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A set of multiple-choice questions and answers related to the course mana 444, likely focusing on topics like performance management, human resource development, and training. It offers a valuable resource for students preparing for their final exam, allowing them to test their understanding of key concepts and principles.
Typology: Exams
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Performance management is best categorized as a single event often associated with an annual performance appraisal process Ans✔✔- False Components of a performance management process usually identify training and development needs of individuals leading to concrete plans for development of skills, knowledge and abilities Ans✔✔- True Human resource development is a part of a larger system known as training and development Ans✔✔- False Development is described as a planned effort to develop employees' knowledge, skills, and abilities to help employees perform better at their current jobs Ans✔✔- False The main goal of the Edmonton Police Service's mental health program was to improve interactions between police officers and mentally ill individuals. This is clearly an example of training initiative, NOT a development program Ans✔✔- True One of the intrinsic benefits of training and development is the benefits realized by society Ans✔✔- False According to research presented in the textbook, a negative relationship exists between per-employee expenditures on training and development and employee productivity levels Ans✔✔- False One of the reasons for the underinvestment in training and development by Canadian companies is the perception that training, learning, and development expenditures represent a cost rather than an investment Ans✔✔- True
Quebec is the only province in Canada to have mandatory training laws for companies with net profits greater than $1 million Ans✔✔- False Organizations that incorporate training bonds into their training programs may have the ability to recover some of their training costs Ans✔✔- True The key environmental factors that drive human resources and development within an organization include technology, global competition, the labour market, and organizational strategy Ans✔✔- False Unlike many industrialized countries, Canada has NOT experienced in any meaningful way to notion of "skills mismatch" Ans✔✔- False Company ABC decides to provide selected employees with cultural sensitivity training as it contemplates opening an office in Shanghai, China. This is a clear example of strategic training Ans✔✔- True The trend toward flatter organizational structures is causing some element of blurriness in what constitutes traditional roles associated with management functions Ans✔✔- True An organization's learning and training strategy most often with NOT directly influence its training and development programs Ans✔✔- False Restructuring, downsizing, and reengineering often lead to changes in employees' tasks and responsibilities and so necessitate the need for training Ans✔✔- True A high-performance work system may be described as a specific combination of human resource practices that maximize the knowledge, skills, abilities, flexibility, and commitment of employees Ans✔✔- True When applying the ISD model of training and development, the process often begins with the identification of a concern Ans✔✔- True
A needs analysis typically has three levels including an organizational analysis, a departmental analysis, and a person analysis Ans✔✔- False The ISD model of training and development has three major steps: needs analysis, design, and delivery Ans✔✔- False Studies consistently conclude that the majority of organizations do not use the ISD model, opting for the more traditional ADDIE training and development model Ans✔✔- False What is the term for the process of establishing performance expectations, designing interventions and programs to improve performance, and monitoring the success of the interventions and programs? a. Performance review b. Performance management c. Performance evaluation d. performance system Ans✔✔- b. Performance management Which Canadian agency's report concluded that continuous learning and the transfer of knowledge are key factors in fostering creativity and promoting organizational excellence? a. Toronto Transit Commission b. Conference Board of Canada c. Alberta Government d. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Ans✔✔- b. Conference Board of Canada What is the central theme shared by the three main functions of human resource development? a. organizational development and career development b. employee development and organizational development c. learning d. strategic development and career development Ans✔✔- c. learning
Several studies cited in the textbook appear to link training efforts by organizations and several important organizational outcomes. Which statement is congruent with conclusions in these studies? a. training often leads to higher turnover and gross margins b. training has a positive impact on overall customer satisfaction and profit levels c. training is not linked to increases in productivity d. training has a positive effect on an organization's competitiveness but no impact on performance Ans✔✔- b. training has a positive impact on overall customer satisfaction and profit levels Which Canadian organization is cited in the textbook as using training as a strategic business and retention tool? a. University of British Columbia b. EllisDon c. CIBC d. Nelson Publishing Ans✔✔- c. CIBC The performance management process includes several interrelated steps. What is the first step? a. developing performance goals b. deciding on the process to train and develop employees c. assigning appropriate rewards d. developing standard rating forms Ans✔✔- a. developing performance goals Which of the following statements is congruent with the notion of SMART goals? a. SMART goals should have clear performance or behaviour criteria b. SMART goals must address extrinsic motivators c. SMART goals should be easily attained d. SMART goals should not be time bound Ans✔✔- a. SMART goals should have clear performance or behaviour criteria According to the textbook, what is the number-one attraction and retention tool for many organizations?
