Deck 9: Developing Careers

Question 1

Career development is best defined as a:

A)one-time event or opportunity to enhance long-term skills.
B)formal, organized, ongoing effort to develop people skills.
C)highly selective process which guarantees success.
D)process that focuses on immediate job requirements.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Initial career development efforts focused on the individual. As the field advanced, it integrated career development into organizational needs.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Which of the following best explains why the career development field has experienced significant change in recent decades?

A)More college graduates pursue careers with non-profit organizations.
B)Self-employment is a preferred career path for professionals.
C)Career paths are less structured and predictable.
D)Job security is an important career element.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Who is responsible for an employee's career development in most modern companies?

A)Supervisors
B)HR department
C)Employees
D)Organization

Question 5

Currently, firms primarily view career development as a way to meet all of the following goals EXCEPT:

A)reducing job burnout.
B)reinforcing affirmative action.
C)improving quality of work life.
D)expanding tenure opportunities.

Question 6

Mergers, acquisitions, and downsizings have shifted the responsibility of career development from employees to employers.

Question 7

Initially, companies viewed career development as a program to meet organizational needs. Now, it is also looked upon as a way to meet employees' needs. This shift in perspective is most likely due to all of the following EXCEPT:

A)the pressures of downsizing.
B)the pressures of technological change.
C)employee demands for career advancement opportunities.
D)the need for global firms to meet short-term strategic goals.

Question 8

________ is an ongoing and formalized effort that focuses on developing enriched and more capable workers.

Question 9

Lillian, the VP of HR, insists that a career development program should be implemented at Dresses, Inc. She notes that employee turnover is increasing and many employees complain that they feel stuck in dead-end jobs. Patty, the president of HR, claims that due to the recent economic downturn, it is impossible to implement such a program. From this scenario, it is most likely that:

A)Lillian does not recognize the cost-benefit factors in implementing a career development program.
B)Patty does not place enough importance upon the vital need of career development.
C)Lillian overestimates the value of career development.
D)Patty is more economically savvy than Lillian.

Question 10

Chloe, Operations Manager of Brant International, is trying to encourage employee empowerment in the business. She supports letting employees take total responsibility for their career development. As the head of HR, you would most likely:

A)realize that giving total responsibility to employees may leave them without the guidance and understanding they need to develop their careers.
B)agree that while this is done in most companies, it is too expensive for Brant to implement at this time.
C)follow her suggestion, knowing that employee empowerment of this sort will increase worker morale and productivity.
D)believe that the company should play the most active role in employees' career development.

Question 11

Career development differs from training by its purpose, its content, and its time frame.

Question 12

The purpose of career development has changed over time and shifted its focus from the:

A)organization to both the organization and the individual.
B)individual to the organization.
C)organization to the individual.
D)individual to the community.

Question 13

Tomas is considering his company's most critical needs and challenges in the future and his own strengths and interests. Tomas is most likely in the process of:

A)linking his needs to the firm's needs.
B)laying the groundwork for a mentoring program.
C)establishing a management development program.
D)evaluating the marketability of his skills in a global setting.

Question 14

A number of events and forces in the business environment have shaped the move in career development from corporate to individual responsibility, including:

A)increasing stock option opportunities.
B)the empowerment movement.
C)global recruiting efforts.
D)hiring increases.

Question 15

Career development in traditional bureaucratic organizations differs from that in more modern organizations in that:

A)bureaucratic organizations left career development solely to the employees, while modern organizations implement career development for employees.
B)bureaucratic organizations supported employee empowerment, while most modern organizations shy away from employee empowerment.
C)bureaucratic organizations saw career development as something that was done "for" employees, while modern organizations view it as something in which the employee must play a role.
D)bureaucratic organizations saw career development as something that would improve the individual employee, while modern organizations see career development as something that will improve the company as a whole.

