MGMT 4153 Exam 1

Which of the following is true of centralized training? a. A centralized training function helps drive stronger alignment with business strategy. b. Training and development programs, resources, and professionals are housed in a number of different locations. c. A centralized training function hinders the development of a common set of metrics or scorecards. d. A centralized training function is largely ineffective during times of change.

A. A centralized training function helps drive stronger alignment with business strategy.

Which of the following is not an example of human capital? a. Corporate culture b. Education c. Tacit Knowledge d. Work-related competence

A. Corporate culture

_____ capital refers to the sum of the attributes, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, energy, and enthusiasm that the company's employees invest in their work. a. Intellectual b. Human c. Talent d. Social

B. Human

Which of the following steps of the training design process involves person and task analysis? a. Ensuring transfer of training b. Developing an evaluation plan c. Conducting needs assessment d. Monitoring and evaluating the program

C. Conducting needs assessment

_____ involves examining a company's operating environment to identify opportunities and threats. a. Internal analysis b. Gap analysis c. External analysis d. Pareto analysis

C. External analysis

Which of the following is not one of the major business strategies discussed in the text? a. Internal growth b. External growth c. Divestment d. Product differentiation

D. Product differentiation

A core value of _____ is the prevention of the occurrence of errors in a product or service rather than detection and correction. a. ISD b. ADDIE c. HRM d. TQM

D. TQM

Which of the following statements is true of Millennials? a. They are also known as Generation X or Baby Boomers. b. They grew up during a time when the divorce rate doubled. c. They are often considered to be workaholics and rigid in conforming to rules. d. They are believed to have high levels of self-esteem, sometimes the point of narcissism.

D. They are believed to have high levels of self-esteem, sometimes the point of narcissism.

T/F A centralized training function not only hampers the streamlining of processes but also denies the company a cost advantage in purchasing training from vendors.

False

T/F A type of organization that embraces a culture of lifelong learning, enabling all employees to continually acquire and share knowledge is known as a "talent organization."

False

T/F ATD stands for the Association for Training and Development.

False

T/F Business process reengineering refers to the outsourcing of any business process, such as HRM, production, or training.

False

T/F Companies pursuing an external growth strategy typically focus on human capital issues to enhance efficiency.

False

T/F Companies should generally avoid involving unions in retraining and productivity-improvement efforts.

False

T/F Compared to ten years ago, organizations are less focused now on creating a learning and training brand.

False

T/F Direct training expenditures, as a percentage of payroll and learning hours, have declined over the last several years.

False

T/F Due to globalization, the supply for talented employees now exceeds the demand.

False

T/F Employee engagement refers to training employees in a wide range of skills so they can fill any role in a team context

False

T/F Explicit knowledge is thought to have a stronger impact on helping organizations achieve a competitive advantage than tactic knowledge.

False

T/F From a strategic perspective, "diversify the learning portfolio" refers to providing strategic diversity training to enhance a company's competitive advantage.

False

T/F In small companies, training is typically outsourced to outside vendors.

False

T/F Informal learning cannot be used to develop explicit knowledge

False

T/F Internal analysis involves identifying opportunities and threats.

False

T/F Line managers spend less time managing individual performance and developing employees than midlevel managers or executives do.

False

T/F Organizational development professionals in a company typically focus on identifying the top talent in the company.

False

T/F Quality circles refer to teams that are separated by time, geographic distance, culture, and/or organizational boundaries and that rely almost exclusively on technology to interact and complete their projects.

False

T/F Skill-based pay systems base employees' pay on what skills they are using for their current jobs rather than the number of skills they are competent in.

False

T/F Tacit knowledge developed through experience and shared through interactions between employees is easy to imitate.

False

T/F Tacit knowledge tends to be the primary focus of formal training and employee development.

False

T/F Talent management professionals typically focus on training as well as team building, conflict management, employment development, and change management.

False

T/F The first step in the strategic training and development process is to identify metrics to determine if training will be successful.

False

T/F The use of technology-based learning delivery remained stable from 2010 to 2012.

False

T/F Training differs from development in that training tends to be more future-focused

False

T/F Training for contract employees would focus on sharing expertise and team training.

False

T/F Uniqueness refers to employee potential to improve company effectiveness and efficiency.

False

T/F According to the ATD competency model, foundational competencies are used to a different extent in each role or specialization.

True

T/F Companies cannot gain a competitive advantage solely through their training practices

True

T/F Companies that adopt state-of-the-art HRM practices realize higher levels of performance than firms that do not.

True

T/F Emphasis on the creation of intellectual capital and the movement toward high-performance work systems using teams has resulted in employees performing many roles once reserved for management.

True

T/F For companies in an unstable or recessionary business environment, training programs focus more on correcting skill deficiencies rather than preparing staff for new assignments.

True

T/F In highly integrated businesses, training is likely to include rotating employees between jobs in different businesses.

True

T/F In learning organizations, there is an understanding that failure provides important information.

True

T/F Job-based employees are likely to receive less training than knowledge-based employees.

True

T/F Learning organizations emphasize that learning occurs not only at the individual employee level but also at the group and organizational levels.

