Deck 5: Working in Teams

Question 1

The ________ stage of group development is characterized by close relationships and cohesiveness.

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

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The question,"Why are we here?" relates to the ________ stage of team development.

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

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Management has found that teams are more ________ to changing events than are traditional departments or other forms of permanent groupings.

A)responsive
B)resistant
C)indifferent
D)fearful
E)passive

Answer 3

A

Question 4

SCENARIO 5-1
Your supervisor is interested in re-engineering work processes throughout the organization in order to establish work teams.However,he needs to make a presentation to senior executives outlining the benefits of such a plan.You have been asked to provide him with the rationale for such an endeavour.


-Referring to SCENARIO 5-1,since you understand when teams are most appropriate,and that they work best when there are significant levels of trust among team members,you caution your supervisor to consider ways that he could build trust among team members.You suggest that he build trust by

A)adjusting the reward system.
B)being open and willing to protect and stand up for team members.
C)increasing the interdependence of members.
D)providing resources at the last minute to demonstrate to team members your reliability.
E)explaining to team members how to do the tasks;this way there will be a standard process to follow and no surprises for team members.

Question 5

A team is

A)any group of people working together.
B)a number of people working together toward and accountable for a common goal.
C)people,like factory workers,who perform the same tasks.
D)a group of people with a common relationship.
E)members of the same department.

Question 6

Ammad says,"Only we are responsible for achieving the group's goal,not the boss!" Ammad is describing his group as being a

A)self-managed work group.
B)virtual team.
C)project group.
D)work team.
E)problem solving group.

Question 7

Groups become a "team" when

A)members get to know one another.
B)a leader is appointed.
C)members accept and share accountability for the work.
D)each member understands his or her own goal in the task.
E)the president of the company tells them they are a team.

Question 8

Studying the stages of group development can help us

A)address anxieties about working in groups.
B)provide direction to individuals for performance.
C)determine cost-effective operations.
D)determine intrinsic motivating factors.
E)broaden the scope of strategic planning.

Question 9

Organizations have turned to teams as a better way to use employees' talents.This is because teams

A)are quick to accomplish tasks.
B)are slower to deploy,thereby commitment is strengthened.
C)are more flexible and more responsive to changes than individuals.
D)know how to work closely together.
E)have cohesiveness among members.

Question 10

When considering the five stages of group development,it is important to remember that

A)groups will spend equal amounts of time in each stage.
B)groups will progress through the five stages in exactly the same order.
C)groups will spend the exact same time in each stage.
D)groups progress through the stages in the time and order appropriate to the team.
E)individuals recognize that team formation is a relatively simple task.

Question 11

Joe was waiting patiently for his bus to arrive along with several other people who began to bond together after a rather long wait.It can be said that Joe was part of a ________ with these people.

A)team
B)posse
C)group
D)virtual team
E)fraternity

Question 12

Evidence suggests that teams outperform individuals when the task being done requires

A)synopsis.
B)multiple skills.
C)fewer skills,which leads to higher efficiency.
D)simple skills.
E)completion within a tight time frame.

Question 13

SCENARIO 5-1
Your supervisor is interested in re-engineering work processes throughout the organization in order to establish work teams.However,he needs to make a presentation to senior executives outlining the benefits of such a plan.You have been asked to provide him with the rationale for such an endeavour.


-Referring to SCENARIO 5-1,which of the following is a good reason for undertaking such a plan?

A)It will reduce conflict.
B)It will have negative synergy.
C)It will dramatically decrease the amount of time to make decisions.
D)Individuals will have greater job satisfaction because of higher pay levels.
E)Employees will have greater task identity.

Question 14

The question "What do others expect of me?" relates to the ________ stage of team development.

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

Question 15

A group that remains too long in the ________ stage may have less of an ability to complete the task because of interpersonal problems.

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

Question 16

Suppose an ad hoc group forms to help eliminate a parking problem within their organization.As the group begins to work on this project,a new public transportation system is introduced and fewer employees drive to work.Discovering that its mission is no longer needed,the group gradually disbands and eventually stops meeting altogether.In what stage of development does this group appear to be?

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

Question 17

At what stage of team development do members "test the waters" to determine what types of behaviours are acceptable?

