案例7章-10章.doc

Incident 71:Inside or Outside RecruitingThis case illustrates the need for balancing internal and external recruiting.1. Is recruiting the problem in this company?The primary problems are a lack of planning and development rather than recruiting. Powermat never seemed to have had an overall plan for recruiting personnel. Company loyalty seemed to be strong among “old-timers” so no emphasis on recruiting was ever needed. Once the need became apparent, management reacted with very little planning and development of the new hires. The natural assumption was made that new managers could be brought up the same way as the old managers with little formal development.2. If you were the consultant, what would you recommend?A comprehensive recruiting plan is needed. Powermat needs to step back and look at its overall situation and determine what course of action, in relation to recruiting, is needed. One part of this overall plan could be emphasis on management development once the employee is hired. An orientation program, coupled with comprehensive on-the-job learning experiences, would help give the new managers the confidence they need to succeed.Incident 72:Malpractice Suit Against a HospitalThis case illustrates the problems associated with poor recruiting practices.1. Which of the two alternatives would you recommend to the hospital?The hospital needs to re-evaluate its recruiting process. The type of personnel the hospital is attracting is less than desirable. At this point, the hospital recruiting approach seems to be very casual with a “sink or swim” attitude. The problem is that this approach, as evidenced in the case, can be very costly. The hospital should definitely upgrade its recruiting process. Some consideration should be given to the development of specific criteria for selecting personnel. Aptitude tests might be appropriate in this situation. Also, a more effective interview session could also aid in the selection process. Attention should also be focused on establishing or revising the current reference checking system. A better form or questionnaire to extract pertinent information concerning the applicant is needed. Several questions concerning problem areas could be placed throughout the questionnaire to validate or try to gain some insight into the type of person and/or his or her abilities applicable on the job.2. What questions could be asked in a recruitment interview to help eliminate the problem?Any prospective employer has a legitimate interest in the past work history and performance of applicants for jobs. In this case, the hospital has a right, if not an ethical obligation, to “probe” into the background of applicants. Human life is at stake. Therefore, questions such as, “What were the circumstances under which you left your previous employers?”, “Were you ever involved in any disciplinary procedure on the job?”, “What were some real problems you experienced on your previous job and how did you handle them?”, might help the hospital identify and screen out the truly incompetent applicants. Employees with a history of “hospital jumping” would have to be regarded as a risk and hired only as a last alternative after a thorough investigation of his/her work history.Incident 81:Promotions at OMGThis case illustrates the point of having good criteria when selecting an individual for a job.1. Do you think that John has a legitimate point?Fran was obviously the best person for the job, but she did not meet the written job requirements. But it was obvious to all who had worked with John that he could not handle the position. John had been told that he could move into the plan administrator position if he did a good job. He was even given a satisfactory performance review with no mention of deficiencies. It appears that John could have a case of discrimination (since a female not meeting all the job requirements was chosen over a male meeting the requirements). The company had no documented proof to use against this charge.2. What went wrong in this selection process?OMG finds itself in a position that results from very poor management practices used in their selection process. In selecting Fran over John for the job, they may have selected the best person for the job, but their procedure for doing so left them open for criticism. In a situation where a persons current performance will be the primary selection criterion for future advancement, reward, and/or dismissal, his or her performance must be accurately evaluated and documented. Any time a specific selection criterion is set, one must be very careful in choosing to ignore it. By waiving the college degree requirements for Fran, OMG demonstrated that it was not a valid criterion for good job performance in that job. This also left them open to the discrimination charge. In summary, the company has done a poor job of determining job requirements and selection criteria.Incident 82:The Pole ClimbersThis case points out the importance of accurately communicating the requirements of the job.1. What factors would you keep in mind in designing an effective selection process for the position of outdoor craft technician?The basic qualifications, job conditions and minimum physical requirements for the job need to be thoroughly explained and discussed. Perhaps a job description outlining all the variables concerning the job could be given to each applicant as a further illustration of the rigors of the job. Secondly, a physical examination could be required of all applicants. The applicants who are physically unable to do the job could then be screened at this point. After insuring that the pole climbing criteria are indeed valid, one would attempt to better communicate the job requirements