Deck 9: Foundations of Group Behavior

Question 1

When the group energy is focused on the task at hand, the group has moved to the ________ stage.

A) storming
B) norming
C) production
D) maturation
E) performing

Answer 1

E
Explanation: E) The fourth stage is performing. The structure at this point is fully functional and accepted. Group energy has moved from getting to know and understand each other to performing the task at hand.

Question 2

Which stage of group development is characterized by the development of close relationships and cohesiveness?

A) bonding
B) norming
C) performing
D) initiating
E) forming

Answer 2

B
Explanation: B) In the norming stage close relationships develop and the group demonstrates cohesiveness. There is now a strong sense of group identity and camaraderie. This stage is complete when the group structure solidifies and the group has assimilated a common set of expectations of what defines correct member behavior.

Question 3

Role perception indicates ________.

A) others' belief regarding how you should act in a given situation
B) the skills required for performing the job
C) the social norms that are to be followed while performing the role
D) our view of how we're supposed to act in a given situation
E) acceptable standards of behavior shared by nongroup members

Answer 3

D
Explanation: D) Our view of how we're supposed to act in a given situation is a role perception. We engage in certain types of behavior based on how we believe we are supposed to behave.

Question 4

A(n) ________ group is determined by the organization chart and it is composed of the individuals who report directly to a given manager.

A) command
B) friendship
C) interest
D) informal
E) intimate

Question 5

Which of the following statements is true regarding informal groups?

A) Informal groups are defined by the organization's structure.
B) In informal groups, the behaviors team members should engage in are stipulated by and directed toward organizational goals.
C) A group of people who come together to protest against a new law is an informal group.
D) The six members of an airline flight crew are an informal group.
E) Command groups and task groups are examples of informal groups.

Question 6

Employees who band together to seek improved working conditions form a(n) ________ group.

A) union
B) friendship
C) interest
D) work
E) command

Question 7

John is a college student and he is accused of a campus crime. To deal with this problem a team is formed that consists of the dean of academic affairs, the dean of students, the registrar, the director of security, and the student's advisor. This team is an example of a(n) ________ group.

A) interest
B) command
C) task
D) informal
E) friendship

Question 8

Julia, Bree, and David work in different departments but often eat lunch together. They are an example of a(n) ________ group.

A) formal
B) informal
C) command
D) task
E) interest

Question 9

Which of the following statements is true regarding a task group?

A) It is an informal group.
B) A task group's boundaries are limited to its immediate hierarchical superior.
C) All task groups are command groups.
D) A task group can cross command relationships.
E) All interest groups are task groups.

Question 10

Which of the following groups is most likely to be determined by the organizational chart?

A) informal
B) task
C) friendship
D) interest
E) formal

Question 11

Which of the following best represents a command group?

A) a group of people who have similar political views
B) employees who come together to protest against certain company policies
C) a group of people who like a particular film star
D) workers who come together to complain against a supervisor
E) a director of postal audits and his five inspectors

Question 12

Which of the following statements is true about groups?

A) All task groups are also command groups.
B) All command groups are also task groups.
C) All task groups are also friendship groups.
D) All command groups are also informal groups.
E) All interest groups are also command groups.

Question 13

Which of the following stages of a five-stage group-development model is characterized by a great deal of uncertainty about the group's purpose, structure, and leadership?

A) introduction
B) storming
C) forming
D) evolution
E) norming

Question 14

During the ________ stage of group development, members accept the existence of the group but resist the constraints it imposes on individuality.

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

Question 15

Which one of the following characteristics is not necessarily true about groups?

A) Group members are interdependent.
B) Groups have two or more members.
C) Groups are determined by the organization chart.
D) Groups interact.
E) Groups have particular objectives.

Question 16

Which of the following best represents a friendship group?

A) employees who band together to have their vacation schedules altered
B) a group of people who have interest in the same rock band
C) an elementary school principal and her 18 teachers
D) the six members of an airline flight crew
E) employees who come together to seek improved working conditions

Question 17

What are the five stages of group development?

