Chapter 8
Which age group has had the highest turnout rate in recent presidential elections?
65 and over
16. __________ directly contribute to the performance of important group tasks. a) Task activities b) Assignment mandates c) Directive activities d) Responsibility activities e) Maintenance activities
a) Task activities
42. __________ form when subgroups emerge within a team due to issue-specific disagreements. a) Co-acting teams b) Counteracting teams c) Interacting teams d) Disparate teams e) Countervailing teams
b) Counteracting teams
48. All of the following statements about majority rule are true EXCEPT: a) formal voting may take place or members may be polled to find the majority viewpoint. b) Political candidates in all democracies must win a majority of votes. c) some people will feel like "winners" and others will feel like "losers" when the final vote is tallied. d) the very process of voting can create coalitions. e) this method parallels the democratic political system and is often used without awareness of its potential problems.
b) Political candidates in all democracies must win a majority of votes.
4. __________ is a sequence of planned activities designed to gather and analyze data on the functioning of a team and to initiate changes designed to improve teamwork and increase team effectiveness. a) Team enhancing b) Team building c) Team structuring d) Team championing e) Team organizing
b) Team building
23. All of the following are part of four common forms of role conflict EXCEPT: a) intrasender role conflict. b) extrasender role conflict. c) intersender role conflict. d) person-role conflict. e) interrole conflict.
b) extrasender role conflict.
36. All of the following techniques increase group or team cohesiveness EXCEPT: a) getting agreement. b) increasing team diversity. c) making the team smaller. d) isolating the team from other teams. e) rewarding team results.
b) increasing team diversity.
52. When groupthink occurs in highly cohesive groups, poor decisions may result from the members' tendencies to do all of the following EXCEPT: a) being unwilling to criticize one another's ideas and suggestions. b) underemphasizing agreement. c) desiring to hold the group together. d) underemphasizing critical discussion. e) seeking to avoid unpleasant circumstances.
b) underemphasizing agreement.
32. __________ refers to the tendency to reduce effort when working in groups. a) Social mooching b) Social management c) Social loafing d) Social contract e) Social engagement
c) Social loafing
55. Of the following, which is a symptom of teams displaying groupthink? a) Illusions of invulnerability b) Rationalizing unpleasant and disconfirming data c) Belief in inherent group morality d) All of the above
d) All of the above
22. __________ occurs when too much is expected and the individual feels overwhelmed with work. a) Role conflict b) Role indifference c) Role encumberment d) Role overload e) Role frustration
d) Role overload
9. In a(n) __________ to team building, the manager, team leader, or group members themselves take responsibility for regularly engaging in the team-building process. a) formal retreat approach b) employee participation approach c) outdoor experience approach d) continuous improvement approach e) incremental enhancement approach
d) continuous improvement approach
49. To achieve group consensus, members should adhere to all of the following guidelines EXCEPT: a) don't argue blindly; consider others' reactions to your points. b) don't change your mind just to reach quick agreement. c) don't use voting, coin tossing, and bargaining to avoid conflict. d) don't try to involve everyone in the decision process. e) don't focus on winning versus losing; seek alternatives acceptable to all.
d) don't try to involve everyone in the decision process.
53. Groupthink can be avoided by doing all of the following EXCEPT: a) assigning the role of critical evaluator to each group member. b) creating subgroups that each work on the same problem. c) inviting outside experts to observe and react to group processes. d) having the leader express his/her preference for a particular course of action. e) writing alternative scenarios for the intentions of competing groups.
d) having the leader express his/her preference for a particular course of action.
47. Decision by __________ is often done by providing a suggestion and then forcing quick agreement by challenging the group with such statements as "Does anyone object?...No? Well, let's go ahead then. a) majority rule b) lack of response c) authority rule d) consensus e) minority rule
e) minority rule
39. The interacting team pattern results in a __________ in which all team members communicate directly and share information with one another. a) decentralized communication network b) centralized communication network c) restricted communication network d) synergistic communication network e) vertical communication network
a) decentralized communication network
26. Which of the following statements about norms is NOT correct? a) Norms help clarify the expectations associated with a person's membership in a group. b) Although important, norms are not considered to be rules or standards of conduct. c) Norms allow members to structure their own behavior. d) When someone violates a group norm, other members typically respond in ways that are aimed at enforcing the norm. e) Norms allow members to predict what others will do.
b) Although important, norms are not considered to be rules or standards of conduct.
