lacked trust and confidence in their supervisors. The director arranged for training of these supervisors to help them
strengthen their interpersonal, communication, conflict resolution, and problem-solving skills. Why is it in the best
interest of the organization to help its supervisors improve their performance and gain the trust and confidence of their
direct reports?
o Training supervisors to be more trustworthy will help them relate more effectively with their employees and encourage better
o Improving relationships between employees is an essential role for the training and development office and helps it achieve its
o Helping individuals improve their performance through training helps the organization reach its strategic goals.
o Providing training for individuals that focuses on improving skills allows employees to develop competencies for future jobs.
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Section 1.4
Frequently, a distinction is made between training and development. The former is generally
regarded as an organization's planned effort to facilitate employees' learning of job-related
knowledge, skills, and competencies for the current job. The latter has a more long-term
focus represented by formal education, job experiences, relationships, and assessments of
personality and abilities that help employees prepare for future jobs. Regardless of whether
an organization is looking to the short- or the long-term, the basic aim of training and
development programs is to help the organization achieve its mission and goals by
improving individual—and, ultimately, organizational—performance. As noted above, this
can be done by helping to build human capital into social capital, and by creating
organizational capabilities that are difficult for competitors to imitate.
,2. The training and development office at Avondale Industries was asked to provide training for the leadership of its wheel
and brake sites in Long Beach, CA; Dallas-Fort Worth, TX; and Atlanta, GA. The sites were all scheduled for an
overhaul of systems, but the change overs would need to be carefully coordinated so the three sites were not down at
the same time. The sites operated independently of each other, but the change necessitated close cooperation to allow
the company to provide products and service to its customers with minimal disruption. The requested training was to
focus on helping teams be motivated to perform. Why would this training be the most effective for the situation?
o Training in team motivation to perform would focus on getting buy-in for proposed strategy changes and help the independen
o Training in team motivation to perform would allow each team to develop clarity about their individual roles and responsibilit
o Training in team motivation to perform would help the teams identify the strengths of each site and improve in areas with less
o Training in team motivation to perform would allow the separate teams to better align their work schedules with the other team
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Section 1.4
Self-awareness includes an understanding of the impact one's behavior has on others, self-
confidence in the performance of one's work, and a clarity about one's roles and
responsibilities in the organization. Skill level enhancement can be oriented toward motor
skills (driving a forklift safely), interpersonal skills (effective teamwork), intellectual skills
(problem solving), or others. Most of what is traditionally viewed as training and
development has this type of goal in mind. An increasingly popular type of training involves
enhancing individual and team motivation to perform. Frequently, this type of training is
oriented toward getting buy-in for a proposed change of direction or strategy in the
organization.
, 3. Avondale Industries’ training and development office mandates compliance training for sexual harassment prevention;
workplace safety, violence, and substance abuse; diversity; and so forth. Supervisors are required to go through this
training every two years. However, supervisors have complained that these topics, while important, are not the only
training they need. What they really want is training that will help them adapt quickly to changes and solve problems
they face every day as they try to meet their goals. Which statement best explains why the training and development
office should be concerned about helping supervisors learn and improve in their jobs?
o When supervisors know how to do their jobs better, they are able to identify ways in which they can adapt to changes and cha
o Enabling a supervisor to learn how to do their job better helps the company successfully achieve its overall goals and objectiv
o When a supervisor increases their skills, they are better able to respond to issues that can arise in their area of responsibility.
o Improving supervisors’ capabilities will directly impact their interactions with their direct reports and help them transfer know
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4. A little over two years ago, Avondale Industries acquired a company that produces a line of adhesives and sealants used
in the aerospace industry. The acquisition was shortly followed by providing the best and brightest employees in the
division with training every three months on topics selected by the group. A year later, the adhesives and sealants
division developed a new sealant that lasts longer, is less expensive to produce, and is more effective in preventing the
spread of fire or flames from the engine compartment to the airplane and preventing air leakage. The new product
resulted in a sustainable competitive advantage in the market. Which of the following statements best explains how
training contributed to the division’s new competitive advantage?
o The training gave the employees the opportunity to demonstrate their many skills and competencies to the company.
o The training taught the employees how to look at competitors’ products and determine how to make them better.
o The training allowed the employees to understand the goals of the company and how their contribution aligned with these goa
o The training engaged the right people and empowered them to innovate and work together more effectively.
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