Managing a Successful Business Project: JD Sports Diversity Strategies

This report examines JD Sports' strategies and initiatives for building and maintaining diversity in the organization. It begins with an introduction to the concept of diversity and its importance in the workplace, followed by the project's aims, objectives, and research questions. A project management plan is outlined, covering cost, scope, time, quality, communication, risk, and resources. The report includes a work breakdown structure and a Gantt chart for project timelines. The research methodology involves both primary and secondary research methods, including questionnaires. The report concludes with an analysis of the challenges JD Sports faces in managing diversity and provides recommendations for improvement.

Managing a Successful
Business Project

Topic
“To study different strategies and initiatives to build and maintain diversity in the
organisation.” A study on JD Sports.
INTRODUCTION
Diversity indicates to the collection of several cultures, values, religions, languages,
ethnics, caste, race, tradition and others. Diverse workforce help an organisation to maintain a
healthy working culture where employees can use their different skills and efforts to accomplish
the aims and objective or overcome the challenges without any obstacles. In this research project,
JD sports has been considered which is known as a sport fashion retail company based in Bury,
Lancashire, England (Araten-Bergman, 2016). This firm was established in 1981 and operate its
business in retail sector. This research project consist aims, objectives, project management plan
for fulfilling the needs in effective manner. Further, will explain about research methods which
used by the company to gather information for the completion of the project. Finally, offering
effective suggestions for improving the quality of project and company execution as well as
manufacturing which is amended on investigator experience while processing the whole project
actions.
TASK 1
P1. Project aims and objectives
Aims
“To examine various strategies and initiatives to create and keep diversity at the
workplace.”
Research objectives
 To study the aspect of diverseness and inclusiveness within the company.
 To monitor the strategies of diverseness and inclusiveness use by JD sports.
 To determine the challenges which are faced by JD sports while processing diverseness
and inclusiveness at workplace.
Research questions
 What do you understand by the aspect of diverseness and inclusiveness within the
company?
 What are the plan of actions of diverseness and inclusiveness use by JD sports?

 What are the challenges which are faced by JD sports while processing diverseness and
inclusiveness at workplace?
P2. Project management plan that covers aim and deliverables, time, quality, communication,
risk and resources
Project management plan
It indicates to a plan which is a document that is used by the administration of the
company to define each and every stage of a project with the help of different components of
project management plan. This plan consist different aspect like cost, scope, quality, resources,
procedure, structure, time, communication etc. which assist a personnel to achieve the specified
report in an effective and efficient manner within a given time period (Boehm and Dwertmann,
2015). In order to this project, researcher can take an initiative in monitoring different
components which is required for obtaining better result and they are defined as beneath:
Cost- This stage is viewed as one of the essential component for conducting a specific
study as it assist in getting effective equipments or origins in an appropriate way. Apart from it,
cost indicates to those aspects which obtain at the time of process of manoeuvre of the particular
project in effective manner. In case of this research, investigator makes and attempt to monitor
the market which assist them to determine the all over expenditures in effective manner. So, the
entire cost which is required to complete this report is £450.
Scope- This factor is affiliate with those conceptions in which raise the whole
performance of specific project in an amended manner. However, as the market competition and
growth options are maximising at rapid pace, it increases the scope of investigation in gathering
effective information or thoughts and techniques for finishing the task in an revised manner. In
this research project, it incorporates large scope which empower investigator to make use of
different growth options and opportunities in a productive manner without any conflict and
problem.
Time- It is involve with those component which indicates the time limit to attaining the
specific project or task in an effective manner. In addition to it, with the assistance of this tool,
researcher is capable to enforce favourable result over selected people that improve its quality
and execution (Erickson and et. al., 2014). In affiliation of this investigation, the individual
monitors the current business environments and task which assist them to analysis towards

