Deck 9: Managing Groups and Teams

Question 1

The key properties of a true team are collaborative action, sacrifice for the common good, and compensation based upon individual outcomes.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

If a variety of knowledge, skills, and abilities is needed, if feedback from different organizational groups is needed, if tasks are largely independent, and if wide cooperation is needed to achieve mutual goals, then a team is needed.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

The performing stage of group development involves attention to work content and process.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The norming stage of group development involves the establishment of ground rules for the group and an increased commitment to other members and the group goal.

Question 5

The punctuated equilibrium model suggests that groups remain static for long periods of time experiencing only incremental change and radical, revolutionary change occurs in brief, punctuated bursts that provide opportunity for innovation.

Question 6

Because the storming stage is a very chaotic one, many groups get stuck in that phase of group development.

Question 7

Generally speaking, the more cohesive a group is, the less productive it is because the preservation of individual feelings supersedes any task oriented role.

Question 8

The appointed leader is often tested during the performing phase of group development.

Question 9

The forming stage of group development involves member examination of such questions as "What will my role be?" and "Will I be accepted?

Question 10

Collective efficacy is generally influenced by verbal persuasion, group observation, and pay level.

Question 11

Tuckman's Group Development Stage Model sequences group evolution in the following order: forming to norming to storming to performing.

Question 12

Groupthink is the tendency for individuals to put forth less effort when working in a group context.

Question 13

Groups with high group cohesion and high task commitment generally have high performance.

Question 14

The more similar group members are with regard to age, gender, education, and skill set, the more cohesive the group will be.

Question 15

Research evidence exists to demonstrate that teams can reduce labor costs, increase product quality, and raise revenues.

Question 16

The punctuated equilibrium model proposed by Connie Gersick is a linear model.

Question 17

The adjourning stage of groups is seldom met with any emotional feelings or concern.

Question 18

Idea-generation tasks include coming up with plans for actions and making decisions.

Question 19

Process loss is any aspect of group interaction that inhibits group functioning.

Question 20

A group is a cohesive coalition of people working together to achieve mutual goals while a team is a collection of individuals who interact with each other such that one person's actions have an impact on another's.

Question 21

Research suggests that sometimes replacing a hierarchy with self-managing teams decreases control over individual workers.

Question 22

Pooled interdependence is when team members work independently and combine their efforts to create the team's output.

Question 23

The difference between a self-managed and self-directed team is that the leader in the self-managed team has less decision-making responsibility.

Question 24

An effective way of dealing with overbearing behavior is to evaluate the balance of participation by team members.

Question 25

The more diverse a team is with regard to expertise, gender, age, and background, the more likely the team is to avoid groupthink.

Question 26

The meaning of teamwork differs across cultures

Question 27

Collectivist societies value individual achievements over interpersonal relationships.

Question 28

Norms are shared expectations about how things operate within a group or team.

Question 29

*Lego experienced a turning point in 2004.What was it?

A)The family-owned company was taken over by Wal-Mart
B)The company faced potential bankruptcy
C)The company experienced its highest sales year ever.
D)The board removed the CEO and broke the company up into 3 separate firms.

Question 30

Social roles in a group or team include cooperator, communicator, and calibrator.

Question 31

A task force is a temporary team charged with addressing a specific problem or issue until it is resolved.

Question 32

A firm's top management team often represents a variety of functional areas.

Question 33

Empowered teams have the responsibility and authority to achieve their goals.

Question 34

People in high power distance countries expect unequal power distribution and greater stratification in economic, social, and political settings.

Question 35

As a rule of thumb, a good size for a team is between twenty and forty members.

Question 36

When team members are found to be poor performers due to a lack of ability, the team is likely to try and train the individual.

Question 37

Task roles in a group include consul, cooperator, and completer.

Question 38

Reciprocal interdependence exists when team members work on tasks simultaneously.

Question 39

Virtual teams represent special management challenges because of issues related to trust and communication.

Question 40

Succession planning is the identification of future members of a top management team.

Question 41

Tuckman's five stage group evolution model asks which of the following questions in the performing stage?

A)Are we using appropriate information on this task?
B)Will I be accepted?
C)Why do I have to listen to you?
D)Can you help me plan this project?

Question 42

Group members in the norming stage

A)not only get the work done, but they also pay greater attention to how they are doing it.
B)begin to explore their power and influence.
C)find it
D)try to figure out who likes whom.

Question 43

To successfully facilitate a group, a leader needs to move through a series of leadership styles over time.Which of the following styles is the FIRST a successful group leader should exhibit?

