Deck 8: Foundations of Group Behaviour

Question 1

Informal groups:

A)are defined by the organisation structure.
B)should be formed outside working hours.
C)are detrimental in the workplace.
D)appear in response to the need for social contact.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

________ groups are defined by the organisation's structure.

A)Informal
B)Friendship
C)Interest
D)Formal

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The five stages of group development are:

A)pre-stage,introduction,acceptance,high productivity and decline.
B)forming,storming,norming,performing and adjourning.
C)initiation,evolution,maturation,development and decline.
D)introduction,idea generation,planning,implementation and termination.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic that makes social identity important to a person?

A)similarity
B)distinctiveness
C)status
D)uncertainty reduction

Question 5

The stage in group development that is characterised by uncertainty is:

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

Question 6

When two people bond because they feel they are different from other members of the group,these people are likely to be responding to which characteristic of social identity theory?

A)similarity
B)distinctiveness
C)status
D)uncertainty reduction

Question 7

By the end of which stage of a group's development has the group formed a common sense of expectations of member behaviours?

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

Question 8

Which of the following characteristics is NOT part of the definition of a group?

A)They are interdependent.
B)They have organisationally assigned goals.
C)They are interacting.
D)They have two or more members.

Question 9

A person is more likely to claim their affiliation with a university if it is a well-regarded university.This is an example of which characteristic of social identity theory?

A)similarity
B)distinctiveness
C)status
D)uncertainty reduction

Question 10

According to the punctuated-equilibrium model,all of the following are true about groups EXCEPT:

A)A transition takes place at the end of the first phase,which occurs exactly when the group has used up one-third of its allotted time.
B)The group's last meeting is characterised by markedly accelerated activity,which is considered normal for temporary groups.
C)The first phase of group activity is one of inertia,which occurs as they are locked into a fixed course of action.
D)The first meeting sets the group's direction,while a framework of behaviours and patterns becomes apparent.

Question 11

Fred,Vera,Martin,Susan and Chen all bump into each other at a wedding.They start to talk and soon realise that they share certain bonds.Fred and Vera both support the local cricket team.Vera,Susan and Martin went to the same university.Martin and Chen both go to the same church.Also,Fred and Susan both held their first jobs together at the same McDonald's store.Further,Fred and Martin were born in the same week and went to the same high school,and their mothers know each other. Fred and Vera are very proud that their cricket team has just made it to the final test match.Which of the following characteristics of social identity theory is likely to cause Fred and Vera to bond?

A)similarity
B)distinctiveness
C)status
D)uncertainty reduction

Question 12

Temporary groups with deadlines follow the __________ model.

A)five-stage group development
B)five-stage general
C)punctuated equilibrium
D)transitional group

Question 13

During which stage of a group's development is there a likely chance of intragroup conflict within the group?

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

Question 14

Fred,Vera,Martin,Susan and Chen all bump into each other at a wedding.They start to talk and soon realise that they share certain bonds.Fred and Vera both support the local cricket team.Vera,Susan and Martin went to the same university.Martin and Chen both go to the same church.Also,Fred and Susan both held their first jobs together at the same McDonald's store.Further,Fred and Martin were born in the same week and went to the same high school,and their mothers know each other. In this group of five people,what characteristic of social identity is likely to cause Vera and Susan to bond?

A)similarity
B)distinctiveness
C)status
D)uncertainty reduction

Question 15

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

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

Question 16

In the second stage of group development,

A)the job task is performed.
B)close relationships are developed.
C)intragroup conflict often occurs.
D)the group demonstrates cohesiveness.

Question 17

According to the punctuated-equilibrium model,groups tend to experience ________ about halfway between the first meeting and the official deadline.

A)reinforcement of the initial fixed course
B)inertia
C)a midlife crisis
D)stagnation

Question 18

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

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

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT one of the stages in the five-stage group development model?

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

Question 20

Three employees from different departments who regularly eat lunch together are an example of a (an)__________ group.

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

Question 21

A ________ is a set of expected behaviour patterns associated with a particular position in a social unit.

A)norm
B)stereotype
C)role
D)status hierarchy

Question 22

Astro Inc.is reorganising and your new work group begins working together on Monday morning.Your university course in organisational behaviour contained information about the stages of group development,and your supervisor has asked your advice about the predictable stages of group development. You should warn your supervisor that in the first stage of group development,the team members will probably:

A)be in conflict.
B)be uncertain.
C)be their most productive.
D)focus their energy on performing the task at hand.

Question 23

Which of the following is NOT a common class of norms appearing in most workgroups?

