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CHAPTER TWO: ALIGNING TRAINING WITH STRATEGY
MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. Strategic planning is best defined as
A) The development of a relatively long-term mission consistent
with internal tactics.
B) The development of relatively short-term objectives that
meet the executive committee objectives.
C) A process for determining how best to pursue the
organization’s mission while meeting the demands of the
environment.
D) The development of values and ideals of the organization
relevant to long-term objectives.
Page Ref: 27
2. Strategic planning that focuses on the long term is a(n)
A) Reactive strategy.
B) Proactive strategy.
C) Less formal analysis.
D) Objective setting process.
Page Ref: 27
3. HRD should be involved in strategic planning by
A) Helping shape strategy.
B) Influencing the HR strategy.
C) Developing its own strategy in line with the strategic plan.
D) Both B & C.
E) All of the above.
Page Ref: 28
4. Which of the following is a market leader strategy?
A) Keep costs low
B) Develop new markets
C) Development of economies of scale
D) None of the above
E) All of the above
Page Ref: 29
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5. The defender strategy is also referred to as
A) Differentiator.
B) Innovator.
C) Cost leader.
D) Market leader.
E) Market follower.
Page Ref: 29
6. Which of the following statements is true in an uncertain environment?
A) The organization must rigidly define operating methods.
B) A market leader strategy is the best strategy to adopt.
C) There is less complexity in the environment.
D) Cost leader strategy is the best strategy to adopt.
Page Ref: 30
7. Low uncertainty in the external environment is created by
A) High complexity and low stability.
B) Low stability and low complexity.
C) High stability and low complexity.
D) Both A & B.
Page Ref: 30
8. __________ refers to the number of factors in an organization’s
environment and how they are interrelated.
A) Environmental uncertainty
B) Environmental flexibility
C) Environmental complexity
D) Environmental stability
E) None of the above
Page Ref: 30
9. A non-routine technology label is applied to tasks that have
A) Well structured and defined solutions to occurring problems.
B) Few problems.
C) Problems that occur often and unexpectedly.
D) A high degree of predictability.
E) All of the above.
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Page Ref: 31
10. You would typically associate routine technology with which of the
following?
A) Those with market leader strategies
B) A low degree of predictability of outcomes or results
C) No defined solutions when problems do occur
D) Highly specialized technologies
E) All of the above are associated with routine technologies
Page Ref: 31
11. Organizational design refers to
A) The type of technology used.
B) The type and style of decision making used.
C) How the division of labor is set up.
D) Both B & C.
E) None of the above.
Page Ref: 32
12. A mechanistic design is best applied in which of the following
situations?
A) Non-routine technologies
B) Small businesses
C) High volume assembly lines
D) Where there are not clear answers to many of the problems
that arise
E) A & D
Page Ref: 32
13. What is one reason companies should invest in strategic HR?
A) To be able to grow
B) To increase their market value
C) To centralize their strategies
D) To involve management
Page Ref: 33
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14. According to the text, the strategic planning process at Hewlett
Packard Canada in the late 1980’s resulted in
A) The sales force reorganizing around specific products.
B) A concentration on the laser printer and increasing the profit
margin on each unit.
C) Hewlett Packard being one of the toughest competitors in the
marketplace.
D) Both A & C.
Page Ref: 34
15. How can HRD align itself with the organization’s strategies?
A) By developing training that focuses on the market
B) By developing training to meet strategic performance
objectives
C) By delivering training to the right people
D) Both B & C are correct
E) None of the above
Page Ref: 35
16. Organizational development is best defined as
A) A profession that deals with reacting to changes in the
external environment.
B) A profession and field of study that creates and implements
planned change in organizations.
C) A profession and field of study that deals with creating and
implementing new ideas in the organization.
D) A field of study and profession that deals with explaining
serendipitous events.
Page Ref: 35
17. Which of the following is NOT a step in the generic planned change
model?
A) Goals are developed and handed down by a centralized top
management team.
B) A compelling need for change is established.
C) The results of the approach are evaluated.
D) An approach to addressing the cause is selected.
E) All of the above are steps in a general planned change model.
