Research on Zara: Managing Cultural Diversity to Reduce Conflict

This research report examines the crucial role of cultural diversity management in eliminating employee conflict, with a specific focus on Zara, a global clothing company. The study investigates the benefits of diversity, including improved employee engagement, positive relationships, enhanced creativity, and faster problem-solving. It also identifies challenges such as poor communication, unresolved conflicts, and employee turnover. The research employs a positivism research philosophy and explores alternative strategies for Zara to manage diversity effectively, such as recognition and proper training programs. The report aims to determine the effectiveness of managing cultural diversity in reducing conflict among employees, identifying the challenges faced, and evaluating alternative solutions. The research questions address the role of diversity management, challenges encountered, and alternative management approaches within Zara. The literature review supports the importance of workplace diversity for overall company performance and highlights the need for effective diversity management to create a positive and productive work environment. The research methodology used in this report includes research philosophy and research approach to gather relevant data for the study.

Research Project

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................2
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................5
DATA COLLECTION....................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION ............................................................................19
REFLECTION...............................................................................................................................21
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................22

Title: “To investigate the importance of managing cultural diversity in eliminating conflict
among employees”. A study on Zara.
INTRODUCTION
Now a day's, cultural diversity at at workplace is increasingly becoming important
because majority of organization are embracing its operational activities with the global
workforce. Due to globalisation, people are from different culture, background and beliefs are
required to communicate more. Thus, effective management of diversity within the company is
crucial and has been utilised as an assistance to defence against discrimination that can be arise
at working area (Ashikali and Groeneveld, 2015). Diversity in business organization is required
to adopt and at the same time also accept easily to change that contributes in increasing creativity
at working environment. This will assist in enhancing productivity level of employees and make
them flexible in nature so that they easily accept changes occur at workplace. Current research is
based on Zara, is famous clothing company operate their business at global level with the aim of
attaining competitive success at market place. Organization also focus on their diverse workforce
to execute their operational activities along with high efficiency level. With the help of this, firm
can promote equality at workplace and at the same time also eliminate the possibilities of arising
issues among workforce. Proper management of diversity may help in reduce employee turnover
by sustaining them for long period of time.
Research aim:
“To study the effectiveness of managing cultural diversity in eliminating conflict among
employees”. A study on Zara.
Research objectives:
 To determine the role of managing cultural diversity within the company.
 To identify the challenges faced by company at the time of managing diversity culture at
working area.
 To evaluate the alternative ways through which Zara can manage diversity and conflict
among staff members.
Research questions:
 What is the role of managing diversity within the company?
 What are the issues faced by company while managing culture at working area?
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 What kind of alternative ways through which Zara can manage diversity and conflict
among staff members?
Rationale of research
Undertaking a detailed investigation is crucial for researcher to analyse as well as explore
information about how managing cultural diversity effective and beneficial for company in
developing positive or healthy relation with staff members. This is the primary reason that
investigator carry out this research as it also assist in developing their personal and professional
career growth. By using this study, investigator learn various things which are effective in
attaining positive and accurate outcomes (Deery and Jago, 2015). It may contributes in
improving the efficiency level of investigation and also provide guidance to company in
managing diversity at working area. With the assistance of this, conflict among staff members
can be easily eliminate and build healthy relation among them.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Role of managing diversity within the company
According to Mayhew, (2019) Workplace diversity is considered as an effective aspect
for company that refers to the different or variety between company and its individual. As
diversity is not only determined how people identify themselves but also identify how others
perceive them. At working area, diversity is based on culture, age, race, religion, citizenships,
gender and other distinct difference between people. As diversity culture at workplace also
having various benefits that support in improving overall performance and productiveness of
company. Organization that recruit diverse workforce have skilled and talented employees who
give their best efforts for accomplishing all the set goals and objectives in stipulated time frame
without any kind of complexities. Along with this, employees from different background and
culture imbue firm with innovative and creative ideas to execute organizational activities. It may
effective in cut-down issue of arising complex situation at working station. Diverse employees
are also give their ideas to the company and also understand actual needs of customers. By this,
firm can increased its customers satisfaction and make them loyal towards its services as well.
