Question 1

Large groups consistently get better results than smaller ones when the group is involved in ________.
A) getting things done
B) routine tasks
C) problem solving
D) long-term projects

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that larger groups outperform smaller groups when it comes to problem solving, as they have a greater diversity of perspectives, ideas, and approaches. However, for routine tasks or getting things done, smaller groups may be more efficient. For long-term projects, the optimal size of the group may vary depending on the complexity and scope of the project.

Question 2

Which one of the following refers to a prestige grading, position, or rank within a group?
A) role
B) status
C) stature
D) membership

Accepted Answer

Status refers to the relative position or rank within a group or society, often carrying with it a level of prestige or honor.

Question 3

Which one of the following suggestions will help reduce the effect of social loafing in groups?
A) clearly identify individual responsibilities and efforts in the group outcome
B) provide group rewards instead of individual rewards
C) increase the overall size of the group
D) form homogeneous groups to increase group cohesiveness

Accepted Answer

By clearly identifying individual responsibilities and efforts in the group outcome, each member will be held accountable for their contributions, reducing the likelihood of social loafing. Providing group rewards may still encourage social loafing as individuals may not feel personally responsible for the outcome. Increasing the overall size of the group may actually increase social loafing as individuals may feel their contributions are less significant. Forming homogeneous groups may increase group cohesiveness, but it does not directly address the issue of social loafing.

Question 4

Age, skill, and experience are examples of ________.
A) formal status categories
B) informal status categories
C) internal status categories
D) external status categories

Accepted Answer

Age, skill, and experience are considered informal status categories because they are not officially designated positions or ranks but rather are based on personal attributes or achievements.

Question 5

She was the matriarch of the department, the most senior employee. She always sat immediately to the right of the manager in all department meetings. No one dared take her chair. That chair was a symbol of her ________.
A) importance
B) age
C) status
D) seniority

Accepted Answer

The description highlights that the employee's seat next to the manager is a symbol of her status. Seniority and age may have contributed to her status, but the sentence specifically refers to the chair as a symbol of status. Importance is also related to status, but it is a broader term and may not accurately capture the connotation of the sentence.

Question 6

Which of the following is an accurate statement regarding status systems?
A) Anything can have status value if others in the group evaluate it that way.
B) Status is a weak employee motivator even though it has behavioral consequences.
C) Status can only be formally conferred on individuals.
D) Status systems are independent of aspects such as prestige and grading.

Accepted Answer

Status value can be assigned to anything that is deemed as valuable by the group. It is a subjective attribute that can change based on the values and judgments of the group.

Question 7

Daniela and Navaro disagree on the best way to promote a new product. Those in the company who view the conflict over the promotion strategy as natural and inevitable have a(n) ________ view of conflict.
A) human relations
B) reactionist
C) traditional
D) interactionist

Accepted Answer

The human relations view of conflict sees it as a natural and inevitable part of group dynamics and can be beneficial for performance.

Question 8

Celine feels that the form of marketing their company is using isn't working anymore. Merle disagrees vehemently. Those in the company who view the conflict over the marketing strategy as bad and harmful have a(n) ________ view of conflict.
A) human relations
B) relational
C) traditional
D) interactionist

Accepted Answer

The traditional view of conflict considers any conflict as inherently negative and harmful, suggesting that it should be avoided. This perspective sees conflict as a dysfunction within the organization.

Question 9

In comparison to large groups, small groups ________.
A) have shorter group tenure
B) are faster at completing tasks
C) have longer norming processes
D) are better at obtaining diverse input

Accepted Answer

Small groups are generally faster at completing tasks because they can coordinate more easily and make decisions more quickly than larger groups.

Question 10

Individuals have the tendency to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually. Which one of the following concepts relates most closely to this behavior?
A) social loafing
B) role conflict
C) role ambiguity
D) nonconformity

Accepted Answer

Social loafing is the tendency for people to exert less effort when they are working in a group than when they are working alone. This occurs because individuals feel that their contribution to the group's overall effort is minor and therefore they do not feel the need to contribute their best effort.

Question 11

Which one of the following is true about the effectiveness of individual decision making over group decision making?
A) Individual decisions tend to be more accurate.
B) Individual decisions are better when dealing with complex issues.
C) Individuals tend to be more creative than groups.
D) Individual decisions are made faster than group decisions

Accepted Answer

Individual decisions are typically made faster than group decisions because they do not require consensus or input from multiple people, which can slow down the decision-making process.

Question 12

The ________ view of conflict management argues that conflicts must be avoided as it indicates a problem within the group.
A) human relations
B) traditional
C) interactionist
D) obstructionist

Accepted Answer

The traditional view of conflict management focuses on the belief that conflicts are negative and should be avoided at all costs as they indicate a problem within the group. This view encourages managers to maintain order and stability by resolving conflicts quickly and maintaining a harmonious work environment.

Question 13

Which one of the following statements is true about group decision making?
A) It generates more complete information and knowledge.
B) It takes less time to reach a solution than it would an individual.
C) It prevents any one minority from dominating or influencing the final decision.
D) It is most suitable for matters that need to be critically evaluated.

Accepted Answer

Group decision making involves pooling together knowledge and information from different sources and perspectives, resulting in a more complete picture of the situation at hand. This can lead to better decision making outcomes than an individual working alone.