manoeuvre time of this study. So, the researcher can decide that this research takes 2 months of
time period to improve and applicable project within existing market.
Quality- This aspect consider as most effective stage because it directly affiliate with
project property and productivity between the different sectors and population. Thus, the
researcher can make an attempt to monitor the present market that lead them to collect all
relevant information in context of research topic which assist in helping other surveyor to
conduct their research study in an effective manner (Ewoh, 2013).
Communication- It is another factor which is affiliated with the performance of each
people and also to make control over different hazards like unequivocalness, confusions and
others. Moreover, in context of this research, the investigator make usage of existing resources or
communication tools that authorise them to acquire effective and correct information. With the
help of it, the individual was able to create high level of cooperation, coordination, collaboration
between group members that provide different advantages to them, in term of raising the quality
of the investigation project which outputs in processing demonstrative investigation between
scholars and publishers.
Risk- It is related with those components which are used by the investigator to
accomplish the research project in an effective manner. In context of this project, the surveyor
faces different problems in formulating project management plan so also in keeping effective
relationship between group. Therefore, the investigator take an inaugural in relegating the work
as per the possibility of each and every personnel that aid them to overcome the problems of
confusions, hazards, misunderstanding in an effective manner.
Resources- It indicates to those components which are used by the researcher for
complete the research projected in effective manner. There are different types of resource like
fund, labour, equipments, land, machinery and others. In this investigation report, the surveyor
required time, monetary value, human resources etc. to conduct the research in adequate manner.
P3. Work breakdown structure and a Gantt chart to provide time frames and stages for
completion
Gantt Chart- it refer to a horizontal visual communication which use by the researcher for
segmenting the entire project into several actions and activities that assist them to accomplish the
aims and objectives in an effective manner (Hebl and Avery, 2012). Apart form it, it is regarded
as most frequently utilised variable in project management plan as it render a visual

communication creation of a schedule that track a researcher to plan, assign and allot the task in
an effective manner. In context of this research project, the investigator can utilise Gantt Chart
which aid them to delegate the work to team member according to their skills and competencies.
With the assistance of this, the researcher was able to complete the project is a revised mode.
Work breakdown structure- It is involve with segmenting the critical and big project into
different team or small task that assist people to accomplish aims and objective in amentiferous
manner. In case of this research, investigator use this technique during the time of organising
the research that vantage them to gain better results with less productivity and confusion of
concern (Henry and et. al., 2014). In the current research, the investigator can apply WBS to
organise plans and running various actions or determining all over endeavour of group members
in research. If the investigator use this tool then it can help in making improvement in the
execution of the workers so that they can achieve the objectives of the research in set time frame.

TASK 2
P4. Carry out small scale research by applying primary and secondary methods
In order to conduct small scale investigation, it is important to understand and implement
changes properly. For completing and achieving aims and objectives of this investigation,
researcher have to plan and execution research activities properly (Hewins-Maroney and
Williams, 2013). There must be selection of topic which has to be related to researcher's field.
After selection of topic, execution of topic will be done. This is the stage in which research have
to select different ways to complete and conduct the study. There are two methods to complete
the study i.e. qualitative method and quantitative method.
Qualitative method- This is the way in which information is collected and presented in
graphical method. This method presents information which is based on human behaviour and
gives more authentic information with clear justifications.
Quantitative method- While in this method, there is use of more technical aspects which
is tough to understand by reader. Under this method, there is much relevance behind
understanding and selecting specific aspect to understand the topic. This method can be
understood with technical knowledge with the candidate.
In this investigation, there will use of qualitative method because this is easy way to
represent and compile information properly. When information is communicated to readers, then
it will be easy for people to determine impact of diversity in the business organisation
(Houtenville and Kalargyrou, 2012). There are two method through which information can be
selected by researcher i.e. primary and secondary method.

Primary information- This is the data which is collected by researcher through one to
one communication with respondents. This method of collecting information is time and cost
consuming because of personal interaction (Jammaers, Zanoni and Hardonk, 2016).
Questionnaire, focus group, personal interview, etc. are ways through which information can be
completed.
Secondary information- This is the other method of collecting information because this
is the way through complete study of topic can be collected. With change in understanding
evaluating information about diversification, it will be easy for researcher to understand and
evaluate changes which has complete properly. Online sources are used by researcher in this
study for collecting information.
In this investigation, information is collected from both the sources i.e. primary and
secondary. It is important for researcher to evaluate both methods because this gives authentic
and relevant information. As researcher collects information from questionnaire, then it will be
easy for researcher to determine mindset of workers. Secondary information is collected from
online sources. These sources are authentic and properly dated because this makes study accurate
and relevant for future use. This assist in using this study for future purpose as part of secondary
source of information.
Sampling is the procedure through which some individuals are selected for collecting
primary information from respondents. This is important because it is not possible for researcher
to collect information from whole targeted consumers. In this study, there will use of simple
random sampling method because there is no possibility of biasness. For collecting primary
information 30 managers and departmental head of JD Sports because they have complete
knowledge about diversity management in the organisation (Kulik, 2014). This makes
completion of study in authentic and reliable manner for which researcher can give justification
behind every point.
Questionnaire
Q1. Are you aware with the concept of diversity?
(a) Yes
(b) No
Q2. Do you think that diversity plays an essential role in accomplishing company's goal in

