Managing Performance Through Training And Development 7th Edition By Alan Saks – Test Bank

 

 

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Sample Questions

 

Indicate whether the statement is true or false.

 

1. Only senior management must buy into the needs analysis process to ensure that the data collection will result in accurate information and that they have a vested interest in the success of the program.   a. True   b. False

 

2. The traditional approach to a cognitive task analysis focuses on behaviours rather than the mental processes such as decision making.   a. True   b. False

 

3. Fundamentally, needs analysis deals with informing senior management why specific training initiatives have not resulted in improvements to organizational performance.   a. True   b. False

 

4. An example of a strong training transfer climate could be praise provided by peers when a new employee uses conflict resolution skills acquired in a training program.   a. True   b. False

 

5. The textbook identifies three levels of needs analysis: organizational, cognitive, and person analysis.   a. True   b. False

 

6. The needs analysis process often starts with a concern expressed by a customer, employee, management, or some other stakeholder.   a. True   b. False

 

7. Organizational climate refers to the collective attitudes of its employees toward work, supervision, and company goals, policies, and procedures.   a. True   b. False

 

8. A task analysis reveals the tasks required for a person to perform a job and the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that are required to perform the tasks successfully. When done well, it often has five interrelated steps.   a. True   b. False

 

9. Ineffective performance indicates that training is needed to close the gap between current performance and desired performance.   a. True   b. False

 

10. Sandeep is doing a needs analysis to determine potential solutions to a current gap in an organization. He starts the process by interviewing management on the company’s strategic direction and does a full resource review. Sandeep is most likely doing a task analysis on this company.   a. True   b. False

 

11. Besides clarifying the nature of performance gaps, a needs analysis helps to determine whether training and development is a good solution to performance problems or whether some other intervention might be more effective.   a. True   b. False

 

12. A person analysis fundamentally addresses the following questions: How well does the employee perform the tasks? Who, within the organization, needs training? And, what kind of training do they need?   a. True   b. False

 

13. Questionnaires, structured interviews, and observation are techniques used in a task analysis to survey a sample of job incumbents.   a. True   b. False

 

14. One of the key outputs of an organizational analysis is determining the congruency of a potential training program and the corporate or business-level strategy.   a. True   b. False

 

15. One of the obstacles facing trainers is the belief by many managers that resources should be used for training activities—choosing action over analysis.   a. True   b. False

 

16. Competencies are clusters of related knowledge, skills, and abilities that differentiate effective performers from ineffective performers.   a. True   b. False

 

17. The most common approach used to conduct a cognitive task analysis is interviews and surveys.   a. True   b. False

 

18. A needs analysis helps to determine what type of training and development is required to resolve performance problems.   a. True   b. False

 

19. Resource analysis is the identification of the resources available in an organization that might be required to design a training and development program. As a principle, it does not deal with determining whether the organization has the ability to implement the actual program.   a. True   b. False

 

20. The needs analysis is often referred to as the most important step in the training and development process.   a. True   b. False

 

Indicate the answer choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

 

21. Judy, a human resource professional, decides to undertake a person analysis at TD Bank. What question is Judy seeking an answer to?   a. How is training linked to TD Bank’s strategy?   b. Which employees at TD Bank need training?   c. When are tasks performed and what resources are available at TD Bank?   d. What external forces are affecting TD Bank?

 

22. Which of the following is NOT an information barrier to effective performance?   a. informal leaders   b. lack of performance metrics   c. ineffective feedback   d. vague objectives

 

23. Which of the following is NOT a typical step in the needs analysis process?   a. task analysis   b. design and delivery   c. andragogy analysis   d. evaluation

 

24. What deficiency in task analysis does the newer technique of cognitive task analysis address?   a. It compensates for the repetitiveness of observable tasks.   b. It involves complex mental tasks that are not easy to observe.   c. It expands a task analysis to incorporate differences in diversity.   d. It allows participants to focus on unusual rather than routine tasks.

 

25. Teamwork competencies include things such as how to communicate, interact, and coordinate tasks effectively with team members, which can be identified by conducting a team analysis. From a training perspective, what are these competencies primarily used for?   a. to communicate to stakeholders the importance of team competencies   b. to lead teams through discussions to identify key new themes and goals that everyone can accept and use as part of the training program   c. to attain buy-in from stakeholders to secure appropriate funding   d. to serve as the basis for writing training objectives and provides guidance on program design

 

26. Which of the following is an obstacle organizations cite as the reason to avoid conducting a needs analysis?   a. Trainees often claim that they are rewarded for taking the time to conduct a needs analysis.   b. Organizations usually can see how the investment of time and resources will produce a viable training solution.   c. Organizations are most concerned with training employees quickly rather than waiting for research to be conducted.   d. Managers and employees do not have the creative techniques and critical methods of inquiry needed to conduct a needs analysis.

