Management Decision Making Human Resources

MANAGEMENT DECISION MAKING

HUMAN RESOURCES

REGION 12 COMPETITION 1998- 1999

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES PRESENTATION TIME WITH JUDGE(S): 10 MINUTES MATERIALS: PENCIL #2 ONLY & WHITE PAPER GOOD LUCK

A local hotel called the Holiday Inn has hired you to help solve their personnel problems. Your company is called the " We Can Company". You have been in business for the past 10 years and have dealt with many different types of companies Your mission statement is: IF YOU CAN'T - WE CAN . Your general operation deals with helping local and national businesses deal with everyday problems. You begin by obtaining general information about the company, visit the site, and then interview employees. Your job has always been to give the company a general overview on how you see the problems or decisions that must be made. You also go into great detail in providing solutions for them This particular job you have today is no different.

The Holiday Inn is located in the Western New York Area. They have 225 rooms and sit right next to a thruway exit. The Hotel also has a full service dining room, which serves three meal a day. Like any other Hotel, they have all the major departments needed to keep the place running.

The Home Office has contacted you about your high expenses for the past six months. They are not very happy and need you to solve your local problems in a very timely manner. This is why you have hired the WE CAN company. After looking at your expenses for the past six months the only expense that is a major concern is the high turn over rate of your staff It is very costly to advertise, interview, train, and put new staff on the payroll. You are hiring about four new people each week. After a closer look you have found that all departments have this problem except the front desk. Each of your departments have one supervisor, and 4-17 employees. The turnover is not in the supervisors who are on salary, but in the hourly employees

Remember your role as you present your findings to the judges. MANAGEMENT DECISION MAKING HUMAN RESOURCES Region 12 Competition 2009-2010

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes Presentation Time with Judges: 10 Minutes Materials: #2 Pencils and White Paper

You have been in management for over 15 years and have just been hired as the new Human Resources Director of MicroTech, a large computer and technology sales company. In recent years, there have been an increased number of employee issues that have decreased productivity within MicroTech. Some of the major problems are as follows: • Employees show up late to work. • Employees are found to be using their personal cell phones for calls, texting, and internet searching on company time. • Employees call in "sick" to work too often. • Employees request too many days off. • Employees tend to be lazy and not self-motivating (always waiting to be told what to do).

In addition, you have held meetings with the staff of the company. The information you have gathered from these meetings included the following: • Employees received 2 weeks of training when they first started their job. No training was provided since. • Employees seemed to have taken a very laid back attitude toward their jobs and they had very little enthusiasm. • Employees have not received a pay increase during the past 2 years.

A meeting has been set up with the owner (the judges) of MicroTech. Your task is to develop a human resources policy and action plan to improve the situation and increase productivity. You policy and action plan should include incentives as well as sequential consequences (first offense, second offense, third offense, etc). You are to present your plan to the owner for him/her to approve. Good luck!

Competencies Evaluated: Identify the problem. Support the problem with the facts provided in the case study. Develop possible solutions to the problem. Contrast advantages and disadvantages of each solution. Make recommendations. Provide a follow up plan. DECISION MAKING HUMAN RESOURCES Region 12 Competition January 8, 2006

Participant Instructions

Procedures - The event will be presented to you through reading of these instructions including Performance Indicators Evaluated and the Event Activity. You will have up to 15 minutes to review this information to determine how you will handle the role-play situation and demonstrate the performance indicators of this event. During the preparation period, you may make notes to use during the role-play situation. -You will have up to 10 minutes to meet with a judge to role-play your situation. -You will be evaluated on how well you meet the performance indicators of this event. -Turn in all of your notes and event materials when you have completed the role play.

Performance Indicators Evaluated - -Identify the problem. -State the facts involved with the problem. -Develop possible solutions. -Give advantages and disadvantages of each solution. -Make recommendations.

Situation - You are a clerk at a hot new local clothing store that needs updated security measures. You have been with the store for only one month and have already apprehended three shoplifters. Your store is located in a downtown area in a complex that has been converted into a retail establishment. The manager has decided that you should be promoted as assistant manager, which comes with a raise in salary. You have been given this appointment because of your excellent loss prevention skills. Your promotion must be approved by the owner who will base his decision on your ideas for improving security and preventing loss for the store.

