Deck 9: Work Teams and Groups

Question 1

Which of the following would NOT be considered a formal or assigned group in a work setting?

A) A project team
B) A council of department heads
C) An executive committee
D) A specialized interest group

Answer 1

D

Question 2

An important role in the performance of cross-functional teams is that of a(n) .

A) contributor
B) data generator
C) challenger
D) integrator

Answer 2

D

Question 3

An effective team exhibits:

A) no weaknesses.
B) shared leadership.
C) intragroup conflict.
D) formal, designated leadership.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The standards that a work group uses to evaluate the behavior of its members are called .

A) task functions
B) work processes
C) norms of behavior
D) superordinate goals

Question 5

All of the following would be considered positive norms of behavior within a group except:

A) consensus decision making.
B) shared leadership.
C) social loafing.
D) open discussion.

Question 6

Which of the following statements best reflects the punctuated equilibrium model of group development?

A) Teams experience relational conflicts at different times and in different contexts.
B) Groups do not necessarily progress linearly from one stage to another in sequential steps or stages.
C) Groups alternate between periods of inertia and progress toward goals with bursts of energy.
D) All of the above

Question 7

The development of group cohesiveness is negatively influenced by:

A) internal competition.
B) prestige of the group.
C) external pressure.
D) group size when there are only five to eight members.

Question 8

At which of the following stages of group development does the leader need to adopt a coaching style in order to deal with team challenges?

A) Forming
B) Storming
C) Norming
D) Performing

Question 9

Groups emphasize all of the following except:

A) collective work products.
B) individual leadership.
C) individual work products.
D) personal accountability.

Question 10

Dependence on guidance and direction is the defining characteristic of the stage of group development.

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

Question 11

Which of the following stages of group development requires that team members feel they are a part of the team for further progression in group development to occur?

A) Forming
B) Storming
C) Norming
D) Performing

Question 12

Work teams place a strong emphasis on:

A) shared leadership.
B) personal accountability
C) exclusive work products.
D) individual leadership.

Question 13

Social loafing is usually:

A) a norm of behavior within a group.
B) supportive of the development of group cohesion.
C) weighs heavy on a group's efforts and achievements.
D) a stimulant to increased group performance.

Question 14

Which of the following issues does a group address, according to the group development model proposed by Warren Bennis and Herbert Shepard?

A) Personal, task, and authority issues
B) Cultural, interpersonal, and task issues
C) Task, authority, and cultural issues
D) Interpersonal, task, and authority issues

Question 15

A group is a collection of two or more persons with common interests or objectives, whereas a team:

A) consists of two or more persons who are loosely tied together, yet each member works independently.
B) may consist of dozens of people who work for their own specific goals and are responsible for their own achievements.
C) has several persons but the performance or contribution of any particular member is inconsequential for the team's output.
D) is usually a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common goal for which they are mutually accountable.

Question 16

According to the group development model, which of the following set of issues need to be addressed as part of a group's authority issues?

A) Who is in charge, management of power and influence, and matters of trust
B) Expected group outcomes, personal comfort, and management of power and influence
C) Expected group outcomes, who is in charge, and mission or purpose of the group
D) Who is in charge, management of power and influence, and who has the right to tell whom to do what

Question 17

The set of authority and task relations among group members is known as .

A) control and sanctions
B) mutual acceptance
C) status structure
D) cohesiveness

Question 18

Which of the following includes the set of interpersonal issues that need to be addressed according to the group development model?

A) Purpose, methods, and outcomes
B) Trust, personal comfort, and security
C) Trust, personal comfort, and outcomes of the group
D) Mission of the group, personal comfort, and control

Question 19

The contributor is a team member who:

A) is a devil's advocate.
B) listens well and facilitates the group's process.
C) keeps a constant focus on the mission and urges other members to join efforts for mission accomplishment.
D) supplies necessary information and adheres to high performance standards.

Question 20

At which of the following stages of group development is a leader's role primarily to recognize his or her group's achievements?

A) Forming
B) Norming
C) Storming
D) Adjourning

Question 21

For successful chief executive officers, the peak performance years mostly occur at about:

A) two years.
B) ten years.
C) seven years.
D) three years.

Question 22

Self-managed teams are sometimes called .

A) quality circles
B) quality teams
C) autonomous work groups
D) cross-functional work teams

Question 23

Work team effectiveness in the new team environment requires management's attention to both:

A) training and work team process.
B) work team structure and work team training.
C) work team structure and work team process.
D) work roles and leadership.