Question 14

Stacey was invited to become a member of the class project team because the other members knew she had a high GPA and worked hard on all her individual assignments. Although the other members worked diligently to complete their parts, Stacey was not giving her best effort to this team. Which of the following is a possible explanation for Stacey's behavior?
A) social loafing
B) status incongruence
C) role ambiguity
D) group cohesiveness

Accepted Answer

Stacey may be engaging in social loafing, which is the tendency for individuals to exert less effort in a group setting than they would if working alone, due to a belief that their individual contributions will not be recognized or valued.

Question 15

A lot is riding on the success of this project. All nine members will share in the rewards. But Ted just doesn't have time to complete his assignment so he rationalizes that no one outside the group will know what he did or did not do anyway. Ted is engaged in ________.
A) nonconventionality
B) group norms
C) groupthink
D) social loafing

Accepted Answer

Ted is exhibiting social loafing, which refers to the tendency for individuals to exert less effort when working in a group compared to when working alone. He is relying on the group's success to still receive a share of the rewards, even though he is not completing his assigned task.

Question 16

The reluctance of George's group mates to voice their opposition to several issues in order to maintain group harmony is an example of ________.
A) social loafing
B) group norms
C) groupshift
D) groupthink

Accepted Answer

Groupthink occurs when group members prioritize maintaining group harmony over making rational decisions, leading to a lack of critical thinking and questioning of group decisions. The reluctance of George's group mates to voice their opposition suggests that they may be experiencing groupthink. Social loafing refers to a reduction in individual effort within a group, group norms refer to the unwritten rules and expectations within a group, and groupshift refers to a shift in group decision-making towards a more extreme position than the initial individual preference. While these concepts may also be present in George's group, they do not explain the specific behavior described in the scenario.

Question 17

________ occurs when a supervisor earns less than his or her subordinates.
A) Informal status
B) Role conflict
C) Role ambiguity
D) Status incongruence

Accepted Answer

Status incongruence occurs when a supervisor holds a lower status position than his or her subordinates, which is often associated with a lower salary. This can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction and frustration for the supervisor, and can create tension and conflict within the work environment.

Question 18

This group really clicked. They got along well both professionally and socially. While at work they focused on work. This group is likely to experience ________ in productivity.
A) a strong increase
B) a moderate increase
C) no change
D) a decrease

Accepted Answer

When colleagues get along well, they tend to boost each other's morale, creating a positive work environment. This leads to higher employee motivation and commitment, which ultimately results in increased productivity. Therefore, it is likely that this group will experience a strong increase in productivity.

Question 19

Which one of the following is true about group decision making?
A) Groups tend to foster equal participation in decision making.
B) The pressure to conform is low when working in groups.
C) Groups take more time to arrive at a decision.
D) Groups usually make decisions based on incomplete information.

Accepted Answer

Groups tend to take more time to arrive at a decision because they involve multiple perspectives, opinions, and ideas that need to be shared, discussed, and evaluated. This process can be time-consuming but can also lead to better-informed decisions. The other options are not true about group decision making, as groups may face issues with unequal participation and conformity pressures, and should aim to gather all available information before making a decision.

Question 20

Group cohesiveness is most likely to produce strong increases in productivity when ________.
A) cohesiveness reduces internal strife
B) the group's goals align with the organization's goals
C) it reduces social loafing in the group
D) group members respect and uphold the group norms

Accepted Answer

Group cohesiveness alone may not always lead to increased productivity if the group's goals are not aligned with the organization's goals. It is important that the group's cohesiveness is directed towards achieving the organization's objectives. Internal strife reduction, social loafing prevention and upholding group norms can contribute to group cohesiveness, but the main determinant of productivity is the group's alignment with organizational goals.

Quiz 12: Organizing Around Teams

Large groups consistently get better results than smaller ones when the group is involved in ________.

Which one of the following refers to a prestige grading, position, or rank within a group?

Which one of the following suggestions will help reduce the effect of social loafing in groups?

Age, skill, and experience are examples of ________.

She was the matriarch of the department, the most senior employee. She always sat immediately to the right of the manager in all department meetings. No one dared take her chair. That chair was a symbol of her ________.

Which of the following is an accurate statement regarding status systems?

Daniela and Navaro disagree on the best way to promote a new product. Those in the company who view the conflict over the promotion strategy as natural and inevitable have a(n) ________ view of conflict.

Celine feels that the form of marketing their company is using isn't working anymore. Merle disagrees vehemently. Those in the company who view the conflict over the marketing strategy as bad and harmful have a(n) ________ view of conflict.

In comparison to large groups, small groups ________.

Individuals have the tendency to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually. Which one of the following concepts relates most closely to this behavior?

Which one of the following is true about the effectiveness of individual decision making over group decision making?

The ________ view of conflict management argues that conflicts must be avoided as it indicates a problem within the group.

Which one of the following statements is true about group decision making?

A lot is riding on the success of this project. All nine members will share in the rewards. But Ted just doesn't have time to complete his assignment so he rationalizes that no one outside the group will know what he did or did not do anyway. Ted is engaged in ________.

The reluctance of George's group mates to voice their opposition to several issues in order to maintain group harmony is an example of ________.

________ occurs when a supervisor earns less than his or her subordinates.

This group really clicked. They got along well both professionally and socially. While at work they focused on work. This group is likely to experience ________ in productivity.

Which one of the following is true about group decision making?

Group cohesiveness is most likely to produce strong increases in productivity when ________.