COMM 130, Quiz ch. 8+
In which type of approach do individuals share their ideas for solving a problem via conventional or electronic mail, without meeting face to face? Rolestorming Reverse brainstorming Affinity brainstorming Absentee brainstorming
Absentee brainstorming
The factor "how concerned you are for other people and for yourself" results in five conflict-management styles. Compromise, avoidance, competition, and collaboration are four of the styles. Which is the remaining one? Cohesion Unassertive Disagreement Accommodation
Accommodation
Which conflict-management style is sometimes called a "lose-win" approach? Compromise Avoidance Accommodation Collaboration
Accommodation
A group leader asked the group members to write down all their ideas and saw that many of the ideas generated were similar in nature. It was taking a lot of time to go through each idea. What technique can he use to simplify the situation? Affinity technique Delphi technique Nominal-group technique Tick-tock technique
Affinity technique
Which conflict-management style suggests that it is essential for group members to take as much time as necessary to obtain a solution, which every member is satisfied with, instead of them grudgingly accepting an outcome and holding repressed feelings of sacrifice or loss? Accommodation Competition Avoidance Collaboration
Collaboration
Which style of conflict-management can appear as a "win-win" approach? Accommodation Avoidance Compromise Competition
Compromise
A particular group reached a decision which, after much deliberation, was supported by all the group members. Which group decision making process did this group employ? Decision by consensus Decision by minority Decision by majority Decision by supermajority
Decision by consensus
The software development team was given the task of migrating the company's financial data from the legacy system to a newer faster database. Somewhere during the problem-solving process, the team leader asked his teammates to break the problem into sub-problems since it was a huge task. He further asked everyone to list out the different causes, effects, and symptoms of the problems. Which phase of problem-solving process is the team in at this point? Test the solutions Define the problem Evaluate solutions Pro and con analysis
Define the problem
Ruby, who was Italian by origin, got a new assistant, Dia, who was an Indian. Whenever they were in a discussion, Ruby would make a particular hand gesture, which meant that she was frustrated. Dia, however, would usually misunderstand, as in her culture it meant "eating." This led to a lot of confusion and dissatisfaction between them, since Ruby had a high-pressure job that involved making critical decisions with the help of her assistant. Which strategy can Ruby use to have productive discussions with Dia? Develop mindfulness Resist making negative judgments about others Resist stereotyping Reduce lack of problem solving skill
Develop mindfulness
"Clarifying the underlying goal rather than only debating the merits of one strategy for achieving it should help unravel clashes over issues or personalities." The statement is best described by which conflict-management principle? Generate many options to solve problems Base decisions on objective criteria Separate the people from the problem Focus on shared interests
Focus on shared interests
_________ activities help a group achieve its goal by helping in analyzing the problem and evaluating all the solutions that have been proposed. Dialectical Relational Topical focus Task-process
Task-process
Which statement best explains the competition style of conflict-management? This approach is used when people stress on winning a conflict at the expense of one or more other people. This approach is one in which a person attempts to ignore disagreements. This approach is used to try making conflict go away by giving in to the wishes of other. This approach attempts to find a solution that meets the needs of all concerned.
This approach is used when people stress on winning a conflict at the expense of one or more other people.
Which type of leadership describes most effective leadership in organizations? Transformational leadership Process leadership Task leadership Transactional leadership
Transformational leadership
Which technique is appropriate to constructively express frustration or dissatisfaction with a group member? X-Y-Z formula Groupthink Consensus Computed-mediated
X-Y-Z formula
A(n) ________ is a tool to help implement a solution; it lists the tasks and the people to whom they are assigned. flow chart T-chart Pareto chart action chart
action chart
The technique that involves generating a number of ideas without evaluating them so that the likelihood of finding a creative solution is increased is called brainstorming. free-wheeling. brainsketching. tick-tock.
brainstorming.
