Question 1

Someone at a team meeting who says, "Let's hear from those who oppose this plan," is performing a ________ role.
A) task
B) social
C) coordinator
D) reorientation
E) maintenance

Accepted Answer

A maintenance role is behavior that fosters constructive relationships among team members. Saying, "Let's hear from those who oppose this plan," is playing a maintenance role.

Question 2

Tension was apparent as the management team discussed changes to promotion requirements. But then Colby made a joke about Jesse's white-knuckled grip on his pen, and the laughter seemed to lighten the mood. Colby was acting in a ________ role.
A) relational
B) task
C) production
D) social
E) maintenance

Accepted Answer

A maintenance role is behavior that fosters constructive relationships among team members. Examples include harmonizers, those who mediate conflict through reconciliation or humor.

Question 3

Lamar led a team that just finished up a very challenging research project that will assist management in developing long-range plans. Despite the stress of the past few months, most participants seem sad the project ended. Now Lamar should
A) emphasize unity.
B) have an awards ceremony.
C) get the group disbanded quickly to free people up for new things.
D) provide opportunities for people to get to know one another better now.
E) ensure those members can work on similar tasks going forward.

Accepted Answer

In the final stage of team development, adjourning, members prepare for disbandment. Having worked so hard to get along and get something done, many members feel a compelling sense of loss. The leader can help ease the transition by rituals celebrating "the end" and "new beginnings." Parties, award ceremonies, graduations, or mock funerals can provide the needed punctuation at the end of a significant teamwork project.

Question 4

Bruce, whose primary job is supervising a small production group, is not getting cooperation from all members on the cross-functional team he leads. In particular, Keylani, a senior marketing manager, seems to resist his direction and tries to influence team members to go in another direction. The source of conflict in this case may be
A) status differences.
B) a personality clash.
C) communication failure.
D) time pressure.
E) ambiguous jurisdictions.

Accepted Answer

A source of intergroup conflict is status differences, when there are inconsistencies in power and influence. It can happen that people who are lower in status according to the organizational chart actually have disproportionate power over those theoretically above them, which can lead to conflicts.

Question 5

A(n) ________ role is behavior that concentrates on getting the team's work done. For example, one team member's role may be to generate daily sales information at the end of each working day.
A) maintenance
B) performance
C) administrative
D) production
E) task

Accepted Answer

A task role, or task-oriented role, consists of behavior that concentrates on getting the team's tasks done.

Question 6

Which of the following is a manifestation of excessive conflict in the workplace?
A) apathy
B) violence and workplace aggression
C) missed deadlines
D) indecision
E) lack of creativity

Accepted Answer

Workplace aggression and violence are manifestations of excessive conflict.

Question 7

Javier points out during the meeting that the group has fallen a half hour behind schedule according to the agenda and should get back to the important work at hand. He is performing a ________ role.
A) relational
B) production
C) maintenance
D) social
E) task

Accepted Answer

A task role, or task-oriented role, consists of behavior that concentrates on getting the team's tasks done. Task roles keep the team on track. If you say in a team meeting, "What is the real issue here? We don't seem to be getting anywhere," you are performing a task role.

Question 8

________ conflict is defined as interpersonal opposition based on personal dislike, disagreement, or differing styles. For example, Bailey and Tai, who both work as salespeople at a local boutique, may simply not like each other.
A) Competitive
B) Personality
C) Dysfunctional
D) Communication
E) Programmed

Accepted Answer

Personality conflict is defined as interpersonal opposition based on personal dislike, disagreement, or differing styles. Such conflicts often begin with instances of workplace incivility that, if not curtailed, can diminish job satisfaction and organizational loyalty.

Question 9

Based on expectations of the team, of the organization, and of themselves, what do the members of the team often develop?
A) resources
B) norms
C) groupthink
D) roles
E) social fit

Accepted Answer

Roles are socially determined expectations of how individuals should behave in a specific position. Members develop them based on expectations of the team, the organization, and themselves.

Question 10

The Nordstrom department store chain emphasizes the great lengths to which it goes in customer service. In fact, when it moves into a mall, all the other stores have to improve their own models of customer service. How is Nordstrom using norms?
A) to clarify role expectations
B) to emphasize the organization's important values and identity
C) to create cohesiveness
D) to help the group survive
E) to help individuals avoid embarrassing situations

Accepted Answer

Norms are enforced to emphasize the group, team, or organization's central values, such as Nordstrom's great customer service. Enforcing norms can also help the organization enhance its unique identity.

Question 11

Individuals are said to be collaborating when
A) they have reciprocal faith in others' intentions and behaviors.
B) they have a sense of togetherness and unity.
C) they have ceased to be competitive with one another and prefer harmony.
D) their motivation comes from a desire to please a supervisor or the seeking of a tangible reward.
E) they are sharing information and coordinating efforts to achieve a collective outcome.

Accepted Answer

Collaboration is the act of sharing information and coordinating efforts to achieve a collective outcome.

Question 12

Trust is based on ________, which in turn is based on past acts of integrity and follow-through on promises.
A) cooperation
B) credibility
C) unity
D) honesty
E) cohesiveness

Accepted Answer

Trust is based on credibility, which in turn is based on past acts of integrity and follow-through on promises.

