Title GroupExercise1-Instructions.pdf ✅

SECTION 1: Example Exercise Outcomes SECTION 2: Competencies and Behavioural Indicators Group Exercise 1 Candidate Instructions Booklet AssessmentDay Practice Aptitude Tests This exercise has been designed to simulate the type of group exercises which are typically used by employers. We recommend you work through this group exercise with at least three other people in order to create a realistic exercise preview. In this group exercise each candidate is deliberately given the same instructions. Sometimes however candidates will be assigned a role which they will have to adopt during the exercise. After you have completed this exercise, you can review our Candidate Guidance Booklet to see what behaviours assessors would typically look for in this exercise, what sort of ideas might get suggested during the exercise, and tips for how you should conduct yourself during a group exercise. The exercise will begin on the next page.
Copyright AssessmentDay. Unauthorised copying or distribution in printed, electronic, or any other form in whole or in part, is prohibited without prior written permission from AssessmentDay. Page 2 Document last updated 11-03-2014 AssessmentDay www.assessmentday.co.uk Introduction This exercise has been developed to predict your behaviour in the workplace and assess your effectiveness at working within a team. This group exercise will require you to address a number of issues and provide practical solutions as a group. Exercise Scenario You will undertake the role of a management trainee at Imugen PLC, a global biotechnology firm specialising in genetic engineering, applied immunology and green biotechnology. Imugen has risen to fame over the past decade, enjoying rapid growth and a steadily expanding market share in numerous life science niches. Imugen is renowned for its collaboration with world-leading universities and public research institutes, strategically positioning itself at the forefront of the international biotech R&D scene. The corporation has headquarters in New York, London, Johannesburg, Beijing and New Delhi. With recent economic advances in the developing world, particularly in BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), Imugen is looking to expand and enforce a greater presence in these emerging markets. However Imugen’s emergence as a global player has come at a cost; the company’s reputation has been shook by accusations of various ruthless and illegal tactics, including asset stripping, price fixing and bio piracy. Similarly as a front runner on the R&D scene, bioethics groups have frequently targeted Imugen’s operations, accusing the organisation and their products of “playing God”. To remedy the situation, a new CEO and senior management team has been brought in and various organisational culture changes are being implemented, with mixed results. As part of a new distributed leadership strategy to make the company seem less hierarchical, your line manager has requested a list of recommendations regarding important strategic issues. These recommendations must be as specific as possible, outlining potential implications, offering an in- depth rationale and identifying any potential side effects that may occur. With your colleagues, these issues must be discussed and you will need to agree on each recommendation and implication via voting. The group will have 45 minutes for this exercise.
Copyright AssessmentDay. Unauthorised copying or distribution in printed, electronic, or any other form in whole or in part, is prohibited without prior written permission from AssessmentDay. Page 3 Document last updated 11-03-2014 AssessmentDay www.assessmentday.co.uk Management Issues 1. Since the departure of the previous CEO, the company’s strategy has largely been focused on improving the company’s credibility and reputation within the industry. As part of this change in strategy and culture, the new CEO has decided to undertake various environmental initiatives to decrease the company’s environmental footprint, and enhance the company’s perceived environmental friendliness. Imugen has a pending lawsuit from the Brazilian government representing various indigenous peoples of Brazil claiming Imugen committed “bio piracy” on their land by stealing flora samples and causing serious damage to the local ecosystem. Although it is generally agreed amongst the board and senior management that Imugen’s environmental record has been historically poor and changes need to be introduced, new initiatives may be seen as “green washing”. The company’s PR director has expressed concern that the corporation’s attempts at improving environmental practices will be met with scepticism by the media, and may be seen as a shameless attempt at manipulating public opinion rather than a genuine concern for the planet. These new initiatives may include decreasing the carbon footprint of Imugen’s operations, informing and requesting permission from indigenous peoples when research is undertaken in their local areas and launching various environmental charities. Your manager has asked your team to identify potential environmentally friendly initiatives and give recommendations to increase their likeliness of success, both with regards to the environment and on the public relations front. You are also required to generate a list of potential positive and negative implications of these initiatives. 