Question 1

Hank Murphy was selected to develop an advanced personal communication device with his own self-managed work team. Hank was assured that resource allocation and timelines were flexible for this project provided the work was a cut above that provided by the rest of the employees. As a part of the project guidelines, Hank included the demand that the device being developed by the team should also be marketed exclusively by them without resorting to franchising or cobranding. This was to ensure that customers recognized the product as reflecting the values of their company. Work on this project began with a lot of vigor and once the device was developed, Hank's team implemented their marketing strategy. However, even three months after the product's release, visibility remained low in the market and many reviewers did not consider the device to be much of an innovation. Which of the following statements, if true, would indicate a lack of reflexivity in Hank's self-managed work team?
A)Hank's team members developed multiple blueprints of the device, which were thoroughly discussed, improvised, and synthesized into the final plan for the product.
B)In the first few weeks of the project, Hank had witnessed a moderate level of conflict between the team members as each one had his own idea about how best to go about this high-priority project.
C)The device was later marketed as a part of a national level tie-up with E-store outlets and did remarkably well in its second stint in the market.
D)In Hank's team, the members took accountability for the group's performance as a whole and reported their individual progress to him as well.
E)Hank's team used e-mail and instant messaging to communicate unique information when some of the team members were not available for face-to-face interactions.

Accepted Answer

C)The fact that Hank's team members developed multiple blueprints of the device, which were thoroughly discussed, improvised, and synthesized, shows that the team was flexible in its approach, which in turn shows high reflexivity.The fact that Hank initially witnessed a moderate level of conflict among the team members on this project shows healthy task conflict, which is good for teams and encourages reflexivity.The fact that the device was later marketed as a part of a national level tie-up with E-store outlets and did remarkably well in its second stint in the market shows that Hank's team lacked reflexivity.This is because the team did not deviate from its own marketing strategy, which ultimately proved unsuccessful for them.The fact that Hank's team members reflected accountability at group and individual levels is a sign of efficiency in group performance and does not indicate a lack of reflexivity.The fact that Hank's team used e-mail and instant messaging to communicate unique information when some of the team members were not available for face-to-face interactions does not reflect the lack of reflexivity.

Question 2

Jason Jones has been asked to assemble an eight-member self-managed work team of experienced employees to work on a project that combines the functional areas of research, production, marketing, and distribution. Jason is apprehensive about managing a team so large; he knows from prior experience that larger teams do not always result in greater productivity. Jason has also been informed by the management that this team is being established as the project must progress according to the predetermined timeline. The work lagging behind by one division will cause a cumulative delay in all the successive stages of the project's execution. 
-Jason plans to implement a group-based incentive that he feels would motivate each of the team members to work efficiently. Which of the following is an assumption made by Jason in implementing this plan?
A)Increasing the number of experienced employees in the team will reduce the need for supervision.
B)Each employee in the team is motivated to work equally hard to ensure that the group's performance is satisfactory.
C)Since the team is comprised of employees who are highly skilled in their respective areas, the output of the group will be of high quality.
D)Each employee will work well within the boundaries of their divisional functions, and conflicts will be relatively fewer.
E)Each employee will be committed to working within the resources allocated.

Accepted Answer

B)The assumption that increasing the number of experienced employees in the team will reduce the need for supervision does not have an impact on Jason's decision to implement a group-based incentive.The assumption that each employee in the team is motivated to work equally hard to ensure that the group's performance is satisfactory is implicit in Jason's belief that this group-based incentive plan will work.The assumption that since the team is comprised of employees who are highly skilled in their respective areas, the output of the group will be of high quality is not implicit in Jason's decision to implement a group-based incentive for the team.The assumption that each employee will work well within the boundaries of their divisional functions and conflicts will be relatively fewer is not implicit in Jason's decision to implement a group-based incentive for the team.The assumption that each employee will be committed to working within the resources allocated is not implicit in Jason's decision to implement a group-based incentive for the team.

Question 3

Which of the following must be avoided if one wants to create and maintain an effective team?
A)task conflicts
B)reflexivity
C)specific goals
D)relationship conflicts
E)congruent mental models

Accepted Answer

D)Relationship conflicts are those based on interpersonal incompatibilities, tension, and animosity toward others; these are almost always dysfunctional.However, when teams are performing nonroutine activities, disagreements about task content (called task conflicts)stimulate discussion, promote critical assessment of problems and options, and can lead to better team decisions.

