Deck 9: Top Performance Through Empowerment,teamwork,and Communication

Question 1

When Jefferies Inc.was faced with serious quality problems and was forced to recall thousands of vehicles,the company quickly formed a temporary group of employees to brainstorm the problem.The team thus formed is an example of a(n)_______ team.

A)virtual
B)self-managed
C)problem-solving
D)cross-functional

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding team size?

A)Small teams make the most demands on team leaders.
B)Large teams often suffer from disagreements,absenteeism,and membership turnover.
C)Small teams may lack sufficient diversity.
D)Large teams tend to work slower than small teams.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Elektra is part of a team that conducts meetings and conferences with the aid of information technology.This is so because the other team members are dispersed across the country.Elektra is most likely to belong to a _____ team.

A)problem-solving
B)self-managed
C)cross-functional
D)virtual

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Giving employees responsibility and authority to make decisions about their work is called

A)due diligence
B)teamwork
C)empowerment
D)insider trading

Question 5

Which of the following is most likely to make an employee feel empowered?

A)Keeping the employee informed about the company's performance
B)Establishing a line organizational structure in the company
C)Ensuring that employees follow all rules established by the company
D)Following a consultative management style in the company

Question 6

A team made up of members from different functions,such as production,marketing,and finance,is called a _______ team.

A)virtual
B)self-managed
C)problem-solving
D)cross-functional

Question 7

Abbey works for a home electronics store and is a member of a team created to increase communication among various departments.Abbey has networked with new people and now has strong contacts for each department when he needs them.Abbey is most likely to be a member of a _____ team.

A)work
B)problem-solving
C)cross-functional
D)virtual

Question 8

According to a research on team effectiveness,to achieve best results the ideal team size is usually _____ members.

A)fewer than five
B)between five and ten
C)between ten and twenty
D)more than twenty

Question 9

_______ teams are groups of geographically or organizationally dispersed co-workers who use a combination of telecommunication and information technologies to accomplish an organizational task.

A)Virtual
B)Self-managed
C)Problem-solving
D)Cross-functional

Question 10

In ________teams,relatively permanent groups of employees with complementary skills perform the day-to-day work of the organization.

A)work
B)self-managed
C)problem-solving
D)cross-functional

Question 11

A _______ team is a temporary combination of workers who gather to solve a specific problem and then disband.

A)virtual
B)self-managed
C)problem-solving
D)cross-functional

Question 12

Which is TRUE regarding stock option plans?

A)They are offered only to top-level executives and members of the board of directors.
B)Employees are likely to exercise their option to purchase the stock,if the stock price increases.
C)The company holds the stock for the benefit of the employees.
D)Stock options are provided as a retirement benefit.

Question 13

A team consists of a group of people with _____ skills and _____ are responsible and accountable for accomplishing team objectives.

A)complementary; all team members
B)complementary; team leaders
C)differing; all team members
D)differing; team leaders

Question 14

With _______,employees receive stock shares or the value of the stock upon retiring or leaving the company.

A)treasury bills
B)stock certificates
C)ESOPs (employee stock ownership plans)
D)stock options

Question 15

Ali is a member of a semi-permanent team that performs the day-to-day functions of the organization.Ali is most likely to be a member of a(n)_____ team.

A)self-managed
B)work
C)advisory
D)cross-functional

Question 16

The website of Internet Trading Inc.,a stock broking firm,is under serious threat as numerous cyberattacks have infiltrated its system.The senior management at the firm immediately forms a team of eight members to deal with the cyber-attack.The team was able to resolve the issue in under two weeks and the team was later dissolved.This team is more likely to be an example of a _____ team.

A)work
B)problem-solving
C)virtual
D)cross-functional

Question 17

Teams at Stratorg Corp.come from many different countries,with skills ranging from creativity to communication to search engine optimization.This is an example of team

A)development.
B)cohesiveness.
C)diversity.
D)level.

Question 18

A work team that has the authority to decide how its members complete their daily tasks is called a _______ team.

A)virtual
B)self-managed
C)problem-solving
D)cross-functional

Question 19

Alia works in a bakery.As part of a _____ team,she shares in the responsibility with other team members of managing her department's work schedule and ordering baking supplies.Along with other team members,she is empowered to complete her tasks at her discretion.