a. compensation b. training c. bonuses d. development Ans✔✔- b. training Which of the following is a major goal of the Edmonton Police Service as described in the chapter-opening vignette? a. to improve the productivity of police officers b. to improve the confidence level of police officers when dealing with criminal elements in the community c. to link training programs to the department's strategic plan d. improve interactions between police officers and mentally ill individuals in the community Ans✔✔- d. improve interactions between police officers and mentally ill individuals in the community Which of the following are two extrinsic benefits training will give an employee? a. an improved marketability and greater job security b. a greater sense of self-efficacy and a sense of accomplishment c. a more positive attitude toward their employer and their own confidence d. a greater sense of engagement toward customers and fellow employees Ans✔✔- a. an improved marketability and greater job security Which of the following is NOT a benefit to society associated with training and development? a. higher levels of education b. greater economic prosperity c. better work-life balance d. improved standard of living Ans✔✔- c. better work-life balance Which statement best describes the current state of productivity and innovation in Canada? a. Canada rates very high in productivity metrics globally
b. Canada lags its major global competitors in productivity and innovation c. Canada tends to rank high in productivity but low in innovation across most business sectors d. Canada has seen a recent sharp increase both in productivity and innovation across all business Ans✔✔- b. Canada lags its major global competitors in productivity and innovation Which of the following statements best describes the average investment in training and development as a percentage of payroll in Canada? a. increasing year over year at a nearly constant level b. increasing year over year at an accelerated rate c. averaging about 2% of payroll over the last 10 years d. decreasing at an increasing rate Ans✔✔- d. decreasing at an increasing rate According to the textbook, which group of employees had the highest average number of training hours per employee in 2013? a. technical employees b. front-line employees c. government employees d. senior management and executives Ans✔✔- d. senior management and executives According to data provided in the textbook, which region in Canada appears to be the leader in per-employee investment? a. Western Canada (Alberta and BC) b. Quebec c. Atlantic Provinces d. Manitoba and Saskatchewan Ans✔✔- b. Quebec Why does Canada's productivity growth increasingly lag behind its main competitors?
a. Canadian organizations do not have the same economies of scale. b. Canadian organizations do not invest enough resources in training and development. c. Canadian organizations do not follow the voluntary training laws in Canada. d. Canadian companies have access to a large source of skilled labour. Ans✔✔- b. Canadian organizations do not invest enough resources in training and development.
