Deck 13: Managing Work Groups and Teams

Question 1

Darcy joined a group supporting literacy in elementary schools because the teachers who shared his outlook on primary education were all members of the group. He joined for:

A) instrumental benefits.
B) group activities.
C) groupthink.
D) need satisfaction.
E) interpersonal attraction.

Answer 1

E
One reason why people choose to form informal or interest groups is that they are attracted to one another. Attraction is increased when people have similar attitudes, personalities, or economic standings.

Question 2

Newly divorced people often join support groups for _____.

A) instrumental benefits
B) need satisfaction
C) interpersonal attraction
D) group activities
E) group goals

Answer 2

B
One reason for joining a group is to satisfy the need for affiliation. For instance, newly divorced people often join support groups as a way to have companionship.

Question 3

Matt, Linda, and Troy usually meet during their lunch break to discuss the latest research in biomedicine. This is an example of a(n):

A) interest group.
B) problem-solving team.
C) virtual team.
D) task group.
E) functional group.

Answer 3

A
An informal or interest group is created by its own members for purposes that may or may not be relevant to organizational goals.

Question 4

Lisa has just moved to a new city. In order to meet new people, she joins a local book club. She did this for _____.

A) needs satisfaction
B) norm conformation
C) instrumental benefits
D) group goals
E) interpersonal attraction

Question 5

A(n) _____ is a type of team comprising of workers and supervisors who meet intermittently to discuss workplace problems.

A) interest group
B) virtual team
C) quality circle
D) value chain
E) grapevine

Question 6

At Gore Associates Inc., groups are formed based on project requirements. They consist of people with a variety of skills and include workers from the R&D, manufacturing, sales, and operations departments. The groups disband once their specific projects are complete. These groups are called _____.

A) functional groups.
B) work teams.
C) problem-solving teams.
D) special interest groups.
E) quality circles.

Question 7

Which of the following is a characteristic of a task group?

A) It is created to accomplish a wide range of purposes.
B) It is formed by its members.
C) It has a stated or implied time horizon.
D) It has an unspecified time horizon.
E) It consists only of managers from various functions.

Question 8

Which of the following is a characteristic of a functional group in an organization?

A) It is a permanent group.
B) It has purposes that are not aligned to organizational goals.
C) It exists for a specified time horizon.
D) It is composed of people from remote work sites.
E) It consists solely of knowledge workers.

Question 9

SunBird Communications Corp. is an organization with offices in a number of cities. The Human resources (HR) department interviews the candidates remotely. Each member of the HR department then posts his or her comments on an internal blog. This is an example of a(n) _____.

A) virtual team.
B) interest group.
C) informal group.
D) task group.
E) problem-solving team.

Question 10

An increasingly popular type of team that is responsible for the daily activities of the organization is known as _____.

A) management team
B) problem-solving team
C) work team
D) quality circle
E) interest group

Question 11

A shift supervisor in a department store is a member of a(n):

A) interest group.
B) problem-solving team
C) virtual team.
D) task group.
E) functional group.

Question 12

A group is defined as two or more people who ______.

A) Size
B) select and follow a leader.
C) form an organization for nonprofit or profit-making purposes.
D) interact regularly to accomplish a common purpose or goal.
E) interact on one occasion to fulfill a goal.

Question 13

A large technology firm has research centers in a number of countries. In order to reduce the cycle time of projects, team members in one city leave a list of "to-do" items on a shared web portal. These items are then picked up a few hours later by another team in a city separated by several time-zones. This organization is making use of _____.

A) value chains
B) quality circles
C) virtual teams
D) grapevines
E) interest groups

Question 14

A technology firm creates a group whose only purpose is to develop a pre-launch marketing strategy for a new product. The group will disband one month after the product is launched. This is an example of a(n) ________ group.

A) functional
B) task
C) interest
D) work team
E) change

Question 15

A(n) _____ group is a permanent group created by the organization to accomplish a number of organizational purposes with an unspecified time horizon.

A) problem-solving
B) virtual
C) task
D) interest
E) functional

Question 16

A(n) _____ is created by an organization to accomplish a relatively narrow range of purposes within a stated or implied time horizon.

A) task group
B) quality circle
C) interest group
D) functional group
E) work team

Question 17

An advantage of teams in an organization is that they enable the organization to shed its _____.

A) functionality
B) bureaucracy
C) flexibility
D) technocracy
E) responsiveness

Question 18

A(n) _____ group is created by its own members for purposes that may or may not be relevant to organizational goals.

A) functional
B) task
C) interest
D) work team
E) quality circle

Question 19

Marcus joins a bowling team, not because of any particular attraction to other group members, but to be a member of the group where he can spend time doing something he enjoys. This example suggests that people sometimes join groups for _____.