A)self-managed
B)problem-solving
C)virtual
D)cross-functional

Question 20

Christopher,a senior manager at Chip Card Inc.,ensures that every member of his team is involved in decision making for all projects.He conducts regular brainstorming sessions to discuss ongoing issues and encourages his team to suggest solutions as well as make decisions.In this case,Christopher demonstrates effective management by _____ his subordinates.

A)outsourcing
B)empowering
C)incentivizing
D)offshoring

Question 21

Tom and Mike are city council members who vehemently disagree over a new zoning ordinance.Their arguments have become personal,and other council members are irritated and avoiding meetings.Tom and Mike need to resolve their _____ conflict.

A)cognitive
B)mutual
C)affective
D)alternate

Question 22

Members of the production team in a company have accepted each other and have understood one another's roles in the team.The team leader has handled conflicts and managed to establish unity in the team.In the context of the five stages of team development,which of the following is most likely to be the next immediate step?

A)Forming
B)Storming
C)Performing
D)Norming

Question 23

During ______ stage of team development does agreement about the role of the team leader and other participants occur.

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

Question 24

Asami is the leader of a problem-solving team.She is encouraging every member of the team to openly express differences and work through conflicts.Asami's team is most likely to be in the _____ stage.

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

Question 25

Oded and Suka are members of the development team at PromoCaptions,an advertising company.They discuss the mode of advertising for a new product.Oded supports online advertising.However,Suka argues that television advertisement has a farther reach than online advertising.In this case,Oded and Suka are involved in a(n)

A)ethical conflict.
B)affective conflict.
C)cognitive conflict.
D)emotional conflict.

Question 26

______ of team development is marked by conflicts over the team's mission and the roles of team members.

A)Norming stage
B)Forming stage
C)Performing stage
D)Storming stage

Question 27

Paco is trying to promote the cohesiveness of his team.Which of the following would LEAST likely improve his team's cohesiveness?

A)Encouraging his team members to work from home
B)Redesigning their work space
C)Increasing the interaction between team members
D)Encouraging team members to socialize during and after working hours

Question 28

During the performing stage,team members

A)focus on solving problems.
B)get to know one another.
C)clarify their roles and expectations.
D)resolve differences among them.

Question 29

Talonte's team is engaged in problem solving and appears focused on accomplishing tasks.Talonte's team is likely to be in which stage?

A)Forming stage
B)Norming stage
C)Storming stage
D)Performing stage

Question 30

Chitru wants to encourage interaction among her team members and is planning to move to an open office space without cubicle walls.Chitru is trying to promote

A)empowerment.
B)team norm.
C)team cohesiveness.
D)external communication.

Question 31

Yukari's team members feel attracted to the team and motivated to remain part of it.Yukari's team can be characterized as

A)informal.
B)formal.
C)verbal.
D)cohesive.

Question 32

Mira is one of the few operating room nurses at a hospital.She learns that other members of the team are less cooperating with other members of her team when they work in different shifts.This is also subsequently affecting the patients at the hospitals.Which of the following is the team lacking at the hospital?

A)Team norm
B)Team belief
C)Team cohesiveness
D)Team standard

Question 33

Bernadine's marketing team disagrees on the way to advertise a product based on their past experiences.However,all members are attempting to reconcile their differences to produce an effective marketing strategy.Bernadine's team is experiencing _____ conflict.

A)cognitive
B)mutual
C)external
D)affective

Question 34

Team norms are usually _____ and _____ standards of behavior.

A)formal; written
B)informal; written
C)formal; unwritten
D)informal; unwritten

Question 35

A team with high cohesiveness

A)experiences a high turnover.
B)has members who interact less frequently.
C)achieves high levels of performance.
D)has lower productivity.

Question 36

What is the role of the team leader during the forming stage?

A)Providing time for members to become acquainted
B)Encouraging participation
C)Clarifying team roles
D)Facilitating task accomplishment

Question 37

Which of the following statements is correct regarding team conflict?