By the time group members reach the ___________ phase, their roles have been clearly defined and the group problems have been identified. emergence orientation conflict reinforcement
emergence
The final step in any group problem-solving exercise is ________ the solution. selecting implementing identifying analyzing
implementing
A group reviewed the facts and data they collected and evaluated its current situation, and based on that information, realized that it was time to make a decision. What step of the group decision making process are they currently in? Identify and clarify the goals of the decision Analyze the decision to be made Identify multiple options Evaluate the positive and negative consequences of alternatives rationally
Analyze the decision to be made
How can leadership be defined? As the behavior or communication that misleads a group As a relatively consistent pattern of behavior reflecting beliefs and attitudes of people As the behavior or communication that influences, guides, directs, or controls a group As the behavior that may be performed by any group member to maximize group effectiveness
As the behavior or communication that influences, guides, directs, or controls a group
In which method do a group of people draw something, rather than just talk about it, to describe a proposed solution? Piggybacking Rolestorming Brainsketching Visual rhetoric
Brainsketching
Midway through a group's deliberation, a transition occurs, and the group slowly starts making some progress toward the group goal. What is this transition called? Breakpoint Dialectical Secondary Primary
Breakpoint
A team of four members were working on a development project under the guidance of a skilled manager. The manager made his team comfortable at the workplace by motivating them and providing opportunities to express their visions of group or organizational goals. Which skill of transformation leadership best describes the manager's behavior? Maintaining a satisfactory interpersonal climate within a group Maximizing group effectiveness Building shared vision Accomplishing a group goal
Building shared vision
At Kelvin Inc., a team of four members was working on a development project. Of the four, John and Ken belong to an individualistic culture whereas Wilson and Ben value a collectivistic approach. Due to these cultural variations, the team encountered conflicts on a regular basis.How can Wilson and Ben, the collectivistic duo, take the lead in managing these conflicts in the workplace? By adopting a linear, step-by-step perspective for managing conflict By using facts or principles as a basis for approaching conflict By using direct, confrontational methods By adopting more inclusive, relationship-based messages
By adopting more inclusive, relationship-based messages
Kelvin, Inc. was started by Sao Fang to produce the best quality products for meeting customer needs and demands. Mr. Fang executes business operations in a well-structured and strategic manner to help his company flourish in the market. His perceptual ability and determination make him strong in the face of numerous obstacles. He has good interpersonal skills, and maintains cordial relationships with his employees and partners. Under his supervision, Kelvin, Inc. has been running productively, and has succeeded in beating all its competition. How has Mr. Fang managed to become a successful entrepreneur? By displaying high dominance over his employees By displaying personal traits worthy of a good leader By accomplishing group goals at every level of the company By providing occasional breaks to his employees
By displaying personal traits worthy of a good leader
After four months as manager at Corium, Inc., Susan was guiding her team through a strategic planning process. But the new strategy overburdened many of the team members. Therefore, Rafael, a member of the team, approached Susan to discuss their difficulties. How can Susan achieve a higher level of employee satisfaction, and ensure that all the members contribute to the best outcomes? By seeing herself as no better or no worse than the other members By giving orders to the team By involving team members in making decisions By spending more time in doing productive work
By involving team members in making decisions
Jose, Kaya, Stephen, and Gerard are university students who share an apartment. For over a week, Jose's friend has been staying over at their apartment every night, which is disturbing his roommates' regular sleep timings. Due to this disruption, the other three tenants underperformed in their respective tests. The next day, they approached Jose to air their grievance and request he make some kind of compromise on his friend's visits during exams. How can Jose resolve their dispute? By separating the personal issues and strategically manipulating By valuing his roommates as persons and empathizing with their feelings By debating the reasons and responding with defensiveness By eliminating the negative and debating the reasons
By valuing his roommates as persons and empathizing with their feelings
