Q&A Hero

Q: Company ABC has been experiencing high levels of turnover with employees who have been on the job for less than 9 months. Exit interviews indicated that employees are frustrated and confused. What type of training should the company consider to decrease turnover? A) Cross-cultural training B) Managerial training C) Intergenerational training D) Baby-boomer training E) Employee orientation

Q: (p. 274) Which of the following is a component of a basic career management system? A. Stress management B. Goal setting C. Externship D. Team building E. Workplace ethics

Q: You have been assigned to develop a training program for newly hired first-line sales managers to cover such topics as company policies and procedures, handling customer complaints, and motivating sales personnel. Which of the following is not recommended? A) Create a training environment that allows for maximum learning. B) Provide trainees with feedback during the training. C) Prepare the learning objectives and choose training methodology before assessment to eliminate bias. D) Consider on-the-job training if there are experienced managers to assist. E) Use role playing and behavior modeling to help them learn how to deal with customer complaints and motivate others.

Q: (p. 273) A peer or manager who works closely with an employee to motivate him/her, help him/her develop skills, and provide reinforcement and feedback is known as a: A. protg. B. coach. C. moderator. D. high-potential employee. E. facilitator.

Q: When training for international assignments, __________ are recommended to provide a more in-depth view of the host country's customs, values, and behaviors. A) informational approaches B) use of CITs C) field experiences D) cultural assimilators E) TV films

Q: (p. 272) Acting as a mentor gives managers: A. career support and sponsorship. B. increased visibility among the organization's managers. C. a chance to talk about their worries. D. a chance to develop their interpersonal skills. E. more chances of being promoted.

Q: Which of the following statements is FALSE regarding employee orientation programs? A) Fewer companies are placing their new employees in orientation programs as the cost does not outweigh the benefits. B) The intent of the orientation is to increase an employees job satisfaction and to reduce turnover. C) One objective of an employee orientation program is to get the employee to understand the organization's culture and quickly adopt the organization's goals, values, and behaviors. D) Most employee orientation programs are not properly planned, implemented, or evaluated. E) Most orientation programs consist of a follow-up meeting to verify that the important issues have been addressed and employee questions have been answered.

Q: (p. 272) Which of the following is a characteristic of a successful formal mentoring program? A. Mentor and protg participation is mandatory. B. Managers are rewarded for employee development. C. Mentors are chosen on a random basis. D. Mentors become therapists for their protgs. E. Mentor-protg relationships are artificially created.

Q: After designing and conducting a training program, the Program Director decides to evaluate the course by asking trainees to complete a reaction form. This is an example of which of the following? A) One-shot posttest-only design B) One-group pretest-posttest design C) Multiple time-series design D) Posttest-only control group design E) Pretestposttest control group design

Q: (p. 272) Which of the following is true of mentoring? A. Mentoring is the best substitute for therapy. B. Most mentoring relationships develop formally as a result of interests or values officially discussed by the mentor and protg. C. Employees most likely to seek a mentor are emotionally unstable and have a low need for power and achievement. D. Mentoring programs tend to be most successful when they are voluntary and participants understand the details of the program. E. Informal mentoring programs ensure access to mentors for all employees, regardless of gender or race.

Q: What type of evaluation measures should HR professionals collect if they want to assess the extent to which trainees' understand the materials/concepts presented in training? A) Behavioral B) Organizational results C) Reaction D) Learning E) Attitudes

Q: (p. 272) A mentor is generally a(n): A. employee's peer who provides friendship and guidance. B. employee's manager who provides feedback on performance. C. employee's family member who provides emotional and financial support. D. experienced, productive senior employee who helps develop a protg. E. experienced person who disseminates knowledge to the entire organization.

Q: Which of the following training methods is particularly effective for training managers to make better, more effective decisions? A) Equipment simulations B) Apprenticeship programs C) Games and other simulations D) Audiovisuals E) On the job training

Q: (p. 271) Providing employees with the opportunity to get away from the day-to-day stresses of their job and acquire new skills and perspectives is known as a(n): A. transfer. B. expatriate assignment. C. sabbatical. D. externship. E. downward move.

Q: Which group of employees will be more trainable and why? A) Employees of Company A, where managers present their employees with a list of mandatory training because it takes the worry out of selecting the right training B) Employees of Company B, because training programs are developed with a pass/fail criteria and only 5% of the employees pass the training, creating motivation to be one of the 5% C) Employees of Company C because training programs are built around lecture formats with one-way communication, taking the activity out of the training D) Employees of Company D where employees develop an individualized training program based on their career goals E) Employees of Company E, because managers randomly assign employees to training programs regardless of current skill level, creating a sense of excitement from not knowing what training you will be able to attend.

