Deck 6: Project Team Building, Conflict, and Negotiation

Question 1

Which two steps of project team building are out of sequence?

A)You always identify skills before you identify people.
B)You always negotiate with the functional supervisor before you negotiate with top management.
C)You always negotiate with the functional supervisor before you talk to potential team members.
D)You always identify personnel before you talk to potential team members.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The number one predictor of project success is:

A)The absence of conflict among project team members.
B)Documentation that clearly articulates the consequences of failing to achieve the objectives.
C)A mission that is understood and accepted by all team members.
D)A well-prepared fallback position in case the project cannot be executed as imagined.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Stacey noted that the client was a cantankerous old man and that her current project team lacked the requisite skills to work with him.Time was running short,so the BEST approach to making sure the project team had the necessary skills was to:

A)Locate a new client for this project.
B)Identify a suitable training program and implement it.
C)Hire a contractor for the life of the project.
D)Modify the skill set to something that her current team possessed.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Team building and conflict management skills are two of the most important people skills that project managers can cultivate.

Question 5

Trust based on a person's competence would be summarized by this team member's affectionate statement towards another team member:

A)"I trust you to honor your commitments."
B)"Does it feel right to allow you to make this decision?"
C)"I trust you to be able to accomplish this task."
D)"I trust you to do the right thing."

Question 6

If a functional manager will NOT release the resources you need as project manager,your best course of action is to:

A)Complete the project as best you can and inform management and the client that you predicted this outcome.
B)Use social media to voice your concerns.
C)Notify top management of the consequences.
D)Update your resume.

Question 7

A project manager can identify the skills needed for the project from the:

A)Departmental personnel listings.
B)Project budget.
C)Stakeholder meeting.
D)Work breakdown structure.

Question 8

If preferred project team members are not available,the project manager should notify top management of the consequences.

Question 9

The study group that Philip had formed in his first MBA class had gotten him through his management science course;of that there could be no question.Now as he neared the end of his MBA he reflected on how team members had chosen courses together each semester,keeping the study group intact and keeping themselves one step ahead of their classmates.His MBA project team had:

A)Trust coming out of their ears.
B)Cohesiveness in spades.
C)An overabundance of enthusiasm.
D)A plethora of results orientation.

Question 10

With a failure to secure personnel releases from functional managers,a project manager should:

A)Proceed as originally planned.
B)Abandon the project.
C)Adjust schedules and scope documents.
D)Relinquish project leader status.

Question 11

Most project resources are negotiated with:

A)Project managers.
B)Potential team members.
C)Top management.
D)External stakeholders.

Question 12

The first step in assembling a project team is to:

A)Talk to potential team members.
B)Identify the required skills.
C)Negotiate with the functional supervisor.
D)Notify top management.

Question 13

A key determinant of project success is a:

A)Rapidly assembled team.
B)Slowly assembled team.
C)Project leader voted on by the team.
D)Clear project mission.

Question 14

You have been tapped as project manager for your dream project and find yourself initially rebuffed by functional managers that are reluctant to release members of your "dream team" to help you work on the project.What are three alternatives you might choose from and which is most attractive?

Question 15

The key to creating the energy and spirit that drives effective project efforts is:

A)Results orientation.
B)Trust.
C)Cohesiveness.
D)Enthusiasm.

Question 16

Productive interdependencies hinge upon:

A)The project manager's role as the hub of the team with all team members as spokes.
B)The degree of knowledge the team members have and the importance they attach to interrelatedness of efforts.
C)The cohesiveness of the project team's supply chain and the degree of assistance they render the project team.
D)The support the key stakeholders offer to the overall project success.

Question 17

Project management people skills include:

A)Team building.
B)Scheduling.
C)Budgeting.
D)Project evaluation.

Question 18

What are the steps in assembling a project team? Which is most critical? Why?

Question 19

The first step in assembling a project team is to talk to potential team members.

Question 20

The BEST source of troubleshooting for problems is the:

A)Project team.
B)Project manager.
C)Project customer.
D)Project champion.

Question 21

What are the main three reasons why project teams fail?

Question 22

The project team's office needed a revolving door to facilitate the influx and outflow of personnel.Team members needed name tags to keep track of who was who and what their duties were.The project was jeopardized by:

A)Poor leadership.
B)High turnover.
C)Lack of team motivation.
D)Poor communication among team members.

Question 23

How can project managers promote a sense of enthusiasm within the project team?

Question 24

What are three consequences of poorly designed or unclear goals?

