Deck 10: Understanding Groups and Teams

Question 1

Formal groups tend to form around friendships and common interests.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Groups tend to go through five stages as they develop.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Cross-functional teams,self-managed teams,and task forces are all examples of informal groups.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Problem-solving teams consist of managers and employees from different departments or functional areas who are involved in efforts to improve work activities or to solve specific problems in the organization.

Question 5

Members of a virtual team never actually communicate with one another.

Question 6

Being outgoing and enthusiastic is acting in a team worker role.

Question 7

In the storming stage of group development intragroup conflict often occurs.

Question 8

Formal groups occur naturally in the workplace in response to the need for social contact.

Question 9

In an electronics company,a cross-functional team is likely to have an engineer,a designer,a software specialist,and a marketing specialist all working on the same project.

Question 10

Cross-functional teams are composed of people from different work areas.

Question 11

A self-managed team is a formal group of employees who operate without a manager and are responsible for a complete work process or segment.

Question 12

Roles are acceptable standards shared by a group's members.

Question 13

Managers should try to avoid conflict,especially during the storming stage of group development.

Question 14

Virtual teams use technology to link physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal.

Question 15

To be considered a group,there must be at least three people.

Question 16

Russ is a recent graduate who attended a highly competitive private school where all assessment focused on individual performance.Given this socialization,Russ is a strong candidate to be an effective team member.

Question 17

The challenge of creating team players will be greatest when the national culture is highly individualistic and the teams are being introduced into an organization that has historically valued individual achievement.

Question 18

When the forming stage is complete,there will be a relatively clear hierarchy of leadership within the group and agreement on the group's direction.

Question 19

The group is likely to work on its primary task during the adjourning stage of group development.

Question 20

In the forming stage of group development the employees bond because they are faced with external threats that push the group members to work together.

Question 21

Which of the following would be considered a formal group?

A)employee birthday celebration committee
B)reading group
C)bowling team
D)task force
E)lunch group

Question 22

Being a member of a successful work team can be a source of important intrinsic motivation for employees.

Question 23

Which of the following formal groups are essentially independent groups,which,in addition to their regular duties,take on tasks such as hiring,planning,scheduling,and performance evaluations?

A)business unit alliances
B)command groups
C)self-managed teams
D)cross-functional teams
E)task groups

Question 24

Collectivist societies tend to have an enormous problem with social loafing.

Question 25

The human relations view of conflict holds that conflict must be avoided because it indicates a problem within the group.

Question 26

The skills required to be an effective team member can be learned.

Question 27

Sydney notices that Hardeep is reluctant to speak up in the group.To ensure that Hardeep feels that he is contributing,and that his ideas are valued,Sydney takes care to ask Hardeep to contribute directly,and encourages each contribution.Sydney's efforts to make Hardeep feel valued demonstrate a shaper role.

Question 28

Good communication is important in creating effective teams.

Question 29

Being a big picture thinker in a team is an example of a specialist role.

Question 30

Compromising is both the most assertive and cooperative approach to conflict resolution.

Question 31

Mutual trust is important in developing effective teams.

Question 32

As group size increases,the contribution of individual members tends to decrease.

Question 33

Some organizational tasks are better done individually than in a team or group.

Question 34

Resolving conflicts by placing another's needs and concerns above one's own is called avoiding.

Question 35

Selection is important in the success of a team.

Question 36

Social loafing refers to the tendency of individuals to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually.

Question 37

Which of the following is an informal group?

A)advisory teams
B)task forces
C)cross-functional teams
D)business unit alliances
E)self-managed teams

Question 38

Effective team leaders are increasingly taking the role of coach and facilitator.

Question 39

The interactionist view of conflict holds that some conflict is absolutely necessary for effective group performance.

Question 40

Which of the following characteristics do groups and teams always have in common?