This is the reason that most of business organisation strive to achieve because it not improve
reputation of company but also enhance the employees performance. In this regards, there are
some major role of managing diversity within the organisation are as follows:
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Improve employee engagement: It is significant for manager of company to effectively
manage the diversity and at the same time also engage their employees in task activities. By this,
workers also feel their involvement at workplace. This is the reason that employees also get more
engaged with organizational activities and also tries to perform well. Through which company
easily improve employee efficiency and make them more productive to accomplishing all the set
targets in stipulated time frame.
Build positive relation: When different people perform their activities in a team then
they tries to improve or build relation with each others. At a working area of company, large
number of employees are perform who have different background and different way to act. In
this workers tries to understand others views and behaviour so that they can easily build positive
and healthy relation with each others. It directly contributes in building strong reputation of
company by reducing its employee turnover.
Promote creativity: In business organization, people with different culture and
background tend to have unique and different experience that could be beneficial for company in
increasing higher creativity at working area. As it exposure or share variety of perspective and
view points to completing the task activities in an innovative manner. When company put
employees together then they see the same things in different aspect that generate new ideas
within the business organisation that leads to improve creativity for company workforce.
Faster problem solving: Employees from different background have certain views
points as they also able to bring diverse solution towards the specific issue that arise at working
area. Therefore, they also give their best solution to resolve problem in effective and quicker
way. This will support in reducing the possibilities of arising issues and conflicts among staff
members and at the same time also maintain healthy relation between them.
Issues faced by company whole managing culture at working area
According to Kokemuller, (2020) diverse culture at working area is not always effective
as it also create various challenges in-front of company and its workforce as well. Due to
different culture and background, employees are fail in building relation among staff members as
they doesn't understand others views points. As it is stated that, managing cultural diversity at
working area is not simple and easy task for management. Thus, it is crucial for effectively
implement and manage diverse culture so that workforce of company can easily reduce the
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challenges in most appropriate manner. In addition of this, challenges can be understood by
following points that faced by company at the time of managing diversity:
Poor communication: If workers are from different culture with different native
language that create difficulties at the time communication. As they fail in interacting with other
effectively and also develop number of barriers that prohibit clear and meaningful
communication among staff members. Due to poor communication, misunderstanding between
staff members can easily increase that leads to develop negative relation and also reduce
company image as well.
Unresolved conflicts: Greater difference at working area create issues and conflicts
among staff members because individual come from different background and culture have
different opinion about how to handle issue that occur at working area. This is the major reason
that can prohibit effective resolution of conflicts. When employees feel that they cant not find the
appropriate way then they give up as it create negative impact over the staff and their
performance as well. As it create conflicts and also reduce healthy relation among people that
may negatively effect on brand image of business organization.
Turnover of company: Poor managed diversity leads to the higher turnover as
dissatisfied employees feel that working environment is unsafe for them as they will leave the
organisation. Therefore, constantly replacing employee would be costly as company has to pay
to recruit and train replacements of new employee. This will create risk of losing top talent in-
front of company. This will directly increase the turnover of the business organisation and also
reduce the overall performance of company.
Alternative ways through which Zara can manage diversity and conflict among staff members
According to Derks and et. al., (2015), It is important for business organization to
overcome from the challenges of diverse culture as it provide various benefits to company in
enhancing their positive brand reputation at market place. Along with this, business is also
responsible for implementing appropriate ways in order to effectively management of diverse
culture so that workers can perform their activities in an appropriate way and at the same time
also reduce the possibilities of arising any kind of issues at working area. In relation to this,
there are some effective alternative ways that could be adopt by company that support them in
managing conflict among employees. These ways are as follows:
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Recognition: It is important for manager of company to recognise people who have
different culture and background that help in analysing their performance. This can be reduce the
issue of increasing conflicts at working area. As manager needs to encourage their workers to
celebrate the difference among workers and let them allow to share their view points with others.
It directly contributes in developing as well as establishing positive relation and also boost their
morale to do well within the company and accomplish their targets as well.
