Deck 9: Foundations of Group Behavior

Question 1

Farid is a third generation Indian American. He has never been to India, but was very saddened by the recent news of hundreds dead in a terrorist attack in India. This is an example of ________.

A) ingroup favoritism
B) an informal group
C) uncertainty reduction
D) a task group
E) social identity theory

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Which of the following statements most accurately describes interest groups?

A) They are longer lasting than friendship groups.
B) They develop because individual members have one or more common characteristics.
C) They are formed because of some common objective.
D) They are governed by labor laws.
E) They are likely to involve great social conflict.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

What term is used for a set of expected behavior patterns associated with a particular position in a social unit?

A) role
B) role perception
C) role identity
D) role expectation
E) identity

Answer 3

A

Question 4

According to the punctuated-equilibrium model, groups tend to experience ________ for the first half of the project.

A) inertia
B) reorganization and redirection
C) mid-life crisis
D) markedly accelerated activity
E) discord

Question 5

Temporary groups with deadlines tend to follow the ________ model.

A) sociometry
B) five-stage group development
C) punctuated equilibrium
D) cluster variance
E) frantic action

Question 6

What are the five stages of group development?

A) generation, implementation, construction, production, termination
B) introduction, development, production, deterioration, adjournment
C) initiation, evolution, maturation, degeneration, termination
D) forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning
E) acting, reacting, enacting, impacting, acting

Question 7

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

A) bonding
B) norming
C) performing
D) initiating
E) forming

Question 8

Julia, Bree, and David work in different departments but often eat lunch together. They are an example of what type of group?

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

Question 9

Employees who band together to seek improved working conditions form a(n) ________ group.

A) union
B) support
C) interest
D) work
E) emancipated

Question 10

Which of the following statements is true?

A) All task groups are also command groups.
B) All command groups are also task groups.
C) All task groups are also friendship groups.
D) All command groups are also informal groups.
E) All informal groups are also command groups.

Question 11

After which stage of a group's development has the group formed a common set of expectations of member behaviors?

A) norming
B) storming
C) maturation
D) development
E) forming

Question 12

Which of the following is not an important characteristic of social identity?

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

Question 13

A temporary task group working under a time-constrained deadline would be expected to behave in which of the following manners?

A) forming, then storming, then norming, then performing, and finally adjourning
B) exhibit long periods of inertia interspersed with brief revolutionary changes triggered by its members' awareness of looming deadlines
C) develop plans, assign roles, determine and allocate resources, resolve conflicts, and set norms
D) group energy will move rapidly from getting to know and understand each other to performing the task at hand
E) a period of activity where tasks are set and the bulk of the project is completed, followed by a period of inertia where what little work remains is performed

Question 14

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

A) storming
B) norming
C) production
D) maturation
E) performing

Question 15

In the second stage of group development ________.

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

Question 16

Which one of the following characteristics is not necessarily true about groups?

A) Group members are interdependent.
B) Groups have two or more members.
C) Groups have assigned goals.
D) Groups interact.
E) Groups have particular objectives.

Question 17

After which stage of a group's development is there a relatively clear hierarchy of leadership within the group?

A) norming
B) storming
C) development
D) evolution
E) forming

Question 18

Paula is looking for a new HR person for her company. She is reviewing resumes to determine which candidates to call for an interview. She sees one candidate that attended her same university. Paula puts that resume in the "to call" pile. This is an example of ________.

A) uncertainty reduction
B) ingroup favoritism
C) an interest group
D) a friendship group
E) an informal group

Question 19

What sort of groups is defined by the organization's structure?

A) informal
B) task
C) friendship
D) interest
E) formal

Question 20

Which stage in group development is most characterized by uncertainty?

A) introduction
B) storming
C) forming
D) evolution
E) norming

Question 21

Kim and Eileen have both asked for an extended winter holiday in December. Since they are the only two members of the same department, they can not both be gone at the same time. They have both been with the company for five years and have the same skill level. However, the department director is Eileen's brother-in-law and he chose to give the vacation to Eileen. Kim is furious. This is an example of ________.

A) status tolerance
B) status characteristics
C) status inequity
D) conformity
E) an appearance norm

Question 22

Which of the following is not an example of a work group norm dealing with performance?

A) when an employee needs to look busy
B) how hard an employee should work
C) the appropriate levels of tardiness
D) the acceptable level of output
E) the importance of promptness

Question 23

What term is used for the mutual expectations of what management expects from workers and what workers expect from management?

A) group norm
B) role expectation
C) role identity
D) psychological contract
E) reactive goals

Question 24

Which of the following was the major finding of Zimbardo's simulated prison experiment?