Question 16

Additional Case 9.1
Ron, the CEO at CableNet, wants to invest in career development because he is concerned that the firm is not prepared to meet future needs and challenges. Rudy, the operations manager, states that CableNet has already invested significantly in employee training, and a career development program would be a costly duplication. Rudy produces a recent productivity and quality study that shows significant improvement among employees to support his assertion that a development program is unnecessary. Charles, an IT manager, states that most supervisors currently discuss career options with their subordinates as part of the management process. Charles asserts that managers are taking care of their employees well enough and that nothing else is necessary. Tanya, the HR director, suggests that assigning employees to various jobs would give them a wider base of skills at a minimal expense. She asserts that an active career development program would help the company with EEO-related matters, which are a concern to her. The workforce is about 30% female and 45% minority, but upper management is 100% Asian-American male.
Refer to Additional Case 9.1. Rudy's comments most likely suggest that he:

A)is confused between the concepts of training and development.
B)realizes the importance of meeting employee career demands.
C)hopes to retain the most competent employees for many years.
D)dislikes the idea of linking career development with performance appraisals.

Question 17

Additional Case 9.1
Ron, the CEO at CableNet, wants to invest in career development because he is concerned that the firm is not prepared to meet future needs and challenges. Rudy, the operations manager, states that CableNet has already invested significantly in employee training, and a career development program would be a costly duplication. Rudy produces a recent productivity and quality study that shows significant improvement among employees to support his assertion that a development program is unnecessary. Charles, an IT manager, states that most supervisors currently discuss career options with their subordinates as part of the management process. Charles asserts that managers are taking care of their employees well enough and that nothing else is necessary. Tanya, the HR director, suggests that assigning employees to various jobs would give them a wider base of skills at a minimal expense. She asserts that an active career development program would help the company with EEO-related matters, which are a concern to her. The workforce is about 30% female and 45% minority, but upper management is 100% Asian-American male.
Refer to Additional Case 9.1. Charles' comments suggest that the company's career development efforts are primarily based on:

A)job rotation.
B)mentoring.
C)coaching.
D)training.

Question 18

Unlike training, career development:

A)has a short-term focus.
B)is initiated by employees.
C)has a broad scope.
D)benefits the organization.

Question 19

Additional Case 9.1
Ron, the CEO at CableNet, wants to invest in career development because he is concerned that the firm is not prepared to meet future needs and challenges. Rudy, the operations manager, states that CableNet has already invested significantly in employee training, and a career development program would be a costly duplication. Rudy produces a recent productivity and quality study that shows significant improvement among employees to support his assertion that a development program is unnecessary. Charles, an IT manager, states that most supervisors currently discuss career options with their subordinates as part of the management process. Charles asserts that managers are taking care of their employees well enough and that nothing else is necessary. Tanya, the HR director, suggests that assigning employees to various jobs would give them a wider base of skills at a minimal expense. She asserts that an active career development program would help the company with EEO-related matters, which are a concern to her. The workforce is about 30% female and 45% minority, but upper management is 100% Asian-American male.
Refer to Additional Case 9.1. Which of the following best describes Ron's primary concern?

A)Ensuring that the organization has a diverse and well-trained staff
B)Preparing employees for anticipated management openings
C)Helping employees balance their work and personal lives
D)Matching employee strengths and interests

Question 20

Which of the following most likely suggests that career development is emphasized too much in an organization?

A)Employees take total responsibility for their career development.
B)Employees spend time with supervisors seeking career advice.
C)Employees make numerous lateral moves within a department.
D)Employee job performance is neglected for networking opportunities.

Question 21

Which of the following is LEAST likely a negative aspect of career development programs that foster unrealistic advancement expectations?

