# COMM 203: Practice Questions

# Training, Learning, and Development

# Slides

• What are the common steps on instructional design?

1. Assess need for training -> use needs assessment to determine what, if any, training is necessary
2. Determine readiness for training -> check characteristics and work environment.
   1. Employees have basic skills and motivated
   2. Situational constraints -> do we have the resources to conduct training?
   3. Social constraints -> are other employees supportive of training?
3. Plan appropriate training program -> choose appropriate training for context
   1. Clear and measurable employee expectations
   2. Identifies necessary resources
   3. Perform in-house or contract out?
4. Implement training program -> ensure follow principles
   1. Communicate objectives
   2. Presents information in clear and memorable way
   3. Link subject matter to trainee jobs
5. Evaluate training program -> use 4 levels of evaluation
   1. Reactions -> are employees satisfied?
   2. Demonstration of learning -> did trainees retain information as they should?
   3. Behaviour -> did employee behaviour change as a result of training?
   4. Result -> did organization performance improve?

• Where can employees go for training?

  • Organization-hosted training programs
  • Formal education (MBAs, executive MBAs)

• What is the difference between a coach and a mentor?

Coaches aim to achieve high performance for a specific task and is usually assigned with the job. Mentors usually come about from natural relationships and helps with general development.

# Textbook

1a. Cannot be sure that training will help solve cooperation problem. A needs assessment can be done to determine if training is the problem.

1b. Perform three analyses:

• Organizational analysis -> Look at organizational characteristics such as strategy, resources, and management support.
• Person analysis -> Look at individual needs and readiness for learning.
  • In this context perhaps interview staff to see why they believe employees cannot get along.
• Task analysis -> Identify necessary skills and behaviours that training should emphasize.
  • Requires thorough job analysis.

2. Readiness is assessed through two aspects -> employee characteristics and work environment.

• Required characteristics -> has basic cognitive skills and motivated.
• Work environment
  • Situational constraints -> check if workplace has necessary resources
  • Social support -> check if peers encourage learning

6. Four categories of development methods -> interpersonal relationships, job experience, assessment, and formal education.

• Interpersonal relationships -> employee interacts with another, more experienced, individual.
  • Coaches -> helps achieve high performance for specific task
  • Mentor -> help provide guidance for overall career
• Job experience -> growth through job enlargement or job enrichment
  • Enlargement: Increase in tasks at same level as employee
  • Enrichment: Increase in importance of tasks -> more responsibility
• Assessment -> gather information on current employee behaviour, then provide feedback
  • May use indicators such as Myers-Briggs
• Formal education -> provide subsidy for external programs such as MBAs or executive MBAs

7a. Orientation -> newly promoted employee, unfamiliar with new responsibilities

7b. Team leader training -> lack of leadership and/or interpersonal skills

7c. Coach -> senior in financial sector, can teach individual about how the financial side works

7d. Team training, probably coordination training -> new teams may face issues working together effectively

8. Several factors:

• Ensures access to mentors for all employees, rather than only those who have the right connections
• High-potential employees can be correctly matched with appropriate mentors that can build on their potential

9. Difference between coach and mentor:

• Coaches typically assigned, helps with specific task and to achieve high performance for that specific task
• Mentors typically come about from natural relationships, provide advice for general career development and more "big picture"

Advantages of external coach:

• No biases as no prior relationship
• Confidentiality in terms of performance measure
• May offer more experience

Disadvantages:

• More costly
• Not aware of organization context

# Managing Employees' Performance

# Slides

• Identify one performance appraisal method and explain the advantages and disadvantages associated with it.

Critical incident -> performance is based on manager's records of employee behaviour that exhibits good/bad performance

• Advantages

  • Specific feedback on what to do or what not to do, e.g. if manager states a specific behaviour is attributed to bad performance, don't do it

• Disadvantages

  • Not useful for future improvement -> if I shouldn't do this, then what behaviour is attributed to good performance?
  • Poor comparison -> not useful as a metric to determine if one employee is better than another

• Explain the key steps in the performance appraisal process.

Define employee expectations:

• Create expectations based off job analysis and description -> what dictates good performance?
• Communicate these expectations to employees

Perform appraisal:

• Discuss with employee their current performance compared to expected performance

Provide feedback:

• Suggest improvements employee can do to better their performance in the future

• Focus on employee behaviour, not personality

• Use problem-solving approach -> mutual discussion on how the employee thinks they can do better

• Describe three potential rater errors, and describe two methods that can help reduce those errors.

