Deck 7: Groups and Organizations

Question 1

Which of the following is the best example of a primary group?

A) a family that has gathered to celebrate a religious holiday
B) carpenters gathering at a work site
C) a student government meeting
D) a reunion of the graduating class of 1977

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Social groups fall into one of two types, depending on

A) how large they are.
B) their members' degree of personal concern for one another.
C) how much the members interact with one another.
D) how often they gather together.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

What is the term for group leadership that emphasizes the completion of tasks?

A) democratic leadership
B) authoritarian leadership
C) expressive leadership
D) instrumental leadership

Answer 3

D

Question 4

In general, we see the _______ as a means to an end; we see the _____ as an end in itself.

A) expressive group; instrumental group
B) crowd; category
C) secondary group; primary group
D) primary group; secondary group

Question 5

Why did Cooley refer to some groups as "primary groups"?

A) They hold the highest status in society.
B) They have our concerns primarily in mind.
C) They contain the people most important in our lives.
D) They are formed in primary school.

Question 6

In your group, the leader is skillful at using humour to reduce tension and to lighten serious moments. Which type of leader does your group have?

A) a democratic leader
B) a laissez-faire leader
C) an expressive leader
D) an instrumental leader

Question 7

Which concept refers to group leadership that emphasizes collective well-being?

A) democratic leadership
B) authoritarian leadership
C) expressive leadership
D) instrumental leadership

Question 8

A secondary group is a social group that

A) we experience late in life.
B) is impersonal and engages in some specific activity.
C) engages in many, very important activities.
D) is generally much smaller than a primary group.

Question 9

Which of the following is every society's most important primary group?

A) the peer group
B) the work group
C) the family
D) the play group

Question 10

Hans and Theo Bakker studied the social world of club DJs from which of the following perspectives?

A) structural-functionalist
B) social conflict
C) symbolic interactionist
D) ethnomethodology

Question 11

You are part of a task force with a group leader who has a distant relationship with group members and who is concerned with getting the job done. Which type of leader does your task force have?

A) a laissez-fair group leader
B) a democratic leader
C) an expressive leader
D) an instrumental leader

Question 12

Which of the following is the best example of a secondary group?

A) a fraternity chapter meeting on campus
B) a Microsoft Corporation awards banquet
C) parents meeting with their daughter and her coach
D) girl scouts at a cookout

Question 13

Assume you are one of many people assembled at a university graduation ceremony. The term that best describes this gathering is a

A) peer group.
B) category.
C) primary group.
D) secondary group.

Question 14

A temporary, loosely formed collection of people who may or may not interact is a

A) crowd.
B) group.
C) category.
D) population.

Question 15

What do sociologists call two or more people who identify and interact with one another?

A) a dyad
B) a social group
C) a network
D) a crowd

Question 16

Imagine you are watching several dozen passengers sitting in an airport gate area waiting to board a plane. These people are an example of a

A) crowd.
B) group.
C) category.
D) network.

Question 17

Charles Cooley referred to a small social group whose members share personal and enduring relationships as

A) an instrumental group.
B) an expressive group.
C) a primary group.
D) a secondary group.

Question 18

What is the correct sociological term for all people with a common status, such as "college students"?

A) a crowd
B) a group
C) a category
D) a network

Question 19

Which of the following traits is NOT a characteristic of secondary groups?

A) large size
B) weak emotional ties
C) personal orientation
D) often short-term duration

Question 20

The chapter-opening story of the McDonald's organization explains

A) that "fast food" is really not served very efficiently.
B) that the McDonald's idea never caught on abroad.
C) why so many small businesses do not succeed.
D) that the guiding principles of McDonald's have come to dominate our social life.

Question 21

Which type of leader encourages everyone in a group to have a say in what happens?

A) authoritarian leader
B) democratic leader
C) laissez-faire leader
D) expressive leader

Question 22

Solomon Asch's research, in which subjects were asked to match lines, showed

A) people seek out friends with whom they tend to agree.
B) people defined as "leaders" have great power over their subjects.
C) people tend to see most things differently.
D) group membership has the power to generate conformity.

