3CO01: Business, culture and change in context, Assignment, CIPD Level 3, UK

This unit considers the impact of external influences and how the digital and commercial environment shapes businesses and the culture within which they operate. It considers the importance of people’s behaviour on organisational culture and its ability to manage change effectively.

Task – Written answers

To complete the task, you should provide a written response to each of the nine questions below.

You should relate your answers to your own organisation or an organisation with which you are familiar, ideally one that you have worked for. The same organisation should be used for all nine answers.

To be an effective people practitioner it is important to understand the goals of the business, the products, or services the organisation is selling or providing, the main customers of the organisation and how external factors, including technology impact the organisation’s markets and working methods.

1. Examine two key external influences impacting or likely to impact the activities of the organisation that you work for (or an organisation with which you are familiar) (AC 1.1)

1.1 Examine the key external influences that impact on business environments.

2. Discuss the main business goal of the organisation that you work for (or an organisation with which you are familiar) and why it is important for that organisation to plan how they will achieve the goal. (AC 1.2)

1.2 Discuss organisational goals and why it is important for organisations to plan.

3. Discuss the products and/or services of the organisation that you work for (or an organisation with which you are familiar) and discuss the organisation’s main customers. (AC 1.3)

1.3 Discuss the products and/or services the organisation delivers, including who the main customers are.

Technology has transformed workplaces and the people profession.

4. Review how file sharing technology and video conferencing can be used to improve working practices and collaboration within the people profession in your organisation (or an organisation with which you are familiar). (AC 1.4)

In 2023, a CIPD podcast asked the following question, ‘Has working remotely killed organisational culture?’ This topic is of interest in many organisations but before considering the impact of remote working on culture, it is important to understand what it meant by the term organisational culture.

1.4 Review the range of technology available within the people profession, including how it can be utilised to improve working practices and collaboration.

5. Define organisational culture and explain why it is important to foster an appropriate and effective workplace culture in your organisation (or an organisation with which you are familiar). (AC 2.1)

2.1 Define workplace culture in organisational settings and the importance of fostering positive approaches towards it.

6. Explain how culture is part of a whole system and explain how people professionals’ work and actions could impact elsewhere in your organisation (or an organisation with which you are familiar). (AC 2.2)

2.2 Explain how organisations are whole systems, and how work and actions as a people professional could impact elsewhere in the organisation.

According to the CIPD’s Change Management factsheet, one driver of organisational change is economic downturn and challenging trading conditions.

7. Explain why it is important that organisational change driven by economic downturn and challenging trading conditions is planned, and effectively managed in your organisation (or an organisation with which you are familiar). (AC 3.1)

3.1 Explain the importance of planning and managing change within the workplace.

8. Explain the importance and role that could be played by people professionals in your organisation (or an organisation with which you are familiar) within change driven by economic downturn. (AC 3.2)

3.2 Consider the importance and role that people professionals play within change.

9. Discuss how organisational change, driven by economic downturn, could impact people in your organisation (or an organisation with which you are familiar) in different ways. (AC 3.3)

3.3 Discuss how change can impact people in different ways.

Answer

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