Certified Human Resource Professional (CHRP) Practice Exam

What type of evaluation should an organization use to assess whether its management development program increased its managers' performance?

1. Performance evaluations

2. Experimental design evaluations

3. Time series design evaluations

4. Formative evaluations

The correct answer is: Experimental design evaluations

Using an experimental design evaluation allows an organization to rigorously assess the impact of its management development program on managers' performance. This method involves establishing a control group and an experimental group, where the latter participates in the management development program. By comparing the performance outcomes of both groups, the organization can determine whether changes in performance are attributable to the management development initiatives. This approach helps to isolate the effects of the intervention, providing clear evidence on its effectiveness. Other evaluation types, while valuable in their own contexts, may not offer the same level of precision in determining causality. Performance evaluations typically focus on individual assessments rather than program effectiveness. Time series design evaluations may track performance over time but do not inherently include a control group for comparison, which can lead to confounding variables affecting the results. Formative evaluations are useful for ongoing feedback and improvement but are not primarily designed to measure the final impact of a program on performance outcomes. Hence, the experimental design is the most reliable method for assessing the direct effects of a management development program.