1. In the case, the committee uses a "compensatory" approach to combining candidate test scores. Given their job analysis process and what you learned about combining predictors in lecture 1 of this module, do you think that the "compensatory" approach is the appropriate approach for combining predictors? If so, explain why. If not, explain what you think they should do differently. **NOTE: Do not discuss diversity or validity issues in response to this question. Focus ONLY on the appropriateness of their method for combining predictors with respect to the job analysis process. See the text for a description of approaches to "combining predictors."
2. Using the information provided on page 736 of the case (the table and the text below the table), calculate whether or not the selection process has disparate impact based on race and sex. You may want to refer back to the slides in the Equal Employment Opportunity module regarding disparate impact for examples. In your response, show your calculations and clearly state whether or not there is disparate impact based on race and sex.

Job Analysis and Hiring Decisions at Ovania Chemical Case 3 Company Background Ovania Chemical Corporation is a specialty chemicals producer of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) thermoplastic resins primarily used to make containers for soft drinks and bottled water, as well as packaging for food and pharmaceutical products. - smaller than other chemical Iroducers that -roduce ioball Ovania has competed successfully in its niche of the US. specialty chemical business. Its main plant is located in Steubenville, Ohio, positioned along the Ohio River midway between Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Wheeling, West Virginia. In recent years, advances in technology have altered the nature of chemical production, and like other rms in the industry, Ovania Chemical is taking steps to modernize its facilities. Not surprisingly, these technological changes have been accompanied by redesign in employee jobs. In fact, over the last three years, there have been drastic changes in both the number and the kinds of jobs being performed by employees. The latest change at the Steubenviile plant involves the job transformations of the system ana lyzer position. The System Analyzer Because chemical production involves highly integrated process technologies, some- one is needed who can monitor all of the individual components simultaneously. The system analyzer is primarily responsible for this monitoring function. It is one of the most prestigious nonmanagerial jobs in the entire plant, and its importance is likely to grow. . . . . Formerly the position was classied as that of a semiskilled maintenance techni- cian, but as the plant has become more automated, the requirements for the system ana- lyzer job have become much more extensive. Knowledge of pneumatics, hydraulics, information technology, programming, and electrical Wiring are all increasingly critical aspects of this job. As these upskilling trends continue, the three men who currently hold the position admit that they will be incapable of performing adeguately in the future. It is estimated that within two years, the tasks, duties, and responsrbilities of the system analyzer will have changed by over 70 percent. For these reasons, the dectston was made to recruit and select three new people for the rapidly transforming posttion. Job Analysis and New Position Analysis Ovania's Steubenville plant manager, Jack Sarabe; the HR manager, Emily Claire; and two senior engineers, Dave Packley and Mark Young, formed a selection committee. With the help of two consultants, they first conducted a job analysis for the new posi- tion of system analyzer. Although they had to project into the future regarding the specific nature of the job, they collectively felt they had created an accurate depiction of the requirements for someone who would occupy the position. Figure 1 shows a list of the major performance dimensions of the job and a subsample of specific tasks characteristic of each dimension. From this list of tasks, the selection committee then delineated a set of personal qualities required for anyone who would hold the system analyzer position. These qualities included the twelve abilities shown in Figure 2. The numbers beside each ability indicate the tasks (see Figure 1) to which it is related. The abilities marked with an asterisk (*) were considered