Deck 7: Groups and Organizations

Question 1

A temporary, loosely formed collection of people who may or may not interact is a:

A) crowd.
B) group.
C) category.
D) population.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

What do sociologists call two or more people who identify and interact with one another?

A) a dyad
B) a social group
C) a network
D) a crowd

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Assume you are one of many people assembled at a university graduation ceremony. The term that best describes this gathering is a:

A) peer group.
B) category.
C) primary group.
D) secondary group.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following is the best example of a primary group?

A) a family that has gathered to celebrate a religious holiday
B) carpenters gathering at a work site
C) a student government meeting
D) a reunion of the graduating class of 1977

Question 5

What is the term for group leadership that emphasizes the completion of tasks?

A) democratic leadership
B) authoritarian leadership
C) expressive leadership
D) instrumental leadership

Question 6

Read the list of traits below. Which of these traits is NOT a characteristic of secondary groups?

A) large size
B) weak emotional ties
C) personal orientation
D) often short-term duration

Question 7

In your group, the leader is skillful at using humor to reduce tension and to lighten serious moments. Which type of leader does your group have?

A) a democratic leader
B) a laissez-faire leader
C) an expressive leader
D) an instrumental leader

Question 8

The chapter-opening story of the McDonald's organization explains:

A) that "fast food" is really not served very efficiently.
B) that the McDonald's idea never caught on abroad.
C) why so many small businesses do not succeed.
D) that the guiding principles of McDonald's have come to dominate our social life.

Question 9

Which of the following is the best example of a secondary group?

A) a fraternity chapter meeting on campus
B) a Microsoft Corporation awards banquet
C) parents meeting with their daughter and her coach
D) girl scouts at a cookout

Question 10

Why did Cooley refer to some groups as "primary groups"?

A) They are among the first groups we experience in life.
B) They have primary importance in the socialization process.
C) They contain the people most important in our lives.
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 11

Which type of leader encourages everyone in a group to have a say in what happens?

A) authoritarian leader
B) democratic leader
C) laissez-faire leader
D) expressive leader

Question 12

Which type of leadership style takes charge of making decisions and makes sure people do what they are told?

A) authoritarian leadership
B) democratic leadership
C) laissez-faire leadership
D) expressive leadership

Question 13

Imagine you are watching several dozen passengers sitting in an airport gate area waiting to board a plane. These people are an example of a:

A) crowd.
B) group.
C) category.
D) network.

Question 14

Charles Cooley referred to a small social group whose members share personal and enduring relationships as:

A) an instrumental group.
B) an expressive group.
C) a primary group.
D) a secondary group.

Question 15

You are part of a task force with a group leader who has a distant relationship with group members and who is concerned with getting the job done. Which type of leader does your task force have?

A) a laissez-fair group leader
B) a democratic leader
C) an expressive leader
D) an instrumental leader

Question 16

In general, we see the _______ as a means to an end we see the _____ as an end in itself.

A) expressive group instrumental group
B) crowd category
C) secondary group primary group
D) primary group secondary group

Question 17

What is the correct sociological term for all people with a common status, such as "college students."

A) a crowd
B) a group
C) a category
D) a network

Question 18

Which of the following is every society's most important primary group?

A) the peer group
B) the work group
C) the family
D) the play group

Question 19

Which concept refers to group leadership that emphasizes collective well-being?

A) democratic leadership
B) authoritarian leadership
C) expressive leadership
D) instrumental leadership

Question 20

A secondary group is a social group that:

A) we experience late in life.
B) is impersonal and engages in some specific activity.
C) engages in many, very important activities.
D) is generally much smaller than a primary group.

Question 21

What is the sociological term coined by Irving Janis for a limited understanding of some issue resulting from group conformity?

A) reference group consciousness
B) groupthink
C) in-group thinking
D) tunnel vision

Question 22

Here are four statements describing group dynamics. Which of them is NOT an expression of groupthink?

A) Group members quickly settle on a position, then they treat other possibilities as oppositional.
B) Group members encourage each other to see the issue from only one point of view.
C) Group members treat reaching consensus as more important than encouraging everyone to speak up openly.
D) The group seeks diverse members and ends up being unable to reach a consensus.

Question 23

A social group toward which a person feels competition or opposition is which of the following?

A) an in-group
B) an out-group
C) a reference group
D) a social network

Question 24

Which concept refers to a social group with only two members?

A) a primary group
B) a dyad
C) a triad
D) a bond

Question 25

Which of the following statements is consistent with the findings of Solomon Asch?

A) Many people are willing to compromise their own judgment to avoid being seen as different by others.
B) Many people have weak self-images and seek social approval.
C) Ordinary people are often not truthful to people who are in power.
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 26

Stanley Milgram's research, in which subjects used a "shock generator," showed:

A) people become angry when others disagree with them.
B) the ability to withstand pain varies with cultural background.
C) people are surprisingly likely to follow the orders of not only real authority figures but also groups of ordinary individuals.
D) that ordinary people are surprisingly independent in their judgments.

