Individual Deliverable #1 – Candidate Selection Report

Instructions

Week 5 Individual Deliverable 1 – Report

NOTE:  All submitted work is to be your original work. You may not use any work from another student, the Internet or an online clearinghouse.  You are expected to understand the Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism Policy, and know that it is your responsibility to learn about instructor and general academic expectations with regard to proper citation of sources as specified in the APA Publication Manual, 6th Ed. (Students are held accountable for in-text citations and an associated reference list only).  

Purpose: 

In this project, you will examine the way successful leaders develop an interpersonal set of “soft skills.”  A “soft skills” set helps a leader build relationships within an organization to promote the vision and mission of the business.  Soft-skills (a positive attitude, good communication skills, and a good work ethic, high emotional and cultural intelligence) are personal attributes crucial for a leader’s success.

In this project, you will be writing a report. 

Skill Building:

You are also completing this project to help you develop the skills of research, critical thinking, writing a report, and assessing leadership skills

Skills:  Research, Writing, Critical Thinking, Leadership Soft Skills, Personal Brand

Outcomes Met With This Project:

• assess the interactions between the external environment and the organization to foster responsible and effective leadership and organizational practices
• Develop individual awareness, style, and communication skills that enhances leadership skills
• Integrate and apply analytical principles and skills to make strategic decisions

Instructions:

Step 1:  Read the Case Scenario

Biotech Health and Life Products (Biotech) is attempting to develop new business in Saudi Arabia and Angola.  Each country has an open position for a Sales Division Director that needs to be filled as soon as possible.

You are a recent hire to the job, and your boss, Walter Pidgeon, Vice-President of International Sales has asked you to review the candidates and perform an analysis on the information to determine the best candidates for each country.  You know Mr. Pidgeon is a stickler for exactness, and is testing you because there is one best candidate that he has already identified.   He has not shared his choice with you.  He wants to see how you are progressing in the job.  He wants to see if you are ready to work independently and capable of make critical hiring decisions.  Mr. Pidgeon requires all workers to support his or her reasoning and conclusions using the literature and information from research to bring validity to an analysis.  Mr. Pidgeon likes to say he is from Missouri (the Show-Me State), so he want you to show him the support so he can assess your ability to think critically.  Your job is important to you and you want to show Mr. Pidgeon that you have the potential to do well in the job.  After all, one of the things you learned while attending college at UMUC was that every person working in a business environment wants to create a personal brand.  You are that person!

Step 2:   Background Information Needed to Complete the Report

To write the report, you will need the following information to assess information related to the Biotech Company Profile, Country Information, Current Job Descriptions and Candidate Profiles.

Read the country information, the Biotech Company Profile, and the descriptions of the four candidates for the Sales Division Director’s position, found below. 

Country Information:

Job Descriptions

Sales Director in Angola: Candidate must have traveled extensively.  Has held a successful sales career in either pharmaceuticals or nutraceuticals.  Must have previous experience leading a staff of at least 20 people.  Foreign language fluency preferred in Portuguese or French.

Sales Director in Saudi Arabia: Candidate must have traveled extensively. A successful sales career or intimate knowledge of either pharmaceuticals or nutraceuticals a must!  Previous experience leading a staff of at least 20 people required.  Foreign language fluency preferred in Hejazi Arabic.

Candidate Descriptions:

Candidate 1– Alberta Raynard

Alberta Raynard is 28 years old with three years of college.  She currently is finishing her degree online at UMUC.   Raynard is a business administration major.  She works full- time for NIH in its hospital pharmacy.  She has been purchasing drugs for the hospital for the last three years.  Raynard is very familiar with Biotech’s product line as well as its competitors.  Raynard is friendly but has a quiet demeanor.   Her upbringing was that of an “Army Brat.”  When Raynard was younger, she traveled with her parents so she is familiar with several countries, including Angola.  She speaks French at an advanced level but is not yet fluent in the language.  Despite the exposure to various cultures, Raynard still finds it stressful to interact with people who do not have a European or American background.  She feels uncomfortable, not because of ethnocentrism, but because she does not want to offend them from lack of cultural knowledge.

