Promoting Equality and Diversity in the Workplace: A Study

This report delves into the critical topic of promoting equality and diversity in the workplace, using Toyota as a case study. It begins with an introduction defining equality and diversity and highlighting their importance in fostering innovation and competitive advantages. The report outlines the research aims and objectives, research questions, and the rationale behind the study. A detailed project management plan is presented, covering key elements such as quality, cost, communication, scope, time, risk, and resources, along with a work breakdown structure and Gantt chart. The research methodology, including research type, approaches, philosophies, data collection methods, and analysis tools, is thoroughly explained. The report then presents the findings, analyzing data collected through questionnaires from Toyota employees, focusing on leadership styles, benefits of a diverse workforce, barriers to promoting diversity, and strategies employed by the company. Recommendations are provided to help companies effectively promote diversity and equality, addressing challenges like employee resistance through team working and effective leadership strategies. Finally, the report reflects on the learning experience and concludes with a summary of the key findings and their implications.

Managing a Successful Business
Project
1

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
BACKGROUND.........................................................................................................................3
Research aims and objectives......................................................................................................3
Research question........................................................................................................................3
Project management plan.............................................................................................................4
Work breakdown structure and Gantt chart.................................................................................5
Appropriate research or research methodology...........................................................................7
Research data analysis tools........................................................................................................8
Recommendations..........................................................................................................................11
REFLECTION...............................................................................................................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13
Appendix........................................................................................................................................14
2

Topic- Strategies for promoting equality and diversity at workplace.
INTRODUCTION
Equality and diversity refers behaviour of treating people of different culture and age
group in an effect manner. Respecting values and beliefs of all people at workplace is also
known as equality and diversity at workplace (Ashe and Nazroo, 2017). Promotion of diversity
and by employing diverse workforce companies can have several advantages like taking
competitive advantages by bringing innovation and creativity in an organization. On the other
hand, discrimination on some basis can create several problems for both employees and
employers so, it can be said that equality at workplace plays an important role.
BACKGROUND
This present study is based on Toyota who wants to identify some ways and importance
of employing diverse workforce. Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer
company. This present study is going to show importance of managing project plan or estimating
all elements like resources, time and risk (Sundari, 2018). Further, it will also identify some
ways which companies use for promoting equality. Lastly, it will show importance of data
collection and analysis for gathering informations related to the topic and making project
successful.
Research aims and objectives
Aim-
“To explore ways or strategies used by companies for promoting diverse workforce. A case
study on Toyota”.
Objectives
 To evaluate importance of promoting or managing diversity and equality at workplace.
 To identify barriers occur in the path of companies while employing diverse workforce
within an organization.
 To identify policies and strategies Toyota use for managing or promoting diverse
workforce in workplace.
Research question
1. What are some benefits of promoting equality at workplace?
2. Which problems companies face while managing diversity at workplace?
3

3. What are some effective strategies and policies used by companies in employing diverse
workforce?
Rationale
There are several companies whose employees are facing problems and experienced
discriminated and do not get equal opportunities due to their culture, gender, age group and other
basis. It de-motivates and lowers their morale and also creates problems for companies. So,
making people and companies aware about importance of promoting diversity along with
strategies of it, is the main reasons of conducting research on this topic.
Project management plan
Project management plan is a process of estimating some elements which can help researcher in
making project successful. Some elements of PMP include:
Quality: Only completing project is not a task for researcher as making that project
successful is important which can improve their image. There are several tools which can help
scholar in making project qualitative and which researcher will use for this project are: KPI and
others.
Cost: It is important for researcher to complete project in cost effective manner and
successful. Estimating cost can help scholar in making project in appropriate and limited cost.
For this study, researcher estimated £ 45,000 cost for this project in investing in some resources
and others.
Communication: It is other important element. It is important for researcher to make use of
effective communication modes for interacting with all participants and people of research. For
this study researcher will make use of E-mail, telephone and other social media platforms
(Duncan, 2019).
Scope: Identification of scope of the study is also important as it can encourage researcher to
focus more and making project successful. Equality and diversity can help both companies and
students at academic; commercial and all levels as people with different background and gender
are present everywhere.
4

Time: completing a project in a timely and before given deadline is important. Estimation of
time can help researcher in prioritizing important task and completing project in a timely
manner. Researcher estimated approx 50-60 days.
Risk: Risk can create barriers in the path of the success so it is important for researcher to
identify some risk which may occur. Some changes in environment or climate can create some
problems so, it is important to make use of tools of risk management.
Resources: For completing and making research project successful, researcher requires several
sources and pre estimation can help them it on making effective planning. For this research
study, scholar will require, skilled human resources, techniques, tools, stationery and other
resources.
Work breakdown structure and Gantt chart
Figure 1: Work breakdown structure
Gantt chart
5

A Gantt chart is an effective tool as like others because it helps scholar in identifying all steps
which he will require to follow along with estimated time which it will take in completing. This
project schedule help researcher in completing project successful in a timely manner.
Figure 2: Gantt Chart
6