30. Which of the following statements does the best job of reinforcing positive "ethics" norms? a) "In our department, people are always looking for better ways of doing things." b) "People on this committee are good listeners and actively seek out the ideas and opinions of others." c) "We try to make fair and just decisions, and we expect others to do the same." d) "On our team, people always try to work hard." e) "It is a tradition around here for people to stand up for the company when others criticize it unfairly."
c) "We try to make fair and just decisions, and we expect others to do the same."
11. Which of the following statements about improving team processes is NOT accurate? a) Team members must be prepared to handle more members. b) As more and more jobs are turned over to teams, special problems relating to team processes may arise. c) As more and more traditional supervisors are being asked to function as team leaders, special problems relating to team processes may arise. d) Effective teams have no further need, after team-building, for leadership efforts to improve team processes. e) Team members must be prepared to handle disagreements on rules and responsibilities
d) Effective teams have no further need, after team-building, for leadership efforts to improve team processes.
41. Tasks that are routine and easily subdivided lend themselves to: a) hierarchical communication networks. b) parallel communication networks. c) decentralized communication networks. d) restricted communication networks. e) centralized communication networks.
e) centralized communication networks.
1. A high-performing team can be created by doing the all of the following EXCEPT: a) communicating high-performance standards. b) having members spend time together. c) creating a sense of urgency. d) setting a clear/challenging direction. e) ensuring that new information is kept to a minimum.
e) ensuring that new information is kept to a minimum.
8. The __________ to team building offers opportunities for intense and concentrated effort to examine group accomplishments and operations. a) informal withdrawal approach b) privacy approach c) informal isolation approach d) formal seclusion approach e) formal retreat approach
e) formal retreat approach
25. __________ occurs when the expectations of two or more roles held by the same individual become incompatible, such as the conflict between work and family demands. a) Interrole conflict b) Person-role conflict c) Correspondent role conflict d) Divergent role conflict e) Intersender role conflict
a) Interrole conflict
6. In the __________, team building takes place during off-site meetings. a) formal retreat approach b) informal withdrawal approach c) privacy approach d) informal isolation approach e) formal seclusion approach
a) formal retreat approach
3. Researchers point out that collective intelligence is _________ in teams whose processes result in social sensitivity and absence of domination by one or a few members. a) higher b) lower c) a constant d) nonexistent e) none of the above
a) higher
27. Role __________ is a process for discussing and agreeing upon what team members expect of one another. a) negotiation b) agreement c) overload d) expectation e) cooperation
a) negotiation
50. __________is a "logically perfect" group decision making method because all team members agree totally on a course of action. a) Consensus b) Unanimity c) Majority rule d) Minority rule e) Lack of response
b) Unanimity
46. Decision by __________ occurs when one idea after another is suggested without discussing them and the team finally accepts an idea without any critical evaluation. a) majority rule b) lack of response c) authority rule d) consensus e) minority rule
b) lack of response
57. The team decision technique of __________ asks everyone to respond individually and in writing to a basic question such as: "What should be done to improve the effectiveness of this work team?" a) statutory technique b) nominal group technique c) brainstorming technique d) freewheeling technique e) Delphi technique
b) nominal group technique
10. The __________ approach to team building places group members in a variety of physically challenging situations that must be mastered through teamwork, not individual work. a) formal retreat b) outdoor experience c) continuous improvement d) rustic experience e) informal withdrawal
b) outdoor experience
34. In terms of team productivity, the best-case scenario of a work team's performance norms and cohesiveness occurs with __________ performance norms and __________ team cohesiveness. a) high; high b) positive; high c) negative; high d) negative; low e) positive; low
b) positive; high
44. When workspace architecture is studied as an influence on communication behavior, this is part of: a) cohesiveness. b) proxemics. c) virtual communication networks. d) team building. e) relationships.
b) proxemics.
33. In contrast to less cohesive groups, members of highly cohesive group members display all of the following EXCEPT: a) being more energetic when working on group activities. b) tending to leave work early when possible. c) remaining less likely to be absent. d) enduring more likely to be happy about performance success. e) continuing more likely to be sad about performance failures.
b) tending to leave work early when possible.
