Deck 8: Training and Developing a Competitive Workforce

Question 1

Training may be offered to:

A) a company shipping clerk to improve her computer skills
B) a new employee who needs to learn how to personalize his sales presentation
C) a line worker who will be assuming a supervisory role
D) a telemarketing operator who has been transferred to the production department
E) all of the above

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Employment commitment:

A) cannot be created, but must be allowed to develop over time
B) can be created by intensive socialization and training
C) is never permanent
D) lasts only as long as the employee gets to perform in a way that is comfortable for him or her
E) is desirable but not achievable

Answer 2

B

Question 3

A job-needs analysis:

A) examines the ethics of each employee in the organization
B) uses information gathered from job analysis and competency modeling
C) includes an assessment of how each employee adds to the organizational culture
D) should be performed after a person-needs analysis
E) is accurately described by all of the above

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Firms help their customers train their workforces because:

A) it meets customer needs for specialized training
B) it ensures all capabilities of the firm's specialized systems are fully realized by the customer
C) it can be a source of extra revenue for the firm
D) it can extend the value of in-house training to customers
E) All of the above are reasons.

Question 5

All of the following are primary components of a needs analysis EXCEPT:

A) Culture
B) Demographics
C) Job
D) Organization
E) Person

Question 6

Which of the following statements about training and development is true?

A) Active participation by all stakeholders is not required.
B) To be a success, training and development have to begin at the bottom-level of the organization with or without top management support.
C) The support of top management is all that is needed to guarantee a successful training and development program.
D) All employees should be actively involved in designing and delivering training systems.
E) None of the above statements about training and development is true.

Question 7

Without a(n) _____, an organization has not assurance that the right training will be provided to the right trainee.

A) human resource analysis
B) organizational appraisal
C) social audit
D) needs assessment
E) training control system

Question 8

Short-term effects of the effectiveness of training and development include all of the following EXCEPT:

A) changes in attitudes and feelings of line managers and their employees
B) changes in organizational culture
C) changes in work behaviors
D) HR Professionals seen as contributing to strategic business issues
E) a and c

Question 9

In the chapter opening vignette "Managing Human Resources at Ritz-Carlton Company", the company turns its employees into a workforce of stellar, award-winning service providers by:

A) hiring only people with prior hospitality experience
B) creating a team of employees who all share the same vision and goals
C) training them to do many different jobs
D) foregoing orientation and in-house training
E) All of the above are correct.

Question 10

In the Managing Ethics feature "J.M. Smucker & Co.", the company does all of following EXCEPT:

A) relies on an integrated HRM system to ensure ethical conduct
B) asks specifically about an applicant's ethical conduct during reference checks
C) outsources its ethical training to avoid insularity and inbreeding of values
D) actually has employees sign a nine-page ethics contract
E) All of the above are actions the firm takes

Question 11

What is the difference between training and development?

A) Training is more long term and development is more short term
B) Development is more closely tied to selection than training
C) The lower the entry skill levels, the less development you will need
D) Training usually addresses current needs while development addresses future needs
E) They really are one and the same

Question 12

A properly executed organizational needs analysis:

A) results in a clear statement of training goals
B) includes an assessment of the organizational climate
C) identifies available resources and constraints
D) helps the firm avoid offering training that is just the latest fad
E) is accurately described by all of the above

Question 13

Research shows that a supportive training climate at an organization enhances transfer of training. Which of the following is an indicator of a supportive climate?

A) Training is held off site after hours
B) Employees compete for training opportunities
C) No overtime on training nights for the employees enrolled
D) The incentives are "If you don't, it will look bad on your record."
E) Employees encourage each other to practice newly learned skills

Question 14

Following M&As, training that focuses on helping employees understand the ____________ is probably the most common.

