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HRA539 Human Resource Development

Module 1 Discussion

Kareco, Inc. is a medium-sized medical equipment company with about 1,000 employees distributed between sales, marketing, customer service, operations, product development, and administrative support (e.g., HR, accounting, etc.). Most of their training and development needs have been provided by 3rd party contractors in the past. Now, the CEO has come to you for advice about how to bring training back into the organization. Primarily, she is concerned about structure: should training & development functions be centralized (to HR or to a training team) or decentralized (to management and other department leaders)?

What do you suggest? Take a position, being sure to explain your reasoning and any additional assumptions you must make about the characteristics of Kareco.

Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by 11:59 PM EST/EDT Sunday.

Specifically:

Where do your ideas and your peers’ ideas contrast? Why?

What points did your peers make that might convince you that their suggested structure would be more effective?

What did your peers neglect to mention that would add to their discussion?

HRA539 Human Resource Development

Module 2 Discussion

Remember Kareco, the medical equipment development and supply company? They made you an offer you could not refuse. You have been hired as the VP of Training and Development, reporting directly to the CEO. Today the CEO asked you to put together what she called “a quick email to bring everyone in the company up to speed on the new inventory system.”

Based on what you know about training, how would you respond to the CEO? Be sure to reference any issues related to learning, motivation, and instruction in your response.

Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by 11:59 PM EST/EDT Sunday.

Specifically:

What important points do you believe your peers did not cover fully in their responses? What points would you add?

How did your peers’ responses differ from your own? What points do you think your peers made well?

HRA539 Human Resource Development

Module 3 Discussion

Proactive vs. Reactive Needs Analysis

Your textbook, Effective Training… explains that needs analysis can be proactive (planned in advance for a future performance gap) or reactive (conducted here and now to address an immediate, current performance gap). Provide an example of a situation (either a real past experience or a hypothetical) in which you would recommend either a proactive or a reactive needs analysis (pick one). Describe the situation and explain why you believe the type of needs analysis you chose would be most practical. What would the outcome be if no needs analysis was conducted?

Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by 11:59 PM EST/EDT Sunday.

Specifically:

What points did your peers make that you agree with? What information did they include that you may have overlooked?

Where do you and your peers disagree? What could you suggest to strengthen their position?

Would a different type of needs analysis (or no needs analysis) be more practical in this situation? Why or why not?

HRA539 Human Resource Development

Module 4 Discussion

You’re doing well in your position as VP of Training & Development at Kareco, the medical equipment company. Opie, the VP of Operations, came to you the other day with good news:

“We’re ready to roll on production of our new line of electric wheelchairs,” he said. “I just worked with HR to hire 18 new technicians to handle the manufacturing. Now all we have to do is train them. Can you have them trained by next Tuesday?”

You hear yourself tell Opie, “We can. It will be tough, but not impossible.”

Discuss your 2 or 3 most important concerns related to the design of this training, based on the material covered in this module and Chapter 5 of your textbook.

How will Opie’s department need to contribute to the design of the training? How will the training department need to contribute?

Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by 11:59 PM EST/EDT Sunday.

Specifically:

Where did you and your peers differ in your major concerns? What would you add to their discussion?

What did you think of how your peers incorporated Opie’s operations department and the training department into the design of this training?

HRA539 Human Resource Development

Module 5 Discussion

Time to Market is a British training consulting firm. Their site is chock full of training tips and tactics (and most all of the content is free!). Go to the following link to access Time to Market’s “Top 20 Training Tips” podcast series:

http://www.timetomarket.co.uk/presentation-training-podcast.htmThese .mp3 files can be played directly on the website or through Windows Media Player, RealPlayer, or on any MP3 player or portable digital media device. You may choose any one of the Top 20 Tips that interests you – listen to them all, if you choose (they range from 1 to 3 minutes each).

Critique the Tip of your choice and share your thoughts in your initial post. Be sure to discuss the following:

What (if anything) did you learn from this presentation?

What (if anything) will you do to change your own presentation style (behavior) based on what you learned?

What made this method of training effective, in your opinion?

What limitations did you notice about this method of training?

If Time to Market invited you to help them improve their podcasts, what suggestions would you make and why?

Specifically

How did your experience differ from your peers’? Where do you and your peers agree/disagree on the strengths and limitations of this podcast training format?

What did you think of your peers’ plans to improve the podcasts? Will their suggestions be practical and effective?

HRA539 Human Resource Development

Module 6 Discussion

Read the Case Analysis in Effective Training… on pp. 312-313. This is an opportunity to think about good training development and implementation in the case of Jim, the backhoe operator with an unfortunate lack of training. Answer the Case Questions on p. 313 with emphasis on how you could better train Jim on operating his backhoe. Be brief but specific in your answers.

Respond to at least two of your classmates’ responses by 11:59 PM EST/EDT Sunday.

Specifically:

How realistic were your peers’ plans for developing/implementing this training?

Where do you and your peers disagree on how to develop and implement training for Jim’s (or anyone’s) issue?

What could you add to your peers’ responses to make them better?

HRA539 Human Resource Development

Module 7 Discussion

Choose any one of the key areas of training described in Chapter 10 of Effective Training… and discuss your own experiences with that type of training. Specifically:

· Briefly describe the job and training situation you will discuss

· What parts of the training were effective? Why?

· What parts of the training were not effective? Why?

· What should have been included in the training to make it more effective?

Respond to at least two of your classmates’ responses by 11:59 PM EST/EDT Sunday.

Specifically:

Based on your knowledge of training to this point, troubleshoot your peers’ experiences. What do you think might be the root of why the training was or was not effective?

What else could you add to the training your peers described to make it more effective?

HRA539 Human Resource Development

Module 8 Discussion

You’ve definitely gotten your feet wet during your short time as the VP of Training & Development at Kareco. The CEO of the organization has taken notice, and has a new request for you. Several of the top level executives will be retiring over the next few years. He has asked you to hold a meeting with the Board of Directors to discuss preliminary ideas for an executive development program for the organization.

1. Describe what questions you would ask of the CEO and Board of Directors to better understand what will be required of the new program.

· Since you are a relatively new employee, it is acceptable to ask even basic questions about the nature of the organization, as long as they will help you create a better development program.

2. Describe what high level recommendations you would make to the Board.

Respond to at least two of your classmates’ responses by 11:59 PM EST/EDT Sunday.

Specifically:

What questions did your peers suggest that you did not? How do you think these questions are appropriate and useful?

Where did you and your peers differ in your recommendations to the Board?