Research Project: Analysis of Equality and Diversity in the Workplace

This research project investigates equality and diversity in the workplace, focusing on gender discrimination at Marks & Spencer. The project outlines research methods, including cost considerations, access to information, and ethical issues. It employs frequency distribution analysis to analyze quantitative data collected through a questionnaire, exploring awareness of gender discrimination, causes, negative effects, and impact on performance. The findings reveal that unequal pay, limited promotion opportunities for women, and high employee turnover are significant concerns. The research also discusses the merits, limitations, and pitfalls of data collection and analysis approaches, concluding that eliminating gender discrimination is crucial for achieving competitive advantages. The project includes a questionnaire used for data collection and a detailed interpretation of the findings.

Research Project
(Equality and diversity in the
workplace)
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Contents
Conduct research using appropriate methods for project that consider costs, access and ethical
issues............................................................................................................................................3
Apply appropriate analytical tools analyse research findings and data.......................................4
Discuss merits, limitations and pitfalls of approaches to data collection and analysis.............15
Communicate research outcomes in an appropriate manner for the intended audience............17
Reflect on the effectiveness of research methods applied for meeting objectives of the research
project........................................................................................................................................19
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................20
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................21
Appendix........................................................................................................................................24
Questionnaire.............................................................................................................................24
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Conduct research using appropriate methods for project that consider costs, access and ethical
issues
In order to conduct research in effective and systematic manner, there is requirement of
following some methods that are costs, access and ethical issues. These are important and useful
for researcher in carrying out this research over gender discrimination (Anjum and et. al., 2018).
These methods have been explained as below in detailed manner:
Costs: In order to do and complete current project, researcher will requires appropriate
amount of cost. Estimate budget for completing this project over existing topic, researcher will
need around £ 200. This amount will help investigator in executing each and every activity of
research project in effective manner. There are different resources where researcher needs to pay
amount of capital such as stationery, internet connection, selection of best research methods, and
access to secondary material (Attell, Brown and Treiber, 2017).
Access: In order to do research in appropriate manner, researcher requires using some
sources for primary as well as secondary methods. It is a role of investigator to keep
confidentiality of data that was collected by researcher from primary sources. Therefore,
researcher makes sure that collected data would be only accessed through researcher and other
authorised authority (Barthelemy, McCormick and Henderson, 2016).
Ethical issues: This is another main part that impact on researcher while conducting
research. There are some principles and values of research ethics that must be follow by
researcher by carrying out investigation over gender discrimination. These values or principles
are reducing the hazard of harm to participants, obtain informed consent from research
participants, protect confidentiality and anonymity, avoid following deceptive practices, provide
potential participants right to withdraw etc. These are main norms or principles of research ethics
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that must be following within a research project. By following these principles, researcher can
get positive research outcomes and also draw a valid conclusion for current study (Chen, Li and
Lai, 2017).
Apply appropriate analytical tools analyse research findings and data.
Data analysis introduces to the effective and useful process for researcher in analysing of
information appropriately and systematically. Current study is based on quantitative research and
for analysing quantitative type of information about the gender discrimination and its impact in
working environment of M&S; frequency distribution analysis has been applied by investigator
as an analytical technique. In this method researcher require to made frequency table and then
distribute them in single table according to the research questions (Holland and Cortina, 2016).
This will help in analysing of quantitative information within limited time duration. Frequency
distribution table according to the research questions will be prepared as below:
Frequency distribution table
Q1) Are you aware about the impact of gender based discrimination at workplace
of Marks & Spencer Brent Cross Shopping Centre?
Frequency
a). Yes 40
b). No 10
Q2) According to you, what are the main causes of gender discrimination in the
workplace of M&S?
Frequency
a). Unequal pay 20
b). Female employees are promoted less often than male 16
c). Racism 14
Q3) What are the negative effects of gender based discrimination in the working Frequency
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environment of M&S?
a). High employee turnover 20
b). Damaged moral 14
c). Lost productivity 16
Q4) Does gender discrimination has negative impact over performance and
productivity of Marks & Spencer?
Frequency
a). Strongly Agree 25
b). Agree 15
c) Disagree 7
d). Strongly Disagree 3
Q5) According to you, high employee turnover is a main issue faced by M&S due
to gender discrimination at workplace?
Frequency
a). Yes 40
b). No 10
Q6) How gender discrimination influences the paying ratio of Marks & Spencer
Brent Cross Shopping Centre?
