Training Needs Assessment Chapter 3
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Questions and Answers

What does situational constraints refer to?

____________ ____________ refers to managers' and peers' willingness to provide feedback and reinforcement.

social support

If employees do not believe that rewards or incentives for performance are adequate, they will be unlikely to meet performance standards, even if they have the necessary knowledge, behaviors, skills, or attitudes.

True

____________ refer to accepted standards of behavior for work-group members.

<p>norms</p> Signup and view all the answers

A ____________ is a specific position requiring the completion of certain tasks.

<p>job</p> Signup and view all the answers

A ____________ is the employee's work activity in a specific job.

<p>task</p> Signup and view all the answers

____________ includes facts or procedures.

<p>knowledge</p> Signup and view all the answers

____________ indicates competency in performing a task.

<p>skill</p> Signup and view all the answers

____________ includes the physical and mental capacities to perform a task.

<p>ability</p> Signup and view all the answers

____________ refers to the conditions under which tasks are performed.

<p>other</p> Signup and view all the answers

Name the four steps in a task analysis.

<ol> <li>Select job/jobs to be analyzed; 2. Develop preliminary list of tasks by interviewing/observing; 3. Validate/confirm the list; 4. Identify difficult KSAs.</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

Traditionally, needs assessment has involved identifying KSAs and tasks. However, a current trend in training is for needs assessment to focus on competencies, especially for managerial positions.

<p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

____________ are sets of KSAs and personal characteristics that enable employees to perform their jobs successfully.

<p>competencies</p> Signup and view all the answers

A ____________ ____________ identifies the competencies necessary for each job.

<p>competency model</p> Signup and view all the answers

____________ ____________s provide descriptions of competencies that are common for an entire occupation, organization, job family, or specific job.

<p>competency models</p> Signup and view all the answers

____________ ____________ refers to the process of developing a description of the tasks, duties, responsibilities, and specifications (KSAs) that an employee must have to perform it.

<p>job analysis</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the process used in developing a competency model?

<ol> <li>Identify business strategy/goals; 2. Identify jobs, positions, or job families; 3. Conduct interviews &amp; focus groups; 4. Develop competencies and competency model; 5. Validate and review the model.</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

____________ ____________ ____________ refers to a needs assessment that is done quickly and accurately, but without sacrificing the quality of the process or the outcomes.

<p>rapid needs assessment</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a needs assessment?

<p>The process used to determine whether training is necessary.</p> Signup and view all the answers

_____________ _____________ typically involves organizational analysis, person analysis, and task analysis.

<p>Needs assessment</p> Signup and view all the answers

An organizational analysis considers the context in which _____________ will occur.

<p>training</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is organizational analysis?

<p>Determining the appropriateness of training, given the company's business strategy, resources available for training, and support by managers and peers for training activities.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is person analysis?

<p>Determining whether performance deficiencies result from a lack of KSA or from a motivational/work-design problem, identifying who needs training, and determining employees' readiness for training.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is task analysis?

<p>Identifies the important tasks and knowledge, skills, and behaviors that need to be emphasized in training for employees to complete their tasks.</p> Signup and view all the answers

A needs assessment is important because a manager or client asking for training could really need something else.

<p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

Needs assessment is the _____________ step in the instructional design process.

<p>first</p> Signup and view all the answers

All of these are possibilities if a _____________ _____________ isn't conducted properly: Training programs may have the wrong content, objectives, or methods.

<p>needs assessment</p> Signup and view all the answers

Needs assessment is irrelevant to most of the remaining steps in the training design process.

<p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

Needs assessments help determine whether a company will _____________ its training or _____________ its training through internal processes.

<p>outsource; develop</p> Signup and view all the answers

It is important that all stakeholders are included in the needs assessment.

<p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

_____________ include persons in the organization who have an interest in training and development.

<p>Stakeholders</p> Signup and view all the answers

Name the 2 ways to ensure stakeholders are involved in the needs assessment.

<p>Establishing formal advisory groups that meet regularly and including stakeholders in interviews, focus groups, and surveys.</p> Signup and view all the answers

_____________ _____________ view the needs assessment process from the broader company perspective.

<p>Company leaders</p> Signup and view all the answers

_____________-level managers are more concerned with how training may affect the attainment of financial goals.

<p>Mid</p> Signup and view all the answers

_____________ _____________ are usually involved in determining whether training meets the company's strategy.

<p>Company leaders</p> Signup and view all the answers

_____________-level managers are not usually involved in identifying which employees need training.

<p>Upper</p> Signup and view all the answers

What roles do Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) play?

<p>Identifying which employees need training and determining the tasks and characteristics needed for training.</p> Signup and view all the answers

____________ ____________ ____________ are knowledgeable regarding training issues, including tasks to be performed and required KSAs.