2. Imugen’s flagship product, genetically modified Soybeans, is a major source of income for the company. Throughout the developing world, thousands of farmers purchase the company’s soybean seeds due to their genetically enhanced herbicidal and insecticidal capabilities, saving farmers money. Historically, Imugen’s relationships with local farmers in developing countries has been mutually beneficial, and has been a significant boost to the company’s reputation, as well as being a key source of revenue. However recent changes in commercial law have presented an interesting opportunity. So called “suicide seed” technology, genetically modified seeds which are unable to produce a second generation of crops, has become legally marketable. Suicide seed technology would allow Imugen to prevent farmers growing a second generation of seeds through inducing sterility in the genetically recombinant plant. This would mean that the farmers would be required to purchase the seeds on a repeat basis after each harvest, vastly increasing the amount of revenue generated by the GM soybean sales. After a lengthy legal battle between bioethics groups, governmental regulatory agencies and lobbying groups, industry heavyweights have been given the right to market suicide seeds. This puts Imugen in an awkward and precarious position; it would significantly harm relations with local farmers, and consequently governments of those countries. Similarly, with Imugen’s change in corporate leadership, and an emphasis on transparency and social responsibility, this may seem like a significant misstep on the road to an improved
Copyright AssessmentDay. Unauthorised copying or distribution in printed, electronic, or any other form in whole or in part, is prohibited without prior written permission from AssessmentDay. Page 4 Document last updated 11-03-2014 AssessmentDay www.assessmentday.co.uk reputation. On the other hand other competitors ranging from global to local biotech firms have expressed significant interests in this technology, and have invested billions of dollars in seeing this legislation passed, legalising its use. If Imugen’s competitors are heavily involved in this technology, and reaping the subsequent benefits, can Imugen afford to segregate itself from this potentially lucrative technology? You have been asked to compile a list of pros and cons to aid the decision making process, identifying potential benefits/disadvantages of introducing this technology. You are also tasked with coming to a decision within your group as to which decision you believe the company should take, along with a rationale of why you have decided upon that course of action. 3. With the introduction of new environmental practices, the costs of numerous on-going lawsuits and a newly revamped marketing push for the company’s agricultural products, funding for Imugen’s applied immunology departments has been relatively low. With few products available on the immunology front and high R&D costs associated with developing and introducing new products in this area, the immunology function of the corporation feels very much neglected. The research and development teams feel that the change in leadership and subsequent changes in organisational structure are negatively impacting the R&D department at Imugen. The head of research at the immunology department believes that the CEO and new senior management team are too inexperienced in the world of biotechnology, and their desired changes do not suit the goals of the organisation. When discussing this issue with the board of directors, the head of research managed to arrange a meeting between senior executives and the immunology R&D team to discuss funding. Imugen has a number of exciting new products in the pipeline which could become key products for the company, including new antihistamines, anti-viral drugs and possibly ground breaking vaccinations for diseases such as flu, chicken pox and even the common cold. However clinical trials are notoriously expensive, and frequently trials are postponed indefinitely due to financial, political and administrative problems. If the product passes clinical trials and is deemed fit for human use, patenting the product and introducing it to the market is also an extremely lengthy and expensive process. Due to the high risk involved in this endeavour, and the new management’s interest in public relations issues over product development, pitching increased funding for the immunology department will be difficult. You and your colleges have been asked to aid the R&D department’s efforts in securing funding by coming up with a list of advantages and positive implications of increasing immunology funding. Be as specific as possible when discussing these potential advantages. 4. With the use of recombinant DNA technology on the tobacco plant, Imugen has found a way of successfully lowering the levels of tar and other carcinogenic compounds in the tobacco leaf, without compromising nicotine content. This could lead to a significantly reduced risk of cancers and respiratory diseases associated with the recreational use of cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products. Such technologies have previously ended in failure for rival