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT a maintenance function of a group?

A) Harmonizing conflicts
B) Elaborating concepts
C) Following others' leads
D) Setting standards

Question 25

According to the research done by Hambrick and Fukutomi, in which of the following seasons of a CEO's tenure is his or her power at the lowest?

A) Response to a mandate
B) Experimentation
C) Selection of an enduring theme
D) Dysfunction

Question 26

A team-oriented work environment places emphasis on:

A) empowerment and collaboration.
B) power and authority or the distribution of power among team members.
C) internal competition.
D) hierarchical control by top management.

Question 27

According to Hambrick and Fukutomi, is the last season in a CEO's tenure.

A) experimentation
B) dysfunction
C) convergence
D) selection of an enduring theme

Question 28

Culturally diverse top teams help organizations limit .

A) groupthink
B) confusion
C) complexity
D) uncertainty

Question 29

Upper echelon theory argues that:

A) turnover at the top becomes a vicious cycle.
B) executive turnover will usually result in declining organizational performance.
C) characteristics of the top management team can predict organizational characteristics.
D) wild turkeys will have a detrimental effect on organizational performance.

Question 30

Teamwork is appropriate where:

A) the knowledge and talent of workers are dispersed across members and require integration.
B) tasks are independent, easy, less voluminous, and require individual attention.
C) tasks are simple and routine.
D) knowledge and talent is placed in highly skilled individuals.

Question 31

A "wild turkey" in the top management team is:

A) someone who is uncontrollable.
B) a devil's advocate who challenges the thinking of the CEO and other top executives.
C) a member of the executive team that retards the executive team's performance.
D) one who increases the homogeneity within the executive group.

Question 32

The two sets of social benefits available to team or group members includes:

A) participation and integrated involvement.
B) integrated involvement and achievement.
C) psychological intimacy and recognition.
D) psychological intimacy and integrated involvement.

Question 33

All work teams are groups, but not all groups are work teams.

Question 34

All of the following are considered important work process issues except:

A) diversity.
B) competitive behaviors.
C) cooperative behaviors.
D) role specification.

Question 35

Cooperative rewards in work teams will have the most effective impact on:

A) speed of performance.
B) accuracy of performance.
C) individual satisfaction.
D) none of these.

Question 36

Task functions relate to a group's efforts to complete an assignment. These functions include all of the following except:

A) seeking information.
B) coordinating activities.
C) testing ideas.
D) consensus testing.

Question 37

Integrated involvement as a social benefit of group or team membership includes:

A) emotional support.
B) affection and warmth.
C) opportunity for influence.
D) emotional isolation.

Question 38

As a member of a quality circle, you frequently check with other members to make sure all are focused on the same problem and that everyone has opportunities to contribute. You are performing the group maintenance function of:

A) following others' leads.
B) testing ideas.
C) gatekeeping communication.
D) giving information.

Question 39

Which of the following is the most accurate statement regarding the impact of dissimilarity on teams and team members?

A) Value dissimilarity is negatively related to task conflict.
B) Functional dissimilarity is negatively related to team involvement.
C) Value dissimilarity is negatively related to team involvement.
D) Demographic dissimilarity has no impact on OCB.

Question 40

A is a multicultural top team in which all but one member come from the same background.

A) bicultural group
B) homogeneous group
C) token group
D) multicultural group

Question 41

The punctuated equilibrium model of group development proposes that groups do not necessarily progress linearly from one step to another in a predetermined sequence.

Question 42

Whereas psychological intimacy is based more in emotion, integrated involvement is based more in behavior and activity.

Question 43

In the performing stage of group development, the leader of the group is required to adopt a coaching style.

Question 44

Formal groups are sometimes called emergent groups.

Question 45

According to Hambrick and Fukutomi, selection of an enduring theme is the first season in the tenure of a CEO.

Question 46

Teamwork is defined as joint action by a team of people in which individual interests are subordinated to team unity.

Question 47

Group maintenance functions are commonly performed or provided by the designated group leader.

Question 48

In order to increase the speed of a group's performance, competitive rewards would have a better impact than
cooperative rewards.

Question 49

Work team process issues have become less complex in the global workplace due to use of virtual work teams.

Question 50

Communication gatekeepers serve a maintenance role or function within groups.

Question 51

An upper echelon is a top-level executive team in an organization.

