CIPD Level 5 Unit 5CO01 Organisational Performance and Culture in Practice Assignment Example 2026

CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma in People Management

CIPD Level 5 Unit 5CO01 Assignment Example

About This Unit 

This unit examines the connections between organisational structure and the wider world of work in a business context. It highlights the factors and trends, including the digital environment, that impact on business strategy and workforce planning, recognising the influence of culture, employee wellbeing and behaviour in delivering change and organisational performance.

What you will learn

You will learn about the connections between organisational structure, strategy and the business operating environment. You will analyse external factors and trends and assess organisational priorities and issues, including the scale of technology within organisations. You will also interpret theories and models of organisational and human behaviour and the drivers for change. Finally, you will discuss the link between the employee lifecycle and different people practice roles and how people practice connects with and supports wider people and organisational strategies. You will focus on how to support internal customer needs and ensure that business goals and objectives are delivered in line with customer requirements.

Learning Outcome, Assessment Criteria and Indicative Content

1. Understand the connections between organisational structure, strategy and the business operating environment.

1.1 Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of different types of organisation structures, including the reasons underpinning them.

Different organisational structures, for example functional, divisional, matrix; links between structure and purpose; reasons underpinning different structures, advantages and disadvantages of different structures.

1.2 Analyse connections between organisational strategy, products, services and customers.

How organisational strategies are shaped by the business and external contexts; organisational insights and organisational performance; models of strategy formulation and implementation; concept of vertical and horizontal integration of strategy.

1.3 Analyse external factors and trends impacting organisations to identify current organisational priorities.

Analysis tools and approaches. Analysis of factors such as: the market and competitive contexts of organisations, principal demographic, social and technological trends, impact of technology, globalisation and international factors, government policy and legal regulation, international bodies, including the European Union. How factors/trends affect organisational priorities; impact of organisation lifecycle.

Current priorities: for example expansion, contraction, restructuring, reorganisation, new product or service development, financial targets, skills shortages, labour shortages, technological developments, customer initiatives, staff initiatives, seasonal factors, remote working, shift to new product and service delivery.

1.4 Assess the scale of technology within organisations and how it impacts work.

Scale of technology: work systems and ‘equipment’ in use; currency, updating and efficacy of systems; implementation of technology across the organisation and areas where technology plays a greater or lesser role; organisation spend on technology and wasted spend (‘here today gone tomorrow technology’); levels of support for using technology. Impact of technology: on different functions, products and services provided; on worker efficiency, worker wellbeing (for example remote working, ‘always-on’ technology, work-life balance, wider family issues); collaborative working (social media); worker satisfaction (automation), creativity and innovation; how the work has evolved in line with the technological timeline.

2. Understand organisational culture and theoretical perspectives on how people behave at work.

 2.1 Explain theories and models which examine organisational and human behaviour.  

Theories and models of organisational culture; culture typologies (e.g. Schein, Hofstede, Handy). Autocratic, custodial, supportive and collegial models of organisational behaviour. Concept of Learning Organisations. Management and leadership theory and how management styles impact employee behaviour. Models of human behaviour (e.g. motivation theory).

2.2 Assess how people practices impact on organisational culture and behaviour.

 Extent of people practice influence, for example people practice’s role of ‘people champion’, setting behaviour through policy, setting behaviour through rolemodelling. Potential impact on: beliefs and values; levels of openness and trust, for example through policy development; levels of motivation, for example linked to reward, engagement, relations and equality, diversity and inclusion policies; attitude to and provisions and take-up of learning/CPD, linked to L&D policies; levels of staff wellbeing, linked to overall positioning, management and value placed on employees in the organisation.

2.3 Explain different approaches to managing change.

Change management approaches: for example Lewin’s three-step model of change; Kotter’s eight-stage model; reactive approaches, proactive approaches; planned change, emergent change; radical, incremental change; levers for change; drivers of change: wider environment, task environment, internal environment.

2.4 Discuss models for how change is experienced.

 Models for how people experience change: for example Tannenbaum and Hanna three-stage model; Kubler-Ross adapted model: the coping cycle; Spencer and Adams’ seven-stage model; readiness for change and resistance to change.

2.5 Assess the importance of wellbeing at work and the different factors which impact wellbeing.

 Importance of wellbeing at work: how wellbeing at work impacts on the individual: for example worker engagement; worker motivation; job satisfaction and purpose; physical and mental health; self-image and resilience. Links to psychological contract, work-life balance, wider family issues. Links to motivation, for example expectancy theory’s effort-performance-rewardengagement cycle.

Impact: on levels of worker commitment and issues resulting from this for the organisation, for example issues resulting from reduced attendance, punctuality, capability and efficiency. Issues resulting from impoverished relationships and greater potential for stress and interpersonal conflict.

