Deck 10: Leading Teams

Question 1

Which statement describes a circumstance under which teams should be used?

A) Rewards are provided for individual effort and performance.
B) Ample resources are available.
C) Management will continue to monitor and influence how work gets done.
D) The job can be done by people working independently.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

When are teams typically required?

A) when tasks are simple
B) when tasks require multiple perspectives
C) when synergy will complicate the problem solution process
D) when the company has very limited resources

Answer 2

B

Question 3

According to the text,what is the term for a small number of people with complementary skills who hold themselves mutually accountable for pursuing a common purpose,achieving performance goals,and improving interdependent activities?

A) work team
B) venture group
C) semistructured team
D) autonomous unit

Answer 3

A
Definition of a work team.

Question 4

E-Lab (the "E" stands for experience)has project teams perform field research for its clients.These project teams are composed of students of theology,actors,and musicians as well as the more traditional marketing experts and statisticians.Each member of the group is trained to conduct observational research,interview clients,and understand the marketing impact of what he or she learns.What does E-Lab use to make its project teams more efficient?

A) synergistic goals
B) stretch goals
C) cross-training
D) vestibule training

Question 5

What happens when teams are used properly and in the right settings?

A) They help organizations focus on efficiency rather than on resolving customer complaints.
B) They allow employees to pursue their own goals regardless of the organization's goals.
C) They instill a sense of independence and relief from relying on other workers to perform well.
D) They increase customer satisfaction and service quality.

Question 6

What have many leading companies experienced as a result of making greater use of work teams?

A) greater customer satisfaction
B) increased employee lawsuits for wrongful dismissal
C) improved speed and efficiency in hiring replacement workers
D) improvements in outsourcing

Question 7

Which statement describes an advantage that teams have over individuals in the decision-making process?

A) Teams take longer to identify problems.
B) Teams are able to view problems from narrow perspectives.
C) Teams generate more commitment to making the decisions work.
D) Teams generate fewer alternative solutions.

Question 8

What is the key to rewarding team behaviours and efforts?

A) team performance rather than individual performance
B) individual efforts rather than team performance
C) someone taking the role of group leader
D) the elimination of social loafing

Question 9

A manufacturing company of computer chips forecasts growth over the next 18 months.To prepare for its human resource needs,it has undertaken a program for employees to learn the duties of all other functions in their department that are at their same level.What is this organization engaging in?

A) mentoring
B) cross-training
C) a buddy system
D) creation of team support systems

Question 10

Kevin is learning the functions for artwork,which is handled by Jenny,film,which is handled by Mark,and printing,which is handled by David,so that he can complete any job that comes to the department.What is Kevin engaged in?

A) cross-training
B) job enlargement
C) job specialization
D) Venn training

Question 11

Joanne found that when her team was smaller with just five members,everyone completed a lot of work.Now that the team is made up of over 20 employees,the effort of each individual is not as high.What is this an example of?

A) social loafing
B) groupthink
C) cross-training
D) self-management

Question 12

Stephen is the company owner's son and thinks he can get away with not doing the work he is responsible for.Other team members constantly cover for Stephen and complete the work for him.What is Stephen's behaviour an example of?

A) self-limiting behaviour
B) social loafing
C) de-forming
D) stonewalling

Question 13

Which of the following is a disadvantage associated with the use of work teams?

A) storming behaviour
B) social loafing
C) group negation
D) outsourcing

Question 14

How do work teams enhance speed and efficiency when designing and manufacturing new products?

A) They allow departments to work independently of one another.
B) They make possible overlapping development phases.
C) They fit well with traditional sequential development phases.
D) They avoid problems associated with synergy.

Question 15

Spectrum Inc.received a large order from an important customer.Spectrum would not be able to meet the shipping date under its current organization in operations.The operations manager organized a special team of workers she knew who worked well together.The order was completed and shipped on time.What was the key benefit that resulted from creating the team?

A) groupthink
B) job specialization
C) effective management of diversity
D) speed and efficiency in product development

Question 16

How are organizations using teams to help increase customer satisfaction?

A) They are instituting a system of increased formalization throughout the organization.
B) They are creating problem-solving teams to study ways to improve customer satisfaction and make recommendations for improvements to customer satisfaction.
C) They are creating outsourcing opportunities that improve organizational effectiveness and efficiency by creating economies of scale to improve customer satisfaction.
D) They are developing ideal solutions to organizational problems through the use of information management systems (most notably, expert systems) to improve customer satisfaction.