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

Question 18

Nickelback,a popular Canadian rock group,has achieved high levels of album sales and experienced sell-out crowds at its concerts.Using the textbook's definition,this band would be classified as a(n)

A)shared leadership team.
B)work group.
C)work team.
D)efficient team.
E)special team.

Question 19

Some members may be upbeat and others may be depressed in the ________ stage of development.

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

Question 20

In this stage,group energy has moved from getting to know one another to getting the work done.

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

Question 21

You are putting together a group that will work together on a permanent basis.You are studying about the stages of group development and are trying to prepare your supervisor for these predictable stages.You should warn your supervisor that in the first stage of group development,the team members will probably

A)be uncertain about the task and their individual roles.
B)be their most productive.
C)be in a stage of conflict.
D)focus their group energy on performing the task at hand.
E)be ready to focus group energy on developing objectives.

Question 22

________ is the degree to which team members are attracted to one another and are motivated to stay on the team.

A)Context
B)Composition
C)Reflexivity
D)Cohesiveness
E)Flexibility

Question 23

SCENARIO 5-2
As a consultant who specializes in group dynamics,you are observing Stack Inc.'s self-managed teams,which are in different stages of development.Stack is a medium-sized manufacturing business with a diversity of employees at all levels.You have labelled the teams A,B,C,D,and E.


-Referring to SCENARIO 5-2,Team C,on the other hand,shows significant resistance to its appointed leader's guidance,and there is a lot of arguing over roles within the group.This team seems to be in the ____________ stage.

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

Question 24

When discussing a model for team effectiveness,keeping the team size relatively ________ is important because _________.

A)small;coordination problems are easier to handle
B)small;too many members can add to wasted time on research
C)large;of the need for consensus
D)large;of the need for diverse contributions
E)small;everyone is expected to work more in a team

Question 25

According to the punctuated equilibrium model,groups tend to experience ________ about halfway between the first meeting and the official deadline.

A)inertia
B)stagnation
C)reinforcement
D)a "mid-life crisis"
E)equilibrium

Question 26

Helping one another understand the ideas and suggestions that come up in the group is known as

A)encouraging.
B)clarifying.
C)compromising.
D)summarizing.
E)gatekeeping.

Question 27

Team efficacy is defined as

A)a problem on the team that needs to be solved.
B)a belief by all team members that they can succeed as a team.
C)a form of shared leadership.
D)a form of style diversity.
E)a form of organizational support.

Question 28

When the team members are able to freely express their feelings on the tasks,as well as on the group's operation,the team has

A)style diversity.
B)shared leadership.
C)formality.
D)open communication.
E)unclear rules and expectations.

Question 29

When working in teams,the ________ suggests that getting past Phase 1,moving on to Phase 2,and then finally completing the task is a realistic sequence when describing group performance.

A)five-stage model
B)punctuated-equilibrium model
C)sports-team model
D)virtual-team model
E)spontaneous-team model

Question 30

SCENARIO 5-2
As a consultant who specializes in group dynamics,you are observing Stack Inc.'s self-managed teams,which are in different stages of development.Stack is a medium-sized manufacturing business with a diversity of employees at all levels.You have labelled the teams A,B,C,D,and E.


-Referring to SCENARIO 5-2,in Team B at least one group member has withdrawn by sitting apart from the others,and is no longer participating in the discussions.This team seems to be in the _____________ stage.

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

Question 31

Effective teams show reflexivity,meaning that they think about and adjust their ________ when necessary.

A)master plan
B)membership
C)team roles
D)resources
E)conflict-management approach

Question 32

Temporary groups that have long periods of inertia interspersed with brief revolutionary changes brought about because of the team members' attention to deadlines follow the

A)spontaneous-team model.
B)punctuated-equilibrium model.
C)five-stage model.
D)sports-team model.
E)virtual-team model.

Question 33

Ellen's team is functioning effectively.In her opinion,the reason why is that the team includes some team players who emphasize attention to the task,goal setting,and the process,and other team players who question how the team is functioning.She is thus attributing her team's success to

A)norming.
B)performing.
C)uncivilized disagreement.
D)style diversity.
E)shared leadership.

Question 34

"Well,I'd be willing to change if you provided some help on ..." is an example of the ________ role that builds and maintains a team.

