Managing Cultural Diversity in the Workplace: A Case Study of ASDA Plc

This report investigates equality and diversity within the workplace, using ASDA as a case study. The report begins with an introduction defining key concepts such as equality, diversity, and cultural diversity, and outlines the research aim, objectives, and questions. A literature review explores topics such as the importance of equality and diversity, work-life balance, gender equality policies, and strategies for fostering diversity. The methodology section details the research philosophy (Interpretivism), approach (inductive), strategy (survey), and choices (qualitative). Data collection methods, including primary and secondary sources, are described. The data analysis and interpretations section presents findings from both primary and secondary sources. The report concludes with research outcomes, conclusions, recommendations, and a reflection on alternative research methodologies, along with references and an appendix. The report aims to identify the negative effects of workplace discrimination on employee performance and provide recommendations for improvement within ASDA.

Research on Equality and Diversity in the
workplace Reflective report

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
Theoretical concept................................................................................................................4
Reasons for choice of Research Title.....................................................................................4
Brief on the company.............................................................................................................4
Personal motivation for Research Title..................................................................................4
Research Aim.........................................................................................................................5
Research Objectives...............................................................................................................5
Research Questions................................................................................................................5
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................6
Equality and diversity between the workers of the organization...........................................6
Importance of maintaining balance between the family life and work life and its effects on
performance............................................................................................................................6
Gender equality policy at workplace and their effectiveness on Asda Company..................7
Reasons and ways of developing proper diversity at the workplace......................................7
Effective strategies for developing the diversity and equality in the business.......................7
METHODOLOGY AND DATA COLLECTION...........................................................................9
Research Philosophy..............................................................................................................9
Research Approaches.............................................................................................................9
Research strategies.................................................................................................................9
Research choices..................................................................................................................10
Data collection......................................................................................................................10
Sampling...............................................................................................................................10
Time horizon........................................................................................................................11
DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATIONS.........................................................................12
On primary basis...................................................................................................................12
On secondary basis...............................................................................................................22
RESEARCH OUTCOMES............................................................................................................24
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS..........................................................................28

Conclusion............................................................................................................................28
Recommendations................................................................................................................28
REFLECTION & RECOMMENDATION OF ALTERNATIVE RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY........................................................................................................................29
Reflection.............................................................................................................................29
Alternative Research Methodology......................................................................................29
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................30
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................32

TITLE: An investigation into Managing Cultural Diversity in the Workplace-A Case Study Asda
Plc.
INTRODUCTION
Theoretical concept
At workplace, equality and diversity is all about respecting staff of individual age, race,
gender, skills, cultural background and others. Equality is assuring that each one at workplace
has equal opportunity and treated differently. Diversity is related to taking account of differences
among people and the group of people (Abadeer, 2015). Cultural diversity is related to
appreciating that the firm is made up of the several various groups with the various talents and
interests. Phrase of the cultural diversity can have related to having various cultures respect the
differences of each other.
Reasons for choice of Research Title
The research title is related to Managing Cultural Diversity in the Workplace. The reason
behind choosing this research title is that it helps to an investigator in examining the issues faced
by employees due to the cultural diversity. Other than this, reason to selecting the cultural
diversity title is to assure that everyone at workplace has access same treatment and
opportunities. Managing the cultural diversity helps in developing the positive impact on
reputation of company (Antman, 2015).
Brief on the company
ASDA is British supermarket retailer and its headquarter is in Leeds, West Yorkshire.
This firm was founded in year 1949 when Asquith family merged retail business with Associated
Dairies firm of the Yorkshire. ASDA organisation commissioned Global Diversity Practice at
initial basis for series of the Unconscious Bias Workshops to the up skill the senior leaders on
the Diversity and Inclusion (Baah-Boateng, 2012).
Personal motivation for Research Title
The personal motivation for conducting this research is that it helps in enhance the
personal understanding as well as experience of an investigator. This assist in make improvement
in the research as well as analytical skills. Through conducting the present investigation,
researcher can able to conduct similar kind of investigation in future (Barthelemy, McCormick
and Henderson, 2016).

Research Aim
“To identify negative effects which workplace discrimination have on performance of
employees”. A case study on ASDA.
Research Objectives
 To explore ways of establishing equality and diversity between the workers of the
organization.
 To identify importance of maintaining balance between the family life and work life and
its effects on performance.
 To implement gender equality policy at workplace and their effectiveness on Asda
Company.
 To explore reasons and ways of developing proper diversity at the workplace.
 To recommend some effective strategies for developing the diversity and equality in the
business.
Research Questions
 Barriers using of diversity policy at workplace?
 What are the methods to solve diversity issues at workplace?
 What are the problems which are faced by the employee at workplace?
 Describe the strategies for implementing diversity policy?

