HRM chapter 7 and 8

Which statement is true about an assessment center?

At an assessment center, multiple raters or evaluators evaluate employees' performance on a number of exercises.

Paula, a human resource executive, is setting up a mentoring program at her company. Which action will best help the program succeed?

making sure the performance management system rewards managers for employee development

__ helps employees select development activities that prepare them to meet their career goals.

Career management

Which statement is TRUE regarding case studies?

Cases encourage trainees by giving them practice in weighing and acting on uncertain outcomes after evaluating a case.

The human resource department of a consumer electronics manufacturer wants to set up a learning management system for its global sales force. This way, sales personnel can get training in new models and product lines even while on the road, and managers can ensure their employees are keeping up to date. The HR manager looks into "training systems" and identifies five top results. Which system describes a learning management system?

Crimson: a system that automates the process of administering and delivering training

David was part of a formal mentoring program and was mentored by Angela. The mentoring sessions were conducted over a period of six weeks to improve David's communication and interpersonal skills in the workplace. The sessions, however, were unsuccessful. Which scenario, if true, would most likely have caused the failure of the mentoring sessions?

David's participation was involuntary, and he had little understanding of the details of the program.

Which statement best expresses the reason why orientation programs for new employees are valuable to employers?

Employees starting a new job need to become familiar with job tasks and learn the organization's policies and procedures.

What is a potential problem of job rotation?

Employees typically develop a short-term perspective on their problems and solutions.

____ refers to a process of systematically developing training to meet specified needs.

Instructional design

___ is a training method that coordinates the performance of individuals who work together to achieve a common goal.

Team training

Acting as a mentor gives managers

a chance to develop their interpersonal skills.

Identify the statement that accurately describes an avatar.

a computer depiction of employees that can be manipulated in an online role-play

The glass ceiling is likely caused by

a lack of access to developmental relationships.

Bruce heads a waste management firm. Recently, his firm was under scrutiny from environmental organizations. To counter any possible negative claims by these organizations against his company, Bruce assigned five of his junior managers to study the issue and propose plans or initiatives that could make the company appear more environmentally friendly. He also instructed senior managers to mentor their subordinates as they devised new ideas. Which of the following form of team training was applied by Bruce?

action learning

A peer or manager who works closely with employees to motivate them, help them develop their skills, and provide reinforcement and feedback is known as a

coach.

Matt is a successful senior employee at Tech Nation. He has five years of experience in the company and is well recognized for his contributions. The vice president of human resources tells Matt about Taylor, an employee Tech Nation hired for her keen intelligence. According to the vice president, Taylor is struggling to make an impact because she does not speak up assertively or understand who to talk to when she has questions. The vice president asks Matt to serve as a mentor to Taylor. What would this role involve doing?

developing Taylor through coaching, sponsorship, and challenging assignments

Which of the following is a computer-based technology that provides an interactive, three-dimensional learning experience?

virtual reality

The four general approaches that companies use for employee development include

formal education, assessment, job experiences, and interpersonal relationships.

Gabby, an employee at Lewis Inc., finds it difficult to attain a promotion even after working for seven years at the firm. She believes that she is not being promoted because she is a woman. In this scenario, Gabby's progress in the organization is restricted by a

glass ceiling.

The energy dichotomy of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator indicates

individuals' degree of introversion or extroversion.

Which category in the DiSC inventory means that a person emphasizes relationships and also displays optimism?

influence

Identify the on-the-job training program that is typically funded by an educational institution as a component of an academic program.

internship

Par On, a firm that creates games for mobile devices and PCs, has an unusual training program for all its new employees. The program lasts for five days and does not involve doing any work. During this period the trainees, in teams of three, visit different departments, gathering information about the company and various department functions. Additionally, they are paired with more experienced employees to discuss their goals at the company and to learn more about the organization's culture and policies. The form of training used for new employees at Par On is known as

onboarding.

Faller and Whitney Company, a firm that builds enterprise resource planning products for customers, wants to implement training programs for its employees as an HR initiative. Senior management proposes the use of an instructional design process. What should ideally be Faller and Whitney's next step?

organization analysis

A(n) _____ involves moving an employee into a position with greater challenges, more responsibility, and more authority than in the previous job.

promotion

Which of the following consists of an organization's planned effort to help employees acquire job-related knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors?

training

In the context of planning a training program, even though it is time-consuming, putting together a _____ is worthwhile because it helps an organization clarify training objectives, compare vendors, and measure results.

request for proposal

Phillip is a senior journalist at a news agency. He goes on a temporary leave for six months and travels around different parts of South Asia during his leave. He records his travel experiences in a book and shares it with his colleagues upon his return. During his leave, he was also being paid by the organization. This is an example of a(n)

sabbatical.