3. Understand how people practice supports the achievement of business goals and objectives.

 3.1 Discuss the links between the employee lifecycle and different people practice roles.

Definitions of lifecycle, for example attraction, recruitment, induction/onboarding, development, retention/engagement (including reward/relations, promotion/succession planning), exit/separation, possible postemployment connections. Overview of people practice roles at each stage and how this continues to evolve. Touch points along lifecycle for particular areas of people practice (HR, L&D, OD) and different people practice roles.

3.2 Analyse how people practice connects with other areas of an organisation and supports wider people and organisational strategies.

 Connections: links between people practice and the strategy-making function (‘top table’); links between people practice and business/operational functions; business partnering; vertical and horizontal integration. Support: How people practice strategy is derived from and supports organisational/corporate strategy. Services provided by different areas of people practice (for example, policy development, legislative compliance, recruitment, L&D, skills analysis, management development) and how these support the business and its employees.

3.3 Discuss processes for consulting and engaging with internal customers to understand their needs.

 Consulting processes: how people practice liaises with and identifies internal customer needs; consultation and communication processes; stakeholder analysis; needs analysis activities. The importance of regular and effective ongoing liaison with stakeholders.

Monitoring and evaluation activities

Learning resources

Books

Taylor, S. and Woodhams, C. (eds). (2022) Studying human resource management. 3rd ed. London: CIPD Kogan Page.

Cookson, G, (2022) HR for Hybrid working.

Kogan Page. Chapter 4 pp67-85; Chapter 8 pp163-182; Various parts of Chapters 5 – 10 pp89-219.

Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S. (2023) Armstrong’s handbook of human resource management practice. 16th ed. London: Kogan Page.

Armstrong, M. (2020) Armstrong’s handbook of strategic human resource management. 7th ed. London: Kogan Page.

Boxall, P. and Purcell, J. (2022) Strategy and

human resource management. 5th ed. London: Bloomsbury Academic.

Burnes, B. (2017) Managing change. 7th ed. Harlow: Pearson Education.

Cameron, E. and Green, M. (2019) Making sense of change management: a complete guide to the models, tools and techniques of organizational change. 5th ed. London: Kogan Page.

Cheung-Judge, M.Y. and Holbeche, L. (2021) Organisation development: a practitioner’s guide for OD and HR. 3ed ed. London: Kogan Page.

Cureton, P. (2017) Developing and using consultancy skills (e-book). London: CIPD Kogan Page.

Horn, R. (2009) The business skills handbook. London: CIPD Kogan Page.

Phillips, J., Trotter, W. and Phillips, P. (2015) Maximizing the value of consulting: a guide for internal and external consultants. Oxford: Wiley.

Planellas, M and Muni, A. (2020) Strategic decisions: the 30 most useful models.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Scott, B. and Barnes, B. (2011) Consulting on the Inside: A Practical Guide for Internal Consultants. 2nd ed. Alexandria, VA: Association for Talent Development.

Smith, R., King, D., Sidhu, R. and Skelsky, D. (eds). (2014) The effective change manager’s handbook: essential guidance to the change management body of knowledge. London: Kogan Page.

Taylor, S. and Perkins. G. (2021) Work and

Employment in a Changing Business Environment. London: CIPD Kogan Page.

Cookson, G. (2025) Making Hybrid Working Work. London: CIPD Kogan Page.

Key journals

Human Resources

Available at: www.hrmagazine.co.uk/

People Management

Available at: www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/

Personnel Today

Available at: www.personneltoday.com/

Online Resources

Battista, M. (2021) PESTLE analysis. Factsheet. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Available at:

https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/strategy/ organisational-development/pestle-analysisfactsheet

Boys, J. (2022) Understanding the economy and the labour market. Factsheet. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Available at:

https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/work/tre nds/economy-labour-market-factsheet

CIPD. (2022) Health and wellbeing at work.

Report. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Available at: https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/culture/ well-being/health-well-being-work

resources

George, S. (2021) Change management.

Factsheet. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Available at: https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/strategy/ change/management-factsheet

Gifford, J. (2021) Strategic human resource management. Factsheet. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Available at: https://peopleprofession.cipd.org/professionmap

Website for the CIPD’s New Profession Map www.gov.co.uk

Website for all government information and services, including government departments, agencies and public bodies.

https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/strategy/            hr/strategic-hrm-factsheet

Gifford, J., Cotton, C. and Young, J. (2021) Financial wellbeing: an evidence review.

Practice summary and guidance. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Available at: https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/culture/ well-being/evidence-financial-wellbeing

Green, M. (2022) Ethical practice and the role of HR. Factsheet. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Available at: https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/culture/ ethics/role-hr-factsheet

Green, M. (2022) Organisation development.

Factsheet. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Available at:

https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/strategy/ organisational-development/factsheet

Wilson, M. (2021) SWOT analysis. Factsheet. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Available at: https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/strategy/ organisational-development/swot-analysisfactsheet

Young, J. (2022) Organisational climate and culture. Factsheet. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Available at:

https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/culture/ working environment/organisation-culturechange-factsheet

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