KENYA METHODIST UNIVERSITY
END OF SECOND TRIMESTER 2011 EXAMINATIONS
SCHOOL
:
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS
DEPARTMENT
:
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
COURSE CODE
:
HRMG 542
COURSE TITLE
:
HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
TIME
:
3 HOURS
INSTRUCTIONS
 Answer Question ONE and any other THREE Questions.
Question 1
Read the Mini case below and Answer the FOUR Questions
Rockwell is a manufacturer of electronic controls and communications devices. The Company is
headquartered in Cedar Rapids, lowa and employs over14,000 employees. Almost half of these
employees work in Cedar Rapids, with other large operations in California Florida, Texas and
Mexico. Rockwell Collins also has subsidiaries in Europe and Australia as well as service
locations around the world. In 2009, it was spun off from Rockwell International to become
publicly traded company.
Rockwell Collins has long maintained a strong commitment to employee training and
development. However, until 1999, all Rockwell Collins training was being conducted in a
classroom instruction. Twelve in house trainers provided much of this training. One difficulty
was that most of the employees who worked outside Cedar Rapids had very limited access to
training. In the same year, 28% of those who signed up for training, citing work demands in a
majority of the cases as the reason for canceling.
In an effort to provide more training to a greater number of employee the learning and
Development group at Rockwell Collins considered making increased use of outside training
vendors, as well as changing the types of methods used to deliver training.
a)
If you were the manager of learning and Development at Rockwell Collins, where would
you start in your efforts to improve the availability and effectives of company sponsored
training efforts?
(10marks)
b)
What suggestions would you have concerning who training is designed and provided?
(10marks)
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c)
What suggestions do you have concerning ulro should provide training ie in house
trainers versus outside vendors and justify your answer.
(10marks)
d)
How would you seek to sell your recommendations to the top management?
(10marks)
Question 2
a)
Suppose you are the HRD Manager to a large Company. The quarterly report shows a
25% decrease in participation in management Development programs over the same
quarter last year. The number of Managers and the company has not changed and the
company profits have remained stable. You already hold these programs in desirable
location off site conference centres and participating in these programs counts toward the
employee annual performance evaluation. Using your knowledge of motivation theory,
suggest the possible reasons that could explain why participation rates are down. If after
investigation, those reasons turned out to be the true causes, what might you be able to do
to improve participation rates.
(14marks)
b)
Briefly discuss the components and Evaluations of attaining program to indicate that
learning has taken place.
(6marks)
Question 3
a)
In some organizations cultural diversity efforts meet with resistance from key managers
and Employees. Identify and discuss the reasons for this resistance and recommend ways
it can be overcome. Support your recommendations.
(12marks)
b)
The flattening of many organizational structures is forcing many individuals and
organizations to change their perceptions of what career advancement is all about. What
are the alternatives to upward movement as a career option. How do you feel about the
prospect of the alternatives as opposed to traditional upward progress within your own
career.
(8marks)
Question 4
a)
Describe how an organization introduces change and how such changes can produce
desired effects. Do you think that an organization can replicate another organizations
procedure and get the same results? Why or why not.
(12marks)
Discuss the learning process and its application in today’s management of organizations.
(8marks)
Question 5
a)
Why is needs assessment so often not performed in many organizations? How could a
HRD professional encourage a reluctant manager or executive to approve the time and
resources necessary for a needs assessment before selection and implementing an HRD
programs.
(10marks)
b)
b)
Discuss any THREE theories of forgetting and how an individual can overcome these to
retain knowledge, skills and attitudes that he/she has acquired.
(10marks)
Question 6
Page 2 of 3
a)
A manager states that “HRD must become more strategic” In the light of this statement
Discuss what HRD professions can do to practice “Strategic HRD”?
(10marks)
b)
Discuss why behavioural objectives and lesson plans are important to effective HRD/
interventions? What role should objectives play in the design, implementation and
evaluation of HRD programs.
(10marks)
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