Deck 17: Teams and Teamwork

Question 1

Informal groups that emerge because members basically help one another do their jobs are called:

A) autonomous groups.
B) enabling groups.
C) friendship groups.
D) support groups.
E) interest groups.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

__________ is a temporary group created to solve a specific problem.

A) A functional group
B) A task force
C) A quality control circle
D) A command group
E) An autonomous work group

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which is NOT a problem commonly encountered in teams?

A) Personality conflicts
B) Poor readiness to work
C) Task ambiguity
D) Personality consolidation
E) Differences in work styles

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The textbook identifies four important team and teamwork roles for managers. Which of the following is NOT one of these roles?

A) Serving as a facilitator of change
B) Serving as a peer leader
C) Serving as a helpful contributing member of the team
D) Serving as the appointed head of a work unit
E) Serving a mentor or sponsor for team members

Question 5

Two types of groups especially important to managers in organisations are:

A) formal and developmental.
B) psychological and social.
C) cohesive and emergent.
D) informal and formal.
E) formal and cohesive.

Question 6

__________ is the creation of a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts is called

A) Cohesiveness
B) Group dynamics
C) Synergy
D) A quality circle
E) Team building

Question 7

The textbook identifies four important team and teamwork roles for managers. Which of the following is NOT one of these roles?

A) Supervisor
B) External coach
C) Participant
D) Network facilitator
E) Follower

Question 8

Informal groups that emerge because workers band together to pursue a common cause or social position are called:

A) autonomous groups.
B) enabling groups.
C) friendship groups.
D) support groups.
E) interest groups.

Question 9

Employees of the David & Co. College Division formed teams to investigate and resolve total quality management problems. Their suggestions resulted in divisional recognition for the team members. Their efforts provide an example of:

A) the usefulness of teams as vehicles for task accomplishments for the organisation and for personal satisfaction.
B) the usefulness of a permissive system within a sub-functional work group.
C) the traditional Japanese management concept of reactive problem solving.
D) the effectiveness of a no-meetings task policy.
E) the concept that quality circles do not fit within a monopolistic competitive environment.

Question 10

Which statement regarding teams and teamwork is NOT true?

A) Teams are challenging to lead for high-performance results.
B) Teams are rich in performance potential.
C) Most workers receive team training.
D) Teams are complex in the way they work.
E) Many tasks in organisations are beyond the capabilities of people working alone.

Question 11

__________ refers to the presence of 'free riders' that slack off because responsibility is diffused in teams and others are present to do the work.

A) Social loafing
B) Synergy
C) Poor work ethics
D) Anti-synergy
E) Social imperfection

Question 12

A committee is a:

A) permanent self-managing team.
B) formal team of people working together outside their daily job assignments to pursue a specific purpose.
C) collection of people working together in a division of labour to accomplish a common purpose.
D) temporary work team.
E) group of people who meet to work on a specific problem.

Question 13

All of the following are possible positive outcomes of teamwork EXCEPT:

A) it can achieve synergy and make important contributions to the organisation.
B) it helps individuals satisfy needs not met in the larger organisational context.
C) it promotes dependency of individuals on a strong leader.
D) it can have a positive influence on employee work attitudes.
E) it promotes personal growth in the individual.

Question 14

All of the following are possible benefits of teams EXCEPT:

A) increasing members' commitment to tasks.
B) enhancing the effects of an increase in organisational size.
C) improving the quality of decision making.
D) fostering innovation and creativity.
E) raising motivation through collective action.

Question 15

__________ are not recognised on organisation charts and are not officially created to serve an organisational purpose.

A) Informal groups
B) Unofficial groups
C) Emergent groups
D) Psychological groups
E) Ad hoc groups

Question 16

The text identifies four different labels for work groups. Which of the following is NOT one of these labels?

A) Organisations
B) Units
C) Teams
D) Departments
E) Divisions

Question 17

Performance results in each of the manager's team and teamwork roles depend in part on:

A) the manager's ability to apply his/her understanding of how teams operate to help team members be successful.
B) the manager's understanding of how teams operate.
C) the manager's ability to apply his/her understanding of how teams operate to help the team be successful.
D) All of the options listed
E) None of the options listed

Question 18

__________ are part of the formal organisational structure and are created to fulfil a variety of essential operations.

A) Psychological groups
B) Cohesive groups
C) Emergent groups
D) Formal groups
E) Social groups

Question 19

Interest groups, friendship groups and support groups are examples of:

A) informal groups.
B) functional teams.
C) cross-functional groups.
D) formal teams.
E) self-managing groups.

