Deck 4: Group Decision Making and Problem Solving

Question 1

In Google Calendar, you can set up a calendar for a conference room so you can reserve a
meeting space.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

After group members get acquainted and work out their pecking order, as shown above, they feel comfortable sharing information with each other.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

When individual creativity and independent thinking are lost to group cohesiveness, the condition is known as ____________________.

Answer 3

groupthink

Question 4

If your team is suffering from groupthink, invite a team member from within the group to play the devil's advocate.

Question 5

A(n) ____________________ is made up of two or more people who interact with each other, share expectations and obligations, and develop a common identity.

Question 6

If the group's solution might be threatening to a decision maker, do not invite that person to a team meeting as they will bring down the morale of the group.

Question 7

The consensus approach is the most efficient way to reach closure as there is only one decision maker.

Question 8

When solving a problem, it is fine to use an impact analysis alone to make a final decision between alternatives.

Question 9

During the ____ phase of building a team, group members can complete tasks efficiently, work together on complex problems, and make shared decisions.

A) socializing
B) collaboration
C) facilitation
D) organizing

Question 10

____ is a form of brainstorming where group members focus on a subject and then write about it nonstop for a short period of time.

A) Mind mapping
B) Free writing
C) Journaling
D) Flowcharting

Question 11

If files contain confidential contents, find out how to require a user name and password before
people can access the material.

Question 12

When using ____, a group member lists a main idea or problem at the center of a page, white board, or flip chart.Each participant is invited to share reactions and ideas.These are drawn as radial lines or spokes.

A) fishbone diagrams
B) mind maps
C) bar charts
D) free writing

Question 13

When outside participants are visiting your team meeting, conduct a strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threat (SWOT) exercise to make sure the group's success is not blinding members to potential problems.

Question 14

Referring to the figure above, it is possible that this chart will change over time and a new informal leader will emerge.

Question 15

The way that people work and interact with each other is known as group ____________________.

Question 16

____________________ is achieved when two or more people work together to produce something greater than the sum of their individual efforts.

Question 17

With ____, the group considers a question, task, or project, and then generates as many ideas as possible, usually in a short period of time.Every idea is recorded, and no idea is disregarded, criticized, or analyzed.

A) culling
B) analyzing
C) brainstorming
D) powerthinking

Question 18

In the early stages of solving a problem, you use convergent thinking to develop as many creative ideas and potential solutions as possible.

Question 19

____________________ thinking techniques narrow the options to a manageable sets.

Question 20

____ decision making seeks a solution that most of the group can agree to while trying to resolve any concerns or objections that the minority has.

A) Consensus
B) Consultative
C) Authoritarian
D) Open management

Question 21

____ are popular alternatives to face-to-face communication.

A) Telephone conference calls
B) VoIP services such as Skype
C) Online meeting hosts such as GoToMeeting.com
D) All of the above

Question 22

The first vote that Kevin plans to present to the association is between two choices and wants the choice with the most votes to rule.He would use ____.

A) range voting
B) majority rules
C) plurality
D) command voting

Question 23

Strengthen a(n) ____ vote by using several rounds.Eliminate options with the least support and vote again.

A) plurality
B) majority rules
C) authoritarian
D) command

Question 24

The ____ approach is similar to a command style in that a leader still makes the final decisions.However, the process is more democratic because the leader actively seeks input and advice from the group before making the decision.

A) consensus
B) consultative
C) authoritarian
D) open management

Question 25

A team is a group of people who organize themselves to work cooperatively on a common objective._________________________

Question 26

To start, Kevin finds out about ____ which is a method where members assign scores to multiple options rather than voting for a single choice.

A) range voting
B) majority rules
C) plurality
D) consensus

Question 27

A decision cost sheet is a formal way of organizing an idea's costs and benefits._________________________

Question 28

Referring to the figure above, consensus decision making seeks a solution that most of the group can agree to while trying to resolve any concerns or objections of ____.

A) the minority
B) absentee members
C) the oldest members
D) the most powerful members

Question 29

With Doodle, each person responds to the best time for the event by using a(n) ____.

A) e-mail
B) voice mail
C) poll
D) text message

Question 30

Using a popular management approach, many managers assign tasks to staff members according to their skills, personalities, and experience.This style of leadership is called a complex style._________________________

Question 31

Referring to the figure above, ____ approaches require more time for closure, but tend to have a higher level of commitment from the participants.

A) consensus-based
B) command-based
C) consultative-based
D) minority-based

Question 32

In the final step of problem-solving group develops an implementation plan, also called a(n) ____ plan, to guide changes, product or service introductions, and complex projects.

A) final
B) action
C) mission
D) summary

Question 33

Referring to the figure above, in all but the most authoritative groups, members signal their intent and preferences for different options through some form of ____.

A) voting
B) acting out
C) formal presenting
D) synchronized movement

Question 34

A death flaw is some aspect of an idea that would make it unacceptable._________________________

Question 35

In some settings, a group may examine an issue and develop ideas for it, but the final decisions are left up to a single person.This is sometimes called a "____ approach" to decision making.

A) presidential
B) dictator
C) CEO
D) military

Question 36

____ thinking techniques narrow the options to a manageable sets.The decisions and solutions that the group eventually makes will be based on these organized ideas.

A) Convergent
B) Divergent
C) either a. or b.
D) neither a. nor b.

Question 37

Convergent thinking describes thought processes or methods used to generate ideas._________________________

Question 38

____ calendars and schedulers help large groups quickly identify suitable meeting times.

A) Electronic
B) Paper
C) both a. and b.
D) neither a. nor b.

Question 39

People who have worked for a company for some time develop an organizational memory as they learn about the various processes, personalities, and subtleties of how the organization operates._________________________

Question 40

When reaching a final decision, what is the difference between a command style and a consultative approach?

Question 41

Logistics refers to how resources such as information and people are provided where they are needed._________________________

Question 42

As a group grows larger, you might find you do not have enough air time, which is the amount of time available for someone to speak to the group._________________________

Question 43

If a group develops a collective sense of invulnerability, it has a Dictator complex._________________________

Question 44

Briefly describe these two forms of divergent thinking: brainstorming and group mind mapping.

Question 45

Use an impact analysis to broaden your view.Have the group list the consequences of each idea.Who or what would each option affect? Would the consequences be minimal or manageable? Which idea would cause the least amount of loss or harm? _________________________