An Association of Marketing Students®

OCCUPATIONAL CATEGORY
Food Marketing 
Associate Level

INSTRUCTIONAL AREA
Communication and Interpersonal Skills

PARTICIPANT INSTRUCTIONS

PROCEDURES

1.	The event will be presented to you through your reading of these instructions, including the Performance Indicators and Event Situation. You will have up to 10 minutes to review this information to determine how you will handle the role-play situation and demonstrate the performance indicators of this event. During the preparation period, you may make notes to use during the role-play situation.

2.	You will give an ID label to your adult assistant during the preparation time.

3.	You will have up to 10 minutes to role-play your situation with a judge (you may have more than one judge).

4.	You will be evaluated on how well you meet the performance indicators of this event.

5.	Turn in all your notes and event materials when you have completed the role-play.

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 

1.	Treat others fairly at work.

2.	Participate as a team member.

3.	Foster positive working relationships.

4.	Persuade others.

5.	Develop cultural sensitivity.

EVENT SITUATION

You are to assume the role of experienced employee at King’s Supermarket #12. The store manager (judge) has asked you to develop a list of strategies for improving the store’s work environment. 

King’s Supermarket is a large chain of  24 grocery stores located within the metropolitan area. Due to current labor conditions, the chain is experiencing difficulty finding skilled, trustworthy and dependable employees. Consequently, the store needs to utilize its labor pool more efficiently. 

In Supermarket #12, management hired two new employees out of retirement who have a lot of grocery store experience. These new employees can perform all job tasks that do not require bending and heavy lifting. Management feels that these employees possess a great deal of expertise and will be able to assist in training the younger, less experienced employees.

You have overheard younger employees complaining that management should only hire younger workers who can do all the tasks required. When you discussed what you heard with the store manager (judge), he/she asked you to prepare a list of effective strategies for dealing with the prevailing discontent among employees. You should consider the following:

•	Store image
•	The benefits of positive working relationships
•	Adapting and working in a variety of situations
•	The importance of tolerance
•	Common goals

You will present your list of strategies to the store manager (judge) in a role-play that will take place in the office. The store manager (judge) will begin the meeting by greeting you and asking to hear your presentation. After you have presented your ideas and have answered the store manager’s (judge’s) questions, the store manager (judge) will conclude the meeting by thanking you for your help.

JUDGE’S INSTRUCTIONS

DIRECTIONS, PROCEDURES AND JUDGE’S ROLE

In preparation for this event, you should review the following information with your event manager and other judges:

1.	Procedures

2.	Performance Indicators 

3.	Event Situation

4.	Judge Role-Play Characterization
Participants may conduct a slightly different type of meeting and/or discussion with you each time; however, it is important that the information you provide and the questions you ask be uniform for every participant.

5.  Judge’s Evaluation Instructions

6.	Judge’s Evaluation Form
Please use a critical and consistent eye in rating each participant.

JUDGE ROLE-PLAY CHARACTERIZATION

You are to assume the role of store manager of King’s Supermarket #12. Because of recent discontent, you asked one of your most experienced employees (participant) to develop a list of strategies for improving the store’s work environment. 

King’s Supermarket is a large chain of 24 grocery stores located within the metropolitan area. Due to current labor conditions, the chain is experiencing difficulty finding skilled, trustworthy and dependable employees. Consequently, the store needs to utilize its labor pool more efficiently. 

In Supermarket #12, you hired two new employees out of retirement who have a lot of grocery store experience. These new employees can perform all the job tasks that do not require bending and heavy lifting. You feel that these employees possess a great deal of expertise and will be able to assist in training the younger, less experienced employees.

An experienced employee (participant) overheard younger employees complaining that management should only hire younger employees who can do all the tasks required. When this was brought to your attention, you asked this employee (participant) to prepare a list of effective strategies for dealing with the prevailing discontent among employees. You asked the employee (participant) to consider the following:

•	Store image
•	The benefits of positive working relationships
•	Adapting and working in a variety of situations
•	The importance of tolerance
•	Common goals

You are to discuss the strategies with your experienced employee (participant) in a role-play to take place in the office. You will begin the role-play by greeting the experienced employee (participant) and asking to hear the strategies. 