 

27. Johnathan, a training specialist, is undertaking a needs analysis for an organization. He is attempting to determine which specific jobs in the organization are contributing to a specific “itch.” What step in the needs analysis process is Johnathan most likely performing?   a. stakeholder consultation   b. organizational analysis   c. task analysis   d. person analysis

 

28. A task analysis consists of a description of the activities or work operations performed on a job and the conditions under which these activities are performed. It normally includes six important steps. Which of the following would NOT be considered one of those steps?   a. develop rating scales to rate the importance and difficulty of each task and the frequency with which it is performed   b. provide feedback on the results of the task analysis   c. prepare job descriptions and specifications for roles involved in the task analysis process   d. use surveys and interviews to gather data and information from a sample of job incumbents

 

29. What is one drawback of a task analysis process?   a. It ignores mental processes required to complete a task.   b. It focuses only on target jobs as opposed to all jobs within the organization.   c. It develops bias from subjective rating scales and the use of estimates.   d. It assumes tasks are performed by teams, not individuals.

 

30. According to the textbook, which important step in the needs analysis process is the most extensive, potentially leading organizations to skip it?   a. a culture and climate audit of the organization   b. a task and person analysis   c. data collection at three levels: organizational, task, and person   d. being clear on the nature of the actual “itch”

 

31. One of your colleagues is somewhat confused about the distinction between skills and competencies. You decide to provide your colleague with a concise explanation. Which of the following statements would best capture the distinction between these two terms?   a. competencies are the same as skills   b. negotiating a collective agreement is an example of a skill, while competencies are universal in scope such as winning agreement on goals and expectations   c. competencies are related to knowledge and tend to be narrow in scope   d. skills are behaviours that are not observable, while competencies must be observable

 

32. According to the textbook, a person analysis attempts to answer a series of questions. Which of the following questions is NOT associated with a person analysis?   a. Are the resources available to train?   b. How well does the employee perform the job?   c. Who needs training?   d. What kind of training is needed?

 

33. Which two factors from the external environment might affect an organization’s need for training and its employees’ receptivity to being trained?   a. trade agreements and new technologies   b. competitors and corporate strategy   c. recessions and employment equity   d. demographics and organizational culture

 

34. What is the best method of collecting data in a needs analysis process?   a. any combination of methods that uses at least three of the nine methods   b. typically, a combination of interviews, observations, and work samples   c. the combination of methods that most likely results in senior management approval   d. available resources, analyst expertise, and the nature of the responses should drive the choice of method

 

35. Your CEO has asked you to explain the potential negative consequences of having training and development plans that are not congruent with your company’s strategy. Which of the following is likely to be negatively affected for the organization if training initiatives are not aligned with the organization’s strategy?   a. book value   b. training costs   c. flexibility   d. market value

 

36. Which statement best describes the needs analysis process?   a. it is the least important step in the training and development process   b. it is a critical step designed to identify gaps in individual and organizational performance   c. it identifies cost inefficiencies, yet it is silent on potential solutions to individual and organizational performance   d. it collects data and information from management on skills and knowledge deficiencies in an organization

 

37. You have determined that employees would be able to accomplish a particular task “if their lives depended on it.” What is a logical conclusion you should make?   a. increase training efforts   b. change the way jobs are designed   c. change the rewards   d. training is not the issue

 

38. Which of the following does NOT align with the notion of a strong “learning culture”?   a. an executive placing significant resources toward organizational learning   b. workers at all levels of an organization who see knowledge and skill acquisition as part of their job responsibilities   c. learning transfer is central to a strong learning culture   d. a culture focused primarily on formalized learning processes

 

39. Which data collection method is expensive to use but allows for on-the-spot synthesis of different viewpoints via two-way communication?   a. the quick needs analysis   b. group discussion   c. questionnaires   d. key consultation

 

40. Ideally, what should a manager do if an employee has a genuine skill deficiency and does not have the potential to learn a new task?   a. fire the employee immediately   b. give the task to another individual, even if it impacts productivity negatively   c. notwithstanding the lack of potential to learn, double up the training effort   d. if possible, simplify the task, lower expectations, or transfer the employee

 

41. What is the main difference between a traditional task analysis and a team task analysis?   a. A traditional task analysis depends on job descriptions whereas a team task analysis depends on competencies.   b. A team task analysis relies on an organization being a certain size in order to be relevant and useful.   c. A traditional task analysis is usually applicable to lower level jobs on the organizational chart and not management.   d. A team task analysis identifies the interdependencies of the job and the skills required for task coordination.