b. the competitive nature of the industry c. corporate strategy d. leadership and managerial characteristics Ans✔✔- c. corporate strategy Technology developments in the external environment influence the training needs within an organization because employees will require technology training for what reason? a. to be marketable for other jobs b. to capture efficiencies associated with improved technology c. to satisfy their own intrinsic benefits d. to meet global demands Ans✔✔- b. to capture efficiencies associated with improved technology Which of the following would be considered part of a human resources system? a. organizational goals b. corporate leadership c. laws d. performance appraisals Ans✔✔- d. performance appraisals Which of the following key environmental factors drive training and development? a. change b. values c. selection d. culture Ans✔✔- a. change What tends to result when an organization subscribes to strategic human resource management whereby it has greater alignment between its HR practices and its strategies? a. superior performance b. greater work-life balance c. enhances efficiencies d. exemplary quality Ans✔✔- a. superior performance
Organization XYZ decides to expand rapidly by acquiring other businesses. What is most likely to be the focus of XYZ's strategic training programs? a. management of mergers and acquisitions b. management training c. quality of service training d. leadership development Ans✔✔- a. management of mergers and acquisitions Which of the following is impacted by high-performance work systems? a. employees' compensation b. employers' motivation c. employees' motivation d. community involvement Ans✔✔- c. employees' motivation You have been asked to debate the notion of high-performance work systems focusing on measurable results organizations should expect to receive from adopting such a philosophy. Which of the following points would most likely be central to your debate? a. an increase in employee turnover, higher sales, and higher productivity b. superior productivity and improved non-financial performance c. improved financial performance and superior productivity d. lower turnover, higher labour costs, and superior financial performance Ans✔✔- c. improved financial performance and superior productivity You are conducting a needs analysis, gathering data and information on three related yet distinct levels to determine what kind of training is needed in your organization. In which level of the needs analysis are you likely to find the answer? a. task analysis b. ADDIE analysis c. person analysis d. organizational analysis Ans✔✔- a. task analysis
Which of the following statements regarding the instructional systems design (ISD) model is congruent with the material presented in the textbook? a. it is an irrational and scientific process b. it consists of four main steps: needs analysis, design, delivery, and evaluation c. it is a much more complex model when compared with the streamlined ADDIE model d. its first step attempts to answer the question "is training needed and is it the best solution?" Ans✔✔- d. its first step attempts to answer the question "is training needed and is it the best solution?" According to the textbook, training programs based on the instructional systems design model of training and development fail when organizations do which of the following? a. fail to employ learning principles b. ignore an important step in the process c. implement training programs that are too complex d. over-evaluate their training programs Ans✔✔- b. ignore an important step in the process Identify and briefly describe the three steps in the instructional systems design (ISD) model. Why is it important that organizations apply these three steps when contemplating launching training programs? Ans✔✔- The instructional systems design model consists of a needs analysis, training design and delivery, and training evaluation. The needs analysis determines the nature of the problem and if training is the solution. It includes an organizational analysis, a job/task analysis, and a person analysis. If training is the solution to the performance problem, then a training program is designed and delivered based on what was learned from the needs analysis and the training objectives. Finally, a training evaluation is conducted to determine if the training objectives were met, and if the problem was solved. Ultimately, these three steps increase the likelihood that performance gaps are closed, and programs address needed improvements in skills, knowledge, and abilities resulting in positive outcomes for the organization and employees. Differentiate between the terms training and development. Ans✔✔- Training usually consists of a short-term focus on acquiring skills to perform one's current job. Development refers to the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform future job responsibilities and in the long-term achievement of career goals and organizational objectives. Development is, in most cases, "long term focused," including different interventions/methods including seminars and job rotations.
Identify and briefly describe three organizational benefits of training and development, providing an example for each. Ans✔✔- (1) Organizational strategy. Training can help organizations achieve their strategic goals. For example, if improving customer satisfaction is a goal, then providing customer service training will be important. (2) Increased organizational effectiveness. Trained employees do more work, make fewer errors, require less supervision, have higher loyalty and morale, and have lower rates of attrition. (3) Employee recruitment and retention. For example, employees who receive relevant training are less likely to move to another company. Describe the factors that influence high-performance work systems (HPWS). Ans✔✔- Environmental factors such as legislation, economic climate including the labour market and competition, demographics, social values, and technology. Organizational factors such as goals, values, strategy, structure, culture, and leadership. Define and explain the term strategic human resources management (SHRM). Ans✔✔- Strategic human resources management is the alignment of human resource practices with an organization's business strategy. It means that whether an organization has a strategy for quality, innovation, or