Chapter 2: Strategic Training

corporate university

A _____ comprises employees, managers, and stakeholders outside the company, including community colleges, universities, high schools, and grade schools.

External Growth Strategy

A business strategy emphasizing acquiring vendors and suppliers or buying businesses that allow the company to expand into new markets

Internal Growth Strategy

A business strategy focusing on new market and product development, innovation, and joint ventures

Disinvestment Strategy

A business strategy that emphasize the liquidation and divestiture of businesses

Concentration Strategy

A business strategy that focuses on increasing market share, reducing costs, or creating a market niche for products and services

Corporate University

A centralized training organization in which learning is provided to not only company employees and managers but also stakeholders outside the company

Learning Organization

A company that has an enhanced capacity to learn, adapt, and change; an organization whose employees continuously attempt to learn new things and then apply what they have learned to improve product or service quality

staffing strategy

A company's decisions regarding where to find employees, how to select them, and the desired mix of employee skills and statues (temporary, full-time, etc.) are referred to as _____.

Staffing Strategy

A company's decisions regarding where to find employees, how to select them, and the mix of employee skills and statuses

Control

A manager's or employee's ability to obtain and distribute valuable resources

Balanced Scorecard

A means of performance measurement that allows managers to view the overall company performance or the performance of departments or functions (such as training) from the perspective of internal and external customers, employees, and shareholders

Business Strategy

A plan that integrates the company's goals, policies, and actions

Mission

A statement of the company's reason for existing; typically includes information on the customers served, why the company exists, what the company does, the value received by the customers, and the technology used

balanced scorecard

A(n) _____ is a way of performance evaluation that provides managers a choice to look at the overall company performance or the performance of departments of functions (such as training) from the view of internal and external customers, employees, and shareholders.

business-embedded

A(n) _____ learning function is characterized on the basis of five competencies: strategic direction, product design, structural versatility, product delivery, and accountability for results.

used to bring in and retain customers

An accurate statement about a training brand in a training function is that it is _____.

gives the company a cost advantage in purchasing training from vendors and consultants

An advantage of centralized training function is that it _____.

SWOT Analysis

An internal analysis of strengths and weaknesses

how they can increase the chances of its acceptance

Before implementation of a new training of development practice, trainers should consider _____.

Metrics

Business-level outcomes chosen to measure the overall value of training or learning initiatives

Task Redefinition

Changes in managers' and/or employees' roles and methods

does not involve unions

Companies' retraining and productivity-improvement efforts are likely to fail when it _____.

External Analysis

Examine the company's operating environment to identify opportunities and threats

(b) By identifying and collecting metrics

How does a company determine whether training and development activities actually contribute to the business strategy and goals? (a) By estimating training costs (b) By identifying and collecting metrics (c) By using third-party knowledge (d) By increasing the value of human resource development

(b) Ensuring that learning is effective for employees from different cultural backgrounds

Identify a challenge in training for companies with global operations. (a) Ensuring that learning is trainer initiated in all cases (b) Ensuring that learning is effective for employees from different cultural backgrounds (c) Ensuring that all learning is conducted on a one-on-one basis (d) Ensuring that the learning material is prepared in only one language

(a) They differ by company depending on a company's industry, objectives, resources, and capabilities.

Identify a true statement about strategic training and developing initiatives. (a) They differ by company depending on a company's industry, objectives, resources, and capabilities. (b) They show the training function will help company create a new vision. (c) They are based on the business environment and an understanding of individual goals and resources. (d) They provide the company with a road map to guide short-term goals.

(b) Companies need to support informal learning that occurs through mentoring because tacit knowledge is difficult to acquire in training programs.

Identify an implication of the emphasis on learning for human capital development. (a) Unpredictability in the business environment in which companies operate will cease to be the norm. (b) Companies need to support informal learning that occurs through mentoring because tacit knowledge is difficult to acquire in training programs. (c) Learning has to be supported only with physical and technical resources. (d) There is recognition that to be effective, learning has to be related to overall productivity.