Potential rater errors

• Halo -> Rate all attributes positively because of good performance in only one attribute
• Central tendency -> Tendency to rate all employees "somewhere in the middle"
• Similar-to-me -> Tendency to rate employees better because they exhibit attributes similar to the rater

Methods to reduce errors

• Frame of reference training -> train raters on common rater errors and allow raters to practice their rating in a simulation setting
• 3rd party review -> allow 3rd party to review ratings provided by raters
  • Evaluate raters based on how well they rate
  • Provide feedback to minimize rater error

# Textbook

1. Main difference is the existence of a "feedback loop" where employees continuously and systematically receive feedback on how they can improve their performance.

2. Administrative -> deciding pay level, deciding salary increases.

Developmental -> focus on employee development.

• What behavioural changes I need to do to be able to receive a merit pay increase next appraisal?
• What should I avoid doing to increase my overall performance?

6. Disregard personal feelings against the employee when doing performance review.

• Attempt to avoid contrast error, where the employee is made to look worse because you like the other employees.
• Use a system based on traits -> avoids behaviour issues that may affect perception.

7. Several key steps:

• Prepare neutral setting for all
• Ask employee to perform self-assessment
• Avoid doing "tell-and-sell" approach, where you talk about current performance and justify it yourself
• Use problem-solving approach -> work with employee to solve performance-related issues (in open discussion)
• Allow employee to discuss their self-assessment and talk about the areas they think they can emprove

8. Ensure fair treatment of employee and that employee is adequately rewarded. Check to see if employee is missing key knowledge/skills and provide training for them.

# Total Rewards

# Slides

• Explain the 5 steps used to establish pay rates by firms.

• Conduct wage-salary survey -> gather information on market wage/salaries in industry

  • Can be done through data analysis, government reports, etc.

• Determine relative worth of jobs (job evaluation) -> use point system based on predicted contribution to achieving organization goals

• Group similar jobs into pay grades -> allows for simpler systems, based on points in job evaluation

• Price each pay grade

  • Construct pay curve -> allow to establish pay of non-key jobs (jobs without salary market data)

• Fine tune pay rates

  • Adjust pay rates based on strategy
  • e.g. perhaps strategy to pay highly to attract highly-skilled workers (can be used to provide competitive advantage)

• Outside of pay-rises, what other methods of compensation could you use to reward employees?

• Use incentive pay to provide one-time bonuses

  • Piecework/standard-hour -> reward quantity of output

• Organizational incentives -> stock options, employee stock ownership plans, profit sharing

• What benefits must employees provide when taking on new staff?

• Canadian Pension Plan -> providing retirement pensions, disability benefits, and survivor benefits

• Employee Insurance -> temporary assistance in case of termination

• Workers Compensation -> income and medical benefits for victims of work-related incidents

• Describe some of the recent trends affecting benefits of Canadian workers.

# Textbook

1. Indirect compensation -> benefits, e.g. vacation pay, health insurance, etc.

   1. Other considerations -> opportunity for development

2. More than market -> to attract highly skilled employees as part of competitive advantage

   1. Less than market -> low costs
   2. Pros -> cheaper, cons -> difficulty in finding candidates
   3. More than market pros -> highly skilled employees can lead to productivity boost
   4. Cons -> expensive, no "guarantee" that investment will pay off

3. Pay range simplifies payment structure if company has hundreds of jobs

   1. Cons -> May have overlap between pay grades, resulting in no incentive for employees to seek promotion (may reduce productivity as employees don't see a way to get compensated better)

4. Competency based -> base pay based on knowledge and skills

Potential issues:

• Determine what constitutes as "high" knowledge and skills
• Determine the "zero" -> what is base pay given "no" knowledge and skills?
• No guarantees that the knowledge and skills are actually utilized
• A worker with high knowledge and skills may not necessarily be the most productive
• How to encourage learning environment?

Required information:

• Necessary knowledge and skills
• Minimum base pay
• Measurable knowledge and skills -> what skills are more valuable than others?

