Description / Requirements Hiring Simulation

Students will complete a hiring simulation known as “You’re Hired!” during the Week 3 Seminar. As part of this simulation, students will assume the role of one of four directors of a sport management firm and develop their opinions of multiple candidates based on biographies provided. Students will then take their opinions back to the group and decide as a team on which candidate should be selected for hire. Students who do not attend the Week 3 seminar will need to form opinions of all four directors with the information provided to each specific director (Dr. Swanson will discuss during seminar). After groups have formed their original final recommendation, students will also receive additional information and be tasked with reflecting upon confirming their recommendation and reflecting upon their overall experience.

Written Assessment

Part One (~ 1000 words): Once students complete the simulation, they are to reflect upon their experience. Generally, students should be discussing the characteristics of the candidates in this case. For example, consider the qualities a director of would be valuing more highly than other directors. Students should indicate how initial individual preferences varied within the group, how these preferences differed from the initial group decision, and provide plausible explanations for why this variance may have existed. Any changes between the initial (live) group decision and the final group decision should also be discussed. For any instances where a student was not in attendance for the Week 3 seminar, the group will need to explain this individual’s hiring preferences and contribution to the overall group decision-making process. Students may utilize charts, tables, or diagrams, if they are applicable to their reflection.

Part Two (~ 2000 words): After discussing the recommendation, students must then delve into the opportunities and challenges of hiring in the sport management space. Specifically, students should be seeking to incorporate traditional literature on group dynamics and unconscious biases as well as newer research that has been empirically tested and employed psychosocial and behavioral components. Students may also connect the various director roles from the simulation and their corresponding personality traits to the literature. Along this vein, students must go beyond the unit textbook and lecture materials to find research on these theories and concepts.