9-1. It has been argued that training can lead to turnover, but career development can reduce it. Differentiate between training and career development. Why might training lead to turnover whereas career development might improve retention? Explain.

9-2. How would you go about retaining and developing older employees who are part of a dual-career couple?

9-3. Today’s organizations are flatter and offer fewer opportunities for advancement. How do you think careers should be developed in this type of organizational environment?

9-4. What challenges do nontraditional family units pose to company career development plans? How can companies meet these challenges?

9-5. People who adopt a careerist strategy focus on career advancement through political machinations rather than excellent performance. Experts have pointed out four ways in which workers try to influence their superiors’ opinions of them: favor doing (doing a favor for a superior in hopes that the favor will someday be returned), opinion conformity (agreeing with superiors in order to build trust and a relationship), other enhancement (flattery), and self-presentation (portraying oneself as having very desirable traits and motives).

In what other ways might employees try to influence their superiors’ opinions of them? How can managers tell when an employee is sincere? What criteria should be used when deciding which employees to promote?

9-6. Companies use various tactics to encourage managers to make employee development a top priority. What do you think of the policy of tying financial rewards to people development? What are some other ways companies can hold managers accountable for developing those they supervise?

9-7. As a manager, what could you do to offer career development for your workers? Do you think it would be worth it? Why or why not?

9-8. What would you suggest about the use of social media as a career development tool? Is it a good option? How could it be better used in career development?

9-9. People have different comfort zones and aspirations that can affect their careers. How does the career anchor system (see Manager’s Notebook, “Anchor Yourself,” take these individual differences into account? Do you think if people are guided by their “anchors” that they will be happier in their careers? Why or why not?