Deck 9: Managing Groups and Teams

Question 1

The more similar group members are with regard to age,gender,education,and skill set,the more cohesive the group will be.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Tuckman's Group Development Stage Model sequences group evolution in the following order: forming to norming to storming to performing.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Research evidence exists to demonstrate that teams can reduce labor costs,increase product quality,and raise revenues.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The punctuated equilibrium model suggests that groups remain static for long periods of time experiencing only incremental change and radical,revolutionary change occurs in brief,punctuated bursts that provide opportunity for innovation.

Question 5

The key properties of a true team are collaborative action,sacrifice for the common good,and compensation based upon individual outcomes.

Question 6

The punctuated equilibrium model proposed by Connie Gersick is a linear model.

Question 7

The forming stage of group development involves member examination of such questions as "What will my role be?" and "Will I be accepted?

Question 8

The performing stage of group development involves attention to work content and process.

Question 9

Collective efficacy is generally influenced by verbal persuasion,group observation,and pay level.

Question 10

Groups with high group cohesion and high task commitment generally have high performance.

Question 11

Because the storming stage is a very chaotic one,many groups get stuck in that phase of group development.

Question 12

Groupthink is the tendency for individuals to put forth less effort when working in a group context.

Question 13

Process loss is any aspect of group interaction that inhibits group functioning.

Question 14

Generally speaking,the more cohesive a group is,the less productive it is because the preservation of individual feelings supersedes any task oriented role.

Question 15

The norming stage of group development involves the establishment of ground rules for the group and an increased commitment to other members and the group goal.

Question 16

The appointed leader is often tested during the performing phase of group development.

Question 17

If a variety of knowledge,skills,and abilities is needed,if feedback from different organizational groups is needed,if tasks are largely independent,and if wide cooperation is needed to achieve mutual goals,then a team is needed.

Question 18

A group is a cohesive coalition of people working together to achieve mutual goals while a team is a collection of individuals who interact with each other such that one person's actions have an impact on another's.

Question 19

Pret a Manger's relatively low turnover rate is in part attributed to their team-based culture.

Question 20

The adjourning stage of groups is seldom met with any emotional feelings or concern.

Question 21

A firm's top management team often represents a variety of functional areas.

Question 22

Norms are shared expectations about how things operate within a group or team.

Question 23

The more diverse a team is with regard to expertise,gender,age,and background,the more likely the team is to avoid groupthink.

Question 24

As a rule of thumb,a good size for a team is between twenty and forty members.

Question 25

The meaning of teamwork differs across cultures.

Question 26

When team members are found to be poor performers due to a lack of ability,the team is likely to try and train the individual.

Question 27

Empowered teams have the responsibility and authority to achieve their goals.

Question 28

Pooled interdependence is when team members work independently and combine their efforts to create the team's output.

Question 29

Task roles in a group include consul,cooperator,and completer.

Question 30

Social roles in a group or team include cooperator,communicator,and calibrator.

Question 31

Research suggests that sometimes replacing a hierarchy with self-managing teams decreases control over individual workers.

Question 32

People in high power distance countries expect unequal power distribution and greater stratification in economic,social,and political settings.

Question 33

Idea-generation tasks include coming up with plans for actions and making decisions.

Question 34

Reciprocal interdependence exists when team members work on tasks simultaneously.

Question 35

Virtual teams represent special management challenges because of issues related to trust and communication.

Question 36

Succession planning is the identification of future members of a top management team.

Question 37

Collectivist societies value individual achievements over interpersonal relationships.

Question 38

The difference between a self-managed and self-directed team is that the leader in the self-managed team has less decision-making responsibility.

Question 39

An effective way of dealing with overbearing behavior is to evaluate the balance of participation by team members.

Question 40

A task force is a temporary team charged with addressing a specific problem or issue until it is resolved.

Question 41

Which of the following statements is correct with regard to the forming stage of group development?

A)Leadership does not matter at this stage.
B)Group members are trying to learn about one another.
C)Group members are cohesive and cooperative.
D)Group members are trying to clarify what needs to be done and who needs to do it.

Question 42

A group is

A)a collection of individuals who interact with each other such that one person's actions have an impact on the others.
B)made up of managers,subordinates,or both with close associations among group members that influence the behavior of individuals in the group.
C)made up of two or more individuals who are associated with one another in ways not prescribed by the formal organization.
D)a cohesive coalition of people working together to achieve happiness.

Question 43

Which of the following statements characterize a group at the storming stage?

A)the group is competent,autonomous,and insightful.
B)the group's members are comfortable with each other and know where they fit in
C)the group members are argumentative.
D)group discussions are reflective and centered on learning from the past.

