Deck 12: Group Processes and Work Teams

Question 1

The TLC Company has established a Rewards Committee that meets every month to determine the "Employee of the Month." The Rewards Committee represents a(n):

A)service team.
B)asset team.
C)informal group.
D)formal group.

Answer 1

formal group.

Question 2

Which statement about group norms is true?

A)New employees generally change group norms.
B)New employees tend to ignore group norms.
C)Norms develop very rapidly in groups.
D)Group norms are passed down by more experienced employees.

Answer 2

Group norms are passed down by more experienced employees.

Question 3

Which of these is a function that informal groups serve?

A)satisfying employees' social needs
B)satisfying employees' monetary needs
C)satisfying employees' self-actualization needs
D)facilitating isolation among employees

Answer 3

satisfying employees' social needs

Question 4

Nancy works in a group whose members are highly motivated to stay together. All members are willing to put aside their individual goals in order to see the group succeed. Nancy's group is best described as having a high level of:

A)differentiation.
B)cohesion.
C)descriptive norms.
D)moral development.

Question 5

_____ is the process by which a group or organization establishes distinct roles for various members of a group.

A)Role differentiation
B)Role identification
C)Role self-management
D)Role conflict

Question 6

Susan, a sales manager, believes she should accompany her sales representatives on sales calls. Curtis, who is also a sales manager, does not believe he should accompany sales representatives because he believes his sales representatives can handle clients on their own. Susan and Curtis have different ____ for being sales managers.

A)role differentiation
B)role concepts
C)equilibrium
D)valence

Question 7

in which of these is a stage in Tuckman's (1965) model of group development?

A)adjourning.
B)informing.
C)swarming.
D)conforming.

Question 8

According to Kurt Lewin, behavior is a function of:

A)roles and norms.
B)cohesion and group development.
C)the person and the environment.
D)the person and the organization.

Question 9

Which type of norm suggests what people should do, feel, or think in a particular situation?

A)informal
B)formal
C)prescriptive
D)descriptive

Question 10

_____ norms are those that define what most people do, feel, or thinkin a particular situation.

A)Informal
B)Formal
C)Prescriptive
D)Descriptive

Question 11

Dean, Janice, and Svetlana, who are all going through the same training program, often meet together for lunch to study their training materials together. In this case, they represent a(n):

A)objective team.
B)line team.
C)informal group.
D)formal group.

Question 12

A collection of people is NOT a group unless the people:

A)share a common goal.
B)share descriptive or prescriptive norms.
C)are in close proximity to one another.
D)discuss cohesion.

Question 13

_____ are shared expectations about appropriate ways of responding in a group.

A)Norms
B)Roles
C)Duties
D)Cohesions

Question 14

Juanita notices that people in her group get their lunch from the cafeteria rather than bring their own lunch. When Juanita brings her own lunch, her coworkers notice it but don't seem too concerned about it. In this case, getting lunch at the cafeteria is a _____ norm.

A)prescriptive
B)descriptive
C)formal
D)informal

Question 15

Which statement represents an accurate research finding on group cohesion?

A)Cohesiveness and performance are positively related.
B)Cohesiveness and performance are negatively related.
C)Members of cohesive groups tend to have high anxiety.
D)Members of cohesive groups tend to have low job satisfaction.

Question 16

Everyone in Danika's office dresses professionally. When Danika arrives at work one day dressed in jeans, she is scolded by her boss and peers. In this case, professional dress is likely a _____ norm.

A)prescriptive
B)descriptive
C)formal
D)informal

Question 17

A ____ is a set of behaviors expected of a person who occupies a particular position in a group.

A)habit
B)role
C)duty
D)mental model

Question 18

In a recently created group, group members are getting to know about one another and are on their best behavior. This group is most likely in the _____ stage of group development.

A)performing
B)norming
C)forming
D)storming

Question 19

Which statement about cohesive groups is true?

A)Cohesive groups demonstrate low performance.
B)Cohesive groups demonstrate low satisfaction.
C)Cohesive groups tend to make poor decisions.
D)Cohesive groups tend to experience more tension.

Question 20

In a group that was recently created, group members are beginning to disagree with one another and are not always on their best behavior. This group is most likely in the _____ stage of group development.

