Deck 13: Creating and Managing Teams

Question 1

It is Black Friday. Several people are waiting outside the popular electronics store for someone to unlock the doors. These people constitute a(n) ________.

A) formal group
B) informal group
C) social group
D) crowd

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The ________ stage of the group development process is one in which close relationships develop and the group becomes cohesive.

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

Answer 2

A

Question 3

In which stage of group development does the group focus its attention on wrapping up activities instead of task performance?

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

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Every summer ABC Corp. hosts a picnic for employees and their families. The group that plans and makes all the arrangements for this event would be called a ________.

A) self-managed team
B) task group
C) command group
D) cross-functional team

Question 5

Which one of the following refers to independent formal groups whose members, in addition to their regular jobs, take on traditional managerial responsibilities, such as hiring, planning and scheduling, and evaluating performance?

A) command groups
B) task groups
C) self-managed teams
D) cross-functional teams

Question 6

In this meeting, the group is discussing a code of conduct to be observed by all members, such as arriving on time and not interrupting the speaker. This group is in the ________ stage.

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

Question 7

Which of the following is an example of a formal group?

A) people who assemble in the company library to read
B) a group of employees attending a colleague's wedding
C) a functional department in an organization
D) a group of employees who meet after work to play basketball

Question 8

The ________ stage in the group development process is complete when members begin to think of themselves as part of a group.

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

Question 9

Group D has been working on developing a product which is now ready to hit the market. The group members are happy about the work they've done on this product. The focus has now shifted from productivity to tying up loose ends. Group D is at the ________ stage.

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

Question 10

Group C has been meeting for two months and seems to be progressing extremely well. You observe that the group meets every morning and spends the first five minutes chatting. They then review the decisions of the last meeting followed by a discussion on the status of their current tasks. Group C is currently at the ________ stage.

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

Question 11

Groups that are determined by the organization chart and composed of individuals who report directly to a given manager are called ________.

A) command groups
B) task groups
C) cross-functional teams
D) self-managed teams

Question 12

It became clear that both Cathy and Simon felt they should lead the group. Other group members began aligning themselves with one or the other. This group is in the ________ stage.

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

Question 13

Group A has been meeting for one month and is having some difficulty appointing its leader. At least three individuals are qualified to keep the group's focus on its objectives, but the group has yet to decide which person will lead. Group A is at the ________ stage.

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

Question 14

Which one of the following is considered to be the last stage of group development for permanent work groups?

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

Question 15

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

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

Question 16

David supervises a group of employees who work towards achieving organizational goals. This group can be called a ________.

A) self-managed team
B) task group
C) command group
D) cross-functional team

Question 17

Which one of the following stages in group development involves defining the group's structure and leadership?

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

Question 18

The first group meeting is in progress. The five attendees are exchanging contact information and getting acquainted. This group is in the ________ stage.

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

Question 19

For a new project, Eldon forms a team of individuals from various functional departments. After a few days Eldon observes conflicts within the group over who will control it and what the group needs to be doing. This team is now in the ________ stage of group development.

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

Question 20

During the ________ stage of the group development process, a relatively clear hierarchy of leadership and agreement on the group's direction emerge.

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

Question 21

Which of the following personality traits is negatively related to group productivity and morale?

A) unconventionality
B) self-reliance
C) independence
D) sociability

Question 22

Her instincts told her the group was heading in a very wrong direction but Natalie didn't want to cause a scene by disagreeing, especially when she was apparently the only one with reservations. Natalie has succumbed to ________.

A) group norms
B) social loafing
C) groupthink
D) groupshift

Question 23

Samantha is a single mom and the administrative assistant for the marketing department. Her son's soccer games begin right after school so Samantha often has to choose between supporting her son at his games and working. Samantha is experiencing role ________.

A) overload
B) ambiguity
C) conflict
D) clarity

Question 24

Formal groups are work groups that are defined by the organization's structure and have designated work assignments and specific tasks directed at accomplishing organizational goals.

Question 25

The acceptable standards or expectations that are shared by a group's members are referred to as ________.

A) affiliations
B) norms
C) criteria
D) morals

Question 26

When Fred's department head explained what was expected of him as a new professor in terms of maintaining discipline in his classroom and providing students with a challenging course, he was referring to Fred's ________ at the university.

A) role
B) status
C) obligations
D) authority

Question 27

A pattern of behavior expected of someone occupying a given position in a social unit is called a ________.

A) role
B) status
C) norm
D) persona

Question 28

Describe the differences between formal and informal groups, giving examples of each.

Question 29

This group should have worked well together. Each of them had at least five years seniority and had scored well on past performance evaluations. They all knew what needed to be done. But it seemed they were always in disagreement about something. This group probably lacked ________.

