Deck 10: Building Teams and Work Groups

Question 1

The term "group" is synonymous with the term "team".

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Teams that have higher levels of technical expertise are usually more successful than teams with high levels of interpersonal skills.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

_____ are expected to coordinate their work by setting their own norms and planning their own schedules without ongoing direction from a supervisor or manager.

A) Cross-functional teams
B) Self-maintained teams
C) Task force teams
D) Process improvement teams

Answer 3

B

Question 4

A technology company formed a temporary project team to study the next wave in software development,while other teams maintain and service existing software programs.This is an example of a:

A) task force.
B) cross-functional team.
C) process improvement team.
D) self-maintained team.

Question 5

In a situation where there is no interdependence among team members on the one hand and direct competition on the other,teamwork is going to be difficult,if not impossible.

Question 6

Teamwork usually results in organized approaches and systematic processes for problem solving and task completion.

Question 7

It is always important to hold team members mutually accountable than individually accountable.

Question 8

Teams are effective when tasks are complex and task interdependence is high.

Question 9

Ron,as a manager,can reinforce the idea that collaboration in his team will be highly valued by using individual reward structures.

Question 10

Vivian's group is in the storming stage.As leader,Vivian can help by taking sides in order to push the group in one direction.

Question 11

Focusing on both process and content is essential for teams to be effective.

Question 12

All groups must move through all the stages of development in order to evolve into teams.

Question 13

The increase in organizational hierarchy and managerial layers has led to the evolution of self-managed teams.

Question 14

Which of the following statements is true of a task force?

A) They are more expensive to form than hiring outside consultants.
B) They allow for management to allocate resources at will to various projects as the needs of the company change.
C) They are expected to coordinate work without ongoing direction from a supervisor or manager.
D) They operate across time,space,and organizational boundaries using means other than face-to-face meetings.

Question 15

A product design team consisting of members from marketing,finance,research and development,planning,and operations would best be described as a:

A) managed group.
B) task force.
C) cross-functional team.
D) process improvement team.

Question 16

Social loafing promotes synergy among team members.

Question 17

Since Kellie and four others are together trying to design a new product for their company,her group can be referred to as a team.

Question 18

Debbie's team members are learning to incorporate new methods of working together.This implies that they are in the norming stage of team development.

Question 19

Which of the following statements is true of a group?

A) It is a collection of people who work together but are not necessarily working collectively toward the same goal.
B) It has a higher degree of cohesiveness and accomplishment than a team.
C) It is composed of three or more interdependent individuals who consciously work together to achieve a common objective.
D) It becomes a team when members demonstrate a commitment to each other rather than to the end goal.

Question 20

Team leaders who function more like coaches than managers help to facilitate the development of more effective teams.

Question 21

Identify the correct statement about group-hate.

A) It takes place when members who are part of a group agree to a more risky course of action than any individual would have alone.
B) It is a behavior where individuals agree reluctantly with a group's decision because they are more concerned about maintaining harmony than critically thinking about problems.
C) It is the negative view that some people have of working in groups that can influence their active participation in group work activities.
D) It is the tendency of various groups to hate each other and work in serious competition against each other.

Question 22

Lillie is a team leader at Salesplus.com.Her team is made up of 15 members.Recently,she has noticed a tendency of some team members to participate much less than others.They seem uninterested and content to let others do the work.This is called:

A) groupthink.
B) social loafing.
C) group polarization.
D) process loss.

Question 23

In the performing stage,a team member/leader's role is to:

A) begin taking sides.
B) discuss the lessons learned that members can take with them to new projects.
C) encourage the group to develop communication channels.
D) encourage members to provide support to and serve as resources for each other.

Question 24

What is the team member/leader's role in the forming stage?

A) Encouraging the group to establish its mission and purpose
B) Helping group members focus on the task and on personal differences
C) Encouraging the group members to debrief the project
D) Making sure the team continues with its progress and maintains its cohesion and morale

Question 25

What is the team member/leader's role in the norming stage?

A) Encouraging team members to take on more responsibility and work together to create means acceptable for solving problems
B) Encouraging the team members to debrief the project
C) Encouraging the group to establish its mission and purpose,set up a work schedule,and establish some initial norms for working together
D) Promoting an environment of open communication to ensure that the inevitable conflict is healthy

Question 26

The task at the _______ stage of team development is to tie up loose ends and complete final follow-up on projects.