A)performing
B)adjourning
C)storming
D)annoying

Question 21

Which of these is a common approach to choosing a solution in group decision-making?

A)delegating
B)coercion
C)minority rule
D)mindguarding

Question 22

According to Zaccaro (1984), which of these leads to less social loafing?

A)high cohesion
B)low motivation
C)low collectivism
D)disparate norms

Question 23

In group development, the main difference between the stage model and the punctuated equilibrium model is:

A)whether groups go through the stages in a linear fashion.
B)the extent to which group formation is explained.
C)the manner in which conflict is established.
D)the level of moral development reached by group members.

Question 24

In a somewhat new group, members are settling into their roles and feel connected to one another. The group is most likely in the _____ stage of group development.

A)forming
B)norming
C)adjourning
D)storming

Question 25

_____ is the reduction in individual effort that occurs when people work in groups instead of alone.

A)Role differentiation
B)Groupthink
C)Social loafing
D)Mindguard

Question 26

Katrina and four other students have been assigned to work as a group on a class project. Midway through the project, Katrina realizes she is the only one working and decides not to put forth any more effort. This outcome is called:

A)free riding.
B)the sucker effect.
C)social enhancement.
D)social loafing.

Question 27

Professor Julliard has a group project in her class, and she is concerned about social loafing. Which of these is the BEST piece of advice for preventing social loafing from happening?

A)Ensure that the project is boring and uninteresting.
B)Ask each student to clearly identify what he or she contributed.
C)Require groups to complete a weekly progress report.
D)Assign groups such that each group has one A student and one C student in it.

Question 28

In a group that has been in existence for quite some time, group members are beginning to leave to work on other projects. In this example, the group is most likely in the ____ stage of group development.

A)dissolving
B)storming
C)coining
D)adjourning

Question 29

The recent development of "electronic brainstorming" reduces:

A)production blocking.
B)the availability of other members' ideas during brainstorming.
C)the number of ideas generated by individuals.
D)the anonymity of individuals' responses.

Question 30

In group decision-making, the point at which group members come to agree on the nature of the issue and the goals of their group is known as:

A)forming.
B)generating solutions.
C)diagnosing the problem.
D)evaluating solutions.

Question 31

Which of these reduces the effectiveness of brainstorming?

A)group members sharing their ideas whenever they want
B)group members waiting for their turn to share their ideas
C)group members having confidence in their ability to voice concerns to the group
D)group members placing their need to generate viable solutions above self-interests

Question 32

Deniz realizes that her group members are doing very little work on a project, so she increases her efforts to get the job done. This outcome is called:

A)the sucker effect.
B)social enhancement.
C)social compensation.
D)social loafing.

Question 33

According to _____, groups go through separate, orderly phases in their development; according to _____, groups oscillate between several phases, or may be in several phases at once.

A)Tuckman's stage model; punctuated equilibrium
B)punctuated equilibrium; Tuckman's stage model
C)storming; norming
D)norming; storming

Question 34

One way to improve brainstorming is to use a software that allows group members to type in their ideas and share them anonymously. This is known as:

A)techno-storming.
B)electronic brainstorming.
C)virtual brainstorming.
D)chainstorming.

Question 35

Professor McNeeley has a group project in his class, and he is concerned about social loafing. Which of these is the BEST piece of advice for preventing social loafing from happening?

A)Provide bonus points for the group of students with the best project.
B)Ask the groups to have weekly meetings.
C)Make tasks interdependent.
D)Designate one student as the "leader."

Question 36

Brainstorming often occurs in the phase of decision-making known as:

A)diagnosing the problem
B)evaluating solutions
C)implementing a solution
D)generating solutions

Question 37

When a group develops methods for monitoring and evaluating progress towards a solution, the group has reached the _____ stage of the decision-making process.

A)choosing solutions
B)evaluating solutions
C)diagnosing problems
D)developing an action plan and implementation

Question 38

Kerri is a member of a work group of graphic designers who have been asked to design a billboard. She thinks that the billboard is effectively being completed by others and that her efforts are not necessary. Kerri is engaged in:

A)social enhancement.
B)social compensation.
C)groupthink.
D)free riding.

