Deck 14: Teamwork

Question 1

A team that communicates electronically more than face-to-face is called a technology team.

Answer 1

False
Explanation: Virtual teams communicate electronically more than face-to-face; transnational and other types of teams may operate virtually.

Question 2

Transnational teams tend to be virtual teams.

Answer 2

True
Explanation: Transnational teams are work teams composed of multinational members whose activities span multiple countries. Transnational teams tend to be virtual teams, communicating electronically more than face-to-face, although other types of teams may operate virtually as well.

Question 3

Self-managed teams have more responsibility than self-designing teams.

Answer 3

False
Explanation: Autonomous work groups, or self-managed teams, control decisions about and execution of a complete range of tasks and are fully responsible for an entire product or an entire part of a production process. Self-designing teams do all of that and go one step further: they also have control over the design of the team. They decide whom to hire, whom to fire, and what tasks the team will perform.

Question 4

Check-ins during meetings are an important feature of a well-run meeting for a virtual team.

Question 5

A small number of people with complementary skills, who are committed to a common purpose, set of performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable, is called a working group.

Question 6

During the forming stage, group members agree on their shared goals and norms, which results in closer relationships.

Question 7

Work teams, when they exist, are typically a part of the formal organization structure.

Question 8

If used properly, teams can be powerfully effective as a building block for organizational structure.

Question 9

Given the availability of human resources, only large companies use teams to produce goods and services.

Question 10

Some people prefer to work in traditional work groups because they have no managerial responsibilities.

Question 11

Teams can satisfy important personal needs for their members, such as affiliation and esteem.

Question 12

Self-managed teams, compared to traditionally managed teams, have more productivity but experience higher costs.

Question 13

Used appropriately, teams can be powerfully effective as a force for innovation, speed, and cost control.

Question 14

Teams typically provide fewer contributions to organizations than can be justified by the costs of managing them.

Question 15

Parallel teams can recommend solutions to specific problems but do not have authority to act.

Question 16

Project and development teams work on short-term projects.

Question 17

Self-designing teams are groups of employees with specialized talents that are brought together to design new products or processes.

Question 18

Another name for a self-managed team is an autonomous work group.

Question 19

Virtual teams are also referred to as autonomous work groups.

Question 20

In North America semiautonomous and autonomous teams are known to improve the organization's financial and overall performance.

Question 21

Teamwork is best motivated by tying rewards to individual contributions to the team.

Question 22

Individual members feel most important in groups that are large.

Question 23

Levels of risk taking and knowledge sharing within a team are often governed by norms.

Question 24

Team cohesiveness, while it contributes to member satisfaction, has shown little benefit to outputs in terms of quality or productivity.

Question 25

The social facilitation effect occurs because once they get to know each other, team members want to spend time together.

Question 26

Team leadership, as contrasted with supervisory or participative leadership, is demonstrated by the containment of conflict.

Question 27

A team's general purpose should not be reduced to specific, measurable performance goals.

Question 28

All groups follow the developmental sequence outlined in the text.

Question 29

Cohesiveness refers to how attractive the team is to its members, how motivated members are to remain in the team, and the degree to which team members influence one another.

Question 30

Teams should be empowered, or they will revert to making safe, traditional decisions.

Question 31

Some customers for a team's output may be inside the organization.

Question 32

Teams do not function in a vacuum; it is crucial to know how to deal with people outside the group.

Question 33

The informing strategy is used by teams to stay abreast of changes and information from outside of the group.

Question 34

One reason for social loafing is that individuals believe that their contributions are not important.

Question 35

As part of a team, the gatekeeper stays abreast of current information in scientific and other fields and informs the group of important developments.

Question 36

Failure to properly define team membership is a barrier to team effectiveness.

Question 37

If the task is to make a decision or solve a problem, cohesiveness can lead to poor performance.

Question 38

Parading means the team's strategy is to simultaneously emphasize internal team building and achieve external visibility.

Question 39

The role of team maintenance specialist is filled by an individual who has particular job-related skills and abilities.

Question 40

Team effectiveness can be defined by productive output, satisfaction, and commitment.

Question 41

Which of the following describes a project and development team?

A) The team is responsible for making goods or doing services.
B) They work to solve a particular problem.
C) They operate as an essential component of the main work structure of the organization.
D) They work on long-term projects.
E) They are relieved of their usual duties while on the team.

