Deck 9: Understanding Work Teams

Question 1

The extensive use of teams creates the potential for an organisation to generate greater outputs with no increase in inputs.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

A work team has one important aspect not found in a work group.This is:

A)enthusiasm
B)synergy
C)information sharing
D)energy

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following is not something teams are able to do quickly?

A)Assemble.
B)Deploy.
C)Make decisions.
D)Disband.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Work groups engage in collective work that requires joint effort.

Question 5

Teams increase employee motivation.

Question 6

A work group is a group that interacts primarily to share information and to make decisions to help each member perform within his or her area of responsibility.

Question 7

A group differs from a work team due to a few different dimensions.Which dimension deals with 'share information' versus 'collective performance'?

A)Goal
B)Synergy
C)Accountability
D)Skills

Question 8

A group differs from a work team due to a few different dimensions.Which dimension deals with 'random and varied' versus 'complementary'?

A)Goal
B)Synergy
C)Accountability
D)Skills

Question 9

What is a work group?

A)A group whose individual efforts result in a performance that is greater than the sum of those individual inputs.
B)A group of 10 to 15 people who take on responsibilities of their former supervisors.
C)A group that interacts primarily to share information and to make decisions to help each member perform within his or her area of responsibility.
D)A group made up of members from across departmental lines.

Question 10

A work team generates positive synergy while a work group does not.

Question 11

Merely calling a group a team doesn't automatically increase its performance.

Question 12

A group differs from a work team due to a few different dimensions.Which dimension deals with 'individual' versus 'individual and mutual'?

A)Goal
B)Synergy
C)Accountability
D)Skills

Question 13

Teams are quick to assemble and disband,but they are difficult to refocus.

Question 14

Why have teams become so popular?

Question 15

Teams are an effective means for management to democratise their organisations.

Question 16

Which of the following helps explain the current popularity of teams?

A)Teams are a way to better utilise employee talents.
B)Teams are less expensive.
C)Teams are easier to manage.
D)Teams promote social loafing.

Question 17

A work group creates positive synergy.

Question 18

Teams tend to be less flexible and less responsive to changing events than traditional departments.

Question 19

Which of the following does not explain the current popularity of teams?

A)Teams are a means to increase employee motivation.
B)Teams enable organisations to better utilise employee talents.
C)Teams do not require employee participation in operating decisions.
D)None of the above.

Question 20

Teams are more flexible and responsive to changing events than traditional departments or other forms of permanent groups.

Question 21

Teams of employees who meet to discuss ways to improve quality,efficiency,and the work environment are called:

A)problem-solving teams
B)unions
C)cross-functional teams
D)self-managed work teams

Question 22

While most types of teams do their work face-to-face,________ teams use computer technology.

A)functional
B)telecommuting
C)virtual
D)outsourced

Question 23

Self-managed work teams typically have ________ members.

A)8-9
B)2-3
C)6-7
D)10-15

Question 24

Problem-solving teams take employees from the same department.

Question 25

Discuss the difference between a work group and a work team.

Question 26

In virtual teams there is:

A)increased social rapport
B)increased direct interaction among members
C)a greater focus on task
D)less social-emotional exchange

Question 27

________ teams are an effective way to allow people from diverse areas within an organisation to exchange information,develop new ideas and solve problems,and coordinate complex projects.

A)Problem-solving
B)Cross-functional
C)Multifaceted
D)Self-managed

Question 28

Positive synergy in work teams is created through coordinated effort.

Question 29

The accountability of work groups is individual,while the accountability of teams is complementary.

Question 30

Which of the following is not true about self-managed work teams?

A)Individuals on these teams tend to report higher levels of job satisfaction.
B)This type of team often does not manage conflicts well.
C)The success of self-managed teams has been uniformly positive.
D)They sometimes have higher rates of absenteeism and turnover.

Question 31

The research on the effectiveness of self-managed work teams suggests that:

A)absenteeism and turnover rates are sometimes higher on self-managed work teams
B)individuals have lower levels of job satisfaction
C)productivity is lower for self-managed work teams
D)individuals overwhelmingly prefer to work on self-managed work teams

Question 32

Self-managed work teams typically perform which of the following responsibilities?

A)assigning tasks to members
B)planning and scheduling
C)taking action on problems
D)all of the above

Question 33

________ teams are made up of employees from about the same hierarchical level,but from different work areas,who come together to accomplish a task.

A)Cross-functional
B)Multifaceted
C)Problem-solving
D)Self-managed

Question 34

________ teams allow people to collaborate online.

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

Question 35

You are a member of a work team whose goal is to improve the efficiency of the production process.Your team is best described as:

A)problem-solving
B)self-managed
C)cross-functional
D)goal oriented

Question 36

The synergy of work groups is neutral,while the synergy of teams is positive.

Question 37

The role of the supervisor becomes even more important in the case of self-managed work teams.

Question 38

Self-managed work teams generally:

A)take on the responsibilities of their former supervisors
B)are comprised of 5-7 workers
C)are made up of people from different levels of the organisation
D)are from different work areas,but about the same hierarchical level,and work together to accomplish tasks

Question 39

________ teams perform highly related or interdependent jobs and take on many of the responsibilities of their former supervisors.