Q: (p. 271) Allowing employees to take a full-time temporary position at another company is known as a(n): A. transfer. B. expatriate assignment. C. sabbatical. D. externship. E. lateral move.

Q: Making training material meaningful has been found to increase retention. This can be achieved by: A) Organizing the material from complex to simple. B) Using examples and terms familiar to the trainees. C) Telling a lot of jokes. D) Presenting trainees with each section of the training program rather than an overview of what is to be learned. E) Avoiding tests so trainees don't become anxious.

Q: (p. 270) The organization may demote an employee to a lower-level position: A. to provide greater challenges to him/her. B. so that the employee can learn different skills. C. to increase the employee's visibility. D. so that the employee can get more authority. E. to give him/her more responsibility.

Q: __________ practice is more productive for long-term retention and for transfer of learning to the work setting. A) Massed B) Part C) Spaced D) Whole E) Continuous

Q: (p. 270) A move to a job with a similar level of responsibility within the same organization is called a(n): A. externship. B. promotion. C. downward move. D. upward move. E. lateral move.

Q: Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding well-written learning objectives? A) They specify what the supervisor has requested that employees be trained in. B) They should contain observable actions, measurable criteria, and the conditions of performance. C) They should be general in nature so that they can apply to all employees being trained. D) They describe the performance you want trainees to be able to exhibit before you consider them for training. E) They are based on qualitative data analysis and prepared before the needs assessment.

Q: (p. 270) Which of the following is true about a transfer? A. It typically involves a full-time temporary position at another organization. B. A transfer fundamentally increases job responsibilities. C. A transfer essentially increases compensation. D. It occurs when an employee is given less responsibility and authority. E. It is an assignment of an employee to a position in a different area of the company, usually in a lateral move.

Q: (p. 269) Which of the following is true about job rotation? A. According to research, job rotation typically does not benefit managers. B. Job rotation is a simple process and rarely requires the involvement or the commitment of top management. C. The system is restricted to a limited number of key positions and employees within the company. D. The system ensures that employees understand the specific skills to be developed. E. Rotation schedules are decided solely on the ability of other departments to accommodate new employees.

Q: Simply requiring all employees to attend training can be a waste of time and money. In an effort to better identify individual training needs, one should conduct a(n): A) Job analysis B) Organizational analysis C) Person analysis D) Work-oriented analysis E) Task-oriented analysis

Q: (p. 269) Which of the following is a potential problem of job rotation? A. Employees typically develop a short-term perspective on problems and solutions. B. Employees generally earn less. C. Promotions usually take longer. D. Employees typically develop specialized skills but fail to use them due to quick rotations. E. It decreases employees' understanding of different company functions.

Q: A(n) __________ analysis helps identify what should be taught in training. A) content B) design C) job D) organizational E) person

Q: (p. 269) Job rotation involves: A. adding challenges or new responsibilities to the employee's current job. B. moving the employee through a series of job assignments in one or more functional areas of the company. C. allowing the employee to work full-time in a temporary position at another company. D. allowing the employee to switch between two different jobs within the company on a daily or weekly basis. E. assigning an employee to a position with less responsibility and authority.

Q: A consultant has been contracted by an organization to develop a training program. What is the first step the consultant should take? A) Determine whether a need for training actually exists. B) Determine whether trainees are trainable. C) Gain the support of trainees. D) Derive objectives for the training program. E) Meet with the president to determine a budget for the training program.

Q: (p. 268) Which of the following is true of job enlargement? A. It is a systematic approach to help an organization modify its core processes to achieve more efficient results. B. It aims at greater productivity through reduced application of mental and physical effort. C. It involves attempts to motivate employees by giving them the opportunity to use specific skill sets. D. It involves moving employees through a series of job assignments in one or more functional areas. E. It involves adding challenges or new responsibilities to employees' current jobs.

Q: At which stage of the training process would it be critical to understand the influence of the characteristics of adult learners and learning principles? A) Assessment B) Development C) Analysis D) Evaluation E) Learning objective

Q: (p. 267-268) Using job experiences for development assumes that: A. development occurs only when job demands involve obstacles. B. development occurs only through promotions. C. development is most likely to occur when employees experience high levels of negative stress in their jobs. D. development is most likely to occur when employees skills and experiences do not entirely match the skills required for the current job. E. development is most likely to occur when the employee has the prerequisite skills to perform the job.

Q: Because the skills associated with being an effective team are so straightforward, it is most effective to conduct the training using lectures and e-learning.

