CAIIB ABM Module B UNIT 11 MCQ – Development of Human Resources

Correct Answer: C. Human Resource Management. The field concerned with managing people within an organisation, covering all related activities, is now referred to as Human Resource Management.

Correct Answer: B. Because of the realisation that people are important assets determining organisational success. Organisations now recognise that employees are not just factors of production but vital assets contributing significantly to overall success, elevating the importance of managing them effectively.

Correct Answer: A. The linkage between individual satisfaction and organisational growth. There is an accepted connection between how satisfied an individual feels in their job and the overall growth and success of the organisation.

Correct Answer: B. Variety, challenge, good pay, security, autonomy, and pleasant co-workers. Job satisfaction is enhanced when work offers engaging elements like variety and challenge, along with tangible benefits like good remuneration and security, and positive environmental factors like autonomy and supportive colleagues.

Correct Answer: C. Extraordinary performance. Employees who experience high job satisfaction, feel committed, and are creative tend to exhibit performance levels that exceed standard expectations.

Correct Answer: B. De-humanisation of the workplace. The focus on mass production during the industrial revolution resulted in workplaces where human aspects like emotions and needs were often disregarded.

Correct Answer: C. Recognising human emotions/needs and changing the job content to satisfy psycho-social needs. Efforts to enhance motivation involved acknowledging the human element (feelings, needs) and redesigning work activities to be inherently more satisfying and engaging.

Correct Answer: C. The success of organisational units depends on the performance of people occupying roles within the structure. The overall organisational structure is composed of various roles, and the effectiveness of the organisation hinges on how well individuals perform in these specific roles.

Correct Answer: C. Certain knowledge, skills, and attitude. Effective performance in a role requires a combination of relevant knowledge, practical skills, and the appropriate temperament or attitude suited for the job’s activities.

Correct Answer: B. Getting new people with the required skills. Acquiring new employees typically involves higher costs compared to investing in the training and skill enhancement of the current workforce.

Correct Answer: B. Massive computerisation of the workplace. The widespread adoption of personal computers in the 1990s fundamentally altered work processes, necessitating rapid computer literacy training across all operational levels.

Correct Answer: B. Liberalisation, privatisation, and globalisation. The opening up of the Indian economy through liberalisation, privatisation of state assets, and increased global integration led to a highly competitive business environment.

Correct Answer: B. Acquiring or sharpening capabilities for present or future jobs. HRD involves planned activities aimed at helping employees gain or improve the skills and abilities needed for their current roles or roles they might hold in the future.

Correct Answer: B. General capabilities as individuals and inner potential. HRD extends beyond job skills to foster the overall growth of employees as individuals, helping them discover and utilise their potential for personal and organisational benefit.

Correct Answer: D. Financial investment strategies for personal wealth. HRD focuses on developing competencies relevant to work performance and organisational effectiveness, such as technical, managerial, behavioural, and conceptual skills, rather than personal financial management.

Correct Answer: B. Developing the dyadic relationship between each employee and his or her supervisor. A key goal of HRD is to improve the working relationship and interaction between an employee and their direct supervisor.

Correct Answer: C. Learning and Development. Systems like Learning and Development, Performance Appraisal, and Career Planning are specifically designed to support the goals of Human Resource Development.

Correct Answer: B. Job analysis. Understanding the details of each job (activities involved and personal attributes needed) through job analysis is crucial for effectively implementing HRM functions like development, recruitment, and performance management.

Correct Answer: B. To provide the right person for the right job at the right time. A core objective of HRM, facilitated by thorough job understanding, is ensuring that individuals with the appropriate skills and attributes are placed in suitable roles when needed.

Correct Answer: B. It provides the necessary understanding of job requirements and suitable personnel attributes. Job/Role Analysis is vital because it details what a job entails and what kind of person is needed to perform it successfully, thereby enabling the matching of people to jobs effectively.

Correct Answer: C. Job Analysis. Job analysis is specifically defined as a technique used to identify and list everything needed to carry out a particular task or job.

Correct Answer: B. Job Description, Job Specification, and Job Evaluation. The conventional approach to job analysis involves breaking it down into these three distinct parts.

Correct Answer: C. Job Evaluation. Because job evaluation connects job complexities directly to pay scales, it is frequently handled separately from the descriptive and specification aspects of job analysis.

Correct Answer: C. Job Description and Job Specification. When job evaluation is separated, the core focus of job analysis narrows down to describing the job’s activities (Job Description) and the required attributes of the person performing it (Job Specification).

Correct Answer: B. Job title, job purpose, duties, qualifications, and working conditions. A job description provides a factual record of the job, detailing its title, overall purpose, specific tasks, necessary and preferred qualifications, and the environment in which it is performed.

Correct Answer: B. The knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform a job. A job specification outlines the necessary human qualifications, such as education, experience, and specific competencies, needed to successfully carry out the job.

Correct Answer: C. Education, work-experience, and managerial experience. Job specification focuses on the human requirements for the role, including educational background, relevant work history, and any necessary managerial experience.

Correct Answer: B. Recruitment & selection, performance evaluation, and appraisal & promotion. Knowing the required qualifications (Job Specification) aids in selecting the right candidates, assessing their performance against requirements, and making informed promotion decisions.

Correct Answer: C. Job Analysis. Although often treated separately, job evaluation relies heavily on the detailed information about job activities, responsibilities, and required qualifications gathered through job analysis.

Correct Answer: C. Job Analysis. Job analysis is the systematic study of a job to understand its various facets, including tasks, importance relative to other jobs, required qualifications, and the environment.