Question 20

Informal groups that emerge for a wide variety of personal reasons (including shared non-work interests) are called:

A) autonomous groups.
B) friendship groups.
C) support groups.
D) interest groups.
E) enabling groups.

Question 21

In a growing number of organisations, the functional team, consisting of a first-level supervisor and her or his subordinates, is being replaced by:

A) electronic networks.
B) self-managing work teams.
C) high command structures.
D) informal task structures.
E) manager involvement teams.

Question 22

The number and complexity of interactions can make teams increasingly difficult to manage as they grow in size. The threshold point at which team size becomes a significant input factor in effective group process is:

A) four or five team members.
B) twelve team members.
C) ten or eleven team members.
D) six or seven team members.
E) eight or nine team members.

Question 23

A __________ is a form of employee involvement group usually composed of 6 to 12 employees who meet regularly to discuss and plan specific ways to improve work quality.

A) quantity team
B) social loafing group
C) task force
D) linking pin team
E) quality circle

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT a guideline that managers can use in leading a task force?

A) Tell task force members what is expected and why
B) Select members whose skills and views complement one another
C) Select members who are impartial and who will not have a vested interest in the result
D) Choose a group leader who can respect the ideas of others
E) Review progress at regular intervals

Question 25

Frank works in the city office of a large consulting firm. Joe, Steve and Michele work in a branch office in a northwest suburb. Joan and David work in a branch office in an eastern suburb. When these people collectively work on problems and try to figure out solutions that they all can accept, they sit down at their computer terminals and communicate with each other through a special software program that guides their discussion. These people are operating as:

A) a free riding group.
B) task-focused problem solvers.
C) a virtual team.
D) an informal group.
E) a human network.

Question 26

Which of the following statements does NOT accurately describe self-managing work teams?

A) Self-managing work teams never have the authority to hire or fire team members.
B) Self-managing work teams are authorised to make decisions about how they share and perform the required work.
C) Self-managing work teams are expected to help enhance performance, decrease costs and improve morale.
D) Self-managing work teams operate with participative decision making, shared tasks and responsibility for many managerial tasks.
E) Self-management work responsibilities typically include planning and scheduling work as well training members in various tasks.

Question 27

In the life cycle of a team, teamwork and focused task performance occur in the ___________ stage.

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

Question 28

The process of people actively working together in groups to accomplish common goals is called:

A) synergy.
B) teamwork.
C) organisational work.
D) camaraderie.
E) interpersonal interaction.

Question 29

A group of workers who meet on a regular basis outside of their formal assignments and apply their expertise to important workplace matters is called a(n):

A) product assembly team.
B) autonomous work team.
C) employee involvement team.
D) expert team.
E) interacting group.

Question 30

With respect to teams and teamwork, what is the key question for managers and team leaders?

A) How do we make sure that teams and teamwork do not consume excessive amounts of time?
B) How do we make sure that teams and teamwork are utilised to everyone's best advantage?
C) How do we make sure that teams and teamwork benefit the organisation financially?
D) How do we make sure that teams and teamwork are utilised throughout the entire organisation?
E) How do we make sure that teams and teamwork satisfy team members?

Question 31

In viewing organisations as interlocking networks, managers serve as:

A) 'king pins' because everyone reports to them.
B) 'linking pins' because each manager acts as a superior in one functional group and as a subordinate in the next higher level one.
C) 'nerve centres' because they control the communication channels.
D) 'group processors' because they make the whole team work.
E) 'gatekeepers' because work flows upward and downward through their offices.

Question 32

Cross-functional teams are expected to do all of the following EXCEPT:

A) meet project deadlines.
B) focus on purely functional concerns and demands.
C) explore new ideas.
D) seek creative solutions.
E) share information.

