Investors In People - Case Studies
I does seem rather basic that to be IIP accredited "one should answer letters " from your customers ........
so simply complain to Investor In People about them
here is the link
Address:
Investors in People UK
7-10 Chandos Street
London
W1G 9DQ
How to get there Feedback Form : Click Here Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7467 1900
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7636 2386
Email (general): information@iipuk.co.ukEmail (international): international@iipuk.co.uk
and here is there case study
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Organisation Name: The Co-operative Group
Organisation Size: 70000
Sector: Retail
Organisation Location: National
Quotes
Chief executive, Martin Beaumont
'Gaining Investors in People recognition has been, and continues to be extremely important to us, because it underpins the values and principles that set us apart from other businesses.
We have set ourselves the highest standards in meeting the needs of all our customers, and Investors in People plays a vital part in ensuring that those standards are maintained.'
The Organisation
The Co-operative Group is a co-op, a co-operative society. It's a unique consumer-owned business – the largest of its kind in the world. Its members own and democratically control everything it does.
It's a retailer, banker, insurer, funeral director, car dealer, travel retailer, pharmacist and farmer. Whether it's animal rights or the environment, fair trade or GM, the Co-operative Group make it their responsibility to do as much as they can to make sure people don't have to leave their ethics at home.
It leads the way when it comes to fair trade and was the pioneer of 'corporate responsibility,' which is now a subject at the top of the agenda for thousands of other businesses. Being a responsible business and taking a stand on issues that matter to consumers is part of the Co-operative Group's heritage.
Following on from its achievement in 2000 as the first retailer to bring fairly traded bananas into the UK, the total number of Fairtrade products in the Co-op range is now 100, with sales growing by 60% to £25m in 2004. Last Christmas also marked the anniversary of the Co-op's conversion to 100% Fairtrade own-brand coffee, which has itself returned an additional £1m to the growers.
2004 also saw the retailer become the first to ban a range of toxic chemicals still permitted for use in everyday products like washing-up liquid, household cleaners and fabric conditioners. The move spearheaded its initiative to raise ethical standards of supermarket products in the UK.
In addition to its ethical trading activities, the Co-operative Group works tirelessly within communities in the UK. It provided £350,000 in sponsorship last year to schools aiming to specialise in business and enterprise, maximising the benefits of the co-operative way of doing business.
Environmental issues are also high on the Co-operative Group's agenda. In 2004 its farming business, farmcare launched a manual to help its farms across the UK adopt best practice to protect and enhance the environment.
The Co-operative Group employs 70,000 people, operates more than 3,000 retail outlets, as well as online and 'business to business' operations, and in 2003 its sales topped £7.8 billion.
The Challenge
The merger of the Co-operative Wholesale Society (CWS) with the Co-operative Retail Society (CRS) in 2000 was the exciting start of a unifying process to ensure that the individual businesses inherited from the former CWS were all working towards a common goal, and had a clear understanding of the values and principles at the core of the organisation.
Emphasis needed to be placed on unity, rather than separation, which had in the past defined the relationships between the individual businesses.
Over the last couple of years the Group has witnessed further changes to its structure. Several acquisitions and the sale of ACC, its dairy business, have altered the shape of the business. An increasingly competitive marketplace has also forced it to adapt its current operating model.
The Strategy
The synergies with the Investors in People Standard were clear, in its stipulation that companies set clear objectives, plan, communicate and develop people. However, the crucial factor in the organisation's commitment to the Standard was its value as a benchmark for excellence.
The Co-operative Group's initial investigations revealed that there were clear areas for improvement. Appreciation of the organisation's co-operative values was low, as was the wider communication of the business' direction.
To tackle these issues, 'values training' was rolled out using seminars workshops and video briefings. By explaining the organisation's unique history, purpose and vision, management was able to develop initiatives for turning the theory into practice.
As the Group faced fresh challenges, effective communication with colleagues was key to its continued success. In 2003, the Co-operative Group introduced its first ever Group-wide colleague survey, Talkback. Designed specifically to gather feedback on a range of issues, the survey gave employees the opportunity to share good practice and to praise their working environment.
It also enabled them to draw attention to areas they felt needed improvement. Talkback is now part of the fabric of the organisation and is carried out on an annual basis.
The Result
The Co-operative Group has adopted the Investors in People Standard region by region, so that today it covers 70,000 people nationwide across a range of industries. The lead assessor, Alastair Wheeler, said, 'The Group has continued to deal with major change, including several acquisitions, changes in senior personnel, and re-structuring. Use of the Standard has aided this process, by focusing on strategic planning, good communications, and extensive talent-spotting activity to fill the many vacancies, which have arisen.
'Performance management has continued to evolve, and development of leadership and management skills has remained a priority. The new version of the Standard and the Profile model will mean significant stretch to the Group's activity to meet all the evidence requirements.'
Investors in People
The Co-operative Group was recognised as an Investor in People on 10 January 2002 and was re-recognised in April 2004.
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If Co-Op are giving you trouble "not answering letters " write to investors in people 
