Case Question DS 3
Chapter 1
Case Questions 1, 2 & 3
1. How did Domtar’s strategies align with its mission? Explain your answer. For its overall strategy during the economic downturn, no matter how much its operations have been changed by time and technology, the enduring values remain to generate growth, excellence, and pride. Domtar was among the most cost-competitive papermakers in North America. Their strengths include the best workforce in the industry, efficient assets, high-quality products, strong brands, and a seasoned management team with proven expertise. In 2007 Domtar stopped operating the one paper machine at the facility and continued with hardwood pulp manufacturing. In 2009 the mill shut down for six weeks because of economic conditions in the pulp market. The mill reopened in June 2009, and sales of pulp have been robust. The majority of their market pulp activities were in softwood and fluff pulp grades. They concluded that the transaction was in the best interest of the company, in terms of strategy, and for the mill as it continues the employment of its dedicated workforce. They had two segments to their business: Papers and Paper Merchants. In 2010, revenue of $5.9 billion, of which approximately 83% was from the Papers segment, approximately 15% was from the Paper Merchants segment and approximately 2% from the Wood segment. Domtar closed the transaction to sell its Wood business on June 30, 2010.
2. Given the difficulty of organizational change, what factors contributed to the success at Domtar? How did Domtar’s management at all levels contribute to reducing resistance to change? What else might they have done? Throughout the expansions of the 90s and into the new century, Domtar’s focus on sustainability grew along with its geographic footprint. By April 2002, Domtar became the first North American paper company to achieve Forest Stewardship Council certification. Domtar also began to pursue the ISO 14001 certification of its forest management practices and of its pulp and paper mill operations. Domtar was determined to be a sustainability leader in its industry. A key role of a CEO's is to communicate a vision and to guide strategic planning. Those who have successfully implemented strategic plans have often reported that involving teams at all levels in strategic planning helps to build a shared vision, and increases each individual's motivation to see plans succeed.
3. What were the major HRD challenges associated with Domtar’s acquisitions and joint partnerships? How were these challenges addressed, and what were the risks associated with these approaches? The high failure rate and managerial complexity of cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and partnerships are often blamed on inadequate examination of HRD issues. HRD addressed them by taking a holistic approach to helping clients expand their portfolios to include renewable forest-based assets, and providing customized, innovative solutions, on a global scale, that enhance supply security and provide economic alternatives. Risk is a central issue with mergers, acquisitions, and
other types of partnerships. Timing is always critical. As time passes, the organization may encounter numerous types of risk. These can be classified broadly as external risk (i.e., events beyond the organization’s control, such as a major change in the economic environment or in the capital markets), business risk (for example, volume losses, employee attrition, or physician attrition), and transaction risk (i.e., barriers to closing the deal, such as anti-trust approval). The goal of preparedness is to mitigate these risks to the greatest extent possible.
Chapter 2
Case Questions 1, 2 & 3
1. Describe MHC’s strategy in terms of market position. Also, identify the type of external environment MHC is operating in the degree to which the strategy matches the environment.
Developing an effective market strategy required the firm understanding of a company's existing whole products, related assets and market approach. Marketing strategies utilize warfare techniques to review market conditions and plan a marketing goal for the company. For instance, the company chooses a marketing offensive, in which that company focuses on achieving a stronger competitive advantage in the marketplace. Additionally, marketing strategies included a deterrence effort to prevent an up-and-comer from entering the marketplace (thus securing the company & current position) or a counter-offensive to current attacks from another company.
Market strategies simply look at the company and its current role within the marketplace, the current dominant industry force in the marketplace and the opportunities the company has to expand in the marketplace. The Market strategies might result in the company representation as the market leader or the challenger to the current market leader, or they could focus instead of representing a niche market instead of trying to garner the entire market.
2. Identify the type of structure MHC currently uses in its primary businesses. Describe any structural adjustment MHC should make to maximize the effectiveness of the strategy. The structure differs according to the type and size of the organization that they serve. Value must be examined from the point of view of the customer. Some customer segments value certain product attributes more than others. The very expensive product relative to others in the category, may, in fact, represent great value to a particular customer segment because the benefits received are seen as even greater than the sacrifice made (usually in terms of money). Some segments have very unique and specific desires, and may value what to some individuals may seem a “lower quality” item, very highly.
To maximize the productivity of an organization by optimizing the effectiveness of its customers while simultaneously improving the valuable resources. The uniqueness of the maximize sales effectiveness approach is its simplicity. It is based on understanding motivation, communications technology, and human relations and by applying sound, value based principles to improve sales effectiveness and client satisfaction.
3. Identify any areas where current management KSAs are not aligned with effective implementation of the competitive strategy. Successfully implemented strategic plans have often reported that involving teams at all levels in strategic planning helps to build a shared vision, and increases each individual's motivation to see plans succeed. Clarity and consistent communication, from mapping desired outcomes to designing performance measures, seem to be essential to success. Successful leaders have often engaged their teams by simply telling the story of their shared vision, and publicly celebrating large and small wins, such as the achievement of milestones. To ensure that the vision is shared, teams need to know that they can test the theory, voice opinions, challenge premises, and suggest alternatives without fear of reprimand. Implementing strategic plans may require leaders who lead through inspiration and coaching rather than command and control. Recognizing and rewarding success, inspiring, and modeling behaviors is more likely to result in true commitment than use of authority, which can lead to passive resistance and hidden rebellion.
Chapter 3
Case Questions 1, 2 & 3
1. Why do you think Rick was let go? How does reinforcement theory apply to the main characters in this situation? How does expectancy theory apply? After reading the case study there are certain reasons which describes Rick was not a let go. From the case study it shows that Ricks was a fresher and lacks experience. He joined the company as he knew that Mr. Peterson liked his work so far. Rick spent time getting to know the plant and operations, meeting all employees and familiarizing himself with the problems in sales. Rick had indentified some of the problems in the sales department. He used his own logic to impress the Mr. Peterson and the management. He had started applying changes here and there for example he brought a computer and wanted to train to use computer in order to achieve productivity which the managers didn’t like. He was aware of the company that there is a family culture associated here and it will take time to change the mentalities of the peoples working here. But he rounded off to fast and he thought that he can change mentalities of the people easily by impressing them by showing new technology i.e. a computer, but didn’t work. He didn’t have the experience so he was a let go. Reinforcement theory has an implication over that when Rick started to take initiatives to solve the loop holes in the Sales department by adopting new technology there was a resistance to change which is a negative reinforcement and positive reinforcement had being with Val and Rick, when he had
approached Mr. Peterson to bring in new technology had got a good response from him to continue with his work.
2. Explain Rosie’s and Walter’s reactions to Rick’s computer in terms of resistance to change. How might Rick have used the concepts in this chapter to approach the computer situation so as to gain acceptance? Rick had discussed with Mr. Ball the possibility of using the centralized computer system to run word processing and spreadsheet software on terminals. Mr. Ball was concerned about the security issue and he stopped him. Rick brought a compute rat the office. Several of the managers looked at him quizzically. As he was setting up the computer he got a call from Val. “Rick, the computer you brought has caused a heck of ruckus Rick thought Val sounded strained but chalked it up to over work. Rosie didn’t like the change which Rick had done and replied to him, “Do you thin kits funny bringing that thing in here? What are trying to prove- how backward we all are? How much better you are with your big initials behind your name? You’re still an outsider here, buster and do not forget it.” Rick had brought a change which Rosie didn’t like as she used to handle the accounts and assumed that bringing a change will be a treat to her company as everyone will know the capabilities of each individual on their performance which she didn’t like. And Walter was a VP in operations had a Business Partner and even he resisted the change just because he thought bringing in new technology the newcomer wants to show his capabilities that we are the losers doing nothing at the end of the day and this Boy is showing his talent to us. Rick should have waited for the right time by
slowly mixing with everyone. Discussing the problems with them and asking the solutions from them that what had to be performed when. Try to train Rosie slowly in Accounts in a casual manner and teaching her computer and showing her the performance achieved when using it. The same can be done with Walter by showing the productive results which are achieved by it. Talk with them the problems he is facing and the solutions to be made.