Proper training programs: For managing diversity and eliminating conflict, training is
one of the important way that help employees in improving their awareness towards the different
culture. This is also beneficial in preventing employees from any kind of negative impact and
issues at working area. Providing proper training and development programs support in making
employee able to give their best efforts for building positive relation with others at working
environment of company.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research methodology is refer to the effective process and that by which investigator
needs to undertake their research activities in a systematic manner. Mainly, it provide direction
to investigator to formulate as well as analyse their issues and at the same time also determine
the necessary solution to resolve the same. One of the main purpose of research methodology is
to draw a valid conclusion by gathering accurate information on the basis of particular area of
research. Thus, it is important for researcher to select appropriate methods and techniques with
the aim of gathering valuable data. This can be beneficial in attaining positive results and make
whole research more successful or reliable in nature. In this context, there are some methods that
could be implement by investigator to carry out the investigation in an effective. All these can be
understood by following techniques:
Research philosophy: It is related with the belief about the way in which data should be
acquired, analysed and implemented with the aim of attaining accurate outcomes at the end of
the investigation. Basically it can be classified into two methods such as interpretivism and
positivism research philosophy (Dubey and et. al., 2017). For undertaking current research
activities, investigator will use positivism philosophy as it is effective and more valuable
methods to evaluate as well as analyse quantitative information about impact of managing
cultural diversity in reducing conflicts among staff members. By using this method, researcher
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analyse numerical information that directly contributes in improving the possibilities of
accomplishment of relevant outcomes within the research.
Research approach: This section is based on the plan and procedure for carry out the
research as it includes various steps for assumptions to detailed method of collecting, analysing
and interpretation of data with the of addressing the particular issues or problem of research. It
divided in different approaches i.e. inductive and deductive research approach which contributes
in accomplishing the reliable results within the investigation (Zhang, Chen and Sun, 2015).
Under this research, deductive research approach will be adopt by researcher to gather
information towards the research topic. It help in developing hypotheses from the existing theory
in order to analysis collected data in systematic manner. The main aim of deductive approach is
to testing an existing theory to develop authentic analysis towards the particular research topic.
Research design: It is an important and effective section of methodology that is related
with the framework of research methods implement by investigator to draw a valid judgement.
Along with this, it also allow investigator to select most suitable methods for the specified
subject. This can be beneficial in determining the accurate information towards the particular
area of research. It includes various methods such as descriptive, experimental and exploratory.
For undertaking this investigation, researcher will use descriptive research design as it help in
identifying the research issue that required to be address. By this, researcher can improve the
chances of taking right decision at the time of drawing a valid conclusion.
Types of investigation: At the time of investigating research activities, it is crucial for
researcher to select an appropriate type of method because it help them in providing a clear path
in which data is gathered and analysed. It is classified on the basis of two methods such as
qualitative and quantitative research. Both type of investigation help researcher in undertaking
research activities in detailed and systematic manner. For carry out current research, researcher
will be applied quantitative research as it consider as a systematic investigation that used in
acquiring quantifiable data and at the same time also performing statistical, mathematical
techniques. In this data will be collected through various sources such as online survey, online
polls, questionnaire, observation and many more (Almost and et. al., 2016). With the assistance
of this, the result can be depicted in the form of numerical that directly contributes in attaining
positive and reliable results at the end of the investigation.
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Data collection: For acquiring data, there are various methods that can be used by
investigator with the aim of drawing a valid results within the research. Mainly, it is refers to the
effective process of measuring as well as acquiring data on the basis of variables of interest in
systematic way that contributes in determining or addressing the particular issues of
investigation. It includes different methods or sources of collecting data such as primary and
secondary. These type of methods are appropriate for undertaking specified research activities in
order to take right and valuable decisions. Primary method is one of the effective way in which
data is gathered from first hand sources by using different sources such as interview, survey,
questionnaire, experiments and many more (Liu and et. al., 2015). On the other side, secondary
data is collected through online journal, articles, books and so on that have been run by other
people. It provide detailed information to investigator that contributes in attaining authentic
results. Both primary and secondary methods will be applied by researcher to carry out research
in more effective manner. By using primary source structured questionnaire would be prepared
that includes close-ended asked from selected respondents in order to understand their point of
view towards the specified research topic. In addition to this, secondary method is help in
undertaking literature review that provide view point of different authors to address the research
problem. With the assistance of LR, researcher gather in-depth evaluation on the basis of
managing cultural diversity in eliminating conflicts among staff members.