LITERATURE REVIEW
Equality and diversity between the workers of the organization
According to viewpoint of Darshana Dutta (2020) Equality and diversity is explained as
promoting the equality related opportunities to all the employees. Diversity is related to
providing every person chance to attain potential and free from the discrimination. It is necessary
for managers to provide the equal opportunities to all the workers within organisation. The equal
opportunity is concerned to understanding that all the workers are treated without the judgement
made on the basis of stereotypes. Understanding as well as appreciating various skill set within
workforce, company has opportunity to be employer of the choice. Providing the equal
opportunities to workers help in motivate them and make improvement in their performance
level. ASDA organisation is mainly committed to maintaining environment that engenders the
Diversity and Inclusion as well as understand that the diversity is not policy (Chen and et. al.,
2013). Other than this, better diversity programme has several beneficial impact on the
employees and company. Staff members can be ensured that they will not discriminated against
at workplace and also they have the equal opportunities for progression and promotion purpose.
The employees can more confident if they will be provided right tools to perform their job in
proper manner.
Importance of maintaining balance between the family life and work life and its effects on
performance
As per viewpoint of Rachel Hill (2018) Maintaining healthy work life balance is not
necessary for relationship and health but this can make improvement in productivity and
performance of staff. Focusing on the work life balance will assist in draw valuable talent pool
for the new hires and enhance retention rates. In context to this, result of poor balance among the
personal life and work life not impact on staff but this affect firm for which they mainly work.
The stress of employees can enhance burnout level, resulting in the less growth at workplace,
absenteeism and stress of health problems. From all this, staff members many experience the
poor co- workers and personal relationship and also minimize job satisfaction (De Marco, 2012).
Maintaining the balance among family life and work life is helpful in minimize stress and this
can prevent the burnout in workplace. With the help of developing working environment that

mainly prioritize the work life balance, managers can save the money as well as maintain
productive and healthier workforce.
Gender equality policy at workplace and their effectiveness on Asda Company
Eric Feigenbaum (2020) stated that Gender equality defined as men and women enjoy
similar opportunity to be realize full rights of human and also contribute potential to enhance the
organisational productivity. This is not legal to engage in the gender discrimination when this
comes to benefits and pay. Wages should be the equal for men and women which performing
equal work under the same working situations in the job needed equal effort, responsibility and
skill. On the other hand, following norms of the modern business and seek best talent, ASDA
have the gender equality policies for the compliance reasons. Key to developing equal workplace
is permitting staff members to have opportunity to take care. It is necessary to provide the
generous policies which staff members feel comfortable. Implementing the gender equality
policy is helpful in developing the positive impact on employee’s performance as well as
profitability of ASDA (Cohn, 2019).
Reasons and ways of developing proper diversity at the workplace
Laura Sands (2020) stated that developing the proper diversity is beneficial for the
business. The reason for developing diversity at workplace is that it helps in greater employee
retention, enhance organisational productivity, greater innovation and others.
On contrary to this, Anja Zojceska (2018) stated that ASDA company use the different
ways to developing the diversity and positive working culture. There are different ways given
below to developing proper diversity at workplace:
Have diverse interview panel- Consisting the diverse people into hiring process will
assist to uncover the unconscious biases and also make improvement in equality principles of
recruitment process.
Reward diverse referrals- Explicitly ask existing staff members to refer the candidates
from the underrepresented groups in firm. Company can provide the additional bonuses and
rewards from suggested diverse candidates (De Paola and Scoppa, 2015).
Effective strategies for developing the diversity and equality in the business
As per opinion of Tom Wells (2020), Workplace inclusion assist the staff members of all
the religions, backgrounds, sexual orientation and ethnicities at workplace. The diverse teams

produce better outcomes and the inclusion to attract as well as sustain best talent. There are
effective strategies given below for developing the diversity and equality in business:
Educate organisation leadership- There are different reason that management and
leadership should attend the inclusion and diversity related workshops. First, this is one of less
diverse work areas, dominated through white males. Second is that leaders can be play important
role in shaping the values of firm.
Gather inclusion feedback regularly- It is necessary for employees to listen to company.
Manager should try to add the feedback on regular basis to know about the working. There is a
need to speak to the community mentors and assure that they have many opportunities to
enhance issues concerned to inclusion. Arrange the session among community and staff
members to assure that they have safe space to share feedback (Delavande and Zafar, 2013).

