Question 1

Unlike cognitive conflict, affective conflict:

Accepted Answer

Affective conflict involves emotional reactions and personal attacks, which can undermine team performance by preventing them from engaging in effective teamwork.

Question 2

Which of the following is a characteristic of cognitive conflict?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive conflict is a disagreement or difference in perspectives, beliefs, or ideas that leads to open and honest discussion. The goal is to reconcile or find common ground through constructive conversation, rather than resorting to resentment, cynicism, or hostility.

Question 3

The employees at Violet Inc. are required to complete their work and leave the office premises by 6:00 p.m. Team outings are organized every month, and every team member is expected to be present. This scenario exemplifies _____.

Accepted Answer

This scenario exemplifies norms, which are informal rules and expectations that guide behavior in a group or organization. The norm in this case is that employees complete their work and leave the office by 6:00 p.m. and attend team outings every month. This is not a job description, hierarchy, or stretch goal.

Question 4

Which of the following signs indicates that a team's size needs to be changed?

Accepted Answer

If a few members dominate the team, it may indicate that the team size needs to be changed as a larger team may ensure that workload is distributed more evenly and that all team members have a chance to contribute equally. The other options do not necessarily indicate a need to change the team size.

Question 5

Henry, the vice president of Walnut Corp., has observed that the sales team and the marketing team are often fighting over shared resources after the company encountered a financial crisis. This scenario illustrates the concept of _____.

Accepted Answer

The scenario describes a situation where two teams are in conflict over shared resources, indicating a lack of cooperation and alignment between them. This illustrates the concept of team conflict.

Question 6

In the context of team conflict, unlike affective conflict, cognitive conflict:

Accepted Answer

Cognitive conflict refers to disagreements among team members that involve differences in their opinions, ideas, and perspectives. Unlike affective conflict, which focuses on emotional reactions and personal attacks, cognitive conflict can stimulate creativity, innovation, and learning, as it challenges team members to think critically, evaluate evidence, and explore alternatives. Several studies have shown that teams that experience moderate levels of cognitive conflict tend to perform better than teams that avoid conflict or engage in too much emotional conflict. Therefore, option B is the best answer.

Question 7

The sales department at Delta Corp. has devised a set of rules for its employees. All the employees are required to be in the office premises by 8 a.m. every day. They are also required to wear business casuals. In addition, every employee has to send a productivity update to his or her supervisor before leaving for the day. In this case, the sales department has developed _____.

Accepted Answer

The sales department has developed norms or rules that outline expectations and behaviors for its employees such as arrival time, dress code, and productivity updates.

Question 8

Which of the following statements is true of affective conflict?

Accepted Answer

Affective conflict is a type of conflict that is emotional in nature and often arises when there are personal disagreements among team members. It differs from cognitive conflict, which focuses on differences in ideas, perspectives, or approaches and can actually improve team performance.

Question 9

For most teams, the right size is somewhere between _____ members.

Accepted Answer

The ideal team size is generally considered to be between 6 and 9 members. This allows for a diverse range of skills and perspectives, while still allowing for effective communication and coordination. Teams that are too small may not have enough resources or expertise, while teams that are too large may struggle with communication and decision-making.

Question 10

Which of the following is true of the right team size for good performance?

Accepted Answer

A team must be large enough to take advantage of team members' diverse skills and knowledge. A larger team means a greater variability in perspectives, which leads to a more diverse set of solutions and ideas. It also reduces the likelihood that the team will get bogged down in a single perspective or approach. However, too large a team can lead to coordination problems, so there is a balance to be struck.

Question 11

Which of the following is a disadvantage of a large team?

Accepted Answer

In a large team, it can be challenging for team members to build strong relationships and understand each other's strengths and weaknesses, which can hinder effective collaboration.

Question 12

Frank, a marketing manager, has often noticed that his team members do not communicate with each other and are rarely present for team meetings. He also noticed that his team's productivity is considerably low. This scenario illustrates that Frank's team lacks _____.