Raynard’s Myers Briggs personality test showed her to be an ISTJ. She does not tolerate much nonsense from people, hates surprises, and wants people to be brief in talking with her.  She liked the idea of the collaborative environment of Biotech and responded well to the idea that her opinions and suggestions would always be welcome.  However, she expressed some concern that older employees might find her too young in her approach to leading.  She has found that structure, procedures and rules have worked better than asking for input but she attributes this to her Army background.  She would like to be more open with others but her age and sex have made her feel that she must be more formal with others if she is to earn and keep their trust.  When asked how her staff perceived her, she laughed and said they called her a “Type A.”  When asked what characteristics she thought a leader needed to possess to succeed in the 21st century she replied, “…objective, practical, controlled and fair.”  Raynard said her leadership style was transactional but the interviewer is not sure if it was not more authoritarian.  When asked what leadership theory she thought was most likely to work in the 21st century her reply was “Great Man, because it emphasizes the characteristics of a person who likes honesty and trust.”  Raynard’s knowledge of the business was sound but when asked if anyone could be a leader, she said no.  It was up to the position that a person holds.  When asked if Raynard was up to the job and ready to be placed in Saudi Arabia, Raynard replied, “If you mean, do I think I can l lead in an all-male environment, sure?  I am used to that experience.”  When asked what about selling, Raynard replied, “I will admit that is a harder challenge but with time and constant contact, I believe that I can make money for the company.” 

When asked about her exposure to Angola, Raynard said that she had less knowledge of the Portuguese language than French but felt she could do business there in either language, and stated, “Anyway, most business people speak English in the country.”

Raynard was sure she could improve her skills quickly.  Her only real worry was the fact that doing business in Africa was very much about who you knew and at times bribery was expected.  This was not something she would do.  She was assured that Biotech would do neither.

Candidate 2 – Jose Ortega

Ortega currently is the team leader of the New Mexico sales division at Biotech. He is Biotech’s top salesperson.  Ortega is 32 years old.  A recent divorce from his wife has made him eager to explore the world.  Ortega’s wife was Brazilian.  Ortega is fluent in Portuguese so “it would be a good change to go to someplace different and have an adventure.  When asked, Ortega replied why he wanted to leave the country.  He had not traveled excessively but had gone to Brazil regularly with his wife when they were together.  He was familiar with the problems of a developing country.

Ortega enjoys working with customers and spends a lot of time with them making sure they are satisfied.  His Myers- Briggs test characterized him as ESTP. Hernandez enjoys Biotech’s collaborative culture.  When asked what characteristics he thought a leader needed to succeed in the 21st century, he replied, “…flexible, compassionate, insightful and honest.”  He felt a good leader should change rapidly in a crisis and should be direct and assertive when dealing with people.  When asked about the idea of competitive edge he said, “A leader has to worry about making money every day. It is important to have immediate results for all to see especially in sales. Even customers prefer to deal with successful sales people than those that plod along.”   Ortega believes he could do well in another country if the company ensured he received language and cultural training.  He knew that understanding how people thought about business and their products was important but more likely the sale would be clinched if he knew what was and wasn’t good in the country in which he was selling.  He stated, “Knowing your clients is everything in sales.”  When asked how he created followers among the employees, Ortega replied that he liked to have rules but room for deviation, and liked to provide flexibility in the job while staying results- driven.  Ortega said he was a situational leader because it encouraged freedom.  He said his favorite leadership theory was contingency theory because it allowed him to approach things by the situation.  

Candidate 3 – Jonathan Washington

Washington currently works for the sales division of Burt’s Bees.  He is 48 years old.  He obtained his current job right out serving in the military.  While familiar with natural products, some of which are related to those produced by Biotech, he is not familiar with the medical aspects of most of the products.  Washington entered the interview room all smiles and with a firm handshake.  He was very personable and struck an immediate feeling of warmth and connection.  This impressed the interviewer. He held constant eye contact throughout the interview.  Washington was able to discuss the culture of both countries having spent time in both during his military service.  However, he does not speak a language other than English.  His attitude about learning a new language was somewhat inflexible on this point. 

Washington was identified as an ENFJ in his Myers-Briggs results.  When asked about his preferred work environment, Washington responded, “I believe individuals should focus on changing things for the betterment of others.  I think this is what the people of Angola could really use and Biotech’s products would help change things for the better.”

Washington also had read about Biotech online and spoke with current employees prior to the interview.  He indicated that he was the team leader in his current job and was content with the organization.  However, his current job does not lead to a career position in management, which he desires.  Washington stated, “He leads with personal enthusiasm and praise, put the people in the organization at ease but will attend to the needs of his people.”  He is interactive and cooperative.  The interviewer was a little concerned that Washington may be too naïve about people and their limitations.  The interviewer wondered if this concern might prove a problem when dealing with a culture for which he is unfamiliar and with sales of a product that is new.  Washington said he saw himself as a transformational leader.  He feels that good leadership is built on good relationships with followers.  Relationship theory seems to make the most sense to him for the 21st century because people may change work places and leading change is the future.

