5CO01 Assignment Guideline Task One

Introduction

Students will be required to provide a formal business report of approximately 2500words. The following is a guide to answering the 5CO01 assignment Task One Questions.

AC 1.1 An evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of two different types of organisational structures – BMC’s structure and another of your choice

Guidance:

Students will explain BMC’s Hierarchical organisational structure. Decisions at BMC are centralised at the top. Students will explain the advantages and disadvantages of hierarchical structures, and relate this with BMC’s operations. Advantages of hierarchical structures relate to clear line of authority and chain of command. Disadvantages are that it enhance centralisation of power and creates communication barrier.

Students will then differentiate Hierarchical structure with another form structure either functional, horizontal or divisional structures. Students may refer to the structure in the organisation where they work from and will explain the advantages and disadvantages of the organisational structure and then link the structure to the organisation’s purpose.

Starbuck’s Coffee has a functional structure with different departments operating to complete different job functions such as HR, Marketing and Finance. Advantages include specialisation, accountability and clarity of employee roles and responsibilities. Disadvantages include challenges related to employee collaboration, lack of good co-ordination and ineffective flow of information.

AC 1.2 An analysis of the connections between organisational strategy, products & services, customers and revenue generation.

Guidance:

Students will identify how organisational goals link to organisational products and services, the target for the sale of the products to enhance organisational survival and growth.

Students will explain how organisational strategies link to customers, with the aim of meeting customer’s needs and establishing customer loyalty.

Students will explain how organisational strategies link to revenue generation to enhance organisational growth and survival, as well as management of risks.

Example: Students will explain how BMC’s strategic goal is linked to the sale of different food products and the customers in Manchester and other locations as well. Students may refer to OGSM Model while answering this question.

1.3 An analysis of the external factors and trends that are impacting or are likely to impact BMC’s future strategic direction

Guidance:

Students answer this question by considering the analysis models such as PESTLE, STEEPLE, SWOT, BCG or Porter’s Five Forces Model.

From the models, students identify external factors that may affect BMC operations in Manchester.

Example: PESTLE analysis tool evaluates the following elements:- Political (tariffs, political stability), Economic (Covid-19 pandemic, economic growth or decline), Social (lifestyle, culture and norms), Technological (Artificial intelligence, social media), Legal (Employment regulations, labour market laws) and Environmental (Sustainability, green policies, CSR). Refer to https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/strategy/organisational-development/pestle-analysis-factsheet. Students should then consider how these factors impact the business and HR operations at BMC.

Examples of external trends that may BMC business include:- Flexible working hours and employee demographics.

1.4 An assessment of two current strategic priorities for BMC and what has caused them

Guidance:

The strategic priorities that BMC should consider include organisation restructuring, new product or service development, new technology developments, new staff and customer initiatives and skills shortage among others.

3.1 A critical evaluation of the relationship between the employee lifecycle and your work (or potential work) as a people professional

Guidance

The students will identify employee life cycle concepts and evaluate activities that people professionals engage in at the different stages. Stages of employee lifecycle include;-

• Recruitment
• Selection
• Induction/onboarding
• Employee development
• Employee retention
• Exit

Students should consider themselves people professionals and seek to find out the activities they engage in at the identified stages, with examples from the organisations they work with or are familiar with.

While giving examples, students may consider using first-person language to show their involvement and their organisation’s capability in completing the identified activities.

3.3 Explanation of two key themes that are currently impacting people practice and shaping how your area of people practice supports the organisation

Guidance

The impact that the issues have on people practices and solutions are analysed to help shape the area of work among the people and in the organisation.  Themes moulding people practices include employee mental well-being, globalisation, new technology, flexible working and nationalisation.

Example: Students discuss issues affecting BMC operations, such as failure of the business to consider people and their well-being, thus resulting to low levels of employee satisfaction and employee turnover. Impact to people practice is that employees become demotivated and thus fail to perform. Solutions would be to develop strategies effective to retain employees through effective workforce planning. Expected positive outcomes would be increased productivity and performance, recruitment of qualified personnel or experts to carry out different organisation roles and responsibilities.

1.5 An assessment of how people practices can impact on organisational systems and structures

Guidance:

Organisational systems can be closed or open. Students differentiate between the open and closed systems.

Students will explain how people practices can affect effective employment.

Students will explain how people practices can affect and improve people management.

Students will explain how people practices can affect development among people in organisations.

The students should provide a paragraph of the potential impacts that organisational structures and systems have on employee recruitment, talent management and priorities in the organisation.

3.2 An assessment of how the BMC People Practice Team: connects with and could support the two strategic priorities at point 4 above

Guidance

Students evaluate the people practice concept and link them to strategic organisational functions organised by senior management. In addition, the students evaluate people practices’ partnerships to business operations functions. Finally, a link between people practices and organisation services to enhance success is provided to identify with the best support system to enhance organisational success.

3.4 An assessment of how the BMC People Practice Team: would consult with relevant parties to clearly understand needs for this.

Guidance

Examples of parties that BMC practice team would consult include the organisational internal customers such as managers, employees and potential candidates. Various ways of engaging and consulting with these parties include;-

• Joint consultations
• Needs analysis
• Stakeholder analysis

3.5 An assessment of how the BMC People Practice Team: would plan relevant projects and ensure they were delivered in line with requirements.

Guidance

Students should think of a project that they have been part of within an organisation. they should consider key components in the project, among them being the project goals and milestones, costs, risks, resources, times and team members’ roles and responsibilities.

The students should explain the project management stages that include;-

• Project conception
• Project development
• Project realisation
• Project termination.

Students also identify approaches effective to enhancing the delivery of the project. Some of the approaches include;-

• Effective communication among all stakeholders
• Leadership involvement in monitoring project activities
• Leadership involvement in evaluating project success and lessons learnt from completing the project.