Deck 10: Using Teams in Organizations

Question 1

Which of these is NOT a characteristic of a team?

A)Complementary skills
B)Profit motive
C)Mutual accountability
D)Small number of people
E)Commitment to a common purpose

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT an example of cost reductions arising from team environments?

A)Reduced absenteeism
B)Reduced scrap
C)Lower turnover
D)Fewer errors
E)Lower commitment

Answer 2

E

Question 3

All of these are examples of an organizational enhancement arising from team environments EXCEPT:

A)taller organizational hierarchy.
B)quicker reaction.
C)increased innovation.
D)higher creativity.
E)improved flexibility.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Abby works closely with four other employees to address different issues at a customer service desk. Abby is on a

A)problem-solving team.
B)virtual team.
C)management team.
D)product development team.
E)work team.

Question 5

The best reason to create teams in an organization is because

A)they can increase productivity almost immediately.
B)teams are always well received by employees.
C)teams are increasing in popularity.
D)the competition is also implementing teams.
E)teams make sense for that organization.

Question 6

A team that never actually meets together in the same room is called a

A)virtual team.
B)quality circle.
C)cross-functional team.
D)product development team.
E)management team.

Question 7

Teams differ from groups in that teams

A)place more emphasis on concerted action than groups do.
B)are usually larger than groups.
C)are usually temporary.
D)place little emphasis on common objectives.
E)pursue multiple goals.

Question 8

What is (are) the new role(s) of managers in teams?

A)Supervisors and evaluators
B)Top managers
C)Team members
D)Technical specialists
E)Coaches and facilitators

Question 9

At ABC Manufacturing, Ryan is a member of a temporary team comprising small group of employees from different work areas. They meet once each week to discuss and recommend solutions to workplace morale issues. This group is probably a(n)

A)problem-solving team.
B)interdisciplinary team.
C)work team.
D)management team.
E)quality circle.

Question 10

The primary job of ____ is to create new designs that will satisfy customers.

A)interdisciplinary teams
B)quality circles
C)problem-solving teams
D)work teams
E)product development teams

Question 11

How does having common performance goals affect teams? It affects teams by

A)selecting the defining purpose of the team.
B)lowering commitment to the team's purpose.
C)increasing team-based compensation.
D)setting the tone and direction of the team.
E)making the team similar to other groups and teams.

Question 12

What is the difference between work groups and teams with regard to job categories?

A)Teams have fewer and broader job categories than groups.
B)Job categories for teams and groups depend on the reward system.
C)Teams and groups have the same number of job categories.
D)Groups have fewer and narrower job categories than teams.
E)The authority structure in teams is much more hierarchical.

Question 13

Which of these is NOT a benefit of teams in organizations?

A)Enhanced performance
B)Employee benefits
C)Organizational enhancements
D)Reduced costs
E)Enhanced competition

Question 14

Why do younger workers seem to benefit from team environments?

A)Supervision in teams is increased.
B)Workers receive higher wages in team environments.
C)Individuals receive more recognition in team environments.
D)Teams give them freedom to grow and manage themselves.
E)Teams increase employees' respect for authority.

Question 15

Alex is on a team with other members of his department that provides advice about how to fix different organizational quality problems. This team is probably a

A)quality circle.
B)product development team.
C)management team.
D)skills team.
E)work team.

Question 16

Which of the following statements best reflects the costs of teams to organizations?

A)The increased bureaucracy
B)The loss of creativity
C)The difficulty of changing to a team-based organization
D)Increased worker compensation claims
E)Increased distance between employees and top management

Question 17

Which of these reward system is commonly found in team environments?

A)Skill-based pay
B)Stock options
C)Commission-based pay
D)Annual profit sharing
E)Seniority-based pay

Question 18

Which of these is a specific benefit of enhanced performance with a team environment in organizations?

A)Improved customer service
B)Lower stress
C)Lower turnover
D)Increased innovation
E)Increased groupthink

Question 19

A team that is relatively permanent and coordinates other work teams is called a(n)

A)interdisciplinary team.
B)work team.
C)management team.
D)problem-solving team.
E)quality circle.

Question 20

Why does working in teams result in enhanced performance?

A)Waste and errors are spread across multiple individuals.
B)Managers lower their performance standards.
C)Team members spend less time in direct contact with customers.
D)Teams pool individual efforts in new ways and strive for continuous improvement.
E)Taller hierarchies improve communication processes.