by the committee to be "critical." Any applicant not scoring well on each of the critical dimensions would be considered unqualified for the job. Anticipated Selection Process The committee hoped to gain "new blood" for the redesigned system analyzer job and therefore wanted to recruit externally for the best available talent they could find. However, as a matter of policy, management was also deeply committed to the idea of promoting from within. After deliberation. the committee decided to recruit bothPerformance Dimensions "(Duties and Tasks) MAINTAINING SPARES AND SUPPLIES 1. Anticipates future need for parts and supplies and orders them. 2. Stocks parts and supplies in an orderly fashion. 3. Maintains and calibrates test equipment. TROUBLESHOOTING 4. Applies calibration standards to verify operation by subjecting the system to known standards. 5. Decides whether the problem is in the sensor, in the processor, in the process stream, and/or in the sample system. Uses troubleshooting guides in system manuals to determine the problem area. Uses test equipment to diagnose the problem. Makes a general visual inspection of the analyzer system as a first troubleshooting step. Replaces components such as printed circuit boards and sensors to see if the problem can be alleviated. HANDLING REVISIONS AND NEW INSTALLATIONS 509039 10. Makes minor piping changes such as size. routing. and additional filers. 11. Makes minor electrical changes such as installing switches and wires and making terminal changes. 12. Uses common pipetting tools. 13. Uses common electrical tools. 14. Reads installation drawings. RECORD KEEPING 15. Maintains system liles showing historical record of work on each system. 16. Maintains loop files that show the application of the system. 17. Updates piping and instrument drawings if any changes are made. 18. Maintains Environmental Protection Agency records and logbooks. 19. Disassembles analyzers to perform repairs onsite or back in the shop. 20. Replaces damaged parts such as filters, electronic components, light source, lenses, sensors, and values. 21. Uses diagnostic equipment such as oscilloscopes, ohmmeters, and decade boxes. 22. Tests and calibrates repaired equipment to ensure that it works properly. 23. Heads and follows written procedures from manuals. ROUTING MAINTENANCE 24. Observes indicators on systems to ensure that there is proper operation. 25. Adds reagents to systems. 26. Decides whether the lab results or the system is correct regarding results (i.e.. resolves discrepancies between lab and analyzer results). 27. Performs calibrations. Numbers represent tasks cited in Figure 1. Asterisks indicate abilities considered critical by the committee. SKILLS TASK NUMBERS 'Finger dexterity 3, 4, 7, 9, 10. 11, 12. 13, 1'9. 20, 21, 22, 25, 27 'Mechanical comprehension 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 7, 14, 19, 20. 22. 23. 24. 27, 11. 17 'Numerical ability 'Spanaiabnty 'Visual pursuit 'Detection Oral comprehension Written comprehension Deductlve reasoning Inductive reasoning Reading comprehension Reading scales and tables 11,3.4.24,10,21,12.13,14.27 2,4.5,9,1o,11,14,19,2o s,4.5.s,7,e,9,1o,11.14.16.17.19,2o,21.22.27 2,3.5,6.B,9,10,14,19.20,23,7 1,2,5,6,26,T,B,9,19.21,25 1.15.16.17.18 1,5,3,6,7,8,9,10,11,19.21.20,22,2,26,27 1,3,5.6,7.s.9.1o,11.19.21.20.22.2.2s,27 3,5,14.7,22.23.21.9.27 3,4,7,3,9,21,23,24,27,2,s,14 internally and externally for the new position. It was also decided to especially encour- age current system analyzers to \"reapply\" for the job. Because there was a two-year lead time before the newly transformed position would be put in place, the committee Was very careful not to include in the selection battery any skills or knowledge that could reasonably be trained within that two-year period. Only aptitude or ability factors were incorporated into the selection process, rather than achievement tests. In a private session, a few of the selection committee members admitted candidly that they had serious doubts whether any woman or minority member currently in the relevant labor market would have requisite credentials to be competitive for the position. The three present system analyzers were white males. HOWever, since Ovania Chemical had a rather unenviable history of employment discrimination charges, the decision was made to do no unnecessary prescreening of applicant qualications, pre- vious experience, and so on. This strategy was