Monica is the HR manager at a family owned medium sized company in Kamloops, BC. Monica, a graduate of Simon Fraser University with a degree in Psychology joined the company just over a year ago. Prior to joining she worked in the HR department of Telus for 3 years. The company manufactures a specialty line of high-end bindings for skis and snowboards and has about 45 employees. Recently the company displayed its line of products at the "European Snow Show" in Munich, Germany. This show is an annual event and attended by equipment manufacturers from around the world, both large and small. A number of well-known international ski and snowboard manufacturers expressed an interest in the company's products and unique designs. In a preliminary discussion with prospective customers it became evident the company would need to implement a formal quality control program and obtain designation to expand into the international market. In the past the company was very careful in hiring practises and employees were treated like family members. It seemed a quality assurance program was unnecessary. However to grow and be an international supplier a quality program was a must and Monica was asked to get started. Her first step was to hire a Quality Assurance Manager. The owners and management all agreed that the successful candidate must have the both the personality and skills to lead the program but also respect the loyalty and dedication of current employees. Monica advertised in regional newspapers and brought the opportunity to the attention of the company's employees. After a few months she indentified 3 possible candidates including one from a US competitor, another from Toronto and one of the of the company's own employees. All had relevant training in quality management and appeared capable of doing the job. After a telephone interview and a lengthy off-site interview attended by the owner and VP Operations, each candidate was brought to the company's plant for a final interview and an opportunity to see the company's operation first hand. It was Monica's intention to carefully observe each candidate as they interacted with peers and employees during the on-site visit. The first candidate was a quality assurance supervisor for a well- respected US competitor. He seemed confident, interviewed well and his experience and background were impressive. During the plant tour he seemed to be in a hurry and seemed dismissive with employees. He expressed concern that certain assembly stations were slow and the company's technology was outdated. He made several other recommendations comparing the operation of his company to Monica's. They seemed reasonable but Monica was concerned his comments may have been hasty and she had an uneasy feeling with the undertone of criticism.