Managing Equality and Diversity in Business: A Project on Morrisons

This report presents a comprehensive analysis of equality and diversity within the workplace, focusing on a case study of Morrisons. The project begins with an introduction to project management principles, followed by a detailed project management plan that includes cost estimations, scope definition, timeframes, and quality control measures. A Gantt chart and work breakdown structure are provided to illustrate the project's timeline and organization. The report then delves into the research methods employed, including the use of both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques, with a focus on ethical considerations and sampling strategies. Data analysis is conducted using thematic analysis to interpret findings related to diversity-based discrimination, training frameworks, organizational culture, and responses to inequality. Recommendations are provided to improve communication, implement training programs, and promote inclusive practices within the organization. A reflection on the project's learning outcomes concludes the report, highlighting the practical application of project management concepts and the importance of fostering an inclusive work environment. The report is supported by references and an appendix.

Managing a successful
business project

TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
LO 1 ................................................................................................................................................1
Title .............................................................................................................................................1
Background .................................................................................................................................1
Project aim ..................................................................................................................................1
Objectives ...................................................................................................................................1
Project management plan ............................................................................................................2
Gantt chart ...................................................................................................................................4
Work breakdown structure ..........................................................................................................5
LO 2 ................................................................................................................................................5
Research methods .......................................................................................................................5
LO 3.................................................................................................................................................6
Data analysis ...............................................................................................................................6
Recommendations .....................................................................................................................10
LO 4...............................................................................................................................................11
Reflection ..................................................................................................................................11
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................13
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................14

INTRODUCTION
Project management is defined as the process to effectively accomplish tasks such as
planning, initiation, controlling, execution and completion towards specific criteria and goals
(Meredith, Mantel Jr and Shafer, 2017). For achieving the success organisations require to adopt
and implement an effective project management strategy (Syed and Ozbilgin, 2019). Morrisons
is one of the leading retailer of United Kingdom which employs and serve people from different
culture and diversities. Thus it is required for the organisation to respond properly towards the
issue so it can retain competitive advantage. The report will include a project management plan
and research methods for to address the equality and diversity issues.
LO 1
Title
“Equality and diversity on business”
Background
All individuals irrespective of their race, religion, gender, nationality and choice has the
right to live with dignity and respect. They must be given equal treatment and must not be
discriminated on the basis of diversity (Wrench, 2016). Within organisational context it is
necessary for the organisations to manage diversity in the teams so that team conflicts can be
avoided and profitable decisions can be taken . The negligence to diversity management and
discrimination can cause dissatisfaction among employees affecting their performance and
creativity. The lack of coordination among team members can also cause inefficient
organisational outcomes (Kirton and Greene, 2015). Thus it is one of the important goal and
priority for the business to emphasis on equality and diversity related parameters of the business.
Project aim
To analyse the ways in which organisation respond to current issues of equality and
diversity in workplace: A case study on Morrisons.
Objectives
The objectives of the project are as follows:
 To understand the concept of equality and diversity.
 To evaluate the impact of diversity at organizational performance.
 To assess the ways through which organization can manage the inequality and diversity
related issues.
1

Project management plan
It is defined as the systematic planning approach which describes the various project
activities and related dimensions of project so that it can be completed in most efficient manner.
Cost:
The estimated cost for the project is £500 which includes all cost related to questionnaire,
secondary sources, project planning and documentation and all other related project activities.
Scope:
With globalisation it has become a necessity for the organisation to interact and serve
with the customers from the different backgrounds and culture. Thus if organisation will not be
able to manage diversity within its organisation then it will also fail to meet the diverse needs of
its target customers (Meredith, Mantel Jr and Shafer, 2017)
. Hence project will help organisation to enhance the productivity of its employees as well as to
improve the customer satisfaction.
Time:
The project will be completed in around 5 months. In this time frame all project activities
such as planning, monitoring, execution and monitoring activities will be completed. The
detailed description of time frame for each of the project activity is given below in Gantt chart.
Quality:
In order to ensure good quality of project good quality of sources must be used. The
project tools and methodologies used for the project must be chosen in a way such that it helps to
meet the project objectives effectively.
Communication:
For the good quality of project it is necessary that all project members have good
communication and coordination with each other. The lack of cooperation among team members
can cause delay in the project activities or can even affect their accuracy.
Risk and resources:
For the completion of this project a wide range of resources such as internet, books,
journals and other form of secondary data is used. Some software tools are also used to perform
and maintain the records of various project activities. However there are certain risks associated
with the project. The first risk is failure to complete the project on time. It is possible that project
may not complete on time. The lack of suitable evidence or secondary sources or improper
2

response from the participants of the study can also affect the project quality and completion.
Another major risk related to project is budget, it is possible that project activities may exceed
the planned budget. Thus for making project successful these risks must be assessed and
addressed.
3

