Question 1

The guidelines for brainstorming include: ruling out all criticism, welcoming "freewheeling," getting a large quantity of ideas, and encouraging people to build on one another's ideas.

Accepted Answer

These are indeed the guidelines for brainstorming.

Question 2

In general, teams are expected to perform

Accepted Answer

Teams are expected to perform at a higher level than individuals because they have the ability to bring together diverse perspectives, skills, and knowledge. By working collaboratively, teams can generate more creative solutions, increase productivity, and achieve better results than individuals working alone.

Question 3

Groupthink is likely to occur when members of a group refuse to look realistically at other groups.

Accepted Answer

Groupthink occurs when a group becomes so focused on maintaining harmony and agreement within the group that they dismiss or ignore outside perspectives and information. This can lead to a lack of critical thinking and poor decision making. Refusing to consider the perspectives of other groups is an example of this narrow-mindedness that often accompanies groupthink.

Question 4

Managers of high-performing teams

Accepted Answer

Managers of high-performing teams carefully plan and choreograph individual jobs integrated into the team tasks to ensure that everyone is working together efficiently and effectively. This allows each team member to contribute their unique skills and strengthens the overall performance of the team.

Question 5

What factor distinguishes a group of people from a high-performance team?

Accepted Answer

The way members work with one another to achieve common goals is the factor that distinguishes a high-performance team from a group of people. High-performance teams have a strong focus on collaboration, communication, and trust, which allows them to work together effectively towards a common objective. In contrast, a group of people may not share the same level of commitment or working style, leading to suboptimal performance. Social diversity and task difficulty are important factors that can affect team performance, but they alone do not make a high-performance team. Luck may also play a role, but it is not a reliable or sustainable factor for success.

Question 6

Symptoms of groupthink include: rationalizing unpleasant and disconfirming data; stereotyping competitors as weak, evil, and/or stupid; protecting members from hearing disturbing ideas or outside viewpoints; and applying direct pressure to deviants to conform to group wishes.

Accepted Answer

These are indeed symptoms of groupthink.

Question 7

Which of the following would contribute to a high-performing team?

Accepted Answer

All three choices contribute to a high-performing team. An expert team member can bring their knowledge and skills to the team, making the team stronger. Team members who are fully aware of how their job fits into the team task are more likely to take ownership of their work and contribute to the overall success of the team. When team members understand that their tasks are interdependent, they are more likely to communicate and collaborate effectively, leading to a more efficient and productive team.

Question 8

Managers can avoid groupthink if they have team members discuss issues with outsiders and report back on their reactions, encourage a sharing of viewpoints, or invite outside experts to observe group activities and react to group process.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true, as seeking outside perspectives can help prevent groupthink and encourage a diversity of viewpoints within a team.

Question 9

Managers can avoid groupthink if they assign the role of critical evaluator to each team member to allow free discussion.

Accepted Answer

Assigning the role of critical evaluator to each team member can encourage open and diverse discussion and help prevent groupthink.

Question 10

The nominal group technique of decision making uses a highly structured meeting agenda to allow everyone to contribute ideas without the interference of others' evaluative comments.

Accepted Answer

The nominal group technique is a highly structured meeting agenda that encourages everyone to contribute ideas without the interference of others' evaluative comments.

Question 11

High-performing teams

Accepted Answer

High-performing teams strive for flawless execution and coordination of individual tasks. This requires careful planning, clear communication, and a shared understanding of goals and objectives. Luck and happenstance may contribute to success, but they are not reliable factors in building a high-performing team.

Question 12

Basic steps for running a nominal group session are: asking participants to work alone in generating ideas, reading ideas aloud in a round-robin fashion, recording all ideas as presented, and using a written voting procedure to rank order alternatives.

Accepted Answer

These are indeed the basic steps for running a nominal group session.

Question 13

Groupthink can be avoided by having the leader strongly advocate a particular course of action.

Accepted Answer

Having the leader strongly advocate a particular course of action can actually contribute to groupthink by discouraging dissent and critical thinking among group members. To avoid groupthink, it is important to encourage open discussion and diverse perspectives, even if it means challenging the leader's ideas.

Question 14

The quality of ideas is most the important criterion for brainstorming contributions.

Accepted Answer

Brainstorming emphasizes quantity over quality, encouraging the generation of as many ideas as possible to foster creativity and innovation, without immediate judgment or evaluation.

Question 15

What is the teamwork effect?

Accepted Answer

The teamwork effect refers to the positive impact that occurs when team members work together for a long enough time to learn each other's skills, interactions, and ways of performing. This allows for improved communication, trust, and collaboration within the team.

Question 16

The process of people actively working together to accomplish common goals is referred to as ___.

Accepted Answer

The process of people actively working together to accomplish common goals is commonly referred to as teamwork.

Question 17

Groupthink can be avoided by creating sub-teams to work on the same problem and then sharing their proposed solutions, or by inviting internal auditors to observe and react to group process and decisions.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Groupthink can be avoided by creating sub-teams...

Question 18

In his role as a coach or team developer, a manager is primarily involved in

Accepted Answer

In his role as a coach or team developer, a manager is primarily involved in guiding and advising the team on ways to improve processes and performance. This involves providing feedback, setting goals, establishing strategies, and monitoring progress. While the other options may also be part of a manager's role, they are not the primary focus when serving as a coach or team developer.

Question 19

According to the textbook, which of the following are "must have" team skills?

Accepted Answer

The textbook states that all of the given skills (encouraging and motivating others, persuading others to cooperate, and avoiding disruptive acts and words) are "must have" team skills. These skills are crucial for promoting teamwork, building positive relationships, and fostering a collaborative work environment.

Question 20

In a situation prone to interpersonal conflicts, brainstorming works best in preventing groupthink.

Accepted Answer

Brainstorming encourages diverse ideas and open communication, but it doesn't directly address the prevention of groupthink, which is more effectively countered by techniques like seeking outside opinions, assigning a devil's advocate, or encouraging critical evaluation of all proposals.

Quiz 17: Teams and Teamwork