Candidate 4 – Adrianna White

Adrianna White is 36 years old. She is a single mother of two. She was a nurse for 8 years before coming to work at Biotech in the marketing area of the sales division in Chicago.  She has been working for the company for four years.  Her immediate manager reported that Adrianna is highly motivated and competent at her job.  Her manager said that Adrianna’s biggest asset is that she “looked at challenges as opportunities and often found creative solutions to problems that others had not considered.”

White’s nursing years were spent at the University of Chicago in Orlando Park. Surrounded by a large Muslim community the hospital gave classes in Arabic and White found it very useful in her work to attend Arabic classes.  She learned not only how to carry on a conversation with non-English speaking patients but the names of many drugs and over-the-counter treatments.  White enjoyed her time in Orlando Park and found the culture of the families very compatible with her own ideas of family.

White’s Myers Briggs results indicated that she is an ENTJ.  When asked if she felt the Myers-Briggs description fit her she replied, “Absolutely, especially the part that I reward risk taking in the work environment.  I do not think poorly planned risk is wise, but you have to take a chance in sales.  It is not for the faint-hearted.” 

After read about this opportunity on the Biotech’s HR division website, White was excited about the possibility of moving her career forward.  When asked if she were to get the job in Saudi Arabia, if it would present problems for her.  She only said. “Initially, but if she planned things out well, surrounded herself with good people and learned about her clients she was sure she could overcome the cultural drawbacks to being a woman.”

On the other hand, White freely admits that she knows little about Angola. She stated that she read information about Angola, and believes that with help and time she could learn another language.

White has many innovative ideas about increasing sales.  White’s evaluations are superior and she works well with her team.  Her colleagues suggest that she is flexible and a people-first person.  Her eye contact is good and she comes off as being very authentic.  She describes her leadership style as a blend of situational and relational.  The interviewer noted that at times she seemed to be more future oriented in her comments and may need to worry more about the here and now when getting things done.

Step 3:  Report Requirements & Format

You will write the report using Times New Roman, 12” font, single-spaced with double-spaces between paragraphs and headings.  The paper should be approximately three pages excluding the title page and reference page.  It is important to write clearly and concisely.

Use the following format:

• Overview
• Recommendation of Candidates
• Cultural Factors & Demographic Characteristics
• High-low Culture
• Personality Traits
• Emotional Quotient
• Moral Compass
• Role of EQ, Cultural IQ & Ethics
• Candidates Not Selected
• References

The following requirements apply to the Report:

• Use the grading rubric while completing the project to ensure all requirements are met that will lead to the highest possible grade. 

• Third person writing is required.  Third person means that there are no words such as “I, me, my, we, or us” (first person writing), nor is there use of “you or your” (second person writing).  

• Contractions are not used in business writing, so do not use them. 

• Use direct quotation marks for primary sources.  For all other source material used in the analysis, you will not use direct quotation marks but will instead paraphrase.  What this means is that you will put the ideas of an author or article into your own words rather than lifting directly from a source document.  You may not use more than four consecutive words from a source document, as doing so would require direct quotation marks.  Changing words from a passage does not exclude the passage from having quotation marks. 

• Use in-text citations and provide a reference list that contains the reference associated with each in-text citation.

• You may not use books in completing this project.

• Provide the page or paragraph number in every in-text citation presented. 

Step 4:  Complete the Report

You will write a report addressed to Mr. Walter Pidgeon, Vice-President of International Sales that provides your selection of the two best candidates for the Sales Director positions.

You will use the country information, candidate information, course material and Biotech’s Company Profile to draw conclusions as to the best candidates that are likely to succeed in selling Biotech’s product line in Saudi Arabia and Angola.  In identifying the best candidates, you will select one best candidate for Saudi Arabia and one best candidate for Angola.   Note:  There is a correct answer for both locations.

• Recommend the best candidate for Saudi Arabia and the best candidate for Angola;

• Identify and discuss the cultural factors and demographic characteristics relied upon to select the best candidates for the two positions;  

• Explain the role of high-low culture in the selection of the candidates;

• Identify the personality traits that would work well for the Sales Division Director position;

• Identify the personality traits that would work well for a sales person in each country;

• What indicators (facts) did you find in the candidates interview summary that suggests the selected candidates have emotional IQ sufficient for the job and the culture?

• What indicators (facts) did you find in the candidates interview summary that would suggest their moral compass might fit the culture of the country?

• How will personality, emotional IQ, cultural IQ, and ethics help the candidate be successful in the new job?

• In a paragraph for each candidate, explain why the other two candidates were not selected.

Step 5:  Submit the Report in the Assignment Folder

Submitting the project to the Assignment Folder is considered the student’s final product and therefore ready for grading by the instructor.  It is incumbent upon the student to verify the assignment is the correct submission.  No exceptions will be considered by the instructor.