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Application of Employee Training and Development

question 103

Multiple Choice

Application of Employee Training and Development
Jo sighed. Productivity levels were down by 5% this month. After just spending $150,000 on new equipment, she was not quite sure how to explain this to top management. She had been so sure that new equipment would increase productivity levels. In fact, all the research she had done before purchasing the equipment had substantiated just that. What was the problem? Jo decided a trip to the assembly line floor was in order. Talking to the assembly line supervisor provided her with some new insights. The equipment manufacturer had said the new equipment would be easier to run than the old equipment. Jo had felt the equipment was similar enough that no training on the new equipment was necessary. Evidently that was not the case. The assembly line supervisor said there had been many down hours while people tried to figure out how to run the new machines. Furthermore, these machines were much more interrelated. One job tied into the next job, so if one person did something incorrectly, the next person on the line could not easily step in and fix the problem. In addition, these machines were much more technical and computer- like than the old machines had been. Evidently, they were not as easy to use as the manufacturer had stated.
-What type of training method should Jo provide to her employees to ensure that they understand how to use the new equipment?

Recognize the need for continuous improvement in both product and service quality.

Understand the importance of data and feedback in TQM practices.

Distinguish between different control types and their applications in TQM.

Understand the implications of quality management practices on organizational culture.

Definitions:

Authoritarian Leadership

Demands strict compliance from subordinates. Authoritarian leaders are most effective in a crisis such as a war or the emergency room of a hospital.

Social Groups

are collections of individuals who interact with each other based on shared interests, beliefs, or characteristics, forming a sense of unity and identity.

Groupthink

A phenomenon where a group's desire for harmony or conformity results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome.

Triad

A social relationship among three “nodes,” or social units (e.g., people, firms, organizations, countries, etc.).