A) new social order
B) risks of outsourcing
C) new culture
D) personnel doctrine
E) homogenized structure

Question 15

_____ has the major objective of teaching employees about the organization's history, culture, and management practices.

A) Socialization
B) Training
C) Organizational instruction
D) Personnel indoctrination
E) Bridging

Question 16

Recent Supreme Court rulings have established that an employer may not be held liable for discriminatory behavior by its employees if it can show that (a) it acted reasonably to prevent the behavior, and (b) the victim acted unreasonably by not using the company's available procedures for preventing harm. Which of the following principles will not help a firm meet court guidelines?

A) Require non-discrimination training as a condition of employment
B) Keep records of all training, and have employees sign a document that they completed the training
C) Inform employees of their rights, duties and responsibilities regarding non discriminatory behavior.
D) Give supervisors additional training covering their added responsibilities
E) All of these will help a firm comply.

Question 17

Line managers can contribute most significantly to employee training and development by _____.

A) acting as trainers, coaches and mentors
B) conducting training audits
C) designing training techniques
D) administering the training process
E) exploring new training technology

Question 18

When the objective of training is to improve job performance, that training:

A) should require active participation by all stakeholders
B) should be designed using job analysis information about what is required to do the work
C) should be aligned with the selection criteria used when hiring people into higher-level positions
D) requirements should be linked to diversity and cultural evaluations
E) must be focused on past performance factors

Question 19

What role do an organization's employees play in training and development?

A) The effectiveness of training and development requires the support and cooperation of all employees in the system.
B) All employees are typically involved in designing training systems.
C) Employees should not view training and development activities as opportunities for socialization.
D) Research indicates that employees who have not selected a career path are more likely to participate in training and development opportunities.
E) Only top management should be actively involved in designing and developing training programs.

Question 20

United States corporations spend more than _________ billion annually on formal employee training and development programs.

A) 25
B) 55
C) 65
D) 105
E) 135

Question 21

According to the textbook, _____ can be more effective than traditional classroom training methods for teaching basic knowledge

A) six sigma-based training
B) on-the-job
C) mentoring
D) web-based instruction
E) self-teaching

Question 22

During the recent management workshop Martin attended, he practiced learning how to talk to his co-workers, how to listen to what they are saying, and how to read their nonverbal communication. This workshop was designed to produce:

A) an affective outcome
B) improved interpersonal skills
C) cognitive knowledge
D) a more versatile skills inventory
E) more intelligent employees

Question 23

To learn how to checkout groceries at a supermarket, the newly hired Celeste watched carefully as the 15-year veteran grocery checker weighed potatoes, double-bagged gallon jugs of milk, and handled payments. The supermarket was using _____ to teach Celeste how to perform the duties of grocery checker.

A) job rotation
B) off-site training
C) virtual training
D) programmed instruction
E) on-the-job training

Question 24

Who would be most likely to provide the initial organizational orientation to a new sales employee in a large insurance company?

A) the insurance salespeople's sales manager
B) an outstanding insurance salesperson
C) a member of the company's human resources department
D) the new employee with the aid of self-paced instructional materials
E) all of the above

Question 25

When setting up a training system,

A) coaching is best used when employees from several different functional areas need training
B) on-the-job training is best when trainees can learn by observing experienced employees and by working with the actual materials, personnel, or machinery (or all three) that constitute the job.
C) programmed instruction is best used when a there are only a few new employees that need training
D) it is important to always use hierarchical sequencing in scheduling training
E) simultaneous training of a large group is best done with on-the-job training

Question 26

Which of the following types of information is NOT typically shared during an employee orientation program?

A) what to do when the fire alarm sounds
B) the length of coffee breaks
C) the history of the organization
D) the firm's proposed merger
E) the organizational structure of the company

Question 27

Lena was excited that her new employer had a large group of Mexican employees. She liked having the opportunity to use her Spanish language skills. Her ability to read and write fluent Spanish is an example of:

A) cognitive knowledge
B) an affective outcome
C) a skills-based outcome
D) her cognitive inventory
E) fundamental knowledge

Question 28

Training and development activities referred to as e-learning include all of the following EXCEPT:

A) web-based learning
B) interactive television
C) virtual classrooms
D) computerized learning modules
E) on-the-job training

Question 29

In many organizations, on-the-job training is the only form of training offered. In these circumstances, _____ almost always are the providers of whatever training employees receive.