customer service, training as well as other human resource practices must be designed to reinforce and support the strategy. You are a training specialist working for the Edmonton Police Service. Your boss asks you to develop evaluation criteria for the "mental health training program." Using the Edmonton Police Service vignette in the textbook, what would you likely use as crit eria for evaluating the program? Ans✔✔- The vignette specifically mentions several outcomes, including decreases in the usage of force by the police officers, ability to recognize mental health issues, verbal communication skills, and ability to de-escalate potential violent situations and decrease time per call.Students may also come up with other variables associated with having a police force that is able to effectively deal with mental health calls. Chapter 1 of the textbook introduces the reader to the ISD model and identifies three distinct yet interrelated steps. All of these activities are likely to have some element of cost associated with their execution. Which of those three steps would you suggest to be the most difficult to justify to senior management? (Assume you need budget approval.) Ans✔✔- This question allows students to demonstrate their ability to apply the ISD model to a real-world project
requiring management approval. Issues of budget, time, and competencies of training departments/managers may be raised. The needs analysis and training evaluation may be the two steps in the ISD model that require the greatest level of education of senior management. Often, human resource departments are more concerned with justifying their value by focusing on "getting to the business of training." Organizational learning refers to the process of creating, sharing, storing, and applying knowledge in organizations. Ans✔✔- True If the end goal is "organizational learning," then ensuring individuals in an organization learn guarantees the organization will learn. Ans✔✔- False According to the opening vignette, Vancity uses a combination of in - house and external courses to support employee growth and development. Ans✔✔- True In order to survive and develop, organizations must learn how to manage their capacity to learn and change. Ans✔✔- True In his groundbreaking book, Peter Senge identified five "disciplines" to becoming a learning organization. These five disciplines are anchored on "discipline number one—core competencies." Ans✔✔- False Strong research exists establishing a positive relationship between learning organizations and customer-centric performance metrics (satisfaction, engagement etc.); however, there is no evidence that organizations that apply Peter Senge's "disciplines" act ually have better financial performance. Ans✔✔- False Fundamentally, learning organizations are able to enhance their capacity to learn, adapt, and change their culture so as to take advantage of market opportunities. Ans✔✔- True A learning culture is best described as the norms and values an organization has toward its shareholders. Ans✔✔- False
In general terms, organizations with strong learning cultures tend to view training and development as a "business investment" and not simply a "cost of doing business." Ans✔✔- True An example of tacit knowledge in a particular organization could be described as a set of documents capturing its operational procedures often referred to as "codified knowledge." Ans✔✔- False Intellectual capital is an organization's knowledge, experience, relationships, process discoveries, innovations, market presence, and community influence. Ans✔✔- True Intellectual capital is knowledge that may or may not have value to a company. Ans✔✔- False Human capital includes elements of cognitive intelligence and emotional intelligence linked to enhanced organizational performance. Ans✔✔- True Relationship capital may be viewed as a source of competitive advantage if it is based on an environment of trust and integrity. Ans✔✔- True An example of structural capital would be a company's policy manual. Ans✔✔- True A company decides to implement an in-house training program. To save on training costs, it decides to implement a systematic cross-training program whereby a senior employee systematically coaches a junior employee over a set period of time using a standardized process. This company is engaged in a so-called "informal learning" approach to training. Ans✔✔- True According to the Conference Board of Canada, approximately 61 percent of Canadian companies have in place procedures ensuring that knowledge is codified, stored, and freely shared amongst employees. Ans✔✔- False Technology has made the process of converting tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge very easy for most companies to do with very little effort. Ans✔✔- False
Communities of practice are typically formed in an informal manner. For that reason, management plays no role in supporting and nourishing such communities of practice. a. True Ans✔✔- False Organizational learning can be represented with a multilevel systems model that has four levels of learning including societal, organizational, group, and individual. a. True Ans✔✔- False Based on the chapter-opening vignette, which statement best embodies the philosophy Vancity takes to training and development? a. maximizing profits for its current shareholders while decreasing expenditures associated with training and development b. the focus of training initiatives are informal and tend to be provided as part of its recruitment strategy c. tend to be focused on technical areas of the credit union d. strengthening its workforce's capacity to enable the credit union to meet its strategic objectives Ans✔✔- d. strengthening its workforce's capacity to enable the credit union to meet its strategic objectives To which author would you attribute the quote "Individual learning does not guarantee organizational learning. But without it, no organizational learning occurs"? a. Alan Saks b. Judy Shuttleworth c. Robert Haccoun d. Peter Senge Ans✔✔- d. Peter Senge What must an organization do to become truly competitive and effective with its organizational learning initiatives? a. It must make a strategic shift in orientation in order to transform itself into a learning organization. b. It must secure the support and commitment of all organizational stakeholders, past and present.