Question 27

In general, which of the following categories of people are "well connected" in terms of social networks?

A) young people
B) well-educated people
C) people living in cities
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 28

Which type of formal organization is sometimes called a "voluntary association"?

A) normative organizations
B) coercive organizations
C) utilitarian organizations
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 29

Which type of social group commands a member's esteem and loyalty?

A) an in-group
B) an out-group
C) a reference group
D) a social network

Question 30

The concept "triad" refers to which of the following?

A) any pyramid-shaped organization
B) a trial marriage
C) a social group with three members
D) a temporary social group

Question 31

Which sociological concept refers to a number of weak social ties among persons who have little common identity and little interaction?

A) primary group
B) triad
C) network
D) dyad

Question 32

If you want your social group to be open to any and all people as new members, which of the following policies would you support?

A) members should be socially diverse
B) the group should be large
C) the group should not be physically segregated
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 33

Samuel Stouffer's study of soldier morale during World War II led to what conclusion?

A) The greater the chances of getting ahead, the happier people are.
B) Happiness is a matter of personal values and standards.
C) Whatever their situation in absolute terms, people evaluate themselves making comparisons to others in specific reference groups.
D) The less chance for promotion, the higher soldiers' morale.

Question 34

Which statement correctly reflects Simmel's understanding of the dyad?

A) Dyads are less stable than groups with many members.
B) Typically, dyads involve less intense interaction.
C) Most people find dyads less meaningful than triads.
D) Dyads are more stable than groups with many members.

Question 35

Which of the following illustrates the operation of groupthink?

A) A group shares information widely and makes an effective policy decision.
B) A group leader makes a decision without consulting anyone, and the decision turns out to be a bad one.
C) Group members seek consensus, discouraging people from speaking freely, and end up making a decision based on limited information.
D) A group gets different ideas from everyone and is unable to come up with any decision at all.

Question 36

What type of leader downplays their own power, letting the group function more or less on its own?

A) authoritarian leaders
B) democratic leaders
C) laissez-faire leaders
D) instrumental leaders

Question 37

Which of the following concepts refers to a social group that people use as a point of reference in making evaluations or decisions?

A) peer group
B) reference group
C) out-group
D) dyad

Question 38

Solomon Asch's research, in which subjects were asked to match lines, showed:

A) people seek out friends with whom they tend to agree.
B) people defined as "leaders" have great power over their subjects.
C) people tend to see most things differently.
D) group membership has the power to generate conformity.

Question 39

Formal organizations are:

A) small groups with elected leaders.
B) large secondary groups with a goal orientation.
C) networks that have many members.
D) only agencies that are part of the government.

Question 40

Which of the following is typically True of a social network?

A) Networks are built on primary relationships.
B) Networks are "fuzzy" groups made up of people we "know of" rather than those we know well.
C) Networks encourage a strong sense of membership.
D) Networks have clear boundaries defining membership.

Question 41

Max Weber noted many traits of bureaucracy. Which of the following list is NOT one of them?

A) favoring family members over strangers
B) arranging offices in a hierarchy
C) enacting many rules and regulations
D) providing workers with highly specialized jobs

Question 42

Today's business organizations in the United States differ from those a century ago in a number of ways. Which of the following is NOT a way in which today's U.S. business organizations differ from those a century ago?

A) today, there is more creative autonomy
B) today, we find more use of competitive work teams
C) today's organizations have a steeper, pyramid shape
D) today's organizations have more flexibility

Question 43

According to Deborah Tannen, what traits make up a "female advantage"?

A) a greater information focus
B) placing greater emphasis on communication
C) more flexible leadership
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 44

If you were a prisoner, a maximum-security prison would be which of the following types of organizations from your point of view?

A) a normative organization
B) a coercive organization
C) a utilitarian organization
D) a voluntary organization

Question 45

Which type of formal organization do people join to obtain money and other material benefits?

A) normative organization
B) coercive organization
C) utilitarian organization
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 46

In the "iron law of oligarchy," Robert Michels stated:

A) bureaucracy always means inefficiency.
B) bureaucracy always means the few rule the many.
C) bureaucracy always means formal rules and regulations.
D) bureaucracy always means alienation.

Question 47

The emergency room clerk who keeps a bleeding patient waiting while filling out lots of paperwork is a classic example of:

A) bureaucratic ritualism.
B) bureaucratic alienation.
C) bureaucratic innovation.
D) bureaucratic inertia.

Question 48

From the point of view of anyone considered an "inmate," what type of formal organization is the person in?

A) a normative organization
B) a coercive organization
C) a utilitarian organization
D) a voluntary organization

Question 49

In brief, what does Rosabeth Moss Kanter's research show?

