RAISE II, A PERSONNEL SIMULATION Simulation Games and Experiential Learning in Action, Volume 2, 1975 181 RAISE II, A PERSONNEL SIMULATION James W. Schreier, Mount Mary College INTRODUCTION In Personnel Management classes, and other classes where personnel techniques are taught, instructors have the choice of assigning projects or papers, selecting from text problems or discussion questions, or selecting from a variety of valuable, well constructed simulations. RAISE II, A Personnel Simulation, is a new simulation designed for use in management, personnel, general business, and small business classes. It was developed from a series of lectures and assignments in personnel. From this unrelated series of short individual projects and assignments, and input from students and businessmen, the twelve different, yet related assignments were developed and assembled as RAISE II. THE SIMULATION RAISE II, an acronym for Recruitment, Analysis, Interview, Selection, and Employee Evaluation, is a personnel simulation in which participants assume the role of Personnel Assistants for a company which specializes in the performance of personnel activities on a consulting basis. The manual explains that the founders of RAISE II have developed expertise in all areas of personnel, enabling them to accept contracts ranging from the performance of a single activity, for example the interviewing of prospective employees, to the performance of a large part of a company’s personnel work, including job analysis, testing, recruitment, interviewing, selection, wage determination, training, and employee evaluation. During the simulation, the participant also assumes the role of a Job Applicant, applying for one or more of the positions made available through the efforts of other Personnel Assistants employed by RAISE II. The Job Applicant may also be involved in the preparation of resumes, a career development process, and correspondence important to the application task. The instructor using RAISE II takes an active role as the Regional Director of a RAISE II office. The instructor begins the simulation by providing the specific project which the Personnel Assistants will undertake. Then, depending on the goals of a particular class, the instructor may remain active in the simulation by conducting progress or discussion sessions with the Personnel Assistants or take a more passive role by constructing the format of the simulation and allowing the participants to proceed on their own from that point. Simulation Games and Experiential Learning in Action, Volume 2, 1975 182 GOALS OF RAISE II RAISE II is a simulation which allows the participant to practically apply classroom and textbook material on management and personnel administration to a unified, realistic situation. Constructed in modular form within the overall framework of a Personnel Consulting Firm, RAISE II allows the instructor or training director to select the most relevant modules and use them in a variety of classroom situations and time periods. The primary goal of RAISE II is to involve the participant in the application of personnel principles. Individual involvement has proven to be a worthwhile learning technique. RAISE II goes beyond the world of definitions, outlines, and examples. It gives the participant the framework to actually work out major aspects of a personnel program for a job with which the participant is actually familiar or one in which the participant has worked. RAISE II also provides the participant with experience in preparation for and involvement in the job application process. This realistic experience gives the participant confidence in his or her own efforts to secure a satisfying career position. CONTENT OF THE SIMULATION RAISE II contains twelve separate modules that are related to each other in three different ways. The first module, the JOB APPLICATION MODULE, is a foundation for all of the activities of the simulation. Most of the work completed in other modules is based upon data collected in this module. Other modules, like the RECRUITMENT MODULE and the WAGE DETERMINATION MODULE, are based upon the JOB ANALYSIS MODULE and interact with other modules depending on their actual relation ship in a personnel program. The remaining modules, the JOB APPLICATION MODULE and the BUSINESS WRITING MODULE for example, are integrated into the work done in the other modules. They provide the participant with the opportunity to use material from other business courses or their own experience in several other modules. The relationship of the twelve modules in the RAISE II simulation is shown in Figure 1. Each of the modules in RAISE II contains a statement of the module’s goals, its relationship to other modules in the simulation, a summary of basic principles and definitions concerning the topic of the module, and a specific, easily loca ted set of references for further information about the topic. In modules where guidelines will facilitate the participants’ efforts, they are supplied in addition to the basic materials. For example, the JOB ANALYSIS MODULE contains two different Job Analysis Questionnaires, one for blue collar jobs and one for white collar jobs. Other forms, like Application for Employment forms and Interview Summary forms, are also provided in the simulation. Simulation Games and Experiential Learning in Action, Volume 2, 1975 183 Simulation Games and Experiential Learning in Action, Volume 2, 1975 184 The Modules JOB ANALYSIS MODULE. This module is the foundation module for the RAISE II simulation. The Job Analysis yields information about a specific job which is used in the recruitment, selection, training, job evaluation, performance evaluation, and wage