A) generation, implementation, construction, production, and termination
B) introduction, development, production, deterioration, and adjournment
C) initiation, evolution, maturation, degeneration, and termination
D) forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning
E) introducing, developing, performing, controlling, and terminating

Question 18

During the second stage of group development, ________.

A) close relationships are developed
B) the group demonstrates cohesiveness
C) intragroup conflicts occur
D) the job task is performed
E) groups disband

Question 19

Which of the following statements is most likely true regarding the norming stage of group development?

A) According to the five-stage group-development model, this is the second stage in the group development model.
B) This stage is characterized by a great deal of uncertainty about the group's purpose, structure, and leadership.
C) During this stage, members accept the existence of the group but resist the constraints it imposes on individuality.
D) During this stage, the group develops a common set of expectations of what defines correct member behavior.
E) During this stage, the group performs the task at hand.

Question 20

Which of the following statements is most likely to be true regarding the performing stage?

A) The performing stage is characterized by a great deal of uncertainty about the group's purpose, structure, and leadership.
B) During the performing stage, there is conflict over who will control the group.
C) The performing stage is complete when members have begun to think of themselves as part of a group.
D) For permanent work groups, performing is the last stage in development.
E) During the performing stage, members accept the existence of the group but resist the constraints it imposes on individuality.

Question 21

Groups of approximately ________ members tend to be more effective for taking action.

A) two
B) seven
C) eleven
D) sixteen
E) twenty-one

Question 22

Which of the following statements is true regarding behavior in a group?

A) Group norms do not press us toward conformity.
B) A recent study suggests those working in a group were less likely to lie, cheat, and steal than individuals working alone.
C) Conformity to social norms is higher in individualistic cultures as compared to that in collectivist cultures.
D) Deviant workplace behavior is likely to flourish where it's supported by group norms.
E) The low-status people in the group speak more often as compared to the high-status people.

Question 23

Which of the following statements is true regarding the effect of status on conformity pressure?

A) High-status individuals are often given less freedom to deviate from norms than are other group members.
B) People in high-status jobs have especially negative reactions to social pressure exerted by people in low-status jobs.
C) Lower-status people are better able to resist conformity pressures than their high-status peers.
D) Groups exert equal conformity pressure on all individuals regardless of their status.
E) As compared to high-status members, low-status members are given a wider range of discretion as long as their activities aren't severely detrimental to group goal achievement.

Question 24

Role ________ indicates the way others believe you should act in a given context.

A) perception
B) identity
C) expectation
D) criterion
E) style

Question 25

A local government work crew cleans up parks and other public spaces. In this crew the dirtiest jobs are generally given to the newest members, while the more senior members of the crew tend to do little except draw their pay. Which of the following classes of norms encompasses arrangements like this?

A) performance norms
B) appearance norms
C) resource allocation norms
D) leisure norms
E) confluence norms

Question 26

Which of the following statements is true regarding the effect of size of the group on the performance of the group?

A) The size of the group does not affect the group's overall behavior.
B) Evidence indicates that larger groups are faster at completing tasks than smaller ones.
C) As compared to smaller groups, larger groups are better in problem solving.
D) If the goal of the group is fact-finding then smaller groups are more effective than larger groups.
E) Evidence indicates that individuals perform better in larger groups than in smaller ones.

Question 27

Which of the following terms indicates the tendency of individuals to spend less effort when working collectively?

A) groupthink
B) collective efficacy
C) social loafing
D) groupshift
E) clustering

Question 28

Zach is devout and very active in his church. He is also a very dedicated employee. His manager offers him a promotion but the new role will require him to work Sundays. Zach would like the promotion, but realizes that it would force him to miss some church activities. In such a situation, Zach is most likely to experience ________.

A) role conflict
B) emotional contagion
C) cognitive dissonance
D) emotional labor
E) self-concordance

Question 29

Which of the following is an effective means of countering social loafing?

A) increase the rewards the group is given if it succeeds
B) increase the amount by which the group's progress is monitored
C) ensure that individual contributions to the group's outcome are identified
D) increase the size of the group
E) increase the group's work load

Question 30

Which of the following is not an example of a performance norm?