Activity - When you meet with the store owner, using the performance indicators listed above, explain your plan for improving the store's security and give some examples of the actual procedures to implement these security measures. MANAGEMENT DECISION MAKING - PERSONNEL

Northgate Hardware Store

Jim and Sally Miller entered the Northgate Hardware Store and headed for the paint department. They wanted to purchase a quart of paint for the bookshelf Jim had made. Sally thought that they could find what they wanted at Northgate Hardware Store because she had seen the store's television commercials. In one commercial, for example, a store employee was shown mixing a special color of paint for a customer. The store's slogan proclaimed that is was "The only store you'll ever need for hardware, paint, and do-it-yourself supplies." Jim and Sally wanted the color of the bookshelf to match the color of the desk they had painted last summer. They knew the paint would have to be specially mixed because it was not one of the standard colors available on the shelves. After Jim and Sally described what they wanted to a salesperson, they were told that custom-mixed colors were not available for purchases of less than one gallon. This was store policy because the manager believed that it was inconvenient to offer the custom-mixing service to purchasers of small quantities of paint and would not be able to give other customers proper service. Sally and Jim did not want to buy a gallon of paint since they only needed a quart. They were upset that Northgate Hardware Store would not provide custom-mixed paint in small quantities especially in view of the store's misleading television commercial. They asked to speak with the manager.

1. Can you defend the store's policy? Explain.

2. Provide evidence that the various parts of Northgate Hardware Store do not work together.

3. If you were in Sally and Jim's position, would you have been willing to pay an extra charge to have the special color mixed? Why?

4. Besides expressing their dissatisfaction to the manager, Sally and Jim plan to mention the misleading television commercial to the manager. What should they suggest? MANAGEMENT DECISION MAKING HUMAN RESOURCE REGION 12 COMPETITION 2002

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES PRESENTATION TIME WITHJUDGE(S) : 10 MINUTES MATERIALS: #2 PENCIL AND WHITE PAPER

GOOD LUCK

You are the newly hired assistant manager for a hotel that is about to open. Your experience in the Hotel Industry has been limited to a sales manager position for the past three years. You have dealt with a variety of customers, and understand the nature of the hotel business. You felt it was time to leave your present location and move up in the industry.

The new hotel you are working for is still being built. The completion date is about eight weeks away. Your first responsibility is to hire the necessary personnel to staff and run the operation. The hotel has 125 rooms, a small lobby where a complimentary breakfast will be served, a small pool with the water temperature at 79 degrees, and an exercise room. The hotel is located at the exit of the main line thruway system in the town.

Although you have worked in the industry for three years, hiring personnel will be a new experience for you. Your boss has asked you to develop a hiring procedure that will find qualified staff to help insure the success of the operation. There are many areas for you to consider: the application / questions you will be asking during the interview / types of departments you have in your hotel and all the policies you will need to manage the newly hired staff.

The hotel is set to open in the middle of August. All the college students will be heading back to school, and the summer vacation rush will be over. There are four other major hotel chains within five miles of yours. Your hotel is located on a bus line and only about 15 minutes from the downtown area.

You certainly know the value of a good employee. You have seen enough bad ones over the past few years. Now it is your turn to find the staff needed to meet the opening days of the hotel. Where do you begin? DECISION MAKING HUMAN RESOURCES Region 12 Competition January 7, 2007

Participant Instructions

Procedures - The event will be presented to you through reading of these instructions including Performance Indicators Evaluated and the Event Activity. You will have up to 10 minutes to review this information to determine how you will handle the role-play situation and demonstrate the performance indicators of this event. During the preparation period, you may make notes to use during the role-play situation. -You will have up to 10 minutes to meet with a judge to role-play your situation. -You will be evaluated on how well you meet the performance indicators of this event. -Turn in all of your notes and event materials when you have completed the role play.