Frequency
a). Positive Influence 2
b). Negative influence 40
c). Neutral 8
Q7) As per your opinion, what ways must be require to follow by M&S for
promoting gender equality at workplace?
Frequency
a). Altering hiring practices to enhance diversity 20
b). Developing an open-mined environment 16
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c). Providing equal pay and opportunity to male and female employees 14
Q8) What ways may be require use by Marks & Spencer for reducing the issue
associated with gender discrimination at workplace environment?
Frequency
a). Provide training on unconscious bias or discrimination 15
b). Review salaries and standardize pay 10
c). Support women into more senior role 15
d). Have a clear policy on discrimination 10
Q9) Does eliminating gender discrimination at workplace helps M&S in
accomplishment of competitive advantages?
Frequency
a). Yes 40
b). No 10
Question 1: Awareness about the impact of gender based discrimination among mangers
Q1) Are you aware about the impact of gender based discrimination at workplace
of Marks & Spencer Brent Cross Shopping Centre?
Frequency
a). Yes 40
b). No 10
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Interpretation: It has been concluded that most of the respondents had aware regarding
the gender based discrimination and its impact at workplace of Marks & Spencer Brent Cross
Shopping Centre. They said about the gender discrimination, it is a situation in which an
individual treated unfairly because they are female or male, rather than according to their
capabilities or skills. Remaining 10 respondents not have any knowledge about the gender
discrimination and its bad effects in the working place of company.
Question 2: Main causes of gender discrimination
Q2) According to you, what are the main causes of gender discrimination in the
workplace of M&S?
Frequency
a). Unequal pay 20
b). Female employees are promoted less often than male 16
c). Racism 14
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Interpretation: There are various causes of gender discrimination at working place of
M&S. For this, 20 out of 50 mangers of M&S have idea as unequal pay is main causes because it
is based on capabilities or skills and male or female of employees. 16 respondents have opinion
as female employees are promoted less as compare to male employees is main reason that
increases discrimination in the workplace. Remaining 14 participants have view as racism is
main cause because it plays a main role in how female employee are treated as well as
compensated at working place of an organisation. The pay a female receives may vary relaying
on her ethnicity and race.
Question 3: Negative effects of gender based discrimination
Q3) What are the negative effects of gender based discrimination in the working
environment of M&S?
Frequency
a). High employee turnover 20
b). Damaged moral 14
c). Lost productivity 16
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Interpretation: Gender discrimination at workplace has negative effects. For these 20 out
of 50 managers of M&S have opinion as discrimination on the basis of gender increase high
employee turnover within an organisation. 14 participants have view as it dammed moral of
employees that results in lack of productivity and performance towards business activities.
Remaining 16 respondents have view as it lost productivity level of employees that turn to
impact over growth and success of M&S at marketplace.
Question 4: Impact of gender discrimination over business’s performance and productivity
Q4) Does gender discrimination has negative impact over performance and
productivity of Marks & Spencer?
Frequency
a). Strongly Agree 25
b). Agree 15
c) Disagree 7
d). Strongly Disagree 3
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Interpretation: It is a true as gender based discrimination has bad or negative impact on
productivity and performance level of M&S. For this statement, 25 respondents were strongly
agreed, 15 were agreed, 7 were disagreed and remaining 3 respondents were strongly disagreed.
Question 5: High employee turnover is a main issue of gender discrimination
Q5) According to you, high employee turnover is a main issue faced by M&S due
to gender discrimination at workplace?
Frequency
a). Yes 40
b). No 10
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Interpretation: From the above table, it has been determined that high employee turnover
is a biggest issue of gender based discrimination in the working place of M&S. 40 respondents
said and remaining 10 respondents not have any idea about the same. Therefore, majority said
yes it means high turnover of employees is biggest problem of discrimination at workplace of
company.
Question 6: Gender discrimination influences the paying ratio
Q6) How gender discrimination influences the paying ratio of Marks & Spencer
Brent Cross Shopping Centre?
Frequency
a). Positive Influence 2
b). Negative influence 40
c). Neutral 8
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Interpretation: This graph interpreted that gender discrimination in the workplace has
influence over paying ratio of Marks & Spencer. In this majority of participants have knowledge
as it negatively influence on business because it increase turnover rate of employees and also
reduce productivity level.
Question 7: Ways for promoting gender equality
Q7) As per your opinion, what ways must be require to follow by M&S for
promoting gender equality at workplace?
Frequency
a). Altering hiring practices to enhance diversity 20
b). Developing an open-mined environment 16
c). Providing equal pay and opportunity to male and female employees 14
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