3. Explain Rick’s inability to “fit in”, using social learning theory. Where did the breakdowns in his processing occur? As Rick was a newcomer which nobody liked it? Rosie had usually warned Rick that the company has a family culture and he should behave like a family which Rick didn’t understand and misunderstood and started implementing changes form the day he joined in. He should have used the theory that people learn new behavior through observational learning of the social factors in their environment. If people observe positive, desired outcomes in the observed behavior, then they are more likely to model, imitate, and adopt the behavior themselves. The effect of behavior has an impact on the motivation of people to engage in that specific behavior. People wish to avoid negative consequences, while desiring positive results or effects. If one expects a positive outcome from a behavior, or thinks that there is a high probability of a positive outcome, then they will be more likely to engage in that behavior. The behavior is reinforced, with positive outcomes, leading a person. As Rick was a newcomer which nobody liked it? Rosie had usually warned Rick that the company has a family culture and he should behave like a
family which Rick didn’t understand and misunderstood and started implementing changes form the day he joined in. He should have used the theory that people learn new behavior through observational learning of the social factors in their environment. If people observe positive, desired outcomes in the observed behavior, then they are more likely to model, imitate, and adopt the behavior themselves. The effect of behavior has an impact on the motivation of people to engage in that specific behavior. People wish to avoid negative consequences, while desiring positive results or effects. If one expects a positive outcome from a behavior, or thinks that there is a high probability of a positive outcome, then they will be more likely to engage in that behavior. The behavior is reinforced, with positive outcomes, leading a person.
Chapter 4
Case Questions 1, 2 & 3
1. Do you agree with Fred’s decision to use the third vendor? Using concepts from the chapter, explain your answer. The third vendor was “Customer satisfaction guaranteed on our customer satisfaction training for sales clerks. Three-day workshop, $25,000 Maximum participants 25 to allow for individual help.” The hardware store had 55 non-management employees. Fred’s was given a budget of $70,000. His job was to find a vendor who can supply the proper quality material in proper amounts in proper time. 2. What else might Fred do before choosing a training package? Use information provided in Chapter 2 and 3 to describe your approach. Make sure to provide enough detail to demonstrate your understanding of the key issues and approaches to determining how to proceed once a triggering event has occurred. When choosing a training package you should also identify the training needs of your employees. Training needs vary based upon how your business is structured, and how responsibilities are shared and distributed. First you should assess the nature of your employees' work and the competencies that your business requires to run efficiently. Selecting the appropriate training course also requires a clear understanding of the competencies, knowledge and qualifications that make up a training package. Units and modules are building blocks that make up courses. Specific training programs may
include a set of modules which may be completed to gain a qualification or combined with other units or modules to create different qualifications. When Fred was selecting a registered training organization, some important factors he could have considered are the vendor’s proven track record and ongoing support for staff.
3. If training went ahead as indicated, how successful do you think it would be? Explain your answer using concepts from this chapter. When it comes to diversity, many organizations decide that the first thing they want to do is deliver training. Generally, this is because they think that training will be a fast way to "solve the problems". Consequently, they are often baffled when the training they provide ends up creating more problems than it addressed. All levels of the organization must participate. The organization must make a decision about whether it will train senior staff and management separately from other staff. That decision can only be made after a review of the assessment results, the issues, training objectives and the organizational culture.
The trainers should reflect as much diversity as possible. Diverse trainers bring diverse experiences and those experiences help to facilitate learning about diversity.
Chapter 5
Case Analysis
Questions 1 & 2
1. Review the Domtar case from Chapter 1, and answer the following questions: a. In the implementation of Kaizen, what groups of employees are likely to need training? How should the trainees be organized? Think of this issue from a training design perspective and from a training content perspective. b. For the type of training envisioned, what are the learning objectives? Write these objectives in complete form. c. For each group of employees that will need training, what are the organizational constraints that need to be addressed in the design of the training? What design features should be used to addressed these constraints? Be sure to address both the learning and transfer of training issue. a1) Every person must therefore be willing to: 1) learn; 2) communicate; 3) be disciplined; 4) get involved; and 5) change in order to maximize gains from Kaizen. Management must also be able to support this Kaizen structure by aligning resources, metrics, rewards, and incentives to Kaizen principles, encouraging all employees to contribute in their own ways. Management programs that promote Kaizen include but are not limited to the following: 1) employee suggestion systems; 2) recognition systems for employees who
exert effort for continuous improvement; 3) group-oriented suggestion or improvement systems like Quality Circles (small groups that perform quality improvement activities). b1) Objectives are the primary building blocks of good curriculum design. They support the learning outcome in that each is a small step in arriving at what the learner is supposed to know or be able to do. Objectives – define specific outcomes or competencies to be achieved in terms of skills, content mastery, attitudes, or values; form the basic upon which to select or design instruction materials, content, or techniques; provide the basic for determine or assessing when the instruction purpose has been accomplished; provide a framework within which a learner can organize his efforts to complete the learning tasks. c1) Any training program must balance the need to provide the proper level of training against organizational constraints. A tilt one way or the other could be detrimental. Too much training is a waste of resources, but too little could damage an organization's competitive position. Any training model that does not reflect this delicate balance will be useless for human resources practitioners. Establishing a training program it is important to determine the content. However, because of organizational constraints, usable content tends to be less than the potential content. Constraints can include restrictions on time, personnel and spending; lack of training facilities, materials or equipment; and the attitude of senior management
2. Review the Multisate Health Corporation case from Chapter 2, and answer the following questions:
a. In the implementation of the HRPS, what groups of employees are likely to need training? Think of this from a training design perspective and from a training content perspective.
b. For the type of training you envision for each group, what are the learning objectives? Write these in complete form.
c. For each group of employees that will need training, what are the organizational constraints you will need to address in the design of your training? What design features will you use to address these constraints? Be sure to address both the learning and transfer of training issues. a1) One of the most popular methods of further training is that of computer-assisted instruction. Employees complete specific modules of instruction, usually at the employee’s own pace. Accurate monitoring of the employee’s progress is possible, and the amount of time an employee spends on a specific module is adjustable, dependent upon need. Another common method of training is the workshop model, where groups of employees learn through a combination of audiovisual aids, games, role-playing, and occasionally through lecture. This method encourages employees to get to know each other and fosters cooperation between different job classifications and departments.
Offering senior staff and management the opportunity to learn about the jobs of the support staff is another frequent choice when companies are considering what types of training employees need. Often, management is unaware of what the hourly employees
do on a day-to-day basis. They may believe that those employees are not critical to the company’s operation, or that they can be quickly and easily replaced. Training management-level employees to do non-management tasks encourages an understanding and appreciation among all company personnel and can give rise to new ideas and suggestions for improvements to current practices.
b1) Cross-Training - When employees learn to do the jobs of other employees, called cross-training, the business gains security by enabling an employee to step in should another become unavailable due to illness, a leave of absence, or a promotion. The company can remain productive when the option of relocating employees as needed is available. In addition, exposing staff to different jobs and departments within the company imparts a greater knowledge of how each position is important to the big picture. Employees gain an understanding of the value of the entire staff and a greater respect for each individual’s contributions. This is a moral booster and a great way of encouraging respect among employees. Businesses wishing to retain the best employees and stay competitive in the marketplace today must offer further training to their personnel. Employees respond positively to the opportunity to improve their job skills, which results in greater job satisfaction. A well-trained staff with good morale is an enormous asset to any company.
c1) The organizational needs are clear; training-needs assessment (TNA) is used to determine the content and design of training. A TNA is an essential step because it assesses the present capacities of training participants and asks what skills, knowledge and attitudes they need to acquire in order to achieve organizational goals.