to the applicants.2. What would you recommend to help Ringing Bell reduce the failure rate of women trainees?Basically, this has the same answer as Question 1.Incident 91:Starting in a New JobThis case shows what can occur when a new employee has been put into poorly planned orientation and training program.1. What do you think about the philosophy of this company pertaining to a new employees first few weeks on the job?Unfortunately, Jacks philosophy is shared by many people. More alarming is the fact that such attitudes typically yield results to those in this case. New employees usually come into an organization optimistic about the new job and resulting training they are about to receive. However, if they are met with a poorly designed training program, potentially good employees become discouraged and feel ignored as did Otis. The result is a loss to the organization.2. What suggestions do you have for Jack to help avoid similar problems of employee turnover in the future?One solution would be to initiate a well-planned orientation program for all new employees. The orientation program would be so designed to encompass the first week of employment. This program should eliminate the dull process of reading policy manuals and similarly dull activities. Also, specific training should be planned to follow immediately after the orientation program.Incident 92:Implementing on-the-Job TrainingThis case illustrates the problems that can occur when employee development needs are ignored.1. What, if anything, do you think the company should do to keep its young employees?The problem is that, in the short run, there are no incentives for the senior auditors to develop the new staff. As a result, the new staff members are usually assigned only the routine type tasks. It is entirely possible that the senior auditors are not even consciously aware of what is happening. A possible solution would be to develop and implement an incentive system that would encourage the senior auditors to attend to the development needs of new staff members. This might be accomplished by setting objectives for the senior auditors in the area of new staff development.2. Do you think that on-the-job training will work in a situation such as the one described?On-the-job training for this type of work is probably the most appropriate. Each situation an auditor faces is different and the best way to handle problems is through experience. The problem in this situation is not the use of on-the-job training but rather that the trainees get only routine assignments and thus learn little that is new.Incident 101:The Thirty-Year EmployeeThis case illustrates the importance of a management development program.1. Who has failed John or the company?Both. John has failed in that he has let a pattern develop that inhibits his personal creativity and initiative. He has fallen into the trap of letting progress pass him by and trying to rationalize his mistake by criticizing any innovations. The company has failed in not recognizing this fact and doing something about it. The company should have initiated training programs to explain the changes and to help John overcome his fears of the computer.2. Does the company owe something to a thirty-year employee? If so, what?John has been a faithful employee for many years and given much to the organization. Naturally, faithful service is a variable to be considered. However, performance should be the primary criterion. When it comes down to a final decision, the selection should be made on performance, not seniority. This whole situation could have been avoided had the company given John more feedback concerning the need for learning the computer. At this point it doesnt appear that John is even qualified for his own job let alone a promotion. At this point he has to be given an ultimatum to get up to speed or leave. Given this alternative he will certainly accept the training that the bank has to offer. The bank should probably extend to him a significant training program with time off of work to learn the computer skills which he needs.3. What type of development program would you recommend for John?At this point, it will be hard to initiate a management development program for John. Johns biggest problem is simply fear of the unknown in that he knows nothing about computers. Perhaps classroom training to point out new concepts and philosophies as well as basic computer technology might be of some help. Also, job rotation to introduce John to other areas might open his mind to the importance of computerization. John might benefit from seeing how other organizations perform the tasks that are required of this department.Incident 102:Consolidating Three OrganizationsThis case illustrates the importance of implementing an organization development program in an organization.1. Does organizational development hold the key to Rays questions?The ultimate goal of OD is to structure the environment in such a manner as to use the developed skills and abilities of individual managers to their fullest extent. By implementing an OD program, Ray can effectively analyze each manager as to his strengths and weaknesses and align his new organization accordingly.2. As a personnel consultant, what recommendations would you make to him?Ray first needs to get a good feel for the present managers and employees of the two new acquisitions. Once this has been accomplished, Ray can begin molding his management team. It is at this point that Ray might instigate a management development program. Only after Ray has assessed the strengths, weaknesses, and potential of his new managers would he be in a position to make the necessary decisions regarding the best organizational structure.