Kapcom Telecom wants to implement an on-the-job training program for the sales staff who are unaware of the technical aspects of the firm's products. The lack of technical knowledge among its sales staff is harming the company's prospects of securing lucrative contracts. Although Kapcom's IT team is well versed in various technologies, it is not well suited to handle a training program. However, the best IT trainers in the industry cost more than Kapcom can afford to spend on the training program. This scenario illustrates

situational constraints.

Why might an organization demote an employee to a lower-level position?

so that the employee can learn different skills

Opec Technology, a firm that manufactures mobile phones, has seen a major improvement in cost reduction since it instituted a three-week training program for all of its new recruits. During the training program, the new employees are constantly encouraged to express their thoughts and ideas. Good ideas are rewarded immediately by the trainers, thereby encouraging active participation. Which factor most likely explains the success of the training?

social support

Which process identifies the knowledge, skills, and behaviors that should be emphasized by training?

task analysis

Which of the following best describes needs assessment?

the process of evaluating the organization, individual employees, and employees' tasks to determine what kinds of training are necessary

What is the organization's responsibility in the goal-setting stage of the career management process?

to ensure that the goal is specific, challenging, and attainable

Jacob, the vice president of Money-Makers, is reviewing the development program for the company's middle managers. He notes that management development includes psychological profiles and mentors, as well as lateral moves to positions that give managers a broader view of the company. Jacob would like to add a component of formal education. Which option could be included in this new component?

workshops involving business games and simulations

What is true of job enlargement?

It involves adding challenges or new responsibilities to employees' current jobs.

Which of the following is an example of an experiential training method?

John and his colleagues take part in a rafting course sponsored by their company.

What is true of formal education as an approach to employee development?

Organizations organize formal educational programs at the workplace or off-site to support employee development.

___ is the process of identifying and tracking high-potential employees who will be able to fill top management positions when they become vacant.

Succession planning

Infinity Inc. uses simulators to train its cable installers. Several employees who completed the simulation training did not pass the test in which they were supposed to demonstrate the necessary skills. The training manager investigated and identified the source of the problem. Which of the following would be the most likely source?

The simulation contained elements unlike those found in Infinity's work environment.

The employees at Foster Center acknowledge that their supervisor is excellent at his work and that he has received many accolades during his 40-year career. However, they claim he is a dysfunctional manager. When confronted, the supervisor argues that his work should speak for itself and the employees' opinions of his behavior are irrelevant. Which statement, if true, would support the employees' claim?

The supervisor often discourages employees from challenging tasks, saying that they are incapable of accomplishing them.

Which statement is true of simulators used in training?

They must have elements identical to those found in the work environment.

What is true of in-basket exercises?

They simulate the administrative tasks of a manager's job, using a pile of documents for the employee to handle.

The HR department at Tremont Communications oversees the recruitment and training of employees at the firm. As the firm grows and recruits more employees, overseeing individual training programs has become too much for the HR staff to handle. Which application should the HR department use to help with employee training?

a learning management system

Identify a guideline that helps increase the readability of training materials.

add checklists and illustrations to clarify the text

The difference between adventure learning and cross-training is that

adventure learning helps team members understand themselves and each other, while cross-training helps team members learn each other's job roles.

Hetrick, a firm that specializes in building construction, hires Mark, an unemployed teenager, to work in its carpentry division. Since Mark does not have the required skills to work as a carpenter, he is provided training that helps him pick up carpentry skills on the job. Mark learns by assisting other master carpenters and journeymen. In addition to the skills Mark acquires, he is paid by Hetrick. The form of training exemplified in this scenario is called

apprenticeship.

All Natural Grocer hired Tim to maintain inventory records and Jenny to place orders for new inventory when stocks run low. To ensure that the warehouse can continue to function when either is on vacation, the company also trained Tim to place orders and trained Jenny to maintain inventory records. Which training method does this situation illustrate?

cross-training

Antonio, a manager at the Colonial Inn, is training a new group of employees. After each training session, the employees complete various exercises to test their knowledge. After evaluating the results, Antonio speaks one-on-one with the employees to help them define their areas of weakness and encourage them to keep fine-tuning their strengths. In this scenario, Antonio is providing his employees with

feedback.

Which assessment center exercise is being used when a team of five to seven employees is assigned a problem and must work together to solve it within a certain time period?

leaderless group discussion