Higher Nationals Diploma
Assignment Brief
– BTEC (RQF)
Higher National Diploma in Business
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Student Name
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Unit Number
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Unit 35 Developing Individuals, Teams and Organisations (Optional
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Academic Year |
2023-24 |
Cohort |
Sept 17 |
Term |
4 |
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Unit Leader |
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Assessor |
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Assignment Title |
Developing Individuals, Teams and Organisations |
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Issue Date |
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Submission Date |
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IV Name
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Deadline for assignment submission |
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Submission
Format: |
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Assignment Guidelines:
Ø
Use a standard report
structure, Word-process the report and use Normal script of font size 12. Ø
Produce an academic report,
addressing all the tasks with an approx. word limit of 3000, with +/- 10%
margin. Ø
Complete the title page and sign the
statement of authenticity (format attached). This sheet should be attached in
the front of your assignment. Ø
It should be uploaded on
to Turnitin in the submission period as assigned. Ø
Assignments submitted
after the deadline will not be accepted unless a mitigating circumstance is
provided. Assignments submitted after
the submission date may not be eligible for support towards feedback. Ø
Resubmission is capped to
a pass. Learners are allowed to resubmit only once and if they fail to pass
at the time of resubmission, would be advised to retake the unit. Ø
Collusion and Plagiarism
must be avoided. Ø
Start each answer on a new
page and pages should be numbered. Highlight each question clearly. Ø
All work should be
comprehensively referenced and all sources must be fully acknowledged, such
as books and journals, websites (include the date of visit), etc. Ø
Include a
References/Bibliography at the end of the assignment. Use the Harvard
referencing system. Ø
In order to pass you need to address
all Pass criteria. Ø
In order to get a merit you need to address all
the merit criteria along with pass criteria. Ø
In order to get a Distinction you need to
address all the distinction criteria along with pass and merit criteria.
Use
a common report format in writing, for example: Ø
Introduction (analyse the
question.) Ø
Underpinning Knowledge
(write about the relevant theory/points) Ø
Applied knowledge(Application
to a business scenario and supported by applicable data) Ø
Conclusions and
Recommendations (summarizing the whole scenario keeping in view pass, merit,
distinction criteria.)
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Unit Learning Outcomes: |
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LO1
Analyse
employee knowledge, skills and behaviours required by HR professionals. Ø LO2
Analyse the factors to be considered when implementing and evaluating
inclusive learning and development to drive sustainable business performance.
Ø LO3
Apply knowledge and understanding to the ways in which high-performance
working (HPW) contributes to employee engagement and competitive advantage. Ø LO4
Evaluate ways in which performance management, collaborative working and
effective communication can support high-performance culture and commitment.
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Assignment
Brief and Guidance: |
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Learners need to have read
carefully the instructions before attempting any of the questions. The assignment is to be addressed with
reference to the scenario addressing learning outcomes 1 to 4. The learners will be assessed through the
written report submitted by them addressing the Pass, Merit and Distinction
criteria. Contribution: 100% of the module.
Introduction Business growth through higher productivity and enhanced
competitiveness is of critical importance to the global economic recovery and
future prosperity in general. Hence, the British Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills recently published a report in which a considerable body
of evidence shows that wider adoption of High Performance Work Practices
(HPWPs) would improve a firm’s performance and contribute to growth.
Employees report higher job satisfaction, motivation, involvement,
commitment and greater opportunities for innovation and creativity with such
working conditions, environments and systems. The system comprises a coherent bundle of high performance work
practices including Continuing Professional Development (CPD) which is the
means by which professionals maintain and enhance their knowledge and
skills. The CPD initiative aims at empowering
people and organisations with the skills and knowledge to drive performance,
as well as inspire change and unlock potential.
The Whirlpool HPW Case In a “company crisis” scenario which culminated in 2011, the North
America Regional Staff of Whirlpool who are responsible for executing
organizational and strategic changes to sustain the company embarked upon a
major restructuring. The team was aware that the
restructuring would require well-informed, timely decision-making, efficient,
effective and cross-functional collaboration if the business was to move
forward since the organisation was increasingly depending upon teams for
innovation and productivity, and that simply being “effective” was not always
enough.
The survey in Whirlpool measured its team in the North America Region (NAR)
on five core dimensions critical for exceptional team performance. These
dimensions include; Shared Commitment to the Company Vision and Extraordinary
Goals, Shared Accountability for
Results, Transparent Communication,
Constructive Conflict, Mutual Respect and Solidarity. With a clear understanding of what needed
to be accomplished with the restructuring, the NAR Staff became one of the
first teams to ever engage in the HPT assessment process and to implement the
necessary changes to ensure HPW.
