Test Bank
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CHAPTER 4—ASSESSING HRD NEEDS
TRUE/FALSE
1. A needs assessment should be the starting point for all HRD programs and is critical to program success.
2. A job description is a narrative statement of the major activities involved in performing a job and conditions under which these
duties are performed.
3. A job analysis is the systematic study of the environment job is performed within.
4. In general it is preferable to use more than one method of task identification when studying a job.
5. Immediate supervisors should not be involved in a person analysis.
6. A diagnostic person analysis involves determining the overall success of individual employee performance.
7. The ultimate goal of HRD is to improve an organization’s effectiveness.
8. The ISD approach stands for Institutional Systems Design.
9. The gap a TNA identifies is the difference between what an organization expects to happen and what actually takes place.
10. The three levels of needs analysis are: Strategic/organizational, task and team.
11. A task analysis asks the question: What must be done to perform the job effectively.
12. The organizational climate has little to do with the success of an HRD program.
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13. “Found data” is data that comes from new surveys conducted by the HRD department.
14. The stimulus-response-feedback method of task identification breaks each task into four components.
15. An ability is a general or enduring trait that a person possesses.
16. Boeing was recognized by the ASTD as part of its benchmarking forum.
17. Performance appraisal information can always be considered to be accurate.
18. When using multiple rater sources it is important that all raters agree on their rating.
19. The main advantage of a 360 degree format is that employees are observed from people with different perspectives on the
employee’s performance.
20. The need for E-learning is always carefully analyzed.
Test Bank
139
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A needs assessment is often not conducted for which of the following reasons?
a.
It can be difficult and time consuming to do
b.
Line managers prefer action to research
c.
There is lack of support from management for this step
d.
All of the above are true
2. Compliance needs are those:
a.
Mandated by law
c.
That identify new ways to perform tasks
b.
Focused on what prevents performance
d.
None of the above are correct
3. In needs assessment, a focus on environmental constraints would occur as part of which analysis
a.
person
c.
task
b.
strategic/organizational
d.
ergonomic
4. The knowledge, skills, abilities, and other requirements (KSAOs) needed to perform a task or job are spelled out in the:
a.
job specification
c.
skills inventory
b.
job design
d.
organizational climate index
5. Which of the following could be used to conduct an organizational needs analysis?
a.
Exit interviews
c.
Data such as turnover and absenteeism
b.
Customer complaints
d.
All of the above could be used
6. Which of the following is not a source of data for a task needs analysis?
a.
Job descriptions
b.
Job specifications
c.
Corporate Mission statement
d.
Observing people actually performing the job
7. When an effort is made to discover the reasons for an employee’s work performance, this is referred to as:
a.
psychoanalysis
c.
summary person analysis
b.
card sort analysis
d.
diagnostic person analysis
8. Which of the following is not a method of task identification?
a.
Simultaneous repository file
c.
Critical incident technique
b.
Time sampling
d.
Job inventory
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9. The instrument developed by the Center for Creative Leadership to identify the developmental needs of managers is called:
a.
Strategic Analysis
c.
b.
Benchmarks
d.
10. The most common source of information for person analysis is:
a.
critical incidents
c.
b.
the performance appraisal
d.
11. A major advantage of using a questionnaire to gather data about training needs is that:
a.
it is fast and easy to gather a lot of data
b.
it is always unbiased
c.
it is completed by the supervisor
d.
it involves a two way dialog
12. Which method of task identification asks people familiar with the job to record behaviors that are particularly effective or
ineffective for performing that job?
a.
job inventory questionnaire
c.
critical incident method
b.
time sampling
d.
card sort
13. In “The Attack on ISD” which charge or complaint WAS raised by some leaders in the HRD leaders against the process or
systems model of HRD used in the text?
a.
it focuses too heavily on the end results of training
b.
it focuses too heavily on attitudes and emotions
c.
it is too slow and clumsy to meet today’s training/HRD needs
d.
it works best with jobs that are rapidly changing and at high organizational levels
14. Which of the following is NOT a barrier to conducting HRD needs assessment?
a.
assessment can be difficult
b.
research is valued over action
c.
information already exist that identifies organizational needs
d.
there is a lack of support for needs assessment
15. The type of HRD need that identifies new or better ways to perform tasks is known as a:
a.
democratic need
c.
analytic need
b.
diagnostic need
d.
compliance need
16. There are several data sources recommended for strategic/organizational needs analysis. Which of the following is (are) NOT
one of the recommended sources?
a.
organizational goals and objectives
c.
exit interviews
b.
skills inventory
d.
performance appraisals
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17. The systematic collection of data about a specific job or group of jobs used to determine what an employee should be taught to
achieve optimal performance is called:
a.
position summary analysis
c.
task analysis
b.
diagnostic analysis
d.
job review
18. The process of identifying personal development needs that involves the feedback of peers, subordinates and superiors is known
as:
a.
performance appraisal
c.
peer review
b.
