Deck 8: Making the Most of Diversity in Teams

Question 1

Which of these is an example of group or team structure?

A) the list of officers and their responsibilities.
B) changes in leadership style as the group matures.
C) the types of leadership that are more or less effective.
D) all of these.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

What is the major difference between an open system and a closed system?

A) interdependent internal parts or subsystems.
B) a semi-permeable membrane.
C) inputs from the environment.
D) complexity and/or size.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

A systems perspective on groups or teams leads us to consider

A) the group's reliance on its environment for resources.
B) how changes in one area affect other areas.
C) how the group's outputs are received by its environment.
D) all of these.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

In Steiner's Group Productivity Model (GPM), the best that the group can do is determined by

A) its resources and task.
B) its level of coordination.
C) the motivation of its members.
D) all of these.

Question 5

According to Mannix and Neale, surface diversity

A) usually benefits teams.
B) usually harms teams.
C) has inconsistent effects on team processes.
D) is less important than deep-level diversity.

Question 6

Which of these is consistent with Mannix and Neale's review of the effects of diversity in teams?

A) diversity is more effective with tasks involving exploration.
B) diversity is more beneficial when leadership and group process are well-managed.
C) influence of minority viewpoints is strengthened (e.g., through use of consensus rather than voting).
D) all of these.

Question 7

When should a task be assigned to a group rather than an individual?

A) when no single individual has the resources to complete the task.
B) when there are political or other practical reasons to include two or more people.
C) when group processes operate effectively to reduce coordination losses.
D) all of these.

Question 8

Why is it often a good idea to use a small group rather than a larger one?

A) when many different viewpoints need to be represented.
B) to reduce dysfunction due to process losses.
C) when the task is complex and requires considerable resources.
D) all of these.

Question 9

Which of these is/are good reasons to assign a task to a team rather than an individual?

A) the need for more or differing resources to accomplish the task.
B) error detection.
C) to broaden support for the team's work with different constituencies.
D) all of these.

Question 10

When a task is divisible,

A) the group can choose which part of the task to complete.
B) the task can be done in different ways.
C) sub-tasks can be assigned to individuals who work independently, matching them to what they do best.
D) quality is more important than speed.

Question 11

Which of these is an implication of Steiner's GPM for the thoughtful leader?

A) tasks should generally be assigned to a small group rather than a large one.
B) the best way to organize a task or project depends on the characteristics of the task and theresources (amount, variety) needed to accomplish it.
C) good leadership can eliminate process losses.
D) all of these.

Question 12

Process losses

A) decrease as a group increases in size.
B) may be due to coordination and/or motivation.
C) determine potential productivity.
D) none of these.

Question 13

Research has shown that group brainstorming

A) is more effective than the round-robin or Delphi techniques.
B) is less effective than the nominal group technique.
C) is often frustrating to participants.
D) works better than individual brainstorming.

Question 14

Which is likely to be the most challenging to manage?

A) pooled interdependence.
B) sequential interdependence.
C) reciprocal interdependence.
D) all of these are equally challenging to manage.

Question 15

Research shows that Team Mental Models (TMMs)

A) when strong, are important for creativity and error checking.
B) when strong, are related to client satisfaction, safety, decision quality, and competitive success.
C) are stronger when members are diverse.
D) are difficult to develop or strengthen.

Question 16

Information sampling bias (collective information sampling)

A) is a technique for helping teams to find the most pertinent information.
B) generally leads to more creative decisions.
C) can be overcome by a devil's advocate or a round-robin technique.
D) is more important for team success than transactive memory is.

Question 17

Transactive memory

A) is a shared understanding about team, work, and environment.
B) is knowledge among members about task-relevant information and how it is distributed.
C) concerns team motivation.
D) is more detrimental in large groups than in small ones.

Question 18

Cohesive teams

A) perform better than those that are less cohesive.
B) have members who are strongly attracted to the team and its members.
C) are generally more diverse.
D) all of these.

Question 19

Demographic diversity

A) may lead to lower cohesiveness.
B) has differing effects depending upon the leader's behavior.
C) leads to different consequences as a function of diversity climate.
D) all of these.

Question 20

Which is most likely to damage group effectiveness?

A) task conflict.
B) relationship conflict.
C) process conflict.
D) all are equally likely to damage group effectiveness.

Question 21

Social loafing

A) is very similar to free-riding.
B) is less likely when a task is involving and the team is cohesive.
C) can be minimized by use of ground rules, open discussion of expectations and peer feedback.
D) all of these apply.

Question 22

Social facilitation

A) is a process gain.
B) is a productive form of leadership.
C) is more problematic than free-riding.
D) none of these is accurate.

