APPLYING YOUR KNOWLEDGE An In-Basket and an LGD for Selecting Managers There are several means by which an organization can attempt to determine the right choices in the managerial selection process. An approach that is growing rapidly in popu- larity is to attempt to assess what a managerial candidate can do, rather than what he or she knows. Various kinds of work samples or situational tests can be used to assess what a candidate can do. In this exercise, you will have an opportunity to see how two of the most valid managerial work samples operate-in-basket tests and leaderless group discussions (LGDs). An attractive feature of this combination of predictors is that although both are valid, the scores on each do not correlate highly with each other. This suggests that in-baskets and LGDS tap different, but important, subsets of the managerial performance domain. Part A: In-Basket Exercise An in-basket exercise is designed to assess a candidate's problem-solving, decision-making, and administrative skills. Further, because all responses are written ones, the exercise can also as- sess written communication ability. An in-basket exercise consists of a set of notes, memos, reports, and other communi- cations to which a candidate must respond. In practice, these items would typically be presented via e-mail or voice mail. To give you a sense of how an in-basket operates, here is a sample set of such items. For ease of administration, all items are stated in memoran- dum form. Exercise 8-1 Procedure You are to assume that you have just been appointed director of human resources at Ace Manufacturing Company and that your name is George (or Georgina) Ryan. The president of the firm is Arnold ("Arnie") Ace. You were to replace the current HR director, John Armstrong, in 2 weeks, when he was scheduled to be transferred to Hong Kong. However, a family emer- gency in South Africa has required that John leave the country immediately, and you must fill in for him as best as you can. You have taken an alternate flight on an important business trip to Washington, DC, and have stopped over in Los Angeles, where Ace's headquarters is located. It is Saturday morning, and no one else is available in the office. You must resume your flight to Washington, DC, within an hour. Read through the items in your in-basket, decide what to do with each item, and record your decision on a separate sheet of paper. If any decisions require writing a letter or memo, you are to draft the response in the space provided. You are not to role-play how someone else might behave in this situation. Rather, you are to behave exactly as you yourself would in each situation. think you

Basket and an LGD for Selecting Managers There are several means by which an organization can attempt to determine the right choices in the managerial selection process. An approach that is growing rapidly in popt. larity is to attempt to assess what a managerial candidate can do, rather than what he or she knows. Various kinds of work samples or situational tests can be used to assess what a candidate can do. In this exercise, you will have an opportunity to see how two of the most valid managerial work samples operate-in-basket tests and leaderless group discussions (LGDs). An attractive feature of this combination of predictors is that although both are valid, the scores on each do not correlate highly with each other. This suggests that in-baskets and LGDs tap different, but important, subsets of the managerial performance domain. Part A: In-Basket Exercise An in-basket exercise is designed to assess a candidate's problem-solving, decision-making, and administrative skills. Further, because all responses are written ones, the exercise can also assess written communication ability. An in-basket exercise consists of a set of notes, memos, reports, and other communtcations to which a candidate must respond. In practice, these items would typically be presented via e-mail or voice mail. To give you a sense of how an in-basket operates, here is a sample set of such items. For ease of administration, all items are stated in memorandum form. Procedure You are to assume that you have just been appointed director of human resources at Ace Manufacturing Company and that your name is George (or Georgina) Ryan. The president of the firm is Arnold ("Arnie") Ace. You were to replace the current HR director, John Armstrong, in 2 weeks, when he was scheduled to be transferred to Hong Kong. However, a family emergency in South Africa has required that John leave the country immediately, and you must fill in for him as best as you can. You have taken an alternate flight on an important business trip to Washington, DC, and have stopped over in Los Angeles, where Ace's headquarters is located. It is Saturday morning, and no one else is available in the office. You must resume your flight to Washington, DC, within an hour. Read through the items in your in-basket, decide what to do with each item, and record your decision on a separate sheet of paper. If any decisions require writing a letter or memo. you are to draft the response in the space provided. You are not to role-play how you think someone else might behave in this situation. Rather, you are to behave exactly as you yourself would in each situation. MEMO TO fohn Amstrong. HR Director FROM - lackle Willams, Downtown Businea Club SUBJECT: Speaking engagement next week Thanks again for your willingness to speak to our Business Clob next week- As you know, this group represents a good cross section of the LA business community as well as a number of Ace's best customers. We are all looking forward to what you huve to say regarding the reba tionship berween business and human fesource surategles. ttem2 MEMO TO: Mr, Ryan FROM: ludy [sectetary to