Deck 9: Understanding Group and Team Performance

Question 1

Which statement correctly depicts the relationship between group cohesiveness and group productivity?

A) Productivity and group cohesion are unrelated.
B) As cohesiveness increases, productivity decreases.
C) When a group is too cohesive, productivity can suffer.
D) The relationship between productivity and cohesiveness is linear.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following is a characteristic of a group with low cohesiveness?

A) They stress individual accomplishment more than group accomplishment.
B) Everyone in the group is encouraged to participate.
C) They maintain and establish group traditions.
D) They set goals and establish guidelines.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Christa and her friends enjoy making unique desserts. They gather in one of their kitchens once a month to bake and eat their latest creation. This group is an example of a _____ group.

A) study
B) social
C) focus
D) therapy

Answer 3

B

Question 4

What occurs in an all-channel network?

A) Groups use chat rooms for their meetings.
B) All members make comments to the high status members, but rarely to low status members.
C) The norms of the group include raising one's hand when asking a question.
D) Everyone talks to everyone else and no cliques or subgroups emerge.

Question 5

Some experts recommend a _____ balance between task and social roles for a successful group.

A) 20/80
B) 50/50
C) 60/40
D) 80/20

Question 6

A campus organization planning group is brainstorming possible themes for their homecoming float. The ideas are flowing freely, when Katie enters the group late. Without regard for the group's brainstorming session, she begins discussing her recent breakup with her boyfriend. Katie is displaying which type of group role?

A) individual role
B) task role
C) social role
D) procedural role

Question 7

George, Paul, and Sue tend to sit together at meetings and like telling stories to each other, sharing private jokes, and sometimes talking about other group members. Within the larger group, the trio would be known as a _____.

A) group deviate
B) referent group
C) clique
D) blocker

Question 8

Meghan is the only person in the group who tries to "keep the peace" and make other group members feel better when their feelings get hurt. Meghan is displaying a _____ role in her group.

A) task
B) social
C) individual
D) reward

Question 9

Vlad is the leader of a group; he receives most of the messages from the group members, and he provides most of the information the group members receive. This is an example of a(n) _____ communication network.

A) all-channel
B) chain
C) wheel
D) linear

Question 10

Gretchen decides to join a study group. She attends the group for the first time and arrives about 10 minutes early for the meeting. She is surprised to see that no other group members have arrived. In fact, no one showed up until ten minutes past the posted start time. Gretchen realizes that arriving late is deemed appropriate behavior by the group. This would be an example of a group _____.

A) norm
B) role
C) rule
D) power

Question 11

Mikala often takes the minutes of the meetings; Gary often asks others to contribute new ideas; Keri offers pros and cons about the suggested solutions. All of these would be examples of _____ roles.

A) individual
B) procedural
C) social
D) task

Question 12

Clara thinks Carlo's idea for organizational outreach is impractical and cannot be implemented effectively. The discussion becomes heated and things seem to be getting out of control, so Chad suggests that the group take a break to rethink the issue. Chad is fulfilling which type of group role?

A) individual role
B) task role
C) social role
D) therapeutic role

Question 13

If you have power because people like you, it is called _____ power.

A) referent
B) coercive
C) expert
D) reward

Question 14

Teachers who use bonus points to get students to attend events outside of class are making use of what type of power?

A) referent
B) coercive
C) expert
D) reward

Question 15

Leroy was recently elected to the position of chair of his department at the university. With regard to department business, Leroy now has which type of power?

A) reward
B) expert
C) legitimate
D) coercive

Question 16

During the first team meeting, the coach told the players that practice would be from 3:30 to 5:30 every day after school and everyone needed to wear their practice shirt. The coach was providing _____ so players knew what to expect.

A) team ground rules
B) task roles
C) social roles
D) task assignments

Question 17

Groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous which meet to offer mutual support to members are types of _____.

A) study groups
B) problem-solving groups
C) therapy groups
D) primary groups

Question 18

After another disappointing month in sales, the manager told the sales team that if they didn't meet their quota by the end of the next quarter, they would lose their annual bonus. The manager is demonstrating _____ power.

