Exam 13: Groups and Teams: Increasing Cooperation, Reducing Conflict

This question contains two parts; be sure to answer both. First, define a virtual team and explain some of its benefits. Second, suppose you are the leader of a virtual team that writes test questions for the SAT test. Your team is composed of six members who live and work in three different countries-question writers, question testers, and administrative assistants. What are some of the challenges you might face in leading the team, and what techniques might you use to face those challenges?

What question does a group ask during the forming stage of group development?

Which of the following is NOT considered an essential consideration in building a group into an effective team?

This question contains two parts; be sure to answer both. First, what benefits can teamwork achieve? Second, suppose the dean of your college or university asked you to assemble a team of five people (plus yourself) to examine the parking problem on campus (too many students, not enough parking spaces). Describe five people you would choose to be on your team, explaining why each is qualified to serve on the team.

Grace missed another deadline and her boss, Louisa, is very upset. She will have to explain to the client again why the project is behind. Louisa thinks she may say something she'll regret if she talks to Grace about this now, so she decides to wait a while. Louisa is using the ________ conflict-handling style.

In managing virtual workers, a manager should

At Parks and Helms Designers, a group of architects are developing the first drawings for a proposed multiuse office development in an older section of a large city that is being revitalized. What type of work team is this group?

Individuals are said to be collaborating when

Andrew and Kane went to the same college, and they have never liked each other. Andrew thinks Kane is a loudmouth, while Kane thinks Andrew is arrogant and self-impressed. If Andrew and Kane end up working for the same company, they are likely to experience a multicultural conflict.

The majority of workplace learning is informal.

Trust is based on ________, which in turn is based on past acts of integrity and follow-through on promises.

When using a self-managed team, a manager should

Beau was leading a project when a conflict erupted. He did not know what to do, so he did nothing, which allowed Noel to emerge as the leader. This group was still in the________ stage.

This question contains two parts; be sure to answer both. First, define conflict and distinguish between dysfunctional conflict (bad) and functional conflict (good). Second, imagine that you manage a high-volume bar/restaurant with many different types of employees: servers, hosts and hostesses, bartenders, bussers, cooks, porters, and so on. Explain two types of dysfunctional conflict that you might encounter in the restaurant, as well as two types of functional conflict. How would you resolve the dysfunctional conflict and use the functional conflict to the advantage of the employees and the restaurant?

This question contains two parts; be sure to answer both. First, list the four devices for stimulating constructive conflict. Next, suppose that you own a small hardware store in the downtown area. You have watched your business get drained away by huge retailers like The Home Depot and Lowe's. You decide you want to "explode" your business model and make some drastic changes. Explain how you would use two of these devices within your organization to brainstorm a way to remain in business and return to profitability.

How is mutual accountability fostered?

What are the differences between groups and teams? Provide an example of each in order to illustrate their differences.

Amber organized several teachers to discuss the school's interior painting scheduled for the summer. They looked at several brands and heard a presentation by a designer who then helped them choose a color palette to recommend to school administrators. In this instance, the teachers made up a(n)

________ is defined as reciprocal faith in others' intentions and behaviors.

Workplace performance is maximized when conflict