CIPD Unit 1 Foundation Certificate in People Practice Assessment Report 2025/2026 | Dorset College Dublin Ireland

Unit 1 Task Report Brief

Provide a written answer to each of the nine questions, referring to the case study below.

Case Study

Shiva first opened her pharmacy, Best Pharmacy Ever (BPE), in 1995 and over the years has successfully developed a business of five local pharmacies all within a 20-mile radius of each other.

Each pharmacy provides prescriptions, health and beauty products and pharmacy services including health advice, blood pressure checks and more recently consultations and vaccinations.

The company has a flat structure with each branch manager reporting directly to Shiva who manages the business on a day-to-day basis. As a local pharmacist, Shiva prides herself on her reputation for providing a personal service to all her customers and over the years has been able to successfully maintain a family culture.

More recently Shiva has been presented with an opportunity to further grow the business, as her son who has gradually become more involved in the organisation and provided investment, proposes the acquisition of Emrosu a national chain of pharmacies which will increase the size of BPE to 100 stores. Emrosu also has an internet pharmacy allowing customers to request their medicines online and either have them delivered or collect them in person.

Emrosu has a typical hierarchical structure headed by a Board of Directors. Due to its size, Emrosu is supported by a functional head office including sales and marketing, purchasing, finance and a small people team, in addition to a separate warehouse and distribution team.

As she contemplates this acquisition, Shiva looks to tap into your knowledge of the people profession to gain some insight into what she believes are the key factors to be considered. She has asked you to provide written answers to the following nine questions.

Questions

Q1. Examine two key external factors likely to impact on BPE’s acquisition of Emrosu. (AC 1.1)

Q2. Discuss two business goals that BPE might set once the acquisition has been completed, explaining the reasons why it is important that they plan to achieve these. (AC 1.2)

Q3. Discuss:
a) the products and services that BPE and Emrosu deliver
and
b) their main customers. (AC 1.3)

Q4. Review the range of technology that could be available to the people professionals working at BPE and Emrosu and how these could be utilised to improve working practices and collaboration after the acquisition. (AC 1.4)

Q5. Define what is meant by ‘organisational culture’ and why it will be important to foster an appropriate and effective workplace culture in BPE after the acquisition. (AC 2.1)

Q6. Explain how organisations function as whole systems and how the work and actions of the people professionals at BPE, after the acquisition, could impact the organisation. (AC 2.2)

Q7. Explain the main reasons why it is important that any changes made following the acquisition are planned and effectively managed. (AC 3.1)

Q8. Consider the importance and role that the people professionals in BPE and Emrosu could play during the changes. (AC 3.2) –>

Q9. Discuss how the changes could impact people working at BPE and Emrosu. (AC 3.3)

Your evidence must consist of:
Written answers to the nine questions, approximately 2500 words (+/- 10%) – refer to CIPD word count policy.