thought to encourage minorities and women to apply for the new pesition irrespective of their prior employment history. It should be noted, however, that there was some concern about prejudice if a woman or minority member were to get the job. Word through the grapevine was that many did not consider a woman or minority suitable for such a prestigious position. Moreover, several comments had been heard that a woman Would not get down into the treatment tanks to check gauge readings. All of these factors, taken together, made for a very sensitive selection process. Ovania's management, howevor, was dedicated to making the procedures and decisions fair and objective. Figure 38 Primary Pool of Candidates; EXTERNAL TEST SCORES NAME RACE SEX INTERNAL Deductive reasoning Oral comprehension Inductive reasoning comprehension Reading scales Numerical ability comprehension Finger dexterity comprehension Visual pursuit and tables Spatial ability Mechanical Detection Reading Written = 941 Baldwin, T. W M 83 88 = 1062 Bittner, D W M 92 m mm - 78 = 883 Bohlander, G. W M 85 = 1032 Buffett, J. CO M 80878982 81 78 = 949 Denny, A F 92 m- 2 8 878 86888 Egan, M. W F 93 76 81 = 884 77 70 80 = 856 Granger, D. W F 82 E 76 75 74 78 = 810 Haney, H. W M F 65 74 66 67 60 80 = 815 Kight, G. W 8 7 998 Kovach, S. W M 82 80 80 83 84 8 8 91 85 86 96 88 89 = 1054 m Laukitis, T. B F 87 B E 83 84 89 86 88 85 84 90 89 = 1031 Lesko, B.J. 80 60 74 80 67 72 75 66 = 835 Rom, D B M F 89 91 77 90 91 88 78 98 80 80 76 = 1021 Sara, E. W W E 76 NS Sauder, C. 80 72 73 77 79 82 82 = 927 W 91 82 78 92 94 89 77 95 77 81 92 = 1041 Sherman, A. 85 84 81 81 89 88 84 86 81 82 = 1001 Snell, J. W 80 mm 82 78 76 71 69 80 62 76 76 70 71 67 = 878 Timothy, S. W 81 69 71 78 82 = 815 Whitney, J. W M 1 70 76 76 62 57 62 74 80 69 72 75 65 = 887 Wright, P. W M Fifty-six employees applied for the new position of system analyzer. Twenty-one were female; fifteen were black. Only two of the three current system analyzers reap- plied for the new position. For now, the company decided that an overall total score of 800 on the twelve tests would be the cutoff score in order for an applicant to be seri- ously considered for the system analyzer position. This criterion resulted in the pri- mary pool of twenty candidates shown in Figure 3. It should be noted that although each of the aptitude tests has been published, standardized (100 points possible for each test), and validated on other jobs, there are no normative data or validity infor- mation for the specific job of the system analyzer. Therefore, the defensibility of the test battery is founded solely upon content validity judgments. Issues regarding the final cutoff scores and method for combining the multiple predictors are problematic for the selection committee.Camping World: Employees Take Jobs on the Road Case 4 At the Camping World store in Nashville, cashier Carolyn Kincaid feels just as foot- loose and fancy-free as the wandering recreational-vehicle owners who stop by to pick up a new set of splash guards, get help with an air-conditioning problem, or price a mobile satellite TV dish. She and her husband are RVers, too. Over the past few years, the couple-she's fifty-nine, he's sixty-one-has roamed from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to Portland, Oregon. "We just love to follow the sun, and see different parts of the country," she says. Surprisingly, Kincaid has logged those myriad miles on the odometer and still managed to work full-time for Camping World, the nation's largest provider of prod- ucts and services to RV enthusiasts. Even more surprisingly, Kincaid's employer not only tolerates her rolling-stone lifestyle, but also encourages it. Kincaid is a participant in Camping World's Multi-Location Crewmember program, a four-year-old HR ini- tiative that enables employees to work part of the year at one of the organization's thirty stores, take some time off to travel, and then resume work at another location. The program's fifty or so participants enjoy the freedom to roam while still retaining the security of a full-time position with health care and other benefits. Camping World's management loves the program as much as Kincaid does, and with good reason. Across the nation, the company's supply and service business is highly seasonal, with customer volume and demand for services rising in Florida and Arizona as RV enthusiasts head south or west to avoid the winter snows. Having a