Deck 7: Understanding Group and Team Behaviour

Question 1

Astro Inc.is reorganising and your new work group begins working together on Monday morning.Your university course in organisational behaviour contained information about the stages of group development and your supervisor has asked your advice about the predictable stages of group development. You are predicting that the most productive stage will be:

A)forming.
B)storming.
C)performing.
D)norming.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following statement about status is true?

A)A characteristic valued by one group may mean nothing to another group.
B)Groups rarely agree within themselves on status criteria.
C)Status will not be an issue in small groups.
D)All of the above states about status are true.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

groups are characterised as ones where a person is aware of other members.The person defines himself or herself as a member,or would like to be a member.

A)Reference
B)Status
C)Role
D)Normative

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Fuse Pty Ltd is a human resource consulting firm.From Monday thru to Thursdays,the consultants typically have filled schedules meeting with clients and making calls to set up appointments.In contrast,their Fridays are generally fairly relaxed they tend to spend a fair amount of time socialising with their fellow consultants.As a professional consultancy,all the employees in the firm dress fairly formally in full business attire. Jane is a new consultant at the firm.Although there is no written rule for work attire,Jane dresses fairly formally.This is most likely because of:

A)Performance norms.
B)Allocation of resources norms.
C)Appearance norms.
D)Social arrangement norms.

Question 5

In work groups:

A)are the same as work teams.
B)perform greater than the sum of their inputs.
C)there is no need to engage in collective work that requires joint effort.
D)all of the above.

Question 6

When an individual finds that compliance with one role requirement may make more difficult the compliance with another,the result is:

A)role expectation.
B)role conflict.
C)role identity.
D)role perception.

Question 7

Which one of the following is likely to generate the least innovative alternatives?

A)nominal group technique
B)Delphi technique
C)face- to- face interacting groups
D)brainstorming

Question 8

You find that in a team situation you prefer to be the one who examines for details and is concerned with enforcing rules and regulations.Your role is called the:

A)maintainer.
B)promoter.
C)linker.
D)controller.

Question 9

Which of the following statements concerning the climate of trust is true?

A)Interpersonal trust among team members increases members' aversion to risk
B)Interpersonal trust among team members reduces the need to monitor each other's behaviour.
C)Interpersonal trust among team members bonds members around the belief that others will take advantage of them.
D)Interpersonal trust among team members inhibits cooperation

Question 10

Which is not a common class of norms appearing in most work groups?

A)performance norms
B)social arrangements
C)appearance
D)termination

Question 11

Jacob is the manager of a work group and has not been able to assess the group's effectiveness.The vice president has told Jacob that there are many different effectiveness criteria and that his problem may be that he has not decided what he wishes to consider in analysing the group effectiveness.Jacob has discovered that an appropriate choice of the type of group decision- making used may also be an important part of group effectiveness. Interpersonal conflict would be a big problem if it developed in the work group.Therefore,Jacob should probably avoid the type of group.

A)brainstorming
B)electronic
C)nominal
D)interacting

Question 12

If cohesiveness is high and performance norms are low:

A)productivity will be high.
B)productivity will be moderate to low.
C)internal conflict will be low.
D)internal conflict will be high.

Question 13

The stages of group development are:

A)forming,storming,norming,performing,adjourning.
B)initiation,evolution,maturation,decline.
C)idea generation,implementation,termination.
D)introduction,high productivity,decline.

Question 14

Quality Timber Pty Ltd is a well established logging company,with below- average performance their packaging department is consistently behind schedule.Employees often take long lunch breaks and frequently stop to chat with coworkers.However,the employees get along very well and frequently spend time together,even outside of work

Question 15

Which of the following is not a true statement about status?

A)Groups generally disagree within themselves on status criteria.
B)It is important for group members to believe that the status hierarchy is equitable.
C)The trappings that go with formal positions are important elements in maintaining equity.
D)People who control the outcomes of a group through their power tend to be perceived as high status.

