Question 1

Dwayne is in charge of a large group and was given the authority to choose its members. He chose Leeza because he has always been impressed with her efforts, but within a few weeks he notices Leeza isn't meeting his expectations. To improve Leeza's performance, it would be BEST for him to ________.

Accepted Answer

Peer evaluations can provide constructive feedback and encourage accountability, potentially improving Leeza's performance.

Question 2

Peer evaluation is MOST useful in controlling social loafing when ________.

Accepted Answer

Peer evaluation is most effective in controlling social loafing when supervisors or leaders find it challenging to identify individual contributions within a group. This method allows for more accurate assessments of each member's participation and effort, thereby reducing the tendency to loaf since individuals know their contributions will be recognized and evaluated by their peers.

Question 3

The sucker effect occurs when group members who were not originally inclined to engage in social loafing ________ when they observe other group members loafing.

Accepted Answer

The sucker effect occurs when individuals who were not originally inclined to engage in social loafing lower their efforts after observing other group members loafing. This is because they may feel that their efforts will not be recognized or appreciated, and may believe that their individual contributions are insignificant compared to the whole group, leading to a decrease in motivation and effort.

Question 4

Mary, Joe, Sue, and Gary are in a group that is attempting to balance the budget. Mary and Sue often stay late to get work done. Gary always puts in a good deal of effort. Joe feels lucky to be in a group of such hard workers because he doesn't have to exert much effort. Joe's behavior exemplifies ________.

Accepted Answer

Joe's behavior exemplifies social loafing, which is the tendency for individuals to put in less effort when working in a group compared to when working alone. Joe may feel that his individual contribution is not as important or necessary because the group as a whole is working hard.

Question 5

On tasks involving pooled interdependence, distributing rewards based on ________ is MOST LIKELY to result in high levels of motivation.

Accepted Answer

The answer of On tasks involving pooled interdependence, distributing rewards...

Question 6

According to Thompson's model of group tasks, ________ is the extent to which the work performed by one member affects what other group members do.

Accepted Answer

Task interdependence refers to the extent to which the work of one member affects the work and outcomes of other members in the group. Thompson's model of group tasks identifies four types of task interdependence: pooled, sequential, reciprocal, and comprehensive.

Question 7

James Thompson's "model of group tasks" suggests that as task interdependence within a group ________ the degree and intensity of the interactions between group members who are required to perform the group's task ________.

Accepted Answer

James Thompson's "model of group tasks" suggests that as task interdependence within a group increases, the degree and intensity of the interactions between group members who are required to perform the group's task also increase. This is because members need to collaborate, communicate, and coordinate with each other to accomplish the shared goals. Therefore, option B is the best choice, which states that as task interdependence within a group increases, the degree and intensity of the interactions between group members who are required to perform the group's task also increase.

Question 8

________ is the tendency for individuals to exert less effort when they work in groups as opposed to when they work by themselves.

Accepted Answer

Social loafing is the tendency for individuals to exert less effort when they work in groups as opposed to when they work by themselves. Groupthink is a phenomenon where individuals within a group desire harmony and conformity resulting in irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcomes. Sandbagging refers to pretending to have less ability than one actually possesses in order to deceive or manipulate others. Procrastination refers to delaying or putting off tasks until the last minute.

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT a benefit of maintaining small groups, as opposed to larger groups?

Accepted Answer

Small groups facilitate higher individual effort, a stronger sense of importance of one's work, and fewer conflicts and coordination problems. However, the size of a group does not inherently determine the quality of ideas generated; thus, hearing better ideas is not a guaranteed benefit of smaller groups.

Question 10

A research team believed that an organization's members would perform better when in a group. They studied how much effort was exerted in a tug of war contest when individuals were by themselves and when the individuals were on a team with others. They were MOST LIKELY to find that ________.

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is known as social loafing, where individuals exert less effort when working in a group compared to when working alone.

Question 11

According to the concept of the "sucker effect," when group members observe other members loafing, they will ________.

Accepted Answer

According to the "sucker effect," group members reduce their own efforts because they do not want to be taken advantage of by doing more work than the loafing group members. This effect can lead to a decrease in overall group productivity. Therefore, reducing their own efforts is the best choice.

Question 12

The potential for social loafing is highest when ________.

Accepted Answer

Social loafing occurs when individual group members perceive that their contributions are not readily observable. When group members feel their efforts cannot be distinguished from those of others, they may reduce their efforts, assuming others will compensate for their reduced effort. Therefore, the potential for social loafing is the highest when contributions are not easily identifiable.

Question 13

Every day his group meets, Mike shows up late, texts on his phone, and doesn't exert much effort. Kate is getting angry with Mike's behavior. An example of the sucker effect would be if Kate ________.

Accepted Answer

The sucker effect occurs when individuals reduce their effort because they see others not contributing their fair share, to avoid feeling like they are being taken advantage of. In this scenario, if Kate starts showing up late as a response to Mike's behavior, it exemplifies the sucker effect.

Question 14

Managers can BEST reduce social loafing in groups where individual effort cannot be separated from the group performance by ________.

Accepted Answer

Making each individual feel that he or she makes an important contribution to the group can be the best way to reduce social loafing in groups where individual effort cannot be separated from the group performance. This fosters a sense of accountability and responsibility among group members, leading to increased motivation and effort. Incentives and subjective measures may not be effective, as they do not address the root cause of social loafing in these types of groups. Increasing the size of the group may even exacerbate the problem, leading to diffusion of responsibility and reduced motivation.

Question 15

The MOST LIKELY source of process losses on tasks with pooled interdependence is that group members ________.

Accepted Answer

Pooled interdependence involves group members working independently on their tasks, without needing to coordinate with each other. However, this can lead to process losses, such as duplicating efforts, as group members may not be aware of what their colleagues are doing.

Question 16

If a group task involves ________, each member of the group makes a separate and independent contribution to group performance.

Accepted Answer

Pooled task interdependence means that each member works independently on their own portion of the task, with their contributions being combined into the final product. Therefore, each member's contribution is separate and independent from the others.

Question 17

Which of the following BEST describes the relationship between group size and social loafing?

Accepted Answer

Social loafing occurs when individuals feel that their individual effort will not be noticed or valued in a larger group. Therefore, as the size of the group increases, individuals may feel less responsible for the outcome and may be more likely to put forth less effort, leading to social loafing.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT an effective way to reduce social loafing?

Accepted Answer

Rewarding group members for the work they accomplish together does not directly address social loafing, as it may not ensure individual accountability or motivation. Social loafing is reduced by making individual contributions identifiable, highlighting unique contributions, and keeping groups small to ensure individual responsibility.

Question 19

A group that has ________ will have the least trouble with social loafing because individual tasks are identifiable.

Accepted Answer

Pooled task interdependence involves tasks where individual contributions are easily identifiable, reducing the likelihood of social loafing.

Question 20

The potential for ________ exists when individuals work in groups in which their individual performances are not readily observable.

Accepted Answer

Social loafing is the tendency for individuals to exert less effort when working in a group setting where their individual performance is not easily identifiable or measurable. In other words, individuals may "loaf" or slack off when working in a group, knowing that their contributions may not be recognized or valued. Sandbagging refers to deliberately underperforming to lower expectations, social climbing is the act of trying to improve one's status in a social hierarchy, and sequential processing refers to a method of completing tasks in a step-by-step and linear manner.

Quiz 11: Effective Work Groups and Teams