Q: (p. 267) Most employee development occurs through: A. performance appraisals. B. job experiences. C. formal education. D. technical training. E. interpersonal relationships.

Q: A co-worker has suggested that you should randomly assign employees to either the training or to a control group to increase the effectiveness of your evaluation of a training program. You should follow his suggestion.

Q: One of the barriers to conducting training evaluation is leaderships lack of interest.

Q: (p. 266) How does 360-degree feedback help organizations? A. Managers can identify subordinates who provide negative feedback. B. Delivering ratings provides a simple way for a manager to act on the feedback. C. Performance improves and behavior changes as a result of participation. D. It demands very little time, so the raters can focus on other tasks. E. Managers can easily interpret the results themselves and take necessary action.

Q: As a component of its management training program, a restaurant used a case study of a manufacturing firm; this is a critical strategy to ensure trainees are able to transfer the learning back to the job.

Q: (p. 266) The 360-degree feedback process: A. involves rating the individual in terms of work-related behaviors. B. does not lead to any improvement in performance. C. breaks down formal communications about behaviors and skill ratings between employees and their internal and external customers. D. gives results that can be easily interpreted by anyone. E. demands very little time of the raters to complete the evaluations.

Q: The transfer of learning back to the job is critical for successful training, and activities conducted before, during and after the training can facilitate the transfer.

Q: (p. 265) Which of the following statements about Benchmarks is true? A. While managers enjoy completing the instrument and find the results interesting, research is inconclusive regarding the skills measured and their relationship to on-the-job performance. B. The items measured by Benchmarks are based on research into the lessons that executives learn in critical events of their careers. C. The instrument measures 24 skills and perspectives including how well managers accomplish tasks by completing the tasks themselves. D. To provide a complete picture of managers' skills, only the managers' supervisors and peers should complete the instrument. E. Research suggests that Benchmarks are valid for predicting performance, salary level, and career advancement.

Q: One of the objectives of employee orientation programs is to assist the new employee in adjusting to the organization and feeling comfortable and positive about the new job.

Q: (p. 265) Which of the following skills do managers demonstrate if they accomplish tasks through managing others? A. Compassion and sensitivity B. Straightforwardness and composure C. Team orientation D. Decisiveness E. Self-awareness

Q: The one-group pretestposttest design is useful when it is difficult to collect criteria measures on individuals prior to offering them the training.

Q: (p. 265) Which of the following skills do managers demonstrate if they show genuine interest in others? A. Compassion and sensitivity B. Straightforwardness and composure C. Team orientation D. Decisiveness E. Self-awareness

Q: E-learning is very useful for training interpersonal skills or psychomotor tasks.

Q: (p. 265) Identify the skill related to a successful manager. A. Accomplishes tasks by completing all the tasks himself/herself B. Is willing to sacrifice personal life for work life C. Is infallible and leads by the telling-and-selling approach D. Can behave in ways that are often seen as opposites E. Prefers slow and precise actions for management situations

Q: Audiovisuals involve recording a portion of audio or video content that is punchy and useful and posting it online or on the firms intranet site and providing a link to download the recording.

Q: (p. 265) The measurement tool Benchmarks focuses on measuring: A. an organization's performance against major competitors. B. a manager's use of skills associated with success in managing. C. the output of a group or team of employees. D. performance differences among employees. E. employees' progress in carrying out their action plans.

Q: A blended training approach could include an integration of classroom and e-learning training approaches.

Q: (p. 264) In assessment centers, typically, each assessor observes and records _____ employees behaviors in each exercise. A. six or seven B. four or five C. eight or nine D. one or two E. ten or eleven

Q: When trainees share their goals for improved performance with other trainees during a training session, it is more likely that they will meet their stated goal.

Q: (p. 264) Which of the following assessment center exercises 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? A. Interview session B. Leaderless group discussion C. Role playing D. In-basket exercise E. Personality test

Q: Relapse prevention emphasizes the learning of a set of self-control and coping strategies when the trainee is faced with high-risk situations.

Q: (p. 264) Which of the following is true of in-basket exercises? A. They require teams of five to seven employees to work together to solve assigned problems within a certain time period. B. They are paper-and-pencil tests designed to measure participants' communication styles and skills. C. They simulate the administrative tasks of a manager's job, using a pile of documents for the employee to handle. D. They require participants to take the part of a manager or employee in a situation involving the skills to be assessed. E. They require the use of interest and aptitude tests to evaluate an employee's vocabulary, general mental ability, and reasoning skills.

Q: Overlearning is a desirable component in a training program when the task to be learned is likely to be immediately practiced in the work situation.

