Deck 9: Groups

Question 1

The relationships between individuals in groups are regulated by:

A)Norms
B)Structural factors
C)Group dynamics
D)The level of cohesiveness

Answer 1

Norms

Question 2

Status differences between members of a group, according to Christie and Barling, could give rise unwelcome consequences, such as:

A)Inadequate individual performance
B)Problems with personal health
C)Greater intention to leave the group
D)All of these

Answer 2

All of these

Question 3

Groups in which it is difficult to move outside the organizational guidelines are referred to as:

A)Mechanistic groups
B)Static groups
C)Organic groups
D)Limited groups

Answer 3

Mechanistic groups

Question 4

With respect to norms, anti-social or deviant behaviour is referred to as:

A)Persistent disregard for say health and safety regulations in the workplace, and therefore the likelihood of unsafe behaviour
B)Harassment and angry shouting
C)Sabotage
D)All of these

Question 5

Norms can be seen as positive:

A)When supportive of corporate social responsibility and political correctness
B)When supportive of restrictive practices or inefficiency
C)When they promote intra-group conflict
D)When social loafing exists

Question 6

When conflicting requirements in a job exist, this is called:

A)Person-role conflict
B)Intra-role conflict
C)Inter-role conflict
D)Role overload

Question 7

A group that influences the individual from which he or she obtains certain standards is called:

A)A guiding reference group
B)A comparative reference group
C)A source reference group
D)A normative reference group

Question 8

When individuals accept the group's influence because it appeals to their own values and can be instrumental in attaining personal goals it is described as:

A)Identification
B)Compliance
C)Internalization
D)Acceptation

Question 9

In social control, influence is exercised on a:

A)Horizontal basis
B)Vertical basis
C)Vertical and horizontal basis
D)Diagonal basis

Question 10

Atmosphere, roles, and leadership are referred to as _____ of a group?

A)Formative elements
B)Structural factors
C)Soft components
D)None of these

Question 11

An important way of describing the influence exerted by reference groups is:

A)Positive-negative
B)Inferior-superior
C)Proximate-distant
D)Cooperative-competitive

Question 12

Brainwashing is a form of:

A)Co-action
B)Social comparison
C)Institutional control
D)Social control

Question 13

Research has shown that the relationship between cohesiveness and productivity is especially strong in:

A)Formal groups
B)Large groups
C)Small groups
D)Informal groups

Question 14

Group polarization refers to the phenomenon that:

A)The attitudes and opinions of a group change during a group discussion
B)A group becomes divided into two camps
C)A group falls prey to loyalty
D)A group becomes affected by groupthink

Question 15

Forms of discipline to which military personnel are required to adhere can be described as:

A)Sanctions
B)Internally imposed norms
C)Disciplinary norms
D)Externally imposed norms

Question 16

When a group member jokes, mimics, and disrupts the work of the group this is called:

A)Blocking
B)Special pleading
C)Seeking recognition
D)Horsing around

Question 17

Under some conditions, decisions made by individuals as members of groups are less conservative than decisions made by the same individuals when they are alone. What is the term for this effect?

A)Risky shift
B)Liberal bias
C)Group risk-taking
D)Collective chance

Question 18

The behaviour expected of a person who occupies a certain position within an orga-nization is called:

A)Action pattern
B)Status
C)Role
D)Self-fulfilling action

Question 19

Which of the following is not a symptom of groupthink?

A)The feeling that the group is vulnerable, and decisions must be taken that will protect it
B)Self-censorship by doubting group members
C)An assumption of the inherent morality of the group's objectives
D)Pressure upon potential dissenters to abandon their criticism

Question 20

Informal groups are:

A)Created to satisfy the psychological and social needs of members of the group, not necessarily for the various tasks to be done
B)Created by management
C)Created to improve the effectiveness of the group
D)Created to meet the needs of work tasks

Question 21

Role ambiguity within an organization occurs when:

A)There is a clash between the role of the superior and the role of the subordinate
B)The employee performs more than one role, and performance in one role makes performance in the other more difficult
C)There is a lack of clarity as to the precise requirements of the role, and the role occupant is unsure of what to do
D)None of these

Question 22

Groups and teams are an essential feature of the landscape of an organization. The advantages of working in groups/teams include:

A)Being able to express useful points of view that enhance the quality of decision making
B)The opportunity to engage in social loafing
C)The satisfaction of opposing group norms and being branded a deviant
D)Experiencing groupthink

Question 23

Which of the following is not part of a mechanism below the surface of a group, identified by Bion and used to resolve tensions?

A)Flight or fight
B)Dependency
C)Defence
D)Pairing

Question 24

Social loafing can arise in the following circumstances:

A)Where the average productivity of each member of the group decreases
B)Where a member of a group realizes that his or her contribution to the group is incapable of measurement
C)Where one or more members are not pulling their weight
D)All of these

Question 25

Social identity is associated with:

A)Developing a strong sense of identification with our "in-group" that affects our self-concept
B)Classifying the world into "them" and "us" groups
C)The creation of inter-group discrimination
D)All of these