Learning and Development

Although the founder of an organization is very competent, she has alienated nearly everyone in the organization. Colleagues have tried to share their concerns; however, she does not believe there to be an issue. Rather she believes she merely has a direct approach. Which assessment tool is best suited to display how her directness is impacting others?

360-degree assessments Rationale: 360-degree assessments gather and report feedback from managers, peers, and subordinates for a complete picture of skills and weaknesses for leader development. If there is consensus among the findings, the founder may be forced to face facts. Situation judgment tests, assessment centers, and emotional intelligence tools won't be helpful in convincing the CEO that she needs to change.

Which best demonstrates job enlargement?

A bank teller handles deposits and disbursements and also sells certificates of deposit. Rationale: In job enlargement, an employee is given additional tasks within the same job. Adding more tasks that require the same skill level gives variety to the job.

Leadership

Ability to influence, guide, inspire, or motivate a group or person to achieve their goals.

Organizational learning

Acquisition and/or transfer of knowledge within an organization through activities or processes that may occur at several organizational levels; ability of an organization to learn from its mistakes and adjust its strategy accordingly.

Career planning

Actions and activities that individuals perform in order to give direction to their work lives.

Developmental activities

Activities that focus on preparing employees for future responsibilities while increasing their capacity to perform their current jobs.

Which best describes how adult learners differ from younger learners?

Adults refer to past experiences and want opportunities to share them. Rationale: Adult learners are experience-based and have a wide variety of experiences to share. However, as a result, they may have formed habits and assumptions that make them less open to new ideas. While self-satisfaction is important, so are external rewards. Adult learners want to know how they are progressing and want feedback.

Gaps between actual and desired performance are best identified in which phase of the ADDIE process?

Analysis Rationale: Training gaps are best identified during the assessment phase of training. The design and development of the training program and evaluation tools are based on the performance gap analysis.

Situation judgment tests (SJTs)

Assessment tools that present prospective leaders with sample situations and problems they might encounter in a work environment.

Assessment centers

Assessment tools that provide candidates a wide range of leadership situations and problem-solving exercises.

Dual career ladders

Career development programs that identify meaningful career paths for professional and technical people outside traditional management roles.

How do career planning and career management differ?

Career planning identifies personal abilities, while career management focuses on organizational staffing needs. Rationale: Career planning identifies personal abilities and interests and focuses on the individual. Career management focuses on organizational staffing needs and focuses on the entire organization. The length of time or the type of position one has with the company is not relevant to either career planning or career management.

Which factor has the greatest impact on maintaining peak performance?

Challenging assignments Rationale: Research has shown that high-potential employees perform at their peak in new assignments within two years and performance declines if they are not given new and more-challenging assignments.

A manager approves a training course on the condition that it includes some way of ensuring that the training reinforces critical learning objectives. Which strategy should an HR manager employ to best meet the manager's needs?

Conducting a pilot program for a limited group Rationale: A pilot allows for a test run of the program with selected members of the target audience in a controlled environment. Participants and other key stakeholders have the opportunity to evaluate the program's effectiveness and identify specific changes that will strengthen the program. After the pilot, the program is revised and released for mass delivery.

According to the "pull" model, which approach should be used to develop an outside sales force's knowledge, skills, and abilities in relationship management in order to increase sales revenue in the shortest amount of time?

Design a series of webcasts that review the latest techniques in relationship building. Rationale: Webcasts are easily accessible and are part of a continuous process of learning and development. Attending a sales conference and measuring to see whether it increased sales revenue would be a lengthy process. Performance review systems have nothing to do with training, and mandatory on-site workshops are not cost-effective.

An HR team member was recently promoted to a team leader position. He is anxious about making the transition. What should the employee focus on in this new role?

Developing and coaching team members Rationale: An effective leader accomplishes strategic goals and objectives through the work of the leader's team. The leader and the team benefit most when the leader focuses on coaching and developing team members: The leader benefits from a team that is more productive and competent, and team members improve their job skills. Effective leaders do not rely on personal likeability or power, and they strive to understand and resolve conflict, not avoid it.

Which best describes the type of activities aimed at preparing for long-term, future job responsibilities as well as increasing skills for performing the current job?

Developmental Rationale: Developmental activities have a long-term focus on preparing for future responsibilities while increasing the capacities of employees to perform their current jobs. These activities are broader in scope than training activities.

Individual development plan (IDP)

Document that guides employees toward their goals for professional development and growth.

Which program gives technical workers the ability to earn as much as they would in a management position?