Question 25

Cletus thought they were draining the swamp,but Spike was convinced they were better off building a bridge across it.Their project team was doomed to failure owing to their:

A)Poorly defined team roles.
B)Unclear goals.
C)Lack of motivation.
D)Poorly defined team interdependencies.

Question 26

All of the members of the ladies' circle were horrified when each of them arrived at the parish hall with 20 gallons of potato salad.It was all quite delicious but wasn't the well-balanced spread they customarily set out.The potato salad disaster of '89 was passed from generation to generation along with a stern warning to:

A)Make sure that every team member is motivated.
B)Make sure that project goals are clear.
C)Make sure that project team roles are clear.
D)Make sure that turnover is low.

Question 27

What are the characteristics of effective project teams?

Question 28

Everyone in the Tagi tribe agreed to vote out Gervasse at the next tribal council.Their 39-day project to make it to the final four together was two steps away from completion.This project group is in the:

A)Storming stage of group development.
B)Performing stage of group development.
C)Forming stage of group development.
D)Norming stage of group development.

Question 29

Team members get to know each other in the:

A)Adjourning stage of group development.
B)Storming stage of group development.
C)Performing stage of group development.
D)Forming stage of group development.

Question 30

You have assembled your project team,and as luck would have it,you added every person to your team that you wanted.Your team has a diverse set of skills,and each member has at least one skill that another doesn't have.This is why you chose each one;otherwise you couldn't hope to deliver the project.What is wrong with segmenting the team in terms of their specific duties?

Question 31

The Dean's laissez faire attitude hit its zenith when he had missed five department chair meetings in a row despite the pressing needs of the MBA Curriculum Revision Team.No one was sure what to do so they did nothing,and the MBA program remained as it had always been as the revision team slunk back to their offices.If only there had been:

A)Better leadership,the project might have succeeded.
B)Less turnover among project members,the project might have succeeded.
C)A clear goal,the project might have succeeded.
D)More motivation among team members,the project might have succeeded.

Question 32

Disruptive acts of some project team members due to personality issues,hidden agendas,or interpersonal problems are categorized as:

A)Poor communication.
B)Lack of motivation.
C)Dysfunctional behavior.
D)Poor leadership.

Question 33

Which of the following phenomena would be most likely to occur if the project team did NOT have clear and commonly understood project goals?

A)The motivation level of team members would increase.
B)Conflict among team members would increase.
C)The level of trust among team members would increase.
D)The interdependency among team members would increase.

Question 34

It appeared that everyone on the project team was finally on board;Jim would bring the doughnuts to all team meetings and Jenny would make the coffee.Fully caffeinated and on a sugar high,the team was coming together and fully committed to the project development process.The team was now planted firmly in the:

A)Storming stage of group development.
B)Forming stage of group development.
C)Norming stage of group development.
D)Performing stage of group development.

Question 35

High turnover among project team members is a key element of success since new team members will bring fresh perspectives and ideas to the group.

Question 36

Project managers are best able to promote a sense of enthusiasm within the project team when they create an environment that is challenging,supportive,and personally rewarding.

Question 37

The semester project was due at 8:00 a.m.the next day and as the sun rose swiftly in the east,the team of four graduating seniors held their collective breath.If their database project worked (and why wouldn't it,they had begun early yesterday afternoon)they would complete their quest and graduate in a week with their shiny diplomas in MIS.Their drive to finish the project with A quality work was clear testament to their:

A)Results orientation.
B)Trust.
C)Cohesiveness.
D)Enthusiasm.

Question 38

The author presents the need for a productive interdependency among project team members.What are the tradeoffs between differentiation and redundancy and how are these related to a productive interdependency?

Question 39

The department chair had allotted plenty of time for all department (and project)members to prepare sections of their five-year program review.Administration demanded no less than 50 pages be devoted to a thorough and thoughtful review of activities and goals.What happened to the report was anybody's guess;no one had actually seen one or ever heard back from administration once they had submitted it.Most of the project team members thought the report was immediately sent to the steam tunnels running underneath the campus or perhaps it would sit collecting dust as part of a make-work program to justify an assistant VP's job.No wonder that team meetings were poorly attended and that all the sections of the report were filled with trite phrases and wide margins.This team suffers from:

A)Tenure.
B)Poorly developed goals.
C)Poorly defined team interdependencies.
D)Lack of motivation.

Question 40

Conflict begins as team members begin to resist authority and demonstrate hidden agendas and prejudices in the:

A)Storming stage of group development.
B)Performing stage of group development.
C)Forming stage of group development.
D)Norming stage of group development.