A)Employee dissatisfaction
B)Poor performance
C)Increased turnover
D)Discrimination

Question 22

Additional Case 9.1
Ron, the CEO at CableNet, wants to invest in career development because he is concerned that the firm is not prepared to meet future needs and challenges. Rudy, the operations manager, states that CableNet has already invested significantly in employee training, and a career development program would be a costly duplication. Rudy produces a recent productivity and quality study that shows significant improvement among employees to support his assertion that a development program is unnecessary. Charles, an IT manager, states that most supervisors currently discuss career options with their subordinates as part of the management process. Charles asserts that managers are taking care of their employees well enough and that nothing else is necessary. Tanya, the HR director, suggests that assigning employees to various jobs would give them a wider base of skills at a minimal expense. She asserts that an active career development program would help the company with EEO-related matters, which are a concern to her. The workforce is about 30% female and 45% minority, but upper management is 100% Asian-American male.
Refer to Additional Case 9.1. Tanya's comments show that the company is most likely facing the challenge of:

A)meeting the needs of a diverse workforce.
B)forming unrealistic employee expectations.
C)overemphasizing career advancement.
D)investing too much in development.

Question 23

Many companies view career development as a good way to prevent job burnout.

Question 24

The "glass ceiling" is best defined as the:

A)official boundary in an organization that prohibits minorities and women from rising to upper-level job positions.
B)filtering of minority group members and women into non-revenue producing areas of a business.
C)informal barrier that prevents women and minorities from advancing their careers within firms.
D)expansion of opportunities for minorities and women in the workplace required by EEO laws.

Question 25

The two-income family is becoming increasingly common.

Question 26

Barriers to the advancement of women and minorities are clearly visible and can be eliminated through career development strategies.

Question 27

Ken and Vicki are a dual-career couple. Ken has received an overseas assignment, but Vicki is concerned that she will be unable to obtain employment authorization. How does the text suggest handling such issues?

A)Encouraging Vicki to telecommute
B)Helping Vicki obtain a temporary resident visa
C)Paying for Ken and Vicki to visit each other monthly
D)Offering Ken another position from the firm's main office

Question 28

Which of the following is NOT a common issue associated with dual-career couples?

A)Experiencing conflicts between personal lives and career lives
B)Needing flexible scheduling to handle childcare responsibilities
C)Struggling with career advancements that involve a geographic move
D)Requiring additional health care benefits to cover both members of the couple

Question 29

The employee-empowerment approach to career development is especially beneficial in flat organizations where advancement opportunities are greater.

Question 30

The glass-ceiling phenomenon affects women more in South Korea than in the U.S.

Question 31

According to a 1991 government study on the "glass ceiling":

A)women were excluded from formal recruitment efforts.
B)employers failed to provide formal career development programs.
C)women and minorities were held back from lower-level management positions.
D)minorities and disabled workers were excluded from upper-level management positions.

Question 32

Marcus is trying to encourage his employees to think and plan for their future careers. He's concerned, however, that he might create or feed unrealistic expectations. Marcus is most likely trying to answer which of the following questions?

A)How much career emphasis is enough?
B)Who's responsible for career development?
C)How does one meet the needs of a diverse workforce?
D)Whose goals should be met, those of the organization or the individual?

Question 33

In the past, career development in bureaucratic organizations was initiated and driven by the employees themselves, but now, employees take up less of a role in their individual career development.

Question 34

When both members of a couple have careers and occupational responsibilities, their personal lives are less likely to affect their performance.

Question 35

If career development is over-emphasized, the organization may suffer when employees become more concerned about their image than their actual performance.

Question 36

Which of the following is most likely a true statement?

A)The glass ceiling is a problem exclusive to the United States.
B)Women and minorities tend to be excluded from informal career development efforts.
C)Since the 1991 glass ceiling study, women have attained appropriate representation in directorship positions.
D)Barriers to women and minorities in the workplace no longer exist as a result of government intervention programs.

Question 37

Dual-career couples are best described as couples:

A)who participate in career development programs.
B)whose members both have career issues at stake.
C)whose members have both received career counseling.
D)who are able to combine work life and home life.

Question 38

Too much of an emphasis on career development can be detrimental to an organization by creating unrealistic expectations, leading to dissatisfaction and poor performance.

Question 39

Nearly ________% of all couples are working couples.

A)90
B)80
C)75
D)50

Question 40

A couple whose members both have occupational responsibilities and career issues at stake is referred to as a(n)________.