c. It must link its initiatives to the relevant sources of information and knowledge available. d. It must be willing to adapt to the external environment and change its values in order to achieve its objectives. Ans✔✔- a. It must make a strategic shift in orientation in order to transform itself into a learning organization. Peter Senge introduced the notion of learning organizations being anchored on five "disciplines." Which "discipline" is viewed as integrating the other four "disciplines"? a. personal mastery b. systems thinking c. mental models d. building a shared vision Ans✔✔- b. systems thinking According to the Conference Board of Canada, what percentage of Canadian organizations do NOT consider themselves to be learning organizations, even to a moderate extent? a. 29 percent b. 45 percent c. 34 percent d. 67 percent Ans✔✔- a. 29 percent The Conference Board of Canada has identified four dimensions or "pillars" as critical in creating and sustaining a learning organization. Which of the following would you consider to be an example of one of those "pillars"? a. having access to capital to fuel growth b. having systems and processes in place to acquire, store, codify and share knowledge c. having expectations that senior management should carefully manage employees' learning d. having a learning culture that is risk-averse Ans✔✔- b. having systems and processes in place to acquire, store, codify and share knowledge Carlos, a manager at a local manufacturing firm, often changes his approach to annual performance conversations based on his understanding of what factors motivate each employee. What is Carlos demonstrating? a. explicit or structural knowledge
b. human capital or structural capital c. tacit or implicit knowledge d. intellectual or human capital Ans✔✔- c. tacit or implicit knowledge Which of the following statements is congruent with the notion of intellectual capital? a. it is viewed by organizations as a liability b.. it has three categories: human, renewal, and relationship capital c. as you use it, it has less value d. unlike other assets, it tends to grow with usage Ans✔✔- d. unlike other assets, it tends to grow with usage Which of the following is characterized as human capital? a. a company's patent on a new manufacturing process b. an employee's ability to create products with a zero error rate c. a company's strong working relationship with a key supplier of inputs d. company's consistently high engagement score Ans✔✔- b. an employee's ability to create products with a zero error rate The textbook identifies four types or categories of intellectual capital. Which of the following categories of intellectual capital would include employees' knowledge, skills, and abilities? a. human capital b. renewal capital c. structural capital d. relationship capital Ans✔✔- a. human capital Which of the following is a potential indicator that knowledge is being shared in an organization? a. problem solving becomes more complex, yet less effective b. expertise is not captured and stored as explicit knowledge c. unnecessary and needless staffing changes continue to take place
d. employees attract and obtain increased opportunities Ans✔✔- d. employees attract and obtain increased opportunities An important method used by organizations to acquire information and knowledge is by "scanning" the external environment. Which of the following would NOT be considered an external source of such information or knowledge? a. customers b. competitors c. employees d. industry expert Ans✔✔- c. employees A senior manager in an organization asks you to explain why technology is playing such an important role in facilitating knowledge management. Which of the following is likely to be central to your response? a. technology use is becoming fashionable with senior management and popular with employees b. technology has significantly lowered the cost of managing knowledge c. technology is an important employee retention tool d. technology is a key discipline of learning organizations Ans✔✔- b. technology has significantly lowered the cost of managing knowledge Which of the following are the typical internal sources of information used in environmental scanning? a. employees b. customers c. suppliers d. creditors Ans✔✔- a. employees According to Etienne Wenger, who along with Jean Lave coined the term "communities of practice," three characteristics define a community of practice. Which of the following is NOT one of those characteristics? a. knowledge sharing is limited to explicit knowledge b. a domain of interest shared by members
c. a sense of community d. members are practitioners Ans✔✔- a. knowledge sharing is limited to explicit knowledge Which of the following characteristics are congruent with the notion of informal learning? a. spontaneous, immediate, and task-specific strategic, goal-oriented, and long-term focused structured, group-focused, and unplanned defined, organization-wide, and explicit Ans✔✔- a. spontaneous, immediate, and task- specific Which of the following is a factor that differentiates formal and informal learning? a. culture b. climate c. management style d. process driven Ans✔✔- d. process driven According to the textbook, what are the two most-used methods for informal learning? a. face-to-face interactions and email communication b. social networking and Internet searches c. structured mentoring and coaching sessions d. email communications and intranet sites Ans✔✔- d. email communications and intranet sites Which of the following best captures the role management can play in supporting communities of practice? a. provide the necessary funding b. provide the infrastructure and evaluate relevance to the company c. control topics, timing, and participation