<p>Subject matter experts (SMEs)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are four important things needed from a SME?

<p>Knowledgeable about training content, able to prioritize critical content, relevant business information, and understanding of the company's language and tools.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who are job incumbents?

<p>Employees who are currently performing the job.</p> Signup and view all the answers

It is important to get a sample of upper-level managers involved in the process because they tend to be the most knowledgeable about the job.

<p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is an advantage of surveys in the needs assessment process?

<p>Information can be collected from a large number of persons.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a disadvantage of surveys?

<p>Difficult to collect detailed information regarding training needs.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are focus groups?

<p>A type of SME interview that involves a face-to-face meeting with groups of stakeholders or SMEs.</p> Signup and view all the answers

____________ (two words) refers to asking stakeholders to provide information for needs assessment.

<p>Crowdsourcing</p> Signup and view all the answers

It is important to verify the results of interviews, surveys, and focus groups.

<p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

____________ (two words) refers to using information about other companies' training practices for your own organization.

<p>Benchmarking</p> Signup and view all the answers

There are ____________ # of elements in the needs assessment process.

<p>3</p> Signup and view all the answers

It's important to consider the information from all three types of analysis before deciding to devote time and money to training.

<p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

In practice, organizational analysis, person analysis, and task analysis are conducted in a specific order.

<p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

Organizational analysis is concerned with identifying whether training suits the company's strategic objectives.

<p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

An initial task analysis may suggest that a company wants to spend less financial resources on training.

<p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

____________ analysis includes the following: Person characteristics, Input, Output, Consequences, Feedback.

<p>Person</p> Signup and view all the answers

____________ analysis includes the following: Strategic direction, Support for training activities, What resources are available.

<p>Organizational</p> Signup and view all the answers

____________ analysis includes the following: Work activity, SKA, personal capability, conditions under which work activity is performed.

<p>Task</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role does training play in a company?

<p>Influences the frequency and type of training and how the training function is organized.</p> Signup and view all the answers

In companies where training aligns with business strategies, more money allocated to training is likely.

<p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

The type of training is not influenced by the business strategy.

<p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

The greater the strategic role for training, the more likely that the company uses corporate university models.

<p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

A person analysis helps identify who needs training, this identification is called a ____________ analysis.

<p>gap</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does gap analysis include?

<p>Determining what is responsible for the difference between employees' current and expected job performance.</p> Signup and view all the answers

The need for training may result from pressure points including performance problems.

<p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does readiness for training refer to?

<p>Whether employees have the personal characteristics necessary to learn and apply program content.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Readiness for training process includes evaluating person characteristics, input, output, consequences, and feedback.

<p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are inputs in training?

<p>Instructions that tell employees what, how, and when to perform, and the resources provided.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What do person characteristics refer to?

<p>Employee KSAs and attitudes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does output refer to in training?

<p>The job's performance standards.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are consequences in the context of training?

<p>The type of incentives that employees receive for performing.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does feedback refer to?

<p>The information that employees receive while they are learning.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Person characteristics, input, output, consequences, and feedback influence the ____________ ____________ ____________.

<p>Motivation to learn</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is motivation to learn?

<p>Trainees’ desire to learn the content of training programs.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Your motivation to learn may be influenced by personal characteristics and the environment.

<p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

Your environment does not impact your learning.

<p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are basic skills in relation to training?

<p>Skills necessary for employees to perform on the job and learn training content successfully.</p> Signup and view all the answers

____________ skills include cognitive ability and reading and writing skills.

<p>Basic</p> Signup and view all the answers

Cognitive ability influences learning and job performance.

<p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

____________ ability includes three dimensions: verbal comprehension, quantitative ability, and reasoning ability.

<p>Cognitive</p> Signup and view all the answers

____________ ____________ refers to a person's capacity to understand and use written and spoken language.

<p>Verbal comprehension</p> Signup and view all the answers

____________ ____________ refers to how fast and accurately a person can solve math problems.

<p>Quantitative ability</p> Signup and view all the answers

____________ ____________ refers to a person's capacity to invent solutions to problems.

<p>Reasoning ability</p> Signup and view all the answers

Research shows that cognitive ability is related to successful performance in all jobs.

<p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

The importance of reasoning ability for job success decreases as the job becomes more complex.

<p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

Trainees with low levels of cognitive ability are less likely to fail to complete training.

<p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does readability refer to?

<p>The difficulty level of written materials.</p> Signup and view all the answers

An inappropriate reading level can impede performance and learning in training programs.

<p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

It's important for materials used in training to be evaluated to ensure their reading level does not exceed that required by the job.

