Higher National Diploma Business Project: M&S and Diversity Management

This report presents a comprehensive analysis of a business project focused on equality and diversity within M&S. The project encompasses various aspects of project management, including defining aims and objectives, creating a project management plan, developing a Gantt chart and Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). It includes a small-scale research component, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods, to gather data on equality and diversity issues. The findings are presented using appropriate tools and techniques, leading to actionable recommendations. The report reflects on the value of undertaking the project, emphasizing the importance of equality and diversity in the workplace and the challenges faced in promoting it, such as language barriers and generation gaps. It also includes a literature review exploring the concepts of equality and diversity, their impact on organizations, and the significance of diversity in attracting talent and fostering innovation. The report highlights the importance of addressing issues related to equality and diversity to enhance business performance and create an inclusive work environment.

Managing a successful
business project

Table of Contents
TOPIC..............................................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1) Aims and objectives.........................................................................................................1
P2) Project management plan.................................................................................................4
P3) Gantt chart and WBS.......................................................................................................5
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................7
P4) Small scale research.........................................................................................................7
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................9
P5) Present findings and data using appropriate tools and techniques...................................9
P6) Communicate appropriate recommendations................................................................13
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................13
P7 Reflect on the value of undertaking the project..............................................................13
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................14

TOPIC
“To present skills which are required to manage and administer the project and to
recognise issues which are faced within concept of equality and diversity in an organisation.” A
case study on M&S.
INTRODUCTION
A successful business is associated with accumulation of efforts which are executed
within varied department and existed inside the organisation and assisting in attaining high
competitive edge in dynamic market (Polonsky and Waller, 2018). The businesses are required
to attain success and opportunities for development by adopting various strategies and
completing assigned task on timely manner. This is highly required that by inducing constructive
strategy abilities and capacities of the business get motivated. For attainment of goals this is
imperative by the organisation that skilled and talented workforce are inherited in which flow of
work can be managed by them in proper manner. It can be said that equality is an aspect which is
helping a business in enhancing their working operations and provide additional opportunities for
employment to them. Equality is related with adoption of practices in which employees are taken
care and provided with opportunities irrespective of their religion, culture, race, background and
many other constraints. In this context some challenges are faced which are propounds in respect
and acceptances, due to generation gap, language and communication barrier and many more.
This report is based on M&S which is a company dealing in fashionable clothing, accessories,
home décor and food items. M&S is having huge customer base in which they are providing high
quality products to customers. The following report is related with project execution plan, small
scale research.
TASK 1
P1) Aims and objectives
The equality within employees and organisation is helpful in improving working
performance of employees and their abilities as well. In the context of equality there are some
issues which are faced by employees such as language barrier, communication problem and
many more. These barriers are creating problem for employees in establishing proper
communication and effective interaction as well. Besides this there are various skills which are
managed by the project in order to have effective implementation. With the help of equality and
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diversity in the workplace abilities of the business can be enhanced through which equivalent
opportunities are provided to each and every working employees and improvement in career can
be seen in respect of various constraints. Similarly equality and diversity at workplace is helping
the business in working prospectus and business abilities in order to provide equal opportunities
to working employees in such a way that overall development can be seen to the business.
Diversity is having capacity to attract various candidates from different region and area and this
is helpful for the business in attaining positive value (Ćirić, Lalić and Gračanin, 2016). The
equality and diversity is accumulated in the business and assist in promotion of job culture and
reducing discrimination form workplace as well.
Aim: “To present skills which are required to manage and administer the project and to
recognise issues which are faced within concept of equality and diversity in an organisation.” A
case study on M&S.
Objectives:
 To enhance high knowledge regarding equality and diversity.
 To stipulate effect of equality and diversity in organisation.
 To recognise significance of equality within organisation.
 To understand various issues which are faced in context of equality and diversity.
 To establish measurement of equality and diversity in organisation.
Research questions:
 What is understood by equality and diversity?
 What is the major impact equality and diversity within organisation?
 What is significance of equality within organisation?
 To understand various issues which are obtained through equality and diversity?
 To perform analysis for issues faced within equality and diversity?
Literature Review
What is understood by equality and diversity?
