Question 1

A team is a special type of group.

Accepted Answer

A team is a specific type of group designed with a purpose and often characterized by members working interdependently towards a common goal, which distinguishes it from more general groups.

Question 2

Researchers estimate that 50 percent or more of the employees work in teams at 80 percent of the Fortune 500 companies.

Accepted Answer

Many Fortune 500 companies have adopted team-based structures to enhance productivity, innovation, and flexibility, leading to a significant portion of their workforce participating in team-based work.

Question 3

Some informal groups may actually be opposed to organizational goals.

Accepted Answer

Informal groups can form based on shared interests or social interactions and may not always align with or may even oppose the organization's formal goals and objectives.

Question 4

Companies such as Toyota and Honda, known for their product development skills, require as many as 1,000 engineers working in teams for one to two years to develop a new car.

Accepted Answer

Developing a new car is a complex process that involves extensive research, design, engineering, and testing. Companies like Toyota and Honda, which are known for their innovation and quality, indeed require large teams of engineers, often numbering in the hundreds to over a thousand, working together for several years to bring a new vehicle from concept to production. This process includes everything from initial design, engineering, safety testing, to final production planning.

Question 5

In a recent study, half the managers responding believed that improving teamwork processes to focus on customers was the strategic initiative with the greatest potential for ensuring their organizations' success.

Accepted Answer

Improving teamwork processes to focus on customers is often highlighted in organizational studies as a key strategic initiative for enhancing performance and ensuring success, as it directly impacts customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

Question 6

Microsoft employees dislike working in teams because face-to-face communication and problem solving at its headquarters is seldom possible.

Accepted Answer

Microsoft encourages teamwork and collaboration among its employees, utilizing various technologies and spaces designed to facilitate face-to-face communication and problem-solving at its headquarters and beyond.

Question 7

A work team may vary from short term to permanent.

Accepted Answer

Work teams can be formed for short-term projects or tasks and disbanded upon completion, or they can be permanent, focusing on ongoing activities or functions within an organization.

Question 8

Signicast Corporation, suppliers of metal parts for Harley Davidson and John Deere, use task forces to solve problems.

Accepted Answer

Signicast Corporation, known for supplying precision investment cast metal parts, utilizes task forces as a method to address and solve specific problems, ensuring efficient and effective solutions for their operations and for clients like Harley Davidson and John Deere. This approach allows for focused, cross-functional teams to tackle issues directly related to production, quality, or any other operational challenges.

Question 9

Pharmaceutical companies use product development teams, which are different from multidisciplinary work teams.

Accepted Answer

Pharmaceutical companies use product development teams that are a type of multidisciplinary work team, combining various specialties and expertise to innovate and develop new products efficiently.

Question 10

A self-managing work team normally consists of employees who meet once a week to make managerial decision for their unit.

Accepted Answer

A self-managing work team consists of employees who work together on a regular basis to manage and perform all or most aspects of a task or operation, including planning, decision making, and execution, not just meeting once a week for managerial decisions.

Question 11

The first step in fostering team effectiveness involves stating what effectiveness means.

Accepted Answer

Defining what effectiveness means for the team sets clear expectations and goals, which is essential for fostering team effectiveness.

Question 12

Jeanie Duck with the Boston Consulting Group advises new teams to get past the startup phase quickly so that the team can focus on performance.

Accepted Answer

Jeanie Buss, not Jeanie Duck, is associated with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA and not with the Boston Consulting Group. Her advice might be relevant in a sports or business context, but the specific statement about advising new teams to get past the startup phase quickly is not attributed to her in her known public statements or professional advice.

Question 13

The storming stage of team development is characterized by increased tension among members while increasing output at the same time.

Accepted Answer

The storming stage of team development is characterized by increased tension and conflict among team members as they start to express different opinions and challenge each other's ideas, which can temporarily decrease output rather than increase it.

Question 14

Feelings refer to the negative emotional experiences of the individual team members.

Accepted Answer

Feelings can refer to both negative and positive emotional experiences of individuals, not limited to negative ones.

Question 15

The use of subteams to compensate for the problem of having too large a team is considered inappropriate by management experts.

Accepted Answer

Management experts often recommend the use of subteams as a strategy to make large teams more manageable and to ensure that each member can contribute effectively, thus enhancing productivity and focus.

Question 16

Increasing the team size demands greater attention by the leader.

Accepted Answer

As team size increases, the complexity of managing the team, coordinating tasks, and ensuring effective communication also increases, requiring more attention and effort from the leader.

Question 17

As work teams become larger, the team's tolerance of direction from the leader diminishes.

Accepted Answer

As work teams become larger, the complexity of managing the team increases, often necessitating stronger direction and coordination from the leader to ensure effective collaboration and decision-making.

Question 18

Intrapreneurial teams frequently set up skunkworks operations in a remote location, away from distractions.

Accepted Answer

Skunkworks operations, often initiated by intrapreneurial teams within a larger organization, are typically set up in isolated or remote locations to ensure the team can focus on innovative projects without the distractions or constraints of the main corporate environment. This setup encourages creativity and rapid development free from the usual bureaucratic hurdles.

Question 19

Virtual work teams are typically multidisciplinary teams and rarely functional teams.

Accepted Answer

Virtual work teams can be both multidisciplinary and functional, depending on the organization's needs and the nature of the project they are working on.

Question 20

Sabre found that technical skills were the primary essential requirement for virtual team members.

Accepted Answer

Sabre's research found that the most essential requirements for virtual team members were not technical skills, but rather traits such as self-motivation, high levels of trust, strong communication skills, and the ability to work independently.

Quiz 17: Managing Work Teams