Question 39

In a well-established group, members know and understand one another well, and they accomplish a great deal of work together. This group is most likely in the ____ stage of group development.

A)norming
B)informing
C)performing
D)doing

Question 40

During the _____ stage of group development, group members become more cohesive and establish unity among themselves.

A)performing
B)norming
C)adjourning
D)forming

Question 41

A team whose task is to keep a college president informed about all areas of the college would be a(n):

A)production team.
B)service team.
C)management team.
D)advisory team.

Question 42

In which group would a shared mental model be MOST important?

A)administrative assistants at an insurance company
B)medical personnel on a team in an emergency room
C)clerks in an electronics store
D)executive coaches in a consulting office

Question 43

_____ is a symptom of groupthink.

A)High decisional stress
B)Strong, biased leadership
C)Pressure on dissenters
D)Group isolation

Question 44

A(n) _____ is an organized knowledge structure that enhances the interaction of an individual with his or her environment.

A)situational schema
B)environmental construct
C)mental model
D)context taxonomy

Question 45

_____ is an antecedent of groupthink, while _____ is a symptom of group think.

A)Brainstorming; high decisional stress
B)Cohesion; appointment of a mindguard
C)Appointment of a mindguard; cohesion
D)High decisional stress; brainstorming

Question 46

Habib's team does not select a solution until everyone in the group agrees on the best solution. In this case, Habib's team is using which process of decision-making?

A)averaging
B)majority rule
C)consensus
D)delegating

Question 47

Mary, Alex, Lou, and Michelle work as a group on a daily basis to make computer chips in a manufacturing plant. They are an example of a _____ team.

A)project
B)service
C)production
D)management

Question 48

Qasim is finding that a group project is taking a lot of time because his team members do not communicate well or share information, and they have difficulty finding meeting times that work for everyone. This is an example of:

A)process loss.
B)groupthink.
C)mindguard.
D)cohesion.

Question 49

A group consisting of engineers, maintenance workers, and mathematicians is brought together to solve a problem with a nuclear reactor. Once the reactor is repaired and operational, they will return to work in their respective departments. This group represents a:

A)production team.
B)service team.
C)project team.
D)management team.

Question 50

A chief executive officer (CEO), a chief financial officer (CFO), and a chief information officer (CIO) may be considered parts of a(n):

A)advisory team.
B)service team.
C)production team.
D)management team.

Question 51

Niamh is a nurse on a surgery team. The surgeon often doesn't need to tell her what to do-she knows her team so well that she can anticipate what they require her to do next. We might say that Niamh's team has an effective:

A)groupthink.
B)mindguard.
C)shared mental model.
D)conjoined work schema.

Question 52

Hyria, who is part of a workgroup, feels very connected to her coworkers, but she is concerned about a decision they are making. She is afraid to speak up, however, because in the past, dissenters were pressured into going along with the group consensus. Hyria's group is likely engaging in:

A)mindguard.
B)free riding.
C)groupthink.
D)descriptive norming.

Question 53

Larry is a member of a group that is organizing a protest. The team has given him the job of protecting the members of the group from the views of people outside the group. Larry is acting as a:

A)goaltender.
B)mindguard.
C)devil's advocate.
D)free rider.

Question 54

Any nonmotivational element of a group situation that detracts from a group's performance is known as:

A)loafing.
B)process loss.
C)groupthink.
D)mindguard.

Question 55

_____ are groups in which the actions of individuals are interdependent, individuals hold a specific role, and common goals are shared across the group.

A)Work teams
B)Work units
C)Business units
D)Cliques

Question 56

Galenia's team generates solutions and then provides information about each solution to the chairperson, who ultimately makes the decision. In this case, Galenia's group is using which process of decision-making?

A)averaging
B)majority rule
C)consensus
D)delegating

Question 57

Cross-functional teams often are also:

A)parallel teams.
B)project teams.
C)service teams.
D)production teams.

Question 58

When a cohesive group's desire to agree becomes so dominant that it overrides realistic appraisal of alternative courses of action, the result is a mode of thinking known as:

A)groupthink.
B)mindguard.
C)social loafing.
D)free riding.

Question 59

Which of these is an antecedent of groupthink?

