Each Participant sitting on the Salesperson’s Discretionary Award Panel represents a nominee from a different sales region who has excelled in his/her job and is therefore a candidate for a special discretionary award. Participants are supplied with salary, commission and general performance data about their nominee. They are expected to prepare a case to argue in favour of their nominee and to discuss the relative merits of each of the nominated candidates.
Competencies: Flexibility
Each of the six Participants assumes the role of Administrator for various functions in IT Applications Ltd, and they are each hoping to gain the assistance a temporary worker. The firm is expanding and all departments are stretched to meet their workloads, so each of the Administrators would welcome some support. However, as things currently stand, the HR Department has only one temporary worker available, so the group must decide between them how to make the best use of this person until a permanent solution is found.
Participants assume the role of Regional Directors in the Sustainable Environment Agency, a Government body responsible for co-ordinating regional initiatives to deliver environmental change. An independent review has raised significant concerns about the Agency’s performance. The Regional Directors must now meet to decide a strategy of major new initiatives for the next three years. Each Director is given two initiatives suggested by their regional team, some of which could also be used in other regions. Directors have to maximise the amount invested in initiatives that will benefit their region, while reaching agreements with other Directors on the Agency’s overall plan of action. In evaluating initiatives, Directors will have to take into account factors such as cost of initiatives, likely impact and relative priority.
Each Participant is given the role of Divisional Manager of a different section of the Utilities Agency, who provide central procurement services for other Government departments. Participants are meeting to bid for their share of the divisional budget and must submit their recommendation at the end of the meeting to the Head of Finance, who is unable to attend. Each Participant is supplied with a budget breakdown and supporting material as to why their projects should be funded. Consensus needs to be reached by the end of the meeting or the Head of Finance will decide.
As a new Management Trainee at a leading white goods manufacturer, Vortex Ltd, the Participant has been asked to investigate and recommend whether or not to renew the existing catering contract with Gourmet Catering Services. Their specific task is to weigh up the relative pros and cons of staying with the current supplier versus alternatives. In particular, quality, value and customer satisfaction need to be considered along with the preferences of the various company departments.
The Participant, an employee at Country Road Homeworks, a medium-sized soft furnishings company, is asked to see the Customer Services Manager. The need has arisen to contact an unhappy customer on an issue related to the service given during the purchase of a lounge room suite. The Participant needs to gather all the available information to accurately assess the situation before they contact the disgruntled customer.
The Participant assumes the role of a newly appointed Project Director for a large civil engineering/construction company called Centurion Design & Construction. The Participant is asked to investigate a request for a Project Manager working for a subcontractor to be dismissed from the Kingsmead Shopping Centre Project. There are a number of significant factors that need to be identified and considered in order for the Participant to be able to make their decision regarding the request.
The Participant, an employee at MP Pumps, has been asked to go and see the company Production Manager who is concerned about their inability to meet the production schedule. The Participant needs to gather all the available information to accurately assess the situation before recommending which piece of equipment would be the most beneficial for the Production Manager.
As a newly-appointed Director at Universal Motors, a major motor manufacturer, the Participant faces an appeal for support from a senior member of staff, relating to a research project that the previous incumbent had not supported. The issue that is reflected by the research has strategic significance for the future of the company.
The Participant, in the role of a General Manager of the AL-Harj Project, is asked to make a decision about a prospective repatriation of a Senior Expatriate Manager. Although this looks a relatively straightforward decision, there are much wider issues to be discovered in relation to the commercial risks of a joint venture.
