Deck 4: Assessing HRD Needs

Question 1

The stimulus-response-feedback method of task identification breaks each task into four components.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Immediate supervisors should not be involved in a person analysis.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Performance appraisal information can always be considered to be accurate.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

In general,it is preferable to use more than one method of task identification when studying a job.

Question 5

The organizational climate has little to do with the success of an HRD program.

Question 6

The ultimate goal of HRD is to improve an organization's effectiveness.

Question 7

The gap determined by a needs assessment identifies the difference between what an organization expects to happen and what actually takes place.

Question 8

"Found data" is data that comes from new surveys conducted by the HRD department.

Question 9

A diagnostic person analysis involves determining the overall success of individual employee performance.

Question 10

The ISD approach stands for Institutional Systems Design.

Question 11

A task analysis asks the question: What must be done to perform the job effectively?

Question 12

When using multiple rater sources it is important that all raters agree on their rating.

Question 13

Boeing was recognized by the ASTD as part of its benchmarking forum for its task analysis approach involving engineers who were being trained to use computer-aided drafting and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM)software.

Question 14

A job analysis is the systematic study of the environment the job is performed within.

Question 15

The three levels of needs analysis are: strategic/organizational,task,and team.

Question 16

A job description is a narrative statement of the major activities involved in performing a job and conditions under which these duties are performed.

Question 17

A needs assessment should be the starting point for all HRD programs and is critical to program success.

Question 18

The need for E-learning is always carefully analyzed.

Question 19

The main advantage of a 360 degree format is that employees are observed from people with different perspectives on the employee's performance.

Question 20

An ability is a general or enduring trait that a person possesses.

Question 21

The systematic collection of data about a specific job or group of jobs used to determine what an employee should be taught to achieve optimal performance is called:

A)position summary analysis
B)diagnostic analysis
C)task analysis
D)job review

Question 22

Which of the following is NOT a method of task identification?

A)Simultaneous repository file
B)Time sampling
C)Critical incident technique
D)Job inventory

Question 23

In "The Attack on ISD" which charge or complaint was raised by some leaders in the HRD leaders against the process or systems model of HRD used in the text?

A)it focuses too heavily on the end results of training
B)it focuses too heavily on attitudes and emotions
C)it is too slow and clumsy to meet today's training/HRD needs
D)it works best with jobs that are rapidly changing and at high organizational levels

Question 24

The process of identifying personal development needs that involves the feedback of peers,subordinates and superiors is known as:

A)performance review
B)360 degree performance appraisal
C)peer review
D)progressive action feedback

Question 25

Which method of task identification asks people familiar with the job to record behaviors that are particularly effective or ineffective for performing that job?

A)job inventory questionnaire
B)time sampling
C)critical incident method
D)card sort

Question 26

When an effort is made to discover the reasons for an employee's work performance,this is referred to as:

A)psychoanalysis
B)card sort analysis
C)summary person analysis
D)diagnostic person analysis

Question 27

The most common source of information for person analysis is:

A)critical incidents
B)the performance appraisal
C)diaries
D)assessment centers

Question 28

Which of the following could be used to conduct an organizational needs analysis?

A)Exit interviews
B)Customer complaints
C)Data such as turnover and absenteeism
D)All of the above could be used

Question 29

Which of the following is a cause of the lack of support for needs assessments?

A)a lack of bottom-line justification
B)the HRD professional's inability to sell needs assessment to management
C)the lack of documentation,benefits and analogies from respected fields
D)all of the above are true

Question 30

Compliance needs are those:

A)Mandated by law
B)Focused on what prevents performance
C)That identify new ways to perform tasks
D)None of the above are correct

Question 31

A person analysis is best defined as:

A)A systematic collection of data about every jobs in the company
B)A systematic collection of data about specific jobs or groups of job
C)A systematic collection of who needs to be trained and what kind of training they need
D)A systematic collection of information on how people think their jobs should be performed

Question 32

A needs assessment can determine gaps in which of the following areas?

A)between employees' skills and the skills required for effective current job performance
B)between current skills and the skills needed to perform the job successfully in the future
C)needs assessments identify strengths rather than weaknesses
D)both A and B are true

Question 33

Which of the following is NOT a source of data for a task needs analysis?