Potential employee reaction:

• Frustrated -> some employees may lack knowledge but are motivated and shown to be productive
• Motivated -> new pay structure awards those with more knowledge, so direct incentive for employee to undergo training

5a. Accountant -> primarily wages and salaries

• In a manufacturing company, accountant has little effect on output
• Difficult to measure "output" of accountant

5b. Salesperson for software company -> incentive pay

• Bonuses pertaining to increased sales can act as direct motivator to perform

5c. Mechanic for major airline -> primarily wages and salaries

• Output not variable -> difficult to determine output
• In major airline, difficult to attribute fixes to an individual

5d. Marketing manager -> incentive pay

• Has direct impact on performance of company

5e. Recruitment specialist -> incentive pay

• Output very variable -> incentive pay can be drive for performance

6. Reasons for organizations to do it -> give employee feeling of ownership

• Not appropriate for all levels
  • Many employees especially in lower levels feel that their actions do not directly contribute to company performance, so stock ownership would not work

7. Main factor is cost -> can get discounts on "bulk" benefits like insurance

# Collective Bargaining

# Slides

• Explain how the labour relations board regulates the certification process.

In BC, certification process is as follows:

• 45% of employees in bargaining unit must be union members

  • Union must show membership cards for those members

• Appoints officer to investigate accuracy of information presented by union

• Checks for appropriate bargaining unit

• Hold representation vote -> "do you want the union to represent you?"

  • All employees in bargaining unit eligible to vote
  • Require majority vote to certify
  • If <55% of employees turn up to vote, Board may order another vote

• Identify workers who are prevented from unionization and the reasons for their exclusion.

Only workers who meet Code definition of employee is covered. Exclusions:

• Independent contractors -> not regular workers for an employer

• Positions exercising a managerial capacity -> have direct impact in terms of employment (hiring, firing, wages, etc.)

• Positions acting in confidential capacity with regards to labour relations

• How are bargaining units determined?

Three main considerations:

• Industrial stability -> preference of one large unit

• No fragmentation of work groups

• Community of interest

  • Similarity in skills, duties, and working conditions
  • Structure of employer
  • Integration of employees involved
  • Closeness and proximity of employees

• Explain the difference between culpable and non-culpable behaviour.

• Culpable -> Intentional act where the employee can be said to be at fault.

• Non-culpable -> Unintentional act where blame cannot be placed on employee.

• How would you advise a company to develop a fair disciplinary procedure?

• Should have three components

  • Clear set of rules and regulations
    • Rules and regulations should be specific and clearly communicated to employees
  • System of progressive penalties
    • Repeated offences should carry progressively harsher penalties
    • e.g. oral warning -> written warning -> temporary suspension -> termination
  • Appeal system
    • Employees should be able to appeal if they feel that they were wrongly terminated

# Textbook

1. Why do employees join unions?

• Economic gains
• Job security
• Voice

2. Why do managers at most companies prefer that unions not represent their employees?

• Unions generally bring higher costs for company -> workers demand higher pay
• Increased worker pay usually does not correlate to higher productivity (to offset pay difference)

Potential union benefits:

• May increase productivity by giving employee a method to solve problems
• May improve management practices as unions point management attention to employee needs

3. Can highly effective HRM practices make unions unnecessary?

Yes -> unions usually form because of issues at the workplace. Issues include:

• Unsatisfactory compensation
• Unfair promotion system
• Employees not being heard
• No grievance/complaint system

# International HR

# Textbook

1. What are some HRM challenges that arise when a company expands from domestic markets by exporting?

• Need inviduals who understand customers from foreign countries

• May need to involve training for dealing with foreign customers

• When it changes from simply exporting to operating as an international company?

• Does host environment allow for effective HRM?

• Require understanding of culture of host country

• Where and how to recruit for foreign facility?

  • Host nationals? Home nationals?

• If home nationals, how to prepare for foreign assignment?

• When an international company becomes a global company?