Correct Answer: C. Work activities, worker attributes, and work context. Job analysis focuses on collecting information about what tasks are done (work activities), what qualities the worker needs (worker attributes), and the setting in which the work occurs (work context).

Correct Answer: C. Comparing similarity between jobs within or between organisations. Job analysis allows for a systematic comparison of jobs based on their content and requirements, useful for internal alignment and external benchmarking.

Correct Answer: B. Wage settlements. By providing a basis for comparing job complexities and requirements, job analysis data is frequently used in determining fair and equitable wage structures.

Correct Answer: B. By assessing the type and number of employees needed with different skills. Information from job analysis helps in forecasting future workforce needs by identifying the specific skills and quantities required.

Correct Answer: C. To carry out training need identification and build capabilities where lacking. Job analysis reveals the knowledge and skills required for a job, highlighting gaps in current employees that can be addressed through targeted training.

Correct Answer: D. Task. A task is considered the most fundamental unit of work, focused on achieving a specific output, often without significant interaction with others.

Correct Answer: C. Position. The term ‘position’ specifically refers to an individual’s place within the organisational hierarchy, defining reporting lines and associated authority or subordination.

Correct Answer: D. Role. Unlike ‘position’ which focuses on hierarchy, ‘role’ emphasizes the set of reciprocal expectations and behaviours associated with a particular function within a social system like an organisation.

Correct Answer: D. Role. The concept of ‘role’ is highly significant in HRD because it moves beyond isolated tasks or hierarchical status to consider the complex web of expectations and interactions involving the job, the self, and others.

Correct Answer: B. Role Analysis Technique (RAT). RAT is a specific method used to define and clarify the expectations, responsibilities, and interdependencies associated with different roles within a team or organisation.

Correct Answer: C. Expectations of counterparts (role set). Role analysis goes beyond job tasks to include the expectations held by others who interact with or depend on the person fulfilling that role.

Correct Answer: A. Key Performance Areas (KPA). Within a role framework, KPAs are identified to specify the most critical areas where effective performance is expected.

Correct Answer: C. Job Description. The job description serves as the factual record outlining the specific tasks, duties, and responsibilities associated with a particular job.

Correct Answer: B. The standard of the individual’s designated qualities required for acceptable job performance. Job specification sets the minimum acceptable standards for the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other attributes an individual must possess to perform the job adequately.

Correct Answer: B. Well-defined, scientific, transparent, objective, and based on concrete data. An effective job analysis relies on a structured, evidence-based approach that is clear, unbiased, and uses verifiable information.

Correct Answer: B. No, past systems can potentially continue alongside new approaches. Changes in management focus do not automatically render all older systems obsolete; some may still be relevant or adaptable.

Correct Answer: C. Performance Appraisal, and Training and Development. These are essential components focused on employee growth and evaluation within the broader HRD system.

Correct Answer: D. Keeping the workforce updated with current, relevant knowledge. The primary training challenge is maintaining current skills and knowledge relevant to present and future needs, not forgetting the past entirely.

Correct Answer: C. Blending new skills with old ones can be challenging and may not be easy. Integrating new competencies often requires significant effort, training, and adaptation, and is not always a simple process.

Correct Answer: C. Job Analysis. Understanding the requirements of jobs (through Job Analysis) is essential for designing effective recruitment, training, appraisal, and other HRD systems.

Correct Answer: B. Performance Appraisal. Methods and philosophies of evaluating employee performance have evolved significantly, moving beyond simple metrics to more developmental approaches.

Correct Answer: C. They share common ground but also have distinct focuses. While both involve assessment, Performance Appraisal typically looks at past/present job performance, whereas Potential Appraisal focuses on future capabilities and roles.

Correct Answer: C. It serves as a motivational exercise for employees. Providing a path for growth and development through career planning can significantly motivate employees.

Correct Answer: B. It is a planned effort to improve organisational effectiveness and health. Organisational Development involves strategic interventions to enhance overall functioning, culture, and capabilities, not just physical growth.

Correct Answer: C. HR should be involved in business planning, aligning HR strategy with business goals. Effective HR contributes strategically by ensuring the organisation has the right people and skills to achieve its business objectives.

Correct Answer: C. Both the type of people needed and the activities involved in the job. A comprehensive understanding of both the job’s tasks and the required personnel characteristics is crucial for effective HR management.

Correct Answer: C. Mainly from the job holder, his/her supervisor, and a job analyst. These stakeholders provide direct and expert insights into the job’s duties, requirements, and context.

Correct Answer: B. It provides the basic data necessary for implementing various HR functions. Job Analysis outputs are foundational for recruitment, training, performance management, compensation, and other key HR activities.

Correct Answer: C. The basic need to grow and develop capabilities. It was realised that individuals are not static and possess a natural inclination towards growth and self-actualisation, similar to fulfilling physical needs.

Correct Answer: C. A systematic process to enhance employee skills, knowledge, and competency for better work performance. It aims to improve individual or group behaviour and effectiveness through shared knowledge and skill acquisition.

Correct Answer: B. The acquisition of specific knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Learning specifically concerns gaining new competencies, while development focuses on deepening this knowledge over the long term.

Correct Answer: C. Training. Training focuses on the skills and knowledge required for the current role, whereas education prepares for a future identified job, and development is for general individual growth.

Correct Answer: B. Education. In Nadler’s framework, education is distinct from training (present job) and development (general growth) as it focuses on preparing for a specific future role.

Correct Answer: C. Development. Development refers to broader, long-term learning aimed at personal growth, distinct from job-specific training or education for an identified future role.