A) when an employee needs to look busy
B) how hard an employee should work
C) the appropriate levels of tardiness
D) the acceptable level of output
E) how to get the job done

Question 31

Which of the following statements is true regarding the effect of status on group interaction?

A) Lower-status members state fewer commands than high status members.
B) Lower-status members tend to be more assertive group members as compared to high-status members.
C) Lower-status members speak more often as compared to high-status members.
D) Lower-status members interrupt others more often compared to high-status members.
E) As compared to high-status members, lower-status members tend to participate in group discussions more actively.

Question 32

According to status characteristics theory, which of the following factors does not determine status?

A) control over the resources needed by the group
B) contribution to goals
C) ability to conform to group norms
D) personality
E) talent

Question 33

Which of the following terms refers to the process by which an individual's desire for acceptance by the group and the pressure by the group on individual members to match its standards results in a change in individual attitudes and behaviors?

A) conformity
B) coercion
C) commitment
D) convergence
E) confluence

Question 34

The ________ norms dictate behavior such as with whom group members eat lunch and friendships on and off the job.

A) appearance
B) social arrangement
C) performance
D) leisure
E) confluence

Question 35

Which of the following terms best describes the acceptable standards of behavior that are shared by a group's members?

A) norms
B) rules
C) status
D) traditions
E) role perception

Question 36

When ________, the result is role conflict.

A) we lack the skills required for performing the role
B) we do not approve of the behavioral requirements of a role
C) our view of the role is different from others' expectations of that role
D) compliance with one role requirement may make it difficult to comply with another
E) different groups of people associate different norms with a role

Question 37

Since group results cannot be attributed to any single person, the relationship between an individual's input and the group's output is clouded and this increases the possibility of ________.

A) self-concordance
B) emotional contagion
C) negative offset
D) social loafing
E) emotional labor

Question 38

Which of the following terms best represents voluntary actions that violate significant organizational norms and, in doing so, threatens the well-being of the organization or its members?

A) negativity offset
B) deviant workplace behavior
C) self-concordance
D) emotional contagion
E) positivity offset

Question 39

The important groups to which an individual belongs or hopes to belong are known as the ________ groups.

A) conformation
B) reference
C) status
D) power
E) appearance

Question 40

Which of the following types of norms are likely to be the most common and the most important norms?

A) appearance norms
B) social arrangement norms
C) resource allocation norms
D) performance norms
E) behavioral norms

Question 41

________ is good for achieving commitment to a solution.

A) An interacting group
B) Brainstorming
C) Nominal group technique
D) Electronic meeting
E) Delphi technique

Question 42

Patricia needs as many creative ideas as she can get for the new advertising campaign, and her small agency doesn't have a lot of money for high-tech meeting facilities. Given the information provided, which meeting technique will provide the highest number of quality ideas?

A) interacting groups
B) brainstorming
C) nominal group technique
D) electronic meeting
E) social interaction

Question 43

Which of the following is not likely to encourage group cohesiveness?

A) stimulating competition with other groups
B) increasing the size of the group
C) obtaining agreement upon the established goals
D) increasing the group's status and the perceived difficulty of attaining membership
E) physically isolating the group

Question 44

Hubert needs an instruction manual for his new product. He needs a small team of technical writers to work together closely to rapidly write the manual. He needs them to communicate ideas quickly, creatively, and affordably. Which of the following group techniques should Hubert consider?

A) nominal and electronic
B) nominal and interacting
C) brainstorming and electronic
D) electronic and interacting
E) interacting and brainstorming

Question 45

Which of the following is a group decision-making technique?

A) mind mapping
B) brainstorming
C) lateral thinking
D) group polarization
E) morphological analysis

Question 46

In this group discussion technique, the group leader states the problem in a clear manner so all participants understand. Members then freewheel as many alternatives as they can in a given length of time. No criticism is allowed, and all alternatives are recorded for later discussion and analysis. One idea stimulates others, and judgments of even the most bizarre suggestions are withheld until later to encourage group members to "think the unusual." Identify the decision-making technique in the discussion.