Q: (p. 264) An employee's tolerance for uncertainty and the ability to get along with others are assessed in _____. A. leaderless group discussions B. in-basket exercises C. personality tests D. role-plays E. interviews

Q: When training a police officer how to use a gun, it is best to use spaced practice and focus on overlearning.

Q: (p. 264) The primary use of assessment centers is to identify: A. whether employees have the personality characteristics and skills needed for managerial positions. B. the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. C. the decision processes and communication styles that inhibit production. D. the opportunities and threats of an organization. E. the factors that inhibit group performance.

Q: Massed practice is more effective than spaced practice when learning a complex task.

Q: (p. 264) Which of the following is true about an assessment center? A. An assessment center is a meeting room where a team of seven to ten employees is assigned a problem and must work together to solve it within a certain time period. B. At an assessment center, multiple raters or evaluators evaluate employees' performance on a number of exercises. C. It is an office that looks into the process of collecting information and providing feedback to employees about their behavior, communication style, or skills. D. At an assessment center, senior managers hold a test that identifies individuals' preferences for source of energy, means of information gathering, way of decision making, and lifestyle. E. It refers to an on-site location where the corporate leaders design a tool that gathers ratings of a manager's use of skills associated with success in managing.

Q: The E-learning Readiness self-Assessment tool provides a quick and comprehensive analysis of preparedness for success in an online training program.

Q: (p. 264) Which of the following is true of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)? A. It is an appropriate tool for measuring job performance. B. People who take the MBTI generally do not find it to be an enjoyable experience. C. MBTI scores are stable over time. D. The MBTI is a valuable tool for understanding communication styles. E. Research has concluded that the MBTI is highly valid, reliable, and effective.

Q: Effectively identifying learning objectives is not necessary to determine the best method to present the training.

Q: (p. 263-264) According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, individuals who are Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, and Judging (known as ISTJs): A. appear to their colleagues to be too task-oriented. B. tend to take a lot of time to make decisions. C. are perceived as friendly and outgoing. D. respond well to unexpected opportunities. E. are mostly unorganized and impractical.

Q: Person analysis can be used to assess trainability.

Q: The same process that is used to identify data for a job description can be used to determine what should be taught in training programs for new hires.

Q: (p. 263) The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) identifies individuals' preferences for source of energy, means of information gathering, way of decision making, and _____. A. succession planning B. self-assessment C. lifestyle D. value system E. goal setting

Q: (p. 263) According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, individuals with a Perceiving (P) preference: A. are conclusive and focused on goals. B. are comfortable with changing a decision. C. like deadlines. D. focus more on possibilities and relationships among facts. E. do not like surprises.

Q: A difference between the desired production rate and the actual production rate could be an indication that training is needed.

Q: (p. 263) The decision-making dimension of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator relates to the: A. steps or actions individuals take when making decisions. B. amount of consideration given to others' feelings when making a decision. C. individuals' tendency to be flexible and adaptable. D. confidence and speed with which decisions are reached. E. individual's interpersonal strength and vitality.

Q: A needs assessment involves the analysis of organization, job, and person.

Q: (p. 263) According to the lifestyle dichotomy of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, individuals with a _____ preference enjoy surprises and dislike deadlines. A. Judging (J) B. Perceiving (P) C. Thinking (T) D. Feeling (F) E. Sensing (S)

Q: The goal of the assessment phase is to examine whether the training program has been effective in meeting the stated objectives.

Q: (p. 262) According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, individuals with a Sensing (S) preference: A. enjoy surprises. B. tend to rush into decision making. C. tend to focus less on possibilities and relationships among facts. D. focus on interpersonal relationships. E. tend to gather the facts and details to prepare for a decision.

Q: The three major steps involved in the basic process of training are assessment, development, and evaluation.

Q: (p. 262) According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Extroverted types (E) gain energy through: A. interpersonal relationships. B. personal thoughts. C. gathering facts and details. D. establishing goals. E. inner feelings.

Q: Development focuses on the immediate period to help fix any current deficits in employees skills.

Q: (p. 262) According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Introverted types (I) gain energy by _____. A. focusing on inner thoughts B. focusing on interpersonal relationships C. gathering facts and details D. focusing less on facts and more on possibilities E. trying to be objective in making decisions

Q: Training refers to learning opportunities designed to help employees grow.

Q: (p. 262) The energy dichotomy of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator indicates _____. A. the preparations individuals make before making decisions B. the amount of consideration individuals give to their own and others values and feelings C. individuals' degree of introversion or extroversion D. the hard facts of a situation E. individuals' tendency to be either flexible or structured