Question 23

Which statement correctly reflects Simmel's understanding of the dyad?

A) Dyads are less stable than groups with many members.
B) Typically, dyads involve less intense interaction.
C) Most people find dyads less meaningful than triads.
D) Dyads are more stable than groups with many members.

Question 24

Which type of social group commands a member's esteem and loyalty?

A) an in-group
B) an out-group
C) a reference group
D) a social network

Question 25

If you want your social group to be open to any and all people as new members, which of the following policies would you support?

A) Members should be socially diverse.
B) The group should be large.
C) The group should not be physically segregated.
D) The group should have a strong leader.

Question 26

Samuel Stouffer's study of soldier morale during World War II led to what conclusion?

A) The greater the chances of getting ahead, the happier people are.
B) Happiness is a matter of personal values and standards.
C) Whatever their situation in absolute terms, people evaluate themselves by making comparisons to others in specific reference groups.
D) The less chance for promotion, the higher soldiers' morale.

Question 27

Here are four statements describing group dynamics. Which of them is NOT an expression of groupthink?

A) Group members quickly settle on a position, then they treat other possibilities as oppositional.
B) Group members encourage each other to see the issue from only one point of view.
C) Group members treat reaching consensus as more important than encouraging everyone to speak up openly.
D) The group seeks diverse members and ends up being unable to reach a consensus.

Question 28

Stanley Milgram's research, in which subjects used a "shock generator," showed

A) people become angry when others disagree with them.
B) the ability to withstand pain varies with cultural background.
C) people are surprisingly likely to follow the orders of not only real authority figures but also groups of ordinary individuals.
D) that ordinary people are surprisingly independent in their judgments.

Question 29

According to Peter Blau, which of the following plays a part in group dynamics?

A) occupation
B) class
C) political affiliation
D) age

Question 30

What is the sociological term coined by Irving Janis for a limited understanding of some issue resulting from group conformity?

A) reference group consciousness
B) groupthink
C) in-group thinking
D) tunnel vision

Question 31

Which of the following concepts refers to a social group that people use as a point of reference in making evaluations or decisions?

A) peer group
B) reference group
C) out-group
D) dyad

Question 32

The concept "triad" refers to which of the following?

A) any pyramid-shaped organization
B) a trial marriage
C) a social group with three members
D) a temporary social group

Question 33

Which of the following is used in your text as a Canadian example of groupthink?

A) the election of a minority federal government led by Stephen Harper
B) the bid for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics
C) the inability of the federalists to see they were in difficulty with respect to the 1995 Quebec sovereignty referendum
D) the growth of Facebook as a social network in Canada

Question 34

Which type of leadership style takes charge of making decisions and makes sure people do what they are told?

A) authoritarian leadership
B) democratic leadership
C) laissez-faire leadership
D) expressive leadership

Question 35

Which of the following statements is consistent with the findings of Solomon Asch?

A) Many people are willing to compromise their own judgment to avoid being seen as different by others.
B) Many people have weak self-images and seek social approval.
C) Ordinary people are often not truthful to people who are in power.
D) People with strong conviction can overcome social pressure.

Question 36

A social group toward which a person feels competition or opposition is which of the following?

A) an in-group
B) an out-group
C) a reference group
D) a social network

Question 37

Which concept refers to a social group with only two members?

A) a primary group
B) a dyad
C) a triad
D) a bond

Question 38

Blau notes three ways in which social diversity influences intergroup contact. Which of the following is NOT one of these three?

A) large groups turn inward
B) homogeneous groups turn outward
C) physical boundaries create social boundaries
D) heterogeneous groups turn outward

Question 39

What type of leader downplays their own power, letting the group function more or less on its own?

A) authoritarian leaders
B) democratic leaders
C) laissez-faire leaders
D) instrumental leaders

Question 40

Which of the following illustrates the operation of groupthink?

