Deck 13: Managing Teams

Question 1

Temporary groups created to accomplish a specific task are termed ________.

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

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT a stage of group development?

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

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The stage of group development in which you would most likely see a battle over group leadership is ________.

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

Answer 3

D

Question 4

In what type of formal group is the traditional work group determined by formal authority relationships?

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

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a formal group?

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

Question 6

Groups that bring together the knowledge and skills of individuals from various work areas in order to come up with solutions to operational problems are known as 'command groups.'

Question 7

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

Question 8

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

Question 9

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

Question 10

Which of the following would be considered a FORMAL group?

A)task force for employee birthday celebrations
B)bringing people from various functions to solve a business dilemma
C)reading group
D)bowling team
E)lunch time cards group

Question 11

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

Question 12

Which of the following formal groups are essentially independent groups, which, in addition to their regular job, take on tasks such as hiring, performance evaluations, etc.?

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

Question 13

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

Question 14

Which of the following statements about groups is true?

A)You need five or more people to be considered a work group.
B)Formal groups are aimed at specific social agendas.
C)Informal groups are indirect benefits of strategic planning.
D)The definition of groups suggests that a group is two or more people together for any reason.
E)Groups can be either formal or informal.

Question 15

In which of the following stages of group development do people join the group either because of a work assignment, in the case of a formal group, or for some other benefit desired, in the case of an informal group?

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

Question 16

Task forces are permanent teams that take on special projects.

Question 17

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 18

The first stage of group development is storming.

Question 19

Group behaviour is ________.

A)the sum of the behaviours of all the individuals in the group
B)individual behaviours seeking the same goals
C)not merely the presence of particular goals but also individual behaviours
D)a set of interactions and independent behaviours of individuals with similar goals
E)not merely the sum total of the behaviours of all the individuals in the group

Question 20

At the completion of which of the following stages of group development would there be a relatively clear hierarchy of leadership within the group and agreement on the group's direction?

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

Question 21

The biggest problem with social loafing is antisocial behaviour.

Question 22

What stage of group development is complete when the group structure solidifies and the group has assimilated a common set of expectations about behaviour?

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

Question 23

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

Question 24

Scenario-based questions: The Retreat
The first-line managers were sent on a retreat to the Blue Mountains outside Sydney for their inaugural strategic planning retreat.Few people knew each other, but their task was clear: design a new performance appraisal system for subordinates that will be effective and usable.Their years of complaining about the old system had landed them with this new responsibility dumped right in their lap.They had four days to become brilliant, and everyone was a little on edge.The first day, little was accomplished except for the jockeying to see who would be the official leader.Finally, Jim seemed to wrangle control and helped provide the first real direction for the group.By the second day the group seemed to begin working well.They spent the morning deciding how they would make decisions within the group and how to manage the idea-generation process.The third and fourth days saw the new managers move amazingly quickly, with ideas flowing freely.By the end of the fourth day, they had a workable system developed and they felt satisfied.That night they all signed the new document to be presented to the regional manager the next day.They all felt a twinge of regret at having to break up the group and return to normal work life.
Refer to The Retreat (Scenario).The group was in the ________ stage when they were competing to see who would lead the group.

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

Question 25

In a short essay, define formal groups and list and describe four examples of formal groups.

Question 26

Scenario-based questions: A New Group
David had been away from his old company, Control Tech, for a while.He remembered that when he worked there 10 years ago the company was very traditional and conservative.The lines of authority and responsibility were established and clear.Now, it felt ironic that he was managing the consulting team that was going to help bring a group orientation into being.Now in addition to the traditional hierarchy, with a manager and subordinates, he saw a need to introduce teams comprised of individuals from various work areas to help solve operational problems.He also felt that for certain projects there could be groups that could function essentially independently, even taking on traditional management responsibilities such as hiring, planning, scheduling, etc.Plus, he also saw real potential for special, temporary projects to be handled by groups that would disband once the task was completed.
Refer to A New Group (Scenario).David also saw a need for ________, which are essentially independent groups taking on traditional management responsibilities.

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

Question 27

What stage of group development follows norming?

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

Question 28

Scenario-based questions: The Retreat
The first-line managers were sent on a retreat to the Blue Mountains outside Sydney for their inaugural strategic planning retreat.Few people knew each other, but their task was clear: design a new performance appraisal system for subordinates that will be effective and usable.Their years of complaining about the old system had landed them with this new responsibility dumped right in their lap.They had four days to become brilliant, and everyone was a little on edge.The first day, little was accomplished except for the jockeying to see who would be the official leader.Finally, Jim seemed to wrangle control and helped provide the first real direction for the group.By the second day the group seemed to begin working well.They spent the morning deciding how they would make decisions within the group and how to manage the idea-generation process.The third and fourth days saw the new managers move amazingly quickly, with ideas flowing freely.By the end of the fourth day, they had a workable system developed and they felt satisfied.That night they all signed the new document to be presented to the regional manager the next day.They all felt a twinge of regret at having to break up the group and return to normal work life.
Refer to The Retreat (Scenario).The stage of group development characterised by their being at the retreat for a business reason is known as ________.