A) supervisors
B) coworkers
C) internal subject matter experts
D) employees
E) all of the above

Question 30

Judy has just begun as a volunteer in the local library. Her first task is to shelve books in the non-fiction section. First, the head librarian, Colette, shows her the how the numbering sequences work in the Dewey Decimal System. Then, Judy is sent with 10 books to shelve from all over the non-fiction section. Colette watches silently as Judy shelves each book, then she discusses with Judy any mistakes she has made. Which component identified by PDI is Judy undergoing in this shelving process?

A) Insight
B) Motivation
C) New Skills and Knowledge
D) Real-World Practice
E) Accountability

Question 31

For which of the following jobs would you expect to find an apprenticeship program being used as the primary training tool?

A) electrician
B) advertising copywriter
C) human resources manager
D) librarian
E) radio announcer

Question 32

In the feature Managing Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility: Pulp Fiction, Weyerhaeuser:

A) places top priority on developing ethical leaders
B) offers leadership assessments and training through its corporate university
C) includes ethics as a key element of its formal leadership training program
D) uses top executives as teachers in its leadership training program
E) all of the above

Question 33

Emotional intelligence involves recognizing and regulating emotions in ourselves and in others, and it includes:

A) self-awareness
B) self-management
C) social awareness
D) relationship management
E) all of the above

Question 34

Which of the following is a type of on-the-job training?

A) assessment centers
B) role playing
C) interactive video training
D) internships
E) programmed instruction

Question 35

Which of the following statements about self-assessed training needs is true?

A) Employee self-assessment of training can occur through use of surveys.
B) Self-assessment assumes that employees are aware of their weaknesses and performance deficiencies.
C) Self-assessed training needs is growing in popularity.
D) Self-assessment includes self-nomination for training opportunities.
E) All of the above statements about self-assessed training needs are true.

Question 36

During a recent day-long training session, Ashley and a group of co-workers were asked to solve several puzzles that required the group to work closely together. As they finished each puzzle, the group's sense of camaraderie increased. The members started the session as acquaintances and ended as friends. From this information, you would know this training session was designed to produce:

A) an affective outcome
B) a skill-based outcome
C) cognitive knowledge
D) a more versatile skills inventory
E) more intelligent employees

Question 37

Five components are necessary to ensure that you are setting up the proper conditions for effective training. Which of the following is NOT one of the five?

A) Employees need to know what it is they are to learn
B) Employees need to be motivated to put in the required effort
C) Employees must be shown how to acquire the needed competencies
D) Employees need to feel personally accountable for what they have learned
E) Employees need to become engaged in learning for learning's own sake.

Question 38

Which of the following questions about Six Sigma is incorrect?

A) It is grounded in systematic measurement and statistical analysis
B) It was invented at GE in the 1980's
C) It requires that employees use several specific problem-solving skills
D) When a company decides to adopt Six Sigma, senior leaders typically go through the training first
E) The compensation system may be revised to align with the new Six Sigma goals

Question 39

A manufacturing company in Georgia might conduct a _____ to determine the training needs of its recently-immigrated Guatemalan employees.

A) person-needs analysis
B) job evaluation
C) organizational culture analysis
D) demographic-needs analysis
E) organizational assessment

Question 40

A person-needs analysis:

A) is performed before a job-needs analysis
B) focuses on the generic job incumbent, not the current employee
C) identifies gaps between a person's current capabilities and those identified as necessary for a particular job
D) is derived from job analysis and competency modeling
E) is accurately described by all of the above

Question 41

In the feature Managing Globalization: Training in Russia, Troika Dialogue uses blended learning that includes which of the following methods in developing its employees:

A) simulation exercises
B) role-playing exercises
C) time management
D) lectures
E) mentors

Question 42

Which of the following learning formats present situations that approximate actual job conditions and allow trainees to practice how to behave in those situations?