Question 23

Characteristics of Groupthink include

A) rationalization by the group.
B) underestimation of how much members disagree.
C) unfavorable views of opponent groups that lead to underestimating them.
D) all of these.

Question 24

Groupthink

A) is more effective than brainstorming.
B) has some empirical support but some criticism as well.
C) is less likely when groups are cohesive.
D) is more likely in larger groups.

Question 25

Roles and leadership can be understood as

A) forms of coordination.
B) static factors in groups.
C) unnecessary when a group is functioning well.
D) signs of a dysfunctional group.

Question 26

Which leadership theory has been applied to leadership in racially or gender diverse work environments?

A) LMX theory.
B) the Leader Behavior Approach.
C) Leadership Style.
D) none of these.

Question 27

To lead successfully in socially diverse contexts, leaders

A) should work to develop understanding of their own identity, including identity as a leader.
B) should realize that demographic differences may intersect with other differences (e.g., in values,experiences, or language).
C) should understand the costs of mismanaging or ignoring diversity.
D) should do all of these.

Question 28

Conflict management, interpersonal communication, feedback-seeking, and role modeling are

A) four parts of the leader behavior model.
B) four skills that are especially important for leading in a diverse environment.
C) four skills demonstrated by successful string quartets.
D) four traits on which leaders differ from non-leaders.

Question 29

What can we learn from the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and successful musical ensembles?

A) the importance of leadership.
B) the value of diversity and skill in managing it.
C) that ethnic music is often overlooked.
D) the importance of conformity.

Question 30

According to Hackman, the characteristics of effective teams include all of these except

A) productive output.
B) learning and fulfillment of group members.
C) lack of conflict.
D) growth as a team.

Question 31

In order to be effective, a team should have

A) a collective task, clear membership, and authority structure.
B) motivation to work in a direction that engages members.
C) composition, norms, and team design that facilitate success.
D) all of these.

Question 32

What is the difference between group structure and group process? Illustrate each with an example that is relevant to the management of diversity and inclusion.

Question 33

Explain the main concepts in Systems Theory and illustrate each concept with an example relevant to the management of diversity and inclusion.

Question 34

In the Steiner GPM, actual productivity of a team may fall short of potential productivity. Give two examples of how that might happen with a team that is internally diverse.

Question 35

Mannix and Neale recommend considering organizational context, underlying team processes, and the understanding and measurement of diversity for anyone working with a diverse team. Give examples of any two of these factors.

Question 36

Mannix and Neale make three recommendations for managing diversity in teams. List these three recommendations.

Question 37

What are some good reasons for assigning a job to a team rather than an individual? List any three reasons.

Question 38

From the perspective of the GPM, what happens to group productivity as group size increases?

Question 39

Researchers have suggested several ways of describing task types. Choose any one of these and explain how type of task might impact the effect of internal diversity on a team's productivity.

Question 40

What is brainstorming and what are its usual effects on a group's generation of ideas?

Question 41

What techniques might a leader use when trying to maximize the positive effects of diversity on a group's problem-solving while reducing its possible negative effects? Briefly explain each technique.

Question 42

Explain how different types of interdependence can affect the work of an internally diverse team.

Question 43

What are team mental models, and why are they important?

Question 44

What is information sampling bias (or collective information sampling)? How could a team's diversity affect its work results as a result of this factor? How might a leader behave differently if he or she understood this process?

Question 45

What are some effects of cohesiveness on a team's work? How can the team's internal diversity affect its cohesiveness?

Question 46

What should a team's manager understand about the effects of diversity on conflict within the team?

Question 47

What is social loafing and how can it affect a team's success? List three things a leader might do to deal with possible social loafing.

Question 48

What is Groupthink and how might it affect the process and product of a team?

Question 49

What are some symptoms of Groupthink? List and explain any three.

Question 50

Social and organizational psychologists have studied leadership processes for many years. For any one of the theories of leadership listed, suggest what the theory implies about leadership of internally diverse teams.

Question 51

Chrobot-Mason and her colleagues have written about the process of leadership in diverse social contexts. They recommend three general conclusions for leaders. Discuss any one of their conclusions.

Question 52

Ruderman and her colleagues make six recommendations about leading across differences. Explain any two of these recommendations.

Question 53

The text presents an analysis of small musical groups as a model of the management of diversity in teams. List and explain any three of the observations drawn in this research.

Question 54

The Hackman Model proposes that effective teams meet expectations for output, grow as a team over time, and provide experiences of learning and well-being for their members. The model lists five conditions that are required for this effectiveness. List and explain any two of these conditions.