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

Question 29

Scenario-based questions: The Retreat
The first-line managers were sent on a retreat to the Blue Mountains outside Sydney for their inaugural strategic planning retreat.Few people knew each other, but their task was clear: design a new performance appraisal system for subordinates that will be effective and usable.Their years of complaining about the old system had landed them with this new responsibility dumped right in their lap.They had four days to become brilliant, and everyone was a little on edge.The first day, little was accomplished except for the jockeying to see who would be the official leader.Finally, Jim seemed to wrangle control and helped provide the first real direction for the group.By the second day the group seemed to begin working well.They spent the morning deciding how they would make decisions within the group and how to manage the idea-generation process.The third and fourth days saw the new managers move amazingly quickly, with ideas flowing freely.By the end of the fourth day, they had a workable system developed and they felt satisfied.That night they all signed the new document to be presented to the regional manager the next day.They all felt a twinge of regret at having to break up the group and return to normal work life.
Refer to The Retreat (Scenario).When the management team left the Blue Mountains to return to their workplace, they had just completed the ________ stage of group development.

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

Question 30

Scenario-based questions: The Retreat
The first-line managers were sent on a retreat to the Blue Mountains outside Sydney for their inaugural strategic planning retreat.Few people knew each other, but their task was clear: design a new performance appraisal system for subordinates that will be effective and usable.Their years of complaining about the old system had landed them with this new responsibility dumped right in their lap.They had four days to become brilliant, and everyone was a little on edge.The first day, little was accomplished except for the jockeying to see who would be the official leader.Finally, Jim seemed to wrangle control and helped provide the first real direction for the group.By the second day the group seemed to begin working well.They spent the morning deciding how they would make decisions within the group and how to manage the idea-generation process.The third and fourth days saw the new managers move amazingly quickly, with ideas flowing freely.By the end of the fourth day, they had a workable system developed and they felt satisfied.That night they all signed the new document to be presented to the regional manager the next day.They all felt a twinge of regret at having to break up the group and return to normal work life.
Refer to The Retreat (Scenario).In the third and fourth days of the retreat, the managers were in the ________ stage of group development.

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

Question 31

Which of the following is an accurate statement about the progression of groups through their development stages?

A)Groups in the conforming stage are more effective than in the norming stage.
B)Groups develop in a linear manner.
C)Several stages may be happening simultaneously.
D)Groups will always regress to previous stages, if only for a short time.
E)Conflict inhibits group effectiveness.

Question 32

In a short essay, list and discuss the five stages of group development.

Question 33

Scenario-based questions: A New Group
David had been away from his old company, Control Tech, for a while.He remembered that when he worked there 10 years ago the company was very traditional and conservative.The lines of authority and responsibility were established and clear.Now, it felt ironic that he was managing the consulting team that was going to help bring a group orientation into being.Now in addition to the traditional hierarchy, with a manager and subordinates, he saw a need to introduce teams comprised of individuals from various work areas to help solve operational problems.He also felt that for certain projects there could be groups that could function essentially independently, even taking on traditional management responsibilities such as hiring, planning, scheduling, etc.Plus, he also saw real potential for special, temporary projects to be handled by groups that would disband once the task was completed.
Refer to A New Group (Scenario).Finally, the temporary groups David talked about, created to achieve a special task and then disband, are known as ________.

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

Question 34

Small groups tend to complete tasks faster than larger groups.

Question 35

Scenario-based questions: A New Group
David had been away from his old company, Control Tech, for a while.He remembered that when he worked there 10 years ago the company was very traditional and conservative.The lines of authority and responsibility were established and clear.Now, it felt ironic that he was managing the consulting team that was going to help bring a group orientation into being.Now in addition to the traditional hierarchy, with a manager and subordinates, he saw a need to introduce teams comprised of individuals from various work areas to help solve operational problems.He also felt that for certain projects there could be groups that could function essentially independently, even taking on traditional management responsibilities such as hiring, planning, scheduling, etc.Plus, he also saw real potential for special, temporary projects to be handled by groups that would disband once the task was completed.
Refer to A New Group (Scenario).David recognised that ________ are characterised with the traditional hierarchy of a manager and subordinates.

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

Question 36

The impact that group pressures for conformity can have on an individual member's judgment and attitudes was demonstrated in research by Solomon Asch.

