1. Case 3. THE DILEMMA: Goodbye, Jimmy, Goodbye.

Questions:
1. Is there anything wrong with the manner the shortlist was prepared by Gloria?
2. What do you suggest regarding the preparation of the shortlist?

Answers:
1. Based on the case presented, there is really a big mistake with the manner of choosing
the applicants for interview done by Ms. Gloria Tadino. As a recruitment supervisor of
the HRMO in the company, she is expected and it is a must for her to analyze and
evaluate the resumes and applications of the applicants based on the standard set by
the company. She must set aside her personal biases because the applicants she
eliminated unfairly might be better than those she picked.

2. The company must be very careful, in the very first place, in choosing and putting an
employee to be assigned as their recruitment supervisor because it is a very crucial
position to fill in. On the problem of this case, I strongly suggest that Ms. Gloria Tadino
must take a serious commitment to her job and come to terms with her past so she
can move on with her life.

She must be very professional in dealing her duties and responsibilities so as not to
sacrifice the quality of her performance and the operations of the company. She must
prepare the shortlist according to the criteria set by the company21 to 26 years old,
graduate of B.S. in Computer Science, and a resident of Manila. She must choose
applicants depending on their credibility and qualifications, not on her personal
interests, biases, and feelings. Hence, she should give utmost consideration to the
abilities and skills of the applicants that could contribute to the success of the
company.

2. Case 4: PONCIANO RETAILING COMPANY: Yesterday

Questions:
1. What do you think of the reaction of the employees regarding the decentralization
policy of Patrick?
2. Do you consider the decentralization policy as a big mistake? Why or why not?

Answers:
1. The reaction of the employees regarding the decentralization policy of Patrick was
highly anticipated and expected by top management as Patrick thinks it is easy to
replace those who will leave.

Change is stressful for employees on this case as they have been working on a very
functional decentralized organizational structure for several years already. However,
the employees must also open their minds to the changes being presented by Patrick,
as the latter was slowly introducing measures to centralize decision-making. It is also
necessary for the employees to be receptive of those changes. In many cases,
 employees and the company must move forward with the current changes and
demands at hand.

Since most of Patricks employees have worked in the former structure, it is

uncomfortable and very difficult for them to transfer to the new system of management.
Their attitudes are difficult to alter, and attempts often lead to resistance. In this case,
a healthy dialogue between the top management and employees must be facilitated
by Danny in order to give Patrick a proper venue to lay down, present and explain the
new policy and also for the employees to express their thoughts on the new policy
versus the policy that they have been using for years.

2. Decentralization policy or decentralization in itself is an organizational structure by

which daily operations and decision-making responsibilities are delegated by top
management to middle and lower-level managers within the organization, allowing top
management to focus more on major decisions. The need to decentralize is deemed
necessary in order to continue efficient operations. It also has a lot of advantages,
though relinquishing control may be difficult for a business owner accustomed to
making all the decisions.

Decentralization can also empower employees by having more autonomy to make

their own decisions, giving them a sense of importance and making them feel as if
they have more input in the direction of the organization. It also allows them to make
better use of the knowledge and experience they have gained and implement some of
their own ideas.

Decentralizing takes some of the burden of daily business operations off the business
owner. When the owner allows others to perform such tasks as hiring new employees
or ordering supplies, this frees him/her up to spend more time on big-picture items,
such as planning for expansion or meeting with important clients.

A situation may arise where the business owner must be away from the business for
an extended period of time because of illness or other emergency reasons.
Decentralization gives a better chance that the organization will maintain self-
sufficiency because managers and employees are accustomed to working
autonomously.

A decentralized organization is able to make decisions more quickly than one with a
centralized structure. A manager often can make a decision without having to wait for
it to go up a chain of command, allowing the organization to react quickly to situations
where fast action can mean the difference between gaining and losing a customer.

For a growing business, decentralization can facilitate the process of expansion. For
example, if expansion results in opening a new business unit in a different geographic
area, decentralization allows the new unit to operate as an independent entity,
meaning it can react more easily to the specific needs of the area, such as deciding to
sell products that appeal to the local market.
3. Keeping Up with the IT

Questions:
1. State Samuels main problem.
2. Discuss the area of consideration following the guide below:
Samuels Strength
Samuels Weakness
Samuels Opportunities
3. Give your proposed solutions/alternative course of action to help Samuel overcome
his problem. (minimum of three)

Answer:
1. Samuels main problem is that he is not technology-savvy and he has very low self-
esteem because of his age.