Question 41

Even though he was the facilities director with the county,Keith loosened his tie and waded into the raw,untreated sewage with the rest of the project team.As they stood there together in the quagmire of mud and feces,the team members found Keith less intimidating and his:

A)Accessibility was at an all-time high.Surely the cross-functional cooperation of the team would soon peak.
B)Proximity was at an all-time high.Surely the cross-functional cooperation of the team would soon peak.
C)Equanimity was at an all-time high.Surely the cross-functional cooperation of the team would soon peak.
D)Task orientation was at an all-time high.Surely the cross-functional cooperation of the team would soon peak.

Question 42

What are psychosocial outcomes as contained in the cross-functional cooperation model?

A)The emotional and psychological effects that strong performance will have on the project team
B)The psychopathic behaviors exhibited by members of the project team in a social setting
C)The psychomotor skills needed to complete many of the tasks by members of the project team
D)The psychological profile of introversion/extroversion and intuitive/sensing that determine how team members interact with each other

Question 43

The punctuated equilibrium model suggests that groups spend the majority of their time in stasis.

Question 44

What are the stages in group development and what project management behaviors are exhibited in each stage?

Question 45

An overall goal or purpose that is important to all functional groups involved,but whose attainment requires the resources and efforts of more than one group,is a(n):

A)Superordinate goal.
B)Means goal.
C)End goal.
D)Field goal.

Question 46

You have undoubtedly been in many student project groups,teams,or perhaps project groups at work.Write a brief description of a memorable group you have been a member of and describe your favorite phase in the group development process.What specific behaviors and incidents identify the phase in question?

Question 47

The role of the team leader is to create structure and set the tone for future cooperation and positive team attitudes in the:

A)Forming stage of group development.
B)Norming stage of group development.
C)Performing stage of group development.
D)Adjourning stage of group development.

Question 48

Choose an example project from the current or very recent business literature.Sketch a graphical version of Gersick's model of punctuated equilibrium and label the curve and both axes.

Question 49

Which of these terms is most likely associated with task outcomes?

A)Satisfying endeavor
B)Worthwhile experience
C)Project schedule
D)Productive use of time

Question 50

Project team productivity is at its peak during the norming phase of group development.

Question 51

Explain Gersick's model of punctuated equilibrium.

Question 52

The two sets of factors that contribute to cross-functional cooperation influence:

A)Criticality and accessibility.
B)Functionality and outcomes.
C)Cooperation and outcomes.
D)Cooperation and criticality.

Question 53

The design team's location in one centralized cube farm made it convenient for them to interact with each other and overhear conversations that they had something to contribute to,proving once again the value of:

A)Accessibility.
B)Rules and procedures.
C)Superordinate goals.
D)Physical proximity.

Question 54

Cross-functional cooperation directly affects both:

A)Superordinate goals and psychosocial outcomes.
B)Psychosocial outcomes and task outcomes.
C)Task outcomes and self-actualization.
D)Self-actualization and superordinate goals.

Question 55

Gersick's model for team development rejects the standard model in favor of something called:

A)Forming-storming-norming-performing-adjourning.
B)Directed chaos.
C)The golden rule.
D)Punctuated equilibrium.

Question 56

"Our work here is done," the project leader shouted as he surveyed the scene."Go home and reflect on what you've accomplished and I'll see you at the world premiere,once we're all immortalized in a feature length movie." This project team is in the:

A)Forming stage of group development.
B)Norming stage of group development.
C)Performing stage of group development.
D)Adjourning stage of group development.

Question 57

The punctuated equilibrium model of team development says that:

A)Cataclysmic events promote growth after long periods of no change.
B)Change occurs as the team leader insists upon it.
C)There can be no equilibrium until suffering has occurred.
D)If team members are punctual,the project can achieve equilibrium.

Question 58

"Loose Cannon" Buchanan said and did whatever he wanted,which was usually at odds with the behavior of the rest of the business faculty.An appropriate mechanism for bringing him into alignment with the rest of the team is:

A)Issuing superordinate goals.
B)Creating a formalized set of rules.
C)Making sure he was in close proximity to the rest of the faculty.
D)Have the team adopt his aberrant behavioral patterns.

Question 59

In general,a superordinate goal is a replacement goal for the goals of all functional groups involved in the project.

Question 60

Cross-functional cooperation directly influences both the actual implementation of the project and the team members' assessment that the project experience was worthwhile.