A) A group shares information widely and makes an effective policy decision.
B) A group leader makes a decision without consulting anyone, and the decision turns out to be a bad one.
C) Group members seek consensus, discouraging people from speaking freely, and end up making a decision based on limited information.
D) A group gets different ideas from everyone and is unable to come up with any decision at all.

Question 41

The concept "bureaucracy" refers to

A) a large, normative organization.
B) any source of inefficiency in organizational operation.
C) an organizational model that operates informally.
D) an organizational model rationally designed to perform tasks efficiently.

Question 42

Formal organizations are

A) small groups with elected leaders.
B) large secondary groups with a goal orientation.
C) networks that have many members.
D) only agencies that are part of the government.

Question 43

Which type of formal organization is sometimes called a "voluntary association"?

A) normative organizations
B) coercive organizations
C) utilitarian organizations
D) punitive organizations

Question 44

The emergency room clerk who keeps a bleeding patient waiting while filling out lots of paperwork is a classic example of

A) bureaucratic ritualism.
B) bureaucratic alienation.
C) bureaucratic innovation.
D) bureaucratic inertia.

Question 45

In most high-income nations at least ______ of the population uses the internet.

A) 1/10
B) 1/2
C) 3/4
D) 9/10

Question 46

In principle, bureaucratic organizations pay little attention to

A) formal policies.
B) completing tasks efficiently.
C) tradition.
D) the technical competence of members.

Question 47

Assume you are a parent of a child in school. From your point of view, what type of organization is a school's Parent-Teacher Association (PTA)?

A) a normative organization
B) a coercive organization
C) a utilitarian organization
D) a punitive organization

Question 48

The "Sociology and the Media" box explains that a recent and popular example of social networking is the use of

A) websites such as Facebook.
B) social service projects involving dorm residents.
C) computers to track people's personal tastes and interests.
D) shared bicycles on campus.

Question 49

If you were a prisoner, a maximum-security prison would be which of the following types of organizations from your point of view?

A) a normative organization
B) a coercive organization
C) a utilitarian organization
D) a voluntary organization

Question 50

Which of the following is typically true of a social network?

A) Networks are built on primary relationships.
B) Networks are "fuzzy" groups made up of people we "know of" rather than those we know well.
C) Networks encourage a strong sense of membership.
D) Networks have clear boundaries defining membership.

Question 51

From the point of view of anyone considered an "inmate," what type of formal organization is the person in?

A) a normative organization
B) a coercive organization
C) a utilitarian organization
D) a voluntary organization

Question 52

Which type of formal organization do people join to obtain money and other material benefits?

A) normative organization
B) coercive organization
C) utilitarian organization
D) voluntary organization

Question 53

The Industrial Revolution ushered in a new structure for formal organizations concerned with efficiency that Weber called

A) groupthink.
B) networks.
C) bureaucracy.
D) triads.

Question 54

Max Weber noted many traits of bureaucracy. Which of the following list is NOT one of them?

A) favouring family members over strangers
B) arranging offices in a hierarchy
C) enacting many rules and regulations
D) providing workers with highly specialized jobs

Question 55

What is Robert Merton's term for a preoccupation with rules and regulations to the point of keeping an organization from accomplishing its goals?

A) bureaucratic ritualism
B) bureaucratic alienation
C) bureaucratic innovation
D) bureaucratic inertia

Question 56

In general, which of the following categories of people are "well-connected" in terms of social networks?

A) the elderly
B) poorly educated people
C) people living in cities
D) nomadic peoples

Question 57

The tendency of bureaucratic organizations to perpetuate themselves-to keep themselves going-is called:

A) bureaucratic retreatism.
B) bureaucratic ritualism.
C) bureaucratic innovation.
D) bureaucratic inertia.

Question 58

Max Weber argued that formal organizations were efficient, but he cautioned that they can have harmful effects on people. What is the danger?

A) Organizations create social inequality.
B) Organizations create conflict among workers.
C) Organizations create alienation.
D) Organizations create conformity.

