Question 1

Functional departments such as accounting,personnel,engineering,and production increase in number as self-managed work teams are established in organizations.

Accepted Answer

Self-managed work teams are designed to break down functional department barriers to promote cross-functional collaboration and decision-making. This can lead to a reduction in the number of functional departments as work is carried out by the teams.

Question 2

Task significance occurs in self-managed work teams when team members use many different skills and talents.

Accepted Answer

Task significance refers to the degree to which a job has a substantial impact on the lives or work of other people, not the variety of skills and talents used by team members.

Question 3

A strategy of altering the nature of a job to include planning and controlling where normally these activities are not present is _____.

Accepted Answer

Job design involves the process of arranging work tasks for employees, including aspects like planning and controlling. Altering the nature of a job to include these elements falls under job design, aiming to improve job satisfaction and productivity.

Question 4

Which of the following are specific high-involvement productivity interventions that are related to improving work processes?

Accepted Answer

Self-managed work teams are a specific high-involvement productivity intervention focused on improving work processes by empowering employees to manage their own tasks and responsibilities.

Question 5

Though self-managed work teams are more common in production facilities than the service sector,they have been successfully applied in service-oriented organizations.

Accepted Answer

While self-managed work teams are more commonly associated with production facilities, they have been successfully implemented in service-oriented organizations as well. In fact, some service organizations have found self-managed teams to be particularly effective due to the dynamic and constantly-changing nature of their work.

Question 6

There are normally three elements in self-managed work teams.They are upper management,coordinator,and team leader.

Accepted Answer

The three elements in self-managed work teams are team members, coordinator/facilitator, and possibly an external coach or mentor. Upper management may provide support or resources but are not considered a part of the team.

Question 7

The term chimney buster or barrier buster is sometimes used to describe the coordinator's responsibilities in self-managed work teams.This person runs interference for the team by breaking up the rigid and narrow bureaucratic obstacles.

Accepted Answer

The statement accurately describes the role of the chimney or barrier buster in self-managed work teams.

Question 8

A lack of training,especially for team members in group process and team building,is believed by some OD practitioners to be a major reason for failure of self-managed work teams.

Accepted Answer

Lack of training in group process and team building can lead to failure of self-managed work teams according to some OD practitioners.

Question 9

Which of the following does NOT go with job design?

Accepted Answer

All of the options listed (A, B, C, and D) are part of job design.

Question 10

Unions are not part of the process involved in establishing and operating self-managed work teams,as the union is typically involved in fringe benefits and wages.

Accepted Answer

Unions can be involved in the process of establishing and operating self-managed work teams, as they may have an interest in ensuring that the teams do not undermine existing labor agreements or working conditions. However, their involvement may be limited to issues related to collective bargaining and working conditions, rather than the day-to-day management of the teams.

Question 11

The organization structure that results from self-managed work teams is one that is flat with few levels of managers and little support staff.

Accepted Answer

Self-managed work teams are designed to be independent and autonomous, which means they do not require a large support staff or many levels of management. This results in a flat organizational structure with fewer layers of hierarchy.

Question 12

Most work sites that have self-managed work teams have well-defined job descriptions for each of the jobs.

Accepted Answer

Self-managed work teams often have flexible and fluid job roles, with team members taking on various tasks and responsibilities as needed. Traditional job descriptions may not be as relevant or necessary in this type of work environment.

Question 13

The trend in many profit and not-for-profit organizations is toward _____.

Accepted Answer

The trend in many profit and not-for-profit organizations is toward decentralization, which involves delegating authority and decision-making to lower-level employees or departments. This allows for greater flexibility, quicker decision-making, and more employee empowerment. The other options, such as more levels of management, increases in staff positions, narrower spans of control, or centralization, are not reflective of the current trend in organizations.

Question 14

Work design productivity interventions are more closely related to _____.

Accepted Answer

Work design productivity interventions involve making changes to the way work is structured or organized. This can include changes to job tasks, work flow, communication channels, and physical work environment. These structural changes can improve productivity by streamlining processes, reducing waste, and improving employee satisfaction. While behavioral changes and technical changes can also impact productivity, they are not as closely related to work design interventions. Distributed changes and transaction analysis are not directly related to work design interventions.

Question 15

Upper management in self-managed work teams is sometimes called the support team.

Accepted Answer

Upper management in self-managed work teams often serves as a support team, providing resources and guidance to the team members.

Question 16

Current changes in work design include _____.

Accepted Answer

The current changes in work design aim to improve productivity and employees' job satisfaction by designing their work accordingly. Bringing top management down to the lowest level (A) and creating clear lines of authority (B) are traditional concepts of work design, while explicit job descriptions (D) may not necessarily improve job satisfaction or productivity. Therefore, C is the best choice.

Question 17

A current trend regarding job design in OD programs is to _____.

Accepted Answer

The current trend in job design in OD programs is to focus on designing jobs that will improve the worker's satisfaction and productivity. This approach takes into consideration the individual needs of the worker and seeks to create a job that is fulfilling and rewarding. It is believed that this approach will result in increased motivation, commitment, and performance. While some organizations may also be interested in increasing productivity through technological innovations or improving customer satisfaction through job design, the primary focus is on improving the worker's experience. Choice D is incorrect because scientific job design is not considered a current trend in OD programs, as it tends to overlook the importance of individual needs and preferences. Choice E is incorrect because it includes both A and D, when only A is correct.

Question 18

Self-managed work teams operate best when the work team has a physical site with boundaries with which members can identify.

Accepted Answer

Self-managed work teams work best when they have a physical site with boundaries because it helps team members to identify with the team and its members. This also facilitates effective communication and collaboration among team members. Without a physical site, team members may feel disconnected and this can lead to decreased team performance.

Question 19

Self-managed work teams usually have members with similar organization backgrounds and experiences so that they can work harmoniously with one another.

Accepted Answer

Self-managed work teams often have members with diverse backgrounds and experiences so that they can bring different perspectives and ideas to the group. This can lead to innovation and creativity in problem-solving.

Question 20

The reward system used in self-managed work teams is normally a profit-sharing system where a team member's reward is based on the entire organization's performance.

Accepted Answer

In self-managed work teams, the reward system is often based on the team's performance rather than the entire organization's performance, to directly link rewards to the team's contributions and outcomes.

Quiz 13: Work Team Development