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at Ovania Chemical
Summary:
competition has led them to modernize its facilities. Because of this, they have created a new
position- the system analyzer-which asks the people to have more abilities with the
development of the technology. In order of that the company formed a committee and creates
job tasks to evaluate and select these new employees in fair and objective manner. Analysis:
In this case, the challenge will be how to analyze the new job and how to recruit and select
the new employees. System analyzers and is one of the most prestigious nonmanagerial jobs
in the entire plant because primarily responsible for the monitoring function. In the present
the company has found that semiskilled maintenance technician requires much more
technology and knowledge, and they will be more and more extensive in the future.
Ovania chemical estimates that the task, duties, and responsibilities of a system analyzer will
have changed by over 70 percent within two years. Because there was a two-year lead time
before the job would be put in place there would be a lot of time to train the new employees
and prepare them for the position. Therefore, any skills or knowledge that could reasonably
be acquired or trained during a two-year lead time was not part of the selection committee’s
factors. That is why only aptitude or ability factors were incorporated into the selection
100% sure of what kind of ability and skill the analyzer really needs. In my opinion, they
could also current job description as a base and looking at similar companies equipped with
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Overview of the issue Ovania Chemical Corporation (Ovania) is a small but compet
esin as its core product. Its continued success will require modernization of the fac
ilities, adaptation to new technology and undertaking a job redesign process for one
of its key roles. The most immediate need is for Ovania management to focus on r
managerial role that is estimated to change in duties and responsibilities by over 70%
in the next two years. The central issue in this case is the need for Ovania to ado
pt a strategic human resource management plan. The plan should focus on formalizi
ng practices to support a rigorous and thorough job analysis and an equitable selectio
n and recruitment process. Corporations need to have strong human resource manage
ment planning in order to develop human capital and thereby enhance their competiti
ve advantage (Kulvisaechana, 2005). The integration of a plan that aligns with evolv
ing business objectives will provide Ovania with a clear understanding of the changin
Analysis of Case: Strengths & Weaknesses Ovania has numerous strengths on whic
o promote from within the organization; recruiting the best talent externally if deeme
their learning orientation, the company recognizes the SA position will change over t
he next two years and that by removing the factors that can be acquired through trai
ning; they focus squarely on candidates’ skills and abilities (what the candidates “bri
ng” rather than what the candidates can “learn”). This allows the possibility of brin
ging new perspectives to the role, while still meeting the critical requirements determ
ined through the job analysis. Additionally, the management at Ovania is aware of t
heir poor record of employment discrimination and has the will to change their strate
gies to encourage minorities and women to apply for these new positions. This awa
for women and visible minorities, for whom management has indicated they want to
to Statistics Canada (2006), women’s salaries are substantially lower than those of men.
2 Ovania’s standpoint on training can also enhance the selection process in relation t
o ongoing talent management for both internal and external applicants. Given that th
ey are a specialty company, this position will potentially expand the applicant pool a
nd allow management to develop specific competencies in the job and/or people. The
oing learning which is important as the company moves from an industrial focus to
one which values knowledge and innovation. Some potential problems may arise
from the decision to eliminate skills that could be learned. One such issue is that
the requirement for lengthy or substantial training could put Ovania at a competitive
ess, could be significant. In order to avoid this and other issues, the company has
made some judicious decisions in how to address the need to evolve their operations
in a competitive market, this includes hiring two consultants to assist them with the
job analysis and using published and standardized aptitude testing to develop a fair a
how to engage any relevant union groups in a discussion of the proposed changes.
While it was not specifically mentioned whether or not unions are present, or whethe
r the company has a good relationship with its various unionized groups, the absence
of it as a factor in the case might suggest that the relationship (if present) is functi
oning. While there are many positive aspects to the process Ovania has undertaken
, the company also has some systemic weaknesses that will need to be addressed thr
e issue is that the current job analysis process is flawed. This has led the selection c
and tasks for the role (noted in Appendix A), that may not fully represent the requi
rements of the new job. The tasks and skills that have been determined to be critic
al appear more focused on the existing role. Further, the selection committee had di
fficulty determining how best to combine multiple predictors in order to reach the fin
al cutoff scores to confirm the most suitable candidates. As a result, the committee
has not been able to develop a defensible process to make their selection decisions.