A) Status differences between groups will always result in conflict between those groups.
B) Group cohesiveness is so important that individuals will restrain their natural impulses in order to remain part of the group.
C) Individuals can rapidly assimilate new roles very different from their inherent personalities.
D) An individual's emotions and the behavioral responses to those emotions are congruent.
E) When given the opportunity, people will tend to act in an oppressive manner to those around them.

Question 25

What term is used for acceptable standards of behavior that are shared by a group's members?

A) norms
B) rules
C) standards
D) codes of behavior
E) explicit contracts

Question 26

Sally works as a salesperson in a department store. Whenever a customer asks for an item that is in stock but not on display, she usually tells them that the product is out of stock. "It's a pain going into the stock-room to find an item," says Sally. "Nobody in my department ever tells a customer the truth about what is in stock." This example illustrates which of the following facts about deviant workplace behavior?

A) Deviant workplace behavior will arise when tasks that an employee is supposed to perform are unpleasant or difficult.
B) Most workers do not consider lying to a customer to be deviant workplace behavior.
C) Workers will lie to customers as long as the customers do not complain about it.
D) Deviant workplace behavior flourishes where it's supported by group norms.
E) Groups will come to their own conclusions about what is and isn't appropriate.

Question 27

Which is not a common class of norms appearing in most work groups?

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

Question 28

Tim is Javier's manager at an engineering firm. Tim expects Javier to report to him daily with the status of a very important project. Javier is bothered by the amount of time that the daily report takes away from his actual work, but he complies to the expectation and everyday, for five days, sends a one page report to Tim detailing what he has done. At the end of the fifth day, Tim has not replied to Javier's e-mails confirming receipt, nor given any feedback. What can you expect to happen due to the breakdown of the psychological contract?

A) Javier will abandon the project.
B) Javier will continue to send the long reports.
C) Tim will fire Javier for failing to comply.
D) Javier will report Tim to upper management.
E) Javier will send fewer or smaller reports.

Question 29

The major contribution of the Asch study was to demonstrate the impact of ________.

A) group pressures
B) seating arrangements
C) convergence
D) status
E) cognitive dissonance

Question 30

What term is used for antisocial actions by organizational members who voluntarily violate established norms and that result in negative consequences for the organization, its members, or both?

A) ethical dilemmas
B) deviant workplace behavior
C) abnormal behavior
D) discommitment behavior
E) reactive affirmation behavior

Question 31

Groups that a person is aware of or would like to be a member of, and feels members are important are called ________ groups.

A) conformity
B) reference
C) status
D) power
E) appearance

Question 32

Most people assume that a police officer should behave in a lawful manner, not show any favoritism to any particular group, and do their best to uphold the law. What term is used for this kind of belief?

A) a norm
B) a norm identity
C) a role expectation
D) a role perception
E) a norm violation

Question 33

When Judith became a doctor she modeled her manner on her observations of more experienced doctors, and also on the behavior of doctors in medical dramas she had enjoyed watching as a child on TV. What is Judith modeling her manner upon?

A) the role behaviors of doctors
B) her role perception of doctors
C) the role identity of doctors
D) her role expectation of doctors
E) the core role actions of doctors

Question 34

What can we assume from the difference in behavior by the participants in Zimbardo's prison experiment and those in the BBC prison experiment?

A) All people have the same role expectations and behave accordingly.
B) Role abuse cannot be stopped as it is an inherent part of role expectation.
C) Role perceptions are viewed the same regardless of the situation.
D) Role abuse can be hindered and controlled by close monitoring.
E) Individuals with emotional stability are more easily controlled by roles.

Question 35

Zach is devout and very active in his church. He is also a very dedicated employee. His manager offers him a promotion but the new role will require him to work Sundays. Zach would like the promotion, but realizes that it would force him to miss some church activities. It is likely that Zach is experiencing which of the following?

A) role conflict
B) role expectation
C) role perception
D) psychological conflict
E) cognitive reactance

Question 36

What term is used for the process by which an individual's desire for acceptance by the group and the pressure by the group on individual members to match its standards results in a change in individual attitudes and behaviors?

A) conformity
B) coercion
C) commitment
D) convergence
E) confluence

Question 37

Norms that dictate with whom group members eat lunch, friendships on and off the job, and social games are ________ norms.

A) appearance
B) social arrangement
C) performance
D) leisure
E) confluence

Question 38

A group is most likely to tolerate deviation from a group's conformity norms by which of the following individuals?