(b) Resistance to change (c) Task redefinition (d) Loss of control (e) Power imbalance

Identify the change-related problems that need to be addressed before implementation of any new training practice. (a) Increase in employee authority (b) Resistance to change (c) Task redefinition (d) Loss of control (e) Power imbalance (f) Formalization of structures

(a) Employees must recognize the reasons for change and agree with those reasons. (b) Organizational structures, such as compensation and performance management systems, must facilitate the change.

Identify the conditions necessary for changes to occur in a company. (a) Employees must recognize the reasons for change and agree with those reasons. (b) Organizational structures, such as compensation and performance management systems, must facilitate the change. (c) Managers must issue communications for employees to buy in to the changes. (d) Employees must not depend on managers and other employees in powerful positions to support change.

(a) Innovation, risk-taking, and exploration by employees are encouraged. (d) Knowledge creation, distribution, sharing, and implementation are practiced.

Identify the key features of a learning organization. (a) Innovation, risk-taking, and exploration by employees are encouraged. (b) Managers restrict the consideration of alternative points of view. (c) Different functional and cultural perspectives are restricted. (d) Knowledge creation, distribution, sharing, and implementation are practiced.

(a) Developing employees and promoting continuous learning (c) Planning and allocating resources

Identify the roles today's managers are expected to perform. (a) Developing employees and promoting continuous learning (b) Focusing exclusively on individual performance (c) Planning and allocating resources (d) Avoiding creation of interdependent teams

Internal Analysis

Identifying the company's strength and weaknesses based on examining the available quantity and quality of financial, physical, and human capital

performing many roles once limited to management

In today's world, employees' work include _____.

Strategic Training and Development Initiatives

Learning-related actions that a company takes to achieve its business strategy

Human Resource Management (HRM) Practices

Management activities relating to investments in staffing, performance management, training, and compensation and benefits

Resistance to Change

Managers' and/or employees' unwillingness to change

(a) Resistance to change - (x) Refers to managers' and employees' unwillingness to change (b) Control - (y) Relates change to managers' and employees' ability to procure and allocate valuable resources (c) Power - (w) Refers to the ability to influence others (d) Task redefinition - (z) Refers to changes in managers' and employees' roles and job profiles

Match the change-related problems that need to be addressed before implementation of any new training practice (a-d) with their descriptions (w-z). (a) Resistance to change (b) Control (c) Power (d) Task redefinition (w) Refers to the ability to influence others (x) Refers to managers' and employees' unwillingness to change (y) Relates change to managers' and employees' ability to procure and allocate valuable resources (z) Refers to changes in managers' and employees' roles and job profiles

(a) Concentration Strategy - (w) Focuses on enhancing market share, limiting costs, or developing and maintaining a market niche for products and services (b) Internal Growth Strategy - (x) Focuses on new market and product development, innovation, and joint ventures (c) External Growth Strategy - (y) Focuses on acquiring vendors and suppliers or buying businesses that facilitate expansion into new markets (d) Disinvestment Strategy - (z) Focuses on liquidation and divestiture of businesses

Match the different business strategies (a-d) with their focuses (w-z). (a) Concentration Strategy (b) Internal Growth Strategy (c) External Growth Strategy (d) Disinvestment Strategy (w) Focuses on enhancing market share, limiting costs, or developing and maintaining a market niche for products and services (x) Focuses on new market and product development, innovation, and joint ventures (y) Focuses on acquiring vendors and suppliers or buying businesses that facilitate expansion into new markets (z) Focuses on liquidation and divestiture of businesses

(a) Diversifying the learning portfolio - (z) Providing more specific and individualized learning opportunities (b) Providing development opportunities and communicating with employees - (x) Ensuring that employees recognize career opportunities and personal growth opportunities (c) Capturing and sharing knowledge - (w) Organizing and storing information logically (d) Aligning training and development with the company's direction - (y) Identifying required knowledge, skills, abilities, or competencies

Match the strategic training and development initiatives (a-d) with their implications (w-z). (a) Diversifying the learning portfolio (b) Providing development opportunities and communicating with employees (c) Capturing and sharing knowledge (d) Aligning training and development with the company's direction (w) Organizing and storing information logically (x) Ensuring that employees recognize career opportunities and personal growth opportunities (y) Identifying required knowledge, skills, abilities, or competencies (z) Providing more specific and individualized learning opportunities