A)termination
B)appearance
C)social arrangements
D)performance

Question 24

Zimbardo's simulated prison experiment is the most important because it demonstrates that individuals:

A)can easily and rapidly assume new roles that are very different from their inherent personalities.
B)assumed normal identities and emotional stability as an adaptive measure.
C)reflected on their own personal experiences at home,at work and in social situations.
D)performed better when a lower-fidelity prison setting simulation was used.

Question 25

Norms that dictate assignment of difficult jobs and allocation of new tools and equipment are norms dealing with:

A)financial standards.
B)resource allocation.
C)corporate objectives.
D)informal arrangements.

Question 26

Zimbardo's simulated prison experiment involving 'normal' students at Stanford University illustrated:

A)individual communication.
B)the sudden adaptation of new roles.
C)a conflict of interest.
D)group conformity.

Question 27

Which of the following does NOT describe a psychological contract?

A)It is an unwritten agreement that exists between employees and employer.
B)It addresses status issues in an organisation.
C)It sets out mutual expectations between management and workers.
D)It defines the behavioural expectations that go with every role.

Question 28

________ norms include how to get the job done and the level of output.

A)Performance
B)Allocation of resources
C)Social arrangement
D)Appearance

Question 29

Several years ago,you began a small retail store to sell computer parts.The store grew and the business expanded to offer computer repair and custom computer programming.You have noticed that employees have definite expectations about what their appropriate role within the expanding company should be. To clear up confusion,you have decided that you must come to an unwritten agreement with each employee about your mutual expectations.You are developing a(n):

A)employment contract.
B)role-expectation contract.
C)role-playing document.
D)psychological contract.

Question 30

Astro Inc.is reorganising and your new work group begins working together on Monday morning.Your university course in organisational behaviour contained information about the stages of group development,and your supervisor has asked your advice about the predictable stages of group development. You are predicting the most productive stage will be:

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

Question 31

Acceptable standards of behaviour that are shared by the group's members are called:

A)opinions.
B)sanctions.
C)norms.
D)rules.

Question 32

How others believe you should act in a given situation is a:

A)role expectation.
B)norm.
C)role perception.
D)stereotype.

Question 33

Several years ago,you began a small retail store to sell computer parts.The store grew and the business expanded to offer computer repair and custom computer programming.You have noticed that employees have definite expectations about what their appropriate role within the expanding company should be. John is expected to help customers in the retail store as well as perform computer repair work.He feels that every time he gets started on a repair,he is interrupted and doesn't know whether to finish his repair or wait on the customer.John suffers from role:

A)perception.
B)expectations.
C)conflict.
D)identity.

Question 34

Norms that dictate with whom group members eat lunch and whether to form friendships on and off the job are norms dealing with:

A)social arrangements.
B)ethical issues.
C)group activity.
D)appearance factors.

Question 35

________ norms include things like appropriate dress and when to look busy.

A)Social arrangement
B)Allocation of resources
C)Appearance
D)Performance

Question 36

When an individual finds that compliance with one role requirement may make the compliance with another more difficult,the result is role:

A)conflict
B)perception
C)expectation
D)identity

Question 37

Several years ago,you began a small retail store to sell computer parts.The store grew and the business expanded to offer computer repair and custom computer programming.You have noticed that employees have definite expectations about what their appropriate role within the expanding company should be. You can help them understand their roles and the roles of other people by explaining some common facts about roles.All of the following statements are true EXCEPT:

A)It may be helpful for them to view role expectations through the perspective of a psychological contract.
B)Role perception is how others believe people are expected to act in their given role.
C)Most employees are simultaneously in occupations,workgroups,divisions and demographic groups,and these different identities can come into conflict.
D)Each person will be expected to play a number of diverse roles.

Question 38

The ________ defines mutual expectations along with behavioural expectations that go with every role.

A)group norm
B)role stereotype
C)role expectation
D)psychological contract

Question 39

One example of work group norms deals with performance-related processes.Examples of performance norms include all of the following EXCEPT:

A)how hard the employee should work.
B)level of output.
C)appropriate levels of tardiness.
D)appropriate dress.

Question 40

Astro Inc.is reorganising and your new work group begins working together on Monday morning.Your university course in organisational behaviour contained information about the stages of group development,and your supervisor has asked your advice about the predictable stages of group development. The final stage for this permanent work group should be:

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

Question 41

Which of the following statements about status and equity is/are TRUE?

A)Perceived inequity creates disequilibrium.
B)Groups generally agree within themselves on status criteria.
C)It is important for group members to believe that the status hierarchy is equitable.
D)All of the above.