A) reward
B) referent
C) expert
D) coercive

Question 19

Carlos has been asked to participate in a study on the quality of food in the dorm cafeteria. He will be in the study with 20 other students and they will all be able to offer their opinions on the food. This is an example of a _____ group.

A) primary
B) study
C) problem-solving
D) focus

Question 20

Which of the following describes the difference between a team and a group?

A) Teams are structured deliberately to achieve a goal; not every group is highly organized.
B) Teams usually are created by an outside organization; groups are not.
C) Teams have a designated leader; groups do not.
D) Teams are only found in sports; while groups are found only in business.

Question 21

Group traditions would be common in a highly-cohesive group.

Question 22

Tiffany looks up to her older sister and often asks her advice on personal matters. This is an example of referent power.

Question 23

One example of secondary tension is when conflict occurs as a result of a struggle for leadership.

Question 24

Keisha prefers to be busy and likes to work on many projects at the same time. She exhibits a monochronic time perspective.

Question 25

During the first meeting of the mothers-of-twins club, everyone got to know each other and the group decided to meet monthly for discussions on raising multiples. What phase of group development does this demonstrate?

A) orientation
B) conflict
C) emergence
D) reinforcement

Question 26

One of the primary differences between a team and a group is that teams are more likely than groups to develop explicit rules for how the tasks should be accomplished.

Question 27

A focus group is a group that meets to resolve an issue or overcome an unsatisfactory situation.

Question 28

Max thought the group should donate at least $300 to the charity, but Dion thought they should ask the company to donate $150 and their group could donate the other $150. What kind of conflict are these two experiencing?

A) relational
B) orientation
C) task
D) cohesion

Question 29

The degree of attraction that members of a group feel toward one another and the group is known as _____.

Question 30

For a class project, Morgan ends up in a group with four other people who were all strangers to each other. At first, they took turns introducing themselves and telling the others their majors. Although the discussion was pleasant, it was somewhat strained and uncomfortable. Morgan wondered who in the group would be motivated to work and who would be a slacker. This group is most likely experiencing _____.

A) primary tension
B) secondary tension
C) high cohesiveness
D) task conflict

Question 31

A harmonizer, compromiser, and gatekeeper are all examples of _____ roles.

Question 32

_____ group, such as a family, exists to fulfill basic human needs.

Question 33

A person with high status is typically listened to by other group members.

Question 34

A group more clearly develops a sense of "we" in the orientation phase of group development.

Question 35

If you prefer to do many things at once, you demonstrate a(n) _____ time perspective.

Question 36

The four phases of communication researcher Aubrey Fisher's model of group communication are orientation, conflict, emergence, and _____.

A) reinforcement
B) attitude
C) feedback
D) assumption

Question 37

Roles are the consistent way a person communicates with others in a group.

Question 38

Joanna's mother has decided that Joanna may drive the family car only after she has cleaned the upstairs bathroom. Joanna's mother is using _____ power.

Question 39

In the _____ phase of group development, group problems begin to be resolved or managed, and the group begins to solidify a common point of view.

A) orientation
B) conflict
C) emergence
D) reinforcement

Question 40

People who have expert power are perceived as informed or knowledgeable.

Question 41

As group members become more comfortable about expressing their opinions, they may begin to experience disagreements over leadership or task issues. This conflict is called _____.

Question 42

Conflict that becomes personal because group members do not like, value, or respect one another is known as _____ conflict.

Question 43

The all-channel, wheel, and chain are all types of _____.

Question 44

A group _____ is a member who has an opinion or belief that is different from the rest of the group.

Question 45

Your book discusses five bases of power. Name and explain each of the five, and give examples of how a supervisor in a professional setting might make use of each type of power.

Question 46

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of working in virtual teams.

Question 47

Explain the differences between task conflict, process conflict, and relational conflict.

Question 48

Describe Fisher's model of group interaction phases. List each of the stages, and discuss what types of behaviors are common in each. Illustrate with specific examples taken from one of your group experiences.

Question 49

The fourth phase of group interaction, in which group members express positive feelings toward one another and toward the group, is the _____ phase.

Question 50

What are norms? What purpose do they serve for group members? How can you recognize norms when you enter a group?