METHODOLOGY AND DATA COLLECTION
Methodology refers to theoretical and systematic analysis of methods applied to area of
study. This comprises theoretical analysis of methods and the principles related with knowledge.
The methodology permits reader to evaluate critically reliability and validity. In this, research
onion was developed through Saunders et al in year 2007 to explain stages by which an
investigator should pass when developing effective methodology (Ge and et. al., 2016).
Basically, this is an extension of research methods tree. Different layers considered in research
onion mention below:
Research Philosophy
This refers to set off the beliefs that concerning nature of reality that is being
investigated. It can different on research objectives and on better way that can used to attain
objectives. Interpretivism and positivism are two main research philosophies.
Justification: There has been Interpretivism research philosophy used as it comes up with
the research questions as well as detailed information which can be examined and evaluated. In
regards to this, common knowledge can be examined by using the Interpretivism.
Research Approaches
It is next layer in research opinion and related to plan that includes steps of the wider
assumptions of detailed data collection methods. Inductive and deductive are two different
research approaches (Kelso and et. al., 2014).
Justification: There has been inductive research approach used as it it fits with
interpretivism research philosophy. It gives comprehension of various understanding about the
managing the cultural diversity. For present investigation, inductive research approach will give
observation which required in forming views for outcomes in order to address research
objectives.
Research strategies
In the present investigation, survey research strategy used. It is an effective way to
collecting information from large cohort. Benefit of survey consists having large population and
better statistical power, ability to collect the more information and also having validated models
availability (Kuhn and Shen, 2013). Collection of data from questionnaire is helpful in providing

the responses of large number of respondents. This research strategy is time saving as well as
cost saving.
Research choices
The research choices refer to techniques, strategies and processes used in gathering
evidence and data for analyse in context to uncover the new information or develop better
understanding of topic. Qualitative and quantitative are two different research choices.
Justification: Qualitative research choice has been used because it provides the non-
numerical information. It is related with gathering as well as examining the non- numerical data.
This can have used to find the averages and pattens, make the predictions and generalise the
outcomes to the wider populations (Offermann and et. al., 2014).
Data collection
It is process of collecting as well as measuring the information and data on the targeted
variable in established system. It enables one to answer the relevant questions and also examine
the outcomes. Primary and secondary are two different methods of data collection. The primary
method is related to collecting the fresh information with the help of using different sources such
as questionnaire, observations, interviews and others. Other than this, in secondary information
data can be collected by using books, articles, internet sources and journals (Perry, Harp and
Oser, 2013).
Justification: In conducting the present information, there has been primary and
secondary both methods used. There has been questionnaire developed on negative effects which
workplace discrimination have on performance of employees. On the other hand, secondary
method has been used in conducting literature review part (Posthuma, Wagstaff and Campion,
2012).
Sampling
For collection of information, there has been random data sampling method used as it is
more effective in providing the equal chance to the chosen respondents. With the help of this
method, there has been 20 respondents of ASDA company selected as they have the
understanding about the working environment and culture of an organisation (Rosenblat and et.
al., 2017).

Time horizon
Activities
Week
1
Week
2
Wee
k 3
Wee
k 4
Wee
k 5 Wee
k 6
Wee
k 7
Week
8
We
ek
9
Understanding of topic, title,
objectives and responsibilities
Reason for choosing research
project
Literature review
Conducting research
Finding & analysing

DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATIONS
Data analysis is explained as cleansing, modeling and transforming the data with aim of
attaining useful information (Saha, 2013). For analysis of the collected data from questionnaire,
there has been thematic analysis techniques used as it is more effective in make the themes,
develop graphs and also make interpretations.
On primary basis
Frequency Table
Q1) Do you have understanding regarding equality and diversity
within organisation?
Frequency
a) Yes 15
b) No 5
Q2) How long are you working in ASDA organisation? Frequency
a) 6 to 12 months 10
b) 1 year to 5 years 5
c) 6 years to 12 years 5
Q3) Are you satisfy from the working environment and working
culture of your firm?
Frequency
a) Yes 18
b) No 2
Q4) According to your opinion, does creating equality at workplace
helps in motivate employees?
Frequency
a) Yes 15
b) No 5
Q5) What is the significance of maintaining balance among family life
and work life?
Frequency
a) Creating happiness 5