A) video teleconference
B) e-learning
C) sensitivity training
D) simulation
E) wilderness trips

Question 43

To help ensure that a company's knowledge management technology is fully integrated with other learning activities, many learning organizations have created a position titled Chief Integration Officer.

Question 44

Intense socialization tends to increase employee's commitment to the company.

Question 45

To set the stage for learning, a trainer or manager needs to:

A) consider the beliefs of trainees regarding their personal task-specific competencies
B) provide clear instructions
C) consider how the information will be presented
D) provide a visual demonstration for the trainee of the desired behavior
E) do all of the above

Question 46

Offsite training:

A) is inappropriate when the employees are expected to master complex competencies
B) is usually more appropriate to conduct when the consequence of error is high.
C) creates learning that is easily transferred back to the job
D) is inappropriate when the employer wants affective outcomes
E) is accurately described by all of the above

Question 47

An off-site training program would be most likely used when:

A) teaching police recruits how to make a felony arrest
B) training an employee to use a floor polisher
C) teaching a new telemarketer how to close the sale
D) training a newly hired Kmart stock clerk
E) teaching an office manager how to enter data in a new computerized database management system

Question 48

Even though the instructions for mixing paint colors were quite clear, the supervisor training the new hardware store clerk had the clerk watch a demonstration of the mixing of a can of paint and then had the clerk mix a can on her own. The supervisor then critiqued the clerk's performance. The trainer used _____ to set the stage for learning.

A) shaping
B) enactive mastery
C) knowledge management
D) behavioral modeling
E) task segmentation

Question 49

Which of the following statements about offsite training is true?

A) Simulation exercises are useful for developing human relation skills.
B) Role-playing exercises are useful for developing conceptual or technical skills.
C) Assessment center training transfers to the workplace without intervention by the trainers.
D) The lecture method does not easily permit individualized training.
E) Role-playing places no responsibility on the trainee for the success of the exercise.

Question 50

Positive characteristics of global leaders in all cultures include:

A) integrity
B) vision
C) inspirational
D) team builder
E) all of the above

Question 51

For which of the following is an organization most likely to choose coaching as the most suitable training program?

A) to train a new employee in how to use the phone system
B) to teach a line worker how to operate the painting machine
C) to teach a CEO how to improve her communication skills
D) to improve a new employee's reading and writing skills
E) to teach a staff member how to use a new piece of safety equipment

Question 52

As an HR manager for a large national bookstore chain, you have received complaints from some of the employees in your flagship store, which has 27 staff members. Apparently, several lesbian and gay employees brought their significant others to the staff family picnic. This triggered arguments, animosities and inappropriate behaviors at the store, despite the store manager's best efforts. You decide to use cultural awareness training. Which of the following statements is true?

A) Cultural awareness training is inappropriate because gender issues are not cultural issues.
B) The store manager should conduct sexual harassment and diversity training.
C) A consultant should be brought in to do team building instead.
D) Cultural awareness training alone is probably not going to solve the problem.
E) None of the above is true.

Question 53

A supervisor is trying to make his new assistant manager Roger more assertive in dealing with his co-workers. For the first couple of weeks, every time Roger issued an order or made a decision based on what is good for the company rather than in accordance with the wishes of the co-worker making the request, Roger's supervisor congratulated him. With such positive reinforcement, Roger has begun to assume a more managerial role. This is an example of:

A) shaping
B) enactive mastery
C) knowledge management
D) behavior modeling
E) task segmentation

Question 54

Knowledge management is about making sure that knowledge from employees, teams, and units in an organization is captured, remembered, stored, and shared with others.

Question 55

Lee wants to be a market researcher. In order to learn more about the job, he has accepted an internship for next semester at a marketing research firm. Which of the following statements describes why the firm would be willing to use the internship program as one of its training activities?