A) instrumental benefits
B) group goals
C) norm variation
D) norm conformity
E) group activities

Question 20

Mona joined an academic union because the union's objectives aligned with her personal values. She joined for:

A) group activities.
B) group goals.
C) norm conformity.
D) instrumental benefits.
E) interpersonal attraction.

Question 21

When Carol arrived for her first group meeting, people had not yet settled down, and the meeting started thirty minutes later. For the next group meeting, Carol was late by 20 minutes. Her _____ role had changed.

A) received
B) performance
C) enacted
D) intrasender
E) conformity

Question 22

The _____ role is what a person understands the sent role to mean.

A) perceived
B) enacted
C) expected
D) influenced
E) discerned

Question 23

The process of establishing a role structure begins with the _____ role.

A) sent
B) expected
C) perceived
D) controlled
E) enacted

Question 24

Ashish joined a country club, not because he enjoyed golf, but because it would develop his social skills, which are essential for climbing the corporate ladder. He joined for:

A) interpersonal attraction.
B) group activities.
C) instrumental benefits.
D) group goals.
E) norms conformity.

Question 25

During the _____ stage of group development, group members begin to recognize and accept their roles, and understand the roles of other members.

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

Question 26

The top management of a beverage manufacturing company has put together a team to handle the marketing of their new health drink. However, the team members are unable to agree on the best way to equitably divide the group tasks. In addition, two group members are trying to take over the leadership role, and this has led to more conflict. This group is at the _____ stage of group development.

A) reforming
B) performing
C) storming
D) norming
E) forming

Question 27

When employees in an organization do not know what is expected of them, it results in _____.

A) role generalization
B) role variation
C) role overload
D) role conflict
E) role ambiguity

Question 28

Tyler joins an environmental organization in order to gain credits required for his college course. He joined the organization for _____.

A) interpersonal attraction
B) group goals
C) instrumental benefits
D) norm conformity
E) needs satisfaction

Question 29

During the _____ stage of team development, the basic structure of the group or team is no longer an issue but has become a mechanism for accomplishing the purpose of the group.

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

Question 30

Which of the following refers to the cues and messages that members of a group use to let an individual know what they are expecting?

A) Performing role
B) Sent role
C) Perceived role
D) Enacted role
E) Delivered role

Question 31

Adam is an administrative assistant who has moved to a different department within the same organization. His new boss has changed the nature of Adam's tasks. In addition, Adam has started extending his working hours to accommodate his boss's schedule. In this scenario, Adam's _____ role has changed.

A) legitimate
B) perceived
C) expected
D) sent
E) intrasender

Question 32

Alan is a member of a group in which team members are intent on solving the problem at hand, and the group leader has the group focused on attaining goals and functioning well. This group is in the _____ stage of group development.

A) performing
B) forming
C) norming
D) transforming
E) storming

Question 33

In group role structure, the _____ role comprises the messages and cues that group members use to communicate their expectations to another member.

A) enacted
B) intrasender
C) expected
D) sent
E) received

Question 34

During the _____ stage of group development, the members begin to try out various forms of behavior in an attempt to determine the interpersonal behaviors that are acceptable in the group.

A) norming
B) storming
C) forming
D) performing
E) transforming

Question 35

Which of the following stages of group development is often characterized by a general lack of unity and uneven interaction patterns?

A) storming
B) norming
C) performing
D) forming
E) reforming

Question 36

In the _____ stage of group development, the group really begins to settle down to work and focuses on goal attainment.

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

Question 37

During the _____ stage of group development, members begin to accept one another and develop a sense of unity.

A) forming
B) storming
C) norming
D) performing
E) transforming

Question 38

The _____ role refers to what the individual actually does in his or her role in the group.

A) sent
B) perceived
C) conflict
D) expected
E) enacted

Question 39

When the sent role is unclear, it results in:

A) intrarole conflict.
B) role dynamism.
C) role ambiguity.
D) storming.
E) interrole conflict.

Question 40

Kenyon has always wanted to work at Meridian Electronics. When he got an opportunity to join a local service club to which the owner of Meridian belonged, he jumped at the chance, hoping that it would help him get the job he wanted. Kenyon joined the club for the potential _____.

A) needs satisfaction
B) group activities
C) interpersonal attraction
D) group goals
E) instrumental benefits

Question 41

The standards of behavior that a group accepts for and expects of its members are called _____.

A) norms
B) roles
C) rules
D) customs
E) values

Question 42

At the Olympics, "dream teams" have frequently failed to win the gold medal. These teams usually have a number of great players who are, nevertheless, uncomfortable with the prospect of sharing their victory. This is an example of decreasing cohesiveness due to:

A) large group size.
B) disagreement on goals.
C) intragroup competition.
D) domination by one member.
E) unpleasant experiences.