Question 37

Scenario-based questions: The Retreat
The first-line managers were sent on a retreat to the Blue Mountains outside Sydney for their inaugural strategic planning retreat.Few people knew each other, but their task was clear: design a new performance appraisal system for subordinates that will be effective and usable.Their years of complaining about the old system had landed them with this new responsibility dumped right in their lap.They had four days to become brilliant, and everyone was a little on edge.The first day, little was accomplished except for the jockeying to see who would be the official leader.Finally, Jim seemed to wrangle control and helped provide the first real direction for the group.By the second day the group seemed to begin working well.They spent the morning deciding how they would make decisions within the group and how to manage the idea-generation process.The third and fourth days saw the new managers move amazingly quickly, with ideas flowing freely.By the end of the fourth day, they had a workable system developed and they felt satisfied.That night they all signed the new document to be presented to the regional manager the next day.They all felt a twinge of regret at having to break up the group and return to normal work life.
Refer to The Retreat (Scenario).When the management group was deciding on their decision rules, they were in the ________ stage of group development.

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

Question 38

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

Question 39

Scenario-based questions: A New Group
David had been away from his old company, Control Tech, for a while.He remembered that when he worked there 10 years ago the company was very traditional and conservative.The lines of authority and responsibility were established and clear.Now, it felt ironic that he was managing the consulting team that was going to help bring a group orientation into being.Now in addition to the traditional hierarchy, with a manager and subordinates, he saw a need to introduce teams comprised of individuals from various work areas to help solve operational problems.He also felt that for certain projects there could be groups that could function essentially independently, even taking on traditional management responsibilities such as hiring, planning, scheduling, etc.Plus, he also saw real potential for special, temporary projects to be handled by groups that would disband once the task was completed.
Refer to A New Group (Scenario).David knows that groups consist of ________ interacting and interdependent individuals who come together to achieve particular objectives.

A)10 or more
B)at least 3
C)15 or more
D)5 or more
E)2 or more

Question 40

Scenario-based questions: A New Group
David had been away from his old company, Control Tech, for a while.He remembered that when he worked there 10 years ago the company was very traditional and conservative.The lines of authority and responsibility were established and clear.Now, it felt ironic that he was managing the consulting team that was going to help bring a group orientation into being.Now in addition to the traditional hierarchy, with a manager and subordinates, he saw a need to introduce teams comprised of individuals from various work areas to help solve operational problems.He also felt that for certain projects there could be groups that could function essentially independently, even taking on traditional management responsibilities such as hiring, planning, scheduling, etc.Plus, he also saw real potential for special, temporary projects to be handled by groups that would disband once the task was completed.
Refer to A New Group (Scenario).The groups that comprise individuals from various areas working on operational problems are best described as ________.

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

Question 41

In comparison to large groups, small groups ________.

A)have higher status
B)have shorter group tenure
C)tend to be more homogeneous
D)are better at obtaining diverse input
E)are faster at completing tasks

Question 42

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

A)roles
B)policies
C)norms
D)morals
E)values

Question 43

The findings of Asch's experiment utilising lines of different lengths would relate to which of the following?

A)work group cohesiveness
B)performance perceptions
C)role conflict
D)job status
E)workplace conformity

Question 44

Individual characteristics of the person may influence their status within the group.

Question 45

________ refers to a prestige grading, position or rank within a group.

A)Role conflict
B)Status
C)Norm
D)Role
E)Accommodation

Question 46

________ occurs when a supervisor is earning less than his subordinates.

A)Conflict
B)Group divergence
C)Status incongruence
D)Group incohesiveness
E)Role conflict

Question 47

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

A)group cohesiveness
B)role
C)status system
D)norm
E)conformity behaviour

Question 48

The 'free rider tendency' explains which of the following?

A)why group productivity grows in a linear fashion
B)why groups will tend to let an unproductive outsider in the group
C)why there is always one person who does not work as hard as other group members
D)why the productivity of groups is exponential
E)why individuals tend to expend less effort when they are working collectively than when they are working individually

Question 49

Resolving conflicts by placing another's needs and concerns above one's own is termed forcing.

Question 50

External conditions tend to have little influence on group performance.

Question 51

A new commercial bank employee who notices stares from other officers because he does not wear conservative work attire is experiencing what aspect of groups?

A)performing pressure
B)cohesiveness conflict
C)role conflict
D)status separation
E)norms

Question 52

An individual who is confronted by different role expectations experiences ________.

A)role conflict
B)group cohesiveness
C)task divergence
D)role convergence
E)conformity pressure

Question 53

An advantage of group decisions is that they increase acceptance of a solution.

Question 54

Compromise offers the ultimate win-win solution to conflict.