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Page Ref: Table 2-1, p. 36
18. Which of the following statements is true regarding change?
A) Resistance is most often from non-management personnel.
B) Change requires effort and new learning.
C) Resistance is easily overcome.
D) The change process should only focus on the individual,
group, or organizational level, not on all three.
E) OD practitioners and trainers have a similar tactical focus in
dealing with change.
Page Ref: 36-39
19. What can be done to reduce resistance to change?
A) Focus on changing one level (organizational, group, and
individual) at a time.
B) Involve employees.
C) Let those who are satisfied with the status quo lead the way.
D) Both A & B.
E) All of the above.
Page Ref: 37
20. Which of the following is NOT a source of conflict and disagreement
between OD and training professionals?
A) The difference between their perceived role and power base.
B) The nature of OD practices challenges assumptions
underlying organizational practices.
C) OD principles interfere with the implementation of effective
training programs.
D) OD professionals are more likely to be guided by data than
training professionals.
E) Companies typically organize around their functional areas.
Page Ref: 39
21. A reason there might be conflict among HRD and OD professionals is
that the OD practitioner
A) Has a more tactical approach.
B) Tends to be seen as overly analytical.
C) Deals with mostly middle management.
D) Both A & B.
E) Both A & C.
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Page Ref: 39
22. OD interventions could be implemented more successfully if they
included training where employees
A) Developed a common knowledge and skill base in the area of
the intervention.
B) Understood group dynamics and became skilled at working
within groups.
C) Understood and became skilled at using a common
problem-solving model.
D) Both A & C.
E) All of the above.
Page Ref: 41
23. The outsourcing of training
A) Is useful when the company is large and has diverse training
needs.
B) Is often used by small business.
C) Is not a good idea when you have a decentralized HRD
function.
D) A & B
E) All of the above.
Page Ref: 44
24. Which best explains the strategic training alternative of the internal
provider?
A) All or most training developed in house, each phase handled
by specialists, and needs developed from a decentralized
HRD function
B) All or most training purchased from outside sources, each
phase handled by specialists, and needs developed from a
centralized HRD function
C) All or most training activities provided by outside trainers
and training function’s role is to select and manage training
suppliers
D) All or most training developed in house, each phase handled
by specialists, and needs developed from a centralized HRD
function
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Page Ref: 44
25. Most companies use the _____ strategy when addressing their training
and development needs.
A) Primary provider
B) Mixed
C) Manager intermediary
D) Both A & C
Page Ref: 46
26. Which of the following is a reason why some small businesses do not
engage in strategic planning?
A) Time constraints
B) Unfamiliarity
C) Lack of skills
D) Lack of trust
E) All of the above
Page Ref: 47
27. Cavalier Tool and Manufacturing decided not to pursue ISO
certification because
A) They could not afford the cost associated with certification.
B) They had attempted certification a few years earlier and it
had been unsuccessful.
C) Sometimes a customer required a “down and dirty” mold
which would not be allowed under ISO certification.
D) The owner was not interested in certification.
Page Ref: 49
TRUE/FALSE QUESTIONS
28. ___Competitive strategy focuses on positioning products and services
in the marketplace.
29. ___If the external environment is highly complex and highly stable,
there is low uncertainty.
30. ___The main activity associated with producing an organization’s
principle products and services is often called the core technology.
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31. ___Organizational design refers to the way the work is divided and
organized.
32. ___HRD contributes to the development of new strategies.
33. ___Trainers and OD practitioners have problems getting along because
trainers tend to be more strategic and more overly analytical than OD
practitioners.
34. ___Force field analysis is a type of analysis used in a TNA.
35. ___ The internal provider is a strategic training alternative whereby the
training department provides all or most of the training for the
organization.
36. ___A small business is much more likely to be involved in strategic
planning than a larger one because it is easier for them.
Answer: (F; Table 2.4, p. 48)
37. Name and briefly describe the three components to organization
structure that are discussed in the text.
38. Should an organization’s strategies be reactive, proactive, or both?
Support your answer.
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ESSAY QUESTION
39. HRD and OD seem to complement one another but do not often work
together in an organization. What are some of the reasons for this lack
of cooperation? Why do HRD professionals need OD competencies
and OD professionals need training competencies?
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