 

42. In which example does pressure to change employee behaviour come from the internal environment?   a. a change in legislation that affects labour standards   b. a change in customer preferences for products and services   c. an increase in competition from rivals offering better products at lower prices   d. an increase in the number of product-related mistakes that management notices

 

43. Which data collection method is relatively inexpensive to administer and provides data in a format that is easy to report and summarize?   a. work samples   b. observations   c. surveys   d. interviews

 

44. Which statement would NOT be considered an “itch” according to the needs analysis model?   a. ABC Inc. notices an increase in customer complaints   b. ABC Inc. notices a decrease in productivity across all its business units   c. ABC Inc. is faced with decreasing revenues and increasing costs   d. ABC Inc. notices a decrease in employee absenteeism

 

45. Why must training plans, business strategy, and key stakeholder involvement be linked together in a needs analysis?   a. to achieve the greatest support and continuity from the organization and its stakeholders   b. to maintain the strongest political linkages and allies necessary for organizational change   c. to increase resistance to change from individuals who were not given an opportunity to provide input   d. to ensure that the organizational culture supports the key stakeholders

 

46. According to the vignette on TD Bank, what did TD do before it embarked on a robbery prevention and awareness training program?   a. determined what kinds of resources were available for training   b. conducted a needs analysis that included focus groups, interviews, and surveys   c. changed the compensation approach to reward those branches with fewer robberies   d. changed the company’s strategy to better match employees’ skills and abilities

 

47. What critical question is the resource analysis process attempting to answer?   a. Does the organization have the desire to spend its resources on training?   b. Does the organization have employees willing to learn?   c. Does the organization have sufficient money, time, and expertise?   d. Does the organization have access to effective decision makers?

 

48. Under which scenario is training the LEAST likely intervention in dealing with a performance problem?   a. Mary performs a particular task frequently   b. Providing Mary with coaching is too expensive and time consuming   c. Mary has a mission critical role   d. Mary does not receive feedback on her performance

 

49. At Company ABC, the lack of which of the following elements is an example of a structural barrier to effective performance?   a. appropriate performance measurements   b. supportive reward systems   c. clarity around roles and responsibilities   d. tools and equipment to do their jobs

 

50. Which example characterizes a strong climate for transfer of training?   a. It takes three months for a trainee to be given the opportunity to apply what was learned in training.   b. Financial and non-financial benefits are associated with applying material learned in training.   c. Supervisor and peer support for the use of newly acquired skills is not evident.   d. Newly trained employees face few consequences for not using material learned in training.

 

 

51. Describe how Mager and Pipe’s decision tree is used in determining if training is the best solution to performance problems.

 

52. Outline at least five conditions under which training might be the best solution to performance problems.

 

53. Identify and briefly describe the three steps in the person analysis process.

 

54. Outline the differences between a cognitive task analysis and a team task analysis.

 

55. You have been hired to manage a call centre for a local organization. You notice a pattern of activity that is of concern to you: Customers wait on line before being served for an average of 15 minutes. This is an issue as it impacts the quality of service and is costing you potential sales. Apply in detail the needs analysis process introduced in the textbook.

 

56. There are many alternatives to training when solving performance problems. Identify and briefly describe three such alternatives.

 

Indicate whether the statement is true or false.

 

1. Mentoring is classified in the textbook as the most basic on-the-job training method.   a. True   b. False

 

2. Job instruction training incorporates many principles of behaviour modelling.   a. True   b. False

 

3. The most widely used on-the-job training method is the lecture method.   a. True   b. False

 

4. A successful mentoring program should have specific evaluation criteria against which the success of the program will be measured.   a. True   b. False

 

5. Mentors play two major roles including career support and psychosocial support.   a. True   b. False

 

6. Performance aids may be used effectively when employees perform tasks that require remembering a series of steps. This method is particularly useful when tasks are performed frequently.   a. True   b. False

 

7. Marie, an experienced co-worker, tells a trainee that “in a couple of hours you will have mastered this machine.” Marie is attempting to lower the trainee’s self-efficacy.   a. True   b. False