Question 44

The norming stage in Tuckman's model of group evolution features

A)uncertainty,with observant,conflict avoidant group members who are trying to achieve several goals at once.
B)competent group members who work interdependently as part of a greater entity.
C)chaos with group members exploring power and influence roles.
D)high energy with group members committed to each other and the overall goal.

Question 45

Which stage of Tuckman's group development model is characterized by general information sharing?

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

Question 46

Which of stage in Tuckman's group development model is characterized by the establishment of ground rules and operating procedures and goals by group participants?

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

Question 47

Group members in the norming stage

A)not only get the work done,but they also pay greater attention to how they are doing it.
B)begin to explore their power and influence.
C)find it easy to establish their own ground rules.
D)try to figure out who likes whom.

Question 48

Which of the following is the order Tuckman proposes for group development stages?

A)forming,norming,storming,performing,and adjourning
B)forming,storming,performing,norming,and adjourning
C)forming,performing,storming,norming,and adjourning
D)forming,storming,norming,performing,and adjourning

Question 49

Which of the following questions might be asked during the norming stage of Tuckman's five-stage group evolution model?

A)Are we using appropriate means to address differences so that conflicts can be avoided?
B)Will I be successful at completing this task?
C)I wonder what the other people in this group are like?
D)Can you help me with this section of the project?

Question 50

What is the second stage in Tuckman's four-stage map of group evolution?

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

Question 51

A group is defined as

A)a temporary team that addresses a specific problem or issue until it is resolved.
B)a cohesive coalition of people working together to achieve mutual goals.
C)a collection of individuals who interact with each other such that one person's actions have an impact on the others.
D)teams where members are not located in the same physical space.

Question 52

What was the final stage that Tuckman added to his enhanced group development model?

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

Question 53

Jennifer has been very emphatic in her comments supporting the new addition to the product line.Christopher has been equally spirited in his opposition to the new item.Gordon and Antonio seem to be leaning to Jennifer's perspective while Marques supports Christopher.The discussion about the product has consumed the last hour of the meeting of the marketing group.At what stage of Tuckman's model does this group seem to be functioning?

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

Question 54

Tuckman's five stage group evolution model asks which of the following questions in the performing stage?

A)Are we using appropriate information on this task?
B)Will I be accepted?
C)Why do I have to listen to you?
D)Can you help me plan this project?

Question 55

An informal work group refers to

A)a collection of individuals who interact with each other such that one person's actions have an impact on the others.
B)made up of managers,subordinates,or both,with close associations among group members that influence the behavior of individuals in the group.
C)made up of two or more individuals who are associated with one another in ways not prescribed by the formal organization.
D)a cohesive coalition of people working together to achieve mutual goals.

Question 56

To successfully facilitate a group,a leader needs to move through a series of leadership styles over time.Which of the following styles is the FIRST a successful group leader should exhibit?

A)delegator
B)director
C)coordinator
D)coach

Question 57

Which of the following is true regarding Pret a Manger's unique hiring practices?

A)All applications are reviewed by a team of frontline employees.
B)Applicants who pass an initial selection step are brought in for a day to work side-by-side with current employees.
C)Pret a Manger only promotes from within.
D)Interviews are conducted by a team of Pret a Manger employees.

Question 58

Which of the following leadership styles best serves a successful group as it has evolved to the performing stage?

A)director
B)coordinator
C)coach
D)delegator

Question 59

Tuckman's forming stage is characterized by

A)uncertainty,with observant,conflict avoidant group members who are trying to achieve several goals at once.
B)competent group members who work interdependently as part of a greater entity.
C)chaos with group members exploring power and influence roles.
D)high energy with group members committed to each other and the overall goal.

Question 60

Michael is part of an organizational behavior project group.The group decided on the overall theme of its project and individual members are now completing specific sections of the project.Michael has been e-mailing Rachel almost every day asking her opinion on various parts of his section.The group tends to sit together in class and they have even decided to go out for coffee after class next Tuesday.What phase of group development is Michael's group in?

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

Question 61

Social loafing

A)declines as group size increases.
B)develops when a perception of inequity in regard to rewards and/or blame arises in a group.
C)is relatively rare within groups.
D)is more frequent in the United States.

Question 62

Which of the following actions would be recommended in order to avoid getting stuck in the storming phase of Tuckman's group development?

A)Make sure to limit discussions and discussants.It is not productive to re-hash all the same points over and over.
B)Focus on developing out of the storming phase quickly.The quicker you can move to norming,the better.
C)Normalize conflict.Conflict is normal and can be cathartic.
D)Majority rules.Focus on the opinions of most people in the group.