A)complimentary skills
B)individual and mutual accountability
C)intense focus on a specific,common goal
D)positive synergy
E)membership of two or more people

Question 41

For permanent work groups,________ is the last stage in their development.

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

Question 42

Individuals occupying thought-oriented roles ________.

A)love taking ideas and making them happen
B)enjoy collaborating with other team members
C)always explore new opportunities
D)need help getting started
E)are good at "thinking outside the box"

Question 43

Paul is used to leading the academic teams he is part of at school.In his current team,he is being an excellent follower and has helped behind the scenes with a few conflicts.He is filling which role?

A)coordinator
B)team worker
C)resource investigator
D)shaper
E)specialist

Question 44

In the ________ stage,high levels of task performance are no longer the group's top priority.

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

Question 45

Bringing together organizational members from marketing,accounting,human resources,and finance to work on a task would be an example of a ________ team.

A)cross-functional
B)boundaryless
C)self-managed
D)dynamic
E)problem-solving

Question 46

Group members that focus on timing and results play a(n)________ role.

A)coordinator
B)specialist
C)monitor-evaluator
D)implementer
E)team worker

Question 47

The ________ stage is complete when the group structure solidifies and the group has assimilated a common set of expectations of what defines correct member behaviour.

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

Question 48

Someone that loves brainstorming is an example of a ________.

A)plant
B)monitor-evaluator
C)shaper
D)coordinator
E)specialist

Question 49

The ________ stage is complete when members begin to think of themselves as part of a team.

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

Question 50

________ teams use technology to link physically dispersed members to achieve a common goal.

A)Cross-functional
B)Matrix
C)Problem-solving
D)Virtual
E)Self-managed

Question 51

Deborah's work team does its own hiring and scheduling and is even responsible for evaluating each other's performance.Deborah is part of a ________ team.

A)cross-functional
B)matrix
C)problem-solving
D)virtual
E)self-managed

Question 52

Dan in New York is part of a team that is creating new software for the One Laptop Per Child program.The graphic designer for Dan's team is in Uruguay.The programmers for the team are in different parts of California.The team meets by videoconference once a week.Dan's team is likely to be a ________.

A)work group
B)functional team
C)cross-functional team
D)virtual team
E)advisory team

Question 53

________ teams are involved in efforts to improve work activities or to solve specific problems within a particular department or functional area of a company.

A)Cross-functional
B)Matrix
C)Problem-solving
D)Virtual
E)Dynamic

Question 54

A strong sense of group identity and camaraderie develops in the ________ stage of group development.

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

Question 55

Which stage of group development is characterized by conflict over leadership and the controls that the group places on individuals?

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

Question 56

Formal groups ________.

A)meet at a regular time and place
B)are defined by an organization's structure
C)include people who share a common interest
D)include people who eat lunch together each day
E)are cohesive

Question 57

Which of the following is a typical stage of group development?

A)reforming
B)storming
C)determining
D)underperforming
E)nonconforming

Question 58

Which of the following teams is least likely to be found in a workplace?

A)problem-solving teams
B)cross-functional teams
C)self-managed teams
D)virtual teams
E)dynamic teams

Question 59

When the ________ stage is complete,there will be a relatively clear hierarchy of leadership within the group and agreement on the groups direction.

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

Question 60

The team that meets each week in room 201 has a goal of creating a new cell phone model.The team consists of an engineer,a designer,a computer software specialist,and a marketing specialist.The team has full authority to make and implement its own decisions.This is likely to be a ________.

A)cross-functional team
B)problem-solving team
C)virtual team
D)work group
E)advisory team

Question 61

The ________ view of conflict sees it as absolutely necessary for effective organizational performance.

A)contemporary
B)collaborative
C)human relations
D)interactionist
E)reactionist

Question 62

High levels of conflict ________.

A)are necessary for group cohesiveness
B)increase group cohesiveness
C)can contribute to group effectiveness
D)are never a factor in group effectiveness
E)will eliminate avoidance issues

Question 63

High cohesiveness combined with a strong alignment between group goals and organizational goals typically results in a(n)________.