Question 33

An important part of a manager's job is:

A) taking action to ensure that social loafing is addressed properly.
B) knowing when a team is the best choice for a task.
C) knowing how to work with and manage a team to accomplish a task.
D) All of the options listed
E) None of the options listed

Question 34

A group of people who work together and solve problems through computer-mediated interactions instead of face-to-face meetings are operating as:

A) an automated quality circle.
B) a human resource team.
C) a wide-area network team.
D) a virtual team.
E) an electronically stimulated group.

Question 35

Which statement is false?

A) Without relevant task activities, groups will find it difficult to accomplish their objectives.
B) The responsibility for task and maintenance activities belongs to the manager alone.
C) Any member can assist a group by taking actions that help satisfy task and maintenance needs.
D) Distributed leadership puts responsibility for group maintenance on all members.
E) Task and maintenance activities are leadership skills.

Question 36

In the life cycle of a team, conflicts over tasks and ways of operating as a team occur in the ___________ stage.

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

Question 37

The phases or stages in the life cycle of any team are:

A) problem definition, problem analysis, solution generation, solution implementation and evaluation.
B) inputs, throughputs and outputs.
C) introduction, growth, maturity and decline.
D) forming, norming, performing and satisfying.
E) forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning.

Question 38

Which input factor to group process concerns providing support in the form of information, material resources, technology, spatial arrangements, organisation structures and rewards?

A) Group norms
B) Nature of the tasks
C) Team size
D) Organisational setting
E) Membership characteristics

Question 39

In the life cycle of a team, task accomplishment and eventual disengagement occur in the ___________ stage.

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

Question 40

Which of the following does NOT accurately describe virtual teams?

A) Team members from geographically dispersed locations can deal with issues in a time-efficient fashion.
B) Advantages of face-to-face meetings are lost.
C) Because of information technology, virtual teams provide a problem-free approach to dealing with issues among team members at geographically dispersed locations.
D) Interpersonal difficulties that might occur in face-to-face meetings could be minimised or eliminated.
E) Working relationships can become depersonalised.

Question 41

In the life cycle of a team, consolidation around task and operating agendas occurs in the ___________ stage.

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

Question 42

Which statement about the forming stage of the team development life cycle is FALSE?

A) In the forming stage, the identification of team boundaries and learning how others perceive the team's task is primary.
B) Difficulties in the forming stage tend to be greater in more culturally and demographically diverse teams.
C) Members' own impressions of organisational philosophies, goals and policies may affect relationships.
D) In the forming stage, coalitions or cliques may form as subgroups emerge.
E) Dependency on powerful members and previous experience with team members in other situations impact the way the team forms during the first stage of development.

Question 43

Efforts to support the emotional life of the team as an ongoing social system are:

A) affective behaviours.
B) cohesion activities.
C) affiliation activities.
D) maintenance activities.
E) support services.

Question 44

Activities that contribute directly to the team's performance purpose are called:

A) group dynamics.
B) task activities.
C) required behaviours.
D) maintenance activities.
E) group process activities.

Question 45

To build positive team norms, a leader can do all of the following EXCEPT:

A) take over certain decision-making functions from the group.
B) train and orient new members to adopt desired behaviours.
C) control results by performance reviews and regular feedback.
D) act as a role model.
E) hold regular meetings to discuss team progress and ways of improving.

Question 46

Two types of activities are essential if team members are to work well together over time. These two activities are:

A) promoting interactions and sentiments.
B) norm and cohesion building activities.
C) effectiveness and efficiency training activities.
D) task and maintenance activities.
E) developing emergent and required behaviours.

Question 47

During the __________ stage of the team life cycle, total integration of team members occurs, and they engage in creative ways of dealing with complex tasks and interpersonal conflicts.

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

Question 48

Which statement accurately describes the interaction patterns and communications networks used by teams?

A) Interacting groups use a decentralised communication network that reflects high interdependency around a common task.
B) Coacting groups use a restricted communication network to deal more effectively with subgroup disagreements.
C) Counteracting groups use a centralised communication network to coordinate independent individual efforts on behalf of a common task.
D) All of the options listed
E) None of the options listed

Question 49

A __________ allows all members to communicate directly with each other.