A) communication skills
B) independence
C) conflict resolution skills
D) sociability

Question 30

Which one of the following is a negative aspect of group norms?

A) Being part of a group has the ability to increase an individual's antisocial actions.
B) The most widespread norms are those related to dress codes.
C) Groups become dysfunctional when they maintain strict norms.
D) Norms do not influence employees' performance.

Question 31

Under some conditions, high levels of conflict are conducive to high levels of group performance.

Question 32

Whenever one of her group got within ten feet of her, Christine chirped, "Oh good! You've come to help me." This group is likely to have low productivity because ________.

A) Christine lacks sociability
B) Christine lacks self-reliance
C) Christine possesses authoritarianism
D) Christine is unconventional

Question 33

List and discuss the five stages of group development.

Question 34

Task groups are permanent teams that take on special projects.

Question 35

Employees were paid and evaluated based on quantity of output so it expected the continuous improvement team to meet during the two daily 15-minute breaks. The only space available for these meetings was the noisy breakroom. Then management wondered why the group was not producing results. The most likely reason is ________

A) a lack of resources within the group
B) external conditions imposed on the group
C) a poor strategy for managing quality
D) a lack of group cohesiveness

Question 36

Students often complain that having to work with assigned teammates results in a poorer group project. They are complaining about a(n) ________.

A) external condition
B) internal condition
C) group member resource
D) group task

Question 37

Asch's experiment, which used lines of varying lengths to test group behavior, has shown the existence of ________.

A) group norms
B) workplace conformity
C) social loafing
D) role conflicts

Question 38

In the group development process, the forming stage is complete when members begin to think of themselves as part of a group.

Question 39

Self-managed teams function in an independent and informal manner.

Question 40

"Slow down, Mary. You're making us all look bad." These comments likely came from a worker concerned about ________.

A) group roles
B) group norms
C) groupthink
D) social loafing

Question 41

________ occurs when a supervisor earns less than his or her subordinates.

A) Informal status
B) Role conflict
C) Role ambiguity
D) Status incongruence

Question 42

A lot is riding on the success of this project. All nine members will share in the rewards. But Ted just doesn't have time to complete his assignment so he rationalizes that no one outside the group will know what he did or did not do anyway. Ted is engaged in ________.

A) nonconventionality
B) group norms
C) groupthink
D) social loafing

Question 43

Daniela and Navaro disagree on the best way to promote a new product. Those in the company who view the conflict over the promotion strategy as natural and inevitable have a(n) ________ view of conflict.

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

Question 44

Which one of the following statements is true about group decision making?

A) It generates more complete information and knowledge.
B) It takes less time to reach a solution than it would an individual.
C) It prevents any one minority from dominating or influencing the final decision.
D) It is most suitable for matters that need to be critically evaluated.

Question 45

The reluctance of George's group mates to voice their opposition to several issues in order to maintain group harmony is an example of ________.

A) social loafing
B) group norms
C) groupshift
D) groupthink

Question 46

This group really clicked. They got along well both professionally and socially. While at work they focused on work. This group is likely to experience ________ in productivity.

A) a strong increase
B) a moderate increase
C) no change
D) a decrease

Question 47

Which one of the following refers to a prestige grading, position, or rank within a group?

A) role
B) status
C) stature
D) membership

Question 48

Large groups consistently get better results than smaller ones when the group is involved in ________.

A) getting things done
B) routine tasks
C) problem solving
D) long-term projects

Question 49

Stacey was invited to become a member of the class project team because the other members knew she had a high GPA and worked hard on all her individual assignments. Although the other members worked diligently to complete their parts, Stacey was not giving her best effort to this team. Which of the following is a possible explanation for Stacey's behavior?

A) social loafing
B) status incongruence
C) role ambiguity
D) group cohesiveness

Question 50

Which of the following is an accurate statement regarding status systems?

A) Anything can have status value if others in the group evaluate it that way.
B) Status is a weak employee motivator even though it has behavioral consequences.
C) Status can only be formally conferred on individuals.
D) Status systems are independent of aspects such as prestige and grading.

Question 51

Which one of the following is true about the effectiveness of individual decision making over group decision making?

A) Individual decisions tend to be more accurate.
B) Individual decisions are better when dealing with complex issues.
C) Individuals tend to be more creative than groups.
D) Individual decisions are made faster than group decisions

Question 52

Age, skill, and experience are examples of ________.

A) formal status categories
B) informal status categories
C) internal status categories
D) external status categories

Question 53

Celine feels that the form of marketing their company is using isn't working anymore. Merle disagrees vehemently. Those in the company who view the conflict over the marketing strategy as bad and harmful have a(n) ________ view of conflict.