Question 42

Teams within an organization can be powerfully effective in which of the following areas?

A) As a force for stability.
B) As a force for satisficing.
C) As a force for strategy.
D) As a force for change.
E) As a force for consolidation.

Question 43

Which of the following is a way that teams can contribute to an organization?

A) Elimination of conflict.
B) Relaxation of safety rules.
C) Friendships among members.
D) Productivity gains.
E) Modernism.

Question 44

Which of the following describes a work team?

A) The team is responsible for making goods or providing services.
B) They work to solve a particular problem.
C) They are not a clear part of the formal organizational structure.
D) They work on long-term projects.
E) Members come from different units or jobs and are asked to do work that is not normally done.

Question 45

When teams are geographically dispersed, team members tend to experience more trust and less conflict.

Question 46

Teams that make or do things like manufacture, assemble, sell, or provide service are known as

A) Work teams.
B) Project teams.
C) Parallel teams.
D) Management teams.
E) Transnational teams.

Question 47

Which of the following describes a collection of people who work in the same area or have been drawn together to undertake a task without achieving significant performance improvements?

A) Division.
B) Working team.
C) Working group.
D) Virtual team.
E) Parallel team.

Question 48

Teams that work on long-term projects but disband once the work is completed are known as

A) Parallel teams.
B) Management teams.
C) Traditional work groups.
D) Project and development teams.
E) Transnational teams.

Question 49

Conflict can be constructive for the organization.

Question 50

Accommodation means cooperating with the other party in exchange for part of what one wants.

Question 51

A real team differs from a working group in terms of the

A) Observable interpersonal interactions.
B) Size and permanence of the group.
C) Achievement of significant performance improvements.
D) Type of task to be undertaken.
E) Impact on organizational structure.

Question 52

Competing emphasizes both cooperation and assertiveness.

Question 53

Superordinate goals are higher-level goals taking priority over specific individual or group goals.

Question 54

Discouraging risk taking, narrowly defined jobs, and having the managers determine and plan the work are all components of a(n)

A) Virtual environment.
B) Working team.
C) Working group.
D) Team environment.
E) Traditional environment.
Table 14.1 highlights just a few of the differences between the traditional work environment and the way true teams work today. The characteristics in the question are indicative of a traditional environment as opposed to a team one.

Question 55

A mediator is a third party intervening to help settle a conflict between other people.

Question 56

General Mills uses a team approach to make decisions about the packaging for its products, including ways to reduce waste and work more efficiently with suppliers, thanks to which contribution from teams?

A) Conflict reduction.
B) Quality.
C) Speed.
D) Need satisfaction.
E) Innovation.

Question 57

The compromise strategy for conflict resolution involves moderate use of both cooperation and assertiveness.

Question 58

A small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, set of performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable is referred to as a

A) Team.
B) Quality circle.
C) Work force.
D) Work group.
E) Virtual team.

Question 59

As a team strategy, probing involves a focus on internal relations.

Question 60

Which of the following is indicative of a team environment?

A) Training focuses on technical skills.
B) Information is carefully controlled.
C) Cross-training is viewed as inefficient.
D) Risk taking is discouraged.
E) Workers are expected to continuously improve methods.
Table 14.1 highlights just a few of the differences between the traditional work environment and the way true teams work today. In the team environment, everyone works to continuously improve methods and processes.

Question 61

_________ teams coordinate and provide directions to the subunits under their jurisdiction and integrate work among subunits.

A) Management
B) Project
C) Work
D) Parallel
E) Quality circle

Question 62

The product improvement team that you are leading finally seems to be getting something done. For a while, it seemed that team members were more interested in whose ideas were addressed rather than the quality of the ideas. People have now started to unite and are establishing some patterns of interaction that seem productive. The members appear to have worked through the _________ stage and entered the _________ stage of group development.

A) forming; performing
B) forming; norming
C) storming; norming
D) storming; warming
E) storming; performing

Question 63

_________ work groups control decisions about the execution of a complete range of tasks.

A) Management
B) Project
C) Self-designing
D) Virtual
E) Autonomous

Question 64

Groups that are similar to self-designing teams but without control over the makeup of the team or its tasks are known as

A) Autonomous work groups.
B) Parallel teams.
C) Traditional work groups.
D) Transnational teams.
E) Management teams.