2. Samuels Strength, Weakness, and Possible Opportunity

Samuels Strength:
He basically knows the manual operations in the HR field of the enterprise. He has
got full knowledge for he has been working with the company for almost 20 years.
Samuel can make use of this as his strength because it would be easy for him to
identify the terminologies and jargons when he uses the HRIS.
Samuels Weakness:
Samuel is quite hesitant and unreceptive of the new technology because of his very
low self-esteem due to his age. Furthermore, he lacks interest and willingness to lear
the new system. This personal outlook of Samuel could be translated to an attitude
problem as this can be viewed as an issue of pride.
Samuels Possible Opportunities:
Samuel can take full advantage of the opportunity, since the enterprise is now online
in its HR operations by using HRIS, to request for a training from their IT personnel on
how to use the HRIS of the enterprise. He just have to open his mind on this very
important change being introduced and make full advantage of the resources at hand.
There could also be a possibility that other employees of the enterprise have the same
concern or problem as his.

3. a.) Technology is essential to every business, even small business enterprise is not
an exemption. Samuel has to come to terms with his fear. He must face it because it
is the new trend in the business world. Everything is only few clicks away. He has to
understand that the enterprise would like to maintain a competitive edge and build a
strong presence in todays business world. The enterprise cannot afford to be left
behind in the business bandwagon just to cater his fear.

b.) As the enterprise wants to be competitive in the business world, Samuel also
needs to compete despite his age. He needs to know that technology knows no age
because it is only a matter of interest and willingness to learn. Since he has full
knowledge of the old manual system of the HR operations, he must take full advantage
of it when he starts to learn the HR information system of the enterprise. He can ask
questions while on training and take note on the difference between the manual
 system and the new electronic system. He must also be familiar with the basics of
computer and internet, plus the jargons used in the new HRIS.

c.) He can request for a training on how to use the new HRIS because I believe that
the enterprise will be very happy for Samuel to show interest and willingness to learn
and adopt the new system. He can also request for a very smooth transition for his
advantage in letting go of the manual system and using the new system in full. But he
has to do the transition in a very reasonable period of time so as not to hamper the
entire operations of the enterprise.

While on transition, Samuel may also consider some technology awareness strategies
just to keep himself abreast that he is working with new technology. He must
determine his needs, assess the resources available to him, rank the resources in
order of usefulness to him, and make or allow time to use the resources available for
him.

4. Reyes Department Store.

Question:
1. Discuss the process that Nicole should follow to solve this problem.

Answer:
1. First thing is first. Nicole needs to check and review the existing company standards
and procedures, as well as, the contracts of the companys employees which include
their job descriptions. A good employment contract will spell out the scope of an
employees responsibility to the company, including their titles.

If Nicole found the contract so explicit, she can always refer to it when approaching
Jet or other employees about duties and responsibilities that are not included. If it is
not explicit, then she can manipulate around what was stated and what is being asked.
It is not easy for a newbie manager to be in that position as Nicole but simply her work
requires her to deliver results. Nicole also needs to understand that it is also difficult
for employees to ask for clarification on an employment contract during the hiring
process, but it is something that is a must. Hence, there is a need for a review on the
job descriptions and employment contracts with the employees, especially those who
need it.

There is a great need for Nicole to check and review the job descriptions because, in
most cases, job descriptions sometimes fail to achieve their important purposes. A
job description is only valid and useful to the extent that it accurately reflects job
content. Jet and other employees with same attitude toward work may tend to ignore
the decision-making aspects of their job. All jobs involve a degree of decision-making,
which must be clearly defined in the job description, otherwise the scope of
responsibility and accountability will remain unclear. On the other hand, maybe the
job descriptions of Jet may have failed to focus on his expected job behaviour or are
not really specific enough about the required behaviors. There is a need to describe
what an employee needs to be done in specific and measurable terms.
 Furthermore, Nicole needs to identify the root cause of the issue, define the obstacles,
examine her options, act on an agreed course of action, and look at how it turns out,
and whether any changes need to be made. In her course to check and review the
job descriptions of the employees, she needs to always consider the fact that having
a document that specifically sets forth the minimum job requirements helps ensure
that all employees are on the same page and going to one direction only. To her
advantage, the job descriptions of the employees provide her and the employees a
mutual understanding of the job expectations. A well-defined job description can be
used as reference for training initiatives and as a basis for performance appraisal
standards. Job descriptions are important tools in developing the employee-employer
relationship.

Lastly, Nicole, in her way to resolving this issue, needs to pay attention to the details
of the main problem by simply setting the scene by paying attention to the interest of
the manylisten very carefully and respectfully and be open to having a dialogue or
symposium with the employees regarding the matter at hand. She needs to gather
information by going deeper than the surface to really get an understanding of Jet and
other employees need, concerns and points of view. She needs to be objectivenot
personal; and try to view her actions from the standpoint of the other person. She also
has to be an example to her colleagues in putting aside individual goals to come to a
mutually agreeable and beneficial solution in order to address the job description
issue. Brainstorming with the involved party/parties must also be considered for a win-
win solution. Of course, Nicole needs to make sure that all parties have better
understanding on each others positions by educating every employee about their job
descriptions and the standards and procedures of the company.