Chapter 6
Case Questions
1, 2, & 4
1. What are the training objectives for the CSS training program? Indicate how these objectives are tied to the KSA requirements. Assume that all trainees have college degrees but need KSAs in all other areas listed in the Qualification section. Because some training programs can be a daunting experience for some attendees, it is important to engage a training provider that has the expertise to include entertaining and motivating tactics so that staff attending benefit from the learning process. For example, some individuals feel uncomfortable and embarrassed when carrying out role plays and may therefore switch off. It is therefore imperative to engage a training provider with the expertise and tactful ability and awareness to read participants so they become engaged and not detached from what it is aimed to achieve during the overall customer service training process.
In-house:
This can be an effective method of training employees in effective customer service skills for a large corporate business or company that employees large numbers of staff. For example providing a training program that covers all facets of the particular area an employee will be engaged or specializing in will ensure he/she is provided with skills unique to the position.
Mentoring:
On the job training of new employees is the preferred method of training for many employers these days because it can save time and expense getting an employee acquainted with how a business operates and what is expected of them. Providing an experienced mentor who has a record of excellent customer service skills is the key to training any new employee who will be working with customers or clients.
Workshops:
There are some training providers who hold workshops that are especially designed to cater for small groups of employees or managers. For example, it may be a workshop tailored to develop the culture for providing reliable customer service skills or related to a Managers role in encouraging sales staff. Workshops can be particularly effective on areas such as reinforcing the role of employees in the workplace, helpful customer service skills and the importance of encouraging customer loyalty so as to ensure repeat business.
2. On the basic of the training objectives provide a training agenda and indicate the time allocated and order of modules in your program.
1. Training goal: overall results or capabilities you hope to attain by implementing your training plan.
2. Pass supervisor qualification test
3. Learning objectives: what you will be able to do as a result of the learning activities in this plan.
4. Exhibit required skills in problem solving and decision making
5. Exhibit required skills in delegation
6. Learning methods / activities: what you will do in order to achieve the learning objectives.
7. Complete a course in basic supervision
8. Address a major problem that includes making major decisions Delegate to a certain employee for one month
9. Documentation / evidence of learning: evidence produced during your learning activities these are results that someone can see, hear, and read. course grade
10. Your written evaluation of your problem-solving and decision making approaches
11. Evaluation: assessment and judgment on quality of evidence in order to conclude whether you achieved the learning objectives or not.
4. How will you evaluate whether each person in your training program has mastered the knowledge and skill levels needed to perform as a CSS? Describe the types of questions you would ask to those supervising the CSS employees graduating from your program? Evaluating learning: What principles, facts and techniques were learned?
Written test questions, oral test questions, skill tests.
For effective training and learning evaluation, the principal questions should be:
1. To what extent were the identified training needs objectives achieved by the program?
2. To what extent were the learners' objectives achieved?
3. What specifically did the learners learn or be usefully reminded of?
Chapter 7
Case Question
Develop a business solution for STI that addresses all of the challenges they face. Indicate any assumptions you are making that are not directly addressed by the case. To properly implement change, management must take a number of steps: involving key people, developing a plan, supporting the plan, and communicating often.
1. The first step in implementing change is involving the key people; this typically means upper-level management and other executives whose processes and employees will be affected by the change. For instance, if a new computer system is to be installed in all areas of a company, key people would be not only top managers, but also lower-level managers who supervise the employees' use of the new technology. A different set of key people would be involved in a cost-cutting change. If the company is reducing its operating budget in a specific division, the managers of that division and also human resources personnel should be involved. In any circumstance in which there is a change to personnel policies or in which demotions, transfers, or layoffs occur, the human resources department should be involved to manage this change.
2. After key personnel have been identified and properly involved, the second step in implementing change is to develop a plan for effective transformation. The plan should help to define the responsibilities of the key people involved while also laying out short-
term and long-term objectives for the changes. Because change can be unpredictable, the plan should also be flexible enough to accommodate new occurrences.
3. The third step in implementing change is to support the plan; this means that management follows through on the plan it created. Key to this step is enabling employees to adapt to the change. Employees may need training, reward systems may need to be adapted, or hiring may be required. If the organization does not provide the support necessary for the plan to take effect, it is unlikely to succeed.
4. The final step in successful change implementation should occur throughout the change process. Communicating with employees about what is occurring, why the changes are being made, and how they will develop is critical. Because change can create a lot of fear, increased communication can be used to calm employees and encourage their continued support. In addition to downward communication, managers should pay attention to any upward communication that occurs. They should be available to take suggestions or answer questions that employees might have. Creating opportunities for employee feedback, such as holding meetings or having an open-door management policy may facilitate change more successfully.
Chapter 8
Case Questions 1, 2 & 3
1. What are the potential costs to this lack of training? Why do you think the company operates in this manner? Without proper training, businesses can lose employees. This can occur for varying reasons, including the inability to complete tasks and assignments properly and failure to comply with company rules and guidelines. Because hiring and training new employees costs more than simply training current ones, a lack of proper employee training actually costs companies and businesses money. Businesses often have important reasons for not providing enough training - or any at all. Most frequently, it is because of the expense of training that they try to make it as minimal as possible.
2. What type of training would you recommend: OJT, classroom, or a combination? Describe what the training might entail. Hands-On Training
Experiential, or hands-on, training, offers several more effective techniques for teaching employees, including:
Cross-training - This method allows employees to experience other jobs, which not only enhances employee skills but also gives companies the benefit of having employees who can perform more than one job. Cross-training also gives employees a better appreciation
of what co-workers do and how their own jobs fit in with the work of others to achieve company goals.
Demonstrations - Demonstrations are attention-grabbers. They are an excellent way to teach employees to use new equipment or to teach the steps in a new process. They are also effective in teaching safety skills. Combined with the opportunity for questions and answers, this is a powerful, engaging form of training.
Coaching - The goal of job coaching is to improve an employee’s performance. Coaching focuses on the individual needs of an employee and is generally less formal than other kinds of training. There are usually no set training sessions. A manager, supervisor, or veteran employee serves as the coach. He or she gets together with the employee being coached when time allows and works with this employee to:
Answer questions
Suggest more effective strategies
Correct errors
Guide toward goals
Give support and encouragement
Provide knowledgeable feedback
Apprenticeships - Apprenticeships give employers the opportunity to shape inexperienced workers to fit existing and future jobs. These programs give young workers the opportunity to learn a trade or profession and earn a modest income. Apprenticeship combines supervised training on the job with classroom instruction in a formal, structured program that can last for a year or more.
Drills - Drilling is a good way for employees to practice skills. Evacuation drills are effective when training emergency preparedness.
