Exercise 1
Read the following
Hi-Tech is a multinational
electronics company based in the USA. Over the past 10 years the company has
grown phenomenally due to its ability to enter the market with new advanced products
ahead of its competitors. Hi-Tech’s head office is located in California. This
office manages human resource functions in the USA, Canada and South America. A
second overseas headquarters is based in the UK and is responsible for
operations in Europe. Hi-Tech is about to open an operation in India and is
looking to recruit a General Manager. The Indian operation will specialise in
developing a new, cheap, portable tracking device for use by the security
services. John Smith is the Vice President of Human Resources in the USA and
Francis Jones is the Vice President of Human Resources in the UK. They are
jointly responsible for making this important appointment. In order to
facilitate the process they have set up a committee of HR experts to advise them
on which candidate to choose from the list below. Your team is playing the role
of the advisory group.
Before making your choice on
which candidate will be best for the job there are a number of issues to
consider: The two (USA and UK) human resource operations are independent and
each is managed separately. Recruiting processes differ between the USA and UK
and the organisational cultures and corporate structures differ also. John
Smith has decided that the successful candidate should possess excellent technical
skills, cultural empathy, organisational and decision making abilities,
language skills and a supportive family. He is, however, a micromanager and
believes that the new General Manager should be from the home country. That is,
he or she should be an American. Francis
Jones, on the other hand, takes more of a ‘hands off’ approach. He believes
that the Indian General Manager will need to be accepted by employees of the
new division; will need excellent language skills in a number of languages and dialects;
and an understanding of Indian tax structures and government regulations. The
new manager will also need spousal support. Jones is of the firm opinion that
the General Manager of the Indian operation should be an Indian.
A final issue relates to the
Hi-Tech CEO, Mark Field. Field is also a micromanager and intends to play an
active role in overseeing the Indian operation. He has, however, little
experience of Indian affairs. Moreover, Field has made it clear to Smith and
Jones that he expects them to find an outstanding candidate, one who will not
need to be replaced ‘in the next six-months’ and who will ensure the success of
the Indian venture.
The list of candidates is as
follows:
Candidate A
Al Connor has been recommended by
a head-hunter. He has 35 years experience in the electronics industry and is an
expert in the design of surveillance equipment. He was previously CEO of an
electronics company in the USA. Under him the company had tripled sales and
increased profits by 200%. A spent five
years working in India after university and often takes holidays in the
country. He is fluent in Hindi and has a deep affection for Indian culture.
However, he has expressed a desire to retire in a few years. The worry for
Smith and Jones is that he might not stay with the company for very long.
Candidate B
Steve Roberts is currently Vice
President of Hi-Tech’s radar department. He has been with the company for 25
years; is familiar with and experienced in international assignments and has a
good understanding of the (US division) corporate culture. His management
skills are excellent and he has a PhD in electrical engineering. He is,
however, unfamiliar with India and Indian culture and does not speak the
language. He could be asked to take part in cultural training, but Jones has
reservations because Roberts is seen by some as arrogant and controlling.
Candidate C
Meera Patel is a UK citizen, but
was born in India. She also has a PhD in electrical engineering and has been
with Hi-Tech since leaving university 12 years ago. For the past 5 years she
has been assistant to the head of the surveillance department in the UK. Despite her relative youth, she
has made a big impression with senior managers due to her undoubted expertise.
She has built up extensive networks in India through family connections and has
the necessary political knowledge. Smith, however, has concerns about hiring
her. These concerns relate to her age and sex. Specifically, she wishes to
relocate to India to be closer to family and to follow her fiancé who recently
relocated to India. Smith believes she might not be committed to the project
and may well wish to start a family (although he has been careful not to say
this).
Candidate D
Joe Berry is head of the Hi-Tech
design and manufacturing group. He has a degree in general mechanical
engineering and has research experience in surveillance electronics. He is known as a ‘tinkerer and thinker’ in
that he enjoys spending time in the laboratory designing engineering
components. His relationship with his design engineers is close and he has
built up a loyal team. He is known, however, as someone who finds the
administrative aspects of his role tedious and he tends to leave these
responsibilities to others. Moreover, he has little international experience
and his wife is not keen to relocate to India. His inclusion on the shortlist
is down to his close friendship with CEO Mark Field.
Candidate E
Ravi Prasad is currently deputy
Vice President of Altar Electronics in India. Altar is one of India’s top
electronics firms. He has an MSc in Electrical Engineering from an Ivy League
university but has spent the whole of his 25 year career in India. He has
changed companies four times to gain promotion. His technical skills,
management competencies and leadership capabilities are beyond doubt and he is
proud of his success. Prasad is a strong individual with entrenched views. In
terms of culture and knowledge he is perfect for the job. There is however, a
problem relating to Mark Field’s intention of playing an active role in the
Indian operation. Both Smith and Jones are aware that Prasad would not take
kindly to interference from Head Office and would resent Field’s attempts to
impose Western culture.
The Task
You are a team of recruitment
specialists and your task is to choose a candidate to recommend to John Smith
and Francis Jones.
1.
Begin this task by drawing up a selection
criteria grid.
2.
Score each candidate in relation to this grid.
Use a 1 – 5 scale.
3.
Rank the candidates in descending order.
4.
Decide which candidate to recommend.
5.
Give reasons for your choice. You should also
say why you have rejected the unsuccessful candidates.
No comments:
Post a Comment