Critical Evaluation

Question 1

Frequency distributions

Answer 1

Refers to organizing a data set chronologically

Question 2

Central tendency

Answer 2

An attempt to describe a data set with a single value and include the mean, medan, mode, quartiles, and percentiles

Question 3

Variance analysis

Answer 3

The difference between actual performance and expected performance

Question 4

Ratio analysis

Answer 4

Compares organization or industry standards to data in financial statements to measure a company’s financial health

Question 5

Trend analysis

Answer 5

Used to forecast the future state; measures variance over time to determine if results are isolated or if results identify trends

Question 6

Regression analysis

Answer 6

Used to determine the degree to which variables are related to each other

Question 7

Root cause analysis

Answer 7

Used to determine the fundamental cause of a result; working backward, each case is analyzed until the root cause is identified

Question 8

Measurement bias: Stereotyping

Answer 8

Using personally held beliefs about groups of people to draw conclusions about a specific situation

Example: men do not make good administrative assistants because they lack the ability to multitask

Question 9

Measurement bias: Inconsistency

Answer 9

Manipulating data to draw selective rather than representative conclusions

Example: A male employee sexually harasses a female employee at a company event. The harassment is witnessed by 12 people, three of whom are men. The HR pro only interviews the three male employees.

Question 10

Measurement bias: First-impression effect

Answer 10

Forming opinions based on first impression rather than the objective data collected

Question 11

Measurement bias: Negative emphasis

Answer 11

Placing the most emphasis on a small amount of negative and irrelevant information

Question 12

Measurement bias: halo effect/horn effect

Answer 12

Emphasizing either positive information (halo) or negative information (horn) over all else

Question 13

Measurement bias: Nonverbal bias

Answer 13

Placing too much emphasis on body language and other nonverbal cues

Question 14

Measurement bias: contrast effect

Answer 14

Comparing all statements against all other statements

Question 15

Measurement bias: Similar to me

Answer 15

Being influenced by shared personal characteristics

Question 16

Measurement bias: cultural noise

Answer 16

Not recognizing when the candidate answers questions based on what the candidate believes the interviewer wants to hear

Question 17

Focus group facilitation technique: mind mapping technique

Answer 17

Where the facilitator starts the conversation with a central idea that participants add to and start making connections. Then affinity diagramming captures similar ideas and creates themes to organize ideas.

Question 18

Focus group facilitation technique: nominal group technique

Answer 18

A facilitation style where one person suggests an idea that the group discusses, ad nauseum. Then the next person suggests an idea and the same thing happens. This continues until there are no longer any ideas. Ideas gathered are then categorized into groups and subgroups.

Question 19

Focus group facilitation technique: Delphi technique

Answer 19

Minimizes groupthink because ideas are generated via a survey. Those ideas are sent out as a follow-up survey for the group to comment on and refine. This is done until clear themes emerge.