Question 17

A local hospital ran into a funding problem when it tried to build a new state-of-the-art pediatric unit.It then asked a group of physicians,hospital volunteers,and administrative staff to develop and implement a plan to raise the necessary money.What is the term for this group of people with complementary skills?

A) semistructured team
B) autonomous unit
C) work team
D) functional department

Question 18

Why can teamwork be more satisfying than traditional work?

A) Teamwork rarely allows team members to receive proprietary business information that is available only to managers.
B) Teamwork provides team members with routine and less challenging work opportunities.
C) Teamwork does not pressure members to show their skill level.
D) Teamwork gives workers unique leadership responsibilities, which enables them to build individual leadership skills.

Question 19

A furniture manufacturer has a problem in its cutting department.Rather than trying to solve the problem herself,the production manager employs a work team to review the entire cutting process.The work team is able to develop several creative ideas,select the best idea,and then implement it to resolve the problem.Which factor likely led to this solution?

A) The team created internal competition among its members, which lead to the development of better ideas.
B) The manager was removed from the problem-solving process.
C) The team was able to view the problem from multiple perspectives.
D) The team took direct responsibility for service quality.

Question 20

Which of the following is a potential disadvantage associated with the use of work teams?

A) commitment to finding an ideal solution that does not exist
B) initial high employee turnover
C) lack of creativity in decision making
D) decreased employee satisfaction

Question 21

A group in Great Britain has been established to improve the employment,retention,and promotion prospects of black and ethnic minorities and women in the Fire and Rescue Service,which at present has a largely white,male demographic.The team has two years to gather information and create a plan.What is this type of team called?

A) a self-designing team
B) a project team
C) a virtual team
D) a cross-functional team

Question 22

Which statement accurately characterizes semiautonomous work groups?

A) Semiautonomous work groups are typically not cross-trained and therefore require more management leadership.
B) Semiautonomous work groups have low team autonomy, and often a culture will be created by the team member that shows the most initiative for leadership.
C) Semiautonomous work groups can control and change the design of the team as members of the group change and the situations change.
D) Semiautonomous work groups can make decisions and solve problems related to the major tasks of producing a good or service.

Question 23

The construction of tunnels is one of the greatest challenges encountered during road construction.The technique of tunnelling has not kept pace with the development of other technical fields.A team of tunnel experts from different geographic areas will develop road tunnel engineering principles and maintenance practices and the use of telecommunications and information technology.What type of team is this group of tunnel experts?

A) self-directed team
B) normative team
C) virtual team
D) multifunctional team

Question 24

In which of the following is the least amount of team autonomy found?

A) traditional work groups
B) employee involvement teams
C) semiautonomous work groups
D) self-managing teams

Question 25

Many orthopedic parts are almost identical in size and shape.Stryker Howmedica Osteonics in New Jersey used a semiautonomous work group to develop Product Recognition Technology that makes sure parts are identified correctly and orders are filled correctly.Which statement best describes what this work group did?

A) It provided advice to the company's functional departments.
B) It controlled all of the major production tasks for manufacturing orthopedic parts.
C) It controlled the design and membership of the team.
D) It had the authority to solve problems related to correct identification of orthopedic parts.

Question 26

One of Boeing's manufacturing plants was named one of the 10 best in North America by IndustryWeek magazine.The company maintains an employee involvement team to track the plant's goals and performance metrics.Which of the following does this team do?

A) It determines who belongs to the team.
B) It provides advice to management about areas that need change or improvements.
C) It has the authority to solve problems related to marketing and manufacturing issues.
D) It controls all of the major production tasks at Boeing.

Question 27

Which of the following should a member of a typical traditional work group expect to be responsible for?

A) doing the work or executing the task
B) giving advice and making suggestions to management
C) making decisions and solving problems regarding major production/service tasks
D) cross-training employees who are not part of the work team

Question 28

Trevor has a meeting this afternoon.He makes sure the video and speakers on his computer are working as he prepares to meet with Tiina from Finland,Boris from the Czech Republic,and Nigel from India.What kind of team does Trevor belong to?