Question 16

When groupshift occurs:

A)sometimes caution predominates.
B)group members tend to exaggerate the initial positions that they hold.
C)the group tends to take more risks.
D)all of the above are possible with groupshift.

Question 17

The tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually is known as:

A)role expectation.
B)role conflict.
C)cohesion.
D)social loafing.

Question 18

If your group must take action,which size should be most effective?

A)10
B)3
C)12
D)7

Question 19

Antisocial actions by organisational members that intentionally violate established norms and that result in negative consequences for the organisation,its members,or both are referred to as:

A)deviant workplace behaviour.
B)ethical dilemmas.
C)voluntary behaviour.
D)norms.

Question 20

Several years ago you began a small retail store to sell computer parts.The store grew and the business expanded to offer computer repair and custom computer programming.You have noticed that people have definite expectations about what their appropriate role within the expanding company should be. John is expected to help customers in the retail store as well as perform computer repair work.He feels that every time he gets started on a repair,he is interrupted and doesn't know whether to finish his repair or wait on the customer.John suffers from:

A)role expectations.
B)role identity.
C)role conflict.
D)role perception.

Question 21

Norms that dictate with whom group members eat lunch,friendships on and off the job,and social games are norms dealing with:

A)group activity.
B)appearance factors.
C)social arrangements.
D)ethical issues.

Question 22

The stage in group development which is characterised by uncertainty is:

A)norming.
B)storming.
C)forming.
D)performing.

Question 23

is a phenomenon in which group pressures for conformity deter the group from critically appraising unusual,minority,or unpopular views.

A)Groupshift
B)Compromise
C)Groupthink
D)Group conformity

Question 24

Acceptable standards of behaviour that are shared by the group's members are:

A)sanctions.
B)rules.
C)opinions.
D)norms.

Question 25

Quality Timber Pty Ltd is a well established logging company,with below- average performance their packaging department is consistently behind schedule.Employees often take long lunch breaks and frequently stop to chat with coworkers.However,the employees get along very well and frequently spend time together,even outside of work If new members were introduced into the packaging department then cohesiveness of the original group would likely _ .

A)decrease
B)increase
C)be unknown as not enough information has been given.
D)not change.

Question 26

Of the nine key roles on teams,the "promoter" is the group member most likely to:

A)initiate creative ideas.
B)champion ideas after they are initiated.
C)fight external battles.
D)provide structure.

Question 27

Group cohesiveness is increased with each of the following except:

A)when external competition exist.
B)when individual group members are rewarded.
C)when members spend time together.
D)when the group is physically isolated.

Question 28

is a socially defined position or rank given to groups or group members by others.

A)Role
B)Promotion
C)Status
D)Position

Question 29

Which one of the following characteristics is not part of a definition of a group?

A)two or more members
B)interacting
C)interdependent
D)organisationally assigned goals

Question 30

Which of these statements best describes research found on group size?

A)groups with odd number of members tend to be preferable to those with an even number
B)groups made of 5 or 7 members do a fairly good job of exercising the best elements of both large and small groups
C)both A and B
D)neither A or B

Question 31

Social alliances based on support for Australian Rules Football is an example of a group.

A)friendship
B)task
C)command
D)formal

Question 32

The group type that is determined by the organisation chart is:

A)the interest group.
B)the friendship group.
C)the command group.
D)the reference group.

Question 33

Effective teams have confidence in themselves and believe they can succeed.This is termed:

A)social facilitation.
B)goal congruence.
C)team efficacy.
D)social loafing.

Question 34

Group decisions are generally preferable to individual decisions when is sought.

A)acceptance of solutions
B)efficiency
C)clear responsibility
D)speed

Question 35

Joe is restructuring departments and is creating teams to increase the effectiveness of his departments.He recognises that the size of groups impacts their overall behaviour. Joe is forming a fact- finding group.What is a good group size to gain diverse input?

A)2
B)13
C)5
D)6

Question 36

After which stage of a group's development is there a relatively clear hierarchy of leadership within the group?

A)forming
B)storming
C)performing
D)norming

Question 37

Which of the following statements most accurately describes interest groups?