Correct Answer: C. To clarify expectations, evaluation methods, and responsibility for each type of learning activity. Differentiating helps in setting clear goals, evaluating outcomes appropriately, and assigning responsibility (e.g., supervisor for training, HR for development).

Correct Answer: C. Pedagogy involves the teacher making all decisions, while Andragogy involves active inquiry by the learner. Adult learning (Andragogy) emphasizes learner autonomy and active participation, unlike traditional child learning models (Pedagogy).

Correct Answer: B. Learning is a process of active inquiry by the learner. Andragogy, or adult learning theory, stresses the importance of the learner’s active involvement and self-direction in the learning process.

Correct Answer: C. When a learner is conditioned to give a predetermined response to a specific stimulus. Behaviourist theories view the learner as passive, with learning occurring through stimulus-response conditioning.

Correct Answer: D. Human brains are capable of critical thinking and problem-solving, which is the purpose of learning. Cognitive theories focus on the brain’s processing capabilities and emphasize learning through understanding and reasoning.

Correct Answer: C. Learners require the freedom to learn what is personally relevant to their life situation. Humanistic theories emphasize learner autonomy, personal relevance, and the goal of developing individual potential.

Correct Answer: B. Feedback helps learners identify errors and acts as a motivator by confirming progress. Knowing the results allows for correction and provides reinforcement when learning is proceeding correctly.

Correct Answer: B. Learning must be transferable and applicable to the actual job. For training or learning to provide value, the acquired knowledge or skills must be applicable in the work environment.

Correct Answer: C. Young recruits might focus on management techniques, while senior management might focus on vision and strategy. Training content is typically tailored to the experience level and responsibilities of the group, with different focuses for new hires versus top executives.

Correct Answer: B. Establishing well-planned and systematic training systems. A developmental focus requires structured training processes to ensure learning objectives aligned with organisational goals are met effectively. For example, instead of random workshops, a company might implement a structured programme for new managers.

Correct Answer: B. Whether training should be conducted internally or externally. A systematic approach involves deciding on the delivery mechanism, including using in-house resources or external institutions. For instance, basic software training might be internal, while specialised leadership courses might be external.

Correct Answer: D. Training Need Analysis (TNA) and Identification of Training Needs. Before planning or conducting any training, it is essential to first determine what training is actually required by analysing current and future needs. For example, analysing performance data might reveal a need for customer service training.

Correct Answer: B. From employee performance appraisals, productivity measures, and error rates. Gaps in current employee knowledge, skills, or attitudes can be identified by examining performance data, quality issues, or appraisal feedback. For instance, frequent customer complaints might indicate a gap in communication skills.

Correct Answer: C. The organisation’s future business plans, potential expansions, or technological changes. Future training needs arise from anticipated changes, requiring assessment of existing skills against future requirements. For example, if a bank plans to introduce new digital services, employees will need training on those platforms.

Correct Answer: B. No, problems due to poor technology or working conditions may require different solutions. Training addresses skill or knowledge gaps, but cannot fix issues stemming from inadequate tools, processes, or environment. For example, training won’t improve output if the machinery is constantly breaking down.

Correct Answer: B. Prioritising identified needs and balancing them with available resources. The planning stage involves making strategic decisions about which training needs are most critical and feasible given resource constraints. For example, a company might prioritise mandatory compliance training over optional soft-skills workshops if resources are limited.

Correct Answer: C. Job rotation or an understudy assignment. On-the-job methods involve learning while performing actual work tasks or closely related activities within the work environment. For instance, a junior accountant might learn by rotating through different accounting functions like accounts payable and receivable.

Correct Answer: C. Spelling out the clear objectives of the programme. Clearly defined objectives guide decisions about content, methodology, duration, and evaluation criteria for the training. For example, an objective “to improve conflict resolution skills” will lead to different content and methods than an objective “to understand new safety regulations”.

Correct Answer: B. The programme objectives and the profile of the participants. Methodology selection depends on what needs to be taught (objectives) and the characteristics of the learners (e.g., experience level). For instance, a lecture might suit conveying information, while a role-play is better for practicing interpersonal skills.

Correct Answer: C. Participants’ opinions about the training content, methods, and relevance. The reaction level assesses immediate feedback on how participants felt about the training experience. For example, using feedback forms at the end of a session captures reactions.

Correct Answer: B. The extent to which participants apply the learned skills or knowledge back at their workplace. This level focuses on the transfer of learning to actual job performance and observable changes in work behaviour. For instance, observing if a manager uses newly learned coaching techniques with their team.

Correct Answer: B. They can relate the training content directly to actual work situations and use familiar language. Internal operational staff bring practical relevance and speak the ‘language’ of the trainees. For example, a senior engineer teaching junior engineers can use specific project examples.

Correct Answer: C. They may adopt a narrow approach, potentially lacking exposure to new ideas or broader concepts. Over-reliance on internal trainers might limit the introduction of fresh perspectives or advanced techniques from outside the organisation (‘in-breeding’). For example, they might teach only “how we’ve always done it here”.

Correct Answer: C. Orienting them towards the organisation’s specific issues and work situations. External trainers, while skilled in teaching, need to understand the specific context, challenges, and culture of the organisation they are training for. For example, placing them briefly in relevant departments helps them relate theory to practice.

Correct Answer: C. Linkages and congruence among the various HR sub-systems. The success of HR, particularly development initiatives, relies on the smooth integration and consistency between its different parts, like performance management and training. For example, training needs identified in performance appraisals should align with the training programmes offered.