2 People in a visible minority are nearly twice as likely as others to have low incomes.
According to Statistics Canada (1995), more than a third (36%) of the visible minorities had
incomes below the poverty line, compared with 18% of other Canadians.
3
demonstrated bias behind closed doors with their doubt of the abilities and credential
ommittee responsible for the selection process of the SA position at Ovania: Recom
mendation #1: Have the selection committee, in collaboration with HR, conduct a ne
n and advice, and by providing the right tools to ensure continuous improvement in
productivity. The HR manager should initiate a new process of job analysis that foll
ows a more systematic methodology (Schwind, Das, & Wagar, 2010). Briefly, ther
d 3. determination of how to use the information collected. In the first phase, the
res) and desired outcomes (Schwind, Das, & Wagar, 2010). It should also examine
how the job relates to others in the organization (Service Canada, 2010). This exam
ination will help identify critical tasks and content for testing, and attempt to elimina
econd phase advancing into the collection of job information. A comprehensive list o
signs; maintenance manuals, training and safety manuals; professional journals and pu
blications, and internet research (Schwind, Das, & Wagar, 2010). Data can be collec
ted through a variety of ways including interviews, observation, and Task Sort Questi
onnaires (Landis, Fogli & Goldberg, 1998). In the case of Ovania, the committee
should interview individuals who are directly impacted by the role of SA. Such Su
bject Matter Experts (SME) include supervisors, position incumbents, subordinates, cus
tomers, colleagues who are impacted by this role, those who do the job in other co
mpanies and experts identified in the field (Truxillo, Paronto, Collins, & Sulzer, 2004
). A job analysis template will help ensure consistency in data collection. A sample
4
Through this process the committee can identify performance behaviors, critical comp
etencies, and knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). By linking tasks with KSAs they
will develop a legally defensible, content valid selection system (Landis, Fogli & Go
ldberg, 1998). The committee should disseminate the gathered information to surveye
d employees with lists of tasks, work aids, and KSAs. This process would help org
anize the participant’s thinking and standardize the approach (Urbanek, 1997). The s
election committee should also reconsider its assessment of what the candidate must
bring to the position versus what can be learned later on through whichever means d
based component of the new SA. New educational requirements may demand establis
hed abilities in areas such as oral and written comprehension. Service Canada (2010
) notes that tools like willingness statements can be used to evaluate other special co
work in treatment tanks. Finally, the process enters the third phase with a determina
tion of how to use the job analysis information. The selection committee should me
et with management to review the findings, comparing the prior concept of the positi
on to the data collected (Landis, Fogli, & Goldberg, 1998). If not done earlier, it is
at this point that the committee could raise the question of how to engage the union
in the job redesign. Schwind, Das and Wagar (2010) refer to the importance of garn
ble selection process for SA at Ovania, it will be necessary to review and amend the
examine the skills identified as critical to the role, to identify additional selection req
uirements such as education and other factors, and finally to incorporate a behavioura
step selection process is outlined in Appendix D that addresses each of these require
ments. Review and amend performance dimensions: After a detailed review of the
performance dimensions (duties and tasks) as outlined in the case study, Appendix A
– Figure 3A, it was noted that the original analysis by the selection committee did
not take into consideration such aspects as the educational requirements of the new r
ole or any special considerations (such as physical requirements of the job). In rev
iewing the performance dimensions following the revised job analysis process, an ove
r-‐
arching statement related to the key objectives of the job, education and special requi
rements for the role were added to the performance dimensions. The revised perfor
med that after the new job analysis is completed, and the performance dimensions a
5
role criteria was found to be sufficiently comprehensive for the new SA position. As
examine the skills that are deemed most critical in selecting candidates for the job.
Re-‐
examine Critical Skills: Following the committee’s considered approach to not inclu
de skills they believe could be gained through training and development over a two-‐
year period, they developed an initial list of 12 abilities and tasks, of which six wer
e considered critical. However, previously identified gaps in the job analysis resulted
in the identification of critical skills which were more strongly related to manual co
mpetencies, consistent with the current role, rather than the skills required to support
their future competitive needs. So while they used credible methods, the priority gi
ven to certain skills is questionable. In relation to the testing of skills, the assumpti
on is that the tests themselves are reliable and valid as they have been previously st
andardized; however, reliability does not ensure that a test is valid or useful. The
case indicates that there is no normative or validity data for the role of SA, therefor
e the content validity of the tests is questionable. Validity ensures that the tests acc
urately measure what is relevant and intended. In this case, it is clear that the conte
nt validity has not been accurately defined between the tests and the new SA role.
