ALDAR UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION
DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Title of the Examination/Assessment Assignment

Semester Fall 2021-2022 Exam Date 28/ 11/2021

Course Code HURM 403-E Course Title Training and Development

Duration
Time On or before 10/12/2021
(min)
Student Name

Student ID

Instructions to Candidates:
1. Do not open this exam paper until you are told by the invigilator.
2. This exam paper consists of 4 pages (including this cover sheet)
3. Students are expected to respect the College code of Academic honesty and conduct
themselves according to these standards. Students who violate academic integrity standards
during the exams will be subject to disciplinary measures as stated in the Student Academic
Integrity Policy in the student handbook.

Marks Distribution as per Questions and CLOs

Relevant
Question Maximum Marks Marks Awarded
CLO
1 3 2
2 3 2
3 2 2
4 2 2
5 3 5
6 3 5
7 4 5
Total Marks: 20

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Dow Chemical Develops Leaders by Sending Them to Work in Unfamiliar
Surroundings:
Dow Chemical’s mission is “To passionately create innovation for our stakeholders at the
intersection of chemistry, biology, and physics.” It intends to do so by maximizing long-term value
per share by being the most valuable and respected science company in the world. Its strategy is to
invest in a market-driven portfolio of advantaged and technology-enabled businesses that create
value for its shareholders and customers.

As Dow Chemical expands its global presence, it needs employees who have the ability to
network and develop relationships with local commercial and government leaders. To develop global
leaders, Dow had been sending high-potential employees to a week of leadership development
classes at its Midland, Michigan, headquarters. After completing the classes, employees spent the
next week in one of Dow’s international locations such as Shanghai, China; Sao Paulo, Brazil; or
Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Each of these locations had Dow regional headquarters with work
environments similar to what employees had experienced at corporate headquarters.

Dow’s global manager for leadership development and its vice president for human resources
both recognized that the program had a major weakness. The program was missing a hands-on
experience that would teach participants how to understand culture context. Exposing participants to
problems within different cultural contexts helps get learners to self-reflect and consider how they
deal with uncertainty and change. It also helps develop leaders who can understand what needs to be
done in doing business in a new culture. Dow wanted to change the program to create a learning
experience that would develop leadership skills, as well as the humility and integrity needed for
doing business in new markets.

Dow developed a new leadership development program, Leadership in Action, with its first
location in Accra, Ghana, where the company had recently opened its first office. The program is part
of Dow’s approach to meeting the world’s basic needs by matching its employees with organizations
that need support for sustainable development projects, especially in business growth areas for Dow.
Accra, the western African country’s capital, was chosen because it provided a way to get potential
leaders to understand a new business territory, develop a new market, and establish relationships in
the local community. Thirty-six high-potential employees were organized into seven teams. Each
team was assigned to work with a nongovernment organization to help with a project that the
community needed. Projects included determining where to grow plants that could provide medicine
for malaria and working with a trade school to develop an education curriculum including science,
technology, engineering, and math. Program participants spent five months virtually planning and
collaborating from their home offices. This helped them develop their consulting skills and adapt to
unexpected events, such as the sudden loss of electricity or telephone service. After working virtually
for five months, the group traveled to Africa to examine their finished projects.

Participants in the second class worked in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where Dow was considering
opening an office. One of the teams worked with a team of IBM employees to develop marketing to
promote hygiene and sanitation practices. These participants gained valuable skills in collaborating
with both humanitarian groups and corporate partners. The teams working in Ghana and Ethiopia
both had to learn how to solve problems in a culture and community that was extremely different
from the one to which they were accustomed. They had to focus on understanding social structures
and values of the people in the communities to create meaningful, accepted, and useful solutions.
Both groups also represented Dow Chemical in news interviews, which enhanced their media

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relations skills and

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 their understanding of how to best represent the company. Surveys completed after the program was
completed show that participants feel they have a new view of the world. Almost all participants
wanted to continue to be involved in some way working on Dow’s growth in Africa.

Dow employees have worked on a number of other projects in Ethiopia, such as identifying
sustainable practices for converting solid and liquid waste into fertilizer and helping local
agricultural start-up companies gain access to markets. These projects have included partners such as
Precise Consult International and Population Services International, as well as universities and
colleges. Dow has since deployed the Leadership in Action program to Indonesia in 2015 and the
Philippines in 2016. In 2017, forty-three employees were sent to Hanoi and Hai Phong in Vietnam.
Teams worked on projects such as restoring and protecting the West Lake ecosystem and helping
local citizens understand the importance of water resource monitoring to help address water pollution
and flooding. Read the case study kindly answer the below questions (clo2) (10 marks)

Q1. What competitive challenges motivated Dow Chemical to develop the Leadership in Action?
(3 marks for Application=3marks)(50 to 65 words)(CLO2)
Answer: Because Dow found that the instruction did not contain a specific instruction that taught students how
to recognize cultural settings, the business developed operating guidelines. Dow will send top, local and
international staff, to health improvement in the end. Dow will send its senior staff to management development
efforts both in the United States and abroad. Sadly, that plan was not enough.