Question 21

The person leading the change to a team-based organization must

A)not be swayed by the steering committee.
B)be an external consultant, so as to avoid any organizational bias.
C)have a strong belief that employees want to be responsible for their work.
D)allow the teams to create their own unique visions.
E)make a gut-level feasibility estimate.

Question 22

During the ____ phase of team implementation, managers should provide encouragement, monitor performance, and sometimes protect teams from those who want to see the team fail.

A)self-managing teams
B)tightly formed teams
C)leader-centered teams
D)reality and unrest
E)start-up

Question 23

Shortly after implementation, team performance often ____ before returning to previous levels.

A)fluctuates unpredictably
B)ceases completely
C)increases slightly
D)declines
E)dramatically increases

Question 24

The most important phase of planning the implementation of teams is

A)planning the transfer of authority from management to teams.
B)drafting the preliminary plan for team rewards.
C)clarifying the organization's team-based mission.
D)making the decision to implement teams.
E)preparing the design team.

Question 25

During the ____ phase of team implementation, managers have withdrawn from the daily operations and are counseling teams.

A)tightly formed teams
B)start-up
C)leader-centered teams
D)self-managing teams
E)reality and unrest

Question 26

The first thing managers should do before deciding whether to change to a team-based organization is to

A)conduct a feasibility study.
B)establish the leadership for the change.
C)determine whether competitors are using teams.
D)prepare for implementation.
E)develop a steering committee.

Question 27

In the ____ phase of team implementation, enthusiasm runs high and the anticipation of employees is quite positive.

A)self-managing teams
B)start-up
C)leader-centered teams
D)tightly formed teams
E)reality and unrest

Question 28

The best initial site for implementing teams is one that

A)is removed from the core operations of the business.
B)includes workers who accept the idea of using teams.
C)is chosen to reward a successful manager.
D)needs the most improvement.
E)includes workers from only one job category.

Question 29

The start-up phase of team implementation includes which of the following?

A)Frustration and confusion about the new situation
B)Extreme confidence and cohesion
C)Intense team loyalty
D)Teams think of themselves as a unit
E)Informational or "awareness" training

Question 30

Three essential issues in promoting team success are top management support, understanding time frames, and

A)changing organizational reward.
B)rewarding individual performance.
C)implementing member loyalty program.
D)developing industry standards.
E)creating a top-down structure.

Question 31

During the ____ phase of team implementation, teams usually long for a system that resembles the old manager-centered organizational structure.

A)tightly formed teams
B)start-up
C)leader-centered teams
D)self-managing teams
E)reality and unrest

Question 32

During the ____ phase of team implementation, teams become tightly formed to the point that their internal focus can become detrimental to other teams and to the organization as a whole.

A)start-up
B)reality and unrest
C)tightly formed teams
D)leader-center teams
E)self-managing teams

Question 33

Implementation of self-managing work teams is a long and difficult process, often taking ____ to ____ years.

A)three; four
B)one; two
C)four; five
D)two; five
E)three; five

Question 34

Selection of the first site for implementing teams is crucial because

A)it sets the tone for the success of the total program.
B)the first site should be the one with the lowest performance.
C)it should be hidden from other workers.
D)location is the most important consideration in establishing teams.
E)it should be a site that spans the entire organization.

Question 35

The draft plan, which guides the continuing work of the design teams and the first work teams, includes all of the following EXCEPT:

A)describes roles and responsibilities of all team members.
B)recommends a process for selecting team members.
C)explains what training the groups will need.
D)identifies which work processes will be involved.
E)recommend team incentives and bonuses.

Question 36

____ teams are combinations of work teams and problem-solving teams.

A)Non-contact
B)Infrastructure
C)Product development
D)Crisis
E)Quality improvement

Question 37

Brooke is the senior manager at her company. Brooke made the choice to go to teams because she went to a seminar on teams, but she'll be on a two-year foreign assignment when teams are actually implemented. Which of the following is likely to occur?

A)The teams will be performing well by the time she returns.
B)The teams will be more broad spread than normal.
C)The teams will become self-managing more quickly than normal.
D)A complete organizational culture revolution is likely to occur.
E)The teams are likely to fail.

Question 38

To assist in making the decision whether to change to a team-based organization, what a steering committee does includes all of the following EXCEPT:

A)visit with successful teams.
B)explore the organization's readiness for the team environment.
C)strongly advocate the use of teams.
D)gather and analyze data.
E)visit potential team sites.

Question 39

The ____ is simply an expression of purpose that summarizes the long-range benefits the company hopes to gain by moving to a team environment.