A) group polarization
B) morphological analysis
C) mind mapping
D) electronic meeting
E) brainstorming

Question 47

Which of the following steps can be taken by a manager to minimize groupthink?

A) Increase the group size.
B) Encourage group leaders to express their own opinions especially in the early stages of deliberation.
C) Prevent all team members from playing the role of "devil's advocate."
D) Ask the group members to first focus on the positives of an alternative rather than the negatives.
E) Ask the group leader to actively seek input from all members.

Question 48

Which of the following terms indicates the degree to which group members are attracted to one another and are motivated to stay in the group?

A) cohesiveness
B) integration
C) sociability
D) reliability
E) interdependence

Question 49

Maya just got out of a meeting. She is extremely frustrated because nothing got done and now she has to deal with workplace drama. Sophia is threatening to quit because the group members severely criticized her idea without even giving her a chance to complete her point. The entire meeting turned into a conflict management session for Maya. Which of the following meeting techniques was most likely used by Maya?

A) interacting group
B) brainstorming
C) nominal group
D) electronic meeting
E) video conferencing

Question 50

When ________ is of importance in decision making, group decisions are preferred to individual decisions.

A) acceptance of solution
B) speed
C) efficiency
D) clear responsibility
E) accuracy

Question 51

Which is not a weakness of group decision making?

A) Group decision making is time consuming.
B) Group decisions tend to be less creative than individual decisions.
C) Group decisions suffer from ambiguous responsibility.
D) Group decisions can be dominated by one or a few members.
E) In a group decision, the responsibility of any single member is diluted.

Question 52

Alberto is working with a group of fifteen people to coordinate the merger of two corporations. Everyone in the group is highly qualified, offers relevant information, and has high norms. Still, the group seems to be slow at outlining a definitive plan for the merger. With the information provided, what would be the fastest and best way for Alberto to increase cohesiveness and productivity?

A) hold long meetings at a restaurant or in a social setting
B) stimulate competition within the group
C) decrease the time members spend together
D) decrease the size of the group
E) invite more members into the group

Question 53

While using which of the following type of group decision-making techniques is a group more likely to experience increased groupthink?

A) interacting group
B) brainstorming
C) video conference
D) nominal group technique
E) electronic meeting

Question 54

Which of the following statements is true regarding group decision making?

A) If creativity is important then individuals tend to be more effective than groups.
B) Group decision making tends to decrease the acceptance of the solution.
C) Group decisions are typically less time consuming than individual decisions.
D) Group decisions are generally less accurate than the decisions of the average individual in a group.
E) Groups generate more complete information and knowledge than individuals.

Question 55

Which of the following statements is true regarding the effect of group cohesiveness and performance norms on group productivity?

A) When cohesiveness is low and performance norms are also low, productivity will be high.
B) The productivity of the group is affected by the performance norms but not by the cohesiveness of the group.
C) If cohesiveness is high and performance norms are low, productivity will be high.
D) If cohesiveness is low and performance norms are high, productivity will be low.
E) When both cohesiveness and performance norms are high, productivity will be high.

Question 56

The phenomenon of ________ describes situations in which group pressures for conformity deter the group from critically appraising unusual, minority, or unpopular views.

A) social loafing
B) groupshift
C) groupthink
D) group polarization
E) satisficing

Question 57

If you ever felt like speaking up in a meeting, a classroom, or an informal group but decided against it then the reason behind it could be ________.

A) self-efficacy
B) positivity offset
C) groupthink
D) self-concordance
E) groupshift

Question 58

In discussing a given set of alternatives and arriving at a solution, group members tend to exaggerate the initial positions they hold. This phenomenon is called ________.

A) self-concordance
B) groupshift
C) satisficing
D) emotional labor
E) groupthink

Question 59

Which of the following statements is true regarding brainstorming?

A) Brainstorming encourages criticizing an idea as early as possible.
B) Brainstorming overcomes the problem of "production blocking."
C) Brainstorming can overcome the pressures for conformity.
D) Research consistently shows that a group in a brainstorming session generates more ideas than an individual working alone.
E) Brainstorming fails to develop group cohesiveness.