d. ensure all communication between group members is codified Ans✔✔- b. provide the infrastructure and evaluate relevance to the company The textbook identifies several reasons why informal learning is becoming more prevalent in organizations when compared to formal learning. Which of the following is NOT a reason supported by the material in the textbook? a. organizations are finding time constraints impact their ability to deliver formal learning b. what is learned tends to be used on the job immediately when informal learning methods are used c. informal learning has been found to deliver consistent learning outcomes d. informal learning has a significant effect on performance Ans✔✔- c. informal learning has been found to deliver consistent learning outcomes You have been asked to do a short presentation to your class describing the differences between formal and informal learning. Which of the following points is NOT likely to be included in your presentation? a. unlike formal learning, informal learning tends to be highly unstructured b. control over learning outcomes rests with the organization under formal learning processes c. formal learning tends to be tailored to individuals' learning needs much more so than informal learning d. formal learning processes often create time gaps between learning and application on the job Ans✔✔- c. formal learning tends to be tailored to individuals' learning needs much more so than informal learning Which concept is defined as deeply ingrained assumptions, generalizations, or images that influence how we understand the world and how we take action? a. mental models b. organizational culture c. implicit knowledge d. informal learning Ans✔✔- a. mental models Why is the concept of informal learning receiving so much attention from managers?
a. because of the need to reduce expenditure in training and development b. because of the speed of change and demographic realities c. because of the level of attention the topic of informal learning has received from academics and management gurus d. because it requires fewer resources and management attention Ans✔✔- b. because of the speed of change and demographic realities You are a senior human resource manager with a Canadian organization. On your way back home from a business trip, you stumble across an article praising the effectiveness of informal learning. You decide your organization should facilitate a work environme nt that promotes informal learning. Which of the following is NOT likely to be an action you will take? a. create work processes that require team involvement by members from different parts of the organization b. remove physical barriers so as to facilitate regular contact between management and employees c. provide work teams with less autonomy so as to ensure quality control over outcomes d. condense office spaces and make room for an open gathering area for coffee breaks and socializing Ans✔✔- c. provide work teams with less autonomy so as to ensure quality control over outcomes A multilevel systems model of organizational learning assumes learning occurs at three distinct yet interconnected levels. Which of the following is NOT one of those levels? a. human capital level b. organizational level c. group level d. individual level Ans✔✔- a. human capital level The textbook identifies several important factors that influence learning at the group level. What would you consider to be the most important of these factors influencing group level learning? a. simplicity of tasks b. organizational culture and values c. individual reward practices
d. levels of informal and formal Ans✔✔- b. organizational culture and values Which of the following conclusions about a multilevel systems model of organization learning is supported by the content in the textbook? a. learning is a dynamic process that involves three levels that are interconnected b. values and norms play no role in this process c. learning and sharing processes in organization are not material to creating organizational learning d. levels of learning are influenced by financial resources in organizations Ans✔✔- a. learning is a dynamic process that involves three levels that are interconnected Which learning level is considered a starting point for organizational learning? a. group learning b. formal learning c. divisional learning d. individual Ans✔✔- d. individual Which statement best describes the insights offered by a multilevel systems model of organizational learning? a. group learning is the most critical variable given its central role b. group learning is a necessary and sufficient condition for the organization to learn c. if individuals learn, then the organization must also learn d. organizational learning can take place only if the group and individuals learn Ans✔✔- d. organizational learning can take place only if the group and individuals learn Which of the following factors are important at the group level? a. vision and leadership b. group structure and reporting relationships c. level of complexity and task interdependence d. a system in place to reward individuals for learning and applying newly found skills/knowledge Ans✔✔- c. level of complexity and task interdependence