A) a cross-functional team
B) a project team
C) a virtual team
D) an international group

Question 29

In what ways can teams be broadly classified?

A) sectional or departmental
B) local or national
C) line or staff
D) functional or cross-functional

Question 30

Many orthopedic parts are almost identical in size and shape.Stryker Howmedica Osteonics in New Jersey used a semiautonomous work group to develop Product Recognition Technology that makes sure parts are identified correctly and orders are filled correctly.In which of the following classifications would this group belong?

A) ad hoc committee
B) virtual team
C) multifunctional team
D) project team

Question 31

Which of the following accurately characterizes virtual teams?

A) Virtual teams are very inflexible.
B) Virtual teams are very flexible.
C) Virtual teams are semiautonomous.
D) Virtual teams are autonomous.

Question 32

Candice is satisfied with the research that has been completed and moves the team more toward development.She hires developers and ends the contract of several of the researchers.What kind of team does Candice have?

A) self-designing teams
B) sequentially interdependent teams
C) semiautonomous work groups
D) self-managing teams

Question 33

In which of the following is the highest level of team autonomy found?

A) self-managing teams
B) self-designing teams
C) semiautonomous work groups
D) employee involvement teams

Question 34

The autonomy continuum shows how five kinds of teams differ in terms of autonomy.What is the correct sequence,from low team autonomy to high team autonomy,in the autonomy continuum?

A) traditional work groups, employee involvement teams, semiautonomous work groups, self-managing teams, and self-designing teams
B) traditional work groups, employee involvement teams, self-managing teams, semiautonomous work groups, and self-designing teams
C) traditional work groups, employee involvement teams, self-designing teams, self-directed teams, and self-managing teams
D) traditional work groups, employee involvement teams, semiautonomous work groups, self-managing teams, and self-designing teams

Question 35

The job of the concepts managers at Starbucks is to use a cross-functional team to develop four to six new beverages annually.Why does Starbucks use this type of team?

A) Doing so allows the company to use employees from various departments with varying perspectives to address the task.
B) Doing so creates a means for outsourcing new-product development.
C) Doing so allows Starbucks to use an aggregated product plan.
D) Doing so ensures that Starbucks will always have products in each stage of the product life cycle.

Question 36

Which kind of team not only provides advice and suggestions to management but also has limited authority to make decisions and solve problems related to the major tasks required to produce a product or service?

A) traditional work group
B) employer-monitored group
C) semiautonomous work group
D) self-managing team

Question 37

Which of the following is the only type of responsibility given to traditional work groups?

A) executing the task
B) giving advice/making suggestions
C) making decisions
D) managing all major production tasks

Question 38

Which of the following groups provide advice rather than having the authority to make decisions?

A) self-designing teams
B) employee involvement teams
C) semiautonomous work groups
D) self-managing teams

Question 39

Which type of team is composed of employees from several different departments?

A) multifunctional team
B) normative team
C) virtual team
D) cross-functional team

Question 40

Jonathan is on a team responsible for the completion of a special project.He works with Anita from accounting,Mark from marketing,and Opie from operations.What kind of team is Jonathan a part of?

A) a cross-functional team
B) an ad hoc team
C) a semiautonomous team
D) a self-managing team

Question 41

The group of medical specialists that work in the neonatal unit of a large teaching hospital have assumed that they should explain to students why a specific procedure is being performed even though no hospital rule tells them to.Which term best applies to what the group has decided to follow?

A) heuristic
B) norm
C) behavioural policy
D) code of ethics

Question 42

A group of workers decided that they would not wear blue jeans to work because such casual wear seemed unprofessional.This informal agreement was made even though the office did not have a dress code.What did the workers create?

A) a heuristic
B) a norm
C) a behavioural policy
D) a code of ethics

Question 43

Which size of team usually provides the best performance?

A) 2 to 3
B) 6 to 9
C) 15 to 20
D) more than 20

Question 44

What is the major drawback to the use of virtual teams?

A) Members must learn to express themselves in new contexts.
B) They are often inflexible since managers feel more control is required.
C) There is an absence of autonomy when members are not physically present for meetings.
D) There is too much autonomy, and social loafing often occurs.