Research techniques: It is one of the important responsibility of researcher to select
right method for carry out the research activities in a systematic manner. Mainly, it includes
various techniques such as questionnaire, interview, observation, focus group and many more
(Liu, Meng and Fellows, 2015). All these are effective in collecting primary information
regarding current research topic. In order to collect relevant data on the basis of impact of
managing cultural diversity in eliminating conflict among employees, questionnaire will be
applied. As it is an effective and useful techniques to collect accurate information. With the
assistance of this, researcher can take accurate decision and at the same time also make a reliable
study.
Sampling: It is also an important activity in which researcher select sample size from the
larger population with the aim of collecting valuable information so that reliable outcomes can
be easily accomplished. It includes two type of sampling techniques such as probabilistic and
non-probabilistic (Rahim and Gunlu, 2016). For this research, probabilistic sampling technique
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will be used by researcher to select sample size as per random basis. In this all the selected
respondents get equal chances to be selected for providing their views and opinion towards the
research topic. By using this, 50 respondents are chosen who are employees of company and also
have enough knowledge about the diversity culture.
DATA COLLECTION
Questionnaire
Q1) Are you aware about cultural diversity at workplace?
a) Yes
b) No
Q2) Does implementing diversity at working environment is important for company?
a) Yes
b) No
Q3) Is employee get affected through diverse culture at working area?
a) Yes
b) No
Q4) What is the role of managing diversity within the Zara?
a) Improve employee engagement
b) Build positive relation
c) Promote creativity
Q5) What are the issues faced by company while managing culture at working area?
a) Difference in language and communication
b) Cultural difference
c) Lack of understanding or respect
Q6) What kind of alternative ways through which Zara can eliminate conflict among staff
members?
a) Teamwork
b) Help employee to develop positive work relation
c) Develop strong communication channels
d) Treat everyone fairly
Q7) Does management of culture diversity support Zara in eliminating conflicts among
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employees?
a) Yes
b) No
Q8) According to you, what are the effective ways that can be used by Zara for managing
diverse culture at working environment?
a) Increase awareness
b) Provide employee diversity training
c) Model the right behaviour
Q9) Does elimination of conflicts help employees in building healthy relation with each
others?
a) Yes
b) No
Q10) Recommended the ways by which Zara improve employee relation at working area.
Data sheet
Q1) Are you aware about cultural diversity at workplace? Frequency
a) Yes 45
b) No 5
Q2) Does implementing diversity at working environment is important
for company?
Frequency
a) Yes 30
b) No 20
Q3) Is employee get affected through diverse culture at working area? Frequency
a) Yes 40
b) No 10
Q4) What is the role of managing diversity within the Zara? Frequency
a) Improve employee engagement 20
b) Build positive relation 15
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c) Promote creativity 15
Q5) What are the issues faced by company while managing culture at
working area?
Frequency
a) Difference in language and communication 30
b) Cultural difference 10
c) Lack of understanding or respect 10
Q6) What kind of alternative ways through which Zara can eliminate
conflict among staff members?
Frequency
a) Teamwork 20
b) Help employee to develop positive work relation 10
c) Develop strong communication channels 10
d) Treat everyone fairly 10
Q7) Does management of culture diversity support Zara in eliminating
conflicts among employees?
Frequency
a) Yes 30
b) No 20
Q8) According to you, what are the effective ways that can be used by
Zara for managing diverse culture at working environment?
Frequency
a) Increase awareness 20
b) Provide employee diversity training 20
c) Model the right behaviour 10
Q9) Does elimination of conflicts help employees in building healthy
relation with each others?
Frequency
a) Yes 40
b) No 10
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