PANNASASTRA UNIVERSITY OF CAMBODIA

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT AND ECONOMICS

MBA PROGRAM

FINAL EXAMINATIONS
IN HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

Name: _______________________ ID No.: ______________ Date: _____________

Instructions: Please answer all the questions provided under each of the six (6)
problem cases below. Each problem case is worth 20 points. Only the top 5 cases
will be added up together as your final score for the final examinations. Good luck!

1. Interviewing Candidates: Some firms use unique interview methods. For example,
XYZ Co. uses weekly lunches and follow-up sessions as substitutes for first-round job
interviews. During the informal meals, potential staffers are expected to mingle, and they
are then interviewed by the XYZ Co. employees they meet at the luncheons. One XYZ
Co. employee asks candidates to ride a unicycle in her office to see if “they will bond with
the corporate culture or not.” Toward the end of the screening process, the surviving
group of interviewees has to solve the brainteasers, and then openly evaluate their
fellow candidates’ strengths and weaknesses. Questions: (a) What do you think of a
screening process like this? (b) Specifically, what do you think are the pros and cons?
(c) Would you recommend a procedure like this in your company? Why or why not? If
so, what changes, if any, would you recommend?

2. Online Interviews. It is expensive conducting face-to-face interviews, and CISCO

Systems, Inc. is doing something about that: it is equipping every CISCO HR recruiter
with PC-based video cameras, so they can conduct at least preliminary interviews via
online Web casts. The basic idea is this: CISCO will ask the applicant to go to a local
KINKO’s or similar business. There, at the appointed time, he or she will link to CISCO
via Web video for the interview. CISCO does not plan to eliminate face-to-face
interviews. However, it hopes its new approach will reduce travel and recruiting
expenses, and make things easier for candidates. And for a company that hires about
1,000 employees a month (and interviews about 20,000 candidates per year), the
savings can be substantial. CISCO is not the first to be using live or recorded online
video to streamline the interviewing process. For example, Jobs.com conducts frequent
live interactive online career fairs. Job seekers go to the jobs.com interactive career fair
web site and selects a city and job category. They can then participate in a live,
interactive career fair event. The US Army also now does online recruiting. Questions:
(a) How would you explain the nature of the online-interview an applicant had to endure
with CISCO? (b) Do you think the online-interview method reflected a well-thought
interviewing strategy on the part of the firm or carelessness on the part of the firm’s
management? (c) If it was carelessness, what would you do to improve the interview
process at CISCO’s environment?

3. Simulated Training. Simulated training (occasionally called vestibule training) is a

method in which trainees learn on the actual or simulated equipment they will use on the
job, but are actually trained off the job. It is a necessity when it is too costly or
dangerous to train employees on the job. Putting new assembly-line workers right to
work could slow production, for instance, and when safety is a concern – as with pilots –
simulated training may be the only practical alternative. Simulated training may take
place in a separate room with the same equipment the trainees will use on the job.

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 However, it often involves the use of equipment simulators. In pilot training, for instance,
airlines use flight simulators for safety, learning efficiency and cost savings, including
savings on maintenance, pilot cost, fuel, and the cost of not having an aircraft in regular
service. Questions: (a) Do you think simulated training can be used in your company
effectively? Why or why not? (b) In what kind of jobs will simulated training be useful?
Please provide a clear example in implementing a simulated training program? (c) One
of the reasons for implementing global training programs such as simulated training is the
need to avoid business losses “due to cultural insensitivity.” What sort of cultural
insensitivity do you think is referred to, and how might that translate into lost business?
What sort of training program would you recommend to avoid such cultural insensitivity?