5. Test Scores versus Letter of Recommendation

Questions:
1. Should Vangie disregard the test scores and hire Angela Joy? Explain your decision.
2. Would it be kind to hire or not to hire Angela Joy?
3. What is your recommendation to help Vangie solve this problem?

Answers:
1. Vangie should not disregard the test scores of Angela Joy. The test scores are based
on the standardized employment and personality testing of the company. The test
scores are a very important component in determining and hiring best fit employees
for a certain job vacancy. I believe that Mr. Max Ditangan will surely understand and
greatly appreciate when Vangie makes a very thorough explanation about the hiring
process that needs to be considered. Hence, Vangie may even suggest to Mr.
Ditangan that Angela Joy maybe considered in other job opening of the company that
would best suit her.

Moreover, the test scores are indications of job fit, work ethic, integrity, aptitude, and
core competencies which will result to a reduced employee turnover and hire a highly
motivated and compatible workforce. I believe that Mr. Ditangan will fully understand
this matter.
 2. With the given test results, it would be kind if Angela Joy would not be hired. It simply
means that she still has a lot of areas for improvement. Vangie just needs to explain
the reason of not hiring Angela Joy as of now. That would be kind enough.

3. Vangie may even suggest to Mr. Ditangan to give Angela Joy an on-the-job-training
opportunity, without salary. In this way, Angela Joy will have a chance to observe the
how the operations in the sales and marketing department go. After a certain
reasonable period of time, Angela Joy may apply again and take the tests in order to
check if she now qualifies for the job. The company must not neglect the test results
at all times.

6. Recruiting a New Production Manager

Questions:
1. How valuable is the tradition of promotion from within and how disruptive will it be to
deviate from the tradition? What are the advantages and risks of promoting from within
in this situation?
2. As head of HR, how are you going to handle the problem of the incumbent production
manager, Analisa Rafol, considering she rose from the ranks because of her
exceptional performance record?
3. If the company decides to recruit from outside, what are the best external recruiting
sources for finding a new production manager?

Answers:
1. Promoting from within is a powerful morale and productivity tool, as many studies have
shown. It is also an attractive recruitment incentive for employees who want to know
if a long-term career path is available in the company. It also provides advantages to
employers because they already know what an employees strengths and weaknesses
are, advancement opportunities provide motivation for staff to perform at their best
level, and the promoted employee already knows how the organization operates and
understands the business culture.

However, promoting from within is not always positive. It is can potentially promote
unhealthy competition among the employees. When one person is promoted, bad
feelings can result in the people left behind. This can lead to dissatisfaction at work,
poor work performance and even resentment from employees who feel slighted or
overlooked. Some workers may have felt entitled to a promotion even if they were not
qualified, simply because they have put in more time at the company. If length of
service were the only criterion for promotion, people could be promoted to a job they
cannot perform, which could lead to them being fired.

In this situation, it is advantageous for the company to promote from within because
they have already identified a production supervisor who is bright and capable and
could probably acquire the knowledge and skills needed to be a good production
manager. Thus, making employee feel that the company rewards hard work by
offering him an opportunity to take on new responsibilities of which he has a great
 interest. Hence, still keeping the tradition of promoting from within which will keep the
companys good reputation to their employees.

However, promoting from within is potentially dangerous in this situation. Knowing

that the incumbent production manage, Analisa Rafol, rose from the ranks because of
her exceptional performance record. This might create a conflict between employees
because the competence of Analisa will now be undermined which will lead to her bad
feelings of being left behind.

2. If I were the HR head of this company, I will talk to top management and recommend
to them to review Analisas great contributions to the company, considering the fact
that shes been with the company for 18 years and she had been promoted many
times because of her exceptional performance record. It is very best to take those
things into serious consideration because those are very vital.

Since the production department adopts the latest technology and production
processes, perhaps Analisa still has an issue on familiarization in using the new
technology maybe due to her age and she only masters the manual process, or maybe
because shes not tech savvy at all. I would also recommend to top management to
give Analisa an intensive training on the usage of the new technology and compare
and contrast it with the manual one, so she can easily identify the difference. Hence,
she can become easily familiar with the new one. This must also be done within a
very reasonable period of time which will also include evaluation and assessment.
This way, Analisa would not feel bad at all, in fact, she will be delighted by such act of
kindness and consideration.

But afterwards, if Analisa fails to hit the target on her performance matrix, then
something has to be done with due process.

3. Sometimes, internal sources may not be able to supply suitable persons from within.
Externals sources give a wide variety of choice to the management. A large number
of applicants may be willing to join the organization. They will also be suitable as per
the requirements of skill, training and education.

In this case, the company may take these two methods of external sources in recruiting
a new production manager:

a. Educational Institutions:
The company may send recruiters to educational institutions where they meet the
members of the faculty of the school and persons in charge of placement services
who recommend suitable candidates.
b. Advertising and/or Telecasting:
These media tools are very effective especially in looking and recruiting of
candidates for managerial positions.