A)delegator
B)director
C)coordinator
D)coach

Question 44

*The team structure that Jorgen Vig Knudstorp implemented did all of the following except

A)reduced the number of organizational layers.
B)reorganized into 3 business areas.
C)added depth to the top management group.
D)diversified to use small retailers.

Question 45

A group is defined as

A)a temporary team addressing a specific problem or issue until it is resolved.
B)a cohesive coalition of people working together to achieve mutual goals.
C)a collection of individuals interacting with each other in such a way that one person's actions have an impact on the others.
D)teams with members who are not located in the same physical space.

Question 46

Which of the following leadership styles best serves a successful group as it has evolved to the performing stage?

A)director
B)coordinator
C)coach
D)delegator

Question 47

Which of stage in Tuckman's group development model is characterized by the establishment of ground rules and operating procedures and goals by group participants?

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

Question 48

*What does the example of teamwork at Lego have to offer other companies around the world?

A)Improved meetings
B)Team growth
C)Better communication
D)All the above

Question 49

*Which of these is an example of Lego's commitment to innovation?

A)By 2030, use only sustainable materials in packaging and products.
B)By 2020, use robotics in 55% of its workforce.
C)Donate 10% of all sales to educating females in engineering.
D)Provide incentives to employee teams who suggest the best use of recycled Legos.

Question 50

The norming stage in Tuckman's model of group evolution features

A)uncertainty, with observant, conflict avoidant group members who are trying to achieve several goals at once.
B)competent group members who work interdependently as part of a greater entity.
C)chaos with group members exploring power and influence roles.
D)high energy with group members committed to each other and the overall goal.

Question 51

An informal work group refers to

A)a collection of individuals who interact with each other such that one person's actions have an impact on the others.
B)made up of managers, subordinates, or both, with close associations among group members that influence the behavior of individuals in the group.
C)made up of two or more individuals associated with one another but not by the organization.
D)a cohesive coalition of people working together to achieve mutual goals.

Question 52

Which of the following questions might be asked during the norming stage of Tuckman's five-stage group evolution model?

A)Are we using appropriate means to address differences so that conflicts can be avoided?
B)Will I be successful at completing this task?
C)I wonder what the other people in this group are like?
D)Can you help me with this section of the project?

Question 53

Which of the following statements characterize a group at the storming stage?

A)the group is competent, autonomous, and insightful.
B)the group's members are comfortable with each other and know where they fit in
C)the group members are argumentative.
D)group discussions are reflective and centered on learning from the past.

Question 54

Which stage of Tuckman's group development model is characterized by general information sharing?

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

Question 55

Which of the following statements is correct with regard to the forming stage of group development?

A)Leadership does not matter at this stage.
B)Group members are trying to learn about one another.
C)Group members are cohesive and cooperative.
D)Group members are trying to clarify what needs to be done and who needs to do it.

Question 56

Tuckman's forming stage is characterized by

A)uncertainty, with observant, conflict avoidant group members who are trying to achieve several goals at once.
B)competent group members who work interdependently as part of a greater entity.
C)chaos with group members exploring power and influence roles.
D)high energy with group members committed to each other and the overall goal.

Question 57

What was the final stage that Tuckman added to his enhanced group development model?

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

Question 58

What is the second stage in Tuckman's four-stage map of group evolution?

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

Question 59

Which of the following is the order Tuckman proposes for group development stages?

A)forming, norming, storming, performing, and adjourning
B)forming, storming, performing, norming, and adjourning
C)forming, performing, storming, norming, and adjourning
D)forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning

Question 60

A formal work group is

A)a collection of individuals who interact with each other such that one person's actions have an impact on the others.
B)made up of managers, subordinates, or both with close associations among group members that influence the behavior of individuals in the group.
C)made up of two or more individuals who are associated with one another in ways not prescribed by the formal organization.
D)a cohesive coalition of people working together to achieve happiness.

Question 61

A group where there is a great deal of camaraderie is a group experiencing

A)group action.
B)cohesion.
C)social loafing.
D)collective efficacy.

Question 62

Which of the following is a factor most likely to impact a group's cohesion?

A)size
B)height
C)industry
D)past experience

Question 63

According to Gersick's punctuated equilibrium model, groups repeatedly cycle through which two stages?

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

Question 64

The Ringelmann effect is also known as

A)group cohesion.
B)collective efficacy.
C)social loafing.
D)groupthink.

Question 65

Maria strongly disliked working in groups in college because she always felt there was someone who did not "pull his weight." However, now that she is a manager, she must organize teams in her firm.Which of the following is a tip to prevent social loafing she has received from other managers in her company?