3. What type of training environment would you provide? Safe heavy equipment operation requires proper training and experience, as well as a safe working environment. Basic heavy equipment operator requirements normally include a commercial driver's license, an approved training course and training on the equipment itself. A CDL requires a written and driving test, as do most training courses to ensure that equipment operators understand the mechanics of operation and are competent enough to pass a performance exam. Heavy equipment safety training is crucial to operating the machines in a safe and competent manner, so every company who uses them should make it mandatory for any employee who operates them to go to heavy machinery school and have a certificate to
prove their successful completion of the courses. It is very dangerous for a company to allow someone who is not qualified to operate these machines to do so. And it can sometimes even be performed in house if you have the resources to do so effectively. During training you should stress that the safest practices should always be used. You can help to make sure that these precautions are always followed by performing an equipment check before using the equipment, just to make sure that everything is in proper working order and there are no malfunctions.
Chapter 9
Case Questions 1, 2 & 3
1. How much does the re-cleaning cost Nicky per year? Show all mathematical calculations. 1 person cleans 6 carpets per day * 100 employees = 600 carpets per day
600 carpets per day * 250 days per year = 150,000 carpets per year
1/6 of 150,000 = 25,000 unsatisfactory carpets per year
25,000 carpets at $20 each to reclean = $50,000 per year in recleaning costs.
2. If everyone is trained, how much will the training cost? How much will training cost if only the group with the most errors is trained? Show costs in a spreadsheet and all mathematical calculations.
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3. If everyone is trained, what is the cost savings for the first year? If only the group with the highest re-cleaning requirements is trained, what is the cost savings for the first year? Show all mathematical calculations. Cost savings for all employees:
Pre: 1/6 of 150,000 = 25,000 carpets to reclean @ $20 each = $ 500,000
Post: 1/12 of 150,000 = 12,500 carpets to reclean @ $20 each = 250,000
Post recleaning (228,100) less cost of training ($21,900) = $228,100 savings
Cost savings for most deficient employees:
Pre: 1/6 of 150,000 = 25,000 carpets to reclean @ $20 each = $500,000
Post: 1/9 of 150,000 = 16,667 carpets to reclean @ $20 each = 333,333
Post recleaning (333,333) less cost of training ($13,540) = $180,207 savings
Chapter 10
Case Questions 1, 2, 3 & 5
1. Would a TNA be needed in this situation? Why or why not? Is yes, who would you want to talk to? As organizations continue to restructure work teams, the need for training in conflict resolution will grow. Conflict arises from differences, and when individuals come together in teams, their differences in terms of power, values, and attitudes contribute to the creation of conflict. To avoid the negative consequences that can result from disagreements, most methods of resolving conflict stress the importance of dealing with disputes quickly and openly. Conflict is not necessarily destructive, however. When managed properly, conflict can result in benefits for a team. Direct Approach: This may be the best approach of all. It concentrates on the leader confronting the issue head-on. Though conflict is uncomfortable to deal with, it is best to look at issues objectively and to face them as they are. If criticism is used, it must be constructive to the recipients. This approach counts on the techniques of problem-solving and normally leaves everyone with a sense of resolution, because issues are brought to the surface and dealt with.
2. Based on the case as presented above, what KSAs need to be trained? As teams become more responsible for managing themselves, it is important for organizations to help them by identifying the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required handling conflict. Then developing plans to transfer these skills and capabilities over to their teams. Because conflict is inevitable in teams, the focus needs to be on how it is managed. Conflict that is poorly handled creates an environment of fear and avoidance of the subject. On the other hand, if properly managed, it can lead to learning, creativity, and growth.
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities (KSAs) needed are: ability to understand the nature of the conflict and anticipate some potential causes of conflict; ability to resolve workplace conflict effectively and promote conflict resolution skills among co-workers.
3. Why has the commission insisted on training for the whole company when the problem is clearly only Mr. Pettipas? Elaborate. To be able to limit the unconstructive aspects of conflict, the company must be able to look into effective conflict management techniques. This also aims to boost the positive side of conflict. Also, conflict management’s role is to enhance learning. This will be reflected in their effectiveness or efficacy in the organizational set up.
Many companies today depend on conflict management trainings because when conflicts are managed properly, it will show positive outcomes and increase over all company performance. Managing conflicts requires complete awareness of its various developmental stages. If you are able to identify the conflict issue and how far it has developed, then it will be very easy for you to solve it before it becomes more serious. You can highlight the following strategies to the concerned parties.
5. What would you suggest in the way of evaluation of the training? How would you convince top management that it would be worth it? The Training Evaluation Process: Identify or determine the organizational and department training objectives; Identify the training needs of employees, and their present skills and knowledge; Determine whether the course contents are right, or
Plan, design and prepare the training program against the training objectives;
Identify the right training providers; Complete training assessment form, stating what attendees had learned; Employee prepares action plan for improvement;
Make observation on the employee’s performance over time; Interview employee to confirm observation results. Training Evaluation Process will be able to help supervisor:
Compare current performance to previous performance level. These are sometimes referred to as current competency level and required competency level.
It is also to enhance present skills to meet increasing competition and changing stakeholders’ expectation. If and when you conduct training evaluation you can verify whether the training was effective in achieving the intended training objectives. Effective training must lead to results such as the ones stated below.
Higher Competency Levels: This means shorter time spent by your employees to complete a certain piece of job.
Higher Work Accuracy: There are fewer mistakes and thus fewer instances of tasks being re-done.
Cost Cutting: Overhead costs are reduced.
Chapter 11
Case Questions 1, 2 & 3
1. What is the managerial context in which these managers will be operating? Do you think training designed to help managers understand the context they will be operating in will be helpful? Why or why not? Today’s business context brings more diverse competition, increased complexity, and less time to respond to emerging challenges. It means continuous change for individual leaders, management teams, and entire organizations.
Context partners with executive leaders who want to align their organizations with business strategy and create an environment where teams thrive in the midst of change. Training designed to help managers understand:
Design and execute new strategies
Align organizational culture with business strategy
Grow capabilities required for the future
Structure for accountability and agility
Break down silos and collaborate across boundaries
Develop authentic leadership at all levels
2. What types of competencies should be developed in the management training? Give you rationale. 1. Interpersonal Competencies
a. Building Trust
Interacting with others in a way that gives them confidence in one’s intentions and those of the organization.
b. Operates with integrity
Demonstrates honesty and behaves according to ethical principles; ensures that words and actions are consistent; walks the talk; behaves dependably across situations.
c. Discloses position
Shares thoughts, feelings, and rationale so that others understand positions and policies. Maintains confidentiality—Keeps private or sensitive information about others confidential.
d. Leads by example
Serves as a role model for the organization’s values; takes responsibility for delivering on commitments; gives proper credit to others; acknowledges own mistakes rather than blaming others.
e. Communicating Effectively
Expressing thoughts, feelings, and ideas in a clear, concise, and compelling manner in both individual and group situations; actively listening to others; adjusting style to capture the attention of the audience; developing and deploying targeted communication strategies that inform and build support.
3. What types of training should be used to provide the different competencies? How long will it take to provide this training? Give your rationale. Personal Competencies should be a continuous process.
a. Demonstrating Adaptability
Maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work tasks, the work environment, or conditions affecting the organization (for example, economic, political, cultural, or technological); remaining open to new people, thoughts, and approaches; adjusting effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures.
b. Seeks to understand changes
Seeks to understand changes in work tasks, situations, and environment as well as the logic or basis for change; actively seeks information about new work situations and withholds judgment.
c. Approaches change positively
Treats changes as opportunities for learning or growth; focuses on the beneficial aspects of change; speaks positively and advocates the change when it helps promote organizational goals and strategy. d. Adapts to handle implementation challenges: Effectively handles global, cultural, economic, social, and political challenges to the effective implementation of learning and performance solutions; works to overcome barriers and deal constructively with nontraditional or challenging situations.