A) Organizations must "open up" their structure to bring out the best in their employees.
B) Employees who hustle are the ones who get ahead.
C) Organizational structure has little to do with employee performance.
D) Formal organizations typically become oligarchies.

Question 50

Which of these concepts was used by Robert Michels to refer to the rule of the many by the few?

A) bureaucracy
B) formal organization
C) oligarchy
D) authoritarian leadership

Question 51

Assume you are a parent of a child in school. From your point of view, what type of organization is a school's Parent-Teacher Association (PTA)?

A) a normative organization
B) a coercive organization
C) a utilitarian organization
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 52

The basic idea behind scientific management is that:

A) both science and formal organizations are rational.
B) organizations benefit from employees with scientific knowledge.
C) applying scientific principles can make a business more efficient.
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 53

During the last fifty years, Japanese formal organizations have differed from those in the United States by being:

A) less efficient.
B) less profitable.
C) more collective in their orientation.
D) more hierarchical.

Question 54

The scientific management approach was developed by:

A) Frederick Taylor.
B) Robert Merton.
C) Robert Michels.
D) Rosabeth Moss Kanter.

Question 55

Max Weber argued that formal organizations were efficient, but he cautioned that they can have harmful effects on people. What is the danger?

A) organizations create social inequality
B) organizations create conflict among workers
C) organizations create alienation
D) organizations create conformity

Question 56

What concept refers to all factors outside an organization that affect the organization's operation?

A) oligarchy
B) organizational environment
C) secondary environment
D) competition

Question 57

What is Robert Merton's term for a preoccupation with rules and regulations to the point of keeping an organization from accomplishing its goals?

A) bureaucratic ritualism
B) bureaucratic alienation
C) bureaucratic innovation
D) bureaucratic inertia

Question 58

In principle, bureaucratic organizations pay little attention to:

A) formal policies.
B) completing tasks efficiently.
C) tradition.
D) the technical competence of members.

Question 59

The tendency of bureaucratic organizations to perpetuate themselves-to keep themselves going-is called:

A) bureaucratic retreatism.
B) bureaucratic ritualism.
C) bureaucratic innovation.
D) bureaucratic inertia.

Question 60

The concept "bureaucracy" refers to:

A) a large, normative organization.
B) any source of inefficiency in organizational operation.
C) an organizational model that operates informally.
D) an organizational model rationally designed to perform tasks efficiently.

Question 61

Asch's experiment in group conformity shows most people would not compromise their personal judgment to avoid being seen as different.

Question 62

Members of a social group usually think of themselves as a special "we."

Question 63

Read the four statements below. Which of them is NOT evidence of the process called the "McDonaldization of society?"

A) Bank tellers are being replaced with automatic teller machines (ATMs).
B) People shop in carefully designed, climate-controlled malls.
C) Colleges select students in terms of applicants' grades and test scores.
D) Many new jobs demand creativity and imagination.

Question 64

Irving Janis demonstrated how discussion always improves decision making in a social group.

Question 65

Milgram's experiment showed that people are easily influenced by both "ordinary people" and legitimate authority figures.

Question 66

The leadership style that allows group members the most autonomy is "laissez-faire."

Question 67

"Groupthink" is a form of social conformity in groups.

Question 68

Reference groups can be primary groups but never secondary groups.

Question 69

One person's in-group may well be another person's out-group.

Question 70

The boundary that distinguishes members from nonmembers is clearer in secondary groups than in primary groups.

Question 71

In general, people in secondary groups are more likely than people in primary groups to "keep score" in terms of who owes what to whom.

Question 72

In the process of anticipatory socialization, people use social groups they wish to join as reference groups.

Question 73

The concept "McDonaldization of society" refers to:

A) McDonald's organizational principles coming to dominate all of society.
B) the spread of McDonald's restaurants around the world.
C) society becoming more filled with red tape and inefficiency.
D) the less and less predictable nature of today's society.

Question 74

The text speaks of "opposing trends" in today's world of formal organizations because:

A) some organizations are getting bigger, but most are getting smaller.
B) men dominate formal organizations, but women are gaining fast.
C) some organizations have evolved toward flatter, more flexible forms, but others remain rigid organizations patterned on McDonald's.
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 75

Think about the process of McDonaldization. Looking at the list below, all but one of the traits is correctly linked to McDonaldization. Which is NOT a trait of McDonaldization?

A) efficiency
B) creativity
C) ability to calculate results
D) control through automation

Question 76

Generally, people in secondary relationships think of others as a means to some end.

Question 77

Expressive leaders are more likely than instrumental leaders to enjoy more personal affection from group members.

Question 78

Expressive leadership emphasizes the completion of tasks.

Question 79

People riding together on a subway are correctly called a social group.

Question 80

The sociologist who explored the primary group was Charles Horton Cooley.