Correct Answer: C. The performance appraisal system. Performance appraisals identify skill gaps and developmental needs, providing essential input for relevant and effective training, thus ensuring it’s a developmental process, not just procedural. For instance, if an appraisal highlights poor presentation skills, this data informs the training department.

Correct Answer: B. It serves as a useful database containing employee experience, placements, and skills for planning training. An effective HRIS stores vital employee data that helps in identifying training needs, selecting participants, and tracking development progress. For example, HRIS data can show which employees lack a specific certification required for a new project.

Correct Answer: B. The organisational culture, including shared beliefs and values about development. The attitudes and commitment of top management, supervisors, and peers towards training significantly impact its effectiveness and employee motivation. For example, if managers actively encourage and support staff attending training, it signals the value placed on development.

Correct Answer: D. Human resources are the most important assets and can be developed significantly. A core belief underpinning effective HRD is that employees are valuable and possess potential that can be nurtured, requiring commitment from all levels of management. For instance, a CEO emphasizing employee growth in company meetings reinforces this belief.

Correct Answer: B. To enable the individual and the organisation to achieve their respective goals. Training should be purposeful, aligning employee skill enhancement with both individual growth needs and organisational objectives, not just based on employee preference. For example, training improves job performance which helps the organisation, and enhances skills which helps the individual’s career.

Correct Answer: C. No, learning opportunities should align with organisational goals and requirements. While employee development is encouraged, organisational resources are typically directed towards learning that benefits both the employee’s growth and the organisation’s needs. For instance, learning advanced basket weaving might not be supported unless relevant to the business.

Correct Answer: B. Yes, differentiating helps clarify objectives, evaluation methods, and responsibilities. Understanding the distinct focus of each (present job, future job, general growth) allows for better planning, resource allocation, and assessment of learning outcomes.

Correct Answer: C. No, Pedagogy typically refers to child learning (teacher-centric) while Andragogy refers to adult learning (learner-centric). Andragogy recognizes that adults learn differently from children, emphasizing self-direction and experience.

Correct Answer: C. When there is an absence of motivation in the learner. Motivation is a key factor in learning; without the desire or drive to learn, the process is significantly less effective. For example, an employee forced into training they see no value in is unlikely to learn much.

Correct Answer: C. No, a mix of in-house and external training might be optimal depending on needs and resources. While in-house training offers control and relevance, external institutions might provide specialized expertise or broader perspectives not available internally. For example, bank-specific procedures are taught in-house, but advanced data analytics might require external experts.

Correct Answer: B. A systematic process of identifying gaps between desired and existing skills or knowledge. TNA is the diagnostic step in the training cycle, focused on determining what training is needed by analysing performance data, future plans, and competency levels. For example, TNA might involve surveys, interviews, and performance reviews.

Correct Answer: C. No, the plan involves prioritising needs and allocating resources based on organisational objectives. The training plan translates the analysed needs into a structured schedule, considering priorities, budget, and logistical constraints. Not every identified need may make it into the final plan for a given year.

Correct Answer: B. The objectives of the training, the subject matter, and the participant profile. While trainer skill is relevant, the choice of method should align with the learning goals and the audience’s characteristics for maximum effectiveness. For instance, teaching a complex theory might use lectures, while practicing negotiation skills requires role-plays.

Correct Answer: C. No, while some aspects can be measured, quantifying the total effect, especially long-term impact, can be challenging. Evaluating reactions and immediate learning is feasible, but measuring direct behavioural change and organisational impact (Level 3 & 4) is more complex and may not always be fully quantifiable.

Correct Answer: C. Yes, specific training in teaching methods is often beneficial for operational staff transitioning into a trainer role. While subject matter experts, operational staff may lack skills in instructional design, delivery techniques, and adult learning principles, which can be developed through specific training.

Correct Answer: C. Learning related specifically to the employee’s present job. Training is aimed at improving performance and capabilities in the current role assigned to the employee. For instance, training a cashier on a new billing software.

Correct Answer: C. Development involves learning for general individual growth, not tied to a specific job. Unlike training (present job) or education (specific future job), development aims at broadening an individual’s capabilities and potential in a more general sense. For example, attending a seminar on strategic thinking enhances overall capability.

Correct Answer: B. A persistent tendency to feel and behave in a particular way towards an object. Attitudes are relatively stable predispositions towards things like people, ideas, or situations, influencing feelings and actions. For example, consistently preferring teamwork over individual work reflects an attitude.

Correct Answer: D. Emotional component. This component relates to the feelings, sentiments, or emotions one holds towards the attitude object. For instance, feeling happy and enthusiastic about a new project involves the emotional component.

Correct Answer: C. The beliefs and information (factual or otherwise) the individual has about the object. This cognitive aspect includes the thoughts and knowledge, whether accurate or not, that someone associates with the attitude object. For example, believing that a particular software is difficult to learn constitutes the informational component.

Correct Answer: C. Behavioural component. This refers to the action aspect – how one is inclined to behave or respond concerning the attitude object. For example, actively avoiding tasks that involve public speaking reflects the behavioural component of an attitude towards it.

Correct Answer: B. Because attitudes help predict work behaviour and help people adapt to their environment. Attitudes influence actions like absenteeism or productivity and shape how employees adjust to workplace situations. For example, a positive attitude towards change may lead to quicker adoption of new processes.

Correct Answer: D. The Adjustment Function. Attitudes can help individuals fit in or adapt based on their experiences. For instance, if good performance is consistently rewarded, an employee might develop a positive attitude towards high effort, aiding adjustment.

Correct Answer: B. The Ego-Defensive Function. Attitudes can serve to protect one’s self-esteem or ego, even if it involves distorting reality. For example, blaming others for a mistake (negative attitude towards them) can protect one’s own sense of competence.