determination areas of personnel management. It provides the participant with the opportunity to learn and understand the complexities involved in most jobs and to reach an understanding of the importance of Job Analysis in personnel work. The module contains two Job Analysis Questionnaires which the participant may use. RECRUITMENT MODULE. This module centers around the need of a company to attract qualified individuals for job openings. The module provides the participant with an opportunity to understand the first steps of the selection process, attracting qualified applicants. The participant has the opportunity to select the appropriate advertising techniques and media, create complete recruitment campaigns, and evaluate the recruiting efforts of other Personnel Assistants. The module contains an Ad Evaluation Form to be used in the evaluation of advertising campaigns prepared by other participants. TESTING MODULE. This module interacts with the Recruitment and Interview Modules to create a detailed selection procedure for the companies using the services of RAISE II. Participants are able to reach an awareness of the importance and difficulty of selecting the correct testing instruments to use in the selection process. The module includes a short Test Selection Form and a longer set of Test Evaluation Guidelines which the participant may use in the evaluation of a test’s usefulness, validity, and reliability. INTERVIEW MODULE. The Interview Module is a key element in the recruitment and selection programs of most companies using RAISE II. In the simulation it can also be used with the Testing, Employee Evaluation, Job Analysis, and Career Development Modules. This module gives the participant an opportunity to learn and experience the critical elements and importance of the interview in personnel. The participant learns some of the techniques of interviewing and usually comes to some realization of the “art” of interviewing. The interview may be planned and conducted under a variety of circumstances ranging from a direct interview based on application blank information to an in-depth patterned interview or an employee evaluation interview. The module contains an Interview Report Form which is used for the job applicants and an Interview Critique Form which may be used for observation or self-critique of the interviewer. TRAINING MODULE. This module uses the data developed in the Job Analysis and moves the simulation into the area of employee development. Participants will learn to apply the fundamentals of training to the needs of a specific job. They have the opportunity to develop Simulation Games and Experiential Learning in Action, Volume 2, 1975 185 appropriate training materials and present segments of a complete training program. EMPLOYEE EVALUATION MODULE. In this module participants develop a program for the performance evaluation of employees. Participants have the opportunity to learn and apply the fundamentals of employee evaluation. The participant may also have the opportunity to experience the actual evaluation of employee performance and the process of interviewing the employee with the results of the evaluation. JOB EVALUATION MODULE. In this module the participant has the opportunity to learn and apply the fundamentals of job evaluation. It is an advanced module of the RAISE II simulation which requires the coordination of all work done by the Personnel Assistants and the presentation of sufficient background material to prepare the participants for the Job Evaluation process. The participants have the opportunity to become familiar with job evaluation systems and to apply the principles of job evaluation to an actual company. It is possible for the participants to actually conduct a job evaluation. WAGE DETERMINATION MODULE. This module is primarily de signed for use in advanced settings. Based on data developed in the Job Evaluation Module, the participant is able to develop a wage structure using jobs analyzed by other participants. This module requires the coordination of jobs selected so that there is a group of jobs which can be used as the basis for the wage structure. It provides the participant with the opportunity to explore the complexity of the wage and salary field and to come to an understanding of the intense work which must be undertaken for a company’s wage program. At both the beginning and the advanced level, the participant has the opportunity to apply the principles of wage and salary administration to a practical situation. JOB APPLICATION MODULE. In this module, the participants assume a second role, that of a job applicant. By applying for jobs advertised by other participants and taking part in job interviews, the participants have the opportunity to gain actual experience in preparing application forms, preparing for a job interview, and going through the actual interview process. The applicant can learn that preparing for the interview as the applicant is as important as preparing to be the interviewer. The module contains application forms and a set of Interview Guidelines. RESUME MODULE. This module interacts with several other modules to expand the activities of RAISE II. In conjunction with the Job Application Module, it takes the participant beyond the preparation of a Job Application form and into the planning and writing of a resume. The participant has the opportunity to prepare a personal resume and to understand the importance of a well-prepared resume. By completing this module, each participant will have his or her own personal resume prepared. Simulation Games and Experiential Learning in Action, Volume 2, 1975 186 BUSINESS WRITING MODULE. By providing the participant an opportunity