Identify and briefly describe the four dimensions the Conference Board of Canada has identified as critical in creating and sustaining a learning organization. Ans✔✔- The four dimensions are: -- Vision/support—there is a clear vision of the organization's strategy and goals and learning is seen as critical to their achievement; -- Culture—the culture supports learning through the sharing of knowledge and information and through continuous learning which is everyone's responsibility; --Learning systems/dynamics—a systems approach is applied to problem solving whereby all employees are encouraged to consider patterns of interdependency; and -- Knowledge management/infrastructure—systems and structures are in place to acquire, code, store, and distribute important information and knowledge so that those who need it can access it in a timely manner. a) Define "communities of practice," provide an example of a community of practice, and explain their importance to organizational learning.b) Notwithstanding the fact communities of practice tend to be informal systems often formed on their own, what specific actions should management undertake to foster and nurture the creation of communities of practice in their organizations? Ans✔✔- a) "Communities of practice" are networks of people who work together and regularly share information and knowledge. Examples would include best practice teams or apprenticeships. Communities of practice are important to organizational learning because learning is social and knowledge will not be valued unless there is a shared understanding of its importance. b) Identify potential communities and potential members by bringing them together. Develop processes and systems (infrastructure) to support communities of practice and, finally, listen and use the output created by these communities to improve organizatio nal performance. Differentiate between the terms "information" and "knowledge" from the perspective of a learning organization. Provide an example for each. Ans✔✔- Information is plentiful and easy to acquire—facts, figures, etc. Knowledge, on the other hand, is information that has been edited, put into context, and analyzed in a way that makes it meaningful and valuable to an organization. Knowledge is often found in the "minds of employees" or codified in systems and process of the organization. a) Briefly define "explicit knowledge" and "tacit knowledge," and provide an example for each.b) Why is tacit knowledge so hard to codify or transfer from employee to employee?
Ans✔✔- a) Explicit knowledge refers to things you can buy or trade, such as copyrights or patents. An example would be the formula for Coke, Col. Sanders's "secret recipe" for Kentucky Fried Chicken, or the Ford Motor Company blue oval. Tacit knowledge is the wisdom that is learned from experience or insight. Examples would include things like insight, intuition, little tricks, and judgment. An example would be gifted artistic and musical abilities. b) Tacit or implicit knowledge is based on an individual's experiences—it has context, and often it is very difficult for the holder of tacit knowledge to codify it or share it with others. Describe four ways in which organizations can encourage informal learning. Briefly discuss the role that informal learning plays in organizational learning. Ans✔✔- See The Trainer's Notebook 2.2 on page 59. (1) Encourage employees to foster informal learning in organizations(2) Form casual discussion groups of employees with similar projects and tasks(3) Create meeting areas that can be used by employees to congregate and communicate(4) Remove physical barrie rs that prevent employees from communicating(5) Create overlaps in shifts(6) Create small teams with a specialized focus(7) Allow groups to break for their routines for team discussions(8) Provide autonomy to modify work processes(9) Eliminate barriers to communication and give employees authority to take training on themselves (10) Condense office space and make room for an open gathering area(11) Match new hires with seasoned employees Informal means of learning such as employees teaching each other their tips and tricks for performing tasks account for more than half of all workplace learning, so it is very important that it be encouraged and supported in a systematic way. Identify and describe barriers that may exist in an organization that impede knowledge sharing between employees. How would a manager begin to remove some of the barriers you have identified? Ans✔✔- (1) Potential structure and organization design factors— reporting relationships, task design, and task complexity(2) Rewards and incentives may not be congruent with knowledge - sharing environments (3) Organizational cultureEtc. a) In his groundbreaking book, Peter Senge identified five "disciplines" to becoming a learning organization. Identify and briefly describe those five "disciplines." b) How would you shape an argument for why today, more than ever, the notion of learning organizations is so critical for sustainable organizational performance? Ans✔✔- a) Personal mastery, building a shared vision, mental models, team learning, and systems thinkingb)
