5 Chapter 4, Doing a Needs Assessment

 

Discussion Topics

• What are examples of situations in which you’ve been “too close to the‘

problem” to see the big picture? If you could have done a needs assessment,

what issues might have surfaced that were, at the time, overlooked?

2.The chapter says that needs assessments helps create an atmosphere of support–or, buy-in–for training. If a needs assessment were done among students at your university, what kinds of input would you expect students to give? What issues–expected and unexpected–might show up? What effects do you think this needs assessment would have on student support of curriculum?

3.If you answered questions during a need’s assessment at work, school or

another organization in which you are active, how important would theI

issue of confidentiality be to you? Why?

Activities

Design a questionnaire aimed at measuring customer satisfaction for a local

small business.

2. Design the same type of questionnaire for a much larger, more complex

business or government agency.

 

Test Questions

1. Needs analyses provide background for alternative solutions to problems

that are identified. (T)

2.Regarding participants in a needs assessment, (a) everyone in the

organization should be included, (b) only certain departments should be involved, (c) random selection usually works best, (d) none of the above.

3.Maintaining confidentiality is harder for external consultants than for internal trainers. (F)

4.When layoffs, new policies or major changes occur, they affect which component of needs assessments? (a) participation, (b) selection of issues,

(c) target population, (d) timing.

5.Company policy can affect the ways employees react to needs assessments.

(T)

6.As a component of needs assessments, “depth” refers to (a) how much

personal and emotional commitment to draw from employees, (b) the

principle of getting as close as possible to the deep-seated roots of a

problem, (c) how much knowledge the trainer has about designing the needs assessment, (d) all of the above.

7.Employees’ levels of sophistication can affect the types of information you get. (T)

8.Questions that call for “yes-no” answers are (a) open-ended, (b) interviews, (c) emergent, (d) structured.

9.Interviews can give you ideas about what kinds of questions to use in a questionnaire. (T)

10.Most questionnaires use issues that are emergent. (F)

11.When you use a questionnaire in a large organization, it is important to (a) get respondents from all levels and all divisions, (b) use Likert-type items,

(c) develop your questionnaire from scratch, (d) use an external consultant.

12.Sensing is another word for interviewing. (F)

13.Polling means (a) having the group vote on an issue, (b) making a decision

based on how group members vote, (c) getting members’ views about current issues, (d) all of the above.

14.Confrontation meetings (a) require interviews first, (b) can become explosive if the facilitator is not skilled, (c) requires trust among participants, (d) all of the above.

15.“Audience” (a) means those who will receive results of the needs assessment, (b) includes trainers, (c) includes all employees, (d) all of the above.

16.Customer input is important for effective needs assessments. (T)

 

Essay

1.While staying within the constraints of money, time and the scope of the problem, why is it important to get as many individuals’ views as possible?

2.Regarding the results of a needs assessment, compare managers’

perspectives with employees’ perspectives. In what ways would their

interests differ? In what ways would they be the same?

• The chapter says team leaders’ roles are ambiguous. In what ways might needs assessments help make this ambiguous role easier to carry out?