the director of human resourcel] SUBJECT: Tom Tipster's employment status Just after Mr. Armstrong left yesterday, we received a call from the owner of Stockman's Just after Mr. Armstrong left yesterday, we received a cali trom the owner of stockan and damaged the bar. He said he'd hold off pressing changes until he talked to you (i explained that you were Mr. Armstrong's replacement). This is the third time that Mr. Tipster has gotten in trouble over his drinking problem. I think Mr. Armstrong was planning to fire him if he had another problem like this. You'd think that someone with 17 years of service at Ace would have more sense than to get into trouble like this especially with four kids at home to feed! As you know, reny store is located toethe Dirthe the past several inmelw we hrve has police havent becn able to do anyahane ahsiat Item 6 MEMO TO FROM SUTHECT: Iohn Alice Calmers. Director of Manufacturing Thursday's training peogram I frally got everything rearranged for that craining program on Thursday, Yova cant imagine how dificult it is to try to rearrange the schedules of 15 very busy supervison to attend any. thing at the same time. I certainly hope that Lis's presentation is going to be worth all this juggling of schedules! Item 7 MEMO TO; FROM: SUBJECT: John Armstrong Ralph Herzberg. Manager of Customer Relations New training program We have a serious problem in the customer relations department it is common for a large number of calls to come in all at once. When this happens, the customer-relacions-contact employee is supposed to take the customer's phone number and get back to him or het within an hour. We've found in the past that this is a reasonable target because, after a big rush of calls, things usually settle down for a while. But when we check up on the customercontact employees, we find that they get back to the customet within an hour only about one-third of the time. Sometimes they don't get back to the customer until the next dayl 1 sent a memo to all customer-contact employees about a month ago reminding them of the importance of prompt responses on their parts, but it did very little good. We need a training program from your department to improve this critical performance area. Can we get together early next week? Responses On a separate sheet of paper, provide your responses to the in-basket items. Item 1: Speaking engagement next week. Item 2: Tom Tipster's employment status. Item 3: EEO report. Item 4: Time off. Item S: Thefts. Item 6: Thursday's training program. Item 7: New training program. Part B: Leaderless Group Discussion (LGD) Unlike the in basket exercise, a leaderless group discussion exercise involves groups of managerial candidates working together on a job-related problem. The problem is usually designed to be as realistic as possible, and it is often tackled in groups of flve or six candidates. No one Het2 Eeplynet in the group is appointed leader, not is anyune told where to sit of how to act. Candidates are instructed simply to solve the problem to the best of their abiliry in the time allotted. The LGD is used to actess soch managerial oralts and skils as aggresstveness, inrerpersonal shill persuasive abtify, oral commanication skilk, self-contidence, energy level, and resistance co seress. Procedure The peoblem thas follows a typical of those in an LGD. However, to conserve time, we have simplafied is somentat. Divide sfout two-thinds of the class itato groups of five or six partici punce the renuining cone-thifd should iene as observers. Participants should read the seate. mert of the problem and attempt to anive at a consensus solution within about is minutes. At the end of the exercise be prepured to discoss the kindr of management aklls exhibited by participunts in your group. Uie the raring scale shown at the end of the exercise. Bonus-Allocation Problem Your ofganizatinn has receraly inatinated as incentive bones in an arzempt to inlimulate and fewand key employte behaviors. The company har budgeted 5120000 for this purpose, to be spent every 6 monchi You have been appointed to a commitee charged with the re monsibility of deternining the allocanion of bonut funds to deserving employes over the previous 6 -monch petiad A coral of 25 employes wete receumended by their supervisons. expeniled Your taik toding it co decide on the stre of the bonises af any) to be received by Presented beliow: Virgoinio Dewey Alfred Newmain Accosating clek, 3 yean whth the fires 2 year college degree, 3 yeias of relevant work expe. TECHNIC The Estimai A quadtitack ment deciston reliabulity earis procedare cara stable) To eado degree of relatio independerily? Table s-3 sh revultinis comelat Way, the correlutil a very atorese nelat any physical or po Howevir, the scone setmilitierations of th independent ratings Pinully, in viniusi dures asd whore a te iplit hall rellubility in ndd diens and even an each indwhtual, to eflece Harvey Slack Human resources staff. 1 year with the firm. College degree from prestigious Ivy League school. 3 years of relevant work experience. Very knowledgeable in subject matter but has trouble getting along with older coworkers. Present salary is above average in a recent salary survey. His mentor is the firm's vice president for human resources, who is said to be grooming Harvey for the VP position. Has received several offers from other firms recently. Rating Scale Observation of Participant: A B C D E F Step 1: Use a check mark to indicate each time the participant you are evaluating demonstrates the following behaviors: Introduces a new idea. Builds on the ideas of others. Interrupts others. Takes conversation in new direction. Focuses the group onto the task. Attends to relationship needs of the group. Seeks ideas from others. Contributes expert knowledge