Question 65

If groups develop successfully, they go through which of the following stages?

A) Growing.
B) Warming.
C) Storming.
D) Regulating.
E) Achieving.

Question 66

A parallel team can be best described by which of the following?

A) The team is responsible for making goods or doing services.
B) It works to solve a particular problem.
C) It operates as an essential component of the main work structure of the organization.
D) It works on long-term projects.
E) Members are relieved of their usual duties while on the team.

Question 67

Which of the following is a critical period in a group's development because the group is particularly open to formative experiences?

A) The second meeting.
B) The midpoint between the first meeting and a deadline.
C) The critique of individual performances.
D) The deadline.
E) The last meeting before a deadline.

Question 68

In leading a virtual team, a team leader should do which of the following?

A) Use the start of each virtual meeting to review the agenda and time commitment.
B) Reduce conflict on the team by not allowing virtual subteams to form.
C) Hold virtual reward ceremonies.
D) E-mail minutes only to those not able to attend via computer.
E) Recognize only group accomplishments rather than individual ones.

Question 69

Paulo just joined a team of people from throughout his organization whose primary task is to recommend to top management valuable uses for the waste materials generated in the manufacturing processes. The team meets twice per week; otherwise members work within the usual organizational structure. The temporary team that Paulo has joined is a

A) Work team.
B) Working group.
C) Project group.
D) Project team.
E) Parallel team.

Question 70

Teams that operate separately from the regular work structure and exist temporarily are known as

A) Management teams.
B) Parallel teams.
C) Self-designing teams.
D) Self-managed teams.
E) Transnational teams.

Question 71

Work groups in which workers are trained to do all or most of the jobs in a unit, have no immediate supervisor, and make decisions previously made by frontline supervisors are referred to as

A) Traditional work groups.
B) Self-managing teams.
C) Development teams.
D) Management teams.
E) Virtual teams.

Question 72

Which of the following is indicative of team leadership?

A) Reacting to change.
B) Getting input for decisions.
C) Managing one-on-one.
D) Coordinating group effort.
E) Foreseeing and influencing change.
Figure 14.1 indicates the behaviors for supervisory, participative, and team leadership. Foreseeing and influencing change are indicative of team leadership.

Question 73

A leader of a group that evolves into a successful team engages in which of the following?

A) Direct, explain, train.
B) Involve, get input, develop.
C) Manage one-on-one, contain conflict, react to change.
D) Build trust, facilitate, expand capabilities.
E) Coordinate group effort, resolve conflict, implement change.
Figure 14.1 indicates the behaviors for supervisory, participative, and team leadership. Building trust, facilitating, and expanding capabilities are part of team leadership.

Question 74

Groups that deteriorate over time move into a stage known as

A) Deteriorating.
B) Adjourning.
C) Declining.
D) Maturing.
E) Disbanding.

Question 75

Work groups composed of multinational members whose activities span multiple countries are referred to as

A) Self-designing teams.
B) Transnational teams.
C) Quality circles.
D) Transformational teams.
E) Virtual teams.

Question 76

________ differ from self-managed teams in that the former have no managerial responsibilities.

A) Transnational teams
B) Autonomous work groups
C) Traditional work groups
D) Virtual teams
E) Self-designing teams

Question 77

Which of the following describes a self-managed team?

A) Workers are trained to do all or most of the jobs in the unit.
B) Members decide for themselves the composition and tasks of the team.
C) Compensation depends solely upon the team's profitability.
D) Workers rely on management decisions.
E) Workers have multiple immediate supervisors.

Question 78

Which of the following is indicative of supervisory leadership?

A) People are directed.
B) Individual performance is developed.
C) Differences among team members are advantageous.
D) Change is foreseen and influenced.
E) Input for decisions is encouraged.
Figure 14.1 indicates the behaviors for supervisory, participative, and team leadership. Directing people is indicative of supervisory leadership.

Question 79

Which of the following types of teams has the most freedom regarding decisions and execution of tasks and about the team itself?

A) Self-managing teams.
B) Parallel teams.
C) Traditional work groups.
D) High-performance work teams.
E) Self-designing teams.

Question 80

_________ teams create difficult challenges: building trust, cohesion, and team identity and overcoming team member isolation.

A) Traditional work
B) Self-managed
C) Autonomous work
D) Self-designing
E) Virtual