Exam 16: Managing Groups and Teams

Group Development at MagPie Inc. (Scenario) As a consultant who specializes in group dynamics, you are observing MagPie Inc.'s self-managing teams and work groups which are in different stages of development. MagPie is a medium-sized manufacturing business and has recently started using teams in all of their operations. Team training is lacking and you have been asked to evaluate the teams and suggest actions for better cohesiveness among the team members. You have labelled the teams A, B, C, D and E, in order to conceal their names. Group D has resolved its issues of leadership and is devoting all of its energy to getting the job done. Team C, on the other hand, shows significant resistance to its appointed leader's guidance and there is a lot of argument over roles within the group. The members of Group A are getting acquainted in their meeting. The team is made up of employees from different divisions and departments and they are still getting to know each other. Team E is in the process of setting their formal rules, roles, and clarifying expectations. Everyone seems to be in agreement as to how these are done. Team B is full of hostility. At least one group member has withdrawn by sitting quietly away from the others, and is no longer participating in the discussions. -Group A appears to be at which stage?

The Retreat (Scenario) The first-line managers were sent on a retreat to Niagara Falls for their inaugural strategic planning meeting. Few people knew one another, but their task was clear: design a new performance appraisal system for subordinates that will be effective and usable. Their years of complaining about the old system had landed them with this new responsibility dumped right in their lap. They had four days to become brilliant, and everyone was a little on edge. The first day, little was accomplished except for the jockeying to see who would be the official leader. Finally, Jim seemed to wrestle control and helped provide the first real direction for the group. By the second day, the group seemed to begin working well. They spent the morning deciding how they would make decisions within the group and how to manage the idea-generation process. The third and fourth days saw the new managers move amazingly quickly, with ideas flowing freely. By the end of the fourth day, they had a workable system developed, and they felt satisfied. That night they all signed the new document to be presented to the regional manager the next day. They all felt a sense of regret at having to break up the group and return to normal work life. -When the management group was deciding on their decision rules,they were in the ________ stage of team development.

Compromising is both the most assertive and cooperative approach to conflict resolution.

Which of the following is an accurate statement regarding status systems?

The willingness of effective team members to do anything that has to be done to help the team succeed is known as ________.

________ teams are involved in efforts to improve work activities or to solve specific problems within a particular department or functional area of a company.

Which of the following statements is TRUE about group decision making?

The ________ stage is complete when the group structure solidifies and the group has assimilated a common set of expectations of what defines correct member behaviour.

Which of the following best describes the group's internal characteristics at optimal levels of conflict?

The challenge of creating team players is greatest when the national culture is highly collectivist.

In comparison to large groups,small groups ________.

The labour mediator's report contained some suggestions that favoured management,and others that favoured the union.Both sides would have to give and take.She used which conflict-resolution technique?

Since effective teams are continually making adjustments as to who does what,team members require good ________ skills.

The pattern of informal connections among individuals in group is referred to as the ________.

Studies demonstrate that a low-to-moderate level of ________ conflict consistently demonstrates a positive effect on group performance because it stimulates discussions of ideas that help groups perform better.

Social loafing is the tendency for an individual to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually.

In a short essay,explain the various views regarding conflict and conflict resolution in organizations.In addition describe the effect of conflict on the organizational success or failure giving examples.

In global teams,cohesiveness is often more difficult to achieve because of higher levels of mistrust,miscommunication,and stress.

The human relations view of conflict held that conflict must be avoided because it indicates a problem within the group.

Social networks among team members have no impact on the goal attainment of the team.