A)strong productivity increase
B)strong productivity decrease
C)increased need for maintenance roles
D)increase in social loafing
E)task-oriented conflict

Question 64

An organization that is composed predominantly of teams should reward employees primarily for ________.

A)individual efforts
B)competitive efforts
C)being team leaders
D)cooperative efforts
E)maintenance efforts

Question 65

The ________ view of conflict argues that conflict is a natural and inevitable outcome in any group.

A)human relations
B)traditional
C)interactionist
D)reactionist
E)functional

Question 66

Which of the following is good advice for a manager to limit social loafing?

A)be able to identify and measure individual efforts
B)reward groups collectively,not individually
C)never allow an outsider into a group once it is formed
D)provide merit pay that is proportional to group effectiveness
E)let group members deal with "free rider" problems on their own

Question 67

A set of expected behaviour patterns attributed to someone who occupies a given position in a social unit is called ________.

A)a role
B)social status
C)conformity
D)cohesiveness
E)a norm

Question 68

________ is the tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually.

A)Social loafing
B)Groupthink
C)A norm
D)A role
E)Group cohesiveness

Question 69

If cohesiveness is ________ and goals are ________,productivity decreases.

A)high; supported
B)low; not supported
C)low; supported
D)high; not supported
E)moderate; supported

Question 70

Team skills ________.

A)are inborn
B)can be learned
C)can never be learned
D)cannot be picked up through training
E)are innate

Question 71

Which of these statements concerning cohesiveness is FALSE?

A)Highly cohesive groups are more effective than less cohesive groups.
B)The more cohesive a group,the more members will pursue its goals.
C)If cohesiveness is low and goals are not supported,productivity is unchanged.
D)If cohesiveness is high and attitudes are unfavourable,productivity increases.
E)If cohesiveness is low and goals are supported,productivity increases only moderately.

Question 72

Bill is a new manager in a department with four established managers.Bob may determine what behaviours are expected of him in which of the following ways?

A)acting how he acted in a previous managerial role
B)filling a variety of roles simultaneously
C)asking his subordinates
D)watching what the other managers do

Question 73

When assembling a team,managers should look for individuals who ________.

A)can fulfill team roles and have team skills
B)have required job skills
C)are team players
D)have both team and job skills
E)have strong friendships with each other

Question 74

Jill is concerned with avoiding groupthink and ensuring that the team makes the best decision.Jill is assuming the ________ role.

A)implementer
B)specialist
C)plant
D)coordinator
E)finisher

Question 75

Social loafing explains why ________.

A)group productivity grows exponentially
B)there is always one person who does not work as hard as other group members
C)as groups get larger,the individual contribution often decreases
D)group productivity grows in a linear fashion
E)high-performing groups tolerate "free riders"

Question 76

The ________ view of conflict argues that conflict must be avoided because it indicates a problem within the group.

A)human relations
B)traditional
C)interactionist
D)reactionist
E)functional

Question 77

________ is the degree to which group members are attracted to a group and share the group's goals.

A)Social loafing
B)Groupthink
C)A norm
D)A role
E)Group cohesiveness

Question 78

Since Jessica is now a manager,she is expected to wear professional attire,take her breaks in the managers' lounge,and eat lunch at the restaurants where the other managers eat.This expected behaviour pattern is an example of ________.

A)a norm
B)a role
C)groupthink
D)conformity
E)cohesiveness

Question 79

The view that conflict can be a positive force in an organization and that some conflict is absolutely necessary for an organization to perform effectively is known as the ________ view.

A)human relations
B)traditional
C)interactionist
D)reactionist
E)dysfunctional

Question 80

Al is given two different "top priorities" from two different managers.Al is experiencing ________.

A)task conflict
B)role reversal
C)efficiency conflict
D)personal conflict
E)process conflict