A)group cohesion
B)unbiased leadership
C)low decisional stress
D)appointment of a devil's advocate

Question 60

According to research on group decision-making, groups are NOT particularly effective at:

A)pooling unshared information.
B)coordinating shared information.
C)making decisions based on shared information.
D)avoiding groupthink.

Question 61

Teams with high variability on _____ and low variability on _____ tend to be the most effective.

A)neuroticism; openness
B)extraversion; conscientiousness
C)agreeableness; emotional stability
D)conscientiousness; agreeableness

Question 62

In terms of work-team effectiveness, _____ involves job-duty aspects of the work, while _____ involves process-oriented aspects of work.

A)structure; consideration
B)consideration; structure
C)taskwork; teamwork
D)teamwork; taskwork

Question 63

_____ results when team members have different ideas, beliefs, or viewpoints regarding the work to be done. It can sometimes be helpful for team performance.

A)Process conflict
B)Task conflict
C)Relationship conflict
D)Approach conflict

Question 64

_____ emerges when group members have incompatible ideas about how the work should be accomplished, which typically is harmful for performance.

A)Process conflict
B)Informational conflict
C)Relationship conflict
D)Task conflict

Question 65

Research indicates that individuals high in _____ tend to secure more backup behaviors from other team members.

A)agreeableness
B)neuroticism
C)extraversion
D)openness

Question 66

Which of these is one of Cohen's dimensions of work-team effectiveness?

A)proactive assessment
B)withdrawal behaviors
C)authoritarianism
D)group composition

Question 67

_____ is the tension and friction that emerges in interpersonal associations and can harm team performance.

A)Process conflict
B)Task conflict
C)Relationship conflict
D)Personality conflict

Question 68

Historically, organizations were viewed as machine-like systems that were all about order and predictability. This was known as the _____ approach.

A)divide-and-conquer
B)demand-control-support
C)command-and-control
D)sense-making

Question 69

Research indicates that individuals high in _____ tend to provide more backup to team members, whether they need it or not.

A)conscientiousness
B)agreeableness
C)neuroticism
D)extraversion

Question 70

Subgroups that are established by the organization to achieve a specific goal are known as:

A)objective groups.
B)service groups.
C)informal groups.
D)formal groups.

Question 71

Teams with _____ variability on conscientiousness and _____ variability on extraversion tend to be the most effective.

A)high; high
B)low; low
C)high; low
D)low; high

Question 72

According to research, teams will function best if all teammates have high levels of:

A)neuroticism.
B)openness to experience.
C)conscientiousness.
D)extraversion.

Question 73

Which of these is considered a predictor of team effectiveness?

A)group composition
B)individual work design
C)intragroup conflict
D)group politics

Question 74

Recently, companies have required that teams be flexible and independent, so they could help the organization get to know itself and plan for its future. This is known as the _____ approach.

A)command-and-control
B)employee-advisor
C)worker-as-historian
D)sense-making

Question 75

Lenny wants to measure conflict resolution, collaborative problem solving, and communication in order to select members for a team. Lenny should implement the:

A)Teamwork Test.
B)Team Member Test.
C)Big Five Personality Test.
D)Myers-Briggs Test.

Question 76

A team that assumes complete responsibility for monitoring and controlling the overall work process, as well as for assigning specific tasks to team members, is known as a:

A)cross-functional team.
B)self-managed work team.
C)superordinate team.
D)consulting team.

Question 77

Whether a team member will perform backup behaviors depends greatly on the _____ of both the helper and the recipient of help.

A)cognitive abilities
B)personalities
C)duties
D)norms

Question 78

In the 1980s, about _____ of organizations used work teams; in 1999, _____ of organizations used work teams.

A)5%; 72%
B)25%; 57%
C)10%; 91%
D)50%; 99%

Question 79

Ryder needs to select team members based on their understanding of which people are important in different situations. Ryder should implement the:

A)Teamwork Test.
B)Team Role Test.
C)California Personality Inventory.
D)Hogan Developmental Survey.

Question 80

Groups of employees that have emerged among employees who interact frequently are known as:

A)collaborative alliances.
B)cardinal groups.
C)informal groups.
D)formal groups.