Question 43

When one gets conflicting information about a project from his/her boss and team, he/she will most likely experience _____ conflict.

A) intrasender
B) person-role
C) intrarole
D) group-role
E) intragroup

Question 44

Which of the following is true of group or team cohesiveness?

A) Cohesiveness tends to decline as a group increases in size.
B) As a team becomes more cohesive, its members stop conforming to norms.
C) Intragroup competition increases cohesiveness.
D) Intergroup competition reduces cohesiveness.
E) Team performance is independent of cohesiveness.

Question 45

A _____ is the part that an individual plays in a group that helps the group reach its goals.

A) norm
B) task
C) role
D) script
E) form

Question 46

Physicians in training perform examinations, diagnose illnesses, analyze test results, and develop management plans. This can lead to stress as the trainees are yet to get used to the demands of the work environment. This is an example of _____.

A) role conflict
B) role ambiguity
C) role overload
D) role dynamism
E) role confusion

Question 47

Which of the following factors tends to increase group cohesiveness?

A) Large group size
B) Disagreement on goals
C) Intragroup competition
D) Domination by one member
E) Intergroup competition

Question 48

Which of the following factors reduces group cohesiveness?

A) Intergroup competition
B) Unpleasant experiences
C) Opportunities for success
D) Personal attraction
E) Interaction

Question 49

Sarah is an unofficial leader of a group. When she makes an outlandish proposal, everyone takes it seriously. But if Bill, another member of the group, had proposed the same thing, he would have been ridiculed. This is an example of _____.

A) norm assimilation
B) norm generalization
C) norm conformity
D) norm variation
E) norm reciprocity

Question 50

_____ conflict results from a discrepancy between the role requirements and the individual's personal values, attitudes, and needs.

A) Interrole
B) Intrarole
C) Group-role
D) Intrasender
E) Person-role

Question 51

While Walter says that he cares about his employees, he interrupts them every time they need to talk to him about something and brings the conversation around to his own contributions. This is an example of _____ conflict.

A) person-role
B) interrole
C) intrasender
D) intersender
E) intergroup

Question 52

_____ conflict occurs when there is a conflict between two or more roles.

A) Intrarole
B) Intersender
C) Intrasender
D) Interrole
E) Person-role

Question 53

Sports teams travel together. They compete against other teams. This increases their _____.

A) diversity
B) role structure
C) norm generalization
D) cohesiveness
E) informal leadership

Question 54

Many working women who try to combine the roles of mother, wife, professional, and civic leader complain about having to be superwomen. This is likely an expression of feelings of ______.

A) role conformity
B) role ambiguity
C) role illegitimacy
D) role overload
E) role reversal

Question 55

A large technology firm is opening a new office in a different country. When the management finds out that the work has been stalled, a young project manager, with high personal values, is asked to bribe a local official, in order to fix the delay. The project manager is likely to experience _____ conflict.

A) person-role
B) interrole
C) intrasender
D) intersender
E) group-role

Question 56

If a person is told to do something unethical or illegal, or if the work is distasteful, _____ conflict is likely.

A) person-role
B) intersender
C) interrole
D) intergroup
E) group-role

Question 57

When a manager gives an employee several major assignments at once, thereby increasing the person's regular workload, the employee is most likely to experience _____.

A) role ambiguity
B) role conformity
C) role overload
D) role conflict
E) role generalization

Question 58

In general, as teams become more cohesive, their members tend to:

A) become less attracted to the group.
B) conform more to norms.
C) become less satisfied with the team.
D) interact less frequently.
E) have differing performance norms.

Question 59

State University has 106 professors. Ninety-eight of them are Democrats. The eight Republicans are all in the same department, which gets ostracized by the others. This example shows pressure for:

A) norm conformity.
B) group cohesiveness.
C) norm generalization.
D) norm variation.
E) role reversal.

Question 60

A newcomer in an organization gradually begins to learn the company norms such as dress codes, working hours, and interpersonal relations. This process is known as _____.

A) overload
B) socialization
C) assimilation
D) communization
E) soldiering

Question 61

Even though Omar and Eric clash repeatedly, they worked together well enough for their team to have a new product ready for release sooner than predicted. Omar and Eric used _____ to control their conflict.

A) avoidance
B) compromise
C) confrontation
D) superordinate goals
E) smoothing

Question 62

In the television show Mad Men, Roger has more experience in the organization than Don. However, Don is perceived as the creative talent that all the customers want on their accounts and the reason for the firm's success. In this scenario, Don is the:

A) formal leader.
B) informal leader.
C) task specialist.
D) maintenance specialist.
E) veteran.