Question 42

Antisocial actions by organisational members that intentionally violate established norms and that result in negative consequences for the organisation,its members or both,are referred to as:

A)ethical dilemmas.
B)voluntary behaviour.
C)norms.
D)deviant workplace behaviour.

Question 43

Carly is restructuring departments and is creating teams to increase the effectiveness of her departments.She recognises that the size of groups impacts their overall behaviour. Carly is forming a problem-solving group.What is a good group size to gain diverse input?

A)twelve
B)seven
C)three
D)five

Question 44

The Hawthorne studies:

A)began by examining the relationship between the physical environment and productivity.
B)began with illumination experiments with various groups of workers.
C)did a third study to ascertain the effect of a sophisticated wage incentive plan.
D)all of the above.

Question 45

Fuse Pty Ltd is a human resource consulting firm.From Monday through Thursday,the consultants typically have filled schedules meeting with clients and making calls to set up appointments.In contrast,their Fridays are generally fairly relaxed;they tend to spend a fair amount of time socialising with their fellow consultants.As a professional consultancy,all the employees in the firm dress fairly formally in full business attire. Jane is a new consultant at the firm.Although there is no written rule for work attire,Jane dresses fairly formally.This is most likely because of ________ norms.

A)social arrangement
B)appearance
C)performance
D)allocation of resources

Question 46

The degree to which group members are attracted to one another is called:

A)integration.
B)cohesiveness.
C)sociability.
D)reliability.

Question 47

All of the following statements are correct EXCEPT:

A)High-status members of groups are given more freedom to deviate from norms than are other group members.
B)High-status people are better able to resist conformity pressures than their lower-status peers.
C)Status has been shown to have some interesting effects on the power of norms and the pressures to conform.
D)Low-status members of groups are given more freedom to deviate from norms than are other group members.

Question 48

If your group must be fast at completing the task,which size should be most effective?

A)a smaller group
B)a larger group
C)a moderate group
D)none of the above

Question 49

Alex is the manager in a small marketing firm.He is in charge of allocating resources and assigning employees into different teams.He is also considered to be reasonably attractive. Given the description,he is likely to hold a high status because of his:

A)personal characteristics and ability to contribute to the group goals.
B)ability to contribute to the group's goals and control over outcomes.
C)control over outcomes and personal characteristics.
D)none of the above.

Question 50

High-status members of the group are more likely to be:

A)outspoken,which can be detrimental to the overall group performance.
B)less active than the lower-status members,who perform better.
C)receptive to social pressures from other members of the group.
D)resentful,thus leading to the group's decreased performance.

Question 51

Max manages a small factory producing electronic smoke detectors.After reading about the Hawthorne studies,he realises that worker productivity can be increased. If Max reduces the light intensity in his factory,what will he achieve?

A)reduced lighting costs
B)increased work productivity
C)more satisfied workers
D)none of the above

Question 52

Fuse Pty Ltd is a human resource consulting firm.From Monday through Thursday,the consultants typically have filled schedules meeting with clients and making calls to set up appointments.In contrast,their Fridays are generally fairly relaxed;they tend to spend a fair amount of time socialising with their fellow consultants.As a professional consultancy,all the employees in the firm dress fairly formally in full business attire. Within two weeks of work,Jane,the new employee,also finds that just like other consultants,her schedule is often filled between Monday to Thursday and her Fridays tend to be more relaxed.This is most likely because of ________ norms.

A)social arrangement
B)appearance
C)performance
D)allocation of resources

Question 53

According to status characteristics theory,status tends to derive from all of the following sources EXCEPT:

A)the designated task.
B)the power a person wields over others.
C)a person's ability to contribute to a group's goals.
D)an individual's personal characteristics.

Question 54

Your group is engaged in problem solving and the group's goal is to identify as many solutions as possible.Which size group should be most effective?

A)three
B)seven
C)twelve
D)six

Question 55

Group cohesiveness is increased with each of the following EXCEPT when:

A)the group is made larger.
B)the group is physically isolated.
C)members spend time together.
D)the group is in competition with other groups.

Question 56

Carly is restructuring departments and is creating teams to increase the effectiveness of her departments.She recognises that the size of groups impacts their overall behaviour. Carly has learned in an OB course that:

A)social loafing is the tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually.
B)the effect of group size is consistent across most variables,including productivity,equity and status.
C)small groups are good for gaining diverse input only when managers take the lead over lower-status employees.
D)team spirit spurs individual effort and enhances the group's overall performance.

Question 57

The major contribution of the Asch study was to demonstrate the impact of:

A)the Hawthorne effect.
B)seating arrangements.
C)group pressures for conformity.
D)status on group performance.

