CH 13: Groups and teams

According to a 1970s study, work groups that experience too little conflict tend to experience which of the following?

Apathy Lack of creativity

When the conversation with her coworker started to get tense, Mariah announced, "I don't want to talk about it" and left the room. Which conflict-handling style does this demonstrate?

Avoiding

How does collaboration differ from teamwork?

Collaboration is less hierarchical. Collaboration is more spontaneous.

Sacrificing individual recognition, putting the needs of others first, and focusing on the greater good are all aspects of which action you can employ to become a better team member?

Committing to a team

One management responsibility is to identify when to create ______, not simply when to mitigate it.

Conflict

Match the activity used to improve team processes (on the left) with its description (on the right).

Creating a team charter matches= An agreement among team members about how they will work together to make binding decisions and share accountability Engaging in team reflexivity matches= A process whereby team members evaluate the team's objectives, strategies, and processes A process whereby team members evaluate the team's objectives, strategies, and processes Giving team members a voice matches= The freedom team members feel to express their constructive opinions, concerns, or ideas about work-related issues

A community task force consisting of police officers, emergency service personnel, and other support service staff who work with the public is meeting to determine the best response system for the 911 services of a town. This task force is an example of a(n) ______ team.

Cross-functional

Which strategies are recommended for minimizing multicultural conflict and instead, building cross-cultural relationships?

Develop and mentor others Be sensitive to the needs of others Advocate for participative leadership

A manager with a "my way or the highway" approach to a conflict is demonstrating which conflict-handling style?

Dominating

Which one of the following would be considered the most appropriate action for a leader during the performing stage of team development?

Empower employees to work on tasks

What methods tend to build trust in your team members?

Establish personal credibility., Make good on your promises., and Show respect.

A group established by an organization to accomplish specific goals is called a(n) ______ group.

Formal

Susan's team is going through the ______ stage of team development. In this stage, they are becoming oriented with the group's processes and getting acquainted with one another.

Forming

Match the stage of group and team development (on the left) with its description (on the right).

Forming - the process of getting oriented and acquainted Storming - the emergence of individual personalities, roles, and conflicts within the group norming - resolution of conflicts, and the emergence of unity and harmony among group members performing - members concentrate on solving problems and completing tasks adjourning - members prepare for disbandment of the group or team

Place the stages of group and team development in the correct order, with the first stage listed at the top and the last stage listed at the bottom.

Forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning

A ______ is defined as two or more freely interacting individuals who share collective norms and goals and have a common identity.

Group

Connor, Luke, and Mason are co-workers who meet regularly after work to talk about the latest video games on the market and strategies for improving their scores on the games. This is an example of a ______.

Group

Which are principal examples of conflict triggers?

Group differences Personality differences Cultural differences

Studies have shown that a conflict-free work group tends to be a(n) _____ work group.

Inactive

A group formed by people seeking friendship that has NO official leader or specific organizational goals is known as a(n) ______ group.

Informal

Which actions can an individual take to become a more effective team member?

Lead by example Commit to the team

What makes a self-managed team unique?

Members of the team are given administrative oversight for their task area

During which stage of group development would group cohesiveness be a factor?

Norming

In Jack's work group, members are developing close interpersonal relationships that have led to an emerging sense of unity and harmony within the team. This is an example of the activities that occur during the ______ stage of group development.

Norming

What general guidelines or rules of acceptable behavior are followed by most members of a group or team, even though they are often unwritten and seldom discussed?

Norms

Match the conflict-handling behavior (on the left) with its description (on the right).

Openness- Stating your views honestly and concentrating on finding a solution to the problem Equality- Evaluating all ideas fairly without regard to ownership Empathy-Trying to experience the other person's feelings and point of view Supportiveness- Letting the other person know you want to find a resolution that will benefit both of you. Positiveness- Being upbeat and expressing your willingness to work with the other person to find a resolution to the problem correct

Sam and Eric don't get along well because Sam is very rigid and goes "by the book," while Eric is much more likely to bend the rules. This is an example of which type of conflict?

Personality

Which type of conflict is best described as interpersonal opposition based on dislike or disagreement among individuals?

Personality

Teams with administrative oversight of their task domains are known as ______ teams.

Self-Managed

Which strategies stimulate constructive conflict among team members?

Spur competition among employees. Bring in outsiders

A team in the middle of the ______ stage of team development experiences individual conflicts and the emergence of individual personalities within the group.

Storming

What are characteristics of teams?

Team members share a common commitment Teams are small groups

Which statements about norms are true?