A)It should be avoided at all costs.
B)It often improves team performance.
C)It will be reduced if the team is diverse.
D)It rarely occurs in most teams.

Question 38

Yuka's company has an unwritten rule that implies all managers must attend team meetings,no matter what projects they're working on.This informal standard of conduct is an example of team

A)roles.
B)norm.
C)cohesiveness.
D)conflict.

Question 39

At a celebratory gathering in a restaurant,Shree presents her team members with personal thank-you notes in appreciation for their hard work on a project.Shree and her team are in the _____ stage of team development.

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

Question 40

Kaito's team has reached agreement about the role each member is expected to play.Kaito's team has most likely reached the _____ stage.

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

Question 41

Corrie is listening to her superior talk about the process of performance appraisal at the firm.Fina is always attempting to point out any mistake or errors made by her superior during the talk,even before her superior is able to complete her points.What type of listening is Corrie demonstrating in this case?

A)Active
B)Polite
C)Cynical
D)Offensive

Question 42

Louise is a new customer service agent at a leading computer service center.She usually spends a lot of time on her calls,trying to resolve the issues of every customer.During the course of a call with a customer,a technical snag caused disturbances in her audio device; thus,making it difficult for the customer to respond to her queries.The issue however remained unresolved.Which of the following is a primary reason for the non-resolution in this case?

A)The length of the call
B)The noise during the call
C)The inexperience of the customer service agent
D)The customer at the call

Question 43

Which of the following is considered to be the biggest problem with e-mail as a form of business communication?

A)Company employees use e-mail only to send personal messages.
B)E-mails are too informal for companies to convey a professional image.
C)E-mail technology is still limited.
D)There is just too much e-mail,and hence there are security issues.

Question 44

Office e-mails are a form of _____ communication.

A)informal
B)written
C)verbal
D)nonverbal

Question 45

Chulian and Yan like to send e-mail back and forth discussing their families and work-related issues.They are engaging in _____ and _____ communication.

A)informal; written
B)informal; oral
C)formal; written
D)formal; oral

Question 46

_____ listening is the basis for effective communication.

A)Active
B)Cynical
C)Polite
D)Nonverbal

Question 47

In the communication process,initially the _______ composes the message.

A)sender
B)receiver
C)channel
D)interpreter

Question 48

When individuals from low-context cultures partner with those from high-context cultures for a new business,the former should ideally

A)rely on explicit written and verbal messages.
B)be conscious about their nonverbal cues.
C)refrain from talking about their past experiences.
D)refrain from inviting the latter for a casual dinner.

Question 49

Which of the following is a difference between cognitive conflict and affective conflict?

A)Unlike affective conflict,cognitive conflict affects team cohesiveness.
B)Unlike cognitive conflict,affective conflict arises due to personal differences.
C)Unlike affective conflict,cognitive conflict affects team performance.
D)Unlike cognitive conflict,affective conflict involves emotional reactions.

Question 50

Chelsa works for an advertising agency and has presented her client with ideas for new commercials.After the presentation,Chelsa asks for _____ to determine if the clients correctly understood her message.

A)a decoded message
B)a channel
C)feedback
D)intervention

Question 51

Japan is considered to be a _____ context country and therefore,Japanese businesspeople place importance on _____ communications.

A)high; both verbal and nonverbal
B)low; both verbal and nonverbal
C)high; explicit verbal
D)low; explicit verbal

Question 52

In the context of communication,feedback

A)helps determine whether a message was correctly interpreted.
B)is only verbal in nature.
C)is usually ambiguous.
D)helps lower the noise level.

Question 53

Ehsan uses lots of gestures and facial expressions when communicating.These are examples of __________ communication.

A)informal
B)oral
C)formal
D)nonverbal

Question 54

Eyad is listening to Lilly at a meeting.She is one of his fellow team members,and he believes she is just trying to get the team leader to adopt her idea.Eyad is being a(n)_____ listener.

A)offensive
B)cynical
C)polite
D)proactive

Question 55

A _____ is an example of a formal communication transmitted through writing.

