Deck 9: Developing Employees for Future Success

Question 1

Most employee development occurs through formal education programs.

Answer 1

False
Explanation: Most employee development occurs through job experiences-the combination of relationships, problems, demands, tasks, and other features of an employee's jobs.

Question 2

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a valuable tool for understanding communication styles,appraising employees' performance,and evaluating employees' promotion potential.

Answer 2

False
Explanation: The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator identifies individuals' preferences for source of energy, means of information gathering, way of decision making, and lifestyle.

Question 3

In a self-assessment,the organization's responsibility is to identify opportunities and areas that need improvement.

Answer 3

False
Explanation: Self-assessment refers to the use of information by employees to determine their career interests, values, aptitudes, and behavioral tendencies. The employee's responsibility is to identify opportunities and personal areas needing improvement. The organization's responsibility is to provide assessment information for identifying strengths, weaknesses, interests, and values.

Question 4

In goal setting,it is the employee's responsibility to identify the goal and the method of determining his/her progress toward that goal.

Question 5

An organization can use downward moves as a source of job experience.

Question 6

Research suggests that assessment center ratings are valid for predicting performance,salary level,and career advancement.

Question 7

A performance appraisal process must identify causes of the performance discrepancy and develop plans for improving performance.

Question 8

The most frequent uses of assessment are to identify employees with managerial potential to measure current managers' strengths and weaknesses.

Question 9

Mentoring programs tend to be more successful when they are compulsory.

Question 10

Research on the validity,reliability,and effectiveness of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is inconclusive.

Question 11

The temporary cross-functional move is the least common way to use downward moves for employee development.

Question 12

Assessment centers are primarily used to identify employees' technical skills.

Question 13

Development implies learning that is not necessarily related to the employee's current job.

Question 14

A protean career is one that frequently changes based on changes in a person's interests,abilities,and values and in the work environment.

Question 15

Basic career management systems involve the four sequential steps of recruiting,relocation,reality check,and action planning.

Question 16

Employees on sabbatical generally do not receive their salary or benefits.

Question 17

Job rotation increases employees' understanding of different company functions.

Question 18

Coaches are peers or managers who work with other employees to motivate them,help them develop their skills,and provide them with reinforcement and feedback.

Question 19

Approaches to employee development fall into four broad categories: formal education,assessment,job experiences,and interpersonal relationships.

Question 20

According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator,individuals with a Feeling (F)preference try always to be objective in making decisions,whereas individuals with a Thinking (T)preference are more subjective.

Question 21

Collecting information and providing feedback to employees about their behavior is called _____.

A) internship
B) job enlargement
C) assessment
D) job rotation
E) externship

Question 22

The decision-making dimension of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator relates to the:

A) steps or actions individuals take when making decisions.
B) amount of consideration given to others' feelings when making a decision.
C) individuals' tendency to be flexible and adaptable.
D) confidence and speed with which decisions are reached.
E) individual's interpersonal strength and vitality.

Question 23

The energy dichotomy of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator indicates _____.

A) the preparations individuals make before making decisions
B) the amount of consideration individuals give to their own and others' values and feelings
C) individuals' degree of introversion or extroversion
D) the hard facts of a situation
E) individuals' tendency to be either flexible or structured

Question 24

Which of the following is true of protean careers?

A) Employees look for organizations to provide job security.
B) Employees take lesser responsibility for managing protean careers than for traditional careers.
C) A protean career is one that does does not change frequently.
D) Based on the psychological contract, employees look for organizations to provide development opportunities.
E) Protean careers are characterized by frequent changes due to changes in the person's desired level of compensation.

Question 25

According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator,individuals with a Sensing (S)preference:

A) enjoy surprises.
B) tend to rush into decision making.
C) tend to focus less on possibilities and relationships among facts.
D) focus on interpersonal relationships.
E) tend to gather the facts and details to prepare for a decision.

Question 26

According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator,Extroverted types (E)gain energy through:

A) interpersonal relationships.
B) personal thoughts.
C) gathering facts and details.
D) establishing goals.
E) inner feelings.

Question 27

According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator,individuals with a Perceiving (P)preference:

A) are conclusive and focused on goals.
B) are comfortable with changing a decision.
C) like deadlines.
D) focus more on possibilities and relationships among facts.
E) do not like surprises.

Question 28

The outcome of action planning often takes the form of a career development plan.

Question 29

Women and minorities often have trouble finding mentors.

Question 30

According to the lifestyle dichotomy of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator,individuals with a _____ preference enjoy surprises and dislike deadlines.

A) Judging (J)
B) Perceiving (P)
C) Thinking (T)
D) Feeling (F)
E) Sensing (S)

Question 31

The development of high-potential employees is a slow process.

Question 32

Protean careers require that employees:

A) look for organizations to provide job security.
B) take responsibility to manage their own careers.
C) be specialized at repetitive tasks.
D) look for organizations for a career ladder to climb to higher positions.
E) focus on holding on to their jobs to avoid being laid off.