Question 45

Jerome feels other team members do not listen to him because he did not graduate with a college degree as they did.He becomes very sensitive when the team does not support his suggestions and often becomes very aggressive feeling he has to prove he is as capable as they are even without a college degree.What is this an example of?

A) low cohesiveness
B) cognitive conflict
C) affective conflict
D) undefined team norms

Question 46

Leading coatings and paints manufacturer Akzo Nobel established a team made up of members from various departments to increase plant availability and decrease plant downtime.The plant loses considerable time daily because the assembly line has to be cleaned whenever the production schedule calls for a different colour and so on to be produced.Which type of conflict does this cross-functional team need to avoid if it hopes to be successful?

A) c-type
B) affective
C) behavioural
D) cognitive

Question 47

What is the best response to the statement "Group conflict is always bad"?

A) Affective conflict is strongly associated with improvements in team performance.
B) Both a-conflict and c-conflict are harmful, but b-conflict is not.
C) All cognitive conflict is bad, but all affective conflict is beneficial to the group.
D) Cognitive conflict is strongly associated with improvements in team performance.

Question 48

What is the term for the extent to which team members are attracted to a team and motivated to remain with it?

A) accommodation
B) synergy
C) autonomy
D) cohesiveness

Question 49

Which of the following indicates a team is too small?

A) The team is experiencing minority domination.
B) The team has too much diversity.
C) The team finds it difficult to generate solutions to problems.
D) The team has no sense of responsibility.

Question 50

Which of the following guidelines is useful for the successful management of virtual teams?

A) Pick group members with diverse backgrounds and personalities.
B) Keep team interaction upbeat and action-oriented.
C) Avoid asking the team members for their assessment of the team.
D) Limit feedback.

Question 51

Which type of conflict is most strongly associated with improvements in team performance?

A) cognitive conflict
B) horizontal conflict
C) behavioural conflict
D) vertical conflict

Question 52

Which of the following is created to complete a specific,one-time task within a limited time?

A) a cross-functional team
B) a project team
C) a virtual team
D) a self-managing team

Question 53

Jodi belongs to a highly productive team of 10 members.The team has been together for many years.Each member knows they can rely on any other member when help is needed.What in particular makes Jodi's group highly productive?

A) cohesion
B) norms
C) ethics
D) size

Question 54

Which of the following can team norms in an organization create?

A) decreased outsourcing
B) more trust in management
C) less trust in management
D) increased outsourcing

Question 55

Which of the following is an advantage associated with the use of project teams?

A) stiffness
B) increased communication barriers
C) decreased cooperation among separate departments
D) faster design process

Question 56

Which of the following kinds of teams is always temporary?

A) cross-functional team
B) project team
C) standing committee
D) self-managing team

Question 57

E-Lab (the "E" stands for experience)has project teams perform field research for its clients.Project teams at E-Lab have designed a new over-the-counter cold medicine by studying the process of how people get sick; they have helped create a new station wagon for a major carmaker; and they have helped backpack maker JanSport to design a completely new way of displaying its products in sporting goods stores.Which of the following likely characterizes E-Lab's project teams?

A) The teams are composed of employees from the same functional area.
B) The teams are created to complete ongoing continuous projects.
C) Team members are led by various departmental managers.
D) Team members are flexible in their ability to move to another project.

Question 58

What is the key difference among the different types of teams?

A) the amount of autonomy
B) the number of members
C) the location of the team
D) who the team reports to

Question 59

Samantha and Jason often do not get along.Samantha feels Jason's comments about work taking too long to accomplish is a personal attack on her physical mobility issues.Sometimes Samantha becomes so angry she has to leave the office to cool down.What is this an example of?

A) low cohesiveness
B) cognitive conflict
C) affective conflict
D) undefined team norms

Question 60

What are informally agreed-on standards that regulate team behaviour?

A) heuristics
B) norms
C) behavioural policies
D) codes of ethics

Question 61

At which stage of development has a team finally matured into a fully functioning team?

A) norming
B) de-norming
C) performing
D) conforming

Question 62

E-Lab (the "E" stands for experience)has project teams perform field research for its clients.One team had to spend time riding in the back seat of a squad car,accompanying cops on drug raids,as part of research for a new communications device for police departments.Another team studied how people get sick with a cold to create a new over-the-counter cold remedy.Often,clients give team members extremely ambitious goals,which the team members initially have no idea how to solve.In other words,which of the following defines what project teams are given?