Question 63

NASA endured the Challenger disaster when group members conformed with top managers' decisions that launching the space shuttle in freezing temperatures was better than missing the launch window.This is an example of what group process?

A)social loafing
B)cohesion
C)collective efficacy
D)groupthink

Question 64

The Ringelmann effect is also known as

A)group cohesion.
B)collective efficacy.
C)social loafing.
D)groupthink.

Question 65

Symptoms of too much cohesion include

A)failures are blamed on external factors.
B)internal pressures to question the status quo.
C)greater questioning of external constraints.
D)tolerance for deviants.

Question 66

Which of the following statements regarding Gersick's punctuated equilibrium model is accurate?

A)The model views group development as a linear process.
B)Generally groups are dynamic in their orientation.
C)For most periods of time in groups,change is substantial.
D)While disruption,chaos and conflict are seen as inevitable in a group,those events can represent opportunities for innovation.

Question 67

Which of the following statements related to fundamental factors affecting a group's cohesion is correct?

A)The larger a group,the more cohesive it is likely to be.
B)The more similar group members are,the more cohesive the group is likely to be.
C)The more coaching group members receive,the less cohesive the group is likely to be.
D)The less time a group has stayed together,the more cohesive a group is likely to be.

Question 68

According to Gersick's punctuated equilibrium model,groups repeatedly cycle through which two stages?

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

Question 69

Characteristics of cohesive groups include which of the following?

A)knowing each other before formation of the group.
B)working together on a meaningful task.
C)having a random pattern of communication.
D)indifference regarding membership in the group.

Question 70

A group where there is a great deal of camaraderie is a group experiencing

A)group action.
B)cohesion.
C)social loafing.
D)collective efficacy.

Question 71

Collective efficacy is influenced by which of the following factors?

A)Use of technology.
B)Ties to the organization
C)Performance of other teams.
D)Verbal persuasion.

Question 72

Michael's group is very cohesive and very committed to the task at hand.What is their likely performance level?

A)low performance
B)high performance if they do not value performance
C)average performance
D)high performance if they value performance

Question 73

Collective efficacy refers to

A)a tendency of individuals to put in less effort when working in a group context.
B)a group's perception of its ability to perform well.
C)a group pressure phenomenon that increases the risk of the group making flawed decisions.
D)the degree of camaraderie within the group.

Question 74

Marina is encouraging her sorority sisters to function as a cohesive group.She lists all of the following as benefits EXCEPT

A)you will have greater self-confidence and self-esteem if you are a regular part of the group.
B)if you are experiencing stress,as you might during finals week,you can depend on your sisters to help get you through.
C)if you experience a personal tragedy or challenge,your sisters will help you cope.
D)If you are part of the sorority,you do not have to attend meetings and events often because you can depend on your sisters to cover for you.

Question 75

Eduardo is the new manager of Great Corporation.He is sitting at his desk and writing down a list of steps that he can follow to create and maintain a cohesive work group.Which of the following would appear on that list?

A)Celebrate differences so each individual's contribution is noticed.
B)Give praise sparingly; if it is given too often,it loses its luster.
C)Focus on supporting the "best and brightest" in the group.
D)Set goals for group members to reduce competition or feelings of jealousy.

Question 76

Which of the following is a factor most likely to impact a group's cohesion?

A)size
B)height
C)industry
D)past experience

Question 77

How does a group differ from a team?

A)A group is a cohesive coalition of people; a team is a collection of people.
B)In a group,individuals have personal agendas.In a team,personal agendas are totally suppressed.
C)Groups are smaller than teams.
D)A group is often a collection of people working independently on their own goals; a team is assembled to accomplish complex goals.

Question 78

Which of the following statements regarding Gersick's study of punctuated equilibrium is correct?

A)Most change in groups is characterized by periods of revolutionary chaos.
B)All groups are able to readily adapt to new environments that arise due to change.
C)The punctuated equilibrium model is cyclical in nature.
D)Groups generally cycle through the Storming and Norming stages of group development.

Question 79

Maria strongly disliked working in groups in college because she always felt there was someone who did not "pull his weight." However,now that she is a manager,she must organize teams in her firm.Which of the following is a tip to prevent social loafing she has received from other managers in her company?

A)Evaluate the team only,not the individuals within the team.
B)Assign equal amounts of work to group members.
C)Choose a larger number of employees for each team.
D)Define each individual's tasks in front of the group.

Question 80

Which group would be the most effective from a performance standpoint?

A)A group with low task commitment and low group cohesion.
B)A group with high group cohesion and low task commitment.
C)A group with high task commitment and low group cohesion.
D)A group with high group cohesion and high task commitment.