A)Job descriptions
B)Job specifications
C)Corporate Mission statement
D)Observing people actually performing the job

Question 34

A major advantage of using a questionnaire to gather data about training needs is that:

A)it allows for input from many people
B)it is always unbiased
C)it is completed by the supervisor
D)it involves a two-way dialog

Question 35

The type of HRD need that identifies new or better ways to perform tasks is known as a:

A)democratic need
B)diagnostic need
C)analytic need
D)compliance need

Question 36

Which of the following data sources provides an estimate of the magnitude of the specific needs for HRD/training by looking at the number of employees in each skill group,evaluating knowledge and skill levels,as well as training time per job?

A)organizational goals and objectives
B)skills inventory
C)exit interviews
D)performance appraisals

Question 37

The knowledge,skills,abilities,and other requirements (KSAOs)needed to perform a task or job are spelled out in the:

A)job specification
B)job design
C)skills inventory
D)organizational climate index

Question 38

The instrument developed by the Center for Creative Leadership to identify the developmental needs of managers is called:

A)Strategic Analysis
B)Benchmarks
C)Ballparks
D)Human Resource Information System

Question 39

In needs assessment,a focus on environmental constraints would occur as part of which analysis?

A)person
B)strategic/organizational
C)task
D)ergonomic

Question 40

A needs assessment is often not conducted for which of the following reasons?

A)It can be difficult and time consuming to do.
B)Line managers prefer action to research.
C)There is lack of support from management for this step.
D)All of the above are true.

Question 41

Self-ratings of training needs:

A)Are useful when combined with multiple sources
B)No information is available on their value
C)Are never useful
D)Are proven to be totally accurate

Question 42

The HRD Advisory Committee:

A)Should only contain members from the HR department
B)Should contain members from a cross-section of the organization
C)Meets only occasionally
D)Should never be used in analyzing training needs

Question 43

All of the following are ways HRD seeks to improve organizational effectiveness EXCEPT:

A)Preventing anticipated problems
B)Including those groups and individual that can benefit the most
C)Hiring better people
D)Solving current problems

Question 44

MBO or work planning and review systems are useful tools for assessing needs because:

A)They provide performance review data
B)They provide baseline performance data
C)They provide long-term business objectives
D)All the above are true

Question 45

What is the goal of identifying diagnostic needs?

A)to emphasize existing problems
B)to determine how effective performance is obtained
C)to determine new or better way to perform tasks
D)to determine how interventions should be conducted

Question 46

Which task identification method results in a list of the cues,behaviors,and feedback that make up each task involved in a job?

A)Critical incident
B)Time sampling
C)Job inventory questionnaire
D)Stimulus-response-feedback

Question 47

A trap to avoid when doing needs assessments is:

A)Focusing on organizational performance
B)Use both hard and soft data
C)Doing multiple methods in addition to questionnaires
D)Use hard data only

Question 48

Linking the organizations strategic plan to HRD activities for operating managers:

A)May increase support for HRD programs
B)Will lower motivation of trainees
C)Should not be done due to communication problems
D)Does not matter to the success of the plan

Question 49

In the U.S.Supreme Court it has been decided that supervisory training for sexual harassment:

A)Is unimportant
B)Is adequate in most cases
C)Is important but not necessary
D)Was found to be inadequate or nonexistent

Question 50

Which of the following is NOT a component in the stimulus-response-feedback method of task identification?

A)The ego identifier
B)The response or behavior
C)The stimulus or cue
D)Feedback

Question 51

Having a trained observer watch an employee perform a task and note the nature and frequency of activities is an example of which method of task identification?

A)Critical incident
B)Time sampling
C)Job inventory questionnaire
D)Stimulus-response-feedback

Question 52

When assessing needs using organizational goals:

A)Focus on individual performance first
B)Examine areas where goals are not being met
C)Look only at goals that are met
D)Goals should be considered if they are consistently met

Question 53

Which of the following is correct?

A)Compliance needs emphasize existing problems
B)Diagnostic needs focus on better ways to do a job
C)Analytic needs focus on preventing problems
D)None of the above are correct

Question 54

A needs assessment allows HRD to learn which of the following?:

A)Where and what kinds of programs or interventions are needed
B)Who needs to be included in programs or interventions
C)Whether there are currently any roadblocks to the effectiveness of programs or interventions
D)All the above are true

Question 55

Supervisors and job incumbents evaluate a task list in terms of its importance and time spent performing it in which method of task identification?

A)Critical incident
B)Time sampling
C)Job inventory questionnaire
D)Stimulus-response-feedback

Question 56

Which of the following is true about using peer,subordinate,and customer input in performance appraisal in a 360 degree performance appraisal?

A)They are able to observe the employee from different perspectives,which allows them to add information that other sources cannot.
B)It can make these individuals feel that their input matters.
C)It may create a more supportive work environment.
D)All of the above are true.