They exert a powerful influence on group behavior., They are typically unwritten., and They are general rules of behavior.

Why are group norms typically enforced?

To emphasize important values To help the group survive To avoid embarrassing situations

Reciprocal faith in others' intentions and behaviors is known as ______.

Trust

Which conditions support teamwork?

Work that is considered meaningful and Mutual accountability among team members

Dysfunctional conflict is ______ for the organization.

bad

The "we feeling" that binds group members together is called group ______.

cohesiveness

Sharing information and coordinating efforts among individuals to achieve a common objective is known as ______.

collaboration

When planning her company's annual sales meeting, Cynthia sets up a chat room months in advance and encourages people from each department to share their needs and concerns about the meeting. Armed with this information, Cynthia coordinates with key departmental team members to make sure they all work together to create a productive and effective sales meeting. This is an example of ______.

collaboration

Team ______ reflects the collection of jobs, personalities, values, knowledge, experience, and skills of team members.

composition

Connie's team members criticize her for being outspoken and for not keeping them informed of her progress as often as they think she should. The criticism she receives is an example of ______.

conflict

______ is a process in which one party perceives that its interests are being opposed or negatively affected by another party

conflict

Sources of conflict, such as differences between personalities, groups, or cultures, are called ______.

conflict triggers

Jeremy feels it is important to include a department head from each area of the company in the decision to purchase an additional warehouse. What type of team does Jeremy want to form?

cross-functional

What type of conflict is defined by the fact that it hinders the organization's performance or threatens its interests?

dysfunctional

Jen's department has been assigned the task of developing new flavors for the company's line of soft drinks. In this instance, the department members function as a(n) ______ group.

formal - a division, department, work group, or committee

Within the first stage of team development, called ______, members get oriented and acquainted with each other.

forming

Informal groups come together for ______.

friendship

Members of Tyler's work team disagreed about the best way to complete their project. After arguing about it repeatedly, the team came up with an exciting new idea and reached consensus. Their project was a success. Their initial arguing is an example of a(n) ______ conflict.

functional

What type of conflict benefits the main purposes of the organization or serves its interests?

functional

A team that relies heavily on interpersonal interactions to complete tasks is said to have a high degree of ______ among team members.

interdependence

Conflict that results from a clash between two or more cultures is known as ______ conflict.

multicultural

During the ______ stage of team development, conflicts are resolved, close relationships develop, and unity and harmony emerge.

norming

When a coworker voiced an opinion with which Jeb disagreed, he calmly stated, "I don't agree with that approach, but I'd like to get a better understanding of your objections to see what other approaches we might consider." Which conflict-handling behavior is Jeb demonstrating?

openness

During the ______ stage in group and team development, members concentrate on solving problems and completing the assigned tasks.

performing

Interdependent actions taken by team members that turn inputs into collective outcomes are known as team ______

processes

Interdependent actions taken by team members that turn inputs into collective outcomes are known as team ______.

processes

A ______ team works to address a particular problem or specific task. Team members can come from the same or different departments.

project

Lark's company has been operating for several years, contracting with the government to create solar arrays around the country. In a recent election, the administration changed and several contracts for solar arrays were canceled. Lark has been meeting with his staff to figure out how to adapt to the lack of funds and keep the business going. This is an example of ______.

punctuated equilibrium

Groups often develop through ______, characterized by alternating periods of stable functioning and events that cause dramatic change in norms, roles, and/or objectives.

punctuated equilibrium.

A ______ is a set of behaviors that people expect of individuals in a certain position.

role

In Michelle's group, individual members are beginning to assert their personalities, and the group is beginning to experience interpersonal conflict among its members. Michelle's group is entering the ______ stage of group development.

storming

Within a team, individuals tend to assume either a ______ role based on the expectations of the team, the organization, or themselves.

task or maintenance

A small group of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable is known as a ______.

team

Which of the following are characteristics of a project team?

team meetings happen virtually or face to face, it meets as needed depending on the assignment, it is task or problem oriented

Norms tend to be enforced by ______ to help the group survive, to clarify role expectations, to help individuals avoid embarrassing situations, and to emphasize and identify the group's important values.

team members

What are characteristics of virtual teams?

they work together over distance, they communicate electronically, they work together over time

Team performance improves when members demonstrate a high tolerance for ______ during the forming and storming stages.

uncertainty

A ______ team consists of members who collaborate over time and distance via electronic media.

virtual

Withholding judgment, showing respect, asking questions, and focusing on the present moment are all ways of improving which of the following?

Active listening