Question 1

A challenge for virtual teams is that members have to develop trust in each other without the benefit of face-to-face meetings.

Accepted Answer

Virtual teams often have limited opportunities for face-to-face communication or interaction, which can make it difficult for team members to build trust and establish a cohesive team dynamic.

Question 2

When experiencing task conflict, team members are likely to

Accepted Answer

When experiencing task conflict, team members are likely to critically examine alternative solutions to problems. Unlike personal conflict, which focuses on personality and individual differences, task conflict is related to differences in opinions, perspectives, and solutions to a problem. When team members experience task conflict, they tend to engage in productive discussions aimed at finding the best solution to the problem at hand.

Question 3

The collaboration style of conflict resolution emphasizes

Accepted Answer

The collaboration style of conflict resolution aims to find a solution that satisfies the interests of both parties involved, in other words, a win-win solution. This approach emphasizes the importance of communication, active listening, and creative problem-solving to find a mutually acceptable solution. The other options, such as appeasing the other side, being indifferent to the outcome, or power struggles, are not aligned with the collaborative approach to conflict resolution.

Question 4

An employee is likely to be assigned to a project team longer than on a departmental assignment.

Accepted Answer

Project teams are typically formed for specific projects with a defined timeline, whereas departmental assignments are often part of an employee's ongoing, regular responsibilities within the organization.

Question 5

The members of a virtual team are people from the same organizational unit who meet regularly but fall short of being an effective team.

Accepted Answer

The members of a virtual team may not be from the same organizational unit and can work remotely from each other. They can also be an effective team as long as they have clear goals, communication, and collaboration.

Question 6

An example of emotionally intelligent behavior by a group would be to build relationships both within and outside the group.

Accepted Answer

Emotionally intelligent behavior involves understanding and managing one's own emotions and the emotions of others, as well as building relationships and effective communication. Building relationships within and outside the group can promote teamwork, trust, and collaborative problem-solving, which are all key aspects of emotional intelligence.

Question 7

The arrangement of work opposite to a self-managing work team is a manufacturing setting is an assembly line.

Accepted Answer

In an assembly line, work is organized in a hierarchical, top-down manner with individual workers specializing in specific tasks rather than being part of self-managing teams.

Question 8

A motivational advantage of self-managed work teams is that the members sometimes feel like they are operating a small business.

Accepted Answer

Self-managed work teams often have a great sense of ownership and accountability, which can give them a feeling of running their own small business. This can be a motivating factor for team members.

Question 9

Positive consequences of conflict include:

Accepted Answer

Conflict can lead to increased diagnostic information as it forces individuals to examine and articulate their perspectives and concerns more clearly. Conflict can also lead to increased creativity as it can encourage individuals to think outside of the box to find solutions. Finally, conflicts can increase effort because individuals may become more invested in the outcome of the conflict and work harder to achieve their desired outcome. Therefore, all of the choices are positive consequences of conflict.

Question 10

Cross-functional teams, work teams, committees, and task forces tend to be the most productive with 15 to 20 members.

Accepted Answer

The ideal size of a team depends on the type of work and the organization's structure. While cross-functional teams, work teams, committees, and task forces may work efficiently with 15 to 20 members, the optimal size for a team can range from 5 to 9 members for better cohesion, communication, and efficiency. Teams with more than 20 members might experience difficulty in communication and coordination, leading to a decrease in productivity.

Question 11

One component of empowerment is seeing the impact of the work group's effort on other interested parties.

Accepted Answer

Seeing the impact of their work on other interested parties can help employees feel empowered and understand the value of their contributions.

Question 12

Chris is assigned to a product development team. Whenever there is heavy work to do, Chris creates an excuse about having other more urgent work. The situation with Chris illustrates which potential problem with group effort?

Accepted Answer

Chris's behavior demonstrates social loafing, which is when individuals put in less effort in a group setting than they would if working alone. They may feel that their personal contribution won't be noticed or valued, or they may feel less responsible for the outcome. Chris is using the excuse of having other urgent work as a way to avoid putting in effort on the team project.

Question 13

All teams are groups, but not all groups are teams.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. All teams are considered as groups, but not every group is a team. While a team is a particular type of group which works together to achieve a common goal, a group can be any collection of people who come together for other reasons as well, such as to share information, exchange ideas, or fulfill a personal interest.

Question 14

A large corporation has a health and recreation department in which employees can exercise during breaks and after work. This health and recreation department should be classified as an informal group.

Accepted Answer

The health and recreation department in a large corporation is typically considered a formal group because it is established by the organization with specific roles and objectives related to employee well-being and engagement, rather than spontaneously formed by employees themselves.

Question 15

An important organizational advantage of a project is that it can be disbanded easily without having committed enormous resources.

Accepted Answer

Projects are temporary and unique endeavors, which are created to deliver a specific product, service, or result. They have a defined beginning and end date, as well as specific objectives to meet. Once the project has been completed, the resources and team can be disbanded, making it easier for organizations to move on to their next project or initiative. Additionally, projects are typically funded separately from the organization's ongoing operations, reducing the financial risk if the project fails or needs to be terminated prematurely.

Question 16

A high-level managerial skill is to help two or more group members resolve conflict between or among them.

Accepted Answer

One of the important skills of a manager is to mediate and resolve conflicts within the team. This helps to maintain a harmonious workplace environment and also enhances team productivity. Hence, the statement is true.

Question 17

When a group deals with creative tasks, it is best to have a homogeneous group.

Accepted Answer

It is actually best to have a diverse group with different perspectives and approaches to problem-solving. This can lead to more innovative ideas and a wider range of solutions.

Question 18

Groups of top-level managers are teams in the sense that they make most major decisions collaboratively with all members of the top-management group included>

Accepted Answer

Groups of top-level managers typically function as teams and make most major decisions collaboratively with all members of the top-management group included. However, there may be exceptions where decisions are made unilaterally by the CEO or other top-level executive.

Question 19

An accountability problem noted with groups is that they

Accepted Answer

This response identifies a common accountability problem where groups may receive credit for success but are not held responsible for failures. Poor documentation may also be an issue, but it is not directly related to the accountability problem described in the question. Option D is incorrect because the issue identified is the opposite, where groups are blamed for failures but not credited for success.

Question 20

The forcing, or competitive, style of conflict resolution is based on the desire to win one's own concerns at the expense of the other party, or to dominate.

Accepted Answer

The statement accurately describes the forcing style of conflict resolution.

Quiz 13: Teams, Groups, and Teamwork