Dual career ladder Rationale: A dual career ladder allows technical employees to earn as much as they would in a management position.

Transfer of learning

Effective and continuing on-the-job application of the knowledge and skills gained through a training experience.

E-learning

Electronic media delivery of educational and training materials, processes, and programs.

In addition to improving knowledge and skills and building social capital, what are global employee development programs aimed at achieving?

Enhancing global understanding, awareness, and mindset Rationale: A goal of global employee development programs is to help instill global understanding, awareness, and mindset. Without these perspectives, it will be much more challenging to be successful in global environments.

Which term best describes a job design strategy that increases the variety of responsibilities but requires the same skill level?

Enlargement Rationale: Job enlargement attempts to alleviate the boredom and low morale associated with excessive job simplification. It increases the number of tasks to be performed, expanding the scope of the job and allowing for more variety, but all of the tasks require the same skill level. Job enrichment, which is sometimes confused with job enlargement, increases the depth of a job by adding increased responsibility for planning, organizing, controlling, and evaluation. It may improve morale but may not necessarily improve productivity. Job simplification and specialization generally reduce the number of tasks required of an employee.

It is estimated that one-third of Fortune 500 CEOs have remained in their positions fewer than three years. Which does this indicate about executive development?

Executives have the knowledge and intellect to succeed but lack the people skills to build teams or maintain productive relationships. Rationale: Several studies demonstrate that leaders may have the knowledge and intellect to succeed but fail because they lack the necessary people skills. This impairs their ability to learn from mistakes and readily adapt to change.

Coaching

Focused, interactive communication and guidance intended to develop and enhance on-the-job performance, knowledge, or behavior.

Webinar

Form of webconferencing where a presenter facilitates communication of material or information to an audience in real time.

HR is interviewing candidates who will have to think on their feet and keep calm in high-pressure, high-stakes, and emotionally charged situations. Which leadership development method is best suited to develop this skill?

Hardship testing Rationale: Hardship testing involves stretch assignments that support the development of leaders. Experiencing failures, difficulties, and periods with little or no support help the individual develop competence and resilience.

Factory workers from the assembly department are assigned to the shipping department every other week. Which type of career development program are these workers participating in?

Job rotation Rationale: Job rotation is the movement between different jobs that require similar skill sets. These programs eliminate boredom on the part of employees as they participate in different jobs that build a wider range of skills and experiences.

How might an HR professional design a learning activity to best meet the needs of a kinesthetic learner?

Incorporating an interactive group presentation Rationale: A kinesthetic learner is a hands-on learner. This type of learner learns best by doing rather than watching or listening. Putting together a presentation allows the learner to play an active role in the learning.

ADDIE model

Instructional systems design framework consisting of five steps that guide the design and development of learning programs.

What type of organization embraces change, tolerates risk, and views failures as an opportunity to learn?

Learning organization Rationale: A learning organization understands that change, risk, and failure are all key parts of organizational learning. A learning organization provides the environment for organizational learning.

Pilot programs

Learning/development programs offered initially in a controlled environment with a segment of the target audience.

In Kirkpatrick's evaluation approach, what level measures changes in productivity after training?

Level 4: Results Rationale: A Level 4 evaluation assesses training in terms of business results such as customer satisfaction or productivity ratings.

A hospital director wants to identify the best candidate for head nurse among currently employed nurses. Which type of assessment would be most effective in evaluating candidates?

Manager assessment Rationale: Manager assessments would best identify future potential. The other three answer choices may provide helpful information but would not fully evaluate a nurse's current performance against the future job.

An organization is experiencing low morale and decreased performance due to recent budget cuts and staff shortages. Which offering should HR recommend to most notably boost morale and performance among employees?

More communication and feedback Rationale: The organization may not have the resources to provide rewards or work tools or the ability to allow flexible schedules. However, without additional investment, leaders can motivate employees by communicating more, increasing transparency, and providing feedback that will help individual employees develop their skills.

Job rotation

Movement between different jobs.

In the past, a customer service training program received low participant satisfaction scores. What recommendation should HR propose in order to enhance the effectiveness of the program?

Obtain feedback from members of the target audience. Rationale: To overcome resistance to training, it is helpful to involve members of the target audience to determine the content that is needed and how it should be delivered.

Learning organization

Organization characterized by a capability to adapt to changes in environment.

Which best describes the process where training or educational activities occur at multiple levels?

Organizational learning Rationale: Organizational learning occurs at individual, group, and organizational levels. A learning organization learns to react and adapt to its environment.

