Question 1

________ occurs when a supervisor earns less than his or her subordinates.
A) Informal status
B) Role conflict
C) Role ambiguity
D) Status incongruence

Accepted Answer

Status incongruence occurs when a supervisor earns less than his or her subordinates. This can create tension and resentment among the supervisor and the employees, leading to decreased motivation and productivity.

Question 2

A lot is riding on the success of this project. All nine members will share in the rewards. But Ted just doesn't have time to complete his assignment so he rationalizes that no one outside the group will know what he did or did not do anyway. Ted is engaged in ________.
A) nonconventionality
B) group norms
C) groupthink
D) social loafing

Accepted Answer

Ted is engaging in social loafing by shirking his responsibility and relying on the rest of the group to complete the project. He is taking advantage of the fact that his individual contribution may not be easily noticeable in the final outcome.

Question 3

Daniela and Navaro disagree on the best way to promote a new product. Those in the company who view the conflict over the promotion strategy as natural and inevitable have a(n) ________ view of conflict.
A) human relations
B) reactionist
C) traditional
D) interactionist

Accepted Answer

The answer of Daniela and Navaro disagree on the best...

Question 4

Which one of the following statements is true about group decision making?
A) It generates more complete information and knowledge.
B) It takes less time to reach a solution than it would an individual.
C) It prevents any one minority from dominating or influencing the final decision.
D) It is most suitable for matters that need to be critically evaluated.

Accepted Answer

Group decision making allows for a wider range of perspectives and experiences to be taken into consideration, leading to more complete information and knowledge being shared. However, it can also take longer to reach a solution due to the need for discussion and debate. While it may prevent a single individual or minority from dominating the decision, there is also the possibility of groupthink and conformity bias. Group decision making is suitable for matters that benefit from diverse perspectives and critical evaluation.

Question 5

The reluctance of George's group mates to voice their opposition to several issues in order to maintain group harmony is an example of ________.
A) social loafing
B) group norms
C) groupshift
D) groupthink

Accepted Answer

The reluctance to voice opposition in order to maintain group harmony is a characteristic of groupthink, when a group values harmony and unity over critical thinking and independent viewpoints. Social loafing refers to the tendency to reduce personal effort when working in a group, group norms refer to shared expectations of behavior within a group, and groupshift refers to the phenomenon of group discussions leading to more extreme decisions than individual members would make on their own.

Question 6

This group really clicked. They got along well both professionally and socially. While at work they focused on work. This group is likely to experience ________ in productivity.
A) a strong increase
B) a moderate increase
C) no change
D) a decrease

Accepted Answer

When a group gets along well both professionally and socially, it increases their motivation and satisfaction, which ultimately leads to an increase in productivity. Therefore, the group is likely to experience a strong increase in productivity.

Question 7

Which one of the following refers to a prestige grading, position, or rank within a group?
A) role
B) status
C) stature
D) membership

Accepted Answer

Status refers to a prestige grading, position, or rank within a group. A role refers to the behavior or set of expectations associated with a particular position or function, stature refers to physical height, and membership refers to being a part of a particular group or organization.

Question 8

Large groups consistently get better results than smaller ones when the group is involved in ________.
A) getting things done
B) routine tasks
C) problem solving
D) long-term projects

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that larger groups are better at problem solving because they bring a diversity of perspectives and ideas to the table. Smaller groups may be more efficient for routine tasks or getting things done quickly, but for complex problem solving, a larger group can yield better results. Long-term projects may depend on the specific task and goals, so it is not a clear indicator of which group size is better.

Question 9

Stacey was invited to become a member of the class project team because the other members knew she had a high GPA and worked hard on all her individual assignments. Although the other members worked diligently to complete their parts, Stacey was not giving her best effort to this team. Which of the following is a possible explanation for Stacey's behavior?
A) social loafing
B) status incongruence
C) role ambiguity
D) group cohesiveness

Accepted Answer

Stacey's behavior is consistent with social loafing, which is a phenomenon where individuals reduce their effort when working in a group compared to when working alone, as they believe their contribution is less noticeable.

Question 10

Which of the following is an accurate statement regarding status systems?
A) Anything can have status value if others in the group evaluate it that way.
B) Status is a weak employee motivator even though it has behavioral consequences.
C) Status can only be formally conferred on individuals.
D) Status systems are independent of aspects such as prestige and grading.

Accepted Answer

Status is not inherent in an object or person, but it is socially constructed and attributed by others. Anything can have status value if members of a group evaluate it that way. For example, in some cultures, clothing or accessories can have high status value.

Question 11

Which one of the following is true about the effectiveness of individual decision making over group decision making?
A) Individual decisions tend to be more accurate.
B) Individual decisions are better when dealing with complex issues.
C) Individuals tend to be more creative than groups.
D) Individual decisions are made faster than group decisions

Accepted Answer

Individual decisions are typically made faster than group decisions because they do not require consensus or input from multiple people, which can slow down the decision-making process.

Question 12

Age, skill, and experience are examples of ________.
A) formal status categories
B) informal status categories
C) internal status categories
D) external status categories

Accepted Answer

Age, skill, and experience are considered informal status categories because they are not officially designated positions or ranks but rather are based on personal attributes or achievements.

