Analyzing The Issues Of Gender Gap Within The Retail Industry Of The Uk

Introduction

The strength of innovation is based upon the diverse along with vibrant workforce. It is being acknowledged in the market that the systematic inequality is being experienced by women in the labour market which is creating barriers thus impacting the economic prosperity. The inequality faced amid the gender impacts the work environment and reduces the opportunity for women in the workplace (Hart & et. al., 2006). Gender parity is lacked in the UK due thus impacting the economic benefits. UK economy might be impacted with the removal of the gender gap and significantly changing the workforce environment. The closing of gender gap mainly with respective to pay could boost the earnings of female by around £80 billion. The government of the UK is taking measures to increase the commitment to augment the full potential. With the increasing issue featuring gender gap it is stated that in UK today women are entering the workforce with better qualification than men but are unable to earn the same pay per hour. It is evidential that government of UK needs to act and ensure that everyone can attain the full potential as per the qualification. Gender equality is about enabling a strong vision so that the country’s economy is augmented by balancing the caring responsibilities towards career (Brynin, 2017). The study is about analysing the gender gap within the retail industry of the UK. The retail business in the UK is growing and the gap within the pay scale is increasing due to the differences within gender.

Introduction

This chapter presents a review of the existing literature on the issues of gender gap within the retail industry of the UK. For the review purpose, wide range of research has been considered including articles and journals. At the beginning the chapter discusses the theory about the gender gap in the UK retail. The chapter draws a conclusion on the gaps identified from the existing literature.

Theoretical position

Theoretical perspectives are to understand the society and the culture that impacts the business and is of concern for the global scenario. The theories include feminism, post-modernism and post-colonialism. Feminism is regarded as a social and political aspect which is being argued upon for ensuring equal rights and opportunities for the female across the globe. As per the theorisation the society is more about gender factor and feminism is emphasising upon female gender. The feminist theory is about understanding about the unequal gender status in the presence of patriarchy society. This theory is about offering power to female in this society so that the pay and status are equal (Griffiths, 1995).

Post Modernism is stated as a dramatic break from the modernism which is important in the present society. This theory counters the modernism society and its idea about the art and architecture. The theory reflects upon the subjective matters so that the interpretation is well effective. On the other hand, the last theory is the Post Colonialism which is about knowledge representations through greater effectiveness. Post colonialism theory is about the disciplinary factors that impacts the societies and the position of people and the work culture.

Equity Feminism and Gender Feminism

Equity feminism is the conservative feminism and the main focus of this form is regarding the legal equality between men and women. On the other hand the gender feminism is about focusing on the disempowering aspects that impacts the society. Equity feminism is more like the liberal feminism and is more about seeking the legal rights for women along with men. Gender feminist is contradicting the aspect of inequalities within the societies. Moreover, women in the workforce are less promoted even though they are much talented than men. It is stated that women in the retail sector are given less priority as it is believed that women lack the aspect of role models (Jewell & et. al., 2018).