A) human relations
B) relational
C) traditional
D) interactionist

Question 54

Which one of the following is true about group decision making?

A) Groups tend to foster equal participation in decision making.
B) The pressure to conform is low when working in groups.
C) Groups take more time to arrive at a decision.
D) Groups usually make decisions based on incomplete information.

Question 55

Which one of the following suggestions will help reduce the effect of social loafing in groups?

A) clearly identify individual responsibilities and efforts in the group outcome
B) provide group rewards instead of individual rewards
C) increase the overall size of the group
D) form homogeneous groups to increase group cohesiveness

Question 56

In comparison to large groups, small groups ________.

A) have shorter group tenure
B) are faster at completing tasks
C) have longer norming processes
D) are better at obtaining diverse input

Question 57

She was the matriarch of the department, the most senior employee. She always sat immediately to the right of the manager in all department meetings. No one dared take her chair. That chair was a symbol of her ________.

A) importance
B) age
C) status
D) seniority

Question 58

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

A) human relations
B) traditional
C) interactionist
D) obstructionist

Question 59

Individuals have the tendency to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually. Which one of the following concepts relates most closely to this behavior?

A) social loafing
B) role conflict
C) role ambiguity
D) nonconformity

Question 60

Group cohesiveness is most likely to produce strong increases in productivity when ________.

A) cohesiveness reduces internal strife
B) the group's goals align with the organization's goals
C) it reduces social loafing in the group
D) group members respect and uphold the group norms

Question 61

________ conflict relates to the content and goals of the work.

A) Task
B) Role
C) Relationship
D) Work

Question 62

Groupthink has the ability to undermine critical thinking in the group and harm the quality of decision making.

Question 63

The type of conflicts that support group goals and improve performance are called ________ conflicts.

A) planned
B) dysfunctional
C) natural
D) functional

Question 64

Which one of the following types of conflict is based on how the work gets done?

A) process conflict
B) relationship conflict
C) task conflict
D) role conflict

Question 65

One negative aspect about group norms is that being part of a group can increase an individual's antisocial actions.

Question 66

A group's performance potential depends, to a large extent, on the individual resources its members bring to the group.

Question 67

Groupthink occurs only when group members have a negative image of the group or the leader.

Question 68

An individual's role in a group is not defined by the internal structure of the group.

Question 69

A low-to-moderate level of task conflict consistently has a positive effect on group performance. What is the reason for this?

A) It stimulates discussion of ideas that help groups be more innovative.
B) It helps the organization identify employee skills gaps.
C) It helps groups to alter the nature of the work according to the individual needs of team members.
D) It helps groups members identify their individual strengths and weaknesses.

Question 70

Which one of the following types of conflict is most likely to be dysfunctional?

A) status conflict
B) relationship conflict
C) process conflict
D) task conflict

Question 71

The typical interaction between a buyer and seller of a car in which offers are made and countered is an example of ________.

A) collaborating
B) forcing
C) compromising
D) accommodating

Question 72

In which one of the following conflict resolution techniques are conflicts resolved by seeking an advantageous solution for all the parties involved?

A) collaborating
B) compromising
C) forcing
D) accommodating

Question 73

Molly is a party animal, loud, friendly, bluntly outspoken. Megan is quiet, tactful, and clearly disapproving of Molly's lifestyle. It's no wonder the two do not work well together. This is a type of ________ conflict.

A) task
B) process
C) relationship
D) interpersonal

Question 74

The ________ of conflict management argues that some conflict is absolutely necessary for effective organizational performance.

A) traditional view
B) reactionist view
C) human relations view
D) interactionist view

Question 75

Odill intentionally included in his team individuals with opposing views, believing that a variety of opinions made for better decisions. Odill has a(n) ________ view of conflict.

A) human relations
B) liberal
C) traditional
D) interactionist

Question 76

Michael thought they should start by reviewing what had been done in the past. Michelle thought they should study the current situation first. This is an example of ________ conflict.

A) process
B) procedural
C) task
D) functional

Question 77

When Sam draws the group's attention back to the topic of discussion related to the group's purpose, he is performing a satisfaction role

Question 78

A group's performance potential depends to a large extent on the individual resources its members bring to the group.

Question 79

The group could not agree on what needed to be done. Some thought they were to research and present data; others thought they were to make recommendations. This is an example of ________ conflict.

A) process
B) task
C) relationship
D) functional

Question 80

Conflicts can be resolved by withdrawing from them or suppressing them. This conflict management technique is known as ________.

A) compromising
B) yielding
C) accommodating
D) avoiding