True

T/F Outsourcing allows a company to focus better on its business strategy by saving cost and time.

True

T/F Social networking facilitates decentralized decision making

True

T/F Strategic training and development initiatives vary by company depending on a company's industry, goals, resources, and capabilities.

True

T/F The CEO of a company is responsible for setting a clear direction for learning.

True

T/F The least amount of learning content in companies concerns the development of basic skills.

True

T/F There is no one universally accepted instructional systems development model

True

T/F Treating employees differently based on their age, such as only inviting younger employees to attend training, can result in adverse legal consequences.

True

T/F When training is provided by consulting firms and government organizations, it is said to be outsourced.

True

Which of the following is true of the business-embedded (BE) learning function? a. The BE function is customer-focused. b. A BE training function views trainees as marketers. c. A BE training function does not guarantee that training will improve performance. d. Training functions organized by the BE model do not involve line managers.

A. The BE function is customer-focused.

Which of the following positions is characterized by high value and low uniqueness? a. Lab technician b. Scientist c. Secretarial staff d. Legal adviser

A. Lab technician

______ is an example of tacit knowledge. a. Personal knowledge based on experience b. Knowledge of formal processes c. Knowledge of definitions d. Knowledge of formulas

A. Personal knowledge based on experience

_____ involves highly trained employees known as Champions, Master Black Belts, Black Belts, and Green Belts. a. Six Sigma b. Lean manufacturing c. Instructional Systems Design d. TQM

A. Six Sigma

Which of the following statements is not true of knowledge workers? a. They generally have limited employment opportunities in other companies because their knowledge and expertise tends to be firm specific b. They are common in organizations that value intangible assets c. They typically do not perform manual labor d. They share knowledge and collaborate with others

A. They generally have limited employment opportunities in other companies because their knowledge and expertise tends to be firm specific

A SWOT analysis is typically conducted in the _____ step of the strategic training and development process. a. business strategy formulation and identification b. strategic training and development initiatives c. training and development activities d. measures or metrics identification

A. business strategy formulation and identification

In the ATD competency model, a _____ plans, obtains, and monitors the effective delivery of learning and performance solutions to support the business. a. project manager b. learning strategist c. business partner d. knowledge worker

A. project manager

_____ relates to managers' and employees' ability to obtain and distribute valuable resources such as data, information, or money. a. Power b. Control c. Vision d. Outsourcing

B. Control

Which of the following is not one of the major reasons organizations outsource training? a. Potential cost savings b. Desire for greater control c. Time savings d. Desire to access best practices

B. Desire for greater control

Which of the following statements is true of human capital? a. Human capital is an organization's tangible asset. b. Motivation to deliver high-quality products and services is a part of human capital. c. It is easy to imitate or purchase an organization's human capital. d. Human capital is standardized in companies.

B. Motivation to deliver high-quality products and services is a part of human capital.

_____ refers to the company's decisions regarding where to find employees, how to select them, and the desired mix of employee skills and statuses. a. Concentration strategy b. Staffing strategy c. External growth strategy d. Disinvestment strategy

B. Staffing strategy

Which of the following statements is true of the Instructional System Design (ISD) model? a. The model is generally universally accepted. b. The model specifies an orderly, step-by-step approach to training design. c. The model eliminates the need for trainers to use their own judgment. d. The model has no underlying assumptions.

B. The model specifies an orderly, step-by-step approach to training design.

______ refer to teams that are separated by time, geographic distance, culture, or organizational boundaries and that rely almost exclusively on technology to interact and complete their projects. a. Quality circles b. Virtual teams c. Six Sigma teams d. Ad hoc teams

B. Virtual teams

Companies adopting a _____ strategy need to train employees in job-search skills and to focus on cross-training their remaining employees. a. concentration b. disinvestment c. external growth d. internal growth

B. disinvestment

The ADDIE model is most closely associated with: a. creating a learning organization b. formal training and development c. Informal learning d. Knowledge management

B. formal training and development

In _____ financial and other resources are not available for development, so companies tend to rely on hiring talent from the external labor market. a. clubs b. fortresses c. baseball teams d. academies

B. fortresses

Job-based employees are characterized by _____. a. high value and high uniqueness b. high value and low uniqueness c. low value and low uniqueness d. low value and high uniqueness

B. high value and low uniqueness

The strategic training and development process begins with _____. a. choosing strategic training and development initiatives b. identifying the business strategy c. developing websites for knowledge sharing d. identifying measures or metrics

B. identifying the business strategy

Which of the following is true about a learning organization? a. A learning organization discourages learning at the group and organizational levels. b. A learning organization restricts employees from experimenting with products and services. c. In a learning organization, employees learn from failure and from successes. d. In a learning organization, employees are discouraged from asking questions and admitting mistakes.