A)encouraging
B)compromising
C)summarizing
D)initiating
E)gatekeeping

Question 35

________ is/are characteristic of effective teams.

A)Homogeneous membership
B)Closed communication
C)Formal procedures
D)Predictable decisions
E)Civilized disagreement

Question 36

SCENARIO 5-2
As a consultant who specializes in group dynamics,you are observing Stack Inc.'s self-managed teams,which are in different stages of development.Stack is a medium-sized manufacturing business with a diversity of employees at all levels.You have labelled the teams A,B,C,D,and E.


-Referring to SCENARIO 5-2,the members of Team A are meeting and focused on setting their formal norms and clarifying expectations for the work to be done.This team seems to be in the _____________ stage.

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

Question 37

SCENARIO 5-2
As a consultant who specializes in group dynamics,you are observing Stack Inc.'s self-managed teams,which are in different stages of development.Stack is a medium-sized manufacturing business with a diversity of employees at all levels.You have labelled the teams A,B,C,D,and E.


-Referring to SCENARIO 5-2,Team D has resolved its issues of leadership and is devoting all of its energy to getting the job done.This team is in the ______________ stage.

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

Question 38

Rudolph,who is a member of a work team,thinks that the team should develop a ________ so that all team members are in agreement on the basic norms and expectations for team performance.

A)code of conduct
B)team charter
C)trust document
D)psychological contract
E)trust contract

Question 39

According to the punctuated-equilibrium model,productivity is highest during the time of

A)transition.
B)the last meeting.
C)the first meeting.
D)inertia.
E)the end of the first phase.

Question 40

Tony was not being an effective team member.He is acting as if he is quite willing to have his team members "carry" him on the project that they are all supposed to be working on.Tony is exhibiting

A)groupthink.
B)norming.
C)social loafing.
D)role conflict.
E)group diversity.

Question 41

Which of the following functions would be considered a task-oriented role in a team?

A)compromising
B)encouraging
C)harmonizing
D)gatekeeping
E)consensus testing

Question 42

A team's development of accurate and common knowledge and beliefs about how the work gets done is called

A)social loafing.
B)a mental model.
C)cohesiveness.
D)the punctuated equilibrium.
E)accountability.

Question 43

When discussing a model for team effectiveness,________ would be found under the process.

A)special abilities
B)role diversity
C)task identity
D)conflict management
E)extreme flexibility

Question 44

Roles performed by group members to ensure that the group's goals are accomplished are referred to as

A)norms.
B)task-oriented roles.
C)maintenance roles.
D)individual roles.
E)role expectations.

Question 45

Jane,a team member,says,"Building on Antonia's idea,I think we could ..." Jane is fulfilling the ________ role in the team.

A)initiating
B)consensus testing
C)encouraging
D)elaborating
E)harmonizing

Question 46

A new employee in your department is cautious and apprehensive when he first meets and interacts with other employees.In particular,he seems rather private and aloof to some.Which dimension of trust will others in the department likely assume that he is lacking in?

A)integrity
B)openness
C)competence
D)loyalty
E)consistency

Question 47

Group diversity in work teams provides the strongest advantage when teams are working on

A)matters related to labour relations,where interpersonal skills are relevant.
B)communication and public relations,where languages and culture are important.
C)production and manufacturing jobs,where the impact involving differences in values is minimal.
D)marketing and promotion,where the impact of culture is important.
E)problem solving and decision making,where creative and unique solutions are needed.

Question 48

Erika,a team manager,thinks that the teams she manages are not very effective.They continually miss deadlines and have a higher-than-industry average of defects in the products they manufacture.Erika is thinking that she could improve the effectiveness of the teams she manages by looking at the context that the teams work in.This means that she would be examining

A)the level of resources available,leadership,the level of trust,and the performance evaluation system.
B)the norms,the cohesiveness level,the personalities,and the diversity of the team.
C)the degree of stereotyping,the roles,leadership,and the composition of the team.
D)the skills,personalities,diversity,and size of the team.
E)the specific goals and models,accountability,and the level of conflict on the team.

Question 49

Whenever his team was experiencing some conflict while making a tough decision,Kevin often resorted to using ________ as an effective way to reduce the conflict.