Question 63

Chandra owns a goods delivery business. When Chandra's delivery drivers are experiencing a great deal of interpersonal conflict, Chandra reminds them that cooperation with one another is necessary for the continued profitability of the firm, and also for their job security. Chandra is controlling conflict by: ?

A) expanding the resource base.
B) using appropriate coordination techniques.
C) focusing workers' attention on superordinate goals.
D) matching personalities and work habits of workers.
E) changing established procedures.

Question 64

Honda Motor Company's plant outside Columbus, Ohio, manufactures cars of all sizes, from the small Civic to the large Element, and they are all built on the same assembly line. This flexible manufacturing setup allows Honda to adapt rapidly to consumers' desires. It should also decrease:

A) intergroup conflict between marketing and production.
B) intragroup conflict between marketing and production.
C) interpersonal conflict between workers in marketing and those in production.
D) conflict between the organization and its environment.
E) interorganizational conflict between Honda and its suppliers.

Question 65

Managers can stimulate conflict by:

A) focusing employee attention on superordinate goals.
B) matching personalities and work habits of employees.
C) placing employee groups in competitive situations.
D) expanding the resource base of the organization.
E) enhancing coordination of interdependence.

Question 66

Mary knows that Akua and Dominik have a shared personal history, as a result of which the two men do not work well together. Mary assigns the two men separate work areas. She is controlling conflict by:

A) expanding the resource base.
B) using appropriate coordination techniques.
C) focusing employees' attention on higher-level goals.
D) matching personalities and work habits of employees.
E) increasing competition among individuals.

Question 67

Emily thinks Alex is a narcissist who only wants to talk about himself, and therefore tries to avoid him. They have:

A) intergroup conflict.
B) pooled interdependencies.
C) interpersonal conflict.
D) person-role conflict.
E) sequential interdependencies.

Question 68

A(n) _____ leader is likely to be a person capable of carrying out both task specialist and socioemotional roles effectively.

A) situational
B) coercive
C) bureaucratic
D) autocratic
E) informal

Question 69

Which of the following is true of intergroup conflict?

A) It occurs among members of the same group.
B) It often arises from increased group interdependence.
C) It occurs between organizations and consumer groups.
D) It is typically reduced by increasing group interdependence.
E) It can be eliminated by increasing competition for resources.

Question 70

_____ is based on disagreements between two or more individuals in an organization.

A) Intergroup conflict
B) Intersender conflict
C) Interpersonal conflict
D) Interrole conflict
E) Interteam conflict

Question 71

Which of the following is a conflict resolution technique that requires a reasonable degree of maturity and uses a direct approach of addressing the conflict and working together to resolve it?

A) Confrontation
B) Compromise
C) Smoothing
D) Soldiering
E) Stimulating

Question 72

Which of the following is a recommended method for controlling conflict?

A) Changing established standards
B) Making more resources available
C) Hiring outsiders
D) Initiating confrontation and compromise
E) Increasing competition among individuals and teams

Question 73

Which of the following techniques is most effective at resolving or significantly reducing conflict?

A) Confrontation
B) Stimulation
C) Smoothing
D) Avoidance
E) Soldiering

Question 74

Frequent sources of interpersonal conflict in organizations are _____, when two people distrust each other's motives, dislike each other, or for some other reason simply cannot get along.

A) personality clashes
B) interdependencies
C) incompatible goals
D) scarce resources
E) changes in environment

Question 75

Which of the following is a suggested way for managers to stimulate conflict?

A) Expanding the resource base
B) Enhancing coordination of interdependence
C) Setting superordinate goals
D) Matching personalities and work habits of employees
E) Changing established procedures

Question 76

Foregoing its usual practice of promoting employees to senior positions, a mid-size technology firm decides to hire an outsider for the position of vice-president. This move is most likely to _____ conflict.

A) reduce
B) control
C) resolve
D) eliminate
E) stimulate

Question 77

Acknowledging the existence of conflict but downplaying its importance is known as _____.

A) confrontation
B) compromise
C) stimulation
D) soldiering
E) smoothing

Question 78

Interpersonal problem solving refers to the resolution of conflict using _____.

A) avoidance
B) smoothing
C) compromise
D) confrontation
E) negotiation

Question 79

At a large e-commerce company, the logistics team receives the products that are ready to be shipped from the operations team. These two teams are most likely to experience conflict with one another due to:

A) personality clashes..
B) different beliefs.
C) norm variation.
D) interdependencies.
E) superordinate goals.

Question 80

_____ is striking a middle-range position between two extremes when resolving conflict.

A) Confrontation
B) Compromise
C) Smoothing
D) Avoidance
E) Stimulation