As per perception of viewpoint of Nallusamy, 2016, equality is associated with providing
equal opportunities to all the employees and give them equal value to be treated fairly
(Nallusamy, 2016). The businesses are creating such environment by which discrimination can
be avoided. Within this all the employees are using organisational facilities in such a manner that
needs of the business can be fulfilled. This is exceptional from age, gender, race and many other
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dimensions. Business development is having high implications from equality in which
employees are are provided with prominent training so that to get success in their professional
life. On the other hand diversity is related with creating effective values in the organisation by
which appropriate workforce can be built and differential beliefs. The Equality Act 2010 is a
legislation law which protects employees from any unnatural aspect such as age, disability, belief
or gender resentment and many more .
What is the major impact equality and diversity within organisation?
As the standpoint of Sutrisna, Ramanayaka and Goulding, 2018, diversity and equality
which is included irrespective of employees number. So in the presence of thousand of employee
in office, factory, and many more. Equality and diversity is working in order to attain aims of
overall organisation by treating all employees to equal manner. By equality people are promoted
by avoiding unlawful practices such as harassment, discrimination, victimisation and many more.
Equality act is associated with 9 characteristics such as disability, age, race, sex, belief, religion
etc. diversity is helpful in order to face various challenges which are assisting business in
enhance their growth opportunities (Sutrisna, Ramanayaka and Goulding, 2018).
What is significance of equality within organisation?
According to Cha, Newman and Winch, 2018, diversity is taking out major assumption in
within mind those are related with age, gender, cultural background and many other constraints.
On the other hand diversity is defined as the dimension in which varied cultured people are
inculcated in the business along with varied capabilities. By inhaling perfect ratio of male and
female individuality of each worker can be developed and this is helpful in managing overall
capabilities as well. Numerous benefits are related with diversity and equality such as by
inculcating people with varied background development can be rendered in easy manner to the
business. This is helpful in making new innovations in business and earn high profits (Cha,
Newman and Winch, 2018).
To understand various issues which are obtained through equality and diversity?
As per concepts given by Sophia lee, 2020, diversity within organisation is helpful in
making high end priority and initiatives so as to take decision regarding better investment and
inhale success opportunities. This is helpful in enhancing benefits for the business which is
internal and external. Overall goals are promoted by equality and diversity due to this
organisational goals are aligned towards commitment and successful attribution.
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To perform analysis for issues faced within equality and diversity?
According to Young, 2016, in current time people are trying to understand experiences of
each other and prospect of the same. In this context in order to acknowledge differences
employees are working hard in order to eliminate those differences. With the major purpose to
maintain humanity equality is inculcated in the business and similarly language barrier are
removed. Diversity is having high issues such as emergence of miscommunication which leads
in delay of understanding. The generation gap is created when business is having varied aged
group employee this creates high complexities in the business (Young, 2016).
P2) Project management plan
This is a document in written form of basic factors in order to execute project on timely
manner and along with formative manner. This includes various dimensions such as monitoring,
execution, planning and implementation. With the help of these activities modification can be
rendered which are highly required in order to execute business strategies. Some of the
component of this are elaborated as under:
 Cost: This is a primary aspect within M&S in which proper budget is given to the
activities and researcher is required to complete their project in the given budget only.
This is helpful in attaining project objective on timely manner along with making the
project process easier so that to attain high accessibility. The budget within this project is
given as £68000.
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 Time: This is related with overall time which is given to the project in order to complete
the project within effective manner. This is wider aspect in which adequacy over funds so
that to avoid any delay. Within this project approximately 3 weeks are required. Scope: This is related to the output which is attained in order to accomplish target of the
project (Klarsfeld and et. al., 2016). This is significant that scope of the project is
required to be selected so that all the possibilities of a project can be seen in order to
achieve major objective of the project Quality: This is known as effectiveness of the proposed project in which project is
required to be completed. The impact of this aspect is high on running project and
probability of succession got increased. For researcher is trying to attain high quality
within project and achieve prominent place as well. Communication: This is a procedure in which researcher is trying to make effective
interaction along with all the other candidates those are associated with this project. This
is helpful in making project on timely manner as due to making prominent
communication with other parties purpose of research can be met in simpler manner. For
this purpose researcher tries to use various methods for communication such as phones,
computer, internet and many more. Risk: This is known as capabilities of research and to define prominent gain on which
project cam be completed. This is significant that risk is required to be removed so that to
eliminate any prominent complexities by which outcomes can be collected in prominent
manner. This is a factor which decides succession ratio of the project and by taking care
of risk chances of failure can be eliminated.