During the course of the role-play you are to ask the following questions of each participant:

1.	This problem might be limited to just the few employees you heard. How can we make sure that your suggestions don’t magnify the problem?

2.	How can the work environment benefit from experienced employees?

3.	Do you feel age discrimination was a factor in this situation?

Once the employee (participant) has presented the ideas and has answered your questions, you may conclude the role-play by thanking the employee (participant) for his/her input.

You are not to make any comment after the role-play is over except to thank the participant.

JUDGE’S EVALUATION INSTRUCTIONS

Evaluation Form Information

The participants are to be evaluated on their ability to perform the specific performance indicators stated on the cover sheet of this event and restated on the Judge’s Evaluation Form. Although you may see other performance indicators being demonstrated by the participants, those listed in the Performance Indicators section are the critical ones you are measuring for this particular event.

Evaluation Form Interpretation

The evaluation levels listed below and the evaluation rating procedures should be discussed thoroughly with your event chairperson and the other judges to ensure complete and common understanding for judging consistency.

Level of Evaluation	Interpretation Level	
		
Excellent	Participant demonstrated the performance indicator in an extremely professional manner; greatly exceeds business standards; would rank in the top 10% of business personnel performing this performance indicator.	
		
Good	Participant demonstrated the performance indicator in an acceptable and effective manner; meets at least minimal business standards; there would be no need for additional formalized training at this time; would rank in the 70-89th percentile of business personnel performing this performance indicator.	
		
Fair	Participant demonstrated the performance indicator with limited effectiveness; performance generally fell below minimal business standards; additional training would be required to improve knowledge, attitude and/or skills; would rank in the 50-69th percentile of business personnel performing this performance indicator.	
		
Poor	Participant demonstrated the performance indicator with little or no effectiveness; a great deal of formal training would be needed immediately; perhaps this person should seek other employment; would rank in the 0-49th percentile of business personnel performing this performance indicator.	

JUDGE’S EVALUATION FORM
FMAL-01
State Event 1 

DID THE PARTICIPANT:

1.	Treat others fairly at work?	
POOR	FAIR	GOOD	EXCELLENT	
0, 2	4, 6, 8	10, 12, 14	16, 18	
Attempts at treating others fairly at work were inadequate.	Adequately treated others fairly at work.	Effectively treated others fairly at work.	Very effectively treated others fairly at work; gave examples.	
	
2.	Participate as a team member?	
POOR	FAIR	GOOD	EXCELLENT	
0, 2	4, 6, 8	10, 12, 14	16, 18	
Attempts at participating as a team member were weak.	Adequately participated as a team member.	Effectively participated as a team member.	Very effectively participated
as a team member.	
	
3.	Foster positive working relationships?	
POOR	FAIR	GOOD	EXCELLENT	
0, 2	4, 6, 8	10, 12, 14	16, 18	
Attempts to foster positive working relationships were inadequate.	Adequately fostered positive working relationships.	Effectively fostered positive working relationships. 	Very effectively fostered positive working relationships; gave examples.	
	
4.	Persuade others?	
POOR	FAIR	GOOD	EXCELLENT	
0, 2	4, 6, 8	10, 12, 14	16, 18	
Attempts at persuading others was weak.	Adequately persuaded others.	Effectively persuaded others.	Very effectively persuaded others.	
	
5.	Develop cultural sensitivity?	
POOR	FAIR	GOOD	EXCELLENT	
0, 2	4, 6, 8	10, 12, 14	16, 18	
Attempts at developing cultural sensitivity were weak or unclear.	Adequately developed cultural sensitivity.	Effectively developed cultural sensitivity.	Very effectively developed cultural sensitivity.	
	
6.    Overall impression of the participant’s skills and performance?	
POOR	FAIR	GOOD	EXCELLENT	
0, 1	2, 3, 4	5, 6, 7	8, 9, 10	
Demonstrated few skills with little or no effectiveness.	Demonstrated limited ability to link some skills effectively.	Effectively demonstrated specified skills.	Demonstrated skills in a confident, articulate and integrated manner that meets the highest professional business standards.	

Judge’s  Initials 		TOTAL SCORE