Deck 4: Socializing, Building Trust, Training, Motivating, and Leading Teams Abstract

Question 1

___ occurs when team members fully identify with the team experience.

Answer 1

Identity fusion

Question 2

When you say you have been reading about learning theory and are hoping to apply it in the workplace, a colleague expresses alarm. She says, ""There's enough stress in this place without having people playing mind games to jack up performance."" Do you agree with this position? Why or why not?

Answer 2

Since the student is asked to take a position, answers will vary with the position chosen. Answers should reflect knowledge of learning theory principles, and should recognize that there are different learning approaches. A focus on social learning, for instance, is probably more acceptable to students -- and workers -- than use of classical conditioning since the latter is ""mindless"" in the sense that employees are not told what behaviors are desired but are ""trained"" to respond automatically and thus can't use free will. A thorough answer should somehow recognize that the issue is not whether employees' behavior will be reinforced, but whether it will be systematically reinforced using learning theory principles. That is, behavior is always being reinforced, whether intentionally or not. Application of learning theory does help ensure that employees are rewarded for things that are desirable to the organization. This requires the company to make sure that rewards are valent to employees and are administered appropriately. Since procedural fairness and distributive fairness are very important to employees, and clear expectancies and instrumentalities are critical for employee motivation, systematic application of learning theory may actually reduce employee stress. Further, those arguing in favor of applying learning principles may note the emphasis of organizational behavior modification on positive reinforcement.

Question 3

Perceptions are central to expectancy theory, equity theory, and job characteristics theory. Do you think it is the responsibility of managers to try to influence employees' perceptions? Can you envision situations in which it would be inappropriate or unethical for them to attempt to alter employees' perceptions?

Answer 3

Students' responses will vary depending on the position taken. It is clear, though, that a substantial part of a manager's job is to clarify ways to do the job, show how rewards are tied to performance, emphasize important aspects of tasks, communicate expectations about appropriate levels and types of performance, and so on. In each of these cases, the manager is influencing perceptions in ways that may be beneficial to both the organization and the employee. Students will probably have little problem with cases where the attempts to alter perceptions are in order to make the perceptions more accurate. For instance, telling an employee about the company's retirement plan, about what to expect on a new job, or what behaviors will be rewarded seem necessary and appropriate as long as what the manager says is correct. Altering perceptions may be seen as inappropriate and/or unethical if the perceptions are changed in ways that are incorrect or that somehow harm the employee (students are likely to generate a variety of examples of such manipulative, political behaviors) It may be useful to note, however, that even some cases of instilling of incorrect perceptions may ultimately have positive consequences. For example, a manager who assures her employees that they are the best in the company, even when they are not, may motivate and develop them in ways (using self-fulfilling prophecy) that more accurate perceptions could not.

Question 4

Identify and briefly discuss the five sets of behaviors associated with transformational leadership.

Question 5

Identify and define six bases of trust.

Question 6

Present seven guidelines for use of team-based rewards.

Question 7

Identify and define the five core task dimensions in the Job Characteristics Model.

Question 8

Expectancy theory says that motivation requires three things. Identify and define each of those things.

Question 9

Identify and define five bases of interpersonal power.

Question 10

Identify and briefly discuss seven guidelines for effective goal setting.

Question 11

A colleague says, ""I really don't agree with the idea of substitutes for leadership. It never hurts to provide a little more guidance or to show a little more caring."" Do you agree? Why or why not?

Question 12

A colleague says to you, "I would never use coercive power, period." How would you respond?

Question 13

A worker states, ""They say they're going to enrich my job. From what I've heard, it looks to me like I'm being asked to learn more things and take more responsibility. If that's enrichment, I don't want it."" Discuss this response in view of the theories presented in this chapter. Do you feel it is right to require employees to accept enriched jobs? Why or why not?

Question 14

In the case of rats in a maze, properly pressing a lever may cease the administration of a shock. This is an example of ___ learning.

Question 15

The step-by-step movement up the hierarchy in Maslow's hierarchy of needs is called ___.

Question 16

With ___ employees receive payments, in addition to their regular salary and bonuses, tied to the company's profitability.

Question 17

___ learning occurs through channels such as newspapers, television, and conversations with family members, friends, and teammates.

Question 18

___ leaders let followers participate in making decisions.

Question 19

An instructional strategy in which each team member is trained in the duties of his or her teammates is called ___.