_______ can be best described as sometimes being useful in group discussions, but also has the potential to interfere with the quality of the group's decision or productivity. Persuasion Seduction Agreement Conflict
Conflict
What is the process of inventing something that wasn't in existence before called? Affinity Innovation Brainstorming Creativity
Creativity
The sales team of Tarcam, Inc. has been tasked with coming up with a new and creative plan to exceed their competitor's sales figures. Since the four-member team is relatively new, no one is developing new ideas as they are wary of making themselves look bad in front of their new teammates. In such a scenario, which technique could help the team present its ideas and why? Electronic brainstorming as it ensures the anonymity of the contributing team member Eliminate two people from the group and hold the meeting with just a two members of the team Hold the meeting after several weeks when the team members are comfortable with each other Hold the meeting in a different location which has a large conference table and beautiful views out the window
Electronic brainstorming as it ensures the anonymity of the contributing team member
Which tool used for analyzing a problem clearly states it in terms of what the group wants more of or less of? Force-field analysis Fishbone diagram PROMOD technique Action chart
Force-field analysis
Wildcats Event Managers have to organize the second edition of their annual musical weekend, where they invite the upcoming bands from around the country to play. The first edition was a huge success generating a lot of revenue. This time they want to outdo the last event, and at the same time, reduce the cost involved in organizing it. The core team is planning to meet so that they can analyze the situation and come up with a plan of action. Which task should they take up in that meeting first, and why? Formulate criteria as they need to set the standards of their solution so that the team can work toward that acceptable solution Make an action chart so that they can clearly define who is doing what so that they can have a productive meeting Evaluate the team's problem-solving method for the previous year and decide whether to use the same method this year as well Generate several possible solutions so that the team can choose the best suggestion and save time
Formulate criteria as they need to set the standards of their solution so that the team can work toward that acceptable solution
Serena manages an eight-member team at Ponder, an in-store bakery. Serena's main challenge is to ensure her team produces quality products by satisfying customer demands. She is always open to new ideas, and ready to give responsibilities to the person who is best suited to them. Instead of appointing a specific person to lead the team, Serena focuses on the communicative skills of the group members so that they can participate more productively, and, in turn, maximize the group's effectiveness. Which leadership approach best describes Serena's actions? Transformational Trait Functional Situational
Functional
Which approach examines leadership as behaviors that may be performed by any group member to maximize group effectiveness? Trait perspective Transformational perspective Functional perspective Situational perspective
Functional perspective
What comprises the group goal and methods that help a group stay focused on its immediate objective? Group membership Group structure Group interaction Group cohesiveness
Group structure
Relative to authoritarian leaders, what was concluded from the study of graduate students who were trained in one of three different leadership styles? Groups with authoritarian leaders were less aggressive and functioned in a more orderly way. Groups with authoritarian leaders were more aggressive or apathetic. Groups with authoritarian leaders were better satisfied than laissez-faire groups. Groups with authoritarian leaders were better satisfied.
Groups with authoritarian leaders were more aggressive or apathetic.
In an internal meeting to reformulate an existing company policy, one manager presented a proposal. Since there was considerable pressure exerted by the board of directors to reach a quick agreement on this issue, every other manager readily agreed with that proposition. All the members even proceeded to point out their individual reasons as to why the implementation of the revised policy will be an improvement on the older version. In a succeeding meeting, an attending external expert pointed out that they have failed to approach the proposition analytically. This external viewpoint persuaded the managers to reconsider their perspectives on the revised policy. In light of the expert's suggestion, what can the managers try to overcome, and how? Consensus; by maximizing cohesiveness in order to minimize conflict Competition; by trying to win a conflict over one or more other people to maximize group effectiveness Avoidance; by attempting to ignore disagreements to maximize group harmony Groupthink; by encouraging creative conflict in their discussions to maximize group effectiveness.
Groupthink; by encouraging creative conflict in their discussions to maximize group effectiveness.