A) norming
B) storming
C) adjourning
D) performing

Question 27

In the adjourning stage,a team member/leader's role is to:

A) begin taking sides.
B) help group members focus on the task and not on personal differences.
C) encourage the group to establish its mission and purpose.
D) encourage the team members to debrief the project.

Question 28

The flattening of organizational structures,resulting in less hierarchy and fewer managers,makes _____ a popular concept in business today.

A) self-directed team
B) cross functional team
C) task force
D) process improvement team

Question 29

Lisa's team is establishing and adhering to patterns of behavior where members feel an ability to constructively criticize each other.This is characteristic of the _____ stage of team development.

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

Question 30

As the number of people working on a task increases,so does the likelihood that one or more team members slack off,hoping that others will pick up the slack.This is known as:

A) free riding.
B) group-hate.
C) groupthink.
D) risky shift.

Question 31

In which stage of team development do members engage in behaviors such as understanding the broad scope and objectives of the project as well as learning about the resources available to the team to complete the project?

A) Norming
B) Storming
C) Forming
D) Performing

Question 32

In the _____ stage,teams have worked through their differences,their membership is stable,the task is clear,and eyes are on the prize.

A) adjourning
B) performing
C) storming
D) norming

Question 33

Individuals agreeing reluctantly with a group's decision because they are more concerned about maintaining harmony and cohesiveness than critically thinking about problems is known as:

A) risky shift.
B) group-hate.
C) free riding.
D) groupthink.

Question 34

In the storming stage,_________.

A) teams may disband permanently or take a temporary break
B) the group members will not know each other and even if they do,there is a feeling of uncertainty and tentativeness
C) members feel part of a working team and a sense of relief that everything will work out
D) feelings emerge such as resistance to the task or approach being taken by the group

Question 35

Which of the following is true of teamwork?

A) It results in a disorderly approach to problem solving.
B) It discourages companies to compete globally.
C) It can lead to free-riding by some members.
D) It leads to increased turnover and absenteeism.

Question 36

The lack of individual accountability in teams can lead to:

A) social loafing.
B) groupthink.
C) group polarization.
D) social inhibition.

Question 37

In the workplace,_____ might look like a team agreeing to a schedule that is too ambitious,committing to finding a creative solution to a problem that has never before been solved,or choosing an investment option that is probably "too good to be true."

A) groupthink
B) social loafing
C) group-hate
D) risky shift

Question 38

A _____ is an ad hoc,temporary project team assigned to develop a system or to solve a specific problem.

A) self-managed team
B) cross functional team
C) task force
D) process improvement team

Question 39

Typically in the _____ stage,the group is in conflict and chaos,as it has not yet established ways to communicate about these differences.

A) norming
B) storming
C) adjourning
D) forming

Question 40

In a traditional,hierarchical organization,communication tends to flow:

A) downward.
B) laterally.
C) upward.
D) outside the organization's boundaries.

Question 41

List the benefits of teams in the workplace.

Question 42

Discuss the characteristics associated with a high-performance team.

Question 43

Briefly describe how to deal with a social loafer.

Question 44

As a team leader and team member,Frank has observed that all of the following are helpful in the teaming experience,EXCEPT:

A) being willing to work toward a common purpose.
B) focusing only on the status of the project,rather than the process.
C) focusing on issues rather than personalities.
D) giving and being willing to receive feedback.

Question 45

High-performance teams are characterized by:

A) members who have only individual accountability.
B) members who have a breadth of specialty rather than people skills.
C) extensive communication mechanisms.
D) an optimal team size of 15 to 20.

Question 46

A team member can become distracted by a work or personal problem that prevents him/her from following through on commitments made to the team.This team member is best described as a(n):

A) absentee member.
B) social loafer.
C) procrastinator.
D) arbitrator.

Question 47

Explain the characteristics of the forming stage of team development.

Question 48

Which of the following,if followed by a manager,is likely to yield good results?

A) Keeping the common goal in the forefront
B) Focusing on strengths and never admitting the weaknesses
C) Emphasizing individual credit of team members
D) Calling all the shots and directing others to follow

Question 49

At the adjourning stage of team development,___________.

A) members are likely to feel disappointment if the experience was negative
B) groups experience differences over factors such as direction,leadership,and work style
C) members engage in constructive self-change for the good of the group
D) teams may disband permanently or take a temporary break

Question 50

Write a short note on a task force in the workplace.