A)strategic plan
B)the transfer of authority plan
C)the design team statement
D)mission statement
E)MBO

Question 40

The steering committee at Auto Toys, Inc. (ATI) is planning the team implementation at ATI. They have reached the last stage of writing the draft plan for the initial work teams. This draft plan should include all of the following EXCEPT:

A)recommend a process for selecting people.
B)describe roles and responsibilities.
C)explain who will be responsible for overall performance.
D)explain what training the groups will need.
E)lay out a preliminary master schedule for the next two or three years.

Question 41

Which of these is the final phase of the team implementation?

A)Start-up
B)Reality and unrest
C)Tightly formed teams
D)Leader-center teams
E)Self-managing teams

Question 42

A group is usually a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common goal.

Question 43

The use of teams can eliminate redundant layers of bureaucracy and flatten the hierarchy on a company.

Question 44

Mutual accountability is a promise that members make to each other to do everything possible to achieve their goals, and it requires the commitment and trust of all members.

Question 45

Which of these would comprise managers from different areas who coordinate work teams?

A)Quality circle
B)Product development team
C)Management team
D)Skills team
E)Virtual team

Question 46

Gain-sharing programs usually reward all team members from all teams based on the performance of one particular team.

Question 47

Teams can reduce the degree of stress that employees experience on the job.

Question 48

The collection of people who attend a class together could be called a team.

Question 49

Lower turnover is a specific benefit of ______ benefit of teams in organizations.

A)enhanced performance
B)employee benefits
C)reduced costs
D)increased innovation
E)organizational enhancements

Question 50

Skill-based pay systems require team members to acquire important skills that affect compensation.

Question 51

Which of these is Phase 1 of the team implementation?

A)Start-up
B)Reality and unrest
C)Tightly formed teams
D)Leader-center teams
E)Self-managing teams

Question 52

Having a common purpose and common performance goals sets the tone and direction of the team.

Question 53

Which of these are teams that do daily work of an organization?

A)Quality circle
B)Product development team
C)Management team
D)Skills team
E)Work team

Question 54

Increased innovation is a specific benefit of ______ benefit of teams in organizations.

A)enhanced performance
B)employee benefits
C)reduced costs
D)quality of work life
E)organizational enhancements

Question 55

Team bonus plans are similar to gain-sharing plans in that the unit of performance used for pay is the entire organization.

Question 56

Mature, fully developed teams are self-directing, self-managing, and autonomous.

Question 57

Demanding, high performance goals challenge members to create an effective group, as opposed to being part of a team.

Question 58

Usually, teams require different types of skills to be effective.

Question 59

Members, in both teams and groups, hold themselves mutually accountable.

Question 60

Which of these are small groups of employees from the same work area who meet regularly to discuss and recommend solutions to workplace problems?

A)Quality circle
B)Product development team
C)Management team
D)Skills team
E)Work team

Question 61

Teams do not usually take a great deal of time to develop, which is one of the advantages of using teams in companies.

Question 62

Management teams are teams that may never actually meet together in the same room, but instead rely on teleconferencing and other electronic information systems.

Question 63

_______ are teams that make recommendations.

Question 64

Change starts at the top in every successful team implementation.

Question 65

Teams include people with a mix of ______ appropriate to the tasks to be done.

Question 66

In the reality and unrest phase of team implementation, team members and managers often report frustration and confusion about the new situation.

Question 67

Use of teams can reduce redundant layers of _______ and _______ the hierarchy in large organizations.

Question 68

_______ plans are similar to gain-sharing plans except the unit of performance and pay is the team.

Question 69

The leadership for change must be developed and a feasibility study should be conducted before the go/no-go team decision is made.

Question 70

Teams hold themselves mutually ______ for results.

Question 71

Tightly formed teams may become overconfident and reduce their communication with other teams in the organization.

Question 72

_______ systems require team members to acquire a set of the core skills needed for their particular team plus additional special skills, depending on career tracks or team needs.

Question 73

Work teams tend to be permanent like quality circles.

Question 74

Implementing teams in organizations is not easy; it takes a lot of hard work, time, training, and patience.

Question 75

Product development teams are combinations of quality circles and quality teams that create new designs for products or services that will satisfy customer needs.

Question 76

Problem-solving teams are permanent teams that make recommendations for others to implement.

Question 77

In a team, all team members are committed to a common _______.

Question 78

Fortunately, implementation of self-managing work teams takes less than six months.

Question 79

______ are usually smaller than groups.

Question 80

Virtual teams usually utilize some form of technology to enhance communication among individuals who are members of the team.