Question 4

Jason Jones has been asked to assemble an eight-member self-managed work team of experienced employees to work on a project that combines the functional areas of research, production, marketing, and distribution. Jason is apprehensive about managing a team so large; he knows from prior experience that larger teams do not always result in greater productivity. Jason has also been informed by the management that this team is being established as the project must progress according to the predetermined timeline. The work lagging behind by one division will cause a cumulative delay in all the successive stages of the project's execution. 
-Which of the following measures, if adopted by Jason, would best ensure that the team members are working efficiently?
A)implementing a training program to provide the team members with the necessary technical and human relations skills for the project
B)discouraging team members from restricting themselves to their own functional areas by experimenting with and learning the jobs done by other members of the team
C)instructing the team members to finalize the plan for the project right at the beginning and ensuring that it is implemented without any changes
D)assigning the specific tasks of the project to each team member by keeping in mind their preferences and abilities
E)implementing a group-based incentive he has planned for this team

Accepted Answer

D)Implementing a training program for experienced employees is not directly going to help ensure efficiency.Discouraging team members from restricting themselves to their own functional areas is not going to contribute to team efficiency directly; it may reduce efficiency in actuality.Instructing the team members to finalize the plan for the project right at the beginning and ensuring that it is implemented without any changes may actually hamper team efficiency because of the lack of reflexivity.Assigning the specific tasks of the project to each team member by keeping in mind their preferences and abilities is likely to ensure that team members are working efficiently.Implementing a group-based incentive for this team is likely to provide greater opportunity for some employees of the group to coast on the group's effort because of the lack of individual roles and accountability.

Question 5

Which of the following is most likely to increase team efficacy?
A)providing vast and generic goals
B)helping the team achieve small successes
C)creating a team such that it has diverse members
D)ensuring that team goals are substantially difficult
E)reducing the number of members on a team drastically

Accepted Answer

B)Efficacy means that a team believes it can succeed in the job and goal that is placed before them.There are two ways to increasing efficacy: 1)provide training to improve skills and increase confidence, and 2)help the team achieve small, incremental successes.

Question 6

Leadership of multiteam systems is also much different than for standalone teams. While leadership of all teams affects team performance, a multiteam leader must both facilitate coordination between teams and lead each team.

Accepted Answer

Leadership of multiteam systems is also much different than for standalone teams.While leadership of all teams affects team performance, a multiteam leader must both facilitate coordination between teams and lead each team.Research indicated that teams receiving more attention and engagement increased team empowerment, making them more effective as they sought to solve their own problems.

Question 7

________ are defined as organized mental representations of the key elements within a team's environment that team members share.
A)Path-goal models
B)Task models
C)Mental models
D)Individual models
E)Specific models

Accepted Answer

C)Effective teams share accurate mental models which are organized mental representations of the key elements within a team's environment that team members share.

Question 8

FDS is a government agency which holds its yearly appraisals in December and provides employees with merit-based incentives based on their individual performance ratings. Merit is the only criterion for incentives at FDS and this is likely to have a strong positive impact on group performance.

Accepted Answer

Individual performance evaluations and incentives may interfere with the development of high-performance teams.So, in addition to evaluating and rewarding employees for their individual contributions, performance rewards must recognize and promote group performance through incentive programs like gainsharing.

Question 9

A climate of trust among team members is a contextual factor relating to team effectiveness.

Accepted Answer

The four contextual factors most significantly related to team performance are adequate resources, effective leadership, a climate of trust, and a performance evaluation and reward system that reflects team contributions.

Question 10

Which of the following is an example of a task conflict?
A)Will and Hilda have been removed from the team they worked with after they were overheard making derogatory comments about one of their colleague's racial origin.
B)Henry and Solomon have been reprimanded by their project lead for spending too much time using the Internet for personal use at work.
C)Linda and Dorothy had a disagreement over which of their employees should be assigned to work on a high-priority project.
D)Sally and her manager have just had a heated argument because Sally feels she has been overlooked for a promotion that was her rightful due.
E)The company head has resigned after longstanding conflict between him and his top management employees.

Accepted Answer

C)When teams are performing nonroutine activities, disagreements about task content stimulate discussion, promote critical assessment of problems and options, and can lead to better team decisions.Such conflicts are called task conflicts.

Question 11

Alberto's team is developing a database for the water pollution data of three cities. Before he begins on this intensive project, he wants to improve the team efficacy of his team. Which of the following actions can Alberto take to increase team efficacy before the project starts?
A)plan a team outing for the team members
B)make sure that his team is not comprised of more than nine people
C)spend considerable time evaluating team members and allocating proper roles for each
D)provide client's software and database training for all the team members
E)create team goals that are very challenging

Accepted Answer

D)Efficacy means that a team believes it can succeed in the job and goal that is placed before them.There are two ways of increasing efficacy: 1)provide training to improve skills and increase confidence, and 2)help the team achieve small, incremental successes.

Question 12

Effective teams translate their common purpose into ________ goals.
A)universal
B)generic
C)vast
D)specific
E)diverse

Accepted Answer

D)Successful teams translate their common purpose into specific, measurable, and realistic performance goals.Specific goals facilitate clear communication.They also help teams maintain their focus on getting results.

Question 13

Which of the following is not a common characteristic of an effective team?
A)The team has adequate resources.
B)The team has effective leadership.
C)The team has a climate of trust.
D)The team has a performance and evaluation system that reflects team contributions.
E)The team is the right size for the task-about 15-20 people.

Accepted Answer

E)Effective teams have common characteristics.They have adequate resources, effective leadership, a climate of trust, and a performance evaluation and reward system that reflects team contributions.Effective teams also tend to be small-with fewer than 10 people, preferably of diverse backgrounds.