efficient way?
(a) Agree
(b) Disagree
Q3. What are the benefits of diversity that provide advantages to JD sports in developing
its overall execution?
(a) Ameliorate brand value
(b) Upgrade innovation
(c) Improve profitability ratio
Q4. What are the plan of actions of diversity which JD sports can implement within the
business function for the success of the company?
(a) Recruit diverse workforce
(b) Offering training and development
(c) Formulate diversity friendly policies
Q5. What are the challenges which JD sport's manager undergoes while administrating
diversity between workforce?
(a) Gender equality
(b) Divergence in languages
(c) Employees attitude
Q6. What are the ways that JD sport's administrators adopts for approaching the
problems of handling diversity within the employees?
(a) Employee engagement
(b) Appreciating the effort
(c) Favourable decisions
Q7. What the reason to generate diversity in the respective organisation's workforce?
(a) Gender gap
(b) Unequal pay system
(c) Unfavourable workforce policies
Q8. What are the policies which are required to the administration of JD sports to
manager the diversity among workforce?
(a) Equality Act
(b) Diversity Act

(c) Anti discrimination Act
Q9. What parties and aspect play an essential role to maintain the workforce diversity?
(a) Managers
(b) Employees
(c) Top management
Q10. Provide any suggestions to make improvement in the diversity among workforce.
TASK 3
P5. Finding and data using appropriate tools and techniques
Theme 1: Concept of diversity
Q1. Are you aware with the concept of diversity? Frequency
(a) Yes 17
(b) No 13
Interpretation- From the above mentioned visual communication it can be analysed that among
the population of 30 responders, 17 representatives are familiar with the conception of diversity
and diverseness which are occurred at the workplace due to international employees because
they belong from different culture, values, beliefs and use different languages for
communication. Whereas 13 people are viewed no because they are not aware with the concept
of diversity which are generate within the organisation due to diverse workforce.
Theme 2: Diversity plays an essential role in accomplishing company's goal
(a) Yes (b) No
0
5
10
15
20 17
13
Frequency

Q2. Do you think that diversity plays an essential role in
accomplishing company's goal in efficient way?
Frequency
(a) Agree 16
(b) Disagree 14
Interpretation- Form the preceding data information, it can be monitored that between 30
representatives, 16 are agreed with that diversity play an crucial role in achieving organisation's
objectives and goal in effective manner. Due to having diverse workforce which have knowledge
about different languages and able to work in different manners by accomplishing organisation's
aims and objectives. While remaining 14 are not agreed with the diversity that it is important fro
the company to attaining its set business goals and objectives.
Theme 3: Benefits of diversity that provide advantages
Q3. What are the benefits of diversity that provide
advantages to JD sports in developing its overall
execution?
Frequency
(a) Ameliorate brand value 12
(b) Upgrade innovation 10
(c) Improve profitability ratio 8
(a) Agree (b) Disagree
13
13.5
14
14.5
15
15.5
16
16
14 Frequency

Interpretation- As per the above mentioned statistical information, it can be determined that
among the population of 30 people, 12 are supported to ameliorate brand value because they
think that diversification in the workforce help in improving the brand value of the company.
Because they have different skills, knowledge and have the cognition of performing in different
work culture. Whereas remaining 10 are agreed with upgrade innovation because according to
them, due to have diverse skills and knowledge, employees work in more effective and they
belong form different places so they are make their contribution in making creation. While other
8 are supported to improvement in profitability ratio because they they think that due to having
diversity in the workforce people work in effective may which help in maximising the
productivity of the company and the productivity maximise the ratio of profit is also increase.
Theme 4: Strategies of diversity which implement by the company in business function
Q4. What are the plan of actions of diversity which JD
sports can implement within the business function for the
success of the company?
Frequency
(a) Recruit diverse workforce 11
(b) Offering training and development 9
(c) Formulate diversity friendly policies 10
0
6
12
11 9 10
Frequency
(a) Ameliorate brand value
(b) Upgrade innovation
(c) Improve profitability ratio
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
12
10
8
Frequency