Tesco Plc's approach to diversity on its corporate website

Auditing a Website for Cultural Diversity

'Diversity' in the website

The usefulness of the diversity information

The appropriateness of the photographs and graphic material

Website Reliance as Employee, Customer & Supplier

Internal Issues Affecting reflection of Diversity

As a Female Potential Employee Aged 55 years

'Diversity' in the website

For this study we consider the case of Tesco Plc, a global retail chain with business in almost every continent in the world.

The company corporate website - http://www.tescoplc.com is an interesting website. The website of the company has a 'search' option. When the word 'diversity' is put in the search box, it yielded several answers and most of them were related to customers and employees. The results showed where the company used the word 'diversity' in documents related to customers and employees.

One of the documents titled 'Core Purpose and Values' of the company stated

"Understanding people -- customers, colleagues, communities -- and what matters to them, and then trying to make those things better, is at the heart of Tesco. It's about listening to people and talking to them using all the tools at our disposal -- from Clubcard data to social media -- and then acting by changing and innovating to meet their needs (Tescoplc.com, 2015)."

In this document, the company also states:

"We know that looking after our colleagues in a culture of trust and respect is essential to the success of Tesco. Where colleagues feel recognized and rewarded for the work they do together" (Tesco plc, 2015).

This statement clearly indicates the company's approach to diversity in among the employees where the company says its core values comprises of providing equal opportunities for development to employees. The company also considers these values to be part of its culture and is essential for the growth and success of the company.

Another document 'Tesco Personal Finance plc, Basel III Pillar 3 Disclosures 28th February 2014' there is mention of diversity or at least hint of it. There are other documents that are related Business Code of Conduct and a number of press releases where the company highlights the activities that are related to diversity and how and why the company tackles the problem of diversity in the company as well as in the society (Tesco plc, 2015).

However the company website -- on most occasions, does not directly refer to or talk about the word 'diversity' but the company documents does hint at policies and values that the company believes which helps in reduction of problems that result from diversity. The documents -- which has to be searched to an extent, clearly indicates that the company pays serious attention to diversity.

The usefulness of the diversity information

The website information presented in the company website is quite explicit about how the company views and values diversity and how the company wants to address the issues. In the document of the company in the page titled 'Core Purpose and Values' the company specifically addresses the issue of diversity for a number of stakeholders.

For the customers of the company, the policy is clear. The company wants to touch the lives of 'millions of people's lives every day' and this opportunity gives the company the chance to create a positive difference to some of the 'biggest challenges facing the world'. It is clear that the problems created by diversity of people and communities is one of the major challenges that is faced by people today. This value of the company is very useful for the customers as the company does not discriminate between customers on the basis of diversity and tries to address all concerns of the customers and their needs that are differentiated by diversity (Alserhan, Forstenlechner & Al-Nakeeb, 2009).

Though the company does not directly mention the word 'diversity' in the website and especially with respect to its employees, but the company's values as has been out in the website clearly identifies the importance that the company attaches to the development of the employees and providing of equal opportunities to the employees. The company in the core value document clearly states that it wants to provide the greatest possible support to the employee as the company realizes that employees- referred at as colleagues, serve the customers and distribute our products every day. Therefore providing good and equal opportunities and catering to the hindrances created by diversity is important from the business point-of-view of the company. This is also beneficial to the employees who need not worry about equal opportunities and would rest assured that it was only important for them to do their work properly and would be rewarded adequately. One of the instances of this policy is exhibited by the company in their page titled 'Being a great employer' where the company says that in 2014, 77% of the managers, directors and business leaders in the company had been given the opportunity to work their way up within the business. This means that the company provides equal opportunities to the employees which is significantly beneficial to the employees.

The information related to diversity that the company has provided in its website are current. For examples, the company has cited the in the business opportunities section information the business role changes in the company that happened an ears earlier. Therefore it can be said that the information is very current and topical and hence relevant for the employees, the customers and other stakeholders. The 'Code of Business Conduct' for example was formed earlier this year and describes that what the company expects from its employees and suppliers and what the company would provide in exchange (Tesco plc, 2015).

Website Reliance as Employee, Customer & Supplier

As a potential employee the website provides enough material to get an idea about how the company treats its employees and the policies and values that the company follows with respect to employees. The most important information as a potential employee that would be useful is the attitude of the company towards diversity and the steps and the measures that the company undertakes to tackle the problem of diversity. This is an important consideration for an employee as it gives the employees some form of assurance that the company would not differentiate with the employee on the basis of diversity -- racial, sexual, and ethnic or in any other form. If a decision about applying for a post in the company is concerned-based entirely and solely on the information available in the website, it can be said that the potential employee would be encouraged to apply for a job in the company (Aulenbacher & Innreiter-Moser, 2013).

The company statements which state that the company aims to resolve some of the challenges that are faced by the society through participatory engagement is etched in the website. The pictures and the illustrations on the website related to customers clearly illustrate that the company has a no-toleration policy towards any form of diversity. There a number of pictures of customers from various backgrounds and diversities shopping together.

As a potential supplier for the company, the code of conduct that has been laid down by the company clearly states that the only criteria for the company with respect to sourcing products from suppliers is quality and ethical source of the products therefore a potential supplier of the company can rest assured that the company would not -- in all probabilities, discriminate on the basis of diversity.

Internal Issues Affecting reflection of Diversity

There can be several factors that affect the prominence that diversity gets on the website of an organization. The most important factor can be if the organization does not follow or does not have clear cut policies with respect to diversity and diversity related issues (Garib, 2013). In that case there would be nothing to write about on the website. This can be evident form the lack of diversity related issues mentioned in the website. However companies might not also feel the need to address the issue on their website and would like to refrain from mentioning these things on the website by choice. There can also be a third possibility that the polices of the organization with respect to diversity could be so robust that the company does not feel the need to advertise them or the policies might be already well-known and the organization does not feel the need to advertise them further.

Conclusion

As far as the website of Tesco Plc is concerned there is no mention of any diversity awards and they are not listed on the website.

As a Female Potential Employee Aged 55 years

The audit of the website of Tesco Plc clearly gives a lot of idea about how the company treats its employees with respect to diversity in terms of age, gender, race and ethnic heritage.

For example in the disclosure page of the website, the company gives descriptions of the achievements the employees of the company managed to get in the last one year. The information from the website states that 7.3% of the employees are always on development and training programmes. More than 70% of the employees claimed, according ot the website, the Tesco is a great place to work and shop. There is less than 1% pay gap between male and female colleagues . Also there is extensive representation of women colleagues right across the company with 23% of the board of directors being women, 24% senior managers are women colleagues and 57% of all the employees are women (Tesco plc, 2015).

These data are quite encouraging if I am a female, over 55, racial minority, person with a physical challenge and planning to apply for a job at Tesco Plc. However the company website does not mention their policy about sexual orientation their policy towards the physically challenged and the otherwise handicapped people.