Deck 10: Managing Teams

Question 1

Norms are informally agreed-upon standards that regulate team behavior. They are valuable because they let team members know what is expected of them.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Cognitive conflict is strongly associated with improvements in team performance, and affective conflict is strongly associated with decreases in team performance.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The three significant disadvantages that teams and teamwork are prone to are initially high turnover, social loafing, and legal risk.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Teams are typically required when tasks are complex, require multiple perspectives, or require repeated interaction with others to complete.

Question 5

Self-designing teams have all the characteristics of self-managing teams, but they can also control and change the design of the teams themselves, the tasks they do and how they do them, and who belongs to the teams.

Question 6

A company engaged in cross-training is training team members to do all or most of the jobs performed by the other team members.

Question 7

Employee involvement teams not only provide advice and suggestions to management but also have the authority to make decisions and solve problems related to the major tasks required to produce a product or service.

Question 8

The autonomy continuum shows how five kinds of teams differ in terms of autonomy. The correct sequence from low team autonomy to high team autonomy is (1) traditional work groups, (2) employee involvement groups, (3) semi-autonomous work groups, (4) self-designing teams, and (5) self- managing teams.

Question 9

Cohesiveness refers to the extent to which members of a team are experiencing job satisfaction.

Question 10

Social loafing occurs when workers withhold their efforts and fail to perform their share of the work.

Question 11

Companies are making greater use of teams because teams have been shown to increase (1) customer satisfaction, (2) product and service quality, (3) speed and efficiency in product development, and (4) employee job satisfaction.

Question 12

Since teams should be an end in themselves, it is appropriate to use them in most situations.

Question 13

Virtual teams are often, but not necessarily, temporary teams that are set up to accomplish a specific task.

Question 14

In the decision-making process, teams can do a much better job than individuals in defining the problem and generating alternative solutions.

Question 15

A work team is a small number of people who have been assigned responsibility for pursuing a common purpose, achieving performance goals, and improving interdependent work processes.

Question 16

Team norms may be associated with either positive or negative outcomes for the company.

Question 17

Autonomy is the degree to which workers have the discretion, freedom, and independence to decide how and when to accomplish their jobs.

Question 18

One of the disadvantages of project teams is their lack of flexibility.

Question 19

In many industries, teams are growing in importance because they help organizations respond to specific problems and challenges.

Question 20

Cross-functional teams are purposefully composed of employees from different functional areas of the organization.

Question 21

An advantage of _____ is that it broadens workers' skills and increases their capabilities while also making their work more varied and interesting.

A)cross­training
B)job enlargement
C)job specialization
D)niche jobs
E)on­the­job training

Question 22

To enhance work team effectiveness, managers should carefully set team goals and priorities and take care when selecting, training, and compensating team members.

Question 23

In order to cut costs and improve efficiency, old assembly line of a chocolate manufacturing company is being replaced by a system of employees working in groups. Under the new system, each person does several jobs because each of them have been trained to do the others' tasks. The chocolate manufacturing company is using _____.

A)cross­training
B)autonomous units
C)job specialization
D)ad hoc groups
E)overlapping training

Question 24

​As teams develop and grow, they pass through three stages of development. These three stages are (1) perceived team, (2) felt team, and (3) manifest team.

Question 25

Sincere attempts to reach agreement on a difficult issue can quickly deteriorate from cognitive to affective conflict.

Question 26

Since teams that get stuck in the storming stage will be strained but productive, it is important for team leaders to focus the team on balancing cognitive and affective conflict.

Question 27

The employees at Run Shoes Inc. work in groups that work together by collaborating their skills and cooperating with each other. Thus, they develop and deliver their products while being accountable for them. From the information given in this scenario, we can infer that Run Shoes Inc. uses _____.​

A)​autonomous units
B)ad hoc committees
C)work teams
D)​franchisees
E)​impromptu groups

Question 28

A research organization has project teams that perform field research for its clients. Each member of these project teams is trained to conduct observational research, interview clients, and understand the marketing impact of what they learn. Thus, the team is able to work normally even when one of its members is absent. The organization uses _____ to make its project teams more efficient.

A)synergistic goals
B)stretch goals
C)cross­training
D)vestibule training
E)on­the­job training

Question 29

_____ is one of the disadvantages associated with the use of work teams.

A)Storming behavior
B)Social loafing
C)Specializing
D)Outsourcing
E)Stonewalling

Question 30

A local hospital ran into a funding problem when it tried to build a new state-of-the-art pediatric unit. The hospital management asked a group of physicians, hospital volunteers, and administrative staff to develop and implement a plan to raise the necessary money. This group of people with complementary skills formed a(n) _____.