A)They work together to complete a job task.
B)They are formed because of some common interest.
C)They are not found in manufacturing organisations.
D)They rarely satisfy the needs of members.

Question 38

How others believe you should act in a given situation is a:

A)role expectation.
B)role perception.
C)stereotype.
D)norm.

Question 39

Which is not one of the stages in the five- stage group- development model?

A)forming
B)storming
C)worming
D)norming

Question 40

Using the five- stage model of group development,in the second stage of group development:

A)close relationships are developed.
B)the group demonstrates cohesiveness.
C)intragroup conflict often occurs.
D)the job task is performed.

Question 41

Fuse Pty Ltd is a human resource consulting firm.From Monday thru to Thursdays,the consultants typically have filled schedules meeting with clients and making calls to set up appointments.In contrast,their Fridays are generally fairly relaxed they tend to spend a fair amount of time socialising with their fellow consultants.As a professional consultancy,all the employees in the firm dress fairly formally in full business attire. Within two weeks of beginning her new job with Fuse LTD,Jan finds that like other consultants her schedule is often filled with client meetings between Monday to Thursday and her Fridays tend to be more relaxed.This is most likely because of:

A)Performance norms.
B)Allocation of resources norms.
C)Social arrangement norms.
D)Appearance norms.

Question 42

Several years ago you began a small retail store to sell computer parts.The store grew and the business expanded to offer computer repair and custom computer programming.You have noticed that people have definite expectations about what their appropriate role within the expanding company should be. To clear up confusion,you have decided that you must come to an unwritten agreement with each employee about your mutual expectations.To address this,you decide to develop a(n):

A)psychological contract.
B)employment contract.
C)role playing document.
D)role expectation contract.

Question 43

Individual decisions are generally preferable to group decisions when is sought.

A)a higher quality decision
B)speed
C)acceptance of solution
D)diversity of perspectives

Question 44

After which stage of a group's development has the group formed a common set of expectations of member behaviours?

A)performing
B)norming
C)forming
D)storming

Question 45

Sarah,Adam and Jacob frequently get to work on the same projects.Within the projects,they are all aiming to achieve the same goal and they frequently have to consult with one another to achieve the end result.Moreover,they each take on different roles with the projects,serving different functions.At the completion of the project,they often get complemented on their team efforts rather than their individual contributions. The relationship held by Sarah,Adam and Jacob is a work team rather than a work group because they:

A)aim for collective performance,have neutral synergy,have some mutual accountability and have random and varied skills.
B)aim for collective performance,have positive synergy,have some mutual accountability and have complementary skills.
C)share information,have positive synergy,have individual accountability and have complementary skills.
D)share information,have neutral synergy,have individual accountability and have random and varied skills.

Question 46

The context category of the team effectiveness model includes:

A)autonomy.
B)conflict.
C)ability.
D)adequate resources.

Question 47

Informal groups:

A)are defined by the organisation structure.
B)appear in response to the need for social contact.
C)should be formed outside of working hours.
D)are detrimental in the workplace.

Question 48

Alex is the manager in a small marketing firm.He is in charge of allocating the resources and assigning employees into different teams.He is also considered to be reasonably attractive. Given the description,he is likely to hold a high status because of:

A)ability to contribute to the groups goals and control over outcomes.
B)personal characteristics and ability to contribute to the group goals.
C)control over outcomes and personal characteristics.
D)none of the above.

Question 49

Status characteristics theory states that:

A)differences in status characteristics create status hierarchies between groups.
B)inequity creates an equilibrium in a group.
C)status has little to do with personal characteristics.
D)differences in status characteristics create status hierarchies within groups.

Question 50

The most effective teams tend to have members.

A)3 to 5
B)Less than 10
C)5 to 7
D)More than 12

Question 51

According to your text,the group size that exercises the best elements of both small and large groups is:

A)5 to 7 members.
B)3 to 4 members.
C)4 to 5 members.
D)7 to 9 members.