Q2. Do you think the Leadership in Action program contributes to Dow Chemical’s business
strategy and goals? Explain. (3 marks for Application=3marks)(50 to 65 words)(CLO2)

Answer: Yes, demonstrated leadership has a huge impact on Dow Chemicals' business plans and objectives.
The organization is well known, and has set itself the 2024 Sustainable Development Goals. Dow Chemical has
begun a leadership strategy in this sector, as well as efforts to produce specialist leaders who can assist the
company in meeting its goals. As a consequence, not just to did the industry's total sales improve, but it also
extended its product portfolio.

Q3. How would you determine if the Leadership in Action program has been effective? What
metrics or outcomes would you collect? Why? (2 marks for Application=2marks)(50 to 65
words)(CLO2)

Answer: Metrics are always present in today's business environment. Currently, there are several ways to test
performance. Using a Performance Management System is one way to evaluate efficiency.
Performance appraisal is important for any organization because it ensures that:
 Key processes within the organization are identified and expanded,
 Procedures against the success of external organizations,
 The materials are used efficiently and effectively, and the effectiveness of the strategy is in line with the
growth strategy.

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Q4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Leadership in Action program,
compared to more traditional ways of training leaders, such as formal courses (e.g., an MBA
program) or increased job responsibility? (1 marks for Advantages, 1 marks for Disadvantages
=2marks)(50 to 65 words)(CLO2)

Answer:
The benefits of management in real life the system is compared to conventional methods to prepare:
• Motivational Positioning for Positions: Effective management projects can make outstanding employee
commitment to leaders and leaders and representatives.
• Intestinal testing: These projects challenge your management skills which are far more valuable than
thought-based or project-based guides.

Management disadvantages in real life system is compared to conventional methods to prepare:

• Neglect of collaboration: These projects end up being bad, whenever they are done correctly. In a
situation where the organization is pursuing a one-size-fits-all approach.
• Long Road: Leadership programs set aside an effort to really pay and show its benefits. In short, it was
found that a large 16% of these projects were able to work for a long time.

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Scenario-2

Everyone Can Be a Leader at CA Technologies

CA Technologies’ mission is to eliminate the barriers between ideas and business outcomes. It does
so by providing businesses with consulting services and technology expertise.

CA Technologies created the Leaders at all Levels (LaaL) program to give employees the tools
and resources they need to develop skills in leading themselves, leading the organization, and leading
through others. One program in LaaL, the leadership development program (LDP), targets mid-level
managers and individual contributors. Another program, managing and leading, provides skills for
recently hired, promoted, and existing managers. In both programs, learning occurs through
experiential learning, social interactions, and face-to-face instruction. To ensure that skills are used
on the job, participants meet with their managers to set expectations and managers are provided with
a toolkit. The manager toolkit identifies which skills are emphasized in the program, provides a
demonstration of the successful use of the skills, and offers recommendations for how to support and
reinforce use of the skills on the job. Program evaluation includes reactions, learning, and results.
Participants like the program and believe it is relevant and meaningful for their personal growth and
development. Pre- and post-program self-assessments show that managers who have participated in
the program believe they have improved their strategic vision and direction for their teams by 68
percent, and they have a 22 percent higher level of confidence in providing performance and
development coaching to their team members. Voluntary turnover for program participants is 3
percent lower than for the overall company. Based on data collected in CA Technologies’
performance management process, program participants are performing at a higher level than
employees who have not participated in the program. Sixty-one percent of LDP participants indicate
they met with their manager to set expectations for their learning prior to attending the program. In
addition, 76 percent indicate they plan to discuss with their manager how they can apply what they
learned in their current roles.
Read the case study kindly answer the below questions (clo4) (10 marks)

Q1.What features of the leadership development program are most responsible for its positive
results? Identify the features and explain why they are responsible. (3 marks for
explanation=3marks)(clo4)(50-65 words)

Answer: The amount of employee’s engagement is a key component of the training program that contributes to
its beneficial outcomes. Employees were involved in both the assessment process and the development of job
requirements. Flexibility, systems theory, consciousness, cooperation and collaboration, meaningful change
administration, originality, and invention, effective planning, and a training mindset are the essential skills set
necessary for leader development which firms concentrate on.

Q2. What other metrics should CA Technologies collect to further understand the effectiveness
of its leadership development programs? (3 marks for explanation=3marks)(clo4)(50-65 words)
Answer: The Leaders at All Levels program was designed by CA Technology to provide workers with the tools
and resources they need to improve abilities in managing oneself, the business, and others. Participants are
functioning at a greater level than workers who have not engaged in the program, according to information
recorded in CA Systems' productivity monitoring process. Approximately half of LDP members say they talked
with their boss before attending the session to discuss their learning goals.

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Q3. How would you strengthen the evaluation design to increase your confidence that the
positive outcomes are due to the leadership development program and not some other reason?
(4 marks for explanation=4marks)(clo4)(50-65 words)

Answer: The manager specifies which skills are highlighted in the program, shows how they are used
successfully, and offers suggestions on how to promote and encourage their usage on the job.
See the importance and interaction of experiments.
• The most effective way to get information, set the test, and think about it.
• Distribution and communication strategies for people who are committed to your program.
• A variety of information and tests can be done with a few basic developments.
• How to handle test results and how to disperse them.
• Best ways to make changes and provide what you have noticed.

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