A)​functional department
B)autonomous unit
C)work team
D)crowd
E)skilled group

Question 31

A(n) _____ is defined as a small number of people with complementary skills who hold themselves mutually accountable for pursuing a common purpose, achieving performance goals, and improving interdependent work processes.

A)work team
B)crowd
C)mob
D)work crew
E)organization

Question 32

A preference for teamwork (i.e., collectivism), team level, and team diversity can help companies choose the right team members.

Question 33

In general, skill-based pay is most effective for managing the performance of self-managing and self-directing teams.

Question 34

Structural accommodation means giving teams the ability to change organizational structures, policies, and practices if it helps them meet their stretch goals.

Question 35

How are organizations using teams to help increase customer satisfaction?

A)By instituting a system of increased formalization throughout the organization
B)By training teams to meet the needs of specific customers
C)​By creating more autonomous units
D)By taking indirect responsibility for service quality
E)By ensuring ideal solutions for all customer issues

Question 36

Evie's Diner, a restaurant, has different cooks for vegetarian and non- vegetarian dishes. But all the cooks are trained to cook both kinds of food. This is an example of _____.

A)cross­training
B)task appraisal
C)job enlargement
D)overlapping training
E)extended training

Question 37

Conflicts and disagreements often characterize the second stage of team development, which is called storming.

Question 38

In general, gainsharing is most effective for self-managing and self-directing teams performing complex tasks, while skill-based pay works best in relatively stable environments where employees can focus on improving the productivity, cost savings, or quality of their current work system.

Question 39

The most common type of training provided to members of work teams is training in leadership skills.

Question 40

Once teams have made it to the performing stage, they no longer need fear a decline in performance.

Question 41

Which of the following types of teams has the authority to change their composition as well as all of their tasks and work methods?

A)Self­designing teams
B)Employee involvement groups
C)Self­managing teams
D)Semi­autonomous work groups
E)Traditional work groups

Question 42

Joshua, an employee at Waves Corp., is a member of a typical traditional work group. Joshua should expect to be responsible for:

A)making decisions and solving problems regarding major production or service tasks.
B)​doing what he is told to do.
C)cross­training employees who are not part of his work team.
D)giving advice and making suggestions to the management.
E)creating ideas through processes like brainstorming.

Question 43

Brown Beverages Corp. uses a cross-functional team to develop four to six new beverages annually. Brown Beverages Corp. most likely uses a cross- functional team because it:

A)allows the company to use employees from various departments with varying perspectives to attack the task.
B)allows the team members to work individually.
C)ensures that the team members can go back to their original teams once they have finished developing the beverages.
D)ensures that the members will be able to work together irrespective of their locations.
E)allows the company to get input from all of its external stakeholders.

Question 44

The only type of responsibility given to traditional work groups is to:

A)execute a task.
B)give advice and make suggestions.
C)make decisions and solve problems.
D)manage and control all major production tasks.
E)receive and process organizational information.

Question 45

The least amount of autonomy is found in ____.

A)traditional work groups
B)autonomous teams
C)semi­autonomous work groups
D)self­managing teams
E)ad hoc committees

Question 46

A manager who wants to give his team the highest amount of autonomy should select _____.

A)self­managing teams
B)self­designing teams
C)semi­autonomous work groups
D)employee involvement teams
E)reciprocal work teams

Question 47

A(n) _____ is defined as a group that has the authority to make decisions and solve problems related to the major tasks of producing a product or service.

A)employee involvement team
B)traditional work group
C)self­designing team
D)semi­autonomous work group
E)conventional work team

Question 48

Teams are typically required when:

A)tasks are simple.
B)tasks require multiple perspectives.
C)rewards are provided for individual efforts.
D)an organization has very limited resources.
E)no clear, engaging purpose is discernible.

Question 49

Which of the following statements about semi-autonomous work groups is true?

A)They are not cross­trained.
B)They have the least autonomy.
C)They can control and change the design of the team.
D)​They have the authority to make decisions that are typically made by supervisors and managers.
E)They manage and control all of the major tasks directly related to production of a product or service without first getting approval from management.

Question 50

An organization should use teams when:

A)a task is simple.
B)​a task does not require interdependence.
C)there is no clear, engaging reason or purpose.
D)rewards are provided for individual effort.
E)​ample resources are available.

Question 51

Raul, the CEO of Color Paints Inc. noticed that their plant loses considerable time daily because the assembly line has to be cleaned whenever the production schedule called for a different color to be produced. He, thus, established a team which was composed of employees from several different departments in order to solve this problem in a creative manner. This team came up with a solution that resulted in a significant increase in plant availability and an innovative alternative which successfully decreased plant downtime. This team exemplifies a(n) _____.

