Deck 11: Groups, teams, and Their Leadership

Question 1

An outsider to a group often is able to learn more about norms than is an insider.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

In the context of group size,leaders with a small span of control tend to be more directive,spend less time with individual subordinates,and use more impersonal approaches when influencing followers than do leaders with a large span of control.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Design is often the most frequently omitted step in teamwork in traditional organizations.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Groups are characterized by mutual interaction and reciprocal influence.

Question 5

According to Terence Brake's guidelines for the leadership of virtual teams,leaders should focus on completing tasks before developing relationships in order to enhance their team's sense of accomplishment.

Question 6

In the context of team effectiveness,the individuals composing a team must sometimes not maximize their individual effort.This is referred to as subsystem nonoptimization.

Question 7

A virtual team is highly susceptible to "focus drift" and fragmentation and needs to be constantly reminded of the team's purpose and objectives.

Question 8

In the Team Leadership Model (TLM),the four process measures of effectiveness are good leverage points for fixing a problem.

Question 9

Research indicates that the distance between virtual teams is geographical,organizational,temporal,and cultural.

Question 10

Highly cohesive groups are likely to be characterized by low absenteeism and low turnover.

Question 11

Norms can be imported from an organization existing outside a team.

Question 12

Social contact is better satisfied by organizations than by groups.

Question 13

Leaders with a large span of control tend to display more consideration and use more personal approaches when influencing followers.

Question 14

Using instruments such as the Campbell Interest and Skills Survey to select personnel may help a team's effort level from an individual perspective.

Question 15

Task-oriented behavior is never adequate for accomplishing long-term objectives.

Question 16

Leaders can influence team effectiveness by providing frequent coaching while their team is performing its task.

Question 17

Clusters are intact,self-managed teams that strive to achieve their organization's goals.

Question 18

Research suggests that e-mail and video conferencing are the best forms of communication for virtual teams.

Question 19

With role ambiguity,the problem is lack of clarity about just what the expectations are.

Question 20

A symptom of groupthink is an illusion of invulnerability,which leads to unwarranted optimism and excessive risk taking by a group.

Question 21

Molly,a member of a product development team,is most likely experiencing ________ if she wonders,"Just what am I supposed to be doing?"

A)role ambiguity
B)role conflict
C)role overload
D)role insufficiency

Question 22

In the context of the developmental stages of groups,which of the following is a characteristic of the norming stage?

A)clear emergence of a leader
B)heightened emotional level
C)polite conversation
D)status differentiation

Question 23

What is the least likely way that a leader could improve team effectiveness?

A)putting subtle pressure on dissenting members of the team to ensure concept cohesiveness
B)designing input-stage variables at the individual,organizational,and team design levels
C)ensuring that the team has a clear sense of purpose and performance expectations
D)providing coaching while the team is performing its task

Question 24

A store manager asks his employee to keep the outdated stocks of a product at the front of the shelf so that they can be sold.However,the employee is unwilling to mislead customers as this deception is inconsistent with the employee's values and beliefs.In this scenario,the employee is most likely to experience

A)role overload.
B)an intrasender role conflict.
C)role ambiguity.
D)a person-role conflict.

Question 25

In the context of group size,which of the following is a phenomenon in which working in the presence of others increases effort or productivity?

A)subsystem nonoptimization
B)social facilitation
C)process loss
D)role conflict

Question 26

The inefficiencies created by more and more people working together are called

A)groupthink.
B)social loafing.
C)process losses.
D)deindividuation.

Question 27

Which term refers to interactions among team members,such as how they communicate with each other,express feelings toward each other,and deal with conflict with each other?

A)punctuated equilibrium
B)organizational shells
C)group polarization
D)group dynamics

Question 28

Functional,interdependent roles that are focused on the performance of group tasks are characteristic of which stage of group development?

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

Question 29

In comparing teams and group members,which statement is most likely true?

A)Team members can readily identify who is and who is not on the team; identifying members of a group may be more difficult.
B)Group members have common goals; teams may not have the same degree of consensus about goals.
C)Group members often have more differentiated and specialized roles than do team members.
D)Task interdependence typically is greater with groups than with teams.

Question 30

In the context of group roles,which of the following occurs when someone receives inconsistent signals from several others about expected behavior?

A)intersender role conflict
B)intrasender role conflict
C)role overload
D)role ambiguity

Question 31

In the context of group cohesion,which of the following occurs when illegal actions are taken by overly zealous and loyal subordinates who believe that what they are doing will please their leaders?

A)social loafing
B)ollieism
C)role conflict
D)overbounding

Question 32

A manager makes the following statement to a subordinate: "I need this report back in five minutes,and it better be perfect." Which term best describes this type of role conflict?

A)interrole conflict
B)intrasender role conflict
C)person-role conflict
D)intersender role conflict

Question 33

In the context of group size,which of the following defines subgroups of individuals who often share the same goals,values,and expectations?

A)social facilitators
B)cliques
C)social loafers
D)clusters

Question 34

The sum of the forces that attract members to a group,provide resistance to leaving it,and motivate them to be active in it is called

A)group polarization.
B)social facilitation.
C)group cohesion.
D)punctuated equilibrium.

Question 35

Which of the following is a term that refers to the phenomenon of reduced effort by people when they are not individually accountable for their work?

A)overbounding
B)social loafing
C)ollieism
D)punctuated equilibrium

Question 36

Which of the following is a possible solution for groupthink?

A)increasing group cohesiveness and engaging in more overbounding techniques
B)lsolating the group from outside sources that might bias decision making
C)establishing an independent subgroup to make recommendations
D)using mindguards to screen negative input from the group

Question 37

At the organizational level,the Team Leadership Model (TLM)suggests that leaders examine the ________ that may be impacting their team.

A)motivations
B)creative skills
C)reward systems
D)interpersonal behaviors

Question 38

In the context of the nature of groups,________ are the informal rules groups adopt to regulate and regularize group members' behaviors.

A)task roles
B)norms
C)process measures
D)clusters

Question 39

In the context of the developmental stages of groups,which of the following stages is characterized by intragroup conflict,heightened emotional levels,and status differentiation?

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

Question 40

In the context of group roles,which of the following is an example of a dysfunctional role?

A)dominating
B)gatekeeping
C)information seeking
D)routinization