A)forming
B)humour
C)storming
D)reflexivity
E)controlling

Question 50

Dawn has come to you for good advice on how to manage her sales team.She realizes that not all sales team members have the necessary skills to be effective team players.You suggest that Dawn

A)provide training to improve members' skills in the areas in which they are lacking,which will help the team develop and reach its full potential.
B)replace team members with those who do have the necessary skills.
C)add members to the existing team by recruiting other team members who have the complementary skills needed.
D)allow the team to develop on its own,as team members will learn to trust one another.
E)have members take part in trust strategies in order to gain mutual respect,trust,and new skills.

Question 51

John's role is to make sure that all team members have a chance to express their ideas and feelings without being interrupted.John has a ________ role.

A)encouraging
B)compromising
C)gatekeeping
D)summarizing
E)clarifying

Question 52

SCENARIO 5-4
You have been promoted to supervisor of a work team in your department.You remember from your OB course that high-performing teams are noted for the high-level of trust members have in one another.You also remember that researchers identified five dimensions that help build one's trustworthiness.In order to achieve high performance,you choose to focus on building trust among team members.


-Referring to SCENARIO 5-4,one way in which you decide to build trust within your work team is by

A)encouraging members to practise quantitative analysis.
B)instituting individual incentives.
C)demonstrating good judgment in some situations.
D)being truthful and honest.
E)monitoring behaviours.

Question 53

SCENARIO 5-3
Several years ago,Ted Brown began a small retail store that sells computer parts.The store grew and the business expanded to offer computer repair and custom computer programming.Clients have expanded beyond walk-in customers to include small and medium-sized businesses.To accommodate this expansion,Ted had to hire additional personnel.Ted's new employees need to understand what their roles and those of others within the expanding company should be.


-Referring to SCENARIO 5-3,Ted can help his new employees understand their roles and the roles of others by explaining some common facts about roles.He explained to them that

A)each person will be expected to play a number of diverse roles and complete the tasks of some other members.
B)teams do not expect members to be flexible enough to play multiple roles,because most people do not have the ability to shift roles rapidly even after training.
C)role expectations are how people perceive their own given role.
D)it may be helpful to view role expectations through the perspective of a psychological contract.
E)individuals will be expected to take on individual roles that may or may not be helpful for keeping the team on task.

Question 54

Maya asked her team,"are we ready to make a decision on this?" Maya is taking on the ________ role.

A)initiating
B)consensus testing
C)summarizing
D)harmonizing
E)encouraging

Question 55

SCENARIO 5-4
You have been promoted to supervisor of a work team in your department.You remember from your OB course that high-performing teams are noted for the high-level of trust members have in one another.You also remember that researchers identified five dimensions that help build one's trustworthiness.In order to achieve high performance,you choose to focus on building trust among team members.


-Referring to SCENARIO 5-4,you find that one member of the team is unpredictable,unreliable,and says one thing but does another.Which dimension of trust does she need to improve on?

A)integrity
B)consistency
C)openness
D)responsibility
E)loyalty

Question 56

Evidence suggests that individual personalities play a part in how effective teams are.It has been found that mixing both conscientious and not-so conscientious members

A)tends to strengthen those who are initially less conscientious.
B)tends to lower team performance.
C)tends to strengthen the entire team,as all learn how to work in order to advance the team.
D)tends to receive higher managerial ratings for team performance at the end of the task.
E)tends to lead the team to outperform those teams who have only conscientious team members.

Question 57

Roles performed by group members to keep good relationships within the group are referred to as

A)task-oriented roles.
B)norms.
C)maintenance roles.
D)individual roles.
E)role expectations.

Question 58

Factors such as freedom and autonomy as well as the opportunity to use a variety of skills relate to a team's

A)process.
B)development.
C)cohesiveness.
D)work design.
E)efficacy.

Question 59

Roles performed by group members that are not productive for keeping the group on task are referred to as

A)norms.
B)task-oriented roles.
C)maintenance roles.
D)individual roles.
E)role expectations.

Question 60

SCENARIO 5-5
Claude is an executive member of his university's standing committee on employment equity.Since most members of the committee live in different cities,they use teleconferencing,videoconferencing,and email to conduct their meetings.