Accepted Answer

The scenario suggests that the team members do not communicate with each other and are rarely present for team meetings, indicating a lack of cohesiveness. This lack of teamwork and collaboration can significantly impact productivity levels. Therefore, choice D (cohesiveness) is the best option.

Question 13

A group of lawyers that works at Jameson & Emerson law firm has informally agreed to explain to the interns the requirements and procedures needed to work at the law firm. The majority of the interns have recently graduated from law school and do not have any experience working at a law firm. The group's agreed-on standards can be best categorized as _____.

Accepted Answer

The agreed-on standards of the group of lawyers can be categorized as norms, which are informal rules and expectations that guide behavior in a group or organization.

Question 14

Which of the following is a difference between a-type conflict and c-type conflict?

Accepted Answer

A-type conflict is characterized by personal differences, such as personality clashes or competition for power, while c-type conflict is focused on differences of opinion related to problem-solving or decision-making.

Question 15

Billy is the new manager at a retail store. He has noticed that the employees do not get along with each other and do not like to work together as a team. Which of the following steps should Billy take to build cohesiveness among his subordinates?

Accepted Answer

Encouraging subordinates to engage in nonwork activities can help build personal relationships and improve communication among team members, leading to greater cohesion. Providing proprietary business information is not relevant for building team cohesion, arranging distinct work schedules can create silos and hinder collaboration, and encouraging independence can further isolate team members from each other.

Question 16

John, a product manager, ensures that his team has regular meetings and no team member is absent during the meetings. He also ensures that all the members of his team work together in all the projects the company receives. John has modified the workplace accordingly to facilitate teamwork. In this scenario, John is attempting to increase his team's _____.

Accepted Answer

John is attempting to increase his team's cohesiveness by making sure everyone attends meetings, works together, and modifying the workplace for better teamwork.

Question 17

Larry's sales team members often argue with each other while addressing a problem and seemingly resolve their differences as soon as the appropriate solution to the problem has been found. This scenario illustrates the concept of _____.

Accepted Answer

The scenario describes cognitive conflict, which refers to differences in opinions or ideas within a group that can lead to productive discussions and better decision-making. The fact that the team members are able to resolve their differences once an appropriate solution is found suggests that they were engaging in cognitive conflict rather than succumbing to groupthink (C) or exhibiting autonomy (A) or conservative bias (B).

Question 18

Peter is a manager at a fast-food restaurant. He wants to introduce a kid's meal into the restaurant's menu. He wants to convince his team to agree with his idea without being forced into it. In this case, which type of conflict will be healthy?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive conflict is a healthy type of conflict where team members have different viewpoints but are able to engage in respectful debate and discussion to reach a mutually beneficial solution. This type of conflict can lead to new ideas and innovation. In this case, introducing a kid's meal could potentially attract more families to the restaurant and increase sales, but may also require changes in the kitchen and menu. Having a cognitive conflict about this idea can help the team weigh the pros and cons and come up with a well-informed decision.

Question 19

Susan leads a product innovation team. Her team meetings usually involve heated arguments, and many of the team members are known to lose their composure while discussing a new product idea. However, the team members immediately reconcile with each other after the meetings. This scenario illustrates the concept of _____.

Accepted Answer

The scenario describes cognitive conflict, which is a type of conflict that arises from differences in ideas and perspectives. The heated arguments and loss of composure suggest that the team members are experiencing cognitive conflict. However, the fact that they immediately reconcile with each other after the meetings means that they are able to work through the conflict and find a solution, which can lead to better product innovation. Structural accommodation refers to changes in organizational structures or processes to accommodate different perspectives or needs. Conservative bias is a type of bias that favors maintaining the status quo. Minority domination occurs when a minority group dominates decision-making processes. None of these concepts are illustrated in the scenario.

Question 20

In which of the following ways can teams have healthy conflicts?

Accepted Answer

Teams can have healthy conflicts by focusing on the issues at hand rather than attacking each other's personalities. This allows for open communication and constructive criticism and helps the team to find the best solution to the problem. Imposing a consensus, establishing individual goals, and using limited and subjective data do not contribute to healthy conflicts within a team.

Quiz 10: Managing Teams