 

8. As a best practice, job instruction training should NOT be integrated into other training methods including off-the-job methods so as to reduce training complexity.   a. True   b. False

 

9. Apprenticeships are a training method involving tri-party agreements among labour, the government, and a training organization. Fundamentally, this method aims at addressing specific organizations’ staffing needs.   a. True   b. False

 

10. In order for coaching to be effective a few critical elements are needed. Some of the most important are trust between coach and trainee and a planned approach to the process.   a. True   b. False

 

11. RBC’s Career Launch program described in the textbook uses primarily job enrichment and coaching to help break the cycle of “no job, no experience” in Canadian youth.   a. True   b. False

 

12. On-the-job training has been described as the most misused method of training.   a. True   b. False

 

13. One of the most important advantages of the job rotation approach is that it eliminates the need to consider the trainee’s existing skill set, hence speeding up the training process.   a. True   b. False

 

14. Job rotation programs appear to be linked with improvement in knowledge and skill acquisition; however, evidence does not support any positive linkages between job rotation and career benefits.   a. True   b. False

 

15. Coaching and mentoring are synonymous, focusing on broad skill needs of trainees.   a. True   b. False

 

16. One of the critical steps in job instruction training is performance.   a. True   b. False

 

17. The mentoring relationship is enhanced if the mentee has a formal reporting relationship to the mentor.   a. True   b. False

 

18. Evidence provided in the textbook indicates that apprenticeship programs tend to attract greater representation from specific sectors of the labour market, particularly First Nations, women, and members of visible minorities.   a. True   b. False

 

19. Given the low costs associated with on-the-job training methods, it is very popular with small and medium size companies in Canada.   a. True   b. False

 

20. The choice of on-the-job, off-the-job, or blended training should be anchored on training needs and objectives.   a. True   b. False

 

Indicate the answer choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

 

21. Which training method couples components of on-the-job training with lectures, usually at local colleges or technical universities?   a. technical training   b. instructional training   c. apprenticeship   d. job instruction

 

22. From a trainer’s perspective, what is the reasoning behind using performance aids on the job?   a. all employees require tools to do their jobs   b. trainees do not always perform consistently   c. trainees develop shortcuts to keep up with the work   d. memorization of tasks takes too much training time

 

23. Which training method shares characteristics similar to mentoring but with a more narrow focus?   a. apprenticeship   b. job instruction   c. behaviour modelling   d. coaching

 

24. Which off-the-job training method is similar to job instruction training because both techniques rely on observation, rehearsal, reinforcement, and transfer?   a. case incident   b. simulation   c. role play   d. behaviour modelling

 

25. Which statement best captures the purpose driving apprenticeship programs in Canada?   a. to help organizations recruit qualified employees   b. to help trainers develop training programs to meet the staffing needs of specific companies   c. to provide financial support via tax breaks for companies that promote industrial trades in Canada   d. to address the collective training needs of specific occupations in broad industrial sectors

 

26. Evidence appears to suggest that on-the-job training methods are very popular with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Which of the following variables likely support the wide usage of on-the-job training methods by SMEs?   a. they require little planning to be effective   b. they are less expensive   c. they are much more flexible and offer lower training transfer rates   d. more experienced employees make the best instructors

 

27. Which of the following approaches to on-the-job training describes a pre-flight checklist used by a pilot to ensure all pre-flight procedures have been properly executed?   a. preparation checklist   b. procedure sequence   c. performance aid   d. Nellie checklist

 

28. According to the textbook, why are many employers reluctant to participate in apprenticeship programs?   a. they already have in-house programs that mimic apprenticeships   b. they simply do not see the benefits   c. they do not have the required trainers needed to support the on-the-job portion of the program   d. their participation requires overcoming significant red tape

 

29. Which of the following occurs during the performance step in job instruction training?   a. show that safety is especially important   b. show why the job is important   c. allow the trainee to complete all the steps   d. break the job into tasks

 

30. When comparing off-the-job training to on-the-job training, which statement is true according to the textbook?   a. off-the-job training is generally less effective than on-the-job training   b. off-the-job training has less control over the learning environment than on-the-job training   c. off-the-job training has a narrower variety of training methods than on-the-job training   d. off-the-job training can be much more costly than on-the-job training

 

31. In which phase of job instruction training does the trainer support the trainees by using techniques that enhance the trainees’ efficacy?   a. needs analysis phase   b. follow-up phase   c. preparation phase   d. performance phase