A) temporal missions
B) myopic visions
C) proximity goals
D) stretch goals

Question 63

In which stage of team development do team members adjourn?

A) the de-forming stage
B) the de-norming stage
C) the de-storming stage
D) the storming stage

Question 64

Which of the following is a factor that should be taken into account when selecting people who are suited for teamwork or for working on a particular team?

A) individualist versus collectivist orientation
B) bureaucratic versus participative management style
C) team uniformity
D) a preference for independence

Question 65

Many orthopedic parts are almost identical in size and shape.Stryker Howmedica Osteonics in New Jersey used a semiautonomous work group to develop Product Recognition Technology that makes sure parts are identified correctly and orders are filled correctly.What happened when the team reached the storming stage of team development?

A) Team members began to work together and different personalities and work styles clashed.
B) Team members engaged in brainstorming.
C) Team members began to settle into their roles as team members.
D) Team members began to be less comfortable with each other.

Question 66

Katherine is getting to know her teammates better.She finds that everyone is more productive during early afternoons.She also knows which team members will likely try to get their way when decisions have to be made.What stage of development is Katherine's team in?

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

Question 67

Which of the following is one of the recommendations for minimizing the occurrence of affective conflict and "having a good fight"?

A) Establish individual goals.
B) Work with less, rather than more, information.
C) Maintain a balance of power.
D) Always resolve issues by consensus.

Question 68

A group in Great Britain has been established to improve the employment,retention,and promotion prospects of black and ethnic minorities and women in the Fire and Rescue Service,which at present has a largely white,male demographic.By which stage of team development will the group members have resolved petty differences,developed friendships,and established strong group cohesiveness?

A) reforming
B) storming
C) norming
D) forming

Question 69

What is the term for the ability to change organizational structures,policies,and practices if it helps teams meet their stretch goals?

A) structural accommodation
B) bureaucratic immunity
C) structural immunity
D) bureaucratic accommodation

Question 70

Which of the following is a factor that companies should carefully manage in order to increase the likelihood that teams will succeed?

A) the development of formalized rules and regulations
B) bureaucratic immunity
C) administrative reciprocity
D) the use of synergy

Question 71

Which of the following is a factor that companies should carefully manage in order to increase the likelihood that teams will succeed?

A) the selection and training of team members
B) the setting of individual goals and priorities
C) the creation of competition to compensate the highest-performing team members
D) the maintenance of large team sizes

Question 72

Which of the following is one stage that teams pass through as they develop and grow,rather than decline?

A) de-norming
B) de-storming
C) de-forming
D) de-performing

Question 73

At which stage of team development does group cohesion tend to be relatively strong?

A) storming
B) norming
C) forming
D) conforming

Question 74

The manager wants to encourage cognitive conflict.According to the text,should she also push for a team consensus?

A) No, because consensus leads to sacrificing solutions.
B) Yes, because consensus eliminates problems associated with minority domination.
C) No, because requiring team consensus gives everyone on the team veto power.
D) Yes, because requiring consensus typically leads to cognitive conflict.

Question 75

If teams no longer have to go through the frustratingly slow process of multilevel reviews and sign-offs to get management approval before making changes,what have they been granted?

A) administrative reciprocity
B) structural accommodation
C) fast-track approval
D) bureaucratic immunity

Question 76

In which of the following does minority domination tend to be a particular problem?

A) groups of 10 or larger
B) cross-functional teams of any size
C) virtual teams
D) groups of fewer than five members

Question 77

A group in Great Britain has been established to improve the employment,retention,and promotion prospects of black and ethnic minorities and women in the Fire and Rescue Service,which at present has a largely white,male demographic.At which stage of team development was this group at its inception?

A) reforming
B) storming
C) norming
D) forming

Question 78

Which of the following team member characteristics makes the achievement of stretch goals easier?

A) localized synergy
B) bureaucratic immunity
C) strategic diversity
D) organizational accommodation

Question 79

Which of the following is least important for stretch goals to effectively motivate teams?

A) a high degree of autonomy
B) the empowerment to control resources
C) structural accommodation
D) conflict management training

Question 80

In which stage of team development does a team move from growth to decline?

A) storming
B) de-forming
C) de-storming
D) de-norming