While the occupational testing seems to be measuring the specific basic skills identifi
ed by the committee, there is no testing that simulates the required job environment
to ensure that candidates can adapt to the physical environment that is necessary in t
ade that content validity of critical skills can be determined by the frequency that th
examine and determine the validity of the critical skills selected, the existing skills lis
t was compared to the performance dimensions. Skills that were required for more th
a new list of critical skills that were finger dexterity, mechanical comprehension, visu
examination of critical skills is the second step in the revised selection process and i
he selection process the revised critical skills were given priority in the selection pro
cess. The scores associated with the revised critical skills were totaled for each candi
date and the average found for all candidates. Those candidates that had scores gre
ater than the average were forwarded on to the next phase of the selection process t
mensions for the SA role, the original analysis by the selection committee did not ta
ke into consideration such aspects as the educational requirements of the new role or
working in the treatment tanks was raised as a concern for the role and this ability
willingness and physical capability. Once these additional requirements are clearly i
dentified they can be incorporated into the selection battery as occupational testing. A
s step 4 of the new selection process, the 10 candidates remaining from the review
of critical skills were then screened for education requirements and occupational testi
ng. It was determined that eighty percent of the candidates would pass each phase
es. These candidates were: Beliveau, Buffett, Egan, Laukitis, Lesko, and Sherman an
porating of behavioural interviews: The final step in the new selection process is th
e behavioral interview. This process will enable the selection committee to assess co
ct; all of which are critical components to what candidates will bring to the role. Th
e final results from the behavioral interview process will ideally identify the top thre
e successful candidates for the position of System Analyzer. The final results of the
Recommendation #3: Address the systemic discrimination and bias in the compa
membership in a particular social category. One of the most significant issues with
harges and the comments made by management and staff about women and minority
groups. This indicates evidence of the systemic culture of discrimination and bias t
hat still exists in the company. McShane (2006) recommends three strategies to mini
mize stereotyping: diversity awareness, meaningful interaction, and decision-‐
making accountability (p.73). Ovania needs a comprehensive plan to address the root
discriminatory selection and recruitment processes that will mitigate the existing negat
incorporate a new job analysis process for the SA role in an attempt to align the bu
siness goals with the hiring strategy. This will require conducting a new job analysi
ng careful analysis and a clear methodology for redefining the SA role, aligning the
recruitment and selection process with KSAs, and determining content validity, there i
s the opportunity for this organization to establish a fair, objective and productive wo
vania may wish to compare the results using test scores from their current process to
the selection results based on the new, more rigorous, analysis and selection process
(Appendix E). The recommendations provide a more defensible and significantly diff
erent result. If Ovania implements the outlined recommendations they will be able t
o demonstrate integrated human resources management that will support their business
8
References Banaji, M., Bazerman, M. And Chugh, D. (2003). “How Unethical are
You?” Harvard Business Review (December) Kulvisaechana, S. (2005). The Rhetori
c and Reality of Developing Human Capital in the Organization: A Case Study. Uni
Future-‐
Oriented Job Analysis: A Description of the Process and Its Organizational Implicatio
97 Schwind, Das & Wagar, (2010). Canadian Human Resource Management (9th Ed
.) McGraw-‐
daily-‐quotidien/060307/dq060307a-‐
eng.htm “Hiring Employees”. Retrieved November 20, 2010, from Service Canada w
ebsite: http://www.hrmanagement.gc.ca/gol/hrmanagement/site.nsf/eng/hr11529.html
Truxillo, D.M., Paronto, M.E., Collins, M., & Sulzer, J.L. (2004). Effects of subject
matter expert viewpoint on job analysis results. Public Personnel Management, 33(1),
33. Urbanek, S.J. (1997). Job analysis: A local government’s experience. Public Per
Group 1
Kent Blevins
Jimmy Kingsley
Stephanie Ewart
Erin Eble
Jesse Austhof
at Ovania Chemical Review Question 1 Summary Q: How would you go about conducting a
- Look at similar companies equipped with the same machinery to gain perspective
- Consider the future machines and how they would be used in order to forecast the
- Benchmarking Review Question 2 Q: What reasons did the selection committee have for
selecting only those factors that could not be acquired in a two-year training program?