19. Disruptive behaviors that can harm group process include all of the following EXCEPT: a) being overly aggressive toward other members. b) trying to recognize others and give them attention. c) withdrawing and refusing to cooperate with others. d) horsing around when there is work to be done. e) talking too much about irrelevant matters.
b) trying to recognize others and give them attention.
13. Which of the following is NOT one of the problems that face new group members? a) Participation b) Goals c) Lack of originality d) Control e) Process
c) Lack of originality
20. _________-role conflict occurs when a person's values and needs come into conflict with role expectations. a) Intrasender b) Intersender c) Person d) Inter e) Outer
c) Person
40. Wheel communication network and chain communication network are other names for __________. a) restricted communication networks b) parallel communication networks c) centralized communication networks d) synergistic communication networks e) hierarchical communication networks
c) centralized communication networks
28. Positive norms within groups and teams can be established by doing all of the following EXCEPT: a) acting as a positive role model. b) reinforcing and rewarding desired behaviors. c) encouraging principled dissenters to join the group. d) selecting members who can and will perform. e) providing support and training for members.
c) encouraging principled dissenters to join the group.
12. To improve team processes, both team leaders and members must be prepared to deal with all of the following EXCEPT: a) introducing new members. b) handling disagreements on goals and responsibilities. c) handling reward distribution issues. d) resolving delays and disputes when making decisions. e) reducing friction and interpersonal conflicts.
c) handling reward distribution issues.
2. Each of the following is a characteristic of high-performance teams EXCEPT: a) high-performance teams have strong core values. b) high-performance teams turn a general sense of purpose into specific performance objectives. c) high-performance teams have members who focus on individual effort and excellence. d) members of high-performance teams have the right mix of skills. e) members of high-performance teams feel "collectively accountable."
c) high-performance teams have members who focus on individual effort and excellence.
35. From a manager's perspective, the worst-case scenario of a work team's performance norms and cohesiveness occurs with __________ performance norms and __________ team cohesiveness. a) high; high b) high; low c) negative; high d) negative; low e) positive; low
c) negative; high
15. In coping with the challenge of entering a team, __________ are individuals who act in a passive, reflective, and even single-minded manner while struggling with the fit between individual goals and group directions. a) friendly helpers b) tough battlers c) objective thinkers d) amiable entrants e) thoughtful newcomers
c) objective thinkers
58. A group decision-making approach developed by the Rand Corporation for use in situations where group members are unable to meet face to face is a) electronic brainstorming. b) the nominal group technique. c) the Delphi technique. d) the freewheeling technique. e) computer-mediated analysis.
c) the Delphi technique.
14. Edgar Schein identified three common behavior profiles that may hinder group operations when people try to cope with individual entry problems in self-serving ways. These three profiles are __________. a) passive, aggressive, and regressive b) focused, unfocused, and mid-focused c) tough battler, friendly helper, and objective thinker d) primal, emotional, and rational e) thoughtful, aggressive, and modal
c) tough battler, friendly helper, and objective thinker
45. GE's launch of the "Tweet Squad" is an example of a: a) study in proxemics. b) vertical communication network c) virtual communication network. d) centralized network. e) all of the above.
c) virtual communication network.
7. Which of the following is the third step in the team building process? a) Data gathering and analysis b) Problem or opportunity in team effectiveness c) Actions to improve team functioning d) Planning for team improvements e) Evaluation of results
d) Planning for team improvements
51. In regards to decision-making, the best teams: a) let the smartest person in the group make most of the decisions. b) stay together as a group all of the time because they work well together. c) take decisions spontaneously, without much discussion. d) do not limit themselves to just one decision-making method, using it over and over again regardless of circumstances. e) do not encourage exchange of ideas.
d) do not limit themselves to just one decision-making method, using it over and over again regardless of circumstances.
17. A team member contributes __________ leadership by encouraging the participation of others, trying to harmonize differences of opinion, praising the contributions of others, and agreeing to go along with a popular course of action. a) task b) functional c) transactional d) maintenance e) directive
d) maintenance
29. All of the following statements about group norms are correct EXCEPT: a) in order for a task force to operate effectively, group norms regarding attendance at meetings, punctuality, and preparedness are needed. b) groups also commonly have norms regarding how to deal with supervisors, colleagues, and customers. c) norms for establishing guidelines for honesty and ethical behaviors are important for groups to discuss. d) norms should be identified by the management team only. e) norms are expressed in everyday conversations
d) norms should be identified by the management team only.
