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SHRM-CP Competencies Questions - Part 37
1. A company has reached a point of stability in its internal processes and ways of doing business. What stage of the life cycle characterizes this company?
A) Maturity
B) Decline
C) Introduction
D) Growth
2. How is Porter's 'Five Forces' framework used in developing strategies?
A) To determine the cost-effectiveness of strategic initiatives
B) To identify internal strengths and weaknesses
C) To understand competitive factors that influence the strategy
D) To assess the strength of various competitors
3. Refer to the following scenario for the next 3 questions. A renowned financial institution, a former leader in the financial market, is now facing decelerated growth. Its product portfolio lacks innovation compared to that of competitors. Although the institution was once a favorite place to work, recently HR has been facing issues attracting top talent, and time-to-hire metrics have deteriorated. A technology gap between the leadership and the employees is beginning to widen. The founder, who is very sales-oriented, is not an early adopter when it comes to technology. Since his client relationships all began with face-to-face contact, he is wary that technology removes the personal element. To create a more collaborative culture and social learning environment, the HR talent development lead (TDL) wants to foster a culture of learning and innovation. This will require a change in corporate culture and a significant investment in new technology. Despite a recent upgrade, the aged current learning management system (LMS) still feels outdated, sluggish, and static. The TDL believes that a new LMS with more powerful social learning technologies will be critical for attracting and retaining top talent, capturing the attention of a broader and rapidly changing demographic, and meeting their demands. The workforce is around 40% Millennials, compared with 10% just five years ago. The TDL knows that championing creativity and innovation in a risk-averse industry is a challenge because this behavior is usually not promoted or rewarded. How should the talent development lead position the proposed LMS to gain leadership commitment for investing in this new technology?
A) A. Survey the founder and senior leaders to gather their thoughts and feelings about how the LMS should support operations.
B) B. Task the Millennial leaders with researching LMS capabilities and trends and preparing a presentation for the founder, leaders, and stakeholders.
C) C. Implement the new LMS and, after usage data is gathered, then demonstrate its benefits.
D) D. Show how the LMS can effectively use technology, trends, and innovations to support the organizational strategy.
4. The TDL understands that cross-functional collaboration will be required to sort out the features needed to support the organization's learning management system. What is the best way to organize the right cross-functional team?
A) A. Contact analogous organizations and implement the exact features they are using.
B) B. Ask the senior leaders who they would like to see on the cross-functional team.
C) C. Assemble a team including senior functional leaders and younger managers with an interest in diversity and innovation.
D) D. To save time, limit the team to tech-savvy employees who already understand LMS trends and applications.
5. How can the TDL ensure that the LMS is consistently and widely used and supports the cost of investment?
A) A. Contract with an LMS vendor to set up a hotline to answer all questions related to information seeking and sharing with the new technology.
B) B. Create an effective communication plan so employees are aware of the benefits the new LMS offers and implement incentives for using the LMS.
C) C. Do nothing and assume that the LMS will eventually be consistently and widely used since it has so many benefits.
D) D. Require IT department employees to field calls and answer all questions from other employees on a rotating basis.
A) Maturity
B) Decline
C) Introduction
D) Growth
2. How is Porter's 'Five Forces' framework used in developing strategies?
A) To determine the cost-effectiveness of strategic initiatives
B) To identify internal strengths and weaknesses
C) To understand competitive factors that influence the strategy
D) To assess the strength of various competitors
3. Refer to the following scenario for the next 3 questions. A renowned financial institution, a former leader in the financial market, is now facing decelerated growth. Its product portfolio lacks innovation compared to that of competitors. Although the institution was once a favorite place to work, recently HR has been facing issues attracting top talent, and time-to-hire metrics have deteriorated. A technology gap between the leadership and the employees is beginning to widen. The founder, who is very sales-oriented, is not an early adopter when it comes to technology. Since his client relationships all began with face-to-face contact, he is wary that technology removes the personal element. To create a more collaborative culture and social learning environment, the HR talent development lead (TDL) wants to foster a culture of learning and innovation. This will require a change in corporate culture and a significant investment in new technology. Despite a recent upgrade, the aged current learning management system (LMS) still feels outdated, sluggish, and static. The TDL believes that a new LMS with more powerful social learning technologies will be critical for attracting and retaining top talent, capturing the attention of a broader and rapidly changing demographic, and meeting their demands. The workforce is around 40% Millennials, compared with 10% just five years ago. The TDL knows that championing creativity and innovation in a risk-averse industry is a challenge because this behavior is usually not promoted or rewarded. How should the talent development lead position the proposed LMS to gain leadership commitment for investing in this new technology?
A) A. Survey the founder and senior leaders to gather their thoughts and feelings about how the LMS should support operations.
B) B. Task the Millennial leaders with researching LMS capabilities and trends and preparing a presentation for the founder, leaders, and stakeholders.
C) C. Implement the new LMS and, after usage data is gathered, then demonstrate its benefits.
D) D. Show how the LMS can effectively use technology, trends, and innovations to support the organizational strategy.
4. The TDL understands that cross-functional collaboration will be required to sort out the features needed to support the organization's learning management system. What is the best way to organize the right cross-functional team?