Question 52

The performing stage is the final stage of group development according to Bruce Tuckman's five­stage model of
group development.

Question 53

Dependence on guidance and direction is the primary characteristic in the forming stage.

Question 54

Work teams emphasize shared leadership, mutual accountability, and collective work products.

Question 55

Psychological intimacy and integrated involvement need to be achieved in the same team or group.

Question 56

The presence of a wild turkey in the top management team can be a particularly positive force.

Question 57

Performance norms are among the most important group norms from the organization's perspective.

Question 58

The primary elements of work team structure issues include goals, operating guidelines, performance measures, and role specification.

Question 59

Diversity in groups can enhance performance and lead to new ways of thinking.

Question 60

Formal groups are sometimes called assigned groups.

Question 61

According to Hambrick and Fukutomi, experimentation is the first season in the tenure of a CEO.

Question 62

Upper echelons are key to the strategic success of an organization.

Question 63

The most critical process skill for empowerment is goal setting.

Question 64

Identify and briefly discuss the four distinguishing characteristics of a mature (well-functioning) group.

Question 65

Match the following:
a. An example of a formally designated group
b. Strong interpersonal attractiveness among group members
c. The first stage in a group development
d. A benchmark against which team members are evaluated by each other
e. The devil's advocate within a group
Behavioral norms

Question 66

Match the following:
a. An example of a formally designated group
b. Strong interpersonal attractiveness among group members
c. The first stage in a group development
d. A benchmark against which team members are evaluated by each other
e. The devil's advocate within a group
Forming

Question 67

Explain group cohesion.

Question 68

Demographic dissimilarity influences employees' absenteeism, commitment, and work group relationships.

Question 69

Match the following:
a. A group member who fails to contribute to group tasks and relies on others to carry the group
b. A strong group characteristic that functions to keep members together as a group; or the force that ties group members together
c. An expected behavior that group members use as a standard
d. Closeness achieved through tasks and activities
e. Two or more persons with mutually reinforcing skills and commitment to one another to accomplish a task goal
Work team

Question 70

Self-managed teams are empowered work teams that deal with issues beyond quality.

Question 71

Distinguish between and provide examples of task and maintenance functions of groups.

Question 72

Identify the stages of group development in Tuckman's five­stage model, and briefly discuss the differences between the five­stage model and Gersick's Punctuated Equilibrium Model.

Question 73

Demographic dissimilarity may have positive or negative effects in teams and on team members.

Question 74

Describe self-managed teams. What is the role of managers in such teams?

Question 75

Match the following:
a. An example of a formally designated group
b. Strong interpersonal attractiveness among group members
c. The first stage in a group development
d. A benchmark against which team members are evaluated by each other
e. The devil's advocate within a group
Board of directors

Question 76

Match the following:
a. A group member who fails to contribute to group tasks and relies on others to carry the group
b. A strong group characteristic that functions to keep members together as a group; or the force that ties group members together
c. An expected behavior that group members use as a standard
d. Closeness achieved through tasks and activities
e. Two or more persons with mutually reinforcing skills and commitment to one another to accomplish a task goal
Social loafer

Question 77

Match the following:
a. A group member who fails to contribute to group tasks and relies on others to carry the group
b. A strong group characteristic that functions to keep members together as a group; or the force that ties group members together
c. An expected behavior that group members use as a standard
d. Closeness achieved through tasks and activities
e. Two or more persons with mutually reinforcing skills and commitment to one another to accomplish a task goal
Cohesion

Question 78

Match the following:
a. A group member who fails to contribute to group tasks and relies on others to carry the group
b. A strong group characteristic that functions to keep members together as a group; or the force that ties group members together
c. An expected behavior that group members use as a standard
d. Closeness achieved through tasks and activities
e. Two or more persons with mutually reinforcing skills and commitment to one another to accomplish a task goal
Integrated involvement

Question 79

Match the following:
a. A group member who fails to contribute to group tasks and relies on others to carry the group
b. A strong group characteristic that functions to keep members together as a group; or the force that ties group members together
c. An expected behavior that group members use as a standard
d. Closeness achieved through tasks and activities
e. Two or more persons with mutually reinforcing skills and commitment to one another to accomplish a task goal
Norm

Question 80

Match the following:
a. An example of a formally designated group
b. Strong interpersonal attractiveness among group members
c. The first stage in a group development
d. A benchmark against which team members are evaluated by each other
e. The devil's advocate within a group
Challenger