n 5 days Thu 13-
02-20
Wed 19-
02-20 7,8
human
resource,
technical
resource
$0.00
Auto
Schedule
d
Reflection 2 days Thu 20-
02-20
Fri 21-02-
20 3,8,9 human
resource $0.00
Auto
Schedule
d
taking feedback 2 days Thu 20-
02-20
Fri 21-02-
20 9 $0.00
Auto
Schedule
d
final submission 1 day Mon 24-
02-20
Mon 24-
02-20 11 $0.00
Critical Path
5

LO 2
P 4. Small scale research.
Research methodology
This is considered to be as an effective approach as it helps in determining and carrying
out the research study by effectively evaluating the gap in the particular study.
Research methods: This is an effective method because it helps in evaluating the overall
credibility and validity of the particular research study (Kumar, 2019). This is distinguished into
quantitative and qualitative research methods. Qualitative method helps in determining more
descriptive insight and better inferences can be drawn easily.
The researcher of the study has opted for qualitative research methods in order to
critically investigate the issues associated with equality and diversity in the workplace in relation
with gender pay gap.
Research philosophy: This is referred to as an effective approach as it is a belief of an
individual to analyse the particular data. This is distinguished into positivism and interpretivism
approach. Interpretivism method helps in evaluating large number of variables by involving
human interest in the study.
The researcher of the study has opted for interpretivism approach in order to determine
the importance of equality and diversity within workplace.
Research approach: This is an effective procedure and helps in evaluating detailed plan
to perform specific task by addressing various problems associated with research project
6

(Mackey and Gass, 2015). This is distinguished into deductive and inductive approach. Inductive
approach because it helps in generation valid theories from set of data.
The researcher of the study has opted for inductive approach in order to investigate how
gender pay gap influences equality and diversity within workplace.
Research design: This is considered to be a blueprint to carry out particular task in an
orderly and systematic manner. This is distinguished into exploratory and descriptive approach.
Descriptive design method helps in observing the behaviour of the particular subject in depth.
The researcher of the study has opted for descriptive design method to determine the
challenges linked with gender pay gap in workplace.
Data collection: This approach is useful in collecting relevant data to attain aim and
objectives of study. This is distinguished into primary and secondary data (Bresler and Stake,
2017). Primary source is collected through questionnaire, interviews, survey, poll, experiment,
investigation and helps in collecting first hand data. Secondary data is used information and can
be collected through books, journals, magazines, newspaper, blogs, etc.
The researcher of the study has opted for both primary and secondary source of data
collection to critically investigate the issues associated with equality and diversity in the
workplace in relation with gender pay gap.
Sampling: This helps in selecting sample from large number of population. This is
distinguished into probabilistic and non- probabilistic sample method. The researcher of the
study has opted for random sampling where 30 employees of Aston Martin company were
randomly selected.
Data analysis: This helps in effectively interpreting the data collected (Silverman, 2016).
This is distinguished into thematic analysis and SPSS tools. The researcher of the study has
opted for thematic analysis where each themes and variables will be evaluated in order to
determine challenges and recommendation associated with gender pay gap in workplace.
LO 3
Data analysis and interpretation
Theme 1: Maximum number of staff members have been employed for 4 to 6 years in
organization.
Number of staff members have been employed for 4 to 6 years in organization
7

1 to 3 years 5
3 to 7 years 8
7 to 10 years 9
More than 10 years 8
Interpretation- Aston Martin plc, is one of the best and recognizable independent luxury
car maker group. They employed workers in order to gain success for longer term within
marketplace. From above, conducted investigation from 30 respondents of organization related
with diversity and equality in workplace. It has been interpreted that out of 30 workers, 23
individuals performing in firm from 10 years. So, it can be said that there are staffs in company
which are able to understand various policy that can be brought in workplace. Out of 30 workers
from pool of staff, 5 workers are having 1-3 year experience, 8 are having 3-7 years of work
experience and 9 are having 7-10 years of experience and 8 are having working experience more
than 10 years.
Theme 2: Do you agree, diversity & equality within workplace is essential for higher
productivity and profitability?
Do you agree, diversity & equality within workplace is essential for higher productivity
8

and profitability?
Agreed 15
Disagreed 7
Neutral 8
Interpretation- From above analysis, it has been said that equality and diversity in
workplace is very essential for increasing productivity as well as profitability of business. Out of
30 workers from company, 15 people give their positive response they are agreed from above
statement, on the other hand 7 workers are place their statement which is totally against than the
other one, they are not agreed from statement that mentioned above. Along with this, 8
employees are neutral. It can be said that there are less clear outcomes of research but it has been
said that diversity and equality is important because it helps to improve environment around
workplace.
Theme 3: According to you, does our firm reduce gender pay gap by encourage diversity
and equality?
Does our firm reduce gender pay gap by encourage diversity and equality
9

Yes 20
No 10
Interpretation- Out of 30 workers of company, it is analysed that majority of
participants are in support that organization reduce gender pay gap, they encourage equality and
diversity in workplace that provide better results and increase productivity. 20 workers having
opinion of yes and 10 having idea of no. Almost, 70 percent of staff members are in positive side
so it can be said that firm used to perform several of actions in business to reduce the above
stated issue that is gender pay gap.
Theme 4: According to you, what are the most effective and best measure to reduce gender
pay gap and promote diversity as well as equality in workplace?
What are the most effective and best measure to reduce gender pay gap and promote
diversity as well as equality in workplace
10