A)Evaluate the team only, not the individuals within the team.
B)Assign equal amounts of work to group members.
C)Choose a larger number of employees for each team.
D)Define each individual's tasks in front of the group.

Question 66

Characteristics of cohesive groups include

A)knowing each other before formation of the group.
B)working together on a meaningful task.
C)having a random pattern of communication.
D)indifference regarding membership in the group.

Question 67

Michael's group is very cohesive and very committed to the task at hand.What is their likely performance level?

A)low performance
B)high performance if they do not value performance
C)average performance
D)high performance if they value performance

Question 68

Symptoms of too much cohesion include

A)failures are blamed on external factors.
B)internal pressures to question the status quo.
C)greater questioning of external constraints.
D)tolerance for deviants.

Question 69

Eduardo is the new manager of Great Corporation.He is sitting at his desk and writing down a list of steps that he can follow to create and maintain a cohesive work group.Which of the following would appear on that list?

A)Celebrate differences so each individual's contribution is noticed.
B)Give praise sparingly; if it is given too often, it loses its luster.
C)Focus on supporting the "best and brightest" in the group.
D)Set goals for group members to reduce competition or feelings of jealousy.

Question 70

Marina is encouraging her sorority sisters to function as a cohesive group.She lists all of the following as benefits EXCEPT

A)you will have greater self-confidence and self-esteem if you are a regular part of the group.
B)if you are experiencing stress, as you might during finals week, you can depend on your sisters to help get you through.
C)if you experience a personal tragedy or challenge, your sisters will help you cope.
D)If you are part of the sorority, you do not have to attend meetings and events often because you can depend on your sisters to cover for you.

Question 71

Collective efficacy refers to

A)a tendency of individuals to put in less effort when working in a group context.
B)a group's perception of its ability to perform well.
C)a group pressure phenomenon that increases the risk of the group making flawed decisions.
D)the degree of camaraderie within the group.

Question 72

Social loafing

A)declines as group size increases.
B)develops when a perception of inequity in regard to rewards and/or blame arises in a group.
C)is relatively rare within groups.
D)is more frequent in the United States.

Question 73

Michael is part of an organizational behavior project group.The group decided on the overall theme of its project and individual members are now completing specific sections of the project.Michael has been e-mailing Rachel almost every day asking her opinion on various parts of his section.The group tends to sit together in class and they have even decided to go out for coffee after class next Tuesday.What phase of group development is Michael's group in?

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

Question 74

NASA endured the Challenger disaster when group members conformed with top managers' decisions that launching the space shuttle in freezing temperatures was better than missing the launch window.This is an example of what group process?

A)social loafing
B)cohesion
C)collective efficacy
D)groupthink

Question 75

Which of the following statements related to fundamental factors affecting a group's cohesion is correct?

A)The larger a group, the more cohesive it is likely to be.
B)The more similar group members are, the more cohesive the group is likely to be.
C)The more coaching group members receive, the less cohesive the group is likely to be.
D)The less time a group has stayed together, the more cohesive a group is likely to be.

Question 76

Which of the following actions would be recommended in order to avoid getting stuck in the storming phase of Tuckman's group development?

A)Make sure to limit discussions and discussants.It is not productive to re-hash all the same points over and over.
B)Focus on developing out of the storming phase quickly.The quicker you can move to norming, the better.
C)Normalize conflict.Conflict is normal and can be cathartic.
D)Majority rules.Focus on the opinions of most people in the group.

Question 77

Which of the following statements regarding Gersick's punctuated equilibrium model is accurate?

A)The model views group development as a linear process.
B)Generally groups are dynamic in their orientation.
C)For most periods of time in groups, change is substantial.
D)While disruption, chaos and conflict are seen as inevitable in a group, those events can represent opportunities for innovation.

Question 78

Which group would be the most effective from a performance standpoint?

A)A group with low task commitment and low group cohesion.
B)A group with high group cohesion and low task commitment.
C)A group with high task commitment and low group cohesion.
D)A group with high group cohesion and high task commitment.

Question 79

Jennifer has been very emphatic in her comments supporting the new addition to the product line.Christopher has been equally spirited in his opposition to the new item.Gordon and Antonio seem to be leaning to Jennifer's perspective while Marques supports Christopher.The discussion about the product has consumed the last hour of the meeting of the marketing group.At what stage of Tuckman's model does this group seem to be functioning?

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

Question 80

Which of the following statements regarding Gersick's study of punctuated equilibrium is correct?

A)Most change in groups is characterized by periods of revolutionary chaos.
B)All groups are able to readily adapt to new environments that arise due to change.
C)The punctuated equilibrium model is cyclical in nature.
D)Groups generally cycle through the Storming and Norming stages of group development.