A) Interns earn less than fully-trained employees.
B) Internship programs provide vicarious learning.
C) Internship programs expose potential employees to the real jobs they would perform is hired.
D) Internship programs are informal.
E) All of the above describe reasons why the marketing research firm uses internship programs as part of its training activities.

Question 56

Kelly's a new job as data entry clerk entails entering 83 different pieces of information into a computerized form. During her first week, she was expected to complete each form in 30 minutes with no more than two errors. During her second week, Kelly was to reduce her entry time to 20 minutes with no more than one error. During her third week, she was expected to cut her time to 15 minutes with no errors. By the fourth week, Kelly was supposed to be able to complete the data entry on one form in 10 minutes without any errors. To facilitate the mastery of this data entry task, Kelly's supervisor used:

A) task segmentation
B) proximal goals
C) shaping
D) behavior modeling
E) distal goals

Question 57

Jared is an engineer on a self-managing work team. Although an expert in his technical area, Jared is very nervous about public speaking. The team process requires each member to give presentations on their projects every week. Jared tends to make a shambles of his presentations. Finally, Jared's boss sent him for training in public speaking. At Jared's first presentation after his training, his boss sat in the back of the room, nodding and smiling, and giving Jared a thumbs-up sign when Jared finished. Jared's boss was using:

A) positive reinforcement
B) transfer of training
C) specific goals
D) motivation
E) practical encouragement

Question 58

The most informal training and development program is:

A) job rotation
B) supervisory assistance and mentoring
C) programmed instruction
D) sensitivity training
E) role playing

Question 59

As a traffic officer, Mike deals with wrecks and traffic gridlocks during each working day. Next month he will go to work with the police department's canine unit for six weeks. This way he can become familiar with the dogs and what the unit does. He will learn how to give the dogs commands, and specific ways the dogs are used to fight crime. After his six weeks at this job, he will return to the traffic unit. What type of training program is Mike's police department using?

A) programmed instruction
B) role playing
C) simulation
D) mentoring
E) job rotation

Question 60

Together, job analysis and competency modeling establish the tasks performed in a job and the competencies required for effective job performance.

Question 61

What should a trainer do to set the stage for an employee training activity?

Question 62

What kind of knowledge is acquired by an employee who repeatedly practices repairing copy machines?

Question 63

How do the processes of training and development differ?

Question 64

As an organization begins to embrace a philosophy of continuous learning and improvement, more active participation in the design and delivery of the organization's training system by all stakeholders is seen as both undesirable and unnecessary.

Question 65

What is the first phase in the training program model?

Question 66

When would an organization be most likely to use on-site but not on-the-job training programs?

Question 67

How can training and development activities be used as a means for employers to address employees' needs?

Question 68

Disney begins the socialization process during recruitment as a way to discourage applicants who may not fit the corporate culture.

Question 69

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages associated with using coworkers as trainers.

Question 70

A demographic needs analysis can be used to assess whether all employees are given equal access to growth experiences and developmental challenges, which are known to be useful on-the-job methods for promoting skill development.

Question 71

How are employee and customer surveys used to identify training needs?

Question 72

Employers usually evaluate the effectiveness of their training and development efforts by assessing only short-term effects.

Question 73

The organizational needs analysis should translate the organization's objectives into a clear statement of goals for training and development.

Question 74

What are proximal goals?

Question 75

What kind of knowledge is built by orientation programs?

Question 76

When it comes to evaluating the effectiveness of their training and development efforts, employers are usually able to assess only long-term effects of their efforts.

Question 77

What kind of training is most appropriate for CEOs and other high-level executives?

Question 78

Attitude surveys are used to determine employees' own assessment of what they feel are their personal deficiencies.

Question 79

List the three types of locations for training activities.

Question 80

Person-needs analysis are always narrow in scope because they focus on the individual employee.