Question 61

Everyone on the virtual project team agreed to respond to e-mail within 24 hours of receipt,and this:

A)Conflict resolution process assured the project team of success.
B)Augmented communication assured the project team of success.
C)Code of conduct assured the project team of success.
D)Heuristic assured the project team of success.

Question 62

Your first project team meeting got off to a bad start when the functional manager for your team's physician refused to allow her to attend the meeting.This:

A)Goal-oriented conflict threatened the project's success.
B)Administrative conflict posed a serious threat to the project's success.
C)Interpersonal conflict was devastating to the project's chance for success.
D)Interactionist conflict meant there would be no project completion party in your future.

Question 63

Regular meetings and ad hoc get-togethers prevent a virtual team member from:

A)Accomplishing too much.
B)Disappearing.
C)Forgetting deadlines.
D)Missing meetings.

Question 64

Because conflict is perceptual in nature:

A)It is a state.
B)It is essentially static.
C)It often cannot be solved by any conventional means but must be refereed.
D)It doesn't really matter if one party has truly wronged another party.

Question 65

The two main challenges that virtual project teams face are building trust and establishing the best modes of communication.

Question 66

The husband in the marriage project meekly apologized and hid in the garage while the other project team member rampaged through the house.The husband holds the:

A)Behavioral view of conflict.
B)Interactionist view of conflict.
C)Traditional view of conflict.
D)Attributional view of conflict.

Question 67

Sketch the two-stage model of cross-functional cooperation and describe all of the elements.

Question 68

Conflict associated with disagreement in project scope,priorities,or objectives is:

A)Goal-oriented.
B)Administrative.
C)Interpersonal.
D)Traditional.

Question 69

Conflict is not a state,but a:

A)Way of life.
B)Condition.
C)Process.
D)Certainty.

Question 70

Virtual teams are often slowed down by difficulty with:

A)Superordinate goals.
B)Task reliance.
C)Punctuated equilibrium.
D)Communication.

Question 71

Accessibility is the perception of the project team members that they are physically located in such a way that it is easy for them to interact.

Question 72

What are three practical steps that project managers can take so that teamwork can emerge?

Question 73

A splendid way to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of virtual teams is to:

A)Have them meet face-to-face occasionally.
B)Restrict team members to audio communication only.
C)Mandate audio and video in all electronic communication.
D)Use e-mail most of the time since the printed word is rarely misinterpreted.

Question 74

The Liberal Arts faculty failed to see the reason that every professor on campus would not make exactly the same amount of money,arguing that every person is of equal value.The business faculty relied on the laws of supply and demand and market forces to guide their wages and couldn't fathom why their counterparts could be such dunderheads.The source of conflict between these two groups is:

A)Differentiation.
B)Uncertainty.
C)Reward systems.
D)Structural.

Question 75

What are virtual teams and what are two potential problems with using them? How can these problems be avoided?

Question 76

Robert didn't mince words.If a person's ideas were ill-considered,he was likely to tell them that their ideas were bad.If there was a disagreement,he plainly stated that the person with the opposing viewpoint was wrong.To some,his manner was abrasive and uncollegial and this was a source of:

A)Goal-oriented conflict.
B)Administrative conflict.
C)Interpersonal conflict.
D)Interactionist conflict.

Question 77

Virtual teams are often slowed down by difficulty establishing:

A)Superordinate goals.
B)Task outcomes.
C)Trust.
D)Psychosocial outcomes.

Question 78

The globalization committee was halfway through their first meeting before the team leader realized that his boss had granted him authority that wasn't going to be agreed to by the functional managers of his team.After the meeting,his team members reported back to their units and the team leader's phone began to ring.The source of the conflict he is about to experience is:

A)Differentiation.
B)Uncertainty.
C)Scarce resources.
D)Reward systems.

Question 79

During the two hours before their 7:30 p.m.appointments on Wednesday evenings,the operations team had a weekly gripe session during which everyone gleefully unloaded on the powers that controlled their miserable lives.This session was valuable since it:

A)Allowed them to feel like real men,if only for a little while.
B)Rewarded good behavior.
C)Established a sense of security and consistency.
D)Created a clear process for addressing conflict and group norms.

Question 80

Some of the team members took great delight in stirring the pot at team meetings.They knew just how to get each team member agitated and then sat back and enjoyed the show.These troublemakers defended their actions by claiming that they took the:

A)Traditional view of conflict.
B)Behavioral view of conflict.
C)High reliability view of conflict.
D)Interactionist view of conflict.