Wilson, the project manager, leads a team of five members. He always strives to change, uplift, and unify team goals. In addition, he is able to motivate the team to achieve challenging and shared objectives. He possesses personal traits such as idealized leadership, inspirational motivation, and intellectual stimulation. In this scenario, the lack of which personal trait prevents him from becoming a truly transformational leader? Team efficacy Social participation Knowledge sharing Individual consideration
Individual consideration
___________ includes four steps: (1) idea generation, (2) feasibility analysis, (3) reality testing, and (4) implementation. Innovation Brainstorming Brainwriting Affinity
Innovation
Viola noticed that when her team was called in to discuss how to reduce the overall attrition rate of their organization, even though the team members deliberated for a long time, they kept hopping from one proposal to another without any focus. They started looking for solutions without understanding or analyzing the problem, and jumped at the first hint of a tangible solution, even though it was not a feasible one. Furthermore, Moirés, the most outspoken member of the team, dominated the entire discussion. What does Viola need to do to avoid such a situation in the future, and why? Introduce tools for analyzing the problem as the team clearly missed that step of problem-solving Introduce ways of defining the problem as the team clearly missed that step of problem-solving Introduce more interaction as the team members clearly had no idea of each other's understandings and needed to interact more Introduce structure in the team so that discussions do not digress and the team follows proper problem-solving techniques
Introduce structure in the team so that discussions do not digress and the team follows proper problem-solving techniques
Naomi was heading a team that was helping a village, which had a widespread sleep-deprivation problem. Team members visited every house and gave free nutrition supplements to each resident to compensate for the deficiency of a variety of minerals in the body, and, thus, help the person sleep better. The team, however, failed to notice that there was a train track that ran through the village. The daily 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. trains were the actual reasons for the villagers not getting ample sleep. Which is the most effective tool the teacher should use to identify the actual problem? Average rating and ranking Is/is not analysis PROMOD technique SWOT analysis
Is/is not analysis
Which technique ensures that a group investigates the root problem, and not just something which is occurring because of the problem? Pareto charts Journalist's six questions Is/is not analysis SWOT analysis
Is/is not analysis
When does pseudo-conflict occur? It occurs when there are substantive differences about how to accomplish the group goals. It occurs when individuals actually agree, but because of poor communication, they disagree. It occurs when two people's goals or ideas are mutually exclusive or incompatible. It occurs when individuals become defensive about their positions because they think they are being personally attacked.
It occurs when individuals actually agree, but because of poor communication, they disagree.
To decide on the next product line, Quincy was using the ideal-solution format of question-oriented approach to problem solving with his team. After handing out the list of questions that the team needed to consider in chronological order, Eve started the discussion by addressing question number five first. Quincy, however, asked her to address the first four questions first. Which principle of the question-oriented approach application was Quincy following? Provide group members with the copy of the questions that will guide the discussion Agree to use a collaborative approach to solve the problem Keep the discussion focused on the specific question under consideration Explain why you are using the format you have selected
Keep the discussion focused on the specific question under consideration
The marketing team of Hanchloe, Inc. was trying to decide whether to go ahead with the new marketing campaign or not, as they received inputs that the campaign may be perceived as racist just one day before the campaign was about to go live. The team leader called an ad hoc emergency team meeting, and the team members deliberated for six hours, discussing the cost involved in the campaign, and whether they were targeting the right platforms to reach their target audience. But, they still could not reach a decision. Which barrier to group problem solving were they facing? Lack of information Lack of cultural sensitivity Lack of planning Lack of resources
Lack of planning
Which style of leaders sees themselves as no more or less influential than other group members? Democratic Laissez-faire Authoritarian Autocratic
Laissez-faire
To reduce animal cruelty, the city council hired a public relations team to run a campaign in schools about respecting animal rights. The campaign would target young children so that the respect for animal rights could be taught at an early age. When the PR team met to discuss their strategies, they were overwhelmed by the problem they had to address through their campaign. They were not sure whether to teach the children about animal abuse and their duty to raise objections against cruelty when it happens in the form of recreational hunting in neighborhoods, or unauthorized testing of drugs on animals, or destroying animals after one night in an animal shelter, among many other possible directions that the campaign could take. What should the team do first to begin to reach a solution? Discuss how to implement the solution Limit the problem Identify attitudes, beliefs and values Generate several solutions for the problem
