OPAL COLLEGE LONDON

ATHE HRMLevel 7
Unit No: 6.1
Unit Title: Human Resource Management
Assignment No: 1
Assignment Title: The role of Strategic Human Resource Management in achieving
organisational effectiveness: A Case Stud of !U"A
#ate Set: $
nd
%ul $&1'
#ue #ate: $$
nd
August $&1'
(earning )utcomes Covered:
1. Understand the role and importance of human resource management in achieving
organisational effectiveness.
2. Understand the formulation and implementation of human resource strategies.
3. Be able to assess a range of HR strategies that may be implemented within an
organisation.
4. Understand contemporary issues affecting strategic human resource management.
*RA#+N* )"")RTUN+T+,S A-A+(A!(,
Outcomes/ Grade Descriptors "1.1 "1.$ "1.. "$.1 "$.$ "$.. "..1 "..$ "'.1 "'.$

)UTC)M,S/*RA#, #,SCR+"T)RS ACH+,-,# 01lease tic23
Outcomes/ Grade Descriptors "1.1 "1.$ "1.. "$.1 "$.$ "$.. "..1 "..$ "'.1 "'.$
C)MM,NTS:
Assessor: Korsima Lindsay Signature: Korsima Lindsay #ate: $/&4/$&1'
+- C)MM,NTS:
+-: Signature: #ate:
OPAL COLLEGE LONDON
Name of the Assignment
Assignment !rief
Scenario
About the healthcare industry
The healthcare industry is the sector that provides goods and services to treat patients. The
healthcare sector encompasses hospitals hospices nursing and care homes and dental
practices. The sector is very varied and operates across a range o! organisations "ithin the
pu#lic private and voluntary sectors.
$n the %K the healthcare industry employs over & million people. The National 'ealth (ervice
(NHS) o!!ers !ree healthcare to all %K citi)ens. There are also a num#er o! large private
healthcare organisations such as *upa and Nu!!ield 'ealth. During the recent economic
do"nturn some areas o! the healthcare industry predominantly the N'( has seen signi!icant
reorganisation and #udget cuts.
$n early +,-. seventeen provident associations merged to !orm the *ritish %nited Provident
Association Limited commonly /no"n as *upa. (ince then it has gro"n to #ecome a glo#al
provider o! private healthcare. The company provides health insurance home healthcare health
assessments and chronic disease management services in Australia *olivia China Ecuador
'ong Kong $ndia 0e1ico Ne" 2ealand (audi Ara#ia (pain Thailand %(A and %K. *upa3s
mission is to 4help people lead longer healthier happier lives5. *ecause it is non6shareholding
company7"ithout shareholders see/ing dividends7pro!its can #e re6invested #ac/ into the
organisation to provide more and #etter healthcare.
Lord Leitch Chairman o! *upa 'ealthcare Group3s statement !or &8+9 says that:
4&8+9 has #een another good year !or *upa. The momentum and sense o! "hat;s possi#le !or
our organisation our customers and "ider society is increasingly clear at all levels "ithin the
company. Our *upa &8&8 vision "hich "e announced late in &8+& is #eing em#raced #y our
people and "e are progressing to"ards our goals.
Our a#ility to generate strong !inancial per!ormance despite adverse mar/et conditions and
"hilst investing in signi!icant change and development is testament to #oth the e!!orts o! our
teams across the "orld and the clarity provided #y our *upa &8&8 vision.
<e have also #een !ocused on our ac=uisition strategy con!idently moving at pace to enter ne"
mar/ets and e1pand in e1isting ones "here "e see the opportunity to add value. &8+9 has seen
si1 ma>or ac=uisitions ena#ling investment in ne" gro"th segments such as dental and
provision including primary care and diagnostics. Our status "ith no shareholders allo"s us to
!ocus more on the long6term. <e have invested our capital in #usinesses that #uild on our
e1pertise in !unding and providing healthcare services !or every li!e stage.
At the start o! the year "e "elcomed L%? 0ED to *upa !ollo"ing our ac=uisition o! the
#usiness in April &8+9. A month later "e completed the ac=uisition o! Dental Corporation
Australia and Ne" 2ealand;s largest dental group.
OPAL COLLEGE LONDON
Over the summer "e announced the ac=uisition o! @ichmond Care Aillages !ive high =uality
care villages across England "ith planning permission !or an additional three.
$n Octo#er "e purchased Buality 'ealthCare 'ong Kong;s largest private clinic net"or/.
To"ards the end o! the year "e ac=uired -,C o! 'igh"ay to 'ealth $nc a %(6#ased specialist
health insurance and services company. Dinally early in &8+- "e "ere success!ul in ac=uiring
EFC o! Cru) *lanca one o! Chile;s leading healthcare companies.
$n &8+- "e "ill !ocus on delivering gro"th !rom our e1isting and ac=uired #usinesses "hilst
realising !urther #ene!its !rom integration
*upa "hich employs .8888 people "orld"ide #elieves its reputation is #uilt on the =uality o! its
care service and e1pertise. To achieve this quality, it attracts and retains excellent people
and harnesses and develops their talent.
As an '@ Director o! *upa you have #een invited to present an annual report on the role and
importance o! human resource management in achieving organisational e!!ectiveness. Also you
are re=uired to address the issues that must #e considered "hen !ormulating and implementing
human resource strategies. Another section o! the report should assess a range o! '@ strategies
that may #e implemented "ithin *upa. And lastly analyse contemporary issues a!!ecting
strategic human resource management "ithin *upa and healthcare services industry. Gou also
need to ta/e stoc/ o! a range o! issues impacting the healthcare services industry glo#ally or
nationally. Gou are re=uired to visit the company3s "e#site annual and !inancial reports to
!amiliarise yoursel! "ith its strategy corporate goals and operations. <here possi#le consult
*upa centres managers and employees in London and #eyond !or in!ormation. %se relevant
assumptions "here necessary to develop your analyses.
Tutor Notes
!our assignment should be handed in by the deadline.
"his assignment must be your own wor# and original.
All sources of reference must 5e included.
!ou will be e$pected to chec# spelling mista#es and grammar.
!our name% student no and unit no should be in the footer of every page.
!our answer must be in report format
OPAL COLLEGE LONDON
Tas2s
Tas2 1
As an '@ Director o! *upa "rite a report on the role and importance o! human resource
management in achieving organisational e!!ectiveness. Gour report must #e !ramed "ithin the
conte1t o! *upa3s operations and its operating environments and should address the
!ollo"ing:
a. De!ine strategic human resource management.
#. E1plain the importance o! human resource management in organisations.
c. Analyse the !rame"or/ o! strategic human resource management.
Tas2 1 covers assessment criteria 1.16 1.$ and 1...
Tas2 $
The second section o! the report should address the !ormulation and implementation o!
human resource strategies. 'ence:
a. Analyse the strategic human resource process.
#. Assess the roles in strategic human resource management.
c. Analyse the development and implementation o! human resource strategies !or *upa.
Tas2 $ covers assessment criteria $.16 $.$ and $...
Tas2 .
Assess a range o! '@ strategies that may #e implemented "ithin *upa. Gour report should:
a. $denti!y a range o! '@ strategies !or *upa.
#. Assess '@ strategies and their application in *upa.
Tas2 . covers assessment criteria ..1 and ..$.
Tas2 '
%nderstand contemporary issues a!!ecting strategic human resource management. Gour
report should:
a. $denti!y contemporary issues a!!ecting strategic human resource management.
#. Analyse contemporary issues a!!ecting strategic human resource management.
Tas2 ' covers assessment criteria '.1 and '.$.
OPAL COLLEGE LONDON
Criteria for "ASS
Criteria for "ASS "ossi5le evidence
1. Understand the role and importance
of human resource management in
achieving organisational effectiveness.