Gender Gap

According to the views of HM Government (2018) reducing gender gaps in the labour market participation could augment the economic size of the UK by about 2% which amounts to £55 billion by the year 2030. It is a fact that to promote gender equality and to shape the future it is vital to ensure that the society, individuals and employers work together for the growth of the national interest. It is vital to state that society needs to create real choices along with augment opportunity for the growth of equal opportunity. To promote the gender equality individuals needs to eradicate the barriers on careers and employers need to treat women and men equally. It is also stated by British Council (2018) that increasing job quality along with raising incomes might improve the well being of the UK. To ensure that the issues related to gender gap is reduced it is vital to make decisions in a cumulative manner. There are several key drivers that lead to inequality and require proper attention to tackle the issues that affects the retail sectors. Today even despite attaining better education women progress is less and the pay is generally low along with occupation (CNBC, 2019). The gender pay gap affects the economy of the UK and it is determined from the gathered sources that UK has a gender pay gap of about 18.4 percent. Women earn less than men and women in the retail sector are paid less for the same working hours. Moreover, even though the qualification of women is more they are not offered the role of leadership. Notably, it is argued by DVV Media International Limited (2018) that the pay gap in the UK is owing to drivers which include occupational segregations, seniority, maternity penalty, discrimination along with biases. The gender gap has widened in the UK firms as per the analysis of the data gathered. The gap in the employees pay has increased and the issue leads to lack of qualified and deserving candidates in the retail sectors. It is analysed from the data available by the UK government that gender gap is due to the fact that the employers are favouring men by almost 80% while only 14% women are paid more than men. The discrepancy in the pay is due to the gender gap between male and female employees. In this context, it can be stated that Ryanair was considered as the worst performers as the pay gap of the UK was about 64%. Primark the clothing retailer tends to employ more than 20000 people in the UK and it offers equal hourly wages to both men and women (Eurofound, 2015). However, the issue that is being faced in this retail is that most of the senior position in the company is held by men and not women.

Subsequently, it is stated by BBC (2019) that the biggest employers of the UK have taken measures to narrow the gender gap. The gap is being decreased in the retail sector as it has lowered from 9.7% to 9.6% (BBC, 2019). Companies are taking several initiatives to reduce the gaps. There are several issues that are faced by the companies due to the gender gaps. There are several issues that are being faced by women due to the gender gaps which include the fact that women are not in the power position like men. Female lack equal opportunity and sometimes face issues that are linked to sexism along with racism (Hart & et. al., 2006). The issues that are faced due to gender gap is not only unequal pay but also issues leading to sexual harassment in the retail sector and others in the UK. It is evident from the gathered data that due to gender gap issues women are promoted less than men and are given less power and appraisal. Gender inequality is increasing and is impacting the social along with civic participation that is affecting the level of happiness. According to the views of HM Government (2018) the issues that are actually fuelling the gender inequality in the workplace is mainly unequal pay. An issue that is being faced and leads to gender gap is sexual harassment that is also subject to mistreatment of women. Leadership is the role which is lacked by women as men do not like to take command from them. Thus these aspects lead to gender gap and affect the business along with economy.

Retailer gender gap in UK

Retail industry is human intensive and requires skilled employees for the profit. The retail industry in the UK faces most issues based upon the gender gap. The gap is mainly based upon the pay and hierarchy as stated by LSE (2018). The industry is taking measures to reduce the gender gap and it is determined from the gathered data if retailers take measures equality will be attained. To eradicate the gender gap retailer are taking measures such as focusing upon the contract workers so that the change in the business environment is attained by the year 2030. From the analysis it is revealed that women in the UK are losing about £140bn every year in terms of wages due to the issue that is gender pay gap (Independent, 2018). From the analysis it is determined that campaigners are of the opinion that women might face the issue of unequal pay thus affecting their standards (CNBC, 2019). From the analysis which is done by the Young Women’s Trust it is identified that due to gender gap women in UK are missing out on about £138 billion and the gap is increasing even when the recruitment is done on part time basis. The gap is huge in UK and it is evident from the data collected and the analysis which states that London has the most gender gap. Considering the aspect of pay the issue is that the average annual pay of men is £53521 and on the other hand the pay of women in an average is £38467 which is a difference of about 28 percent (CIPD, 2019). From the analysis and review of the articles it is evident that the gender gap in the retail sector is high but at the same time the retailers are taking measures to reduce the same. UK’s large companies have more gender gap and therefore the government of UK is taking measures to reduce the differences in the salary structure of men and women. According to the views of Retail Gazette (2020) gender gap is not only in the pay structure but also on the way women are looked up to in the workplace. The real equality is not only by reducing the pay gaps but also by showing respect to women and changing the work culture from being male dominated to women. Women are undervalued on a regular basis and their skills are not valued like men. However, it is analysed that UK retailers are taking strict measures to reduce the gender gap but still women are facing issues and are not offered the position they deserve in the organisation (Rubery & Koukiadaki, 2016). As per the data collected in the year 2017 men were paid more by an average of 6% but the retailers are taking measures to ensure that the pay equality is assured (Guardian News & Media Limited, 2019). It is stated by the supermarket of UK that low paid jobs in the stores were offered to women and higher position were received by few. Retailers such as Asda are taking measures to reduce gender gap by introducing policies that are effective to encourage the process of recruitment irrespective of gender. Asda is trying to accelerate the opportunities given to women through the help of the development programs which are mainly for the women employees (Guardian News & Media Limited, 2019). The gender gap in the retail sector in the UK can be determined and analysed through the help of the table below:

Tesco one of the leading retailers in UK is taking measures and are considering upon several schemes in order to reduce the gender gap and appointing workers irrespective of gender to ensure greater flexibility in the workforce along with managerial roles. Today the retailers are taking measures to reduce the gender gap and increase the overall status of women based upon their knowledge and skills.

Case Study

The parity in the retail sector is changing as large retailers are trying to take measures so that the gender gap is reduced. Tesco is one of the leaders in the retail segment are it is focusing upon the women development plan so that not only the pay structure is improved but also the work environment. The issue is that the inequality affects the economy and the lifestyle of people. The case of IKEA states about the gender gap that is apparent in the UK retail business. Earning of men over women is one factor and the lack of motivation of women is another issue. The issue of gender gap has an immense impact over the lifestyle and working environment of people. It is revealed by Ikea that the gender gap and pay gap in reported across the retail sector (Guardian News & Media Limited, 2019). The retail sector favours men over women when it comes to distribution. On the other hand, the number of women is half of the giant retail staff when it is about running the stores responsibly both online and offline. Ikea have shared its statistics to attain better understanding about the gender gap an issue that is impacting the retail in UK even through the government is taking measures. Women in the distribution channels, operations and logistics are only about 17% as analysed from the study (Guardian News & Media Limited, 2019). Retail sector in UK is taking measures to improve its conditions and improving the opportunities for women so that the gap of gender is reduced considerably. The work environment and culture also affects the gender gap because the main factor is to improve the potential of workers for the effectiveness of the economy. Ikea revelled that the gender pay gap in the retail business is about 6.1 % and to reduce the same it is vital that the recruitment and management team is able to ensure better work environment based upon talents and not gender (HM Government, 2018).

Retail companies like Ikea, Tesco is also considering upon the pilot schemes so that the barriers are removed to improve the careers and ensure greater flexibility within the working environment for women. A business is successful when both men and women are well coordinated and are able to respect each other irrespective of gender. There are several issues that are faced due to gender gap such as lack of priority and promotion in the retail business sector. As per the case of Asda it is worthy to note that the retail giant was responsibly creating opportunities for employees so that they could accelerate without the issues of gender bias. Asda the retail brand like Ikea was focusing upon improving the position of women by offering better position in the management as leaders. From the analysis it is subjected to state that the ability to take vital decisions was mostly by men but with the changing rules retailers are offering the decision making ability to women as well (Jewell & et. al., 2018). For the success of the retail segment it is vital that employees are provided with proper working environment and be motivated. The issues were that due to the gender gap women were paid less, were not motivated and appraisal was subject to gender rather than potential. Retailers today are following several programs to ensure strong commitment so that gender gap is reduced and recruiters attract more and more talents at every level. Leadership and training programs are part of the UK business philosophy and the idea is to create opportunities for men and women without gender gap. Gender gap is being reduced in the retail sectors by expanding women leadership programs and creating growth opportunities by offering cross functional relationship programs. It is argued and stated by LSE (2018) that it is important that women are self sufficient and independent so that they can aspire women to be better leaders in the future. The UK labour force has represented the fact that gender pay gap is huge and the retail sectors are trying to reduce by forming policies for women. Correspondingly, it is analysed that gender equality has changed the society and thus there is a genuine need to understand the issues so that women are offered better growth. As per the case of Ikea it is evident that in the labour market the qualification of women is more than men but the earning of men is more. It is analysed from the articles that women are subjected to more unpaid work therefore the UK retail market gets impacted. Women face more challenges while working in the retail sector as they are unable to meet the pay structure along with progression. The issue is that due to gender gap the sustainability and strong foundation can be attained in the UK. The idea is to empower women and ensure a proper legislation to protect people against discrimination and inequality. In the present evolving society women are more talented thus having opportunities to be strong leaders. The government along with the retail sector tends to tackle the limiting attitudes towards gender so that the balance is attained thus improving the outcome (Retail Gazette, 2020). Retail business is taking measures and is increasing participation in the programs so that talented women are given their right place. UK government along with the retail business is trying to change the gender gap by eradicating the harmful gender stereotypes so that working community gains effectiveness. The gender gap in the UK is high in the retail sector as the sector lacks proper guidelines to protect women and offer a safe environment. The work environment in the working environment is vital so that the productivity is improved the retail business failed to offer proper environment thus leading to violence (Rubery & Koukiadaki, 2016). Ikea and other retail business are developing female talents in order to strengthen the leadership pipelines to encourage better growth opportunity. Retail sector is labour intensive therefore gender need to be treated equally so that customers are satisfied and works are well managed.