A)Virtual
B)Self-managed
C)Problem identification
D)Performance

Question 40

Which is not one of the most common types of teams?

A)self-managed
B)virtual
C)problem identification
D)problem-solving

Question 41

One advantage of cross-functional teams is that they are easy to manage.

Question 42

A self-managed work team takes on many of the responsibilities of their former supervisors.

Question 43

Cross-functional teams are made up of employees from about the same hierarchical level,but from different work areas,who come together to accomplish a task.

Question 44

While problem-solving team members share ideas or suggest how work processes and methods can be improved,they rarely have the authority to unilaterally implement any of their suggestions.

Question 45

Cross-functional teams commonly use computer technology to tie together physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal.

Question 46

The four most common forms of teams are: problem-solving,self-managed,cross-functional,and virtual.

Question 47

What is a virtual team? What are its benefits and drawbacks?

Question 48

What is a cross-functional team?

Question 49

Individuals on self-managed work teams have lower absenteeism rates than employees in traditional work structures.

Question 50

Turnover rates are often much lower for self-managed work teams than for employees working in traditional work structures.

Question 51

Virtual teams report less satisfaction with the group interaction process than do face-to-face teams.

Question 52

Discuss self-managed work teams.

Question 53

According to a 2009 study,well-managed virtual teams can potentially outperform teams working in a common location.

Question 54

Problem-solving teams generally consist of 3 to 5 employees from the same department.

Question 55

As a result of self-managed teams,supervisory positions may be eliminated.

Question 56

All the major car manufacturers currently use cross-functional teams to coordinate complex projects.

Question 57

Individuals on self-managed work teams report higher levels of job satisfaction.

Question 58

Supervisory positions take on decreased importance for a self-managed work team and are sometimes even eliminated.

Question 59

You are a member of a team of six individuals from the same department who meet for a few hours each week to discuss ways of improving quality,efficiency,and the work environment.You are a member of a self-managed work team.

Question 60

What can management do to ensure effective virtual teams?

Question 61

Which of the following statements is true concerning the climate of trust?

A)Interpersonal trust among team members bonds members around the belief that others on the team will take advantage of them if given the opportunity.
B)Interpersonal trust among team members decreases members' likelihood to take risks.
C)Interpersonal trust among team members reduces the need to monitor each other's behaviour.
D)Interpersonal trust among team members inhibits cooperation.

Question 62

You find that in a team situation you prefer to be the one who examines for details and is concerned with enforcing rules and regulations.Your role is called the:

A)maintainer
B)controller
C)linker
D)promoter

Question 63

The key components making up effective teams can be subsumed into three categories.Which of the following is not one of those categories?

A)contextual influences
B)goals
C)process variables
D)composition

Question 64

Which team role provides structure?

A)assessor
B)organiser
C)controller
D)maintainer

Question 65

Coasting on the group effort is termed:

A)cross-functional help
B)incompetence
C)inconsistency
D)social loafing

Question 66

There are four contextual factors that appear to be most significantly related to team performance.Which of the following is not one of those four factors?

A)effective communication
B)adequate resources
C)leadership and structure
D)a performance evaluation and reward system

Question 67

Process variables include all of the following except:

A)social loafing
B)specific goals
C)climate of trust
D)team efficacy

Question 68

Which type of conflict is almost always dysfunctional?

A)relationship conflict
B)resource conflict
C)task conflict
D)efficacy conflict

Question 69

In general,the most effective teams tend to have ________ members.

A)5
B)more than 12
C)5 to 9
D)3

Question 70

Of the nine key roles on teams,the "promoter" is the group member most likely to:

A)champion ideas after they are initiated
B)provide structure
C)initiate creative ideas
D)fight external battles

Question 71

The context category of the team effectiveness model includes:

A)adequate resources
B)ability
C)autonomy
D)conflict

Question 72

Research has shown that demographic diversity:

A)decreases the number of perspectives
B)increases communication
C)is substantially related to team performance overall
D)is unrelated to team performance overall

Question 73

Discuss the four most common forms of work teams: problem-solving teams,self-managed teams,cross-functional teams,and virtual teams.

Question 74

People who fight the team's battles are called:

A)controllers
B)maintainers
C)producers
D)assessors

Question 75

What can management do to increase team efficacy?

A)help the team achieve small successes
B)limit time spent in training
C)provide measurable goals
D)ensure team goals are challenging

Question 76

Which of the following is not one of the nine potential team roles identified for successful teams?

A)resource allocator
B)maintainer
C)organiser
D)controller

Question 77

One stream of research has identified potential team roles that people prefer to play.The "creator" role is one who:

A)coordinates and integrates
B)champions ideas
C)provides structure
D)initiates creative ideas

Question 78

Which of the following statements about the ability of team members is FALSE?

A)When tasks are simple,high-ability teams do not perform as well.
B)A less-intelligent leader can neutralise the effect of a high-ability team.
C)Teams primarily require problem-solving skills to be effective.
D)High-ability teams are also more adaptable to changing situations.

Question 79

Successful teams translate their ________ into specific,measurable,and realistic performance goals.

A)common purpose
B)roles
C)skills
D)norms

Question 80

Effective teams have confidence in themselves and believe they can succeed.This is termed:

A)social facilitation
B)social loafing
C)goal congruence
D)team efficacy