Limit the problem
In a culturally diverse group, if there are only a few members of a particular ethnicity and they are constantly being dominated by the majority in discussions, their participation in discussions declines over time. The team leader needs to keep in mind which principle of group creativity to ensure each team member participates in discussions? Appropriately analyze and define the problem Listen to minority point of view Encourage people to see things and themselves as similar rather than as different Create a climate of effectively evaluating ideas
Listen to minority point of view
The members of the IT team of WordSmiths magazine needed a new cloud-based system, and they were looking at multiple providers. However, after looking at one highly recommended provider, they decided to hire server space from one of the highly regarded providers. They felt that they could not get a better deal than what they had already seen. Was the team's decision an effective one? Justify your answer. Yes, since the team had clearly identified its objective of hiring new server space. Yes, since the alternative selected probably had the maximum positive outcome. No, since the team did not consider multiple alternatives No, since the team did not clearly identify its goal and answer the question why it needed to hire new server space
No, since the team did not consider multiple alternatives
Despite his best efforts, Garrett's team members would inadvertently shoot down or cheer an idea during brainstorming sessions. This was leading to lesser participation of introvert team members while the extroverts were starting to dominate. Which technique can Garrett resort to? Nominal-group technique Pareto Chart analysis Tick-tock technique SWOTS analysis
Nominal-group technique
Which reflective thinking tool for defining a group problem uses the principle "The source of 80 percent of the problem comes from 20 percent of the incidents"? Pareto charts Journalist's six questions Is/is not analysis SWOT analysis
Pareto charts
The writing team of Wolf Studios could not agree upon the final scene of an upcoming episode of a TV series. The reason they couldn't agree was because Mackenzie, the pet of the team leader, dominated the entire meeting by pushing her ideas and refusing to acknowledge that others had good input. She also stopped others from making contributions to the meeting. Which barrier to group problem solving was this writing team facing? Cultural insensitivity Lack of resources Poor communication Lack of planning
Poor communication
Pauline runs a startup ad agency from a small, two-room office. She has a very efficient team, which usually comes up with brilliant ideas for her clients' ad films. Due to an increase in demand for her services, she hired ten more people to work in the same office. But, to her surprise, the creativity of the team, instead of getting a shot in the arm, declined. Which barrier to group creativity is her team facing? Stinking thinking Premature evaluation of ideas Poor physical surrounding Poor timing
Poor physical surrounding
During a brainstorming session with her team, Beth came up with an idea, which was not a good one. The team immediately shot down the idea and told her to stop coming up with such ideas that waste the team's time. Which barrier to group creativity was the team facing? Too many people Affinity syndrome Poor timing Premature evaluation of ideas
Premature evaluation of ideas
Which tension is a result of group members being unclear about group tasks and not feeling comfortable about freely expressing their opinions? Dialectical Primary Breakpoint Secondary
Primary
Which type of leadership behaviors maintain interpersonal relations in a group, and facilitate a climate satisfying to members and conducive to accomplishing the group's task? Servant leadership Task leadership Transactional leadership Process leadership
Process leadership
A small group of four people are discussing the rise in swine flu cases across the globe. Wayne believes the spread of swine flu can only be prevented by wearing specially designed masks. The other three members essentially agree with his view, but further add that if people cover their noses and mouths properly with scarves, the spread of the virus can be mitigated to a certain extent. Due to the misunderstanding among them, Wayne believes that the other three people are completely disregarding his opinion. This is an illustration of which type of conflict? Simple Ego Process Pseudo
Pseudo
During a particular brainstorming session, Jonathan used a specific technique on his team. He handed over a list of words, related the problem to one of the team members, and asked that person to call out words from that list at regular intervals during the brainstorming session. Which technique was Jonathan using? Tick-tock technique Random-word technique Nominal-group technique Affinity technique
Random-word technique
What is defined as a sequence of logical, rational steps that are based on the scientific method of defining, analyzing, and solving a problem? Pareto principle Force-field analysis Reflective thinking Collaborative discussion
Reflective thinking
One of the responsibilities of a group leader is to sit down with group members who have conflicts and try to resolve them so that it does not affect the groups' task. What type of activity, of the Multisequence model of group problem solving, does the group leader perform in such a scenario? Topical focus Dialectical Task-process Relational
