Question 1

Which type of team is expected to foster increased productivity and employee quality of life?
A) project teams
B) cross-functional teams
C) work teams
D) self-managed teams
E) virtual teams

Accepted Answer

Self-managed teams are expected to foster increased productivity and employee quality of work life because employees are delegated greater authority and granted increased autonomy.

Question 2

Grace missed another deadline and her boss, Louisa, is very upset. She will have to explain to the client again why the project is behind. Louisa thinks she may say something she'll regret if she talks to Grace about this now, so she decides to wait a while. Louisa is using the ________ conflict-handling style.
A) forcing
B) collaborating
C) compromising
D) avoiding
E) accommodating

Accepted Answer

Avoiding involves ignoring or suppressing a conflict. Avoidance is appropriate for trivial issues, when emotions are high and a cooling-off period is needed, or when the cost of confrontation outweighs the benefits of resolving the conflict.

Question 3

When issues causing conflict are trivial and cooling off would be helpful, what is the best way for handling the situation?
A) use avoiding
B) use forcing
C) use accommodation
D) use collaboration
E) use compromise

Accepted Answer

Avoiding involves ignoring or suppressing a conflict. Avoidance is appropriate for trivial issues, when emotions are high and a cooling-off period is needed, or when the cost of confrontation outweighs the benefits of resolving the conflict.

Question 4

________ teams have been found to have a positive effect on productivity and attitudes of control, yet no impact on job satisfaction or organizational commitment.
A) Project
B) Cross-functional
C) Work
D) Self-managed
E) Virtual

Accepted Answer

Self-managed teams have been found to have a positive effect on productivity and attitudes of self-responsibility and control, although there is no significant effect on job satisfaction and organizational commitment.

Question 5

What is the difference between a group and a team?
A) A team is a collection of people, and a group is a powerful unit of collective performance.
B) A group is a collection of people, and a team is a powerful unit of collective performance.
C) A group can also be considered an organization, whereas a team cannot.
D) Teams share norms, but groups don't.
E) A group does not necessarily have a shared goal, and teams always have a shared goal.

Accepted Answer

A group is a collection of people performing as individuals, and a team is, as Katzenback and Smith said, ". . . a powerful unit of collective performance."

Question 6

________ is designed to elicit different opinions without inciting people's personal feelings.
A) Groupthink
B) Storming
C) Social loafing
D) Programmed conflict
E) Dysfunctional conflict

Accepted Answer

Programmed conflict is designed to elicit different opinions without inciting people's personal feelings.

Question 7

Ricky told his team that he is moving forward with a change to the bonus structure, despite vocal objections from several team members. Ricky is using the ________ conflict-handling style.
A) avoiding
B) collaborating
C) compromising
D) accommodating
E) dominating

Accepted Answer

Forcing or dominating is simply ordering an outcome, when a manager relies on his or her formal authority and power.

Question 8

Beau was leading a project when a conflict erupted. He did not know what to do, so he did nothing, which allowed Noel to emerge as the leader. This group was still in the________ stage.
A) forming
B) storming
C) norming
D) performing
E) adjourning

Accepted Answer

Conflict at this stage may actually be beneficial, leading to increased creativity. At this juncture, if the formal leader does not assert his or her authority, an emergent leader will eventually step in to fill the group's need for leadership and direction.

Question 9

________ is the conflict-handling style in which a person neglects his or her own concerns and allows the concerns of another to prevail.
A) Forcing
B) Avoiding
C) Accommodating
D) Collaborating
E) Compromising

Accepted Answer

Accommodating is allowing the desires of the other party to prevail. As one writer describes it, "An obliging [accommodating] person neglects his or her own concern to satisfy the concern of the other party."

Question 10

At which stage in Tuckman's Model, is trust low?
A) forming
B) storming
C) norming
D) performing
E) adjourning

Accepted Answer

The first stage, forming, is the process of getting oriented and getting acquainted. At this point, mutual trust is low, and there is a good deal of holding back to see who takes charge and how. Conflict at this stage may actually be beneficial, leading to increased creativity.

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of teamwork?
A) a career readiness competency desired by employers
B) the ability to work effectively with diverse people
C) the ability to build collaborative relationships with people
D) management of personal conflict
E) work within a structure

Accepted Answer

Teamwork is a career readiness competency desired by employers. It is defined as the ability to work effectively with and build collaborative relationships with diverse people, work within a team structure, and manage interpersonal conflict.

Question 12

________ is the process of having two people or groups play opposing roles in a debate to better understand a proposal.
A) The dialectic method
B) Positive conflict
C) Devil's advocacy
D) Groupthink
E) Storming

Accepted Answer

The dialectic method is the process of having two people or groups play opposing roles in a debate to better understand a proposal.

Question 13

When Cisco Systems told executives they would gain or lose 30 percent of their bonuses based on how well they worked with peers, and in three years had record profits, the company
A) reduced destructive internal competition.
B) increased productivity.
C) increased speed.
D) reduced costs.
E) improved workplace cohesiveness.

