Deck 13: Managing Teams

Question 1

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

Answer 1

B

Question 2

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 2

D

Question 3

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

Answer 3

E

Question 4

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

Question 5

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 6

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

Question 7

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 8

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

Question 9

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 10

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 11

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

Question 12

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

Question 13

Task forces are permanent teams that take on special projects.

Question 14

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

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

Question 15

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 16

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

Question 17

The first stage of group development is storming.

Question 18

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 19

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 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

What stage of group development follows norming?

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

Question 22

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 23

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

Question 24

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 25

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

Question 26

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

Question 27

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 28

Compromise offers the ultimate win-win solution to conflict.

Question 29

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 30

Small groups tend to complete tasks faster than larger groups.

Question 31

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

Question 32

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 33

External conditions tend to have little influence on group performance.

Question 34

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

Question 35

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

Question 36

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

Question 37

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

Question 38

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 39

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

Question 40

The biggest problem with social loafing is antisocial behaviour.

Question 41

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 42

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 43

________ prevent a group from achieving its goals.

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

Question 44

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 45

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 46

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 47

Which view of conflict argues that conflict must be avoided?

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

Question 48

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 49

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 50

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 51

________ 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 52

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 53

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 54

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

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

Question 55

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 56

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 57

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 58

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 59

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 60

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 61

According to the group behaviour model presented in your textbook, group size is an example of what factor of group determination of effectiveness?

A)group structure
B)group resources
C)group processes
D)group tasks
E)external conditions

Question 62

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 63

In a short essay, list and discuss the three types of conflict that have been found to differentiate functional from dysfunctional conflict.

Question 64

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 65

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 66

Withdrawing from or suppression of conflict is termed ________.

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

Question 67

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 68

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 69

In a short essay, explain the difference between the assumptions of the traditional, human relations view and interactionist views of conflict.

Question 70

In a short essay, list and discuss four advantages and four disadvantages that group decisions have over individual decisions.

Question 71

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 72

Group decision processes, conflict interactions and power dynamics are examples of ________.

A)group processes
B)group tasks
C)external conditions
D)group structure
E)group resources

Question 73

Group tasks can be ________.

A)quite independent or interdependent
B)very simple and dependent
C)very complex and interdependent
D)simple or complex and interdependent or independent
E)quite complicated and dependent

Question 74

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 75

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 76

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 77

Which of the following personality traits tends to have a negative impact on group productivity and morale?

A)dominance
B)self-reliance
C)independence
D)sociability
E)extroversion

Question 78

Which of the following personality traits tends to have a positive impact on group productivity and morale?

A)unconventionality
B)dominance
C)judgmental
D)self-reliance
E)authoritarianism

Question 79

Which of the following is an example of group member resources?

A)group member personalities
B)a complex task
C)the group size
D)expected behaviours imposed from the central office
E)the group leadership

Question 80

All of the following have a negative effect on productivity and morale of groups EXCEPT ________.

A)authoritarianism
B)self-reliance
C)unconventionality
D)dominance
E)both C and D