 Resources: This is associated with all the assets and other deliverable which are used
within a project and helps a project to get succeeded. In this project researcher needs
printer, proficiency human resource team, internet and many other resources so that to
finish their project on appropriate time frame along with high efficacy.
P3) Gantt chart and WBS
Gantt chart: This chart is utilised by researcher in order to manage the whole project in
such a manner that this could lead in attaining beneficiary results (Zecheru and Olaru, 2016).
This chart is helpful in order to attain high efficacy and Gantt chart is helping project to stay
within track and to attain pre decided task in full proof manner. This chart is assisting the
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researcher in tracking research and keeping an eye on the same so as to examine results in proper
manner.
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Work Breakdown structure: This chart is related with breaking down whole activity within
smaller parts so as to develop output in such a manner that overall efficacy can be attained
(Sutrisna, Ramanayaka and Goulding, 2018) . This chart is helping the researcher in controlling
and measuring performance of the project and to attain the task by completing all of them in
sufficient manner.
TASK 2
P4) Small scale research
Research is known as a systematic investigation in which related information is provided
on some specific topic in order to frame high understanding on that particular topic.
Quantitative method: This is associated with relative information which is in form of
statistics, diagrams, graphs and tables. In this variant information is gathered in form of
mathematical interpretation and statistical formulations. The researcher is trying to manipulate
data by using various computational techniques (Sharma, 2016).
Qualitative method: This is the method in which unstructured data in which researcher
is conducting open ended questionnaire by collecting huge feedbacks. This is helpful in
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maintaining constructive knowledge on a particular topic in order to enhance relatability over the
project. Primary source: Under this source of data collection by conducting various surveys and
questionnaire and collecting feedbacks. Similarly this is a time taking process in which
proper outcomes can be examined (Hatipoglu and Inelmen, 2018).
 Secondary sources: Under this information are collected by taking help of magazines,
journals, articles, newspaper. This is helpful in order to create reliability within project
and attaining appropriate direction.
Sampling: This is known as a systematic procedure under which population is being
selected by the researcher on which they are willing to perform research. Under this project
sample size is 30.
Questionnaire
Quantitative questions
Q1) Do you understand regarding equality within business?
 Yes
 No
Q2) Do you accept that M&S is maintaining gender and cultural balance within their
workforce?
 Yes
 No
Q3) Is M&S putting efforts for promotion of equality and diversity in employees?
 Yes
 No
Q4) How M&S is promoting diversity within organisation?
(a) Fair placement methods
(b) By giving assortment in tasks
Q5) How M&S is trying to minimise adverse impact of equality and diversity within
workforce?
(a) By increasing employee engagement
(b) By accumulating feedbacks
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(c) By valuing functions of employees
Q6) What is the significance of equality within an organisation?
(a) Collecting creativity
(b) Enhancing brand image in marketplace
(c) By enhancing competitive advantage
Q7) How M&S is trying to introduce effectiveness in diversity.
a) Strong performance
b) Increased job satisfaction
Qualitative questions
Q8) What are the various strategies which are used by M&S in order to promote equality and
diversity within employees?
(a) Training and development
(b) Democratic leadership
Q9) How M&s is executing numerous initiatives in order to implement business
surroundings?
(a) Modifying leadership style
(b) Performance appraisals
(c) By providing symmetrical facilities to all
TASK 3
P5) Present findings and data using appropriate tools and techniques.
Q1)Do you understand regarding equality
within business?
Frequency
Yes 15
No 15
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Yes No
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16 15 15
Interpretation: This can be understood out of 30 respondents, 15 respondents are aware
regarding equality in M&S whereas other 15 are not aware of this concept. Diversity and
assortment is highly beneficial in order to promote diverse culture and workplace efficiency.
Q2) Do you accept that M&S is maintaining
gender and cultural balance within their
workforce?
Frequency
Yes 18
No 12
10