A) centralised communication network
B) standard communication network
C) restricted communication network
D) neutral communication network
E) decentralised communication network

Question 50

Which of the following is NOT something a manager can do to increase team cohesion?

A) Encourage direct physical contact with other teams
B) Decrease team size
C) Introduce competition with other teams
D) Increase membership homogeneity
E) Allocate rewards to the team rather than to individuals

Question 51

'Rules' or 'standards' that guide the behaviour of team members are called:

A) norms.
B) required behaviours.
C) task guides.
D) cohesion factors.
E) maintenance behaviours.

Question 52

In comparison to simple tasks, complex tasks require more information exchange and more intense interactions. This fact reflects which input factor of group process?

A) Membership characteristics
B) The nature of tasks
C) The cohesiveness of the group
D) The type of the group
E) The organisational setting

Question 53

Which statement concerning the stages of team development is correct?

A) In the performing stage, members are likely to develop initial feelings of closeness, a division of labour and a sense of shared expectations.
B) During the performing stage, the team will be challenged to remain coordinated with the larger organisation.
C) One of the primary challenges of the norming stage is to develop creative ways of dealing with both complex tasks and interpersonal conflicts.
D) During the adjourning stage, holding the team together may be more important to the members than successfully completing tasks.
E) In the adjourning stage, a team will be concerned with adapting successfully to changing conditions over time.

Question 54

Which of the following statements does NOT accurately describe group process?

A) Since group process is essential to team effectiveness, it guarantees team success.
B) When group process fails, team effectiveness can suffer.
C) Group process includes how well team members communicate, make decisions and handle conflicts.
D) The organisational setting, nature of the task, team size and membership characteristics are key inputs to group process.
E) Teams must have the resource inputs needed to deal best with the task at hand.

Question 55

A __________ defines the level of work effort and performance that team members are expected to contribute.

A) productivity norm
B) performance norm
C) work norm
D) team norm
E) work/effort norm

Question 56

__________ is an input factor related to group process which suggests that culturally diverse work groups have more difficulties learning how to work well together than do culturally homogeneous ones.

A) The nature of tasks
B) Spatial arrangements
C) Membership characteristics
D) Group size
E) Organisational setting

Question 57

Which communication network seems to work best on simple tasks that require little creativity, information processing and problem solving?

A) Neutral communication network
B) Decentralised communication network
C) Centralised communication network
D) Standard communication network
E) Restricted communication network

Question 58

The norming stage of the team life cycle is characterised by:

A) the identification of team boundaries and team roles.
B) efforts to find ways to accomplish group goals while also satisfying individual needs.
C) the team becoming a coordinated work unit with shared rules of conduct.
D) a period of high emotionality.
E) the ability to handle membership disagreements in creative ways.

Question 59

From a manager's perspective, the worst-case scenario of a work team's performance norms and cohesiveness occurs with _________ performance norms and _________ cohesiveness.

A) high; high
B) positive; low
C) negative; low
D) high; low
E) negative; high

Question 60

The storming stage of the team life cycle is characterised by all of the following EXCEPT

A) pressures from outside the team for resolving team differences.
B) emergence of coalitions and cliques based on areas of agreement and disagreement.
C) attention shifting toward obstacles standing in the way of goal accomplishment.
D) members' clarified understanding of each other's interpersonal styles.
E) periods of hostility and infighting.

Question 61

Potential disadvantages of group decision making include all of the following EXCEPT:

A) individual members may feel intimidated.
B) making a team decision can sometimes require excessive time.
C) tunnel vision can be avoided.
D) members may encounter social pressure to conform.
E) decision making takes longer and can become very costly.

Question 62

Potential advantages of group decision making include all of the following EXCEPT:

A) group decision making promotes decisions favoured by a small but powerful coalition.
B) group decision making increases members' commitment to follow through on implementing the decision.
C) group decision making expands the number of alternatives that are considered.
D) group decision making improves members' understanding and acceptance of the final decision.
E) group decision making brings more information, knowledge and expertise to bear on problems.

Question 63

Decision by __________ occurs when one idea after another is suggested without discussing them, and then the team finally accepts an idea without any critical evaluation.