With these findings Whirlpool employees in the course of a one-day
team development session agreed to implement the following changes to improve
team functioning:
In addition to these team-level changes, Whirlpool Staff made
individual commitments to align their individual behaviour with the newly
developed expectations of the team. Those who previously worked in relative
isolation agreed to engage with one another before taking certain actions and
to self-improve their skills. What was implicitly playing out below the
surface was openly put on the table in a fair but explicit way. This helped
team members engage in transparent communication and embrace personal ownership
for the team’s performance.”
A second administration of the HPT showed the following:- 1. Shared Commitment to the Vision and Extraordinary Goals 2. Team members communicate a consistent message about the team's
vision and goals throughout the organization. 3. Team members demonstrate an enterprise perspective even when
executing our individual priorities. 4. Shared Accountability for Results 5. Transparent Communication 6. Team has an appropriate forum for constructive debate and
discussion about the issues facing the company. 7. Mutual Respect and Solidarity
The follow up scores demonstrate that in just a half-year period and
during a critical time in Whirlpool’s business, the HPT effectiveness process
helped to improve the organisation performance, strongly enhancing the team’s
ability to deliver exceptional results.
Scenario: As a HR consultant
for Whirlpool, it is required of you to present a report at the annual
Confederation of British Industry workshop highlighting ways in which
performance management, collaborative working and effective communication can
support high-performance culture and commitment. Please
address the LOs and assessment criteria as specified below. [You are encouraged to use practical
examples from appropriate sources to support the various principles, concepts
and theories that will ensure effective training and development practices] Using the scenario address the following
in approximately 3000 words +/-10%:
1.
Carry
out a mini-research to determine the appropriate and professional knowledge,
skills and behaviours that are required by HR professionals in an
organisation with special reference to the case study at Whirlpool. 2.
Analyse
a completed personal skills audit to identify appropriate knowledge, skills
and behaviours and develop a professional development plan for a given job
role with
special reference to the case study at Whirlpool. 3.
Analyse
the differences between organisational and individual learning, training and
development with reference to the case study at Whirlpool. 4.
Analyse
the need for continuous learning and professional development to drive
sustainable business performance with reference to
the case study at Whirlpool. 5.
Demonstrate
understanding of how HPW contributes to employee engagement and competitive
advantage within the organisational situation. 6. P6 Evaluate
different approaches to performance management (e.g. collaborative working),
and demonstrate with specific examples how they can support high-performance
culture and commitment with special reference to the
case study at Whirlpool.
The
satisfactory answer to the above addresses P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, & P6. Awards of Merit and Distinction are
based on the elements of application, critical analysis and evaluation in the
content of the assignment.
The
module will be assessed and graded against the Pass, Merit and Distinction
criteria as specified in the assessment grid below issued by the awarding
body, Pearson Edexcel.
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Learning
Outcomes and Assessment Criteria |
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Pass |
Merit |
Distinction |
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LO1. Analyse employee knowledge,
skills and behaviours required by HR professionals |
LO1 & 2 D1
Produce
a detailed and coherent professional development plan that appropriately sets
out learning goals and training in relation to the learning cycle to achieve sustainable
business performance objectives
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P1. Determine appropriate and
professional knowledge, skills and behaviours that are required by HR
professionals |
M1. Provide a detailed professional
skills audit that demonstrates evidence of personal reflection and
evaluation. |
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P2. Analyse
a completed personal skills audit to identify appropriate knowledge, skills
and behaviours and develop a professional development plan for a given job
role |
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LO2.
Analyse the factors to be considered when implementing and evaluating
inclusive learning and development to drive sustainable business performance. |
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P3 Analyse
the differences between organisational and individual learning, training and
development |
M2
Apply learning cycle theories to analyse the importance of implementing
continuous professional development. |
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P4 Analyse
the need for continuous learning and professional development to drive
sustainable business performance |
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LO3. Apply knowledge and understanding
to the ways in which high-performance working (HPW) contributes to employee
engagement and competitive advantage. |
LO3 & 4 D2 Provide
valid synthesis of knowledge and information resulting in appropriate
judgements on how HPW and mechanisms used to support HPW lead to improved
employee engagement, commitment and competitive advantage.
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P5. Demonstrate understanding of how
HPW contributes to employee engagement and competitive advantage within a
specific organisational situation. |
M3 Analyse the benefits of applying
HPW with justifications to a specific organisational situation.
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LO4. Evaluate ways in which performance
management, collaborative working and effective communication can support
high-performance culture and commitment |
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P6 Evaluate
different approaches to performance management (e.g. collaborative working),
and demonstrate with specific examples how they can support high-performance
culture and commitment
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M4 Critically evaluate the different approaches and make judgements on how effective
they can be to support high-performance culture and commitment. |
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