Case Questions 1, 2 & 3
1. How did Domtar’s strategies align with its mission? Explain your answer. For its overall strategy during the economic downturn, no matter how much its operations have been changed by time and technology, the enduring values remain to generate growth, excellence, and pride. Domtar was among the most cost-competitive papermakers in North America. Their strengths include the best workforce in the industry, efficient assets, high-quality products, strong brands, and a seasoned management team with proven expertise. In 2007 Domtar stopped operating the one paper machine at the facility and continued with hardwood pulp manufacturing. In 2009 the mill shut down for six weeks because of economic conditions in the pulp market. The mill reopened in June 2009, and sales of pulp have been robust. The majority of their market pulp activities were in softwood and fluff pulp grades. They concluded that the transaction was in the best interest of the company, in terms of strategy, and for the mill as it continues the employment of its dedicated workforce. They had two segments to their business: Papers and Paper Merchants. In 2010, revenue of $5.9 billion, of which approximately 83% was from the Papers segment, approximately 15% was from the Paper Merchants segment and approximately 2% from the Wood segment. Domtar closed the transaction to sell its Wood business on June 30, 2010.
2. Given the difficulty of organizational change, what factors contributed to the success at Domtar? How did Domtar’s management at all levels contribute to reducing resistance to change? What else might they have done? Throughout the expansions of the 90s and into the new century, Domtar’s focus on sustainability grew along with its geographic footprint. By April 2002, Domtar became the first North American paper company to achieve Forest Stewardship Council certification. Domtar also began to pursue the ISO 14001 certification of its forest management practices and of its pulp and paper mill operations. Domtar was determined to be a sustainability leader in its industry. A key role of a CEO's is to communicate a vision and to guide strategic planning. Those who have successfully implemented strategic plans have often reported that involving teams at all levels in strategic planning helps to build a shared vision, and increases each individual's motivation to see plans succeed.
3. What were the major HRD challenges associated with Domtar’s acquisitions and joint partnerships? How were these challenges addressed, and what were the risks associated with these approaches? The high failure rate and managerial complexity of cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and partnerships are often blamed on inadequate examination of HRD issues. HRD addressed them by taking a holistic approach to helping clients expand their portfolios to include renewable forest-based assets, and providing customized, innovative solutions, on a global scale, that enhance supply security and provide economic alternatives. Risk is a central issue with mergers, acquisitions, and
other types of partnerships. Timing is always critical. As time passes, the organization may encounter numerous types of risk. These can be classified broadly as external risk (i.e., events beyond the organization’s control, such as a major change in the economic environment or in the capital markets), business risk (for example, volume losses, employee attrition, or physician attrition), and transaction risk (i.e., barriers to closing the deal, such as anti-trust approval). The goal of preparedness is to mitigate these risks to the greatest extent possible.
Chapter 2
Case Questions 1, 2 & 3
1. Describe MHC’s strategy in terms of market position. Also, identify the type of external environment MHC is operating in the degree to which the strategy matches the environment.
Developing an effective market strategy required the firm understanding of a company's existing whole products, related assets and market approach. Marketing strategies utilize warfare techniques to review market conditions and plan a marketing goal for the company. For instance, the company chooses a marketing offensive, in which that company focuses on achieving a stronger competitive advantage in the marketplace. Additionally, marketing strategies included a deterrence effort to prevent an up-and-comer from entering the marketplace (thus securing the company & current position) or a counter-offensive to current attacks from another company.
Market strategies simply look at the company and its current role within the marketplace, the current dominant industry force in the marketplace and the opportunities the company has to expand in the marketplace. The Market strategies might result in the company representation as the market leader or the challenger to the current market leader, or they could focus instead of representing a niche market instead of trying to garner the entire market.
2. Identify the type of structure MHC currently uses in its primary businesses. Describe any structural adjustment MHC should make to maximize the effectiveness of the strategy. The structure differs according to the type and size of the organization that they serve. Value must be examined from the point of view of the customer. Some customer segments value certain product attributes more than others. The very expensive product relative to others in the category, may, in fact, represent great value to a particular customer segment because the benefits received are seen as even greater than the sacrifice made (usually in terms of money). Some segments have very unique and specific desires, and may value what to some individuals may seem a “lower quality” item, very highly.
To maximize the productivity of an organization by optimizing the effectiveness of its customers while simultaneously improving the valuable resources. The uniqueness of the maximize sales effectiveness approach is its simplicity. It is based on understanding motivation, communications technology, and human relations and by applying sound, value based principles to improve sales effectiveness and client satisfaction.
3. Identify any areas where current management KSAs are not aligned with effective implementation of the competitive strategy. Successfully implemented strategic plans have often reported that involving teams at all levels in strategic planning helps to build a shared vision, and increases each individual's motivation to see plans succeed. Clarity and consistent communication, from mapping desired outcomes to designing performance measures, seem to be essential to success. Successful leaders have often engaged their teams by simply telling the story of their shared vision, and publicly celebrating large and small wins, such as the achievement of milestones. To ensure that the vision is shared, teams need to know that they can test the theory, voice opinions, challenge premises, and suggest alternatives without fear of reprimand. Implementing strategic plans may require leaders who lead through inspiration and coaching rather than command and control. Recognizing and rewarding success, inspiring, and modeling behaviors is more likely to result in true commitment than use of authority, which can lead to passive resistance and hidden rebellion.
Chapter 3
Case Questions 1, 2 & 3
1. Why do you think Rick was let go? How does reinforcement theory apply to the main characters in this situation? How does expectancy theory apply? After reading the case study there are certain reasons which describes Rick was not a let go. From the case study it shows that Ricks was a fresher and lacks experience. He joined the company as he knew that Mr. Peterson liked his work so far. Rick spent time getting to know the plant and operations, meeting all employees and familiarizing himself with the problems in sales. Rick had indentified some of the problems in the sales department. He used his own logic to impress the Mr. Peterson and the management. He had started applying changes here and there for example he brought a computer and wanted to train to use computer in order to achieve productivity which the managers didn’t like. He was aware of the company that there is a family culture associated here and it will take time to change the mentalities of the peoples working here. But he rounded off to fast and he thought that he can change mentalities of the people easily by impressing them by showing new technology i.e. a computer, but didn’t work. He didn’t have the experience so he was a let go. Reinforcement theory has an implication over that when Rick started to take initiatives to solve the loop holes in the Sales department by adopting new technology there was a resistance to change which is a negative reinforcement and positive reinforcement had being with Val and Rick, when he had
approached Mr. Peterson to bring in new technology had got a good response from him to continue with his work.
2. Explain Rosie’s and Walter’s reactions to Rick’s computer in terms of resistance to change. How might Rick have used the concepts in this chapter to approach the computer situation so as to gain acceptance? Rick had discussed with Mr. Ball the possibility of using the centralized computer system to run word processing and spreadsheet software on terminals. Mr. Ball was concerned about the security issue and he stopped him. Rick brought a compute rat the office. Several of the managers looked at him quizzically. As he was setting up the computer he got a call from Val. “Rick, the computer you brought has caused a heck of ruckus Rick thought Val sounded strained but chalked it up to over work. Rosie didn’t like the change which Rick had done and replied to him, “Do you thin kits funny bringing that thing in here? What are trying to prove- how backward we all are? How much better you are with your big initials behind your name? You’re still an outsider here, buster and do not forget it.” Rick had brought a change which Rosie didn’t like as she used to handle the accounts and assumed that bringing a change will be a treat to her company as everyone will know the capabilities of each individual on their performance which she didn’t like. And Walter was a VP in operations had a Business Partner and even he resisted the change just because he thought bringing in new technology the newcomer wants to show his capabilities that we are the losers doing nothing at the end of the day and this Boy is showing his talent to us. Rick should have waited for the right time by
slowly mixing with everyone. Discussing the problems with them and asking the solutions from them that what had to be performed when. Try to train Rosie slowly in Accounts in a casual manner and teaching her computer and showing her the performance achieved when using it. The same can be done with Walter by showing the productive results which are achieved by it. Talk with them the problems he is facing and the solutions to be made.