360 degree feedback
d.
progressive action feedback
19. A gap can be identified by:
a.
Subtracting what is known from what should be known
b.
Adding what is known to what should be known
c.
Subtracting what is should be known from what is known
d.
Subtracting what is known from what we already do know
20. A task analysis is best defined as:
a.
A systematic collection of data about every jobs in the company
b.
A systematic collection of data about specific jobs or groups of job
c.
Asking the people who do the job to describe what they do all day long to justify their pay checks
d.
A systematic collection of information on how people think their jobs should be performed
21. Having a trained observer watch an employee perform a task and note the nature and frequency of activities is an example of
which method of task identification?
a.
Critical incident
b.
Time sampling
c.
Job inventory questionnaire
d.
Stimulus-response-feedback
22. People familiar with a job record incidents of particularly effective and ineffective behavior in which method of task
identification?
a.
Critical incident
b.
Time sampling
c.
Job inventory questionnaire
d.
Stimulus-response-feedback
23. Supervisors and job incumbents evaluate a task list in terms of its importance and time spent performing it in which method of
task identification?
a.
Critical incident
b.
Time sampling
c.
Job inventory questionnaire
d.
Stimulus-response-feedback
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24. Which of the following is true about a 360 degree performance appraisal?
a.
Only the employee’s supervisor rates the employee’s performance
b.
Multiple people will rate each employee’s performance
c.
Very few companies currently use this method of evaluation
d.
It focuses on only one or two perspectives of an employee’s job
25. All of the following are ways HRD seeks to improve organizational effectiveness except:
a.
Preventing anticipated problems
c.
Hiring better people
b.
Including those groups and individual that can
benefit the most
d.
Solving current problems
26. A needs assessment can identify:
a.
Gaps between employees current skills and those
skills needed for the current job
c.
Gaps between employees current skills and those
skills needed for the future job
b.
The conditions under which the HRD activity will
occur
d.
All the above are things that a needs assessment can
identify
27. Which of the following is correct?
a.
Compliance needs are mandated by law
c.
Analytic needs focus on preventing problems
b.
Diagnostic needs focus on better ways to do a job
d.
None of the above are correct
28. A trap to avoid when doing needs assessments is:
a.
Focusing on organizational performance
c.
Doing multiple methods in addition to
questionnaires
b.
Use both hard and soft data
d.
Use hard data only
29. When assessing needs using organizational goals:
a.
Focus on individual performance first
c.
Look only at goals that are met
b.
Examine areas where goals are not being met
d.
Goals only matter if they are accomplished each
year
30. In 1998 the US Supreme Court decided that supervisory training for sexual harassment was:
a.
Unimportant
c.
Important but not necessary
b.
Adequate in both cases
d.
Inadequate in both cases
31. Linking the organizations strategic plan to HRD activities for operating managers:
a.
May increase support for HRD programs
c.
Should not be done
b.
Will lower motivation of trainees
d.
Does not matter
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32. MBO or work planning and review systems are useful tools for assessing needs because:
a.
They provide performance review data
c.
They provide long-term business objectives
b.
They provide baseline performance data
d.
All the above are true
33. Which of the following is not a component in the stimulus-response-feedback method of task identification?
a.
The ego identifier
c.
The stimulus or cue
b.
The response or behavior
d.
Feedback
34. A diagnostic person analysis looks at:
a.
A classification of an employee as a successful or
unsuccessful employee
c.
An overall evaluation of an employee
b.
A global analysis of employee performance
d.
Why an employee behaves the way they do
35. Self-ratings of training needs:
a.
Are useful when combined with multiple sources
c.
Are never useful
b.
No information is available on their value
d.
Are proven to be totally accurate
36. The HRD Advisory committee:
a.
Should only contain members from the HR
department
c.
Meets only occasionally
b.
Should contain members from a cross-section of the
organization
d.
Should never be used in analyzing training needs