A)traditional work group
B)normative team
C)virtual team
D)cross­functional team
E)conventional skilled team

Question 52

The Turnpike Authority of the state of Lakewood encountered several challenges while constructing tunnels. Hence, it created a national team of tunnel experts to develop road tunnel engineering principles, traffic flow patterns, and maintenance practices through the use of telecommunications and information technology. In this scenario, this group of tunnel experts can be best categorized as a _____.

A)self­directed team
B)normative team
C)virtual team
D)multifunctional team
E)technological team

Question 53

Teams should NOT be used when:

A)tasks are complex.
B)ample resources are available.
C)there is no clear, engaging purpose.
D)rewards can be provided for groups.
E)tasks require repeated interaction with others to complete.

Question 54

_____ is a term used by work teams to describe when workers withhold their efforts and fail to perform their share of the work.

A)​Stonewalling​
B)Social loafing
C)​Norming
D)Storming
E)​Bystander apathy

Question 55

In the autonomy continuum, the correct sequence, from low team autonomy to high team autonomy, is:

A)employee involvement teams, traditional work groups, semi­autonomous work groups, self­managing teams, and self­designing teams.
B)traditional work groups, employee involvement teams, self­managing teams, semi­autonomous work groups, and self­designing teams.
C)self­designing teams, traditional work groups, employee involvement teams, semi­autonomous work groups, and self­managing teams.
D)traditional work groups, employee involvement teams, semi­autonomous work groups, self­managing teams, and self­designing teams.
E)employer­mandated teams, traditional work groups, employee involvement teams, project teams, and self­ managing teams.

Question 56

Which of the following statements about social loafing is true?

A)It only occurs in organizational settings.
B)It is more likely to occur in larger groups.
C)It creates an accommodative decision­making climate.
D)It preempts the usefulness of brainstorming.
E)It does not occur if there is a group leader.

Question 57

Spencer's Autotech Inc. is a car repair company. It maintains an employee involvement group to track the company's goals and performance metrics. This team would most likely:

A)control and change the design of the teams themselves.
B)provide advice to management concerning areas that needed change.
C)solve problems related to marketing and manufacturing issues.
D)control all of the major production tasks at Spencer's Autotech.
E)manage and control the acquisition of materials.

Question 58

Self-managing teams are different from semi-autonomous work groups in that team members:

A)are responsible for doing the work or executing the task, but they do not have direct responsibility or control over their work.
B)offer advice and suggestions to the management, they do not have the authority to make decisions.
C)manage and control all of the major tasks directly related to production of a product or service without first getting approval from management.
D)control and change the design of the teams themselves, the tasks they do and how and when they do them, and the membership of the teams.
E)have partial authority to make decisions that are typically made by supervisors and managers because their managers still play an important role.

Question 59

_____ do NOT have the authority to make decisions.

A)Self­designing teams
B)Employee involvement teams
C)Semi­autonomous work groups
D)Self­managing teams
E)Autonomous work groups

Question 60

_____ are best defined as groups of geographically and/or organizationally dispersed coworkers who use a combination of telecommunications and information technologies to accomplish an organizational task.

A)Virtual teams
B)Ad hoc teams
C)Semi­autonomous teams
D)Self­managing teams
E)Horizontally organized teams

Question 61

Which of the following types of conflicts is most strongly associated with improvements in team performance?

A)Horizontal conflict
B)​Cognitive conflict
C)Behavioral conflict
D)Vertical conflict
E)Affective conflict

Question 62

Identify the statement that is true about virtual teams.

A)They are mostly permanent and are engaged in all of the organization's business.
B)They find it difficult to include key stakeholders such as suppliers and customers.
C)They are continuing to decline in popularity.
D)They are often inflexible.
E)​They typically require smaller time commitment than traditional teams do.

Question 63

Linda is a manager at a local restaurant. She wants to introduce a new scheme that she thinks will improve customer satisfaction. But before this, she needs to inform her team about this. Should Linda force consensus for her new scheme? Why?

A)No, because requiring consensus gives veto power only to Linda.​
B)Yes, because consensus eliminates problems associated with minority domination.
C)No, because insisting on consensus usually promotes affective rather than cognitive conflict.
D)Yes, because the scheme will get morphed till everyone agrees.
E)No, because team consensus leads to more social loafing.

Question 64

Which of the following is NOT one of the recommendations for minimizing the occurrence of affective conflict and having a good fight?

A)Establish common goals
B)Work with more, rather than less, information
C)Maintain a balance of power
D)Inject humor into the workplace
E)Always resolve issues by consensus

Question 65

Minority domination will most likely be a problem _____.

