Deck 6: Managing Groups and Teams

Question 1

Which of these are teamwork skills? Please select all that apply.

A) Emotional intelligence
B) Self-awareness
C) Listening
D) Individual accountability

Answer 1

A,B,C
Explanation: There are many skills that we need to develop to be part of a team such as ability to share, communicate, understand group dynamics, to have emotional intelligence, evaluation and summarising skills, self-awareness, and listening to others. As you go through your time at university you will have many opportunities, not only in class but outside as well, to develop these skills and abilities.

Question 2

Which of these is a characteristic of a working group rather than a team? Please select all that apply.

A) Focus on team goals and outcomes
B) Share information and different perspectives
C) Individual accountability
D) Plan together, collaborate, collectively decide future actions

Answer 2

B,C
Explanation: Although there are many similarities between teams and working groups there are core differences between the two. The fundamental difference is the teams focus on collective interests and accountability, whereas working groups are more individualistic in their approach. For a working group people may work together, but they do not have interdependence.

Question 3

The phenomena where people do not work as hard when they are in a group is called _______.

Answer 3

social loafing
Explanation: Social loafing describes a phenomenon where people do not work as hard when they are in a group because they unconsciously withdraw effort.

Question 4

The phenomena where people work harder in presence of others is called _______.

Question 5

When people work together on a project from different teams is called _______.

Question 6

In a high-performance team the individuals involved are ____ and _____ Please select all that apply.

A) supported by committed individuals who take personal responsibilities for the outcomes of the project
B) committed to a common approach
C) Individually accountable
D) Interdependent

Question 7

Katzenbach and Smith argue that high performance teams are rare.

Question 8

Match the following titles of Belbin's team role labels with their descriptors.
-Strengths: Outgoing, enthusiastic, communicative. Explores opportunities and develops contacts. Allowable Weaknesses: Over-optimistic, loses interest once initial enthusiasm has passed.

A) Resource Investigator
B) Co-ordinator
C) Teamworker
D) Implementer

Question 9

Match the following titles of Belbin's team role labels with their descriptors.
-Strengths: Mature, confident, identifies talent, clarifies goals, delegates effectively. Allowable Weaknesses: Can be seen as manipulative, offloads own share of the work.

A) Resource Investigator
B) Co-ordinator
C) Teamworker
D) Implementer

Question 10

Match the following titles of Belbin's team role labels with their descriptors.
-Strengths: Co-operative, perceptive, diplomatic, listens, and averts friction. Allowable Weaknesses: Indecisive in crunch situations, avoids confrontation.

A) Resource Investigator
B) Co-ordinator
C) Teamworker
D) Implementer

Question 11

Match the following titles of Belbin's team role labels with their descriptors.
-Strengths: Practical, reliable, efficient, turns ideas into actions, organizes work that needs to be done. Allowable Weaknesses: Somewhat inflexible, slow to respond to new possibilities.

A) Resource Investigator
B) Co-ordinator
C) Teamworker
D) Implementer

Question 12

What are some of the problems that academic literature has identified with Belbin's model? Please select all that apply.

A) Based on limited evidence
B) Not everyone has allowable weaknesses
C) Relies on self-reporting, which is not deemed the most accurate way of assessing how we act in practice
D) Relies on assessment by other people, which is not deemed the most accurate way of assessing how we act in practice

Question 13

According to social identity theorists, individuals need to _______, to transform their thinking from being like an individual to feeling part of the team.

Question 14

Match the following titles of Bion's basic assumptions with their descriptors:
-Group aims for security by looking for a leader to remove all anxieties and solve their problems. The leader is seen as God-like and can do no wrong. If the leader does not miraculously achieve this then they will look for a new leader.

A) Dependency
B) Flight/Fight
C) Pairing

Question 15

Match the following titles of Bion's basic assumptions with their descriptors:
-The group tries to preserve itself at all costs; it either fights or runs away from a common enemy, or directs this energy inwards where the group argues and falls apart. The group ignores all other activities when it is in this phase.

A) Dependency
B) Flight/Fight
C) Pairing

Question 16

Match the following titles of Bion's basic assumptions with their descriptors:
-Two people dominate the group, and talking to each other is considered by the individuals and group as sexual. The group hopes that they will produce a new leader to save them.

A) Dependency
B) Flight/Fight
C) Pairing

Question 17

Which of the following are characteristics of groupthink? Please select all that apply.

A) Illusion of consensus
B) Belief in the inherent morality of their group
C) Collective decision-making forming a consensus
D) Group conflict leading to poor decision-making

Question 18

What are the advantages of self-managed teams? Please select all that apply.

A) Self-managed teams have more authority to make decisions and therefore can respond to the needs of customers more effectively.
B) Self-managed teams work effectively because everyone is their own manager and they do not need bosses to control them.
C) Self-managed teams can mean that everyone feels a greater sense of ownership of decisions and therefore are more committed to the outcomes.
D) Self-managed teams can set the strategic direction of their organization.

Question 19

Why might teamwork represent another way on enhancing management control? Please select all that apply.

A) Team members can work harder because they want to be seen as the best member of their team.
B) Team members can supervise each other, meaning that surveillance does not occur by managers but by peers.
C) Team members can internalize control as they take responsibility for completing tasks, particularly as they do not want to let their colleagues down.
D) Team members can act like unpaid supervisors, taking on more responsibility but without the extra pay.

Question 20

According to Sewell (1998) workers have freedom so long as they hit their targets. This is called _______