Appropriate research or research methodology
Research methodology helps scholar in gathering and analysing informations related to the topic
and completing project. There are several elements of RM which shows form, sources and other
things of informations.
Research type: It refers data collection form in which scholar collects informations. Qualitative
research type is the one in which non-numerical forms of data are being gathered. On the other
hand, numerical data refers quantitative research or those data which are being collected in
numbers form is known as quantitative (Park and Park, 2016). This present study is qualitative
research so, researcher will gather non-numerical informations.
Research approaches: A process in which researcher collect, analysis as well as interpret data
in a detailed manner is known as research approach which is related to theories. Inductive and
deductive are 2 research approaches. In inductive type, researcher generates a new theory and in
deductive scholar develops an existing theory. For this study, scholar selects inductive approach
as it can increase skills and it is suitable with qualitative research.
Research philosophies: It refers beliefs about techniques in which data are being gathered about
a phenomenon. As like research approaches, there are 2 philosophies of research such as
positivism and interpretivism. Interpretivism philosophy can be defined as a way or a method of
inquiry in social science or it is socially constructed. Whereas, positivism refers explaining
prediction rather actual facts because this philosophy believes that social facts shapes individual
actions. For this equality and diversity research, scholar selects interpretivism philosophy.
Data collection: Data collection refers type of informations as whether they are first hand or
second hand. As per the type of information it is being divided into 2 types such as primary and
secondary. Information which are never being used before by anyone is known as first hand or
primary data collection. Whereas, those informations which may be used before and collected by
7

researcher is known as secondary data collection. For this study, researcher uses both types by
mainly focusing on primary.
Data analysis: It is important for scholar to make data accurate and reliable and with the help of
appropriate and as per the research type, scholar uses data analysis tools for analysing collected
data. For analysing qualitative and non-numerical data, researcher use qualitative data analysis
tool and for numerical or quantitative data they use quantitative data analysis tool. For this study,
researcher uses thematic, qualitative data analysis tool (Van Baalen and Mobjörk, 2018).
Sample: For gathering informations researcher require to select people and this target people are
known as sample. The process of selecting target people is known as sampling which is of 2
types random and non random. A process in which researcher select people randomly is known
as random and process in which people are being selected on some set criteria like education,
age, gender is known as non random (Etikan, Alkassim and Abubakar, 2016.). For this equality
and diversity study, researcher uses random sampling for increasing morale of people and
eliminating discrimination. 20 employees of Toyota has been selected by researcher as a sample.
Research data analysis tools
Theme 1: Leadership style used by company
for equality and diversity?
Participants
Path goal theory 6
Autocratic 10
Democratic 4
8

Interpretation: From the above question it can be said that leadership style is a type of strategy
for promoting equality and plays an important role. In this context 6 employees of Toyota said
that their company uses path goal theory. On the other hand, 10 employees said that according to
the situation and qualification of employees their company focuses on autocratic which de-
motivates them and 4 employees said that they use democratic and give opportunities to all in
decision making process.
Theme 2: Benefits of employing diverse
workforce?
Participants
Market leader 5
Improved productivity 7
Increasing customers retention 8
Interpretation: From the above data it can be said that employing diverse workforce can
provide several benefits. In this regard, 5 employees stated that by doing so they can become
9

market leader and 7 employees said that it can help them out in increasing productivity.
Whereas, majority of employees and 8 employees said that by employing diverse workforce
Toyota can increase customers retention rate because diverse workforce bring innovation and
this innovation in products can satisfy customers.
Theme 3: Main barrier in successful
promoting diversity at workplace
Participants
Employees’ resistance 13
Languages problems 7
Interpretation: It is interpreted from the above graph that managing diversity at workplace is
difficult task. In the context of problems 13 employees stated that employees’ resistance is one of
the main problems. Some existing and local employees think that by employing diverse
workforce company is limiting opportunities for them so they resist. On the other hand, 7
employee said that languages is one of the main barrier as employing workforce of different
culture can crate miscommunication situations.
10

Theme 4: Strategies your company use for
employing diverse workforce and maintaining
them at workplace?
Participants
Policies implementation 12
Training to employees 8
s
Interpretation: There are several companies who are using effective strategies for employing
and managing equality and diversity at their workplace. 12 employees of Toyota said about their
company that their company mainly focuses on implementing policies regarding diversity and
eliminating discrimination and also make it compulsory for all to follow it. On the other hand, 8
employees stated that by providing training they make them aware about importance of diversity.
Theme 5: Recommendations of strategies for promoting diversity at workplace?
Interpretation: In this open ended question all 20 employees of Toyota were given equal
chances of suggesting some ways by which their company can promote diversity in an effective
manner. So, in this context some employees said that they believe by providing rewards to
employees as per their needs, their company can motivate, engage and make them aware about
importance of diverse workforce and can also allow themselves to accomplish goals. On the
11

other hand, some other employees stated that team working can allow employers to let their
employees know about values of different cultures. By working in a team, employees can known
each other’s and can support company in employing diverse workforce and promoting it in an
effective way.
Recommendations
There are some things which can be recommended to company in order to help them out in
successful promoting diversity and equality on all basis at their workplace and also removing all
problems which they face. From the above study and questionnaire it has been identified that
employees resistance is the common problem so, in this context it can be recommended to the
company that it should focus on team working. Team working can allow employees to interact
with each other’s which can improve their relation and encourage them respect values of all. In
addition, it can also be recommended to company that they should focus on using effective
leadership and management strategies which can motivate employees like either transformations
or democratic. Leadership style can help companies and employees in retaining with company
and support them in employing diverse workforce.
REFLECTION
While conducting study I learned so many new things as how equality plays a role to this
great extent not only at workplace but also at all stages as it increases morale and value of
employees. I learned the best and appropriate way of conducting research by following all steps
in a sequence like identifying aim, objectives, PMP, following all elements of RM in an effective
manner. I got to know that promoting diversity and employing diverse workforce like all
different cultures, age group and gender of people is not an easy task because employees resist to
company because of fear of limiting opportunities and others. But by proper analysis and making
use of policies and techniques company can solve all problems and manage diversity at
workplace.
I also learned the way of conducting questionnaire and importance of having
communication skill in order to make people influence and encourage taking participation in
research. Leadership theories also play an important role in developing equality because leaders
guide and support employees and is known as the main pillar of the success of company.
12