A)personal conversation
B)web conference
C)rumor
D)memo

Question 56

Kramer announced to his accounting team that the company's financial reports should be completed "by next week." Subsequently,members of his team had completely different ideas about when the reports were due.At which stage of communication are the team members?

A)Providing feedback
B)Message encoding
C)Understanding the context
D)Message decoding

Question 57

Countries like the United States that tend to rely on explicit written and verbal messages are considered _____ cultures.

A)external
B)diverse
C)high-context
D)low-context

Question 58

Vinita sends an e-mail to her assistant requesting information for an upcoming meeting.Since her team is working on a variety of projects,Vinita is very specific about the materials she needs in order to avoid confusion.As the sender,Vinita is

A)providing a context for the message.
B)encoding the message.
C)decoding the message.
D)eliminating the message's noise.

Question 59

Which of the following can cause noise during communication?

A)Request for feedback after a message
B)Nonverbal cues of attentiveness
C)Differences in people's attitudes
D)Lack of sufficient number of participants

Question 60

Which of the following is NOT an example of formal communication?

A)The employee benefits handbook
B)A telephone call with a customer
C)The grapevine method of communication
D)A letter to a supplier

Question 61

Akito,the vice president of Alpha-Care Health Center,communicates developments in the healthcare industry to his employees through newsletters that he sends via email.In this scenario,Akito has used _____ to communicate with his employees.

A)formal communication
B)grapevine communication
C)nonverbal communication
D)oral communication

Question 62

Because of the availability of e-mail,videoconferencing,and group communication software,members of virtual teams rarely meet face to face.

Question 63

Sharing information about the organization's performance with employees is an effective way of empowering them.

Question 64

What is the first step a company should take when responding to a crisis?

A)Call or e-mail members of the press to deny the story
B)Issue a "no comment"
C)Respond quickly with a prepared statement
D)Arrange a press conference with the company's PR representative

Question 65

Employee empowerment often extends to non-management employees who are given the authority to make decisions ranging from ordering office supplies to granting pay increases.

Question 66

Employee stock ownership programs are retirement plans set up for top-level executives.

Question 67

Two people are having a conversation and are standing about six feet apart.They are most likely to be in the _____ zone.

A)public
B)social
C)personal
D)intimate

Question 68

For efficiency and total effectiveness,all teams should include people with similar skills who are committed to a common purpose.

Question 69

All team members should hold themselves mutually responsible and accountable for accomplishing their objectives.

Question 70

Interestingly,employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs)are more common in smaller companies than in larger ones.

Question 71

What is the last step a company should take when responding to a crisis?

A)The executive at a press conference should speak briefly and provide positive visual images.
B)The top management should appear in public immediately.
C)The management must stick to the facts while responding in an interview.
D)The executives should respond quickly with a prepared statement.

Question 72

One technique for increasing employee empowerment is the opportunity for shared decision making authority.

Question 73

Most often,self-managed teams,which consist of people with different strengths from various company departments,work on specific problems or projects,but they can also serve as permanent work team arrangements.

Question 74

Which of the following statement is NOT true regarding grapevine?

A)The grapevine is a frequent source of information for employees.
B)Grapevines convey information rapidly.
C)The grapevine is an informal communication channel.
D)Information on the grapevine is wrong most of the time.

Question 75

Companies,under a stock options plan,give employees the option to purchase a specified amount of company stock at a given price within a given time period.

Question 76

Which of the following is an example of an upward communication channel?

A)Completing an employee survey
B)Giving employees policy manuals
C)Posting notices on bulletin boards
D)Reporting news in company newsletters

Question 77

In the United States,most business conversations occur within which zone?

A)Intimate zone
B)Personal zone
C)Public zone
D)Social zone

Question 78

A construction company invites tenders for a plumbing contract.AB Plumbs,a company offering plumbing services,sends a quotation to the construction company.Which of the following types of communication has AB Plumbs used in this scenario?

A)Grapevine communication
B)External communication
C)Informal communication
D)Oral communication

Question 79

Federal labor laws allow stock options to be granted to hourly and salaried employees.

Question 80

Which of the following is NOT an example of nonverbal form of communication?

A)Informal speech
B)Eye contact
C)Clothing choices
D)Tone of voice