Centralized Training

Organizing the training department so that training and development programs, resources, and professionals are primarily housed in one location and decisions about training investment, programs, and delivery are made from that department

(b) cross training of employees

Pizza Friends, a chain of fast food restaurants, focuses on providing no-frills service and low-budget means to achieve higher customer patronage. Identify the training implications that it will face as a result of the strategy that it follows. (a) diversified training programs for employees (b) cross training of employees (c) outplacement assistance (d) job-search skills training

1. A governing body is created with the responsibility of developing a vision for the university. 2. The vision statement is linked to the business strategy. 3. The company determines how to fund the university. 4. The company decides the degree to which all training will be centralized. 5. The requirements of university customers are identified.

Rank the initial steps involved in creation of a corporate university. (a) A governing body is created with the responsibility of developing a vision for the university. (b) The company determines how to fund the university. (c) The requirements of university customers are identified. (d) The company decides the degree to which all training will be centralized. (e) The vision statement is linked to the business strategy.

Stakeholders

Shareholders, the community, customers, employees, and all other parties that have an interest in seeing that the company succeeds

Power

The ability to influence others

Outsourcing

The acquisition of training and development activities from outside a company

Uniqueness

The extent to which employees are rare and specialized and not highly available in the labor market

uniqueness

The extent to which employees are rare and specialized and not highly available in the labor market is referred to as _____.

Values

The ideas, beliefs, and attitudes for which the company stands for

Human Resource Planning

The identification, analysis, forecasting, and planning of changes needed in a company's human resources area

strategic choice

The last component in developing or changing a business strategy is _____.

Brand

The look and feeling of the training function that is used to create expectations for its customers

Business Process Outsourcing

The outsourcing of any business process, such as human resource management, production, or training

business process outsourcing

The outsourcing of business process, such as human resources management, production, or training, is referred to as _____.

Vision

The picture of the future the company wants to achieve

company goals

The second component in developing or changing a business strategy is the _____, which are what a company hopes to accomplish in the medium to long term.

Strategic Choice

The strategy believed to be the best alternative to achieve the company goals

Strategic Value

The strategy believed to be the best alternative to achieve the company goals

SWOT analysis

The third and fourth components in developing or changing a business strategy, external and internal analysis, together form what is called a(n) _____.

organized by a combination of the business-embedded model and centralized training that often includes a corporate university

There is an increasing trend for the training function, especially in companies that have separate business units, to be _____.

involve managers, employees, and specialized development staff in the training process

To ensure that a company's training program is used well, it should _____.

Business-Embedded (BE) Training

Training that aligns closely with the company's business strategy and that is characterized by five competencies: strategic direction, product design, structural versatility, product delivery, and accountability for results

False

True or False: There are no direct links between training and business strategy and goals.

Goal

What a company hopes to achieve in the medium-to long-term future

attract new employees

When unemployment is low and/or businesses are growing at a high rate and require more employees, companies often find it difficult to _____.

(b) Establishing a clear direction for learning (c) Participating actively in government of learning

Which of the following are the roles of the CEO of a company? (a) Managing individual performance (b) Establishing a clear direction for learning (c) Participating actively in government of learning (d) Restricting formation of interdependent teams

(a) formal organizational arrangement (b) employees (e) task (f) informal organization

Which of the following components of an organization interact in the process of change in the organization? (a) formal organizational arrangement (b) employees (c) outsourced learning facilities (d) stakeholders (e) task (f) informal organization

(b) Demonstrating how a training and development program can solve specific business needs

Which of the following is a successful internal marketing tactic for creating a brand? (a) Avoiding involvement of the target audience in the development stage of the learning effort (b) Demonstrating how a training and development program can solve specific business needs (c) Restricting dependence on feedback from clients, managers, and employees (d) Using technical jargon that enhances brand appeal

Human Resource Management

_____ (HRM) practices include management activities dealing with investments (time, effort, and money) in staffing (deciding how many employees are required, and recruiting and selecting employees), performance management, training, and compensation and benefits.

Internal marketing

_____ involves generating employees' and managers' interest about training and learning.

Human recourse planning

_____ involves the identification, analysis, forecasting, and planning of changes required in the human resource area to ensure that a company meets changing business conditions.