I - UNDERSTANDING CASE STUDY

Instructions: Read and understand the case study below and answer the given questions. Use complete
sentences in order to convey complete ideas. Do not exceed with the given lines for your answers on your
answer sheet.
Western Peninsula Healthcare: A Case Study
Adopted from Iain Henderson CIPD 2011 www.cipd.co.uk

You have been retained as a management consultant for Western Peninsula Healthcare (WPH), one
of the largest health insurance companies in the pensinsula, insuring 435,000 lives and with a 6%
market share. Following the acquisition of Health Limited in June 2002, Western Life
renamed itself in April 2003 to become Western Peninsula Healthcare. It now employs 770
staff 450 people in the East Coast and 320 in West Coast. The ratio between female and male
staff is roughly 60:40, and 20% of company employees are part-time staff. WPH offers a
range of products from traditional private medical insurance to self-pay options, which
reduce premiums. It has also recently started providing healthcare solutions that aim to
prevent health problems before they occur and manage absence for corporate customers.
The organization is in major financial difficulties and has lost money in the financial year
2005/6. There is no clear business strategy and business focus has been entirely on
sales. This has resulted in poor customer service, with increasing numbers of complaints.
Supporting the failing business is a poor culture characterized by siloed management,
poor leadership, blame and power struggles. Staff turnover is running at 20% a year. As
a result, the HR strategy is simply focused on survival and is mainly reactive (focusing on
recruitment). There is no support or resources for new initiatives, like job evaluation or
appraisal systems. In 2006, a new chief executive joined the company with ideas to turn
the business around. In particular, he sees an opportunity for HR to work closely with him
to help achieve desired business outcomes and he has hired you to produce an HR strategy
aligned to the business needs of the company.

Guide Questions (5 points each)

1. What is the case study all about? Give a one-sentence summary.
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2. Explain two concepts, processes or activities, issues or ideas, involved in Western Peninsula Healthcare
activities indicating briefly your understanding of them.
3. After learning from WPH experience, based from your perspective, did the business raise insights or
controversial issues? Justify your answer.
4. If you are to meet the HR Manager or the CEO, what question or questions would you ask him/ her?
5. Is the case study worth your time? Why? or Why not?
6. What new knowledge did you gain from the case study?

II - PERFORMANCE TASK
You have been appointed as an HR Officer of Western Peninsula Healthcare, the CEO wants to
improve the organization, the quality of work and he is not sure how to begin and get people.
Using your understanding of human resource management in the following themes and options,
comply the following tasks that WPH can take forward (10 points each):
a.) Create and design a recruitment poster and include the qualities/ qualifications/ requirements
for the WPH job position.
b.) Craft ten (10) interview questions for the applicants.
c.) How will you select the best applicant for the position? If the applicant gets selected, what
important elements or aspects are you going to include in the design of the training and
development plan of the hired applicant.

End of Exam
People dont plan to fail; they fail to plan.

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