Question 20

In a ___ situation, people can act on their own volitions.

Question 21

Needs on the lowest level of needs in Maslow's hierarchy of needs are referred to as ___ needs.

Question 22

The sort of conditioning that relies on the Law of Effect is called ___ conditioning.

Question 23

Identify six ways in which views of leadership have changed over time.

Question 24

Indicate five important functions of goals in teams.

Question 25

Collective efficacy leads to group potency.

Question 26

If studies show gaps between perceptions of employees and of top managers, it is apparent that employees' perceptions are inaccurate.

Question 27

Most review of studies relating to leader traits have concluded that the trait approach has not been fruitful.

Question 28

The strong situation hypothesis is that factors such as personality and trust are important in weak situations but less so in strong situations.

Question 29

Classical conditioning is an important tool for teaching new behaviors.

Question 30

Democratic and autocratic leadership styles differ on two primary dimensions.

Question 31

Equity theory says people want to get at least what they deserve, and hopefully more.

Question 32

When trust among team members is high, leaders may choose to destructure (that is, loosen things up) in order to let trust play a large role.

Question 33

Transactive memory systems are a form of choice architecture that encompasses both the knowledge held by particular members with a collective awareness of who knows what.

Question 34

Which of the following refers to presenting the message - that is, defining the purpose in a meaningful way?

A)Idealized influence
B)Initiating structure
C)Enactive attainment
D)Framing
E)None of the above

Question 35

Equity theory focuses on which of the following?

A)Procedural fairness
B)Both procedural and distributive fairness
C)Distributive fairness
D)Neither procedural nor distributive fairness
E)None of the above

Question 36

Which of the following is assessed by statements such as "No task is too tough for this team"?

A)Collective efficacy
B)Group potency
C)Irrational exuberance
D)Socialization
E)None of the above

Question 37

Provide eight guidelines for effectively using learning techniques in organizations.

Question 38

Who of the following were British Prime Ministers?

A)Margaret Thatcher
B)Abraham Lincoln
C)Winston Churchill
D)Nelson Mandela

Question 39

The chapter's "That's Interesting! The Trust Molecule," discusses why oxytocin is sometimes seen as the "trust molecule." Which of the following statements regarding oxytocin is false?

A)It seems to be a creates bonds in intimate relationships.
B)Its levels increase with group activities such as singing, dancing, and praying.
C)Simple touch can raise the oxytocin level of the person being touched.
D)Among National Basketball Association teams examined, the teams whose players did the most touching almost always had the best records, and vice versa.
E)None of the above

Question 40

A team member has learned over time that if he constantly complained he got what he wanted. If we wish to stop such behavior we should simply no longer reinforce it. This approach is called:

A)Pavlovian conditioning
B)Nonreinforcement
C)Negative reinforcement
D)Avoidance learning
E)None of the above

Question 41

An employee whose attempts to satisfy his social needs have failed may say, "I think I'll get a pizza." This is an example of:

A)Satisfaction progression
B)Need suppression
C)Maslovian retrogression
D)Frustration regression
E)None of the above

Question 42

Which of the following refers to ways in which a person may try to reduce the tensions caused by frustration?

A)Defense mechanisms
B)Maslovian release
C)Satisfaction progression
D)Defaults
E)None of the above

Question 43

The "Teams in the News" feature, "The Chilean Mine Disaster," discussed how teamwork was important in the dramatic rescue of 33 trapped miners. Which of the following was not true of the survival and rescue process?

A)The rescue operation represented a multiteam system.
B)Small victories were causes for celebration.
C)The miners' morale was initially high but deteriorated sharply after a series of failures by rescuers to locate them.
D)The shift boss organized the mine into a society, with discipline and routine.
E)None of the above

Question 44

In a particular situation, employees are well-trained, tasks are unambiguous and routine, and teams are closely knit and cohesive. Each of those characteristics tends to serve as a:

A)Buffer of leadership
B)Substitute for leadership
C)Neutralizer of leadership
D)Catalyst for leadership
E)None of the above

Question 45

The set of leader behaviors that shows friendship, mutual trust, respect, and warmth is called:

A)None of the above
B)Consideration
C)Reinforcement
D)Intellectual stimulation
E)Democratic style

Question 46

Satisfaction is another name for motivation.