Which is the most important reason for training professionals to understand their own learning style?

People tend to teach the way they prefer to learn. Rationale: Training professionals need to understand their own learning styles, because they tend to teach others with the method by which they prefer to learn. Being aware of that makes them more cognizant of the need to develop activities that cater to a variety of learning styles.

Auditory learners

People who learn best by relying on their sense of hearing.

Visual learners

People who learn best by relying on their sense of sight.

Kinesthetic learners

People who learn best through a hands-on approach; also called tactile learners.

Blended learning

Planned approach to learning that includes a combination of instructor-led training, self-directed study, and/or on-the-job training.

Career management

Preparing, implementing, and monitoring employees' career paths, with a primary focus on the goals and needs of the organization.

Training

Process by which employees are provided with the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) specific to a task or job.

Job enlargement

Process of broadening a job's scope by adding different tasks to the job.

Distance learning

Process of delivering educational or instructional programs to locations away from a classroom or site.

Job enrichment

Process of increasing a job's depth by adding responsibilities to the job.

Career development

Progression through a series of employment stages characterized by relatively unique issues, themes, and tasks.

An HR manager wants to make the organization's learning opportunities more accessible and convenient for employees. What type of framework would meet these goals?

Pull model Rationale: The pull model for learning allows employees to access learning materials when and where they need it—for example, while traveling or through mobile devices. The push model provides learning on a schedule, as seen in classroom training and "one-off" training events, such as training on compliance requirements. Synchronous and asynchronous learning refers to delivery approaches, whether learners interact in real time (synchronous) or at different times (asynchronous). Push and pull models could use both approaches.

Apprenticeship

Related to technical skills training; often a partnership between employers and unions.

Mentoring

Relationship in which one person helps guide another's development.

Which factor differentiates successful training programs from unsuccessful programs?

Results showing transfer of learning Rationale: The best training programs ensure that knowledge and skills learned in the classroom will be used in the work environment. Regardless of the type of training program, transfer of learning should occur.

Learning management system (LMS)

System that holds course content information and has the capability of tracking and managing employee course registrations, career development, and other employee development activities.

Which term is best described as traditionally higher-level leadership responsibilities being transferred to leaders at lower levels?

Task migration Rationale: Task migration occurs when traditionally higher-level leadership responsibilities are transferred to leaders at lower levels. This is partly a function of the trend toward flatter organizations, but it is also due to the greater frequency and complexities of challenges. What was typically handled by senior leaders in the past has been handed down to junior leaders so the former can focus on even more complex issues.

Which factor is most important to consider when an organization is seeking to globalize its leadership development program?

The culture in each country as it affects how leaders emerge Rationale: The culture of each country impacts the adoption of the program. Examining the organization's internal culture is not enough; it is important to also consider global leadership concepts. Leadership development programs should be accessible to all, not just those who have the potential to assume leadership roles. Executive buy-in at each location is incorrect because changes may have to be made to accommodate local norms.

Which is a trend in career development that an HR team leader must consider before engaging in career planning with team members?

The employee is expected to assume greater individual responsibility for career development. Rationale: Greater individual responsibility is a career development trend that requires both the employer and the employee to collaborate. Career paths today may involve nontraditional paths and jobs outside an employee's original work area. Employees are being asked to assume more responsibility more quickly, especially in emerging markets.

Many employees in the manufacturing department will be retiring in the next six months. The department supervisor asks the HR manager to identify ways to capture the employees' knowledge. In order to address this request, what should the HR manager identify first?

The knowledge that will be lost when the employees retire Rationale: The HR director needs to know what knowledge will be lost before it can be captured.

Which is a primary purpose of conducting a training and development needs assessment?

To align organizational effectiveness and development initiatives and corporate goals Rationale: The job of training and development is to support company goals. Therefore, a needs assessment allows organizational effectiveness and development leaders to develop training that advances the organization's goals.

What is the primary purpose of the analysis step of the ADDIE process?

To identify gaps between actual and desired performance Rationale: The analysis phase of the process focuses on identifying the organization's developmental needs. Data is collected to identify gaps between actual and desired performance.

Leader development

Training and professional development programs targeted at assisting management- and executive-level employees in developing the skills, abilities, and flexibility required to deal with a variety of situations.

On-the-job training (OJT)

Training provided to employees at the work site utilizing demonstration and performance of job tasks.

Webconferencing

Using the Internet to conduct meetings and give presentations to an audience who has joined the meeting remotely.