Correct Answer: C. The Value-Expression Function. Attitudes allow individuals to express their core values and beliefs. For instance, someone valuing environmentalism might express negative attitudes towards wasteful company practices.

Correct Answer: B. It provides standards and frames of reference to organise and explain the world. Attitudes offer mental shortcuts to structure understanding and make sense of people and events, even if the attitude isn’t entirely accurate. For example, a generalised attitude towards a political party helps organise information about its candidates.

Correct Answer: B. Prior commitment. Once someone is committed to a belief or action, they become resistant to information or influences that might change that attitude. For instance, someone who has publicly supported a project may resist evidence suggesting it’s failing.

Correct Answer: C. Providing new information that challenges existing beliefs. Introducing new facts or perspectives can alter the informational component of an attitude, leading to a potential shift. For example, showing data on the safety of a procedure might change a negative attitude based on misinformation.

Correct Answer: C. Moderate levels, which create awareness without being overly threatening. Low levels may be ignored, while very high levels can cause rejection of the message; moderate fear is often optimal for prompting change. For example, warnings about health risks from smoking using moderate imagery might be more effective than extremely graphic or very mild warnings.

Correct Answer: C. Co-opting. Involving dissenters in the process can change their perspective and attitude as they gain understanding and ownership. For example, making a critic of company policy part of the committee reviewing that policy.

Correct Answer: B. The sequence and variety of work roles undertaken throughout life. A career encompasses the entirety of a person’s work-related experiences and roles over time.

Correct Answer: B. A lifelong process of managing learning, work, and transitions. It’s an ongoing journey unique to each individual, involving continuous learning and adaptation in the world of work.

Correct Answer: B. A sequence of jobs leading towards short- and long-term career goals. It represents a structured progression of roles designed to achieve specific career objectives. For example, starting as a junior engineer, moving to senior engineer, then to project manager.

Correct Answer: C. Achieving ego identity. This stage focuses on forming a stable sense of self by reconciling self-perceptions with how one believes others see them.

Correct Answer: B. Approximately every five to seven years. Levinson’s research suggests careers involve periodic transitions or points of re-evaluation roughly within this timeframe.

Correct Answer: D. Apprentice. This initial stage involves learning, dependency, and performing less complex tasks under guidance. For example, a trainee lawyer assisting a senior partner.

Correct Answer: B. Colleague. In this stage, individuals start contributing independently, relying less on direct supervision for their core tasks. For instance, a software developer working on their assigned module within a team.

Correct Answer: C. Transitory Career. This pattern is characterized by frequent job changes, often across different fields, without a focus on deep skill development or hierarchical progression in one area.

Correct Answer: B. Steady State Career. This involves commitment to a specific field and skill mastery, but without the drive for managerial or hierarchical advancement. For example, a highly skilled craftsman who prefers hands-on work over management.

Correct Answer: C. Vertical movement. This dimension represents the traditional upward (or downward) progression through organisational levels or ranks.

Correct Answer: C. Movement towards the centre (core) of the organisation’s influence or power structure. This dimension signifies gaining centrality, influence, or inclusion within the organisation’s inner circle.

Correct Answer: C. An individual’s self-concept of their talents, motives, and values that guides career decisions. Career anchors are stabilizing forces reflecting what an individual truly values and is good at, influencing their career choices.

Correct Answer: B. A process of systematically matching career goals and capabilities with opportunities. Career planning aims to align individual aspirations and abilities with available organisational paths for growth and fulfillment. For example, identifying an employee’s goal to become a manager and matching it with training opportunities and potential openings.

Correct Answer: C. The individual employee to grow within the organisation. It is directed towards structuring and guiding employees’ aspirations for upward movement and development.

Correct Answer: C. No, it is a facility for growth but not a guaranteed right for advancement. While it outlines potential progression, advancement depends on performance, available positions, and meeting criteria. For example, reaching a certain level on the path requires passing specific assessments.

Correct Answer: B. The sequence of job assignments, training requirements, and promotion criteria. Transparency about the path, including expectations and benchmarks, is essential for effective career planning.

Correct Answer: B. Job Families. Grouping similar jobs helps in structuring career paths, ensuring individuals gain relevant experience even if specific identical roles aren’t available in all units. For example, various analyst roles requiring similar data skills might form a job family.

Correct Answer: C. Training and counselling to highlight the change in orientation (e.g., towards development). Moving between roles with different expectations (like becoming responsible for others’ development as a mentor) requires support to manage the transition effectively.

Correct Answer: B. Increased specialisation of functions like finance, IT, and HR requiring distinct expertise. As functions become more complex, they offer distinct career paths requiring specialised competencies, allowing for multiple career tracks within one company. For example, an engineer could develop expertise and follow a career path in IT management within the same firm.

Correct Answer: C. Developing expertise in one or more specialised areas. With fewer hierarchical levels, career growth often involves deepening or broadening expertise rather than just climbing a traditional ladder.

Correct Answer: B. The external aspects like identity and physical features. The patent self refers to the readily observable characteristics used for initial identification, unlike the inner self’s psychological attributes. For example, identifying someone as ‘the person with glasses’ relates to the patent self.

Correct Answer: B. Developing a mature personality capable of handling varied tasks and situations. It’s an ongoing process of discovering and utilising one’s potential for personal improvement and effectiveness.

Correct Answer: B. Employees’ mindsets must align with the spirit of the changes. Structural or strategic changes require corresponding shifts in employee understanding and attitude to be successfully implemented. For example, a shift to customer-centricity requires employees to adopt that mindset, not just follow new procedures mechanically.