• Transnational HRM system

  • Decision making from global perspective
  • Managers from multiple countries

3a. Selection decision based on assessment of individual abilities -> Difficult because low individualism, prefer team settings

3b. Appraisals based on individual performance -> Same as a)

3c. Systems for gathering suggestions from workers -> Would work as low individualism and feminine culture; strong group relationships

3d. Self-managing work teams -> Teams generally work well because of low individualism but at same time _high power distanc_e might mean workers are not used to self-management

3e. Unlimited vacation time -> Not effective as low indulgence

4. Other factors:

• Economic system
  • Have to consider how much people get paid in host countries
  • Have to consider taxation rates -> high tax means lower net income
• Level of education
  • Low education countries -> low skill jobs are more popular
  • High education countries -> high skill jobs are more popular
• Political-legal system
  • Laws such as minimum wage laws, diversity laws, required benefits, etc.

5. Considerations:

• Difficult to layoff employees -> more emphasis on choosing the right employees
  • Need to put emphasis on choosing a recruitment and selection system that is valid
• Long term training prospects?

6. Reasons to hire host-country nationals:

• Cheaper
• Better understanding of local culture and business pratices
• Ability to easily communicate with other host-country nationals

7. Potential hardships in accepting foreign assignment:

• Standard of living differences -> expect pay to "make up" for any standard of living differences
• Leaving family/spouse -> compensate for any costs related to family e.g. school tuition
• New environment -> have to learn about facilities e.g. schools, hospitals, etc.
• Culture shock -> provide training and coaches to help ease transition

8. Compensation based on host country:

• Advantages
  • Typically cheaper overall for company
  • Match compensation of other workers, so no possibility of an "unfair" mindset
• Disadvantages
  • Typically lower standard of living for any expatriats
  • Difficult to convince home-country nationals to take on foreign assignments

Compensation based on home country:

• Advantages

  • Same amount of money generally lead to much higher standard of living in host-country, so employees typically more satisfied

• Disadvantages

  • Much more costly
  • May be seen as unfair especially for lower-level workers

• For top executives, setting compensation based on home country may be more appropriate because they control operations in multiple countries (for international companies).

• Production workers -> typically lower skill job.

  • Can get away with compensating based on host country
  • Significant cost savings by hiring host country nationals

9. Abilities for successful expat:

• Cross-cultural competence -> expat is able to easily adapt to cultural differences
• Maintain positive self image and well-being
• Able to foster relationships with host-country nationals
• Able to accurately perceive and evaluate host-country environment

Preparation:

• Cross-cultural training -> develop awareness of host country culture and appropriate business behaviour
• Continuous coaching -> have someone that is always able to aid individual in solving any issues they may face while abroad
• Information on practical matters -> provide information on necessities like housing, schools, recreation facilities, etc.

# Practice Exam

# Multiple Choice

1. D
2. B
3. E
4. C
5. B

• Behavioural interviews seek to determine candidate behaviour, so questions about a given situation are asked

6. E

• Discrepant -> inconsistent results
• Unstructured -> more subjective -> more discrepant

7. Validity

• Validity of selection tool -> if selected employees meet performance expectations

8. B

• Definition of adventure learning -> Training based on challenging physical activities

9. B

• Coach vs. mentor -> coach aims to better trainee at specific work tasks

10. E

• Performance appraisal process -> 3 steps:
  • Define performance expectations
  • Conduct appraisal
  • Provide feedback

11. E

• Not B because provides no justification -> just an example of "what to do" or "what not to do"

12. E

• B and D are not forms of incentive pay

13. A
14. D

• (ii) is true because of overlap
• (iii) is true because "height" of boxes decrease as job evaluation points go donw

15. 33%

• Union density -> proportion of union members who are employees

16. D
17. E

• B is an example of communication on unionization matters (allowed)
• D as long as it's not a threat?

18. C

• Power distance refers to "normal" levels of power inequality
• In Mexico, individuals having more power is more "normal" than in Canada

19. B

• Balance sheet approach -> Create compensation package based on external factors to maintain standard of living

20. E
21. D

• Deficient -> not taking into account relevant factors to performance

22. D
23. B

• Performance directly affects labour costs because poor organizational performance -> lower bonus -> lower labour cost

24. C

• Emphasizing personality may lead to employees taking the feedback offensively

25. E

# Short Answer

4a. Learner reactions and demonstration of learning

4b. Two methods:

• Learner reactions -> Mckinley can conduct a post training survey to assess how satisfied the trainees are with the training.
• Demonstration of learning -> Create an exam and make trainess take exam at end of training. Exam can be short answer questions to assess basic Excel skills and unknown case studies to assess application of Excel skill.