C. In a learning organization, employees learn from failure and from successes.

_____ 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. a. Balanced scorecard b. Vision c. Mission d. Code of conduct

C. Mission

_____ refers to the process of moving jobs from the U.S. to other locations in the world. a. Expatriation b. Job rotation c. Offshoring d. Insourcing

C. Offshoring

Which of the following is not one of the four major components of the balanced scorecard? a. Customers b. Internal business processes c. Sustainability d. Financial

C. Sustainability

_____ refers to a systematic approach for developing training programs. a. Total quality management b. Continuous learning c. The training design process d. Orientation training program

C. The training design process

_____ is a companywide effort to continuously improve the ways people, machines, and systems accomplish work. a. Stakeholder management b. Diversity management c. Total quality management d. Talent management

C. Total quality management

The final step of the strategic training and development process involves _____. a. choosing strategic training and development initiatives b. identifying the business strategy c. identifying measures or metrics d. creating concrete training and development activities

C. identifying measures or metrics

Development of an organizational culture that values creative thinking and analysis is characteristic of a company adopting a(n) _____ strategy. a. concentration b. disinvestment c. internal growth d. external growth

C. internal growth

Justin Mason, a product manager working in a manufacturing firm, is highly anxious about change. When the top management of Mason's firm made it mandatory for all product managers to undergo skills training, he told his superior that he would be uncomfortable with the process. He added that he was certain of not being able to cope with the new developments. In this instance, Justin is demonstrating _____. a. indifference to change b. uniqueness c. resistance to change d. loss of control

C. resistance to change

The ATD competency model _____. a. is designed to help sales associates make more personal connections with shoppers b. describes companywide effort to continuously improve the ways people and systems accomplish work c. specifies what it takes for an individual to be successful in the training field d. is a framework to analyze competition in an industry to formulate a training strategy

C. specifies what it takes for an individual to be successful in the training field

Uniqueness refers to _____. a. employee potential to improve company effectiveness and efficiency b. the extent to which training and learning is centralized in an organization c. the extent to which employees are rare, specialized, and not highly available in the labor market d. the picture of the future an organization wants to achieve

C. the extent to which employees are rare, specialized, and not highly available in the labor market

Which of the following is true with regard to SWOT analysis? a. In a SWOT analysis, external analysis attempts to identify the company's strengths and weaknesses. b. A SWOT analysis represents the strategy believed to be the best alternative to achieve the company goals. c. A SWOT analysis is typically conducted in the strategic training and development initiatives step of the strategic training and development process. d. A SWOT analysis provides a company the information needed to generate several alternative business strategies and make a strategic choice.

D. A SWOT analysis provides a company the information needed to generate several alternative business strategies and make a strategic choice.

Which of the following is not included in the ADDIE model? a. Analysis b. Design and Development c. Implementation d. Engagement

D. Engagement

Which of the following statements is true? a. The reporting relationship between human resource management and the training function is standard across companies. b. Including training as part of the human resource function allows the training function to be decentralized to better respond to unique needs in different business units. c. Organizational development professionals are seldom responsible for training. d. For training and development to succeed, employees, managers, training professionals, and top managers all have to take ownership.

D. For training and development to succeed, employees, managers, training professionals, and top managers all have to take ownership.

Which of the following is not one of the major "change-related" problems that need to be addressed before the implementation of new training practices? a. Resistance to change b. Loss of control c. Power imbalance d. Training-business strategy incongruence

D. Training-business strategy incongruence

Which of the following is an example of human capital? a. Corporate culture b. Patent c. Customer loyalty d. Work-related competence

D. Work-related competence

The _____ considers four different perspectives: customer, internal, innovation and learning, and financial. a. SWOT analysis b. value chain analysis c. BCG matrix d. balanced scorecard

D. balanced scorecard

Companies that emphasize innovation and creativity are labeled as _____. a. clubs b. academies c. fortresses d. baseball teams

D. baseball teams

Training activities are said to be outsourced when they are provided by _____. a. in-house consultants b. company managers c. company trainers d. individuals outside the company

D. individuals outside the company

A(n) _____ strategy focuses on new market and product development, innovation, and joint ventures. a. disinvestment b. privatization c. external growth d. internal growth

D. internal growth

Which of the following is true of tacit knowledge? a. It is easily codified and transferred from person-to-person. b. Formulas and definitions are examples of tacit knowledge. c. It is best acquired through formal training and development. d. It is best acquired through informal learning.

D. it is best acquired through informal learning.

Informal learning _____. a. is developed and organized by a company b. is not required for the development of human capital c. cannot be controlled by the employees d. leads to the effective development of tacit knowledge

D. leads to the effective development of tacit knowledge

Business-level outcomes chosen to measure the overall value of training or learning initiatives are referred to as _____. a. values b. goals c. business strategies d. metrics

D. metrics

The fifth step in the training design process is to develop an evaluation plan that involves identifying _____. a. an appropriate training method b. the requirements for training c. employees with motivation and basic skills d. the types of outcomes training is expected to influence

D. the types of outcomes training is expected to influence

According to the ATD competency model, a business partner _____. a. determines how workplace learning can be best used to help meet the company's business strategy b. plans and monitors the effective delivery of learning and performance solutions to support the business c. designs, delivers, and evaluates learning and performance solutions d. uses industry knowledge to create training that improves performance

D. uses industry knowledge to create training that improves performance