Question 13

Workplace performance is maximized when conflict
A) is at a moderate level.
B) is at a very low level.
C) is absent.
D) is at a high level.
E) occurs only at nonmanagerial levels.

Accepted Answer

A moderate level of conflict can induce creativity and initiative, thereby raising performance. Too much or too little conflict has been shown to reduce performance.

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT characteristic of workgroups with excessive conflict?
A) dissatisfaction
B) indecision
C) political infighting
D) lack of teamwork
E) creativity

Accepted Answer

Excessive conflict can erode organizational performance because of political infighting, dissatisfaction, lack of teamwork, and turnover. But work groups, departments, or organizations that experience too little conflict tend to be plagued by apathy, lack of creativity, indecision, and missed deadlines.

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT considered an essential consideration in building a group into an effective team?
A) trust
B) collaboration
C) roles
D) unanimity
E) norms

Accepted Answer

The most essential considerations in building a group into an effective team are (1) collaboration, (2) trust, (3) performance goals and feedback, (4) motivation through mutual accountability and interdependency, (5) composition, (6) roles, (7) norms, and (8) effective team processes.

Question 16

________ is ordering an outcome, when a manager relies on his or her formal authority and power to resolve a conflict, but the needs of the other party are largely ignored.
A) Accommodating
B) Compromising
C) Problem solving
D) Forcing
E) Avoiding

Accepted Answer

Forcing or dominating is ordering an outcome, when a manager relies on his or her formal authority and power to resolve a conflict, but the needs of the other party are largely ignored. It gets results quickly when there is a need for speed, but in the end it doesn't resolve personal conflict-if anything, it aggravates it by breeding hurt feelings and resentment.

Question 17

Why would a group or team NOT typically enforce norms?
A) There is a no need to clarify role expectations.
B) They don't want to help the group survive.
C) There is a need to create a written document of guidelines for new employees.
D) They do not see a reason to emphasize the group's important values.
E) There is no need to help individuals avoid embarrassing situations.

Accepted Answer

Norms tend to be enforced by group or team members for four reasons: to help the group survive, to clarify role expectations, to help individuals avoid embarrassing situations, and to emphasize the group's important values and identity.

Question 18

Dysfunctional conflict is sometimes called ________ conflict.
A) apathetic
B) irregular
C) destructive
D) aggressive
E) negative

Accepted Answer

From the standpoint of the organization, dysfunctional conflict is conflict that hinders the organization's performance or threatens its interests. As a manager, you need to do what you can to remove dysfunctional conflict, sometimes called negative conflict.

Question 19

Which of the following is a source of intergroup conflict in the workplace?
A) excessive communication
B) inconsistent goals or reward systems
C) too many resources
D) lack of diversity
E) strict job boundaries

Accepted Answer

A source of intergroup conflict is inconsistent goals or reward systems, when people pursue different objectives.

Question 20

________ is defined as reciprocal faith in others' intentions and behaviors.
A) Cooperation
B) Cohesiveness
C) Trust
D) Unity
E) Fairness

Accepted Answer

Trust is defined as reciprocal faith in others' intentions and behaviors. The word reciprocal emphasizes the give-and-take aspect of trust. That is, we tend to give what we get: trust begets trust; distrust begets distrust.

Quiz 13: Groups and Teams: Increasing Cooperation, Reducing Conflict

Someone at a team meeting who says, "Let's hear from those who oppose this plan," is performing a ________ role.

Tension was apparent as the management team discussed changes to promotion requirements. But then Colby made a joke about Jesse's white-knuckled grip on his pen, and the laughter seemed to lighten the mood. Colby was acting in a ________ role.

Lamar led a team that just finished up a very challenging research project that will assist management in developing long-range plans. Despite the stress of the past few months, most participants seem sad the project ended. Now Lamar should

A(n) ________ role is behavior that concentrates on getting the team's work done. For example, one team member's role may be to generate daily sales information at the end of each working day.

Which of the following is a manifestation of excessive conflict in the workplace?

Javier points out during the meeting that the group has fallen a half hour behind schedule according to the agenda and should get back to the important work at hand. He is performing a ________ role.

________ conflict is defined as interpersonal opposition based on personal dislike, disagreement, or differing styles. For example, Bailey and Tai, who both work as salespeople at a local boutique, may simply not like each other.

Based on expectations of the team, of the organization, and of themselves, what do the members of the team often develop?

The Nordstrom department store chain emphasizes the great lengths to which it goes in customer service. In fact, when it moves into a mall, all the other stores have to improve their own models of customer service. How is Nordstrom using norms?

Individuals are said to be collaborating when

Trust is based on ________, which in turn is based on past acts of integrity and follow-through on promises.

Workplace performance is maximized when conflict

Which of the following is NOT characteristic of workgroups with excessive conflict?

Which of the following is NOT considered an essential consideration in building a group into an effective team?

________ is ordering an outcome, when a manager relies on his or her formal authority and power to resolve a conflict, but the needs of the other party are largely ignored.

Why would a group or team NOT typically enforce norms?

Dysfunctional conflict is sometimes called ________ conflict.

Which of the following is a source of intergroup conflict in the workplace?

________ is defined as reciprocal faith in others' intentions and behaviors.