Correct Answer: B. Motivation, self-awareness, proactive behaviour, and action-orientation. Personal efficacy involves understanding oneself, being driven, taking initiative, and focusing on action to improve capabilities and achieve goals.

Correct Answer: B. An individual’s belief about who or what is responsible for events in their life. It reflects whether someone attributes outcomes to internal factors (their own actions) or external factors (luck, fate, powerful others).

Correct Answer: D. Coercive Power. This power base relies on the ability to impose negative consequences or penalties on others. For example, a manager threatening disciplinary action for non-compliance.

Correct Answer: B. Legitimate Power (or Position Power). This authority comes from the role itself, granting the holder the right to direct others within defined limits. For instance, a team leader having the authority to assign tasks.

Correct Answer: D. Referent Power. This power stems from interpersonal attraction and respect, where followers identify with and want to please the leader. For example, following a highly respected mentor’s advice willingly.

Correct Answer: C. Expert Power. This power is based on possessing valued knowledge or expertise that others depend on. For example, colleagues seeking advice from the person known to be most skilled in a complex software.

Correct Answer: C. Inclusion. This fundamental need concerns belonging, interaction, and feeling connected with others. For example, the desire to be part of a team or social group.

Correct Answer: B. Adult ego state. This state operates based on rational thought, problem-solving, and objective assessment of reality. For example, calmly analysing data before making a decision.

Correct Answer: C. Child ego state. This state reflects feelings, impulses, and experiences from childhood, encompassing aspects like spontaneity, creativity, and emotional reactions. For example, expressing spontaneous joy or frustration.

Correct Answer: D. I am OK, you are OK. This position represents a positive outlook on both self and others, fostering constructive interactions.

Correct Answer: B. The combined effect of a team achieving results greater than the sum of individual efforts. Synergy occurs when collaboration produces outcomes superior to what members could achieve independently.

Correct Answer: B. The study of how groups form, their structure, processes, and effects. Coined by Kurt Lewin, it encompasses the internal nature and functioning of groups.

Correct Answer: B. Storming. This stage often involves disagreements, power struggles, and clarification of expectations and roles before the group settles into more cooperative functioning.

Correct Answer: C. Norming. After the conflict phase (Storming), the group develops agreed-upon standards, procedures, and expectations for working together.

Correct Answer: C. SWOT analysis of self. Performing a personal SWOT analysis helps individuals understand these four aspects, which aids in self-development and better utilisation of potential. For example, identifying ‘strong communication skills’ as a Strength and ‘fear of public speaking’ as a Weakness.

Correct Answer: C. Aspects of personality known to both self and others. The Arena represents the shared knowledge area about an individual’s behaviour and characteristics. For example, if both you and your colleagues know you are organised, that trait is in the Arena.

Correct Answer: B. Blind. This area contains information or traits that others perceive in an individual, but the individual is unaware of. For instance, a person might not realise they interrupt others frequently, but their colleagues notice it.

Correct Answer: B. By receiving feedback from others and engaging in self-disclosure. Increasing the open area involves becoming more aware of one’s blind spots through feedback and revealing more hidden aspects through disclosure. For example, asking colleagues for constructive criticism and sharing one’s own work challenges.

Correct Answer: C. The capability to manage one’s own emotions and influence others’ emotions. It involves understanding and regulating personal feelings and recognising and responding appropriately to the feelings of others. For example, staying calm under pressure and empathising with a distressed colleague.

Correct Answer: C. EI can be learned and developed throughout adulthood, while IQ is considered relatively stable. Unlike IQ, emotional competencies can be acquired and improved with awareness, effort, and maturity.

Correct Answer: D. Self-Awareness. This is the foundation of EI, involving understanding one’s own internal state, preferences, resources, and intuitions. For example, recognising you feel anxious before a presentation and understanding why.

Correct Answer: B. Self-Regulation. This involves managing one’s internal states, impulses, and resources effectively. For instance, choosing not to react angrily immediately during a disagreement, but instead pausing to think.

Correct Answer: C. The ability to understand the emotional makeup and perspectives of other people. Empathy is about sensing others’ feelings and viewpoints and taking an active interest in their concerns. For example, understanding why a team member might be frustrated with a task, even if you don’t feel the same way.

Correct Answer: D. Social Skills. This component deals with adeptness at inducing desirable responses in others, including communication, influence, conflict management, and collaboration. For example, effectively persuading colleagues to support a new initiative.

Correct Answer: B. Employees’ way of thinking must align with the organisational changes. True effectiveness requires people to understand and adapt their perspectives along with structural or strategic shifts. For example, implementing a new customer service strategy requires employees to adopt a customer-first mindset.

Correct Answer: C. No, individuals may need to accept broader organisational changes impacting culture or strategy. Effective organisational adaptation often requires employees to embrace changes beyond their immediate job description, including shifts in mindset or overall direction.

Correct Answer: B. The individual employee must take initiative, facilitated by the organisation. While organisations facilitate development, self-renewal and adaptation require individual awareness and effort. For example, an organisation can offer training, but the employee must engage with it.

Correct Answer: C. No, improvement often requires external feedback or objective data alongside self-perception. While self-awareness is key, solely relying on one’s own view can be limiting; external input helps provide a more complete picture for development.

Correct Answer: B. As a combination of motivation, self-awareness, proactivity, and action-orientation towards development. It encompasses a broader sense of capability, drive, and belief in one’s ability to improve and achieve goals.

Correct Answer: B. An individual’s belief about whether internal or external forces control life events. It reflects whether one attributes outcomes to their own actions (internal) or to factors like luck or others’ actions (external).