Question 41

Lorraine is attending a company program that seeks to help employees understand career options within the company and provide them with feedback about their career strategies. This program is probably:

A)an organizational assessment.
B)a career-planning workshop.
C)an employee orientation.
D)a skill assessment exercise.

Question 42

Han is going through the process of identifying his skills, values, and interests. He is in the ________ phase of career development.

A)education
B)discovery
C)direction
D)assessment

Question 43

A promotability forecast:

A)projects the advancement potential of employees.
B)analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of employees.
C)predicts the need for managers over a specified period.
D)reviews key employees' underlying skills and interests.

Question 44

Which of the following is a self-assessment tool?

A)Career workbooks
B)Psychological testing
C)Succession planning
D)Performance appraisals

Question 45

B.J. is using a self-assessment tool that prioritizes his key values. He is using a(n):

A)psychological values profile.
B)interest inventory.
C)skills proficiency test.
D)values clarification instrument.

Question 46

Corrine is doing an exercise in her career workbook that involves rating the importance of security, power, money, and family in her life. This exercise is most likely a(n):

A)values clarification exercise.
B)interest inventory.
C)skills assessment exercise.
D)psychological test.

Question 47

Your boss wants you to take a personality test, an attitude test, and an interest inventory as part of your promotion review process. Your boss is putting you through:

A)an assessment center.
B)situational exercises.
C)succession planning.
D)psychological testing.

Question 48

Career development assessment is primarily for helping employees to do all of the following EXCEPT:

A)select a realistically obtainable career.
B)choose a career that is a good fit for them.
C)identify corporations that value career development.
D)determine the weaknesses they need to overcome in order to reach career goals.

Question 49

What are the primary challenges that firms typically face when implementing career development programs? How can firms address the additional challenge of dual-career couples?

Question 50

The two outer poles in the spectrum of assessment activities are:

A)self assessment and interactional assessment.
B)self assessment and organizational assessment.
C)organizational assessment and formal assessment.
D)self development and self assessment.

Question 51

A major self-assessment tool that permits employees to identify their strengths and weaknesses by answering written questions and completing written exercises is a:

A)psychological test.
B)performance appraisal.
C)career workbook.
D)aptitude assessment.

Question 52

Which of the following is an organizational assessment tool?

A)Career planning workshops
B)Career workbooks
C)Assessment centers
D)Interest inventories

Question 53

Samantha is working through an instrument that will help her identify her occupational interests. She is using a(n):

A)psychological profile.
B)interests inventory.
C)skills proficiency test.
D)values clarification instrument.

Question 54

Which of the following would most likely provide employees with information about career options within an organization?

A)Interest inventories
B)Performance appraisals
C)Career planning workshops
D)Assessment centers

Question 55

All of the following are common self-assessment activities EXCEPT:

A)completing an interests inventory.
B)participating in succession planning.
C)doing skills assessment exercises.
D)clarifying values.

Question 56

You want to use an organizational assessment tool to evaluate an employee's ability to handle certain situations specific to the job and to test for key skills. Your best choice of an assessment tool would be:

A)a psychological profile.
B)a performance appraisal review.
C)an interests inventory.
D)an assessment center.

Question 57

A pitfall of using performance appraisals as a tool for organizational assessment is that:

A)it assesses past performance and does not necessarily predict future performance.
B)the process makes employees nervous and initiates voluntary separations.
C)employees focus too much on their reputations rather than their job performance.
D)it fosters unrealistic expectations for career advancement opportunities.

Question 58

The use of performance appraisals in career development gives employees and the organization important insights into employees':

A)underlying skills.
B)interests and attitudes.
C)strengths and weaknesses.
D)future advancement potential.

Question 59

An in-basket exercise given to an employee for career development purposes would most likely focus on:

A)providing feedback to the worker.
B)comparing the worker to managers.
C)measuring the worker's past performance.
D)identifying the advancement potential of the worker.