1.1 #efinitions
&efinitions and models of strategic HR management 'eg.
contingency model% best practice model% Harvard (ramewor#%
Ulrich)s model% control based% resources based etc*+ fundamentals
and characteristics of strategic HR management+ types of
strategies 'eg. personnel% generalist% outsourced% centres of
e$cellence etc*+ approaches to strategy% criteria for successful
strategy
1.$ +m1ortance
,egal re-uirements+ contribution to the organisation+ fit with
corporate strategy+ human capital management+ improving
organisational performance through strategic HR management+
alignment of HR and corporate strategy
1.. 7rame8or29 0eg. Harvard model3
.ta#eholder interests 'shareholders% managers% employees%
employee organisations% government*% situational factors
'characteristics of wor#force% business strategy% organisational
culture% labour mar#et% social conte$t*+ HR policy choices
'employee influence% wor# systems% reward systems*+ outcomes
and conse-uences of choices
2. Understand the formulation and
implementation of human resource
strategies.
$.1 "rocess
.etting strategic direction% long term versus short term%
organisational design%
audits% designing the management system% planning total
wor#force/demand forecasting% generating re-uired human
resource% developing people and performance/reward management
systems% assessing organisational competence and
performance/development strategies
$.$ Roles
Role of top management/Board of &irectors% sta#eholders%
strategic HR role of front0line management% HR (unction% HR
specialists/consultants
$.. #evelo1ment and im1lementation
1onducing a strategic review% setting out the strategic HR plan%
implementing HR strategies
OPAL COLLEGE LONDON
3. Be able to assess a range of HR
strategies that may be implemented
within an organisation.
..1 Range of strategies
.trategies for improving organisational performance
'organisational% development% transformation% culture
management% #nowledge management% developing trust% reward*+
talent management+ succession planning+ resourcing strategies
'HR planning% fle$ibility% retention% talent management etc*+
learning and development strategies 'learning culture% learning%
organisation% organisational learning strategies% individual
learning*+ performance management 'definition and purpose%
scope% process% approaches*+ reward strategy 'purpose%
characteristics% structure% developing the strategy% effective
strategies% impact on management*+ employee relations strategy
'issues% bac#ground% HR approach% policies% partnership
agreements% employee voice strategies*
..1A11lication
How strategies apply in different organisations+ measuring success
of strategies+ fit with organisational strategy% culture and mission
4. Understand contemporary issues
affecting strategic human resource
management.
'.1 and '.$ 1ontemporary issues should be identified and
analysed to assess their impact on human resource management.
1ontent here may change as issues change and can be
conte$tualised to suit learner)s own country% organisation and
environment.
2$amples of topics include3
4nternationalism and challenges for strategic HR management+
diversity management and e-ual opportunities+ downsi5ing and its
strategic implications+ legal+ globalisation+ culture/e-uality and
diversity+ wor# life balance+ communication/4"