- Anything that could be trained will be taught to the employees on the job
- To gain "new blood" Review Question 3 Q: Should the concern for women getting down
- BFOQ Review Question 4 Flyswatter! Q: Would this test battery and selection procedure be
defensible in court
- No, because of the race and gender components - Ovania is a chemical company that
specializes in plastic resins (packaging/containers)
- The company formed a committee to hire new people who will be able to handle the
changing position.
-They create job tasks for the future position as well as personal qualities they feel are
https://www.slideshare.net/agilvjoseph/job-ananlysis
Job ananlysis
Aarathy Jayakrishnan Amrita Banerjee Agil V Joseph Ananth Kumar Anuroop Vipul
3. 3. The company decided to redesign it’s employees jobs. E.g. Boucherville Plant
The plant needed new System Analysers to monitor the individual steps and the
5. 5. Three men currently working and three new men were to be recruited. The
consultants did job analysis and found out the job description.
6. 6. Job description Maintaining spares and supplies Handling revisions and new
7. 7. The panel will qualify a candidate only if he/she had all the above qualities
mandatorily. The committee decided to recruit the new blood as well as promote
within the organization. Current System Analysers – encouraged to reapply for the
job.
8. 8. For next two years, no change in positions. For the recruitment, only ability and
aptitude factors are considered and not the achievement tests. Some of the committee
members doubt if women and the minority members have the credentials to compete
for the position. The panel adopted new strategy to encourage minorities and women,
minority are hired. Managers are committed to make fair and objective decisions.
2/3. Selection criteria: Cut off of 800 in twelve tests, resulted in 20 primary candidate.
10. 10. For the specific job of system analyzer, no normative or validity data. Test
having a difficult time to combine the multiple predictors to reach the final cut-off
scores.
11. 11. SOLUTIONS Two of the three existing System Analysts are reapplying for the
job Shows they are interested to work with the new technologies. The organization
must motivate training them for the new job allow them to continue in the same
12. 12. Could collaborate with a consultancy to carry on and understand the recruitment
process better Consultancy might have better knowledge How the other
13. 13. System Analysts working in other organizations offering them attractive Salary
packages.
14. 14. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 1. How would you go about conducting a job
analysis for a job that does not yet exist?“A future oriented approach to job analysis”
Strategic analysis Clear idea of how job should be restructured meeting organizational
needs. Identifying “TDR” of job that satisfy the organizational requirement. Identify
15. 15. Take the subject matter experts(managers, supervisors , etc…)opinion Assemble
them in a workshop to understand how future issues are likely to affect the
job.Knowledgeable individuals are consulted for the expected jobchanges in future and
the KSA’s that they havethe present V/s future job changes are identified Tasks and
16. 16. 2. Do you think the abilities chosen for selection are content valid? What other
predictors might be generally useful for employee selection? Yes Content Valid
Abilities match the skills required for the job The other predictors include
which could be acquired through a two- year training program? The company was
ready to take up candidates with the skills that could be developed in a period if two
years to satisfy the job requirements. As the requirement of the job was not immediate,
they wanted to hire candidates with the skills that could be developed by training.
18. 18. 4. Should the concern for women getting down into the dirty treatment tanks have
been a selection issue ? How might you include this factor in a selection battery? Yes,
the concern for women getting down into the dirty treatment tanks have been a selection
issue . The management feels that women might not find it comfortable to perform such
jobs. This factor could be resolved by asking for the approval of the women
candidates during the time of their selection for the system analyst position.
19. 19. 5. For the abilities termed critical what score should someone receive in order to be
considered scoring “well” on that test? How should the test scores be combined( ex.
of 80 can be considered as doing well on the test. Test score should be combined in a
multiple hurdle method because we need people who are good in each of these critical
areas. If we used a compensatory or combination method, candidate who are very good
in one field and average or below average in another might also get selected, which
20. 20. 6. Which three candidates seem most qualified? What are your reservations , if any
, about this recommendation? The three candidates who qualify the most are Sara E,
Sherman A, and Snell J. Some reservations we might have for these recommendations
are Two are females All are whites Two of them are internal employees
21. 21. 7. Would this test battery and selection procedure be defensible in court? Yes,
they can be defensible because the candidates are selected based on the scores given
22. 22. IMPLICATIONS Well Defined Allying JOBS To “TDR” And Future“KSA” For