3. Explain Rick’s inability to “fit in”, using social learning theory. Where did the breakdowns in his processing occur? As Rick was a newcomer which nobody liked it? Rosie had usually warned Rick that the company has a family culture and he should behave like a family which Rick didn’t understand and misunderstood and started implementing changes form the day he joined in. He should have used the theory that people learn new behavior through observational learning of the social factors in their environment. If people observe positive, desired outcomes in the observed behavior, then they are more likely to model, imitate, and adopt the behavior themselves. The effect of behavior has an impact on the motivation of people to engage in that specific behavior. People wish to avoid negative consequences, while desiring positive results or effects. If one expects a positive outcome from a behavior, or thinks that there is a high probability of a positive outcome, then they will be more likely to engage in that behavior. The behavior is reinforced, with positive outcomes, leading a person. As Rick was a newcomer which nobody liked it? Rosie had usually warned Rick that the company has a family culture and he should behave like a
family which Rick didn’t understand and misunderstood and started implementing changes form the day he joined in. He should have used the theory that people learn new behavior through observational learning of the social factors in their environment. If people observe positive, desired outcomes in the observed behavior, then they are more likely to model, imitate, and adopt the behavior themselves. The effect of behavior has an impact on the motivation of people to engage in that specific behavior. People wish to avoid negative consequences, while desiring positive results or effects. If one expects a positive outcome from a behavior, or thinks that there is a high probability of a positive outcome, then they will be more likely to engage in that behavior. The behavior is reinforced, with positive outcomes, leading a person.
Chapter 4
Case Questions 1, 2 & 3
1. Do you agree with Fred’s decision to use the third vendor? Using concepts from the chapter, explain your answer. The third vendor was “Customer satisfaction guaranteed on our customer satisfaction training for sales clerks. Three-day workshop, $25,000 Maximum participants 25 to allow for individual help.” The hardware store had 55 non-management employees. Fred’s was given a budget of $70,000. His job was to find a vendor who can supply the proper quality material in proper amounts in proper time. 2. What else might Fred do before choosing a training package? Use information provided in Chapter 2 and 3 to describe your approach. Make sure to provide enough detail to demonstrate your understanding of the key issues and approaches to determining how to proceed once a triggering event has occurred. When choosing a training package you should also identify the training needs of your employees. Training needs vary based upon how your business is structured, and how responsibilities are shared and distributed. First you should assess the nature of your employees' work and the competencies that your business requires to run efficiently. Selecting the appropriate training course also requires a clear understanding of the competencies, knowledge and qualifications that make up a training package. Units and modules are building blocks that make up courses. Specific training programs may
include a set of modules which may be completed to gain a qualification or combined with other units or modules to create different qualifications. When Fred was selecting a registered training organization, some important factors he could have considered are the vendor’s proven track record and ongoing support for staff.
3. If training went ahead as indicated, how successful do you think it would be? Explain your answer using concepts from this chapter. When it comes to diversity, many organizations decide that the first thing they want to do is deliver training. Generally, this is because they think that training will be a fast way to "solve the problems". Consequently, they are often baffled when the training they provide ends up creating more problems than it addressed. All levels of the organization must participate. The organization must make a decision about whether it will train senior staff and management separately from other staff. That decision can only be made after a review of the assessment results, the issues, training objectives and the organizational culture.
The trainers should reflect as much diversity as possible. Diverse trainers bring diverse experiences and those experiences help to facilitate learning about diversity.
Chapter 5
Case Analysis
Questions 1 & 2
1. Review the Domtar case from Chapter 1, and answer the following questions: a. In the implementation of Kaizen, what groups of employees are likely to need training? How should the trainees be organized? Think of this issue from a training design perspective and from a training content perspective. b. For the type of training envisioned, what are the learning objectives? Write these objectives in complete form. c. For each group of employees that will need training, what are the organizational constraints that need to be addressed in the design of the training? What design features should be used to addressed these constraints? Be sure to address both the learning and transfer of training issue. a1) Every person must therefore be willing to: 1) learn; 2) communicate; 3) be disciplined; 4) get involved; and 5) change in order to maximize gains from Kaizen. Management must also be able to support this Kaizen structure by aligning resources, metrics, rewards, and incentives to Kaizen principles, encouraging all employees to contribute in their own ways. Management programs that promote Kaizen include but are not limited to the following: 1) employee suggestion systems; 2) recognition systems for employees who
exert effort for continuous improvement; 3) group-oriented suggestion or improvement systems like Quality Circles (small groups that perform quality improvement activities). b1) Objectives are the primary building blocks of good curriculum design. They support the learning outcome in that each is a small step in arriving at what the learner is supposed to know or be able to do. Objectives – define specific outcomes or competencies to be achieved in terms of skills, content mastery, attitudes, or values; form the basic upon which to select or design instruction materials, content, or techniques; provide the basic for determine or assessing when the instruction purpose has been accomplished; provide a framework within which a learner can organize his efforts to complete the learning tasks. c1) Any training program must balance the need to provide the proper level of training against organizational constraints. A tilt one way or the other could be detrimental. Too much training is a waste of resources, but too little could damage an organization's competitive position. Any training model that does not reflect this delicate balance will be useless for human resources practitioners. Establishing a training program it is important to determine the content. However, because of organizational constraints, usable content tends to be less than the potential content. Constraints can include restrictions on time, personnel and spending; lack of training facilities, materials or equipment; and the attitude of senior management
2. Review the Multisate Health Corporation case from Chapter 2, and answer the following questions:
a. In the implementation of the HRPS, what groups of employees are likely to need training? Think of this from a training design perspective and from a training content perspective.
b. For the type of training you envision for each group, what are the learning objectives? Write these in complete form.
c. For each group of employees that will need training, what are the organizational constraints you will need to address in the design of your training? What design features will you use to address these constraints? Be sure to address both the learning and transfer of training issues. a1) One of the most popular methods of further training is that of computer-assisted instruction. Employees complete specific modules of instruction, usually at the employee’s own pace. Accurate monitoring of the employee’s progress is possible, and the amount of time an employee spends on a specific module is adjustable, dependent upon need. Another common method of training is the workshop model, where groups of employees learn through a combination of audiovisual aids, games, role-playing, and occasionally through lecture. This method encourages employees to get to know each other and fosters cooperation between different job classifications and departments.
Offering senior staff and management the opportunity to learn about the jobs of the support staff is another frequent choice when companies are considering what types of training employees need. Often, management is unaware of what the hourly employees
do on a day-to-day basis. They may believe that those employees are not critical to the company’s operation, or that they can be quickly and easily replaced. Training management-level employees to do non-management tasks encourages an understanding and appreciation among all company personnel and can give rise to new ideas and suggestions for improvements to current practices.
b1) Cross-Training - When employees learn to do the jobs of other employees, called cross-training, the business gains security by enabling an employee to step in should another become unavailable due to illness, a leave of absence, or a promotion. The company can remain productive when the option of relocating employees as needed is available. In addition, exposing staff to different jobs and departments within the company imparts a greater knowledge of how each position is important to the big picture. Employees gain an understanding of the value of the entire staff and a greater respect for each individual’s contributions. This is a moral booster and a great way of encouraging respect among employees. Businesses wishing to retain the best employees and stay competitive in the marketplace today must offer further training to their personnel. Employees respond positively to the opportunity to improve their job skills, which results in greater job satisfaction. A well-trained staff with good morale is an enormous asset to any company.
c1) The organizational needs are clear; training-needs assessment (TNA) is used to determine the content and design of training. A TNA is an essential step because it assesses the present capacities of training participants and asks what skills, knowledge and attitudes they need to acquire in order to achieve organizational goals.