Question 59

What concept refers to all factors outside an organization that affect the organization's operation?

A) oligarchy
B) organizational environment
C) secondary environment
D) competition

Question 60

Which sociological concept refers to a number of weak social ties among persons who have little common identity and little interaction?

A) primary group
B) triad
C) network
D) dyad

Question 61

Which of the following statements is NOT evidence of the process called the "McDonaldization of society"?

A) Bank tellers are being replaced with automatic teller machines (ATMs).
B) People shop in carefully designed, climate-controlled malls.
C) Colleges select students in terms of applicants' grades and test scores.
D) Many new jobs demand creativity and imagination.

Question 62

Which of these concepts was used by Robert Michels to refer to the rule of the many by the few?

A) bureaucracy
B) formal organization
C) oligarchy
D) authoritarian leadership

Question 63

According to Deborah Tannen, what traits make up a "female advantage"?

A) placing greater emphasis on policy
B) placing greater emphasis on communication
C) rigid leadership structures
D) compartmentalization

Question 64

The concept "McDonaldization of society" refers to

A) McDonald's organizational principles coming to dominate all of society.
B) the spread of McDonald's restaurants around the world.
C) society becoming more filled with red tape and inefficiency.
D) the less and less predictable nature of today's society.

Question 65

Generally, people in secondary relationships think of others as a means to some end.

Question 66

During the last fifty years, Japanese formal organizations have differed from those in Canada by being

A) less efficient.
B) less profitable.
C) more collective in their orientation.
D) more hierarchical.

Question 67

The text speaks of "opposing trends" in today's world of formal organizations because

A) some organizations are getting smaller, but most are getting bigger.
B) men dominate formal organizations, but women are gaining fast.
C) some organizations have evolved toward flatter, more flexible forms, but others remain rigid organizations patterned on McDonald's.
D) most organizations are getting bigger, but some are getting smaller.

Question 68

The basic idea behind scientific management is that

A) both science and formal organizations are rational.
B) organizations benefit from employees with scientific knowledge.
C) applying scientific principles can make a business more efficient.
D) companies chaired by scientists are more successful.

Question 69

In general, people in secondary groups are more likely than people in primary groups to "keep score" in terms of who owes what to whom.

Question 70

The boundary that distinguishes members from non-members is clearer in secondary groups than in primary groups.

Question 71

People riding together on a subway are correctly called a social group.

Question 72

In brief, what does Rosabeth Moss Kanter's research show?

A) Organizations must "open up" their structure to bring out the best in their employees.
B) Employees who hustle are the ones who get ahead.
C) Organizational structure has little to do with employee performance.
D) Formal organizations typically become oligarchies.

Question 73

The sociologist who explored the primary group was Charles Horton Cooley.

Question 74

Members of a social group usually think of themselves as a special "us."

Question 75

Expressive leaders are more likely than instrumental leaders to enjoy more personal affection from group members.

Question 76

Which of the following is NOT a way in which today's Canadian business organizations differ from those a century ago?

A) Today, there is more creative autonomy.
B) Today, we find more use of competitive work teams.
C) Today's organizations have a steeper, pyramid shape.
D) Today's organizations have more flexibility.

Question 77

Looking at the list below, all but one of the traits is correctly linked to McDonaldization. Which is NOT a trait of McDonaldization?

A) efficiency
B) creativity
C) ability to calculate results
D) control through automation

Question 78

In the "iron law of oligarchy," Robert Michels stated

A) bureaucracy always means inefficiency.
B) bureaucracy always means the few rule the many.
C) bureaucracy always means formal rules and regulations.
D) bureaucracy always means alienation.

Question 79

Weber believed that rational systems were efficient but _________________.

A) ineffective overall
B) anomic
C) unsustainable
D) dehumanizing

Question 80

The scientific management approach was developed by

A) Frederick Taylor.
B) Robert Merton.
C) Robert Michels.
D) Rosabeth Moss Kanter.