Question 60

Career development tools such as psychological testing, assessment centers, and performance appraisals are also used in:

A)retraining programs.
B)employee selection.
C)socialization.
D)orientation.

Question 61

Succession planning:

A)requires psychological testing.
B)uses assessment centers to identify key employees.
C)is critical for small companies.
D)identifies future lower-level management needs.

Question 62

For career paths to be helpful, they need to contain information about:

A)pay and benefits at each level.
B)employee interests, education, and abilities.
C)qualifications and time between steps.
D)criteria for selecting applicants.

Question 63

________ is(are)an easy way to provide employees information about job opportunities.

A)Skill inventories
B)A job-posting system
C)An HRIS system
D)Career paths

Question 64

Most succession planning is:

A)required for firms with federal contracts.
B)performed according to a formal system.
C)handled informally by most firms.
D)identical to promotability forecasting.

Question 65

A(n)________ is a collection of career development materials.

A)career path
B)career workbook
C)organizational assessment
D)career resource center

Question 66

A career anchor is best described as an individual's:

A)strengths and weaknesses.
B)professional knowledge.
C)management skills.
D)core values.

Question 67

The determination of the type of career you want and what steps you need to take to make that career a reality best describe the ________ phase of career development.

A)assessment
B)direction
C)development
D)planning

Question 68

Mentoring is one program commonly used in the ________ phase of career development.

A)directing
B)development
C)allocating
D)assessment

Question 69

The direction phase is represented by employees':

A)personality traits.
B)mental soundness.
C)competencies.
D)interpersonal skills.

Question 70

Eileen is considering assignments, training programs, and development opportunities that she will need in preparation for being a general manager in the future. Eileen is in the:

A)development phase of her career development.
B)discovery phase of her career development.
C)assessment phase of her career development.
D)directional phase of her career development.

Question 71

A career development technique that especially helps small business owners, women, and minorities is:

A)retraining.
B)job rotation.
C)self assessment.
D)group mentoring.

Question 72

Jermaine is a retail associate at a music warehouse. He has recently received a booklet from management that outlines the qualifications and experience he needs to have in order to advance within the company. It shows different alternatives and jobs that he could fill in the future depending on the areas in which he wishes to train and specialize. Jermaine is probably reading a:

A)career path chart.
B)skills inventory.
C)job posting book.
D)career workbook.

Question 73

Mentoring programs:

A)are popular but typically unsuccessful.
B)are best when a formalized process.
C)make a real difference in careers.
D)develop during orientation.

Question 74

Individual career counseling is typically conducted by all of the following EXCEPT:

A)managers.
B)HR staff members.
C)co-workers.
D)professional counselors.

Question 75

For career development to be successful, it must:

A)focus solely on the needs of the employees.
B)focus solely on the needs of the organization.
C)be distinct from other HR efforts.
D)be integrated with other HR efforts.

Question 76

Company-maintained records of employees' abilities, skills, knowledge, and education are:

A)career paths.
B)job-posting systems.
C)assessment systems.
D)skills inventories.

Question 77

Businesses such as UPS minimize discrimination complaints regarding succession planning by:

A)providing training to all employees.
B)identifying potential external candidates.
C)using a formal talent identification process.
D)involving managers in the decision process.

Question 78

Mentoring is primarily a(n):

A)theory that has not been widely accepted among HR managers.
B)developmentally-oriented relationship between a senior and junior employees.
C)system whereby senior employees can groom lower-level employees to take their place.
D)assessment program to identify employee performance problems and offer solutions to employees.

Question 79

Which of the following actions would be LEAST likely to help a subordinate find career anchors?

A)Giving the worker opportunities to develop work standards
B)Offering the worker responsibility for a company program
C)Setting goals that are easily accomplished
D)Allowing for a flexible work schedule

Question 80

Kay is working with Charity to help Charity identify the type of career she wants and what steps to take to realize her goals. Kay and Charity are:

A)in the direction phase of career planning.
B)in the development phase of career planning.
C)conducting a self assessment of Charity.
D)working through an organizational assessment.