Gantt chart
4

Work breakdown structure
The work breakdown structure for the project is as follow:
5

LO 2
Research methods
The project success greatly depends upon the quality of research applied. The following
research methods are used to analyse the qualitative data used in the study.
Research type: The project can use both qualitative and quantitative data. The qualitative data is
descriptive type and does not include any statistics while quantitative types of project or studies
includes statistical facts. Quantitative data uses statistical or mathematical relations to verify the
relation between various parameters (Kerzner, 2017). Thus results are narrowed and also
requires higher degree of expertise and accuracy. The project will use qualitative data as it gives
more generalise findings to reach conclusion. Another advantage of using qualitative data is that
it is easy to manage and to interpret as compare to quantitative data.
Data collection and ethics: Data collection methods are of two types primary and secondary. In
primary data collection data is collected by the researcher for the first time using survey,
questionnaire or interviews. On the other hand secondary data is collected from secondary
sources such as books, previous research works and journals. For the proposed project both
primary and secondary data is used. The primary data is collected by using a questionnaire and
6

conducting an interview. The use of both types of data collection methods helps to collect most
relevant and accurate data related to organisation which is also supported by generalise
secondary data (Heagney, 2016) . During data collection all necessary ethics related to research
such as privacy, consent, confidentiality and safety of the research participants must also be
assured. For regulating that project deliverables are accurate and feasible ethics must be
integrated in data collection process.
Sampling: For feasible and manageable data collection a fix size of population is chosen for the
primary data collection. This process is known as sampling. It is of two types namely probability
and non-probability sampling. In non-probability sampling participants are chosen on the basis
of specific criteria and thus there is unequal probability for an individual to get selected (Joslin
and Müller, 2015) . This type of sampling may result in biasing in terms of population selection
and the data provided by them. This project will use the probability sampling to randomly select
10 employees of Morrisons. Probability sampling is convenient, simple and lacks sampling bias
or systematic errors in choosing research population.
Data analysis: In order to evaluate the project outcomes data must be interpreted and analysed
properly. Data analysis techniques depends upon type of qualitative or quantitative data. The
quantitative data is analysed using statistical tools and parameters such as mean, mode, median
and other statistical attributes (Lock, 2017). However in this study qualitative data is used and
thus for analysing it thematic analysis is used. For thematic analysis various key themes are
developed and interpreted on the basis of response obtained from the participants (Kerzner,
2018). One of the advantage of using thematic analysis over statistical analysis is that it is not
restricted to only research variables instead it can also help to assist the various additional or
generalised factors which can influence the project. Thus research findings are more effective
and influential.
LO 3
Data analysis
The various themes developed on the basis of data collected are as follows:
Theme 1 Diversity based discrimination and insecurity
Q-1 Have you ever experienced any insecurity or discrimination on the
basis of diversity or aspects such as race, gender, culture or
religion?
Frequency
7

Yes 2
No 7
Not sure 1
Total 10
Interpretation:
It can be interpreted from the data that 70% of the employees of Morrisons stated that
they have never experienced any discrimination or inequality behaviour in their company.
However only 2 participants stated that due to different ethnic values they are not given equal
growth opportunities. There was only one individual who was not sure regarding such kind of
insecurity or experience. Thus it can be interpreted that work culture of Morrisons does not
favour discrimination.
Theme 2 Training framework for managing diversity
Q-2 Does your organisation have any framework for diversity based team
work training?
Frequency
Yes 1
No 6
8
Yes
No
Not sure
Total

Not sure 3
Total 10
Interpretation:
Six out of 10 participants informed that organisation has training program so that
employees can learn to work with diverse teams. However there were 3 participants who were
not aware of such programs. Thus Morrisons need to improve these programs so that all
employees can manage and respect diversity.
Theme 3 Organizational culture towards discrimination or unequal treatment
Q-3 Is it allow in your organisation to bully, provide unequal treatment
or discriminate anyone on the basis of diversity?
Frequency
Yes 1
No 8
Not sure 1
Total 10
9
Yes
No
Not sure
Total

Interpretation:
A good portion of 80% population stated that in their organisation it is strictly prohibited
to bully or discriminate anyone on the grounds of diversity. It shows that organisation is highly
concerned about safety and rights of individuals.
Theme 4 Response and actions of organization to manage diversity and inequality
Q-4 What actions are taken by your organisation against discrimination
on the basis of diversity?
Frequency
Counselling regarding diversity management within teams 1
Strict legal actions from regulatory perspective 1
Termination or organisational punishment 2
All the above depending upon severity of the discrimination 6
Total 50
10
Yes
No
Not sure
Total