A) A. Contact analogous organizations and implement the exact features they are using.
B) B. Ask the senior leaders who they would like to see on the cross-functional team.
C) C. Assemble a team including senior functional leaders and younger managers with an interest in diversity and innovation.
D) D. To save time, limit the team to tech-savvy employees who already understand LMS trends and applications.
5. How can the TDL ensure that the LMS is consistently and widely used and supports the cost of investment?
A) A. Contract with an LMS vendor to set up a hotline to answer all questions related to information seeking and sharing with the new technology.
B) B. Create an effective communication plan so employees are aware of the benefits the new LMS offers and implement incentives for using the LMS.
C) C. Do nothing and assume that the LMS will eventually be consistently and widely used since it has so many benefits.
D) D. Require IT department employees to field calls and answer all questions from other employees on a rotating basis.
1. Right Answer: A
Explanation: As an industry, organization, or product matures, problems are largely resolved. In an organization, staffing and culture begin to stabilize, and the rate of change levels off. Policies, procedures, and rules are formalized and communicated to all employees. Training is emphasized, and labor cost control becomes a factor.
2. Right Answer: C
Explanation: Porter's 'Five Forces' framework helps strategists understand the competitive forces at work in their industries so that they can assess the strengths and weaknesses of their own competitive position.
3. Right Answer: D
Explanation: D is the best answer. The TDL should develop knowledge about LMS applications that directly support the organizational strategy. A is incorrect. The founder and senior leaders may not know enough about current LMS trends and capabilities to see how it might support operations. B is incorrect. The Millennial leaders may assume general understanding and present information over the heads of the senior, less tech-competent leaders. C is incorrect. Prior to implementing the new LMS, the TDL needs to obtain buy-in by demonstrating how it will support the organization's strategy.
4. Right Answer: C
Explanation: C is the best answer. The team should include senior leaders and younger leaders who represent the spectrum of LMS users as well as the spectrum of potential mentors and collaborators. Assembling a team of experts will provide more efficient use of time and resources. A is incorrect. Although it could be beneficial to know what similar organizations are doing, the TDL cannot rely on only that information, as the other organizations' business strategies and needs may differ. B is incorrect. The senior leaders may be too far removed from the end users to be best suited to assembling a cross-functional team. Also, this might not be the most effective use of their time. D is incorrect. Limiting the cross-functional team to tech-savvy employees does not adequately represent the needs of tech-challenged employees.
5. Right Answer: B
Explanation: B is the best answer. For the LMS to be consistently used, employees must be aware of its capabilities. In addition to awareness, employees will need training to capitalize on the benefits. For an incentive to use the LMS, adding a performance measurement to job descriptions may provide the right nudge. A is incorrect. Simply adding a hotline for LMS answers will not guarantee use of the system. C is incorrect. A communication strategy needs to be created in order to ensure that employees understand the benefits and features of the LMS and therefore will be more willing to use it. D is incorrect. Requiring IT employees to field calls will only serve to disrupt IT without guaranteeing LMS usage.
Explanation: As an industry, organization, or product matures, problems are largely resolved. In an organization, staffing and culture begin to stabilize, and the rate of change levels off. Policies, procedures, and rules are formalized and communicated to all employees. Training is emphasized, and labor cost control becomes a factor.
2. Right Answer: C
Explanation: Porter's 'Five Forces' framework helps strategists understand the competitive forces at work in their industries so that they can assess the strengths and weaknesses of their own competitive position.
3. Right Answer: D
Explanation: D is the best answer. The TDL should develop knowledge about LMS applications that directly support the organizational strategy. A is incorrect. The founder and senior leaders may not know enough about current LMS trends and capabilities to see how it might support operations. B is incorrect. The Millennial leaders may assume general understanding and present information over the heads of the senior, less tech-competent leaders. C is incorrect. Prior to implementing the new LMS, the TDL needs to obtain buy-in by demonstrating how it will support the organization's strategy.
4. Right Answer: C
Explanation: C is the best answer. The team should include senior leaders and younger leaders who represent the spectrum of LMS users as well as the spectrum of potential mentors and collaborators. Assembling a team of experts will provide more efficient use of time and resources. A is incorrect. Although it could be beneficial to know what similar organizations are doing, the TDL cannot rely on only that information, as the other organizations' business strategies and needs may differ. B is incorrect. The senior leaders may be too far removed from the end users to be best suited to assembling a cross-functional team. Also, this might not be the most effective use of their time. D is incorrect. Limiting the cross-functional team to tech-savvy employees does not adequately represent the needs of tech-challenged employees.
5. Right Answer: B
Explanation: B is the best answer. For the LMS to be consistently used, employees must be aware of its capabilities. In addition to awareness, employees will need training to capitalize on the benefits. For an incentive to use the LMS, adding a performance measurement to job descriptions may provide the right nudge. A is incorrect. Simply adding a hotline for LMS answers will not guarantee use of the system. C is incorrect. A communication strategy needs to be created in order to ensure that employees understand the benefits and features of the LMS and therefore will be more willing to use it. D is incorrect. Requiring IT employees to field calls will only serve to disrupt IT without guaranteeing LMS usage.
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