Question 52

You decide that the decision as to which new product to produce has got to have widespread acceptance and needs to be the highest quality decision possible.Having read the literature on decision making,you decide that this decision needs to be made by a group of your best managers. You are considering using the electronic meeting technique.What does the evidence indicate about the technique of decision making?

A)One cannot expect participants to be honest.
B)The effectiveness will be high.
C)This method results in member satisfaction.
D)None of the above accurately explains the evidence for the electronic meeting technique

Question 53

Jacob is the manager of a work group and has not been able to assess the group's effectiveness.The vice president has told Jacob that there are many different effectiveness criteria and that his problem may be that he has not decided what he wishes to consider in analysing the group effectiveness.Jacob has discovered that an appropriate choice of the type of group decision- making used may also be an important part of group effectiveness. If commitment to solution is Jacob's effectiveness criteria,the type of group decision- making should be the most effective.

A)brainstorming
B)nominal
C)electronic
D)interacting

Question 54

The degree to which group members are attracted to one another and motivated to stay in the group is called:

A)reliability.
B)sociability.
C)integration.
D)cohesiveness.

Question 55

Which one of the following groups is organisationally determined?

A)task
B)friendship
C)interest
D)all of the above

Question 56

Work teams:

A)are able to leverage positive synergies through individual complementarities and a coordinated effort
B)perform greater than the sum of their inputs
C)interact primarily to share information
D)A and B

Question 57

Which team role provides structure?

A)assessor
B)producer
C)controller
D)maintainer

Question 58

Which type of decision- making group is the most common form used for group decision making?

A)electronic
B)interacting
C)brainstorming
D)nominal

Question 59

norms include things like appropriate dress,when to look busy,and loyalty to the organisation.

A)Allocation of resources
B)Social arrangement
C)Appearance
D)Performance

Question 60

Which is not a weakness of group decision making?

A)It is time consuming.
B)It can be dominated by one or a few members.
C)There is increased diversity of views.
D)It suffers from ambiguous responsibility.

Question 61

Research on group size concludes that groups with an even number of members tend to be preferred over those with an odd number.

Question 62

All group members can be said to be actors,each playing a role.

Question 63

Julia,Ann and Jason are all part of the same organisation,working in the same department.According to the organisational chart,Ann and Jason have to report to Julia. Based on the available information,they are part of a:

A)Task group and informal group.
B)Command group and formal group.
C)Command group and informal group.
D)Task group and formal group.

Question 64

The most common class of norms are social arrangement norms.

Question 65

One example of work group norms deals with performance- related processes.Examples of performance norms include all of the following except:

A)an employee's level of output.
B)an employee's appropriate levels of tardiness.
C)an employee's appropriate dress.
D)how hard an employee should work.

Question 66

Individual decisions are more time consuming than group decisions.

Question 67

The norming stage of group development is characterised by camaraderie.

Question 68

When a person believes there is an inequity between the perceived ranking of an individual and the status accoutrements that person receives from the organisation,this is known as status congruence.

Question 69

"Social loafing" is possible within a team because it is not possible to identify individual contributions.

Question 70

One problem of the five- stage model of group development is that it ignores organisational context.

Question 71

If performance- related norms are high,less cohesive groups are more productive.

Question 72

The chief advantage of the nominal group technique is that it permits the group to meet formally but does not restrict independent thinking,as does the interacting group.

Question 73

The role of the "linker" describes the person within the work team who coordinates and integrates the work of team members.

Question 74

groups are defined by the organisation's structure.

A)Informal
B)Interest
C)Friendship
D)Formal

Question 75

A work group is a group that interacts primarily to share information and to make decisions to help each member perform within his or her area of responsibility.

Question 76

One's view of how one is supposed to act in a given situation is a role perception.

Question 77

For permanent work groups,performance is the last stage in their development.

Question 78

A work group creates positive synergy.

Question 79

Teams must receive the necessary support from management and the larger organisation if they are going to succeed in achieving their goals.

Question 80

To perform effectively,a team requires three different types of skills: technical expertise,problem- solving and decision- making skills,and interpersonal skills.