Question 33

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)identifies individuals' preferences for source of energy,means of information gathering,way of decision making,and _____.

A) succession planning
B) self-assessment
C) lifestyle
D) value system
E) goal setting

Question 34

According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator,Introverted types (I)gain energy by _____.

A) focusing on inner thoughts
B) focusing on interpersonal relationships
C) gathering facts and details
D) focusing less on facts and more on possibilities
E) trying to be objective in making decisions

Question 35

_____ help(s)employees select development activities that prepare them to meet their career goals.

A) Career path
B) Training
C) Policy analysis
D) Job sharing
E) Career management

Question 36

Research indicates that dysfunctional managerial behaviors,such as arrogance and insensitivity,can rarely be effectively dealt with in development programs.

Question 37

Which of the following is true of development?

A) It focuses only on helping employees improve performance of their current jobs.
B) The use of work experience is low in development.
C) Participation in development is voluntary.
D) It s not related to preparing employees for changes.
E) It is linked to fixed business goals.

Question 38

Which of the following is true of the relationship between training and development?

A) Training is future oriented, while development is focused on improvement of current job.
B) The use of work experience is high in training, but low in development.
C) Participation in training is voluntary, but compulsory in development.
D) The goal of training is preparation for the current job, while the goal of development is preparation for changes in the current job.
E) Training is often an ongoing process while development tends to be short-term process.

Question 39

Succession planning focuses on high-potential employees.

Question 40

The four general approaches that companies use to develop employees include:

A) formal education, assessment, job experiences, and interpersonal relationships.
B) job rotation, promotion, transfer, and job sharing.
C) psychological tests, assessment centers, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and performance feedback.
D) business games, formal courses, team building, and assessment.
E) TQM, Six Sigma, lean manufacturing, and quality function deployment.

Question 41

The primary use of assessment centers is to identify:

A) whether employees have the personality characteristics and skills needed for managerial positions.
B) the strengths and weaknesses of the organization.
C) the decision processes and communication styles that inhibit production.
D) the opportunities and threats of an organization.
E) the factors that inhibit group performance.

Question 42

Using job experiences for development assumes that:

A) development occurs only when job demands involve obstacles.
B) development occurs only through promotions.
C) development is most likely to occur when employees experience high levels of negative stress in their jobs.
D) development is most likely to occur when employee's skills and experiences do not entirely match the skills required for the current job.
E) development is most likely to occur when the employee has the prerequisite skills to perform the job.

Question 43

How does 360-degree feedback help organizations?

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

Question 44

In assessment centers,typically,each assessor observes and records _____ employees' behaviors in each exercise.

A) six or seven
B) four or five
C) eight or nine
D) one or two
E) ten or eleven

Question 45

Which of the following is true of in-basket exercises?

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

Question 46

Which of the following skills do managers demonstrate if they accomplish tasks through managing others?

A) Compassion and sensitivity
B) Straightforwardness and composure
C) Team orientation
D) Decisiveness
E) Self-awareness

Question 47

An employee's tolerance for uncertainty and the ability to get along with others are assessed in _____.

A) leaderless group discussions
B) in-basket exercises
C) personality tests
D) role-plays
E) interviews

Question 48

Job rotation involves:

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

Question 49

According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator,individuals who are Introverted,Sensing,Thinking,and Judging (known as ISTJs):

A) appear to their colleagues to be too task-oriented.
B) tend to take a lot of time to make decisions.
C) are perceived as friendly and outgoing.
D) respond well to unexpected opportunities.
E) are mostly unorganized and impractical.

Question 50

The measurement tool Benchmarks focuses on measuring:

A) an organization's performance against major competitors.
B) a manager's use of skills associated with success in managing.
C) the output of a group or team of employees.
D) performance differences among employees.
E) employees' progress in carrying out their action plans.

Question 51

The 360-degree feedback process:

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

Question 52

Which of the following statements about Benchmarks is true?

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

Question 53

Which of the following is true of job enlargement?

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

Question 54

Which of the following assessment center exercises is being used when a team of five to seven employees is assigned a problem and must work together to solve it within a certain time period?

A) Interview session
B) Leaderless group discussion
C) Role playing
D) In-basket exercise
E) Personality test

Question 55

Which of the following is true about an assessment center?

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

Question 56

Which of the following skills do managers demonstrate if they show genuine interest in others?

A) Compassion and sensitivity
B) Straightforwardness and composure
C) Team orientation
D) Decisiveness
E) Self-awareness

Question 57

Identify the skill related to a successful manager.

A) Accomplishes tasks by completing all the tasks himself/herself
B) Is willing to sacrifice personal life for work life
C) Is infallible and leads by the telling-and-selling approach
D) Can behave in ways that are often seen as opposites
E) Prefers slow and precise actions for management situations

Question 58

Most employee development occurs through:

A) performance appraisals.
B) job experiences.
C) formal education.
D) technical training.
E) interpersonal relationships.

