7CO01 Work and Working Lives in a Changing Business Environment

About this unit

This course deepens understanding of the interplay between the commercial business environment and expected future developments in the fields of labour, employment, and human resource management. It highlights various people practises that are becoming increasingly important, including those linked to ethics and sustainability, employee well-being, equality, diversity, and inclusion.

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You will study:

You will concentrate on the primary responses of leaders and managers working in people practice to globalisation and its implications for work and employment. You will look into how organisations are thinking about technological developments now and in the future and how new agendas are emerging. You will assess social, demographic, and economic trends and how changes in public policy affect people’s practices. This unit will examine effective change leadership, innovation, creativity, and the key interrelationships between ethics, sustainability, diversity, and welfare. Finally, you will critically examine policy, practice, corporate social responsibility, and how human resource professionals can implement and promote them to increase organisational productivity.

Learning outcomes

Learners will comprehend the following topics by the end of the unit:

• The impact of environmental development on jobs, people, and work management.
• How an improvement in people management improves comprehension of the present and short-term business trends.
• How change, creativity, and innovation are used to boost organisational productivity.
• How companies and leaders support ethics, sustainability, diversity, and employee well-being.

Objective 1

• The impact of globalisation on work and employment

Learners at this level should understand the concept of globalisation and its impact on people’s working lives and the business environment. Globalisation fosters advancements that promote restructure and changes in employment, creating prospects for organisational competitiveness. Furthermore, globalisation promotes the development of technology structures that impact the working lives of employees. These advances impact employees’ work experiences, which has a substantial impact on the nature of employment and working life.

• The social, demographic, and economic trends for work, employment, and management.

Learners get an understanding of the social and demographic changes driving business work. Among the concerns that learners must comprehend are changing in the employee population, particularly in terms of age, attitudes toward various characteristics that enhance employee commitment, such as diversity, and the relevance and impact of social change on organisations. The students also understand the organisational roles in fostering social change to create chances for corporate success and development. Inequalities at work and the influence of service-based and knowledge-based economies on business and management are examples of economic developments that students should investigate to comprehend their impact on work and management. Learners should also be aware of long-term economic trends and their implications for macroeconomic policies.

Objective 2

• The evolution of media and technology in economic and business environments

Current work trends impact employees’ working lives, particularly on challenges related to improving multinational business operations. With the increased use of technology and changes in the economic business environment, people experts are focusing on comprehending the effects of international trends on work.

• Regulatory, legal, and public policies have significant effects on work.

People managers are taught the importance of developing strategic strategies that effectively develop employment and manage the organisational labour market. The policies should positively impact HR and people practice agendas to encourage industrialisation and economic development. Employees should be supported, and developed policies should respect their rights at work. Therefore, learners should be aware of how they may readily collaborate to improve the efficient implementation of legal rules and regulations to improve employee rights at work. Different legislation should also encourage workplace health and safety and support good employee well-being management.

• Trends in the labour market

Learners must comprehend labour market trends related to the development of significant issues related to the management of skills in the labour market. Learners, for example, should comprehend their behaviours when there is a talent shortage or surplus—this aids in determining the effects of innovations on HR functions and learning and development initiatives.

Objective 3

• Leadership and management of change

Learners get insight into the most effective ways to lead and manage change to improve people and job management. They will learn about change theories such as Kurt Lewin’s change theory, Kotter’s change management theory, McKinsey 7S change model, Kubler-Ross, and the ADKAR model. Learners are also interested in learning the psychology of change and the importance of developing positive outcomes from change. Learners understand the values of communication, support, and preparation to produce positive change outcomes as they lead and manage change. The students also seek to understand why certain employees resist change and to devise techniques to manage them when changes are implemented at work. This occurs effectively when human resource professionals are involved, engaged, and motivated to support employees through the transition process for it to be successful. The students also study how to maintain change and engage with experts who understand how to manage workplace changes. Organisations become more agile due to change management, which greatly contributes to the development of cultures that positively adapt to change. Finally, the people professional should recognise the importance of training professionals and all other employees to assist them in comprehending the change process and its subsequent impact to improve the alignment of change goals with overall organisational goals and objectives.

• Improve productivity, creativity, and innovation through flexible working and people management.

Learners must comprehend the practices linked with flexible working and the many types of work flexibility that employees might relate to while at work. Work flexibility helps people’s working life; therefore, learners should analyse and argue the contested topics of people’s flexibility at work. Work flexibility fosters organisational resilience and adds considerably to improved work performance and productivity. Learners should understand the connections between organisational productivity, creativity, and innovation in human resource practices.

Objective 4

• Improving organisation ethics, values and employee well-being

Learners should comprehend organisational ethics and values and their roles in improving corporate sustainability and resilience. They should be aware of how simple it is to resolve issues by applying the correct moral concepts and ethical standards outlined in the CIPD Code of Conduct. In addition, the learners must comprehend the interventions in people practises to effectively analyse people concepts and their interventions to establish positive organisational values. Learners will also acquire insight into policies that promote employee well-being and will be able to identify with activities and areas of change to reduce workplace discrimination and bullying.

• Corporate social responsibility and sustainability at work

Learners become aware of the ways taken by stakeholders to improve the effectiveness of CSR policies and practices. Furthermore, they learn how to implement CSR and sustainability methods to create organisational value and great working environments for employees. Finally, stakeholders recognise the importance of encouraging diversity and inclusion to engage and involve all individuals in work and people activities to establish strong organisational values.

Wrap Up

The unit teaches people in the organisation how to create happy work environments and work lives. Leading and managing change is a critical notion that fosters a culture that increases people’s dedication to their jobs. Furthermore, adhering to ethical and legal laws and regulations strengthens policies that have a good impact at work.

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Materials

CIPD (2020) Code of Professional Conduct, available from https://www.cipd.co.uk/Images/code-of-professional-conduct-april-2020_tcm18-14510.pdf

Clarke, S. and Cominetti, N. (2019) Setting the record straight: how record employment has changed the UK. London: Resolution Foundation

D’Souza, D. (2020) Change Management, available from https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/strategy/change/management-factsheet

Davies, G. (2021) Understanding the economy and labour market, available from https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/work/technology/emerging-future-work-factsheet

Holbeche, L. (2018) The agile organisation: how to build an engaged, innovative and resilient business. 2nd ed. London: CIPD Kogan Page.

Mohdzaini, H. (2021) Technology and the future of work, available from https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/work/technology/emerging-future-work-factsheet

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