Relational
To create a more racially tolerant environment among students, the teachers of Riverdale High came up with a solution. The school board was of the opinion that nothing needed to be done as the situation was not that bad. Meanwhile, racial tolerance was decreasing by the day in the school, leading to many conflicts. As the leader of the school, what should the principal do to eliminate this confusion? Justify your answer. Reverse brainstorm so that the implications of doing the opposite of the proposed solution could be assessed Eliminate poor timing and approach the board at a time when they are in a more receptive mood Approach only a few members of the board so that the factor of "too many people" does not act as a hindrance Present the board with a plan in a way that they do not prematurely evaluate the idea
Reverse brainstorm so that the implications of doing the opposite of the proposed solution could be assessed
If a group leader feels that the group members need to identify the key issues that influence the group so that it helps in defining their problem, which tool or technique would suit this need best? Group cohesiveness analysis XYZ Technique SWOT analysis PROMOD technique
SWOT analysis
Which type of conflict arises due to the mismatch between two people's goals or ideas? Process conflict Ego conflict Simple conflict Task conflict
Simple conflict
__________ is a factor which curbs the possibilities and creativity of an individual or a group, and is fueled by negative and discouraging attitudes of the people in the group or of the individual. Poor surroundings Stinking thinking Poor timing Premature analysis
Stinking thinking
The manager asked her team for a meeting to discuss their progress and ways to more quickly meet their deadlines. A few of the team members were unable to join the meeting until the halfway point. A few minutes later, the manager reviewed the discussion highlighting all the key points that had been made so far. Thus, the entire team became aware of the discussion and understood the intention behind it. In this scenario, which task-leadership behavior best describes the manager's action? Summarizing Coordinating Initiating Elaborating
Summarizing
Within the editorial department of a publishing company, employees were facing issues with management due to uncertainty in the leadership hierarchy. In such a situation, the leaders who like to exert their dominance were using their powers to advance their self-interest ahead of the group's goals. This scenario is best described by which type of leadership approach? Situational Trait Functional Transformational
Trait
Which type of perspective describes leadership as the personal attributes or qualities that leaders possess, but actually yields very little useful information? Situational perspective Functional perspective Transformational leadership Trait perspective
Trait perspective
A team consisting of five individuals is working on the advancement of the product line at Covina, Inc. to enhance its global appeal. The team is directed and guided by an expert who is able to motivate them to perform to their highest capabilities. The key functions performed by the expert are: making appropriate changes in the required fields, elevating team performance, and unifying the goals of the team members to achieve the best outcomes. Which type of leadership role is displayed by the expert? Transformational leadership Transactional leadership Process leadership Task leadership
Transformational leadership
When does process conflict occur? When one or more group members disagree about how the task could or should be accomplished When two people's goals or ideas are mutually exclusive or incompatible When one or more group members do not like, respect, or value another person When one or more group members disagree about how the task could or should start
When one or more group members disagree about how the task could or should be accomplished
The senior managers of Multicom, Inc. had to decide salary increases for the development team. Since they had a high-level understanding about the team members, they went ahead with the meeting during which they decided upon individual raises, even though the team leader, who dealt with the team on a daily basis, was on vacation. Were the senior managers facing any barriers to group problem solving? If so, which one? Yes; unsupportive social climate Yes; lack of resources Yes; wrong people present Yes; time pressure
Yes; wrong people present
During the ___________ phase, group members communicate primarily to get to know each other and to figure out how to approach the group goal. emergence conflict reinforcement orientation
orientation
When a group member takes someone else's idea presented while brainstorming and adds to it to enhance it, it is called brainsketching. rolestorming. piggybacking. free-scaling.
piggybacking.
By the time a group reaches the ________ phase, the group members have resolved all their conflicts and the group building process starts bearing fruit. reinforcement conflict orientation emergence
reinforcement
When roles in a group are compartmentalized and different members possess different information about the workings of the group, group members should __________ before they start deliberating about a decision that affects the entire group. share information implement the Pareto Principle complete a force-field analysis ask the journalist's six questions
share information
A decision taken by two-thirds of the members of a group or team is called decision by supermajority. majority. minority. consensus.
supermajority.