Correct Answer: C. Individuals have varied motivations, including achievement, group affiliation, or influence. People work for different reasons, and understanding one’s primary drivers (e.g., personal accomplishment, teamwork, power) is key to self-awareness.

Correct Answer: C. No, the Child ego state contributes positive aspects like creativity and intuition, which remain valuable. While behaviour needs to be appropriate, the Child state includes beneficial traits like creativity (‘Little Professor’) that shouldn’t be entirely eliminated.

Correct Answer: C. Child ego state. This state embodies feelings, impulses, and creativity originating from childhood experiences.

Correct Answer: C. Regulating behaviour based on learned rules and nurturing others. The Parent state incorporates messages received from authority figures, guiding behaviour (Critical Parent) and providing care (Nurturing Parent).

Correct Answer: C. Aspects known to both self and others. This is the area of shared knowledge and awareness between an individual and those they interact with.

Correct Answer: D. Aspects known to others but not known to the self. This area contains information about the individual that they are unaware of, but others can see.

Correct Answer: B. Aspects known to self but deliberately not revealed to others. This area includes thoughts, feelings, or information that the individual keeps private.

Correct Answer: D. DARK / UNKNOWN. This area contains potential or aspects of the self that are yet to be discovered by anyone, including the individual themselves.

Correct Answer: B. As the ability to manage one’s own and others’ emotions effectively. It encompasses self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills.

Correct Answer: C. Yes, empathy, or understanding others’ emotional states, is a key component. Sensing others’ feelings and perspectives is crucial for effective interpersonal interaction.

Correct Answer: C. Yes, having a passion to work for internal reasons and pursue goals with persistence is included. Achievement drive, commitment, initiative, and optimism are aspects of self-motivation within the EI framework.

Correct Answer: C. Yes, the ability to control disruptive impulses and think before acting is a key element. Managing one’s internal states and reactions is fundamental to emotional intelligence.

Correct Answer: C. The general mood, confidence, motivation, and willingness of a person or group to perform tasks. Morale is an important mental state reflecting the overall spirit and attitude towards work. For example, a team enthusiastically tackling a challenging project demonstrates high morale.

Correct Answer: A. Employee motivation, rewards, and recognition. High morale is often sustained when employees feel motivated and their contributions are acknowledged and rewarded.

Correct Answer: B. Reduced productivity, high staff turnover, and potentially reduced revenue. Low morale can negatively impact various aspects of business performance, including efficiency and employee retention.

Correct Answer: C. Welcoming and implementing employee innovations and ideas. Valuing employee contributions by acting on their suggestions can significantly improve morale as staff feel heard and valued.

Correct Answer: C. The adage ‘inspect what you expect’. Regularly monitoring progress towards clear goals helps maintain focus and clarity, preventing confusion that can lower morale.

Correct Answer: C. Solve the underlying problem and communicate correct information quickly. When negativity stems from misinformation, prompt clarification and communication are key to resolving the issue.

Correct Answer: C. The employees who are closest to the negative situation. Involving affected employees ensures better understanding of the root causes and fosters ownership of the solutions.

Correct Answer: C. The visible face of Human Resource, embodying competence, commitment, and contribution. Talent refers to the skilled and capable individuals who drive organisational performance.

Correct Answer: C. Competence, Commitment, and Contribution. These represent the key dimensions of talent: ability (head), action (hands/feet), and engagement (heart).

Correct Answer: B. Anticipating required human capital and planning to meet those needs strategically. It involves attracting, developing, retaining, and deploying skilled employees to achieve business goals.

Correct Answer: C. Succession planning, assessment, and development. These activities focus on identifying, nurturing, and preparing high-potential employees for future roles, core aspects of talent management.

Correct Answer: B. Acquiring talent, Developing talent, and Retaining talent. A comprehensive talent strategy addresses the full lifecycle from recruitment through development to ensuring valuable employees stay with the organisation.

Correct Answer: B. Identifying and developing new leaders to replace current ones when they leave. It’s a strategic process to ensure leadership continuity by preparing internal candidates for key roles.

Correct Answer: B. Replacement planning is narrowly focused on identifying specific back-up candidates for given senior roles. Succession planning takes a broader, more developmental approach across the leadership pipeline, while replacement planning is more limited to specific contingency backups.

Correct Answer: C. That top talent must be managed for the greater good of the entire enterprise. Effective succession management requires an organisational perspective, viewing talent as a key asset to be developed strategically for the company’s overall benefit.

Correct Answer: C. To identify individuals with potential and provide them with critical development experiences. A core goal is to build a pipeline of capable internal candidates ready to step into key roles by identifying potential early and nurturing it.

Correct Answer: B. High-ended soft skills like communication, decision-making, and leadership. For senior roles, leadership effectiveness hinges significantly on well-developed soft skills to manage teams, make strategic decisions, and navigate complex organisational dynamics.

Correct Answer: B. Sporadic and ad hoc exposures through random programme deputations. Relying on occasional, unplanned training exposures rather than a structured strategy was seen as insufficient for robust leadership development.

Correct Answer: C. Experienced and capable employees prepared to assume key roles. The process aims to build internal bench strength, ensuring qualified individuals are ready when leadership positions become vacant.

Correct Answer: A. Countering the difficulty and costs of recruiting externally. By developing internal talent, organisations can reduce reliance on often expensive and time-consuming external searches for key positions.

Correct Answer: B. A continuous and planned process to help employees acquire capabilities and develop potential for organisational and personal growth. HRD aims to enhance employee competencies and foster a supportive organisational culture for overall development.