Conclusion

From the analysis of the paper it can be comprehended that gender gap is high in retail sector of UK. Several measures are being considered upon to minimise the gap but the main factor is linked with pay gap which affects the retail sector. Retail sector in the UK employs several human resources but the recruitment is not only based upon talents but upon gender. Women are not treated equally they are paid less and are not offered high position in the organisation. There are several issues that are faced in the retail sectors such as sexual harassment and gender bias. For the work environment and economy to grow it is vital that equal opportunity is provided to both genders. Retail sectors in the UK are taking measures to motivate employees to work equally and earn same without differences. The gender gap in the retail sectors exists from long therefore companies like Tesco, Ikea are taking small measures to mitigate the gender gap. Gender gap has a negative impact over the business and UK economy therefore the government is taking measures to avoid the gender gap. The government of UK along with the retail sector is trying to promote gender equality in order to shape the future in the right way. The idea is to move forward and create a fairer society where individuals can attain the full potential. It can also be concluded that gender should not be the defining factor for the retail sector development or UK economy. The main aspect is to reduce the gaps so that the size of the UK business and economy is positively influenced.

References

• BBC, 2019. Gender pay: Fewer than half of UK firms narrow gap. [Online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-47822291 [Accessed March 14, 2020].
• Brynin, M., 2017. The gender pay gap. Equality and Human Rights Commission, pp. 1-67.
• British Council, 2018. Gender Equality And Empowerment Of Women And Girls In The UK. Meeting the challenge of the Sustainable Development Goals, pp. 1-52.
• CNBC, 2019. Gender pay gap widens at almost half of UK firms. [Online] Available at: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/05/gender-pay-gap-widens-at-almost-half-of-uk-firms.html [Accessed March 14, 2020].
• CIPD, 2019. Not just a number: lessons from the first year of gender pay gap reporting. Gender pay gap Report, pp. 1-21.
• DVV Media International Limited, 2018. Top five retailers take action to reduce gender pay gap. [Online] Available at: https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/retail-gender-pay-gap-2017/ [Accessed March 14, 2020].
• Eurofound, 2015. The gender employment gap: Challenges and solutions. Report Research, pp. 1-104.
• Guardian News & Media Limited, 2019. Ikea reveals 6.1% gender pay gap for UK retail business. [Online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/mar/29/ikea-gender-pay-gap-uk-retail-distribution [Accessed March 14, 2020].
• HM Government, 2018. Gender equality at every stage: a roadmap for change. Gender equality, pp. 1-28.