Question 55

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

Question 56

Education, age, skill and experience are examples of which of the following?

A)formal status categories
B)individual status categories
C)in-group status categories
D)informal status categories
E)out-group status categories

Question 57

Groupthink is a form of group conformity in which group members withhold deviant, minority or unpopular views in order to give the appearance of agreement.

Question 58

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

A)People generally have difficulty classifying people into status categories.
B)Status has cognitive but no behavioural consequences.
C)Education is an informal status characteristic.
D)Status is a weak motivator compared to other group issues.
E)Status is a contemporary research topic.

Question 59

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

Question 60

A middle manager who is expected by his/her boss to keep performance evaluations low to save on merit increase costs, but feels compelled to reward his/her high performing subordinates fairly, is experiencing which of the following?

A)norm decisiveness
B)role conflict
C)status separation
D)cohesiveness conflict
E)conformity pressure

Question 61

All of the following are mentioned in the textbook as techniques that managers can use to make group decisions more creative EXCEPT ________.

A)brainstorming
B)electronic meetings
C)quantitative analysis
D)nominal group technique
E)both A and B

Question 62

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

A)Individuals are always outperformed by groups.
B)Groups are less creative than individuals.
C)Groups are more accepting of the final decision.
D)Individuals tend to be more accurate.
E)Group effectiveness is influenced by its size.

Question 63

Which view of conflict sees it as absolutely necessary for effective organisational performance?

A)interactionist view
B)conservative view
C)human relations view
D)traditional view
E)contemporary view

Question 64

What view of conflict sees it as natural, inevitable and potentially having positive results for the organisation?

A)interactionist view
B)human relations view
C)contemporary view
D)traditional view
E)conservative view

Question 65

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of group decision making over individual decision making?

A)They generate more alternatives.
B)There is increased legitimacy of the decision.
C)There is less acceptance of a solution.
D)They provide more information.
E)There is reluctance to fight a decision they helped develop.

Question 66

Perceived incompatible differences resulting in some form of interference or opposition is known as ________.

A)conflict
B)problem creation
C)personality differences
D)troubleshooting
E)political opposition

Question 67

Withdrawing from or suppression of conflict is termed ________.

A)collaborating
B)accommodation
C)avoidance
D)compromising
E)forcing

Question 68

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

A)group norms
B)group continuity
C)group cohesiveness
D)group expansion
E)group diversity

Question 69

The pressure to conform in groups is known by which of the following terms?

A)group freeloading effect
B)TQM
C)shirking
D)groupthink
E)management by objectives

Question 70

In which of the following situations are groups most effective?

A)a non-cohesive group in alignment with organisational goals
B)a cohesive group in alignment with organisational goals
C)a non-cohesive group
D)a cohesive group not in alignment with organisational goals
E)a cohesive group

Question 71

Which of the following is true concerning group decision making?

A)Groups take more time to make a decision.
B)Groups provide less information.
C)Groups tend to have equal participation rates.
D)There is little pressure to conform in groups.
E)There is definite ownership of responsibility in group decision making.

Question 72

Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the textbook as a conflict-resolution option?

A)avoidance
B)collaboration
C)contradiction
D)accommodation
E)compromise

Question 73

According to the textbook, which of the following is NOT identified as a type of conflict that differentiates functional from dysfunctional conflict?

A)relationship conflict
B)ethical conflict
C)task conflict
D)process conflict
E)work conflict

Question 74

Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the textbook as an example of an external condition that can determine group performance and satisfaction?

A)informal communication
B)formal regulations
C)employee selection criteria
D)authority structures
E)organisation's culture

Question 75

According to the textbook, group decision making is most effective compared to individual decision making EXCEPT for which of the following criteria?

A)efficiency
B)accuracy
C)creativity
D)speed
E)acceptance

Question 76

Which view of conflict argues that conflict must be avoided?

A)interactionist view
B)traditional
C)contemporary
D)conservative
E)human relations view

Question 77

The type of conflicts that the interactionist says support the goals of the organisation are known as ________.

A)functional conflicts
B)goal-oriented conflicts
C)realistic conflicts
D)strategic conflicts
E)natural conflicts

Question 78

Your textbook suggests that groups with approximately ________ members will be most effective at decision making.

A)3
B)7
C)4
D)12
E)15

Question 79

Which of the following is a potential means of limiting the free rider effect?

A)be able to identify individual responsibility
B)reward groups collectively, not individually
C)never allow an outsider into a group once it is formed
D)allow groups to punish poor team players
E)provide merit pay that is proportional to group effectiveness

Question 80

________ prevent a group from achieving its goals.

A)Functional conflicts
B)Command groups
C)Informal groups
D)Cross-functional teams
E)Dysfunctional conflicts