Question 59

Which of the following is true of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)?

A) It is an appropriate tool for measuring job performance.
B) People who take the MBTI generally do not find it to be an enjoyable experience.
C) MBTI scores are stable over time.
D) The MBTI is a valuable tool for understanding communication styles.
E) Research has concluded that the MBTI is highly valid, reliable, and effective.

Question 60

Which of the following is a potential problem of job rotation?

A) Employees typically develop a short-term perspective on problems and solutions.
B) Employees generally earn less.
C) Promotions usually take longer.
D) Employees typically develop specialized skills but fail to use them due to quick rotations.
E) It decreases employees' understanding of different company functions.

Question 61

Which of the following helps identify employees' preferences for working in different types of environments like sales and counseling?

A) Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
B) Self-Directed Search
C) Leaderless group discussion
D) Occupational Outlook Handbook
E) Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory

Question 62

Which of the following is true about a transfer?

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

Question 63

The _____ is a self-assessment tool that helps employees identify their occupational and job interests.

A) Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
B) Self-Directed Search
C) Leaderless group discussion
D) Occupational Outlook Handbook
E) Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory

Question 64

A peer or manager who works closely with an employee to motivate him/her,help him/her develop skills,and provide reinforcement and feedback is known as a:

A) protégé.
B) coach.
C) moderator.
D) high-potential employee.
E) facilitator.

Question 65

Allowing employees to take a full-time temporary position at another company is known as a(n):

A) transfer.
B) expatriate assignment.
C) sabbatical.
D) externship.
E) lateral move.

Question 66

Which of the following is a characteristic of a successful formal mentoring program?

A) Mentor and protégé participation is mandatory.
B) Managers are rewarded for employee development.
C) Mentors are chosen on a random basis.
D) Mentors become therapists for their protégés.
E) Mentor-protégé relationships are artificially created.

Question 67

A move to a job with a similar level of responsibility within the same organization is called a(n):

A) externship.
B) promotion.
C) downward move.
D) upward move.
E) lateral move.

Question 68

Acting as a mentor gives managers:

A) career support and sponsorship.
B) increased visibility among the organization's managers.
C) a chance to talk about their worries.
D) a chance to develop their interpersonal skills.
E) more chances of being promoted.

Question 69

The career management process starts with:

A) self-assessment.
B) goal setting.
C) reality checking.
D) identifying the steps and timetable to reach a goal.
E) specifying competencies to be developed.

Question 70

Which of the following is true about job rotation?

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

Question 71

What is the employee's responsibility in the data gathering stage of career management?

A) To identify opportunities and areas needing improvement
B) To communicate performance evaluations
C) To identify steps and a timetable to reach goals
D) To provide assessment information to identify strengths, weaknesses, interests, and values
E) To ensure that goals are specific, challenging, and attainable

Question 72

The step in the career management process in which employees receive information about their skills and knowledge and where these assets fit into the organization's plans is called:

A) self-assessment.
B) feedback.
C) goal setting.
D) action planning.
E) data gathering.

Question 73

In the feedback step of the career management process,the employee is primarily responsible for:

A) ensuring that the goal is specific, challenging, and attainable.
B) identifying company resources needed to reach goals.
C) identifying what skills he/she could realistically develop in light of the opportunities available.
D) identifying resources needed, including courses, work experiences, and relationships.
E) identifying strengths, weaknesses, interests, and values.

Question 74

Which of the following is a component of a basic career management system?

A) Stress management
B) Goal setting
C) Externship
D) Team building
E) Workplace ethics

Question 75

The organization may demote an employee to a lower-level position:

A) to provide greater challenges to him/her.
B) so that the employee can learn different skills.
C) to increase the employee's visibility.
D) so that the employee can get more authority.
E) to give him/her more responsibility.

Question 76

The step in the career management process in which psychological tests,such as Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory,are used is:

A) follow-up.
B) reality check.
C) goal setting.
D) action planning.
E) data gathering.

Question 77

Usually the employer conducts the reality check as part of a performance appraisal or as the _____ stage of performance management.

A) self-assessment
B) action planning
C) goal setting
D) data gathering
E) feedback

Question 78

Providing employees with the opportunity to get away from the day-to-day stresses of their job and acquire new skills and perspectives is known as a(n):

A) transfer.
B) expatriate assignment.
C) sabbatical.
D) externship.
E) downward move.

Question 79

A mentor is generally a(n):

A) employee's peer who provides friendship and guidance.
B) employee's manager who provides feedback on performance.
C) employee's family member who provides emotional and financial support.
D) experienced, productive senior employee who helps develop a protégé.
E) experienced person who disseminates knowledge to the entire organization.

Question 80

Which of the following is true of mentoring?

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