A) authority rule
B) majority rule
C) minority rule
D) consensus
E) lack of response

Question 64

When formal voting or polling takes place, with the objective of determining which idea is favoured by more than half the team members, the team is making a decision by:

A) lack of response.
B) majority rule.
C) authority rule.
D) minority rule.
E) consensus.

Question 65

A very important __________ is the ability to help a team choose the best decision method for the task at hand.

A) team building skill
B) team member skill
C) problem solving skill
D) team leadership skill
E) groupthink skill

Question 66

Teams will make decisions by __________ when they argue, engage in reasonable conflict, respect one another, and yet make a decision that does not require unanimity but can be supported by all team members.

A) consensus
B) lack of response
C) minority rule
D) unanimity
E) majority rule

Question 67

Managers can avoid groupthink if they do all of the following EXCEPT:

A) invite outside experts to observe group activities and react to group processes.
B) create conflict among groups to increase creative thinking.
C) encourage a sharing of viewpoints.
D) absent themselves from meetings at times to allow free discussion.
E) have team members discuss issues with outsiders and report back on their reactions.

Question 68

A tendency for highly cohesive groups to lose their evaluative capabilities is called:

A) norm overload.
B) groupthink.
C) group stasis.
D) dysfunctionalism.
E) synergy.

Question 69

The nominal group technique to decision making is more effective than brainstorming in which of the following situations?

A) When a highly structured meeting agenda is needed
B) The nominal group technique is not superior in any of these situations
C) When the difference may be so extreme that arguments and conflict arise
D) When many alternatives are needed without the risk of inhibitions or hostilities
E) When team members have very different opinions and goals

Question 70

The degree to which members are attracted to and motivated to remain part of the team is called:

A) groupthink.
B) social behaviour.
C) cohesiveness.
D) norm intensity.
E) system interaction.

Question 71

To be effective in deciding whether to use individual, consultative or group decision methods for a particular situation, team leaders must:

A) have competent and motivated group members.
B) understand the assets and liabilities of group decision making.
C) know how to solve problems better than any of the team members.
D) All of the options listed
E) None of the options listed

Question 72

As one of the most important group processes, __________ is complicated by the different ways in which teams can go about doing it.

A) groupthink
B) problem solving
C) high-performance leadership
D) decision making
E) group cohesion

Question 73

By prohibiting criticism, brainstorming reduces fears of ridicule and failure. This results in:

A) more enthusiasm.
B) more involvement.
C) free flowing of ideas.
D) All of the options listed
E) None of the options listed

Question 74

All of the following are symptoms of groupthink EXCEPT:

A) accepting unpleasant and disconfirming data.
B) self-censorship by members.
C) belief in inherent group morality.
D) illusions of unanimity.
E) illusions of invulnerability.

Question 75

Sharon belongs to a highly cohesive group. The group makes decisions about how profits from the annual fundraiser will be spent. However, Sharon refuses to communicate her personal concerns to the entire group. This is an example of which symptom of groupthink?

A) Mind guarding
B) Self-censorship by members
C) Applying direct pressure to deviants to conform to the group
D) Stereotyping competitors as stupid
E) Illusions of unanimity

Question 76

__________ refer(s) to how the members of a team actually work together as they transform inputs into outputs.

A) Job specifications
B) Interpersonal relationships
C) Working relationships
D) Team responsibilities
E) Group process

Question 77

A __________ seems to work best on complex tasks that require intense interaction and information sharing.

A) standard communication network
B) centralised communication network
C) neutral communication network
D) decentralised communication network
E) restricted communication network

Question 78

__________ is a technique that is used for team decision making whereby criticism is ruled out and freewheeling and building on one another's ideas are encouraged.

A) Groupthink
B) Nominal team building
C) Brainstorming
D) Quality circles
E) Creativity

Question 79

Teams will make decisions by __________ when all team members agree on a course of action.

A) consensus
B) lack of response
C) unanimity
D) majority rule
E) minority rule

Question 80

Which of the following is NOT a basic step for running a nominal group session?

A) Ideas are expressed and evaluative comments are made
B) A written voting procedure is used to rank order alternatives
C) Ideas are read aloud in a round-robin fashion
D) All ideas are recorded on a flip-chart
E) Participants are asked to work alone