A)as teams grow
B)in cross­functional teams of any size
C)in virtual teams because of the nature of the communication medium
D)as teams decrease in size
E)in project teams because they are temporary

Question 66

Which of the following statements regarding cohesiveness is true?

A)Engaging in non­work activities as a team can help build cohesion.
B)Cohesive groups engage in less cooperative behavior.
C)Cohesive groups always perform better.
D)Cohesive groups have trouble retaining their members.
E)High group cohesiveness equates to low team motivation.

Question 67

A group of workers in a medical examiner's office decided that they would not wear light-colored denim jeans to work because such casual wear seemed unprofessional. This informal agreement was made although the office did not have a dress code policy. The workers created a(n) _____.

A)​guideline
B)norm
C)work model
D)code of ethics
E)operational guide

Question 68

A group of architects and engineers has been organized to plan the construction of a new bridge. The team members are getting to know each other and are setting some preliminary ground rules. This group is in the _____ stage of team development.

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

Question 69

Lisa recently joined a famous multinational company. During her first few days, she went to work wearing casual clothing. However, she gradually came to know that this was not the expected dress code as everyone in the office dressed in formal attire. This was not specifically told to her, nor was it officially established as she later found out. The formal dress code is an example of a(n) _____.

A)guideline
B)norm
C)behavioral policy
D)ethical policy
E)operational guide

Question 70

_____ are often used to develop new products, significantly improve existing products, roll out new information systems, or build new factories or offices within a specific time, following which the team members either move on to the next project or return to their functional units.

A)Traditional work groups
B)Project teams
C)Virtual teams
D)Joint committees
E)Standing committees

Question 71

A group of medical specialists work in the neonatal unit of Bightlake Medical College and Hospital. This group has agreed that they should explain students the reasons of specific procedures as and when they are performed although there are no hospital rules mandating that the students should be given an explanation. What can this rule be best categorized as?

A)Behavioral policy
B)Guideline
C)Ethical code
D)​Norm
E)Operational guide

Question 72

_____ refers to the emotional reactions that can occur when disagreements become personal rather than professional.

A)Cognitive conflict
B)High cohesiveness
C)Normative conflict
D)Behavioral conflict
E)​Affective conflict

Question 73

Which of the following statements is true of team development?

A)The development stages are forming, storming, norming, and performing.
B)Group cohesion is relatively strong at the storming stage.
C)Team performance begins to decline at the norming stage.
D)Storming is the first stage of team development.
E)Positive team norms first start developing in the performing stage.

Question 74

Identify the correct statement about team conflicts.

A)Affective conflict is characterized by a willingness to examine, compare, and reconcile differences to produce the best possible solution.
B)Cognitive conflict undermines team performance by preventing teams from engaging in the kinds of activities that are critical to team effectiveness.
C)Managers who participate on teams that experienced affective conflict usually describe their teammates as manipulative, secretive, burned out, and political.
D)Affective conflict is beneficial to a group while cognitive conflict undermines group performance.
E)​Affective conflict occurs when team members disagree because their different experiences and expertise lead them to different views of the problem and solutions.​

Question 75

Which of the following kinds of teams is always temporary?

A)Cross­functional team
B)Project team
C)Self­designing team
D)Self­managing team
E)Virtual team

Question 76

Which of the following statements is true of virtual teams?

A)They are also called illusionary focus groups.
B)They are often temporary teams that are set up to accomplish a specific task.
C)They are required to send all the group communication through a senior manager who acts as a filter.
D)They are always self­managing teams.
E)They regularly meet face­to­face in informal group meetings.

Question 77

Which of the following statements is true of a-type conflict?

A)It is characterized by a willingness to examine, compare, and reconcile differences to produce the best possible solution.
B)It is strongly associated with improvements in team performance.
C)It usually precedes cognitive conflict.
D)It can make people more comfortable with their relationships with group peers.
E)​It can decrease team cohesiveness.

Question 78

A drawback of virtual teams is that:

A)their members must learn to express themselves in new contexts.
B)their members find them inflexible.
C)there is an absence of autonomy.
D)they have too much autonomy.
E)they establish several group norms.

Question 79

Fervor Tax Service has a largely white, male demographic at present. A new group has been established in Fervor to improve the employment, retention, and promotion prospects of women and ethnic minorities. The team has six months to gather information and create a plan. This group can best be categorized as a(n) _____.

A)autonomous team
B)project team
C)virtual team
D)cross­functional team
E)traditional work team

Question 80

With _____ conflict, team members disagree because their different experiences and expertise lead them to different views of the problem and solutions.

A)emotional
B)negative
C)affective
D)behavioral
E)​cognitive