ou need to choose a topic for your assignments within the general subject area of equality and diversity in the workplace. Equality in this context means ensuring that everybody has the same access to the same opportunities without any discrimination. For example, people are not rejected for a job, denied promotion, given less important work, awarded lower performance appraisal marks or treated in any other way that is unfair because of their race, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability etc. Diversity in this context means placing valuing on and respecting people’s different backgrounds, knowledge, skills and experiences and using these differences to create a productive and effective workforce. Background material can be found in the document Research Project Theme 2019 below.
Pearson suggest that the range of topics students could cover includes the following areas; we have added some comments in ( )s to expand on each idea:
• Behaviours that support equality and diversity in the workplace (e.g. if an organisation runs diversity workshops or programmes relating to equality at work, what do staff think about them and their usefulness?)
• Managing cultural diversity in the workplace (e.g. how do employees from different backgrounds find working together? What are the benefits and problems?)
• Gender equality in leadership and management (often referred to as a ‘glass ceiling’, are there apparently invisible barriers to women – or other groups, such as ethnic minorities, progressing to senior positions?)
• Workplace discrimination (e.g. do people from an ethnic minority experience specific forms of discrimination?)
• The work-life balance and enrichment experiences (e.g. do women experience more problems balancing their work/career with family and social life because they are expected to do more around the home, looking after children, etc?)