Chapter 6
Case Questions
1, 2, & 4
1. What are the training objectives for the CSS training program? Indicate how these objectives are tied to the KSA requirements. Assume that all trainees have college degrees but need KSAs in all other areas listed in the Qualification section. Because some training programs can be a daunting experience for some attendees, it is important to engage a training provider that has the expertise to include entertaining and motivating tactics so that staff attending benefit from the learning process. For example, some individuals feel uncomfortable and embarrassed when carrying out role plays and may therefore switch off. It is therefore imperative to engage a training provider with the expertise and tactful ability and awareness to read participants so they become engaged and not detached from what it is aimed to achieve during the overall customer service training process.
In-house:
This can be an effective method of training employees in effective customer service skills for a large corporate business or company that employees large numbers of staff. For example providing a training program that covers all facets of the particular area an employee will be engaged or specializing in will ensure he/she is provided with skills unique to the position.
Mentoring:
On the job training of new employees is the preferred method of training for many employers these days because it can save time and expense getting an employee acquainted with how a business operates and what is expected of them. Providing an experienced mentor who has a record of excellent customer service skills is the key to training any new employee who will be working with customers or clients.
Workshops:
There are some training providers who hold workshops that are especially designed to cater for small groups of employees or managers. For example, it may be a workshop tailored to develop the culture for providing reliable customer service skills or related to a Managers role in encouraging sales staff. Workshops can be particularly effective on areas such as reinforcing the role of employees in the workplace, helpful customer service skills and the importance of encouraging customer loyalty so as to ensure repeat business.
2. On the basic of the training objectives provide a training agenda and indicate the time allocated and order of modules in your program.
1. Training goal: overall results or capabilities you hope to attain by implementing your training plan.
2. Pass supervisor qualification test
3. Learning objectives: what you will be able to do as a result of the learning activities in this plan.
4. Exhibit required skills in problem solving and decision making
5. Exhibit required skills in delegation
6. Learning methods / activities: what you will do in order to achieve the learning objectives.
7. Complete a course in basic supervision
8. Address a major problem that includes making major decisions Delegate to a certain employee for one month
9. Documentation / evidence of learning: evidence produced during your learning activities these are results that someone can see, hear, and read. course grade
10. Your written evaluation of your problem-solving and decision making approaches
11. Evaluation: assessment and judgment on quality of evidence in order to conclude whether you achieved the learning objectives or not.
4. How will you evaluate whether each person in your training program has mastered the knowledge and skill levels needed to perform as a CSS? Describe the types of questions you would ask to those supervising the CSS employees graduating from your program? Evaluating learning: What principles, facts and techniques were learned?
Written test questions, oral test questions, skill tests.
For effective training and learning evaluation, the principal questions should be:
1. To what extent were the identified training needs objectives achieved by the program?
2. To what extent were the learners' objectives achieved?
3. What specifically did the learners learn or be usefully reminded of?
Chapter 7
Case Question
Develop a business solution for STI that addresses all of the challenges they face. Indicate any assumptions you are making that are not directly addressed by the case. To properly implement change, management must take a number of steps: involving key people, developing a plan, supporting the plan, and communicating often.
1. The first step in implementing change is involving the key people; this typically means upper-level management and other executives whose processes and employees will be affected by the change. For instance, if a new computer system is to be installed in all areas of a company, key people would be not only top managers, but also lower-level managers who supervise the employees' use of the new technology. A different set of key people would be involved in a cost-cutting change. If the company is reducing its operating budget in a specific division, the managers of that division and also human resources personnel should be involved. In any circumstance in which there is a change to personnel policies or in which demotions, transfers, or layoffs occur, the human resources department should be involved to manage this change.
2. After key personnel have been identified and properly involved, the second step in implementing change is to develop a plan for effective transformation. The plan should help to define the responsibilities of the key people involved while also laying out short-
term and long-term objectives for the changes. Because change can be unpredictable, the plan should also be flexible enough to accommodate new occurrences.
3. The third step in implementing change is to support the plan; this means that management follows through on the plan it created. Key to this step is enabling employees to adapt to the change. Employees may need training, reward systems may need to be adapted, or hiring may be required. If the organization does not provide the support necessary for the plan to take effect, it is unlikely to succeed.
4. The final step in successful change implementation should occur throughout the change process. Communicating with employees about what is occurring, why the changes are being made, and how they will develop is critical. Because change can create a lot of fear, increased communication can be used to calm employees and encourage their continued support. In addition to downward communication, managers should pay attention to any upward communication that occurs. They should be available to take suggestions or answer questions that employees might have. Creating opportunities for employee feedback, such as holding meetings or having an open-door management policy may facilitate change more successfully.
Chapter 8
Case Questions 1, 2 & 3
1. What are the potential costs to this lack of training? Why do you think the company operates in this manner? Without proper training, businesses can lose employees. This can occur for varying reasons, including the inability to complete tasks and assignments properly and failure to comply with company rules and guidelines. Because hiring and training new employees costs more than simply training current ones, a lack of proper employee training actually costs companies and businesses money. Businesses often have important reasons for not providing enough training - or any at all. Most frequently, it is because of the expense of training that they try to make it as minimal as possible.
2. What type of training would you recommend: OJT, classroom, or a combination? Describe what the training might entail. Hands-On Training
Experiential, or hands-on, training, offers several more effective techniques for teaching employees, including:
Cross-training - This method allows employees to experience other jobs, which not only enhances employee skills but also gives companies the benefit of having employees who can perform more than one job. Cross-training also gives employees a better appreciation
of what co-workers do and how their own jobs fit in with the work of others to achieve company goals.
Demonstrations - Demonstrations are attention-grabbers. They are an excellent way to teach employees to use new equipment or to teach the steps in a new process. They are also effective in teaching safety skills. Combined with the opportunity for questions and answers, this is a powerful, engaging form of training.
Coaching - The goal of job coaching is to improve an employee’s performance. Coaching focuses on the individual needs of an employee and is generally less formal than other kinds of training. There are usually no set training sessions. A manager, supervisor, or veteran employee serves as the coach. He or she gets together with the employee being coached when time allows and works with this employee to:
Answer questions
Suggest more effective strategies
Correct errors
Guide toward goals
Give support and encouragement
Provide knowledgeable feedback
Apprenticeships - Apprenticeships give employers the opportunity to shape inexperienced workers to fit existing and future jobs. These programs give young workers the opportunity to learn a trade or profession and earn a modest income. Apprenticeship combines supervised training on the job with classroom instruction in a formal, structured program that can last for a year or more.
Drills - Drilling is a good way for employees to practice skills. Evacuation drills are effective when training emergency preparedness.