-Referring to SCENARIO 5-5,the committee Claude serves on would be considered a

A)networked team.
B)collaborative team.
C)virtual team.
D)cyber team.
E)systems network.

Question 61

Virtual teams are best described as

A)groups of employees from different departments who are located on different floors of the same building.
B)groups of employees who are almost (virtually)identical to one another in skills and values.
C)cross-functional groups of employees that operate across space,time,and organizational boundaries.
D)formal work teams in which most members do not feel that they are really part of the team.
E)informal groups that meet only in cyberspace.

Question 62

The five-stage model of group development ignores the organizational context of work.For example,a study of a cockpit crew found that three pilots who did not know one another became a high-performing team within 10 minutes.

Question 63

While not all groups are teams,all teams can be considered groups.

Question 64

Teams experience two types of cohesiveness: socio-emotional and instrumental.

Question 65

Evidence suggests that

A)the cost of virtual teams is much higher than the cost of traditional on-site teams.
B)teams are not suitable for every situation.
C)organizational leadership can outperform team incentives.
D)the cost of maintaining teams is higher than the cost of maintaining individual work projects.
E)teams are suitable for every task.

Question 66

SCENARIO 5-6
Your work team is newly formed and you are interested in understanding the various stages it might go through in its development so that you can be of help.Members of your team did not know one another prior to this work assignment.The project will likely last for several years.


-Referring to SCENARIO 5-6,the first stage of the group's development is called norming.

Question 67

Phillip wants to determine whether the task is better suited for an individual or a team assignment.Which question will best help Phillip solve this dilemma?

A)Can the work be performed better by one person?
B)Is management supportive?
C)Have the performance appraisals and reward systems been modified to encourage better performance by team members?
D)Are there enough resources to develop the team and support it through its early stages?
E)Are individual team members experts in their specialized areas?

Question 68

SCENARIO 5-5
Claude is an executive member of his university's standing committee on employment equity.Since most members of the committee live in different cities,they use teleconferencing,videoconferencing,and email to conduct their meetings.


-Referring to SCENARIO 5-5,one advantage associated with such an arrangement is

A)decreased efficiency.
B)fewer nonverbal cues.
C)less social rapport.
D)increased electronic friendships.
E)the reduced impact of time zones.

Question 69

Management has found that teams are more flexible and responsive to changing events than are traditional departments or other forms of permanent groupings.

Question 70

The stages of group development must occur sequentially,and will never occur simultaneously.

Question 71

Lee has come to you for some advice on ensuring that the virtual team she is managing is functioning effectively.You suggest that Lee

A)discourage team members from providing any personal information.
B)let team members establish their own rules for communication.
C)minimize visual forms of communication.
D)discourage informal,offline communication.
E)allow time for socializing and chit-chat online

Question 72

All team members must engage in social loafing to develop team cohesiveness and function effectively.

Question 73

Members who rely too much on the leader and do not carry out their responsibilities can harm their team.

Question 74

SCENARIO 5-6
Your work team is newly formed and you are interested in understanding the various stages it might go through in its development so that you can be of help.Members of your team did not know one another prior to this work assignment.The project will likely last for several years.

-Referring to SCENARIO 5-6,during the performing stage,the structure of the group is fully functional and accepted by the group members.

Question 75

An effective team will spend time building credibility with important players in other parts of the organization and developing internal relationships,rather than developing key outside relationships.

Question 76

The punctuated-equilibrium model characterizes groups as exhibiting long periods of inertia interspersed with brief revolutionary changes triggered primarily by members' awareness of time and deadlines.

Question 77

The five-stage model of group development comprises the first meeting,Phase 1,transition,Phase 2,and completion.

Question 78

SCENARIO 5-6
Your work team is newly formed and you are interested in understanding the various stages it might go through in its development so that you can be of help.Members of your team did not know one another prior to this work assignment.The project will likely last for several years.


-Referring to SCENARIO 5-6,the norming stage is one in which close relationships develop and the group demonstrates cohesiveness.

Question 79

A group could be co-workers,friends meeting for lunch,or people standing at a bus stop.

Question 80

According to the punctuated-equilibrium model,once a group's direction is set,it is re-examined frequently in the first half of the group's life and is likely to be altered.