Situation - According to a new survey, unscheduled absences cost some large employers an estimated $850,000 annually hi direct payroll costs. Costs are even higher when figuring in lost productivity, morale and temporary labor. Company's are finding new ways to accommodate employees needs based on their absentee reasons.

Activity - You have just been promoted in the human resource department at the General Motors Corporation. Your assignment is to develop ideas for programs to curtail unscheduled absences for factory employees. An example would be implementing flu shots for free to keep your employees well during the winter months. MANAGEMENT DECISION MAKING

HUMAN RESOURCES

REGIONAL 12 COMPETITION 1997-1998

PREP TIME: 20 MIN.

PRESENTATION TIME WITH JUDGE(S): 10 MIN.

MATERIAL: WHITE PAPER & # 2 PENCIL ONLY

GOOD LUCK

During a recent meeting of your firm's management, the sales manager requested that she be allowed to hire one of the top salesmen from a competing firm. She believes that the salesman can be lured away with the promise of a $35,000 salary, which is somewhat more than he is receiving from the other firm. The sales manager claims the salesman could retain at least half of his customers if he were to come to work for your firm.

Much discussion ensued during the meeting as to the morality of hiring the salesman away from another firm for the specific purpose of obtaining that firm's customers. It was also mentioned that other firms might do the same to your firm. In the middle of the discussion, the production manager stated that if this were going to be an approved company policy, he would also like to hire the key production engineer away from another competitor. This particular production engineer installed many innovative production techniques and was able to effect a production cost savings of at least 5% for the competing firm. As a result, the competing firm was able to be the most competitive in the firm's industry. The production manager thinks that the production engineer could be hired at an annual rate of $40,000 plus participation in the officers' stock option plan. Which of the following actions should the firm take? PARTICIPANT INSTRUCTIONS OCCUPATIONAL CATEGORY: Management Decision Making INSTRUCTIONAL AREA: Personnel

Event Overview

As a participant you will be assigned the role of a management-level employee who must solve a case study involving a Human Relations problem. You will be given 20 minutes to read and formulate appropriate recommendations before being interviewed by a panel of judges to explain your recommendations and rationale. Each interview will be a maximum of ten (10) minutes.

Competencies Evaluated 1. Isolate and identify the true problem. 2. Make recommendations of logical solutions. 3. Use facts given within the case study, including use of the scientific method of problem solving. 4. Recognize other possible solutions as a precaution for the primary recommendation. 5. Present thoughts in an organized and professional manner.

Materials 1. One copy of the "Management Decision-Making: Personnel" case study. 2. Pen and note paper. 3. Published material (optional).

Electra-Gas-Applience Co. sells and services a wide variety of appliances in a limited number of brands and offers free instalations to its customers. All products sold are guaranteed. The service department staff can install and repair every product sold by the store, and Electra-Gas is an authorized service center for a number of the lines it carries. Mrs. Halliday purchased an air conditioner at Electra-Gas last week, and the machine was installed in her home a few days after the sale was made. Now Mrs. Halliday wants the store to take back the air conditioner and she is quite angry. When Al Rohmer, the salesman who sold her the machine, asked her why she was dissatisfied, Mrs. Halliday explained that a friend of hers had bought an identical machine at Silo for $15 less. Silo is a large discount chain that does not offer free delivery or free installation services and that takes minimal responsibility for the products it sells.

1. Identify the true problem. 2. What are the important facts to be considered in this problem? 3. List several possible solutions to this problem. 4. Evaluate the possible results of each solution. 5. Which solution do you recommend? Why? Management Decision Making Personnel Fred Bonz works part-time in a convenience store as part of his educational experience in the marketing education program at the local high school. His duties consist of stocking shelves, store operations tasks, and cashiering.

Shortly after Fred came in on Wednesday, the manager, Cheryl, called him to the checkout counter and asked him to take over. Cheryl was going to lunch> the store had been busy and she had not been able to get away before. Fred had been at the register about 15 minutes when an angry customer stormed up to him and said, "I got home with my purchases and found I was charged $2.29 for some laundry detergent that I didn't receive. Here's my cash register receipt. I want it taken care of now!" The woman had butted in in front of several customers who were waiting in line to have their purchases checked out. This was a new situation for Fred to deal with, but he knew he had to make a decision right now, knowing that the manager wouldn't be back for at least another half hour.