Accepted Answer

When Cisco Systems told executives they would gain or lose 30 percent of their bonuses based on how well they worked with peers and in three years had record profits, it improved workplace cohesiveness.

Question 14

Roseanna asked Henry, one of her team members, to purposefully think of and voice criticisms as the group discussed a popular idea to open a branch office in another state. This is an example of the use of
A) groupthink.
B) devil's advocacy.
C) the dialectic method.
D) storming.
E) dysfunctional conflict.

Accepted Answer

Devil's advocacy is the process of assigning someone to play the role of critic to voice possible objections to a proposal and thereby generate critical thinking and reality testing.

Question 15

Which type of group can be highly productive?
A) a service club
B) a committee
C) a department
D) a division
E) a work group

Accepted Answer

An informal group may be simply a collection of friends who hang out with one another, such as those who take coffee breaks together, or it may be as organized as a prayer breakfast, a bowling team, a service club, a company "alumni group" (for example, former Apple employees), or other voluntary organization. Informal groups can also be highly productive-even more so than formal groups.

Question 16

________ is the conflict-handling style in which both parties give up something to gain something.
A) Avoiding
B) Forcing
C) Accommodating
D) Collaborating
E) Compromising

Accepted Answer

Compromising is the conflict handling style in which both parties give up something to gain something.

Question 17

Which teams are usually permanent?
A) project teams
B) cross-functional teams
C) work teams
D) self-managed teams
E) virtual teams

Accepted Answer

A company's audit team and a professional sports team have several things in common. Like all work teams, they have a clear purpose that all members share.

Question 18

In which of the following conditions should constructive conflict be stimulated?
A) Managers want to achieve work objectives.
B) The group seems to be afflicted with inertia and apathy.
C) The group is adapting to change.
D) Managers are in charge of self-managed teams.
E) There is a lot of internal competition.

Accepted Answer

Constructive conflict, if carefully monitored, can be very productive under a number of circumstances: when your work group seems afflicted with inertia and apathy resulting in low performance; when there's a lack of new ideas and resistance to change; when there seems to be a lot of yes-men and yes-women (expressing groupthink) in the work unit; when there's high employee turnover; or when managers seem unduly concerned with peace, cooperation, compromise, consensus, and their own popularity rather than in achieving work objectives.

Question 19

Brad proposed the purchase of a new Toshiba copier to his boss, Chin. Chin said that he has always used and liked Xerox copiers, but when he thinks about it later, he realizes he does not really feel strongly about the brand of copy machine used in the office. Chin should probably adopt a(n) ________ conflict-handling style when trying to resolve this matter with Brad.
A) avoiding
B) accommodating
C) compromising
D) forcing
E) collaborating

Accepted Answer

Accommodating is allowing the desires of the other party to prevail. It is appropriate to let the other party have her way when the issue is not important to you and it is not complex.

Question 20

When Men's Wearhouse fired a salesperson who wasn't sharing walk-in customer traffic, and total clothing sales volume among all salespeople increased significantly, the company
A) reduced destructive internal competition.
B) increased productivity.
C) increased speed.
D) reduced costs.
E) improved quality.

Accepted Answer

By firing the salesperson who wasn't sharing walk-in customer traffic, Men's Wearhouse reduced destructive internal competition between salespeople and encouraged a more collaborative and supportive work environment. This led to an increase in overall clothing sales volume, suggesting that reducing internal competition can improve productivity and performance.

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

Which type of team is expected to foster increased productivity and employee quality of life?

When issues causing conflict are trivial and cooling off would be helpful, what is the best way for handling the situation?

________ teams have been found to have a positive effect on productivity and attitudes of control, yet no impact on job satisfaction or organizational commitment.

What is the difference between a group and a team?

________ is designed to elicit different opinions without inciting people's personal feelings.

Ricky told his team that he is moving forward with a change to the bonus structure, despite vocal objections from several team members. Ricky is using the ________ conflict-handling style.

Beau was leading a project when a conflict erupted. He did not know what to do, so he did nothing, which allowed Noel to emerge as the leader. This group was still in the________ stage.

________ is the conflict-handling style in which a person neglects his or her own concerns and allows the concerns of another to prevail.

At which stage in Tuckman's Model, is trust low?

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of teamwork?

________ is the process of having two people or groups play opposing roles in a debate to better understand a proposal.

When Cisco Systems told executives they would gain or lose 30 percent of their bonuses based on how well they worked with peers, and in three years had record profits, the company

Roseanna asked Henry, one of her team members, to purposefully think of and voice criticisms as the group discussed a popular idea to open a branch office in another state. This is an example of the use of

Which type of group can be highly productive?

________ is the conflict-handling style in which both parties give up something to gain something.

Which teams are usually permanent?

In which of the following conditions should constructive conflict be stimulated?

When Men's Wearhouse fired a salesperson who wasn't sharing walk-in customer traffic, and total clothing sales volume among all salespeople increased significantly, the company