4. Strategic HR. In the UK, Channel 4’s strategy has changed dramatically in the last few
years. With the UK’s new broadcasting act, Channel 4 had to start selling and
transmitting its own air time. And that meant quickly instituting training programs to
support an expanded sales force and new high-tech control system. Management
accomplished this in part by introducing a series of interactive, intranet-based e-learning
training programs. Says the managing director of the company that created the
programs for Channel 4. “By working closely with the HR, business affairs and ultimate
rights departments at Channel 4, we have produced a series of learning programs that
are high in visual impact and fit in with the culture of the channel.” Employees access the
training modules through Channel 4’s intranet. The training programs include animated
meetings that demonstrate the different scenarios employees might face on the job. So
far, the new strategy seems to be working. For example, Channel 4 was primarily
responsible for the “Big Brother” television phenomenon that became one of the highest
rated shows in the UK and many countries around the world. Questions: (a)
Specifically, what should Channel 4 cover in its new employee orientation program, and
how should they convey this information? (b) In the HR course that you have taken, it
was suggested to use a task analysis record form to identify tasks performed by an
employee. Should Channel 4 use a form like this for the marketing people of the “Big
Brother” program? If so, what, roughly speaking, should the completed, filled-in format
look like? Kindly prepare the form. (c) Which specific training techniques must Channel
4 use to train its sales people, Web designer, and others involved in TV programming?
Why should they use these techniques?

5. Appraising and Managing Performance. Ford CEO Jacques Nasser wanted to be one
of the world’s top companies, and he knew that to do this, Ford needed a new way to
evaluate its 18,000 managers. He wanted the new appraisal process to send the
message that performance was paramount, and that those who did not perform had no
place at the new world-class Ford. He modeled the new management appraisal process
on one long used by firms like IBM and GE. Under the program, managers receive
grades of A, B, or C. Nasser reportedly initially wanted 10% of managers to be graded C,
but quickly reduced that to 5%. Executives rated C risked losing their bonuses or pay
increase. And C grades two years in a row means that Ford may demote or fire the
executive. The new appraisal process immediately kicked up a storm. Executives
claimed it was unfair, and several filed lawsuits. Some claimed Ford was trying to target
middle-aged male executives as a way of clearing them out. Ford’s initial response to the
suits was that “the program is going to continue,” but that “there is always review going
on of all our processes.” One outside expert pointed out that there is always initial
resistance to change, and that what Nasser was trying to do” is a no-brainer. No
company can be world-class without people.” That may be true, but Ford soon
discontinued the program. Some say what works at a firm like GE may not work at one
firm like Ford where one family controls 40% of the votes: They may not like how the
program reflects on the family. At the same time, Nick Scheele, chairman of Ford
Europe, was brought in to help Nasser runt he firm and execute its strategy. Nasser left
the firm within a year. Questions: (a) What do you think is the real purpose of the
performance appraisal being introduced by Jacques Nasser at Ford? Do you think the
appraisal system he introduced really meant to improve the performance of the

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 executives of the company? Why or why not? (b) Discuss the pros and cons of the
performance appraisal tool that Nasser introduced at Ford. (c) Explain how you would
use the alternation ranking method, the paired comparison method, and forced
distribution method at Ford. Which one would you recommend the best? Why?

6. Managing Careers and Pay Plans. To differentiate itself strategically with world-class
customer service, Crystal Gateway Marriott needed its front-line employees’ commitment.
It achieved this in part by distributing financial information to all associates (employees) in
an easily understood format during quarterly meetings. Primarily profit and loss
statements for each operating department are given to the respective department heads
for review. Critique meetings are held after each reporting period for a Lessons Learned
session and for evaluation of the final report results. These sessions focus on
improvement and learning, as opposed to “why did something happen and who is at
fault.” This information sharing effort enhanced employee awareness and increased the
ability of the hotel and its employees to manage financial issues in the business, since all
associates now have a shared understanding and purpose. Questions: (a) How useful
is financial information sharing in managing the careers of employees in an organization?
(b) What are our company’s key success factors that can be discussed during critique
meetings? What must Crystal Gateway do to be successful in fulfilling its mission or
achieving its desired competitive position? What are the employee behaviors or actions
necessary to successfully implement this competitive strategy? (c) What compensation
programs should the company use to reinforce those behaviors? What should be the
purpose of each program in reinforcing each desired behavior? What measurable
requirements should each compensation program meet to be deemed successful in
fulfilling its purpose? (d) In your own organization or company, how well do our current
compensation programs match these requirements?