A) a high status individual who does not care about the social rewards the group provides
B) a high status individual who is tightly integrated into the group's social structure
C) a low status individual who has only recently entered the group
D) a low status individual who strongly wishes to integrate within the group
E) a low status individual who is not well regarded by the rest of the group

Question 39

A local government work crew cleans up parks and other public spaces. In this crew the dirtiest jobs are generally given to the newest members, while the more senior members of the crew tend to do little except draw their pay. What is the class of norms that encompasses arrangements like this?

A) performance.
B) appearance
C) resource allocation
D) financial rewards
E) confluence

Question 40

Which of the following is not a finding of Elton Mayo's Hawthorne studies?

A) A worker's behavior and sentiments are closely related.
B) Group standards are highly effective in establishing individual worker output.
C) Money was less a factor in determining worker output than were group standards, sentiments, and security.
D) Competition between groups will maximize group output.
E) Group influences are significant in affecting individual behavior.

Question 41

What term is used for the degree to which group members are attracted to one another and are motivated to stay in the group?

A) cohesiveness
B) integration
C) sociability
D) reliability
E) interdependence

Question 42

What will happen if group cohesiveness is high and performance norms are low?

A) Internal conflict will be high.
B) Internal conflict will be low.
C) Productivity will be high.
D) Productivity will be low.
E) It will have little effect on internal conflict or productivity.

Question 43

Which of the following is a phenomenon in which group pressures for conformity deter the group from critically appraising unusual, minority, or unpopular views?

A) group conformity
B) groupshift
C) groupthink
D) compromise
E) risk transfer

Question 44

Which statement best describes the relationship of low performance norms such as quality, output, and cooperation, with group cohesiveness?

A) When productivity norms are high, if cohesiveness is low productivity will be low.
B) Because of high group cohesiveness, if norms are low, productivity will still be high.
C) Because of high group cohesiveness, if norms are high, productivity will still be low.
D) When productivity norms are high, if cohesiveness is high productivity will be low.
E) Regardless of group cohesiveness, if norms are low, productivity will be low.

Question 45

Which is not a weakness of group decision making?

A) It is time consuming.
B) There is less originality.
C) It suffers from ambiguous responsibility.
D) It can be dominated by one or a few members.
E) It's not clear who is accountable for bad decisions.

Question 46

Individual decisions are generally preferable to group decisions when which of the following is sought?

A) speed
B) creativity
C) acceptance
D) quality
E) broad unanimity

Question 47

What result can groupshift have on the decisions a group makes?

A) They are made by groups rather than individuals.
B) They are generally riskier.
C) They are made more quickly.
D) They are less effective.
E) They are objectively incorrect.

Question 48

Which of the following is not a means to prevent social loafing?

A) base group rewards on the whole group
B) set group goals
C) increase group competition
D) apply peer evaluation
E) select members who prefer to work in groups

Question 49

According to status characteristics theory, which of the following does not determine status?

A) power
B) contribution to goals
C) conformity
D) personality
E) talent

Question 50

What is brainstorming?

A) a technique used to build group cohesiveness
B) a technique that tends to restrict independent thinking
C) a process for generating ideas
D) a process used mainly when group members cannot agree on a solution
E) the most effective means of generating answers

Question 51

If your group must take action, which size should be most effective?

A) 3
B) 7
C) 12
D) 24
E) 100

Question 52

Which of the following is not an explanation for the phenomenon of groupshift?

A) Discussion creates familiarization among members.
B) Most first-world societies value risk.
C) The group leader usually gets the credit or blame for the group action.
D) The group diffuses responsibility.
E) Group discussion motivates members to show their willingness to take risks.

Question 53

What did Ringelmann conclude after he compared the results of individual and group performance?

A) The larger the group, the greater the individual productivity.
B) Individual productivity goes down as group size goes up.
C) Total productivity tends to decline in large groups.
D) Group size is not a determinant of individual productivity.
E) Groups served little purpose in organizations.

Question 54

Ayesha is leading a group to develop a prototype for a new product. She has chosen three people to work with her. Ben and Tom are good friends and socialize on the weekend. They are both very creative. Julian is older than Ben and Tom, but they have worked together before and been quite productive. Julian is organized. Ayesha has never worked with any of the men, but knows the product well. She brings the highest level of expertise. Which of the following statements best describes Ayesha's group?

A) high norms, low cohesiveness, high productivity
B) low norms, low cohesiveness, low productivity
C) high norms, high cohesiveness, high productivity
D) high norms, high cohesiveness, high productivity
E) low norms, low cohesiveness, low productivity

Question 55

Your group is engaged in problem solving and your goal is fact-finding. Which of the following group sizes should be most effective?