<p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a readability assessment?

<p>An analysis of sentence lengths and word difficulty.</p> Signup and view all the answers

There are ____________ # of options available if a trainee's reading level does not match the required level.

<p>Four</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does self-efficacy mean?

<p>Employees' belief that they can perform their job or learn the content of the training program successfully.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Employees' perceptions of situational constraints and social support determine performance and motivation to learn.

<p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

What do situational constraints include?

<p>Lack of proper tools, materials, budgetary support, and time.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Needs Assessment Overview

  • Needs assessment determines the necessity of training within an organization.
  • It typically consists of organizational analysis, person analysis, and task analysis.

Organizational Analysis

  • Assesses if training aligns with company strategy, available resources, and managerial support.
  • Evaluates the training context focused on strategic direction and training resources.

Person Analysis

  • Identifies performance deficiencies due to inadequate knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) or motivational/work-design issues.
  • Helps to determine who requires training and their readiness for it.

Task Analysis

  • Identifies essential tasks, KSA, and behaviors necessary for effective performance.
  • Focuses on understanding work activities and the conditions under which tasks are performed.

Importance of Needs Assessment

  • Essential to clarify actual training needs—may reveal obstacles such as workflow redesign rather than training.
  • Conducted as the first step in the instructional design process, inputs guide subsequent stages.
  • If done poorly, may lead to ineffective training solutions, inappropriate content, and wasted resources.

Involvement of Stakeholders

  • Engages individuals who have a stake in the training process, including managers, employees, and trainers.
  • Uses formal advisory groups, interviews, focus groups, and crowdsourcing to include all relevant stakeholders.

Company Leadership Roles

  • Company leaders align training with overarching human resource practices, anticipating future business needs.
  • Mid-level managers prioritize training based on specific financial goals and employee types needing development.

Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)

  • SMEs play a key role in identifying who needs training and the necessary tasks involved.
  • Must understand the company’s language, tools, and training content effectively.

Gathering Data for Needs Assessment

  • Surveys allow broad data collection but may lack depth.
  • Focus groups involve face-to-face stakeholder meetings to delve into training needs.
  • Crowdsourcing gathers input from various stakeholders to inform training decisions.

Readiness for Training

  • Involves assessing whether employees possess the necessary personal characteristics and whether the work environment supports learning.
  • Factors influencing readiness include abilities, attitudes, motivation, feedback, and social support from management.

Basic Skills and Cognitive Ability

  • Basic skills encompass necessary cognitive abilities needed to learn and perform tasks successfully.
  • Cognitive ability includes verbal comprehension, quantitative ability, and reasoning ability, affecting job performance.
  • Performance problems may arise from various pressure points: job changes, new technology implementation, or other organizational shifts.
  • Identifying the root causes of performance gaps is essential for determining how training can be effective.

Task Analysis Steps

  • Selecting specific jobs for analysis and gathering data through interviews or observations.
  • Validating the defined task list and identifying critical KSAs that are difficult to master.

Assessment of Learning Environment

  • Includes situational constraints that may inhibit performance and the extent of social support available for learning.
  • Employer motivations and the adequacy of incentives significantly affect employee performance and engagement in training.

Importance of Norms and Feedback

  • Workgroup norms establish expected behaviors that can influence training outcomes.
  • Feedback, input availability, and clarity of output expectations are vital for effective training and learning environments.

Conclusion

  • Addressing all aspects of a needs assessment—organizational, person, and task—ensures rigorous and appropriate training solutions aligned with business strategies and employee capabilities.### Competencies
  • Competencies encompass sets of Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) along with personal characteristics essential for successful job performance.

Competency Model

  • A competency model defines the specific competencies required for each job within an organization.

Competency Models Explained

  • Competency models outline the essential competencies relevant across various domains such as occupations, organizations, job families, or specific positions.

Job Analysis

  • Job analysis is a systematic process aimed at detailing the tasks, duties, responsibilities, and necessary KSAs that employees need to fulfill their roles effectively.

Development Process for Competency Models

  • Initiating with identification of business strategies and goals.
  • Identifying specific jobs, positions, or job families relevant to the organization.
  • Conducting interviews and focus groups with exemplary top performers to gather insights.
  • Developing the competencies along with the competency model based on collected data.
  • Validating and reviewing the competency model to ensure its accuracy and relevance.

Rapid Needs Assessment

  • Rapid needs assessment is a method of evaluating training or performance needs quickly and effectively without compromising on the quality of the assessment or its outcomes.

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Description

This quiz covers key concepts from Chapter 3 on needs assessment. It includes definitions and the processes involved in determining training requirements within an organization. Test your understanding of organizational, person, and task analysis.

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