Question 13

Celine feels that the form of marketing their company is using isn't working anymore. Merle disagrees vehemently. Those in the company who view the conflict over the marketing strategy as bad and harmful have a(n) ________ view of conflict.
A) human relations
B) relational
C) traditional
D) interactionist

Accepted Answer

The traditional view of conflict considers any conflict as inherently negative and harmful, suggesting that it should be avoided. This perspective sees conflict as a dysfunction within the organization.

Question 14

Which one of the following is true about group decision making?
A) Groups tend to foster equal participation in decision making.
B) The pressure to conform is low when working in groups.
C) Groups take more time to arrive at a decision.
D) Groups usually make decisions based on incomplete information.

Accepted Answer

Groups take more time to arrive at a decision because they must consider multiple perspectives and opinions. A) is not always true as some individuals may dominate the decision-making process. B) is not true as conformity bias can lead to groupthink. D) is not necessarily true as group members can share and gather information to make more informed decisions.

Question 15

Which one of the following suggestions will help reduce the effect of social loafing in groups?
A) clearly identify individual responsibilities and efforts in the group outcome
B) provide group rewards instead of individual rewards
C) increase the overall size of the group
D) form homogeneous groups to increase group cohesiveness

Accepted Answer

Clearly identifying individual responsibilities and efforts in the group outcome will make each member accountable for their own contribution and reduce the likelihood of social loafing. Providing group rewards may also help to some extent, but it is not as effective as individual accountability measures. Increasing group size may exacerbate social loafing, as individuals may feel less responsible for the outcome. Forming homogeneous groups may increase group cohesiveness but does not necessarily address the issue of social loafing.

Question 16

In comparison to large groups, small groups ________.
A) have shorter group tenure
B) are faster at completing tasks
C) have longer norming processes
D) are better at obtaining diverse input

Accepted Answer

Small groups are generally faster at completing tasks because they can coordinate more easily and make decisions more quickly than larger groups.

Question 17

She was the matriarch of the department, the most senior employee. She always sat immediately to the right of the manager in all department meetings. No one dared take her chair. That chair was a symbol of her ________.
A) importance
B) age
C) status
D) seniority

Accepted Answer

The fact that no one dared to take her chair in department meetings indicates that her position was viewed as one of high status. This is further reinforced by her being the most senior employee and sitting immediately to the right of the manager.

Question 18

The ________ view of conflict management argues that conflicts must be avoided as it indicates a problem within the group.
A) human relations
B) traditional
C) interactionist
D) obstructionist

Accepted Answer

The traditional view of conflict management holds the belief that conflicts are harmful and should be avoided, as they indicate a problem within the group. This view assumes that group members should strive for harmony and that any disruption in this harmony is a negative occurrence.

Question 19

Individuals have the tendency to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually. Which one of the following concepts relates most closely to this behavior?
A) social loafing
B) role conflict
C) role ambiguity
D) nonconformity

Accepted Answer

Social loafing refers to the phenomenon where individuals tend to expend less effort when working in a group than when working individually. This is because they feel that their individual effort will not be recognized or appreciated in a group setting.

Question 20

Group cohesiveness is most likely to produce strong increases in productivity when ________.
A) cohesiveness reduces internal strife
B) the group's goals align with the organization's goals
C) it reduces social loafing in the group
D) group members respect and uphold the group norms

Accepted Answer

Group cohesiveness alone may not lead to increased productivity. However, when the group's goals align with the organization's goals, members are motivated to work together and achieve higher levels of productivity. This happens because the success of the group is linked to the success of the organization, which creates a sense of accountability and responsibility among the members.

Quiz 13: Creating and Managing Teams

________ occurs when a supervisor earns less than his or her subordinates.

A lot is riding on the success of this project. All nine members will share in the rewards. But Ted just doesn't have time to complete his assignment so he rationalizes that no one outside the group will know what he did or did not do anyway. Ted is engaged in ________.

Daniela and Navaro disagree on the best way to promote a new product. Those in the company who view the conflict over the promotion strategy as natural and inevitable have a(n) ________ view of conflict.

Which one of the following statements is true about group decision making?

The reluctance of George's group mates to voice their opposition to several issues in order to maintain group harmony is an example of ________.

This group really clicked. They got along well both professionally and socially. While at work they focused on work. This group is likely to experience ________ in productivity.

Which one of the following refers to a prestige grading, position, or rank within a group?

Large groups consistently get better results than smaller ones when the group is involved in ________.

Which of the following is an accurate statement regarding status systems?

Which one of the following is true about the effectiveness of individual decision making over group decision making?

Age, skill, and experience are examples of ________.

Celine feels that the form of marketing their company is using isn't working anymore. Merle disagrees vehemently. Those in the company who view the conflict over the marketing strategy as bad and harmful have a(n) ________ view of conflict.

Which one of the following is true about group decision making?

Which one of the following suggestions will help reduce the effect of social loafing in groups?

In comparison to large groups, small groups ________.

She was the matriarch of the department, the most senior employee. She always sat immediately to the right of the manager in all department meetings. No one dared take her chair. That chair was a symbol of her ________.

The ________ view of conflict management argues that conflicts must be avoided as it indicates a problem within the group.

Individuals have the tendency to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually. Which one of the following concepts relates most closely to this behavior?

Group cohesiveness is most likely to produce strong increases in productivity when ________.