Correct Answer: B. To emphasize the development of employees as valuable assets capable of growth, distinct from maintenance or administrative tasks. Focusing on HRD highlights the strategic importance of nurturing human potential for organisational success.

Correct Answer: B. Observing that employees have a basic need to grow and can acquire new knowledge and skills over time. Recognising human potential for change and development shifted the focus from merely hiring for specific jobs to nurturing capabilities.

Correct Answer: C. Effective performance of individuals in their roles contributes directly to the achievement of organisational goals. The success of the organisation relies on the collective performance of its employees, which HRD aims to enhance.

Correct Answer: C. Learning & Development, Performance & Potential Appraisal, Career Planning, OD, HRIS, Talent Management & Succession Planning. These systems work together to foster employee and organisational growth.

Correct Answer: B. It supports the HRD premise that employees have the capacity and often the desire to learn and develop throughout their careers. This inherent capacity justifies organisational investment in learning opportunities.

Correct Answer: C. Yes, aligning organisational learning opportunities with employees’ natural need for growth can enhance motivation and commitment. Meeting this intrinsic need contributes to both individual satisfaction and organisational benefit.

Correct Answer: B. Because Pedagogy assumes a passive learner, whereas adults often learn best through active inquiry and relating to experience (Andragogy). Adult learning principles emphasize self-direction and relevance.

Correct Answer: C. Adults are often motivated internally and value relevance, while child learning is more directed by external authority. Principles like self-direction, experience-based learning, and problem-centered orientation differentiate adult learning.

Correct Answer: B. Training Need Analysis, Planning, Conduct/Design, Evaluation, Trainer Selection/Development. This systematic approach ensures training is planned, delivered, and assessed effectively.

Correct Answer: B. To ensure training activities are aligned with objectives, resources are used effectively, and outcomes can be evaluated. A systematic approach brings structure, purpose, and accountability to the training function.

Correct Answer: C. The systematic process of identifying gaps between required and existing competencies to determine training requirements. TNA is the diagnostic first step to ensure training addresses actual needs.

Correct Answer: B. Experiential and participative methods. These methods actively involve learners in applying concepts or practicing skills, moving beyond passive listening.

Correct Answer: C. Training: Present job; Education: Identified future job; Development: General growth. Distinguishing these helps clarify objectives and tailor learning interventions appropriately.

Correct Answer: C. Reaction, Learning, Behaviour, Functioning/Results. This model (similar to Kirkpatrick’s) provides a framework for assessing training impact at different levels.

Correct Answer: C. Isolating the impact of training on behaviour and organisational results from other influencing factors can be difficult. While lower levels are easier to measure, attributing changes in job performance or business outcomes solely to training is complex.

Correct Answer: B. Positive attitudes generally correlate with better work behaviour, adaptability, and performance, benefiting both the individual and the organisation. Attitudes shape behaviour and influence how employees engage with their work and environment.

Correct Answer: B. Providing new information, using moderate fear arousal (if applicable), resolving discrepancies, influence of peers/leaders, or co-opting them into the process. Various techniques can be employed, often involving communication, involvement, or addressing underlying beliefs.

Correct Answer: D. It’s often a shared responsibility between the organisation (providing opportunities/paths) and the individual (effort, choices). While individuals drive their careers, organisations play a key role in facilitating growth through planning and opportunities.

Correct Answer: B. They indicate that individuals have predictable phases of development, concerns, and potential crises within their work lives, similar to life stages. Understanding these stages helps organisations tailor career support and development.

Correct Answer: C. Apprentice, Colleague, Mentor, Sponsor. These roles represent distinct stages in career progression, each with different tasks, relationships, and developmental requirements.

Correct Answer: B. The existence of distinct, specialised career paths within different functions (e.g., Finance, IT, HR) in the same organisation. Increased specialisation allows individuals to build expertise and progress within various functional tracks.

Correct Answer: B. To effectively adapt to changing organisational strategies, technologies, and environments, ensuring continued relevance and growth. Self-renewal is crucial for individuals to navigate dynamic work contexts successfully.

Correct Answer: B. Their motivational patterns, locus of control, power bases, interpersonal needs/styles, and emotional intelligence. Understanding these internal factors provides a foundation for personal growth.

Correct Answer: B. It helps individuals improve communication, collaboration, and influencing skills, leading to more effective working relationships. Understanding how interactions work aids in navigating organisational dynamics successfully.

Correct Answer: B. An individual’s belief in their capacity to mobilise resources and take action to succeed in specific situations; linked to motivation and self-awareness. It reflects self-belief and a proactive orientation towards achieving goals.

Correct Answer: B. EI enhances self-management, interpersonal relationships, and leadership effectiveness, contributing significantly to personal and professional success. Abilities like self-awareness, empathy, and social skills are critical in navigating the human aspects of work.

Correct Answer: B. Powers such as Coercive, Legitimate, Reward, Referent, and Expert power. Managers draw on various sources of influence, including position, ability to punish/reward, expertise, and interpersonal appeal.

Correct Answer: B. Purpose: Align individual aspirations with organisational opportunities; Process: Involves planning paths, identifying criteria, providing feedback, and facilitating transitions. It’s a systematic HRD effort supporting employee progression.

Correct Answer: B. Attracting, onboarding, developing (e.g., career paths, talent pools), and retaining talent. A holistic approach covering the entire talent lifecycle is needed for success.

Correct Answer: A. Significance: Ensures leadership continuity; Process: Identify key roles, identify potential successors, develop candidates. It’s a strategic process vital for organisational stability and future leadership.