Question 58

Carly is restructuring departments and is creating teams to increase the effectiveness of her departments.She recognises that the size of groups impacts their overall behaviour. Given what Carly knows about groups,what is a good group size for a group that must take action?

A)seven
B)twelve
C)four
D)two

Question 59

________ groups are characterised as ones where a person is aware of the others.The person defines himself or herself as a member or would like to be a member.

A)Status
B)Normative
C)Role
D)Reference

Question 60

___________ is a socially defined position or rank given to groups or group members by others.

A)Position
B)Status
C)Promotion
D)Role

Question 61

Groupthink results in:

A)unpopular decision choices.
B)riskier decisions.
C)hindered performance.
D)higher-quality decisions.

Question 62

________ is a phenomenon in which the norm for consensus overrides the realistic appraisal of alternative courses of action.

A)Groupthink
B)Compromise
C)Group conformity
D)Groupshift

Question 63

Groupshift most often means decisions:

A)are made by groups rather than individuals.
B)prove less effective.
C)are made more quickly.
D)contain greater risk.

Question 64

Group productivity is optimum when performance norms are ________ and cohesiveness is ________.

A)high;low
B)high;high
C)low;low
D)low;high

Question 65

Which of the following BEST explains groupshift?

A)Discussion makes the members more comfortable with each other,and thus bolder and more daring.
B)The group leader usually gets the credit or blame for the group action.
C)The group dispenses with accountability.
D)People may take on more and more extreme positions just to prove they are really committed to the cause.

Question 66

Which group decision-making type is the most productive in terms of ideas?

A)conservatism
B)brainstorming
C)nominal
D)interacting

Question 67

Which of the following statements about group diversity is TRUE?

A)Diversity appears to increase group conflict,especially in the early stages of a group's tenure.
B)Diversity differences make such groups unable to solve problems.
C)Diverse juries are more likely to make factual errors when discussing evidence.
D)None of the above.

Question 68

Which group decision-making type creates the highest social pressure?

A)conservatism
B)brainstorming
C)nominal
D)interacting

Question 69

Group decisions are generally preferable to individual decisions when ________ is sought.

A)efficiency
B)clear responsibility
C)more complete information and knowledge
D)speed

Question 70

Individual decisions are generally preferable to group decisions when __________ is sought.

A)speed
B)a higher-quality decision
C)acceptance of a solution
D)diversity of perspectives

Question 71

Brainstorming is:

A)a process for generating ideas.
B)used mainly when group members cannot agree on a solution.
C)a technique that tends to restrict independent thinking.
D)used to build group cohesiveness.

Question 72

Which one of the following is likely to generate the least innovative alternatives?

A)nominal group technique
B)brainstorming
C)Delphi technique
D)face-to-face interacting groups

Question 73

If cohesiveness is high and performance norms are low,

A)productivity will be low.
B)internal conflict will be high.
C)internal conflict will be low.
D)productivity will be high.

Question 74

Your organisation is considering the use of team decision making.You have read the literature on decision making extensively and are trying to inform your manager about the advantages and disadvantages of group decision making. You should expect to find that group:

A)decision making results in an increased acceptance of the decision.
B)decision making will not be viewed as legitimate.
C)discussions will be shared equally.
D)decision making will be faster.

Question 75

Quality Timber Pty Ltd is a well-established logging company.With below-average performance,its packaging department is consistently behind schedule.Employees often take long lunch breaks and frequently stop to chat with co-workers.However,the employees get along very well and frequently spend time together,even outside work. In this scenario,the performance norms are ________ and cohesiveness is ________ ,so productivity is ________ .

A)low;low;high
B)high;low;low
C)low;high;high
D)low;high;low

Question 76

Quality Timber Pty Ltd is a well-established logging company.With below-average performance,their packaging department is consistently behind schedule.Employees often take long lunch breaks and frequently stop to chat with co-workers.However,the employees get along very well and frequently spend time together,even outside of work. If new members were introduced into the department,cohesiveness of the original group would likely:

A)decrease.
B)increase.
C)stay unchanged.
D)not enough information given to determine.

Question 77

Which is NOT a weakness of group decision making?

A)It is time-consuming.
B)There is increased diversity of views.
C)It can be dominated by one or a few members.
D)It suffers from ambiguous responsibility.

Question 78

Groups that are more focused on performance than on learning are in danger of:

A)polarisation.
B)groupshift.
C)groupthink.
D)unanimity.

Question 79

The ________ technique most restricts discussion or interpersonal communication during the decision-making process.

A)interacting
B)nominal group
C)brainstorm
D)all of the above

Question 80

Which group decision-making type encourages the highest commitment to the group solution?

A)conservatism
B)brainstorming
C)nominal
D)interacting