Deck 5: Managing Team Diversity

Question 1

According to ___, diversity should enhance performance by bringing more perspectives and a wider range of possibilities to bear on problems, increasing creativity and decision-making effectiveness.

Answer 1

cognitive resource theory

Question 2

2. One challenge for managing diverse teams is "providing a bridge across diversity." Discuss the "bridge across diversity" and what leaders can do to build that bridge.

Answer 2

"Building a bridge across diversity" refers to finding ways to bridge differences. Leaders may emphasize what is similar among team members rather than what is different. For instance, focusing on a superordinate identity, such as being Americans, helps team members look beyond subgroup differences. Leaders can emphasize superordinate goals that all members share, and they can point out common threats. Use of reward systems can also help. For example, rewarding a diverse team based on team performance decreases the salience of intragroup differences by creating a commonality within the team. Astrid Homan, the "Team Scholar" profiled in the chapter, discussed her research supporting this view and stressed how group fault lines can add to the challenge of building the bridge.

Question 3

Discuss reasons why companies are learning to value diversity.

Answer 3

Diversity can provide a powerful competitive advantage. A diverse workforce brings more perspectives and a wider range of knowledge to bear on problems, increasing creativity and decision-making effectiveness. Diversity also helps a firm understand and meet the needs of diverse markets. Companies that gain success at managing diversity also find their recruiting prospects enhanced, as well as their ability to retain women and minorities.

Question 4

Identify five strategies for enhancing emotional intelligence.

Question 5

What are the five stages that an individual can go through in developing cultural intelligence?

Question 6

Briefly discuss five dimensions of emotional intelligence.

Question 7

Discuss at least four reasons why globalization matters to you.

Question 8

Identify and briefly discuss five important dimensions along which national cultures differ.

Question 9

Present at least five reasons why EQ is important in organizations.

Question 10

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is currently a very popular concept. However, some people have dismissed EQ as a fad, seeing it as ""just another call to get in touch with your feelings."" Do you agree? Why or why not?

Question 11

What are some ways that national culture matters in teams?

Question 12

___ refers to the membership mix in organizations in terms of gender, race, ethnic origin, and other characteristics.

Question 13

___ are hypothetical dividing lines that may split a group into subgroups, generally based on multiple attributes.

Question 14

In ___ cultures there are tight social frameworks in which people expect the groups of which they are members to look after them and protect them in times of trouble.

Question 15

Individuals who see their lives as being controlled by fate, circumstance, or chance are said to have an ___ of control.

Question 16

Individuals with a ___ personality think that any behavior is acceptable if it achieves their goals.

Question 17

High ___ are chameleon-like, able to change their behaviors to fit the audience.

Question 18

___ individuals believe that power and status should be clearly defined and that there should be a hierarchy of authority.

Question 19

___ is the extent to which people take action to influence their environments.

Question 20

The sorts of intelligence gauged by IQ tests reside in the ___, or "rational" brain.

Question 21

The organized and distinctive pattern of behavior that characterizes an individual's adaptation to a situation and endures over time is called ___.

Question 22

List and briefly discuss active steps companies are taking to successfully foster diversity in the workplace.

Question 23

In which of the following types of cultures would the social setting, use of phrasing, gestures, and tone of voice, and the person's history and status be especially important?

A)high-context
B)short-term orientation
C)quality of life
D)low power distance
E)collectivist

Question 24

Externals tend to be more highly motivated than internals.

Question 25

If a leader is authoritarian, frustration and conflict are least likely if the subordinate is not authoritarian.

Question 26

Dogmatic individuals make decisions quickly.

Question 27

High self-monitors present the same ""self"" in different situations.

Question 28

People with proactive personalities have been shown to engage in high levels of entrepreneurial activities.

Question 29

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) resides in the amygdala, in the deep recesses of the brain's limbic system.

Question 30

Howard Gardner argued that there are several forms of intelligence, and that of these the ""personal intelligences"" -- interpersonal and intrapersonal -- are the most valuable.

Question 31

Aristotle felt that it was impossible to manage emotions.

Question 32

Very few firms have Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs) or other executive roles designated for diversity.

Question 33

High self-monitors receive better performance ratings and more promotions than low self-monitors and are more likely to emerge as leaders.

Question 34

The United States Census Bureau estimates that by the year 2050, Asian Americans, Hispanics, African Americans, and other non-white groups will make up more than 40% of the population.

Question 35

Eye contact generally has the same meaning across cultures.

Question 36

You are seeking employees who would do well in dynamic, uncertain situations. Individuals with which of the following personality types would tend not to do well in such situations?

A)Individuals with high tolerance for ambiguity.
B)Individuals with proactive personalities.
C)Individuals with high levels of dogmatism.
D)Individuals with low levels of authoritarianism.
E)None of the above.

Question 37

Which of the following statements regarding the Type A and Type B behavior patterns is true?

A)Type B's are much more likely than Type A's to experience high stress levels.
B)Type A's have trouble delegating responsibility to others.
C)Type A's tend to work well in groups.
D)Relatively high numbers of Type A's rise to high levels in organizations.
E)Two of the above.

Question 38

Which of the following personality characteristics reflects rigid belief systems and refusal to revise opinions in the face of conflicting evidence?

A)authoritarianism
B)Machiavellianism
C)self-monitoring
D)dogmatism
E)external locus of control

Question 39

Which of the following statements about authoritarian individuals is false?

A)Authoritarian leaders expect unquestioning obedience to their commands.
B)Authoritarian subordinates rebel against being given orders.
C)Authoritarian individuals are likely to be most comfortable in organizations that emphasize following rules and following the chain of command.
D)Authoritarian individuals believe authority should be concentrated in the hands of a few leaders.
E)None of the above.

Question 40

Which of the following statements about risk-taking propensity is false?

A)Risk seekers like to gamble.
B)Risk seekers prefer alternatives that may turn out very well or very poorly to those with little variance in outcomes.
C)Risk averse individuals tend to make decisions very quickly based on very little information in order to avoid considering possible risks.
D)People with different levels of risk-taking propensity will make very different decisions in the same situation.
E)none of the above

Question 41

You are the leader of a new product development team in a consumer products company. Your team has been given the charge of creating highly innovative new products that will create new growth opportunities for the firm. In selecting the members of your team, you know that you need people who are highly self-motivated and take-charge types of individuals. Based on the personality dimensions considered in the text, which of the following characteristics would be most valuable to you in creating

A)individuals who are highly dogmatic
B)individuals who are high on authoritarianism
C)individuals with high external locus of control
D)individuals with a high proactive personality
E)individuals with low agreeableness

Question 42

Which of the following is not one of the forms of intelligence discussed by Howard Gardner?

A)linguistic
B)bodily-kinesthetic
C)musical
D)interpersonal
E)none of the above

Question 43

The ""Marshmallow Test"" demonstrated:

A)that there are strong personality differences in preferences for food types.
B)the potential benefits of a broader view of intelligence.
C)the benefits of ""soft"" approaches to management.
D)the benefits of extrinsic rewards.
E)the benefits of diversity.

Question 44

Which of the following statements about IQ is false?

A)Most experts agree that IQ scores are heavily influenced by a relatively narrow range of linguistic and math skills.
B)IQ taps only a small part of the full human intellect.
C)IQ scores do little to predict performance in the ""real world.""
D)IQ scores are not relevant to classroom performance.
E)none of the above

Question 45

A troubling finding is that information exchange among team members focuses on information that is widely known and shared by all members prior to interaction, rather than information that is held uniquely by individuals.