Question 14

Managers facing job candidates who lack team skills should do all of the following except ________.
A)avoid hiring the job candidate
B)hire the candidate, but assign them to tasks where teamwork is not important
C)provide the candidate with the type of training that can help improve his or her ability to be a successful member of a team
D)choose the individual with the best technical skills regardless of his or her ability to perform as a member of a team
E)bring the candidate on board, but assign the individual to an area where teamwork is not a priority

Accepted Answer

D)When faced with job candidates who lack team skills, managers have three options.First, don't hire them.If you have to hire them, assign them to tasks or positions that don't require teamwork.If that's not feasible, the candidates can undergo training to make them into team players.

Question 15

When teams are performing nonroutine activities, ________ stimulate discussion, promote critical assessment of problems and options, and can lead to better team decisions.
A)task conflicts
B)disciplinary conflicts
C)relationship conflicts
D)resource allocation conflicts
E)discriminatory conflicts

Accepted Answer

A)When teams are performing nonroutine activities, disagreements about task content stimulate discussion, promote critical assessment of problems and options, and can lead to better team decisions.Such conflicts are called task conflicts.

Question 16

The belief that effective teams have in their ability to succeed is called ________.
A)goal specificity
B)reflexivity
C)mental model
D)common purpose
E)team efficacy

Accepted Answer

E)Effective teams have confidence in themselves; they believe they can succeed.This is called team efficacy.

Question 17

Shane Dermott is a manager at a software design firm that develops software programs for clients using multiple teams of specialists. One of his most successful teams has been performing very well for years and so it came as a surprise to Shane when he noticed a sharp drop in the team's performance. He decided to speak with the team members individually and find a solution. After interviewing all 7 team members, he determined that one of the team members performed routine administrative tasks that were hardly visible to any of the other team members and understood that this was a case of social loafing which demotivated the entire group. Which of the following would most likely improve the performance of the employee who was social loafing?
A)encouraging him to work more independently
B)making him individually responsible for definite and crucial tasks
C)empowering him to make decisions autonomously
D)providing him with administrative training
E)giving him additional assignments to complete

Accepted Answer

B)This team member is engaging in social loafing.Effective teams undermine this tendency by making members individually and jointly accountable for the team's purpose, goals, and approach.Therefore, members should be clear on what they are individually responsible for and what they are jointly responsible for on the team.

Question 18

When individuals engage in ________, they coast on the group's effort because their particular contributions cannot be identified.
A)task conflicts
B)gainsharing
C)retaliating
D)process gains
E)social loafing

Accepted Answer

E)When individuals engage in social loafing, they coast on the group's effort because their particular contributions cannot be identified.Effective teams undermine this tendency by making members individually and jointly accountable for the team's purpose, goals, and approach.

Question 19

With a deadline approaching, all seven members of Sharon's product development team were working round-the-clock and still the work was not completed in time. After the project was completed, Sharon spoke individually with the members to determine the cause for this delay. Many members complained, saying the work given to them was not in accordance with their roles. Some were unclear about which team member to approach when faced with a problem, and many underestimated the time and effort the project demanded. This team is characterized by ________.
A)a clear role allocation for all team members
B)dissimilar mental models
C)high degree of role clarity
D)excessively large team size
E)a strong climate of trust

Accepted Answer

B)Effective teams share accurate mental models which are organized mental representations of the key elements within a team's environment that team members share.If team members have the wrong mental models, which is particularly likely with teams under acute stress, their performance suffers.

Question 20

Conscientiousness and openness to experience are two personality dimensions of the Big Five personality model that predict better performance in teams.

Accepted Answer

Many of the dimensions identified in the Big Five personality model are also relevant to team effectiveness; a review of the literature identified three.Specifically, teams that rate higher on mean levels of conscientiousness and openness to experience tend to perform better.

Quiz 10: Understanding Work Teams

Which of the following must be avoided if one wants to create and maintain an effective team?

Which of the following is most likely to increase team efficacy?

Leadership of multiteam systems is also much different than for standalone teams. While leadership of all teams affects team performance, a multiteam leader must both facilitate coordination between teams and lead each team.

________ are defined as organized mental representations of the key elements within a team's environment that team members share.

FDS is a government agency which holds its yearly appraisals in December and provides employees with merit-based incentives based on their individual performance ratings. Merit is the only criterion for incentives at FDS and this is likely to have a strong positive impact on group performance.

A climate of trust among team members is a contextual factor relating to team effectiveness.

Which of the following is an example of a task conflict?

Alberto's team is developing a database for the water pollution data of three cities. Before he begins on this intensive project, he wants to improve the team efficacy of his team. Which of the following actions can Alberto take to increase team efficacy before the project starts?

Effective teams translate their common purpose into ________ goals.

Which of the following is not a common characteristic of an effective team?

Managers facing job candidates who lack team skills should do all of the following except ________.

When teams are performing nonroutine activities, ________ stimulate discussion, promote critical assessment of problems and options, and can lead to better team decisions.

The belief that effective teams have in their ability to succeed is called ________.

When individuals engage in ________, they coast on the group's effort because their particular contributions cannot be identified.

Conscientiousness and openness to experience are two personality dimensions of the Big Five personality model that predict better performance in teams.