56. The guidelines for brainstorming include all of the following EXCEPT: a) all criticism is ruled out. b) "freewheeling" is welcomed. c) quantity is important. d) quality is important e) "piggy-backing" on others' ideas is encouraged
d) quality is important
21. All of the following statements regarding role ambiguity are true EXCEPT: a) to do any job well in a group, people need to know what is expected of them. b) in a new group or team situation, role ambiguities may create problems as members find that their work efforts are wasted or unappreciated by others. c) even in mature groups and teams, the failure of members to share expectations and listen to one another may create a lack of understanding. d) role ambiguity cannot be managed through awareness of role dynamics and their causes. e) being asked to do too much or too little as a team member can create problems.
d) role ambiguity cannot be managed through awareness of role dynamics and their causes
38. Organizations and their managers can discourage the negative aspects and encourage the positive aspects of inter-team dynamics by doing all of the following EXCEPT: a) refocusing the teams on a common enemy or a common goal. b) training members to work more cooperatively. c) promoting direct negotiations between teams. d) using win-lose reward systems. e) focusing reward distribution on contributions to the total organization.
d) using win-lose reward systems.
31. Which of the following statements does the best job of reinforcing positive "organizational and personal pride" norms? a) "In our department, people are always looking for better ways of doing things." b) "People on this committee are good listeners and actively seek out the ideas and opinions of others." c) "Our company strives for both efficiency and effectiveness." d) "On our team, people always try to work hard." e) "It is a tradition around here for people to stand up for the company when others criticize it unfairly."
e) "It is a tradition around here for people to stand up for the company when others criticize it unfairly."
54. Historical examples of groupthink according to Janis include all of the following EXCEPT: a) space shuttle disasters. b) decision-making during the Vietnam War. c) American intelligence regarding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. d) the lack of preparedness by U.S. forces at Pearl Harbor before entry into WWII. e) Cuban Missile Crisis.
e) Cuban Missile Crisis.
` 24. __________ occurs when different people send conflicting and mutually exclusive expectations. a) Person-role conflict b) Intrasender role conflict c) Parallel role conflict d) Interrole role conflict e) Intersender role conflict
e) Intersender role conflict
5. Which of the following accurately describes the sequence of steps in the team-building process? a) Establishing a team mission statement; team goal setting; data gathering and analysis; implementing team goals; and evaluation of results b) Planning for team effectiveness; data gathering and analysis; establishment of team goals and objectives; implementing team goals; and evaluation of results c) Establishing a team mission statement; team cohesiveness training; data gathering and analysis; actions to improve team functioning; and implementing team goals d) Planning for team effectiveness; team goal setting; implementing team goals, evaluation of results; and reassessment of team goals e) Problems or opportunity in team effectiveness; data gathering and analysis; planning for team improvements; actions to improve team functioning; and evaluation of results
e) Problems or opportunity in team effectiveness; data gathering and analysis; planning for team improvements; actions to improve team functioning; and evaluation of results
18. All of the following statements about maintenance activities are true EXCEPT: a) maintenance activities support the social and interpersonal relationships among group members. b) when maintenance leadership is poor, members become dissatisfied with one another. c) in an effective group, maintenance activities support the relationships needed for team members to work well together over time. d) when maintenance leadership is weak, the value of group membership may diminish. e) maintenance activities include initiating discussion, sharing information, asking information of others, clarifying something that has been said and summarizing the status of a deliberation.
e) maintenance activities include initiating discussion, sharing information, asking information of others, clarifying something that has been said and summarizing the status of a deliberation.
43. The counteracting team pattern involves a __________ in which polarized subgroups disagree with one another's positions and maintain sometimes antagonistic relations. a) countervailing communication network b) counteracting communication network c) centralized communication network d) decentralized communication network e) restricted communication network
e) restricted communication network
37. The positive aspects of inter-team competition include all of the following outcomes EXCEPT: a) the members of each team may work harder. b) the members of each team may become more focused on key tasks. c) the members of each team may develop more internal loyalty and satisfaction. d) the members of each team may achieve a higher level of creativity in problem solving. e) the members of each team may use their energies toward their mutual animosities.
e) the members of each team may use their energies toward their mutual animosities.