ASSIGNMENTi

Analyze this problem situation and offer your recommendations through the application of the steps in the decision-making process. Listed Below are a few short DICE cases that are related to Human Resources DICE Case #1 1. Give an original illustration of where the DICE approach could be used and carry it through all the four steps that are involved.

2. Mark Peters worked in a small hardware store throughout high school. He is now ready to graduate. His boss would like for him to keep working at the hardware store and has indicated that after a few years Mark might be able to buy a share of the business. Mark likes the idea because he feels that he wants a career in marketing. Mark's parents feel that he should get experience in other businesses before deciding on the hardware business. Because of Mark's high school record, he is qualified for a tuition scholarship at a university located about 100 miles from his hometown. 3. Analyze the problem by using the DICE Approach.

DICE Case #2 You are visiting a small, men's specially shop and you observe the following interchange between a salesman and a customer.

The customer has just entered the store and is slopping lo admire a sport coat that is on display.

Salesperson: "Good afternoon, sir. May I help you?"

Customer: "Oh Yes, I need some white handkerchiefs."

Salesperson: “ I see, Sir, step this way.” He leads the customer away from the sport coat display to the back of the store where the handkerchiefs are stocked.

Salesperson: “Here are our handkerchiefs. “ (Indicating different stacks.) “These are 75 cents, these are $1.50 and these are $1.95 . Do you see anything that you like?”

Customer: “No, I don’t really think so”

Salesperson: “I’m sorry, but these are all we have.”

Customer: “Well, I think that I will look around some..”

Salesperson: “Thank you and come back.” Using the DICE approach, analyze the sales mans’ actions in this case.

DICE Case #3 You have just employed for the holiday season four new full-time employees to handle the gift-wrapping for the entire store. None of these employees has any experience. It is your job as department supervisor to train them in just four days. How will you handle this assignment?

DICE Case #4 One of the employees in your department is consistently late for work. You have spoken to the employee about this situation but the problem continues. What steps will you take to resolve this problem?

DICE Case #5 You have been employed as a consulting psychologist for an advertising agency. The agency handles the sales campaign for a life insurance company. In the past, the agency has been using Ihe scare-copy approach but is now questioning its effectiveness. You have been asked lo recommend a new approach. Analyze this problem by using the DICE approach. In your presentation, (a) define the problem, (b) identify why people respond to different appeals in the manner they do, (c) choose the psychological guidelines that will influence customer decisions, and (d) evaluate the relative appropriateness and effectiveness of each of the psychological guidelines for a sales campaign for a life insurance company. DICE Case #6 You are going lo open a small convenience food store in a community with a population of 50,000. Your target market will consist of those people who need a food item in a hurry to complete a meal. Your store will be located in a middle-income residential area of about 3,000 population. You will have store hours from 7 a.m. until 12 midnight. A radio station, a television station, and a daily newspaper are in your community. Using the DICE approach, determine your promotional methods. DECISION MAKING -HUMAN RESOURCES

Competitive Event Rating Sheet

Judging Area Poor Fair Good Excellent

1 Problem Identification 0-4 5-9 10-14 15-20 (student's ability to isolate and identify problems) 20 points

Rationale (use of facts given in case study including use of following problem solving steps): 2 Identify problem- 5 points 0-1 2-3 4 5

3 State facts- 5 points 0-1 2-3 4 5

4 Develop possible solutions - 10 points 0-1 2-4 5-7 8-10

5 Contrast advantages & disadvantages 0-1 2-4 5-7 8-10 of each solution - 10 points

6 Make recommendations-5 points 0-1 2-3 4 5

7 Follow-up - 5 points 0-1 2-3 4 5

8 Recommendation - 20 points 0-4 5-9 10-14 15-20 (consider logic of recommendation as well as thought process)

9 Presentation - 20 points 0-4 5-9 10-14 15-20 (communication skills including organization of thought & professional attire)

JUDGES ARE ENCOURAGED TO MAKE COMMENTS