Potential answers may touch on the following issues: rate of change in markets, greater reliance on team work, internationalization of businesses (globalization), the need for continuous learning, product cycles becoming shorter, growing complexity in most industries, demographic shifts, etc. List and briefly describe the five general categories of learning outcomes identified by Gagn é. Provide an example of each. Ans✔✔- The five categories are (1) verbal information - facts, knowledge, principles, and information, also called declarative knowledge; (2) intellectual skills - learning concepts, rules, and procedures, also called procedural knowledge;(3) cognitive strategies - application of information and techniques and knowing how and when to use them; (4) motor skills - physical movement that involves the use of muscles; and(5) attitudes - preferences and internal states as a result of our beliefs and feelings. a) Define locus of control. Differentiate between internal and external locus of control, and explain the impact of locus of control on training motivation. b) Postulate why those with an internal locus of control might have higher training motivation. Ans✔✔- a) Locus of control refers to people's beliefs about whether their behaviour is controlled mainly by internal or external forces. People with an internal locus of control believe that they can control their own behaviour, while those with an external locus of control believe that their behaviour is determined by outside forces. Locus of control is an important factor of training motivation, because those with an internal locus of control have higher training motivation. b) Students may have different views toward this answer as the textbook is silent on this issue. Possible answers may include the notion that if the trainee is ultimately responsible for his/her motivation level, he/she may in fact commit greater effort toward learning and effort is linked to training motivation. a) List and briefly describe the four characteristics goals must have in order to be motivational. b) An important characteristic of goals is the notion of "goal orientation." Identify two general types of goal orientations and provide a brief example of each. Ans✔✔- a) In order for a goal to be motivational, it must be specific in terms of its level and time frame, challenging enough to be difficult but not impossible to achieve, and accompanied by feedback in order to know whether or not progress is being made; finally, there must be a commitment to achieving the goal.b) Learning goals are process-oriented and focus on the learning process. They enhance understanding of the task and the use of task strategies. Performance
goals are outcome-oriented goals that focus attention on the achievement of specific performance outcomes. Many possible answers offer examples of learning goals and performance goals. For example, a sales person learning a five-step sales process wants to understand the linkages between each step in the sales process (learning orientation). The same sales person wants to attain the highest score on a sales class final exam (performance orientation). Compare and contrast the need theories developed by Maslow and Alderfer. Ans✔✔- Maslow developed a hierarchy of five needs: physiological, security, belongingness, esteem, and self- actualization. He argued that until a lower-level need is met, there is no motivation to meet the next-level need. Alderfer's theory has three levels: existence (similar to Maslow's physiological and security needs), relatedness (similar to belongingness), and growth (similar to esteem and self-actualization). Alderfer's theory differs because he argued that the hierarchy is not rigid, so one can address a higher-level need while a lower-level need is still unmet Contrast the learning needs of children vs. the learning needs of adults in terms of personality, motivation, roles, openness and barriers to change, experience, and orientation to learning.Now that you have contrasted the learning needs of children vs. adults, identify how an instructor could use those differences to enhance the learning experience of students. Ans✔✔- Children have a dependent personality, while adults have independent personalities. Children are extrinsically motivated and adults are intrinsically motivated. Children have few roles (student, child), while adults have many roles (employee, parent, spouse, citizen, etc.). Children are open to change, while adults have ingrained habits and attitudes. While children have few barriers to change, adults have many including the possibility of a negative self-concept, limited opportunities and time, and being exposed to inappropriate teaching methods. Children have limited experience to draw on, while adults have vast experience. The orientation to learning is subject-centred for children, and problem-centred for adults. Look for students to link each of the variables above with a specific pre/during class activity that would support learning for children and adults. There are many alternatives to training when solving performance problems. Identify and briefly describe three such alternatives. Ans✔✔- Three alternatives to training for solving performance problems are: (1) feedback—give employees performance feedback so they can compare their performance to their goal and regulate their own behaviour and performance;(2) goal setting—help the employee set performance goals that are specific and challenging as a way of increasing their motivation; and