to complete the selection process by notifying the applicant of acceptance or rejection, and by preparing letters to accompany or follow-up the job application process, this module adds another practical element to many of the other modules. It provides an opportunity for participants to apply the principles of effective business communication, particularly business writing, to the various activities of RAISE II. The participants will see the importance of creating effective messages to obtain a job interview, report on a selection decision, or prepare a resume. The principles emphasized by this module can be used to show the importance of clear and effective communication in all the materials prepared in RAISE II. CAREER DEVELOPMENT MODULE. This module extends the activities of the RAISE II simulation beyond many of the usual personnel activities. With the increasing attention being paid to career decisions throughout a person’s life, this module provides the opportunity to examine the career choice within the activities of the simulation. By undertaking a career decision analysis and preparing a career decision paper, the participant can increase his or her knowledge about possible career fields and the factors involved in the career decision process. In addition to the summary and bibliography, the module contains a set of Career Development Guidelines. ORGANIZATION The modular construction of RAISE II is a key element in the organization of the simulation. Because the different modules interact with each other in a variety of ways, the instructor using the simulation can construct a specific Project Task to fit the needs of a particular group, within a variety of time limitations and group sizes. Each module has several options, each affecting the depth of application of principles to the specific project. This makes RAISE II practical for classes ranging from introductory to advanced, and for use over a series of courses. By changing the nature of the various activities, the RAISE II simulation can be used by the same group on more than one occasion without it being the same experience. RAISE II can also be expanded by the addition of modules designed by the instructor, the Regional Director of a RAISE II office. In the instructor’s manual which accompanies the simulation, three optional modules are suggested. They are a Union Module in which the participants can analyze the need for or current status of a union in relation to the job analyzed, an Employee Benefits Module, which allows participants to select appropriate employee benefits and justify them, and a Staff Conference Module which directs the participants to conduct staff conferences to discuss the various activities of the simulation. Instructors using RAISE II are urged to pass along new ideas for modules to other users. Simulation Games and Experiential Learning in Action, Volume 2, 1975 187 There are no time or class size limitations in RAISE II. Because of the many options and the modular construction of the simulation, the instructor using it can create an assignment which extends over a few weeks or several months. To gain the full benefit of RAISE II, it would take a minimum of two participants. However, one person doing an Independent Study could perform, and benefit from, the activities of most modules. There is no maximum number of participants because all of the inter actions are controlled by the instructor. APPROPRIATE COURSES The flexibility of RAISE II makes it possible to use the simulation in a variety of classroom situations. In Personnel classes, RAISE II is appropriate for both introductory and advanced classes. In the introductory course, modules can be selected which introduce the fundamentals of personnel theory. For more advanced classes, more intense preparation of material can be required: a more in-depth job analysis, a complete job evaluation system, a project involving actual evaluation of employees in the job the participant analyzed. Where a major in personnel or a series of personnel courses is offered, the RAISE II simulation could be used as an on-going project throughout the program. Materials could be prepared at both the introductory and advanced levels, in a variety of courses. In management classes, the problems of staffing and development are usually included. For many students, this is the only contact with the principles of personnel. RAISE II provides a valuable supplement to this type of class. The modular construction allows the instructor to select the most relevant modules to be included. In general business classes, RAISE II can be used to emphasize the personnel aspects of business. Because the simulation contains modules on career development and business writing, it would provide students with a practical experience related to many subjects usually included in introductory courses. In small business courses, often attended by students who intend to Start their own businesses, RAISE II provides an excellent framework for showing how personnel functions must be performed in firms of all sizes. The simulation provides an experience which shows the importance of these activities. In management training programs, RAISE II allows the instructors to put more emphasis on the practical application of personnel theory. Over a series of meetings, participants can be exposed to brief lectures on the various functions of personnel. Combining this material with the summaries provided in the simulation, the participants would be able to go out into their own job settings to prepare the work called for by the different modules. The participants and the company would directly benefit from the use of RAISE II in this environment. Simulation