3. What type of training environment would you provide? Safe heavy equipment operation requires proper training and experience, as well as a safe working environment. Basic heavy equipment operator requirements normally include a commercial driver's license, an approved training course and training on the equipment itself. A CDL requires a written and driving test, as do most training courses to ensure that equipment operators understand the mechanics of operation and are competent enough to pass a performance exam. Heavy equipment safety training is crucial to operating the machines in a safe and competent manner, so every company who uses them should make it mandatory for any employee who operates them to go to heavy machinery school and have a certificate to
prove their successful completion of the courses. It is very dangerous for a company to allow someone who is not qualified to operate these machines to do so. And it can sometimes even be performed in house if you have the resources to do so effectively. During training you should stress that the safest practices should always be used. You can help to make sure that these precautions are always followed by performing an equipment check before using the equipment, just to make sure that everything is in proper working order and there are no malfunctions.
Chapter 9
Case Questions 1, 2 & 3
1. How much does the re-cleaning cost Nicky per year? Show all mathematical calculations. 1 person cleans 6 carpets per day * 100 employees = 600 carpets per day
600 carpets per day * 250 days per year = 150,000 carpets per year
1/6 of 150,000 = 25,000 unsatisfactory carpets per year
25,000 carpets at $20 each to reclean = $50,000 per year in recleaning costs.
2. If everyone is trained, how much will the training cost? How much will training cost if only the group with the most errors is trained? Show costs in a spreadsheet and all mathematical calculations.
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3. If everyone is trained, what is the cost savings for the first year? If only the group with the highest re-cleaning requirements is trained, what is the cost savings for the first year? Show all mathematical calculations. Cost savings for all employees:
Pre: 1/6 of 150,000 = 25,000 carpets to reclean @ $20 each = $ 500,000
Post: 1/12 of 150,000 = 12,500 carpets to reclean @ $20 each = 250,000
Post recleaning (228,100) less cost of training ($21,900) = $228,100 savings
Cost savings for most deficient employees:
Pre: 1/6 of 150,000 = 25,000 carpets to reclean @ $20 each = $500,000
Post: 1/9 of 150,000 = 16,667 carpets to reclean @ $20 each = 333,333
Post recleaning (333,333) less cost of training ($13,540) = $180,207 savings
Chapter 10
Case Questions 1, 2, 3 & 5
1. Would a TNA be needed in this situation? Why or why not? Is yes, who would you want to talk to? As organizations continue to restructure work teams, the need for training in conflict resolution will grow. Conflict arises from differences, and when individuals come together in teams, their differences in terms of power, values, and attitudes contribute to the creation of conflict. To avoid the negative consequences that can result from disagreements, most methods of resolving conflict stress the importance of dealing with disputes quickly and openly. Conflict is not necessarily destructive, however. When managed properly, conflict can result in benefits for a team. Direct Approach: This may be the best approach of all. It concentrates on the leader confronting the issue head-on. Though conflict is uncomfortable to deal with, it is best to look at issues objectively and to face them as they are. If criticism is used, it must be constructive to the recipients. This approach counts on the techniques of problem-solving and normally leaves everyone with a sense of resolution, because issues are brought to the surface and dealt with.
2. Based on the case as presented above, what KSAs need to be trained? As teams become more responsible for managing themselves, it is important for organizations to help them by identifying the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required handling conflict. Then developing plans to transfer these skills and capabilities over to their teams. Because conflict is inevitable in teams, the focus needs to be on how it is managed. Conflict that is poorly handled creates an environment of fear and avoidance of the subject. On the other hand, if properly managed, it can lead to learning, creativity, and growth.
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities (KSAs) needed are: ability to understand the nature of the conflict and anticipate some potential causes of conflict; ability to resolve workplace conflict effectively and promote conflict resolution skills among co-workers.
3. Why has the commission insisted on training for the whole company when the problem is clearly only Mr. Pettipas? Elaborate. To be able to limit the unconstructive aspects of conflict, the company must be able to look into effective conflict management techniques. This also aims to boost the positive side of conflict. Also, conflict management’s role is to enhance learning. This will be reflected in their effectiveness or efficacy in the organizational set up.
Many companies today depend on conflict management trainings because when conflicts are managed properly, it will show positive outcomes and increase over all company performance. Managing conflicts requires complete awareness of its various developmental stages. If you are able to identify the conflict issue and how far it has developed, then it will be very easy for you to solve it before it becomes more serious. You can highlight the following strategies to the concerned parties.
5. What would you suggest in the way of evaluation of the training? How would you convince top management that it would be worth it? The Training Evaluation Process: Identify or determine the organizational and department training objectives; Identify the training needs of employees, and their present skills and knowledge; Determine whether the course contents are right, or
Plan, design and prepare the training program against the training objectives;
Identify the right training providers; Complete training assessment form, stating what attendees had learned; Employee prepares action plan for improvement;
Make observation on the employee’s performance over time; Interview employee to confirm observation results. Training Evaluation Process will be able to help supervisor:
Compare current performance to previous performance level. These are sometimes referred to as current competency level and required competency level.
It is also to enhance present skills to meet increasing competition and changing stakeholders’ expectation. If and when you conduct training evaluation you can verify whether the training was effective in achieving the intended training objectives. Effective training must lead to results such as the ones stated below.
Higher Competency Levels: This means shorter time spent by your employees to complete a certain piece of job.
Higher Work Accuracy: There are fewer mistakes and thus fewer instances of tasks being re-done.
Cost Cutting: Overhead costs are reduced.
Chapter 11
Case Questions 1, 2 & 3
1. What is the managerial context in which these managers will be operating? Do you think training designed to help managers understand the context they will be operating in will be helpful? Why or why not? Today’s business context brings more diverse competition, increased complexity, and less time to respond to emerging challenges. It means continuous change for individual leaders, management teams, and entire organizations.
Context partners with executive leaders who want to align their organizations with business strategy and create an environment where teams thrive in the midst of change. Training designed to help managers understand:
Design and execute new strategies
Align organizational culture with business strategy
Grow capabilities required for the future
Structure for accountability and agility
Break down silos and collaborate across boundaries
Develop authentic leadership at all levels
2. What types of competencies should be developed in the management training? Give you rationale. 1. Interpersonal Competencies
a. Building Trust
Interacting with others in a way that gives them confidence in one’s intentions and those of the organization.
b. Operates with integrity
Demonstrates honesty and behaves according to ethical principles; ensures that words and actions are consistent; walks the talk; behaves dependably across situations.
c. Discloses position
Shares thoughts, feelings, and rationale so that others understand positions and policies. Maintains confidentiality—Keeps private or sensitive information about others confidential.
d. Leads by example
Serves as a role model for the organization’s values; takes responsibility for delivering on commitments; gives proper credit to others; acknowledges own mistakes rather than blaming others.
e. Communicating Effectively
Expressing thoughts, feelings, and ideas in a clear, concise, and compelling manner in both individual and group situations; actively listening to others; adjusting style to capture the attention of the audience; developing and deploying targeted communication strategies that inform and build support.
3. What types of training should be used to provide the different competencies? How long will it take to provide this training? Give your rationale. Personal Competencies should be a continuous process.
a. Demonstrating Adaptability
Maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work tasks, the work environment, or conditions affecting the organization (for example, economic, political, cultural, or technological); remaining open to new people, thoughts, and approaches; adjusting effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures.
b. Seeks to understand changes
Seeks to understand changes in work tasks, situations, and environment as well as the logic or basis for change; actively seeks information about new work situations and withholds judgment.
c. Approaches change positively
Treats changes as opportunities for learning or growth; focuses on the beneficial aspects of change; speaks positively and advocates the change when it helps promote organizational goals and strategy. d. Adapts to handle implementation challenges: Effectively handles global, cultural, economic, social, and political challenges to the effective implementation of learning and performance solutions; works to overcome barriers and deal constructively with nontraditional or challenging situations.
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