Question 60

Astro Inc. is reorganizing and you have started working with your new workgroup just a day ago.
According to the five-stage group-development model, at present your work group is in the ________ stage.

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

Question 61

Joe is the manager of the marketing department of an organization. He is restructuring his department and is creating teams to increase the effectiveness of his department. He recognizes that the size of groups impacts their overall behavior and effectiveness.
Most likely, what would be the size of the group that is expected to implement a marketing plan?

A) two
B) five
C) seven
D) ten
E) over twelve

Question 62

Your organization has recently started using group decision making.
You have observed that the group tends to come to consensus very quickly and there appears to be an illusion of unanimity. You conclude that they may be suffering from ________.

A) negative affect
B) groupshift
C) cognitive dissonance
D) groupthink
E) positivity offset

Question 63

A task group is composed of the individuals who report directly to a given manager.

Question 64

Four employees from different departments who meet every Saturday for a game of tennis form a task group.

Question 65

As compared to collectivist cultures, conformity to social norms is higher in individualistic cultures.

Question 66

During the group development process, when the storming stage is complete, there will be a relatively clear hierarchy of leadership within the group.

Question 67

Joe is the manager of the marketing department of an organization. He is restructuring his department and is creating teams to increase the effectiveness of his department. He recognizes that the size of groups impacts their overall behavior and effectiveness.
Joe is forming a fact-finding group. What would be the better group size to gain diverse input?

A) two
B) five
C) seven
D) ten
E) over twelve

Question 68

A role indicates a set of expected behavior patterns attributed to someone occupying a given position in a social unit.

Question 69

Role expectations indicate our view of how we're supposed to act in a given situation.

Question 70

Astro Inc. is reorganizing and you have started working with your new workgroup just a day ago.
According to the five-stage group-development model, at this stage your group is most likely to be characterized by ________.

A) intragroup conflicts
B) high cohesiveness
C) a common set of expectations of what defines correct member behavior
D) a great deal of uncertainty
E) a strong sense of group identity and camaraderie

Question 71

You decide that your company's choice of which new product to manufacture needs to have widespread acceptance and that this decision needs to be of the highest quality possible. Having read the literature on decision making, you believe that this choice needs to be made by a group of your best managers.
You have decided to use the nominal group technique. Which of the following statements is true about this method?

A) This method is good for building group cohesiveness.
B) This method is good for processing ideas rapidly.
C) This method is good for encouraging independent thinking.
D) This method is an inexpensive means for generating a large number of ideas.
E) This method is good for achieving commitment to a solution.

Question 72

You decide that your company's choice of which new product to manufacture needs to have widespread acceptance and that this decision needs to be of the highest quality possible. Having read the literature on decision making, you believe that this choice needs to be made by a group of your best managers.
You are likely to select nominal group technique over brainstorming because ________.

A) nominal group technique involves a great deal of face-to-face interaction
B) brainstorming encourages severe criticism to all ideas
C) research generally shows nominal groups outperform brainstorming groups
D) brainstorming decreases group cohesiveness
E) during brainstorming sessions, group members feel high pressure for conformity

Question 73

During the forming stage of group development, close relationships develop and the group demonstrates cohesiveness.

Question 74

According to the five-stage group-development model, the storming stage is the first stage of group development.

Question 75

High-status group members interrupt others more often than low-status members.

Question 76

High-status members of groups are often given less freedom to deviate from norms than are other group members.

Question 77

Interest groups are formal groups.

Question 78

Individual decisions are more time consuming than group decisions.

Question 79

If a group is highly cohesive then it will be highly productive even with low performance norms.

Question 80

Your organization has recently started using group decision making.
You are most likely to observe that ________.

A) group decision making is slower than individual decision making
B) group decision making leads to decreased acceptance of the solution
C) groups generate less information and knowledge than individuals
D) group decisions are less creative than individual decisions
E) group decisions are more accurate than the judgments of the most accurate individual in the group