Games and Experiential Learning in Action, Volume 2, 1975 188 At Mount Mary College, this semester, RAISE II is being used in a class titled Organizational Management. The textbook being used is an introductory text on management and organization. The only material presented in the book on personnel practices is one half of a chapter. This is the only contact these students will have with personnel and management in their business program. The activities of RAISE II are spread out over a four to six week period. During the first four weeks, students are exposed to the fundamentals of personnel theory. They also complete several assignments in personnel: the evaluation of a printed interview, the preparation of a short employee evaluation form, and participation in an “in-basket” training exercise. Material is presented to supplement the summaries contained in the simulation. The final two weeks are devoted to other management topics while the students have an opportunity to complete the various modules of RAISE II. The modules used in this application are: JOB ANALYSIS, RECRUITMENT, INTERVIEW, EMPLOYEE EVALUATION, and JOB APPLICATION. At Marquette University, this summer, RAISE II will be used in a course titled Management of Human Resources. In this situation a textbook on personnel is used and the material contained in the RAISE II summaries complements the extensive material in the text. RAISE II will be extended throughout the course using the following modules: JOB ANALYSIS, RECRUITMENT, TESTING, INTERVIEW, TRAINING, EMPLOYEE EVALUATION, JOB EVALUATION, WAGE DETERMINATION, JOB APPLICATION, and BUSINESS WRITING. Student options will be used so that some students will be working with all of the modules. SUMMARY RAISE II, A Personnel Simulation, was developed from a group of student assignments. When the students reported that the exercise as both educational and very enjoyable, much thought was given as to how these exercises could be expanded into an even more valuable experience. After several business men who became involved in the exercises because students were conducting job analyses commented on the practical value of the assignment, the development of RAISE II as a unique business simulation began. RAISE II is now a reality, currently being used at both Mount Mary College and Marquette University. It is also available for use in other settings. Regional Offices of RAISE II can be established wherever the goals of the simulation can be combined with the objectives of existing courses. Copies of RAISE II, A Personnel Simulation, are currently available from: James W. Schreier, Instructor, Business Department, Mount Mary College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53222. Table of Contents Volume 2, 1975 ABSEL Research - From Adolescence to Adulthood, Framing the Future of Business Simulation and Experiential Learning Inventory Simulation - A Time Sharing Television Output Simulation OMSIM: An Operations Management Game An Experiential-Cognitive Methodology in the First Course in Management: Some Preliminary Results Experiential Training Methodology, Traditional Training Methodology, and Perceived Opportunity to Satisfy Human Needs Operational Problems and Solutions of Business Gaming: A Primer One Experience with the V. K. Gadget Company - An Introduction to Managerial Accounting A conversational Marketing Mix Exercise The Use of Program BAYES in the Teaching of Sample Size Determination in Survey Research An Experiential Study of Performance in a Basic Management Course Using Student Opinions in Evaluation Results with a Business Game Some Impacts of Varying Amounts of Information on Frustration and Attitudes in a Finance Games Player Performance under Differing Player Configurations in the Investment Game: Some Preliminary Observations Integrating Across Functional Areas with a Computer-Assisted Case Using Computer Assisted Cases for Marketing Research Instruction ACQUIRES: ACcounting QUick Information REtrieval System A Simulation Approach to Data Processing Controls Motivating Simulation Game Performance and Satisfaction with Group Performance-Contingent Consequences The Educational Impact of Supplementary Personal Interaction in Computerized Business Games The Minnesota Manpower Management Simulation Games RAISE II, A Personal Simulation Management in a Test Tube: A Small Group Laboratory Simulation A Methodology for Measuring Decision Making in a Business Game A Case Study of a Capital Investment Simulation Combining Experiential and Clinical Methodologies in a Small Business Management Program Results of Using Gaming to Teach Ethics and Social Responsibility Business and Society: An In-Basket Simulation Crisis versus Non-Crisis Simulation Gaming Warm-up Company: A Business Simulation Business Simulations: Competition or Learning A Computerized Management Training System for Franchized Dealers Mode I Stores, Inc.: Computer Supported Cases on the Marketing Research and Problem Solving Process Experiential Learning in Statistics Through the Computer The COMPUSTAT Analysis System as an Instructional Resource Research on Experiential Learning: Enhancing the Process A Comparison of Lecture-Case Study and Lecture-Computer Simulation Teaching Methodologies in Teaching Minority Students Basic Marketing Student Evaluation of Reaction to a Marketing Simulation Game Under Varying Circumstances The Validity and Usefulness of Packaged Models in Game Play The Effectiveness of Experiential Methods in Training and Education: A Review Guidelines for the Future Development of Business Games The Future Potential of Structures Learning Exercises Turning Them on to Management by Turning Them Out to Managers with Video Tape Recorders