Question

In the world of Human Resources, the acronym "KSA" stands for Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Assessors apply it to evaluate candidates' qualifications in terms of the general requirements of a job, With this in mind, please identify the key advantage, in terms of knowledge, skills, or abilities, of each of the six candidates.

1. Atasi Das: Born in the United States, Das joined TCT nine years ago after earning her MBA from a university in New England. At 37, she has successfully moved between staff and line positions and assumed broader responsibilities in strategic planning. For two years, she was the assistant director of a midsized product group. Her performance regularly earns excellent ratings. Currently, she directs supply-chain logistics from TCT’s home office. Upon joining TCT, she stated her goal was to work internationally, pointing to her undergraduate major in international management. She has reiterated her interest in international responsibilities and her interest in continuing with TCT. She is open to looking for help opportunities elsewhere. She speaks Hindi and is unmarried. Her parents, who now live in the United States, are first-generation immigrants from India. She has relatives in India’s northern states, Kashmir and Punjab.

2. Brett Harrison: Harrison, 44, has spent 15 years with TCT, running both line activities and supervising staff centers. His superiors consider him a seasoned executive poised to move into upper-level management. For the past two years, he has worked in the Singapore-based Asian Regional Office, as director of strategic planning. He regularly tours TCT’s Asian operations. He and his wife, along with their two teenage children, have traveled to India a few times and are familiar with its geography, politics, customs, and outlooks. The Harrisons know other expats in Bengaluru. Mrs. Harrison works as the marketing director for the Singapore subsidiary of a Japanese pharmaceutical MNE. It presently has sales, but no operating unit in India.

3. Jalan Bukit Seng: Seng, 52, is the managing director of TCT’s laser printer manufacturing plant in Malaysia. A citizen of Singapore, he has worked in Singapore or Malaysia. He has regularly commuted to various TCT factories, helping to reset assembly systems and supervising equipment refits. He earned an undergraduate and MBA degrees from the National University of Singapore and speaks Singapore’s four official languages--Malay, English, Mandarin, and Tamil. His performance reviews are consistently positive, with a periodic ranking of excellent. Seng is unmarried but has family members in Singapore and Malaysia.

4. Ravi Desai: Currently an assistant managing director in TCT Japan, Desai oversees production units in Japan and South Korea. A citizen of India, he has spent his 15 years with TCT working in various operational slots throughout Asia. Now 37, he holds an MBA from the prestigious Indian Institute of Management. Some see him as a likely candidate to direct the Indian operation eventually. He is married, has two children (ages 2 and 7), and speaks English and Hindi well. His wife, also a native of India, neither works outside the home nor speaks English.

5. Saumitra Chakraborty: At 32, Chakraborty is the assistant to the departing managing director in India. He has held that position since joining TCT India upon graduating from a small private university in Switzerland eight years earlier. Unmarried, he consistently earns a job performance rating of excellent in customer relationship management. He has increased TCT India’s sales, largely owing to his social connections with prominent Indian families and government officials along with his skillfulness in the ways of the Indian business environment. Besides speaking India’s main languages of English and Hindi, Chakraborty is the only candidate who speaks Kannada (the local language of Bengaluru). Presently, he lacks line experience.

6. Tom Wallace: A 30-year veteran of TCT USA, Wallace has broad technical skills and sales experience. He worked with Gary Kent on supply-chain projects in the United States. Although he has never worked abroad, he has toured TCT’s foreign operations. He recently expressed interest in an expatriate slot. His superiors typically rate his performance as excellent. Wallace is set to retire in seven years. He and his wife speak only English. They have three adult children who live with their families in the United States. Presently, Wallace manages a U.S. unit that is a little larger than the present size of TCT India. The merger of his unit with another TCT division will eliminate his current position in nine months.

Answer 1

Knowledge is in terms of subject, or formal education, information that one has.

Skills - Any technical or other proficiency acquired by training, or practicing

Abilities - Demonstrable skills and knowledge, simultaneously to complete a work

1. Atasi Das

Knowledge - Das is an MBA from a University in New England.

Skills - Das is skilled in strategic planning, unit -line operations

Abilities - She can direct companies or some of its operations like supply chain logistics.

2. Brett Harrison

K - Mr. Harrison is knowledgeable about India's geography, politics, customs, etc. He is also knowledgeable about line activities.

S - He is skilled in line operations, managing staff.

A - His skills have made him able to be a better manager across geographies and be at the helm in strategic planning

3. Jalan Bukit Seng

K - He has earned an undergraduate and MBA degree from NUS.

S- He understands the manufacturing functions well.

A- He can handle manufacturing systems, can supervise and direct, too. Plus, he can speak four Singapore official languages.

4. Ravi Desai

K - He holds an MBA from IIM

S - He understands production and operations

A - His strong background in India, ables him to handle the operations and production, there well

5. Saumitra Charkraborty

K - A graduate from Switzerland.

S - He is skilled in customer management.

A- His social connect with local people and government is strong and can sell better. His proficiency in speaking a local language Kannada multiplies this effect.

6. Tom Wallace

K - Tom has a broad understanding of technical skills and sales experience. He is also knowledgeable about TCT's foreign operations

S- Tom is skilled in the supply chain project in the US.

A - Tom can speak English, manage US unit, which is around the same size as TCT India