A) 2
B) 4
C) 8
D) 10
E) 15

Question 56

Which of the following is not likely to increase group cohesiveness?

A) reward high-performing group individuals
B) decreasing the size of the group
C) agreement upon the established goals
D) increasing groups status in the organization
E) physically isolate the group

Question 57

What term is used for the tendency for individuals to spend less effort when working collectively?

A) groupthink
B) the rule of diminishing returns
C) social loafing
D) groupshift
E) clustering

Question 58

Which of the following is an effective means of countering social loafing?

A) increase the rewards the group is given if it succeeds
B) increase the amount by which the group's progress is monitored
C) provide means by which individual efforts can be identified
D) increase the size of the group
E) increase the group's work load

Question 59

Group decisions are generally preferable to individual decisions when which of the following is sought?

A) acceptance of the solution
B) speed
C) efficiency
D) clear responsibility
E) a conjunctive solution

Question 60

Alberto is working with a group of fifteen people to coordinate the merger of two corporations. Everyone in the group is highly qualified, offers relevant information, and has high norms. Still, the group seems to be slow at outlining a definitive plan for the merger. With the information provided, what would be the fastest and best way for Alberto to increase cohesiveness and productivity.

A) hold longer meetings at a restaurant or social setting
B) stimulate competition with other groups
C) reward anyone who can devise a workable plan
D) immediately make the group smaller
E) invite more members into the group

Question 61

In the punctuated-equilibrium model, the group's direction is reexamined frequently in the first half of the group's life and is likely to be altered.

Question 62

Which type of decision-making group is most committed to the group solution?

A) interacting
B) brainstorming
C) nominal
D) electronic
E) social

Question 63

Hubert needs an instruction manual for his new product. He needs a small team of technical writers to work together closely to rapidly write the manual. He needs them to communicate ideas quickly, creatively, and affordably. Which of the following group techniques should Hubert consider?

A) nominal and electronic
B) nominal and interacting
C) brainstorming and electronic
D) electronic and interacting
E) interacting and brainstorming

Question 64

Which of the following statements is not true about group diversity?

A) Culturally diverse groups perform better over time.
B) Diverse groups perform worse in a short time period.
C) Diverse groups deliberate and have more ideas.
D) Diversity increases group conflict.
E) Group diversity is always beneficial in financial terms.

Question 65

If a group is highly cohesive, meaning that the members in the group are attracted to each other and desire to work together, they will be highly productive even with established low performance norms.

Question 66

A manager in France needs to be aware of the importance the French place on ________.

A) socializing
B) uncertainty reduction
C) distinctiveness
D) social loafing
E) status

Question 67

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

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

Question 68

Zimbardo's simulated prison experiment demonstrated that people with no prior personality pathology or training in their roles could execute extreme forms of behavior consistent with the roles they were playing.

Question 69

High-status members of groups are given less freedom to deviate from norms than other group members.

Question 70

What sort of group should you avoid if you want to minimize interpersonal conflict?

A) interacting
B) brainstorming
C) nominal
D) electronic
E) social

Question 71

Which of the following is not true about electronic meetings?

A) Group effectiveness is decreased.
B) Problem solving time is reduced.
C) Money spent is increased.
D) Members speak anonymously.
E) Member satisfaction is increased

Question 72

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

Question 73

Which of the following is not considered an advantage of electronic meetings?

A) Members can be honest.
B) It is speedy.
C) Individuals receive credit for their ideas.
D) It is anonymous.
E) Chitchat is eliminated.

Question 74

Evidence indicates that Asch's findings about group conformity are culture bound.

Question 75

One's view of how one is supposed to act in a given situation is a role perception.

Question 76

Patricia needs as many creative ideas as she can get for the new advertising campaign, and her small agency doesn't have a lot of money for high-tech meeting facilities. Given the information provided, which meeting technique will provide the highest number of quality ideas?

A) interacting
B) brainstorming
C) nominal
D) electronic
E) social

Question 77

Maya just got out of a meeting. She is extremely frustrated because nothing got done and now she has to deal with workplace drama. Sophia is threatening to quit because various people publicly humiliated her by disparaging her ideas. The entire meeting turned into conflict management for Maya. Which kind of meeting technique did Maya most likely use?

A) interacting
B) brainstorming
C) nominal
D) electronic
E) social

Question 78

Command and task groups are dictated by the formal organization, whereas interest and friendship groups are not.

Question 79

As group performance increases with group size, the addition of new members to the group has positive returns on productivity.

Question 80

Temporary groups with task-specific deadlines follow the five-stage model of group development.