Question 1

The sales teams get monthly bonuses based on their performance. This is an example of the use of _______ cohesion.

Accepted Answer

A)   sentiment-based
B)   reward-based
C)   assignment-based
D)   dependency-based
E)   cash-based B

Question 2

___________ power is based primarily on a leader's status.

Accepted Answer

A)   coercive
B)   informational
C)   legitimate
D)   connectional
E)   athletic C

Question 3

Group members bound by ______ cohesion rely on the relational closeness of its members.

Accepted Answer

A)   reward-based
B)   dependency-based
C)   assignment-based
D)   sentiment-based
E)   goal-based D

Question 4

Your group has reached the _______ stage of group development. Folks are finally working together toward your common goal. They've put their disagreements behind and they've settled on how to best complete the assigned task.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 5

You're leader of your club's entertainment committee. To ensure that your group performs at its best you look for commonalities among group members, hoping to determine the factors that bind them should you need that information later to resolve conflict. An effective leader, you are _______________.

Accepted Answer

A)   encouraging each member to vocalize his or her feelings about the project
B)   allowing the members to develop a sense of ownership in the committee's goal
C)   working toward building group cohesion
D)   reminding your colleagues that everyone benefits from a successful outcome
E)   laying out the expected rewards for good work

Question 6

Which one of the following groups would most likely use the most formal group communication?

Accepted Answer

A)   Club Entertainment Committee
B)   Friends and Family
C)   Army Unit
D)   Jury
E)   Intermural softball team

Question 7

It's at the _______ stage in group development that teams typically experience and handle conflict.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 8

For better or for worse, _________ can be an important factor in contributing to the exercise of ___________ power.

Accepted Answer

A)   punishment/referent
B)   attractiveness/referent
C)   punishment/expert
D)   attractiveness/expert
E)   cash/informational

Question 9

Systems are characterized by, among other things, their ___________.

Accepted Answer

A)   goal-orientation
B)   reliance on strong leadership
C)   imperfection
D)   tendency toward groupthink
E)   entropy

Question 10

The members of a basketball team know which position to play because they are aware of _______ the team.

Accepted Answer

A)   their ranks on
B)   the norms of
C)   their roles on
D)   the controls of
E)   the expectations of

Question 11

Which one of the following groups would most likely use the least formal group communication?

Accepted Answer

A)   Club Entertainment Committee
B)   Friends/Family
C)   Army Unit
D)   Starbucks Baristas
E)   Intermural softball team

Question 12

You and your fellow crewmates are new to sailing, so trusting her knowledge and experience, you quite willingly follow the orders of the boat's skipper. But as you watch her, you learn that she is actually a very bad sailor. But you must follow her commands because she is indeed the captain. In other words, she is exercising ________ power over you.

Accepted Answer

A)   legitimate
B)   expert
C)   coercive
D)   informational
E)   athletic

Question 13

One reason a group might not meet the requirements of an assignment and have to be dissolved is the failure of leadership to control egos. In cases like this, the group fails, in part, because it suffers from ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   normative confusion
B)   rank ineffectiveness
C)   groupthink
D)   system failure
E)   information paucity

Question 14

Your group is having a terrible time making progress toward completing its project for Comm class. There are you, the self-appointed leader (although there didn't seem to be any objection), two members who seem to be trying their best, one who seems competent but a bit disinterested, and a final member who is just plain unpleasant. You are only 2 weeks into the assignment and it is due in 2 more weeks. Take the 5 of 12 suggestions for improving group communication that you think would be of most value to you in this situation and explain how you would move your group to successful completion of its goal.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Your group is having a terrible time...

Question 15

Structuration Theory asserts that our interactions with our fellow group members not only rely on the group's established structures, but as we interact within those structures we ______________.

Accepted Answer

A)   bring noise into the system
B)   reproduce or reinforce those structures
C)   structure, or build, stronger interpersonal relationships
D)   defer to leadership more than is necessary
E)   form group alliances

Question 16

_____________ groups offer their members affection and a sense of belonging.

Accepted Answer

A)   Task-oriented
B)   Well-functioning
C)   Participant-driven
D)   Primary
E)   Athletic

Question 17

Which scenario best explains normative confusion?

Accepted Answer

A)   Your professor emails the class to say that day's session is canceled but provides no reason.
B)   Your group leader fails to explain what's expected of each member at the group's next meeting.
C)   Your friend is confused on how to get the right answer on a math problem.
D)   Your soccer team's captain forgot to tell you about the team's barbeque party.
E)   You are not sure if meetings should open with a hug or a simple handshake.

Question 18

Describe the basic premise of structuration theory, paying particular attention to the duality of structure. Use structuration theory to explain the functioning of a real of hypothetical group and changes that came about (or might have come about) because of participants' interactions.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the basic premise of structuration theory,...

Question 19

List the five stages of group development in order and briefly explain what is going on in the group at each stage.

Accepted Answer

The answer of List the five stages of group development...

Question 20

The _________ leadership style typically encourages full and equal participation among individuals in the group.

Accepted Answer

A)   authoritarian
B)   laissez-faire
C)   democratic
D)   coercive
E)   meandering

Exam 7: Communicating in Small Groups