Question 1

A group of managers spend a great deal of time ensuring that they agree on important issues instead of working toward an accurate assessment of the situation. This scenario describes

Accepted Answer

Groupthink occurs when a group prioritizes consensus and agreement over critical analysis and accurate assessment, often leading to poor decision-making.

Question 2

Teams that rarely interact with each other on a face-to-face basis are referred to as ________ teams.

Accepted Answer

Virtual teams are teams that rarely interact with each other on a face-to-face basis.

Question 3

Active Appliances, an electrical appliance firm, forms a group to design a new software application. This group consists of a systems designer, a programmer, and a user representative. This is an example of a(n)

Accepted Answer

This is an example of a cross-functional team because it includes members from different functional areas (systems design, programming, and user representation) working together on a project.

Question 4

The salespersons who report to a common sales manager are known as a(n)________ group.

Accepted Answer

A command group consists of individuals who report directly to a manager, such as salespersons reporting to a common sales manager.

Question 5

Teams that are empowered to take responsibility for acting autonomously in order to complete identifiable pieces of work are referred to as

Accepted Answer

Self-managed work teams are groups of employees who are given the authority and responsibility to manage themselves and their work, making decisions and taking actions autonomously to complete tasks.

Question 6

Blue Bay International has formed a virtual team to improve quality in its five plants, which are located across three continents. In order to give this team the best chance of succeeding, what could the management do?

Accepted Answer

Scheduling periodic face-to-face meetings can help build trust, improve communication, and enhance team cohesion, which are crucial for the success of a virtual team spread across different locations.

Question 7

Command groups are also known as

Accepted Answer

Command groups are also known as departments because they consist of individuals who report directly to a manager and are responsible for carrying out tasks to achieve organizational goals.

Question 8

Managers in technology-based industries often employ what kinds of teams specifically to create new products?

Accepted Answer

Research and development teams are specifically tasked with creating new products in technology-based industries.

Question 9

Marco is the vice president of an athletic apparel company that sells clothing for bicyclists. Recently, the company has identified problems of cost control in all of its offices. Marco formed a team composed of the sales managers of all the four regions, along with some staff members from the company's informational technology and administration departments, to study the problem and make recommendations over a four-month period. This team is an example of a

Accepted Answer

A task force is a temporary group formed to address a specific problem or project, which is what Marco's team is doing by studying cost control issues.

Question 10

The group who is responsible for developing the strategies that result in an organization's competitive advantage is the

Accepted Answer

The top management team is responsible for developing strategies that lead to an organization's competitive advantage, as they are in charge of setting the overall direction and making high-level decisions.

Question 11

Another name for a task force is a(n)

Accepted Answer

An ad hoc committee is another name for a task force, as both are temporary groups formed to address a specific issue or task.

Question 12

While on his lunch break, Jamal, who works in IT at a kitchen appliance manufacturer, was talking with his friend Carolina from accounting about how long his daily commute was and how much worse traffic had gotten in the past couple of years. Carolina confessed she had the same experience and was frustrated at how long it took her to get to and from work. Although they were from different departments, they both had the same 8:00 A.M. start time, as did a majority of the company's staff. Jamal imagined how nice it would be to come to work at 7:00 A.M. and leave at 4:00 P.M., which would allow him to miss both the morning and evening peak rush hours. Carolina thought it was a great idea, as did other employees sitting nearby who were listening to their discussion. In order to have a good shot at persuading the management team to institute earlier start times, it makes the most sense for Jamal and his co-workers to

Accepted Answer

Organizing with other like-minded employees and presenting their ideas to management as a group is the most constructive and professional approach to propose a change in work hours.

Question 13

The strategic planning committee at Comfort Fabric Clothing Company consists of managers from engineering, R&D, production, marketing, and finance. This is an example of a(n)

Accepted Answer

A cross-functional team is composed of members from different departments or areas of expertise, as seen in the strategic planning committee at Comfort Fabric Clothing Company.

Question 14

In an attempt to promote innovation in a work group, the supervisor should

Accepted Answer

The answer of In an attempt to promote innovation in...

Question 15

A major problem that self-managed work teams can encounter is

Accepted Answer

Self-managed work teams may struggle with disciplining team members because they operate with a high degree of autonomy and may lack formal authority structures to enforce discipline effectively.

Question 16

Managers choose members of research and development teams based on their

Accepted Answer

Expertise and experience are the most important factors in choosing members of research and development teams.

Question 17

When team leaders of various cross-functional groups report to the same manager, the team leaders form a ________ group.

Accepted Answer

A command group consists of individuals who report directly to a given manager, as in the case of team leaders reporting to the same manager.

Question 18

What is one of the biggest challenges faced by members of virtual teams?

Accepted Answer

Building trust and camaraderie is a significant challenge for virtual teams due to the lack of face-to-face interaction, which can hinder relationship-building and team cohesion.

Question 19

Who takes part in cross-functional teams?

Accepted Answer

Cross-functional teams consist of members from different departments within an organization, bringing diverse expertise and perspectives to achieve a common goal.

Question 20

Which of the following enables managers to disregard geographic distances?

Accepted Answer

Virtual teams use technology to collaborate and communicate, allowing members to work together regardless of geographic location.

Quiz 11: Effective Team Management