MGT 360 EXAM 2

Minority and majority influence :

Direct influence: when they entice other team members to adopt their position. Indirect influence: when people in the majority privately agree with the minority

Message distortion

How a message is perceived and how it is taken

Pyschological explanations for group polarization:

The need to be right -information dependence -information influence The need to be liked -normative influence conformity pressure

Information dependence problem

The term describing the fact that team members are dependent on one another for information

(7) Regarding ways to avoid groupthink, what is the goal of using the risk technique? a. It allows groups to adopt different perspectives in order to create a mechanism that will instigate thinking more carefully about problems. b. It creates an atmosphere in which team members can express doubts and raise criticisms without fear of rejection or team hostility. c. It allows team members to assume the perspective of other constituencies with a stake in the decision. d. It gives teams an opportunity to identify a second solution as an alternative to their first choice.

a

(7) The confirmation bias is best described as the tendency for people to: a. seek and consider evidence that supports their preferred hypothesis, and discount or ignore information that refutes their beliefs. b. want others to agree with them because of their need to be liked. c. not want to act as a devil's advocate in a group, even though it would help the group. d. put unwarranted confidence in their decisions.

a

(7) in terms of creating conditions that encourage ethical decision making in organizations, all of the following are valid EXCEPT: a. rewarding people based upon their bottom line profitability. b. making people accountable for their behavior. c. having appropriate organizational role models. d. eliminating conflicts of interest.

a

(7)Research has found that instigating and upholding task-oriented conflicts in the decision-making process can be a strategy to counteract biased information seeking. One conflict-stimulating procedure involves assigning a counterargument role to a group member. When consensus on a particular decision solution has emerged, the contrary employee tries to identify all weaknesses inherent in it. The group must then react to this criticism, and see if the arguments put forth can be invalidated. This procedure is an example of what type of dissent? a. Escalation of commitment b. Abilene paradox c. Devil's advocate procedure d. Confirmation bias

a

(8) Which of the following is the best example of a task-content conflict? a. Laura and Thomas spend 20 minutes arguing over who will ship boxes to an event location. b. Darren and Victor have a difficult time agreeing on how to allocate the scope of work to their different team members. c. Heather and Keith disagree about what the ultimate goal of their task-force should be. d. Amanda and Tammy disagree on the sequence of steps to complete a task.

a

Group to individual transfer

a phenomenon where individual group members become more accurate during group interaction

Structural Determinants

a project can itself become institutionalized, removing it from critical evaluation

Transactive Memory System (TMS)

a shared system for attending to, encoding, storing, processing and retrieving

(6)The uneven communication problem is the fact that: a. our verbal communication skills are not as consistent as we think they are. b. in most groups, a minority of people do a majority of the talking. c. different people emerge as the dominant people in teams across time. d. people are less direct in their communication, but direct speech acts would increase accuracy.

b

(7) Which of the following is NOT a behavioral consequence of decision fatigue: a. spending more money. b. making more accurate decisions. c. making harsh decisions. d. avoiding decision-making altogether.

b

(7.)Individually, Hailey, Rob, and Dennis all believe a certain defendant is probably guilty and should be sentenced to prison. When they meet as a group and discuss their decisions, their beliefs to voting guilty get even stronger and become more committed to sending the defendant to prison. This is referred to as: a. groupthink. b. group polarization. c. the Abilene paradox. d. an escalation of commitment.

b

(8) Greater amounts of relationship conflict in a team are associated with lower levels of __________, and negatively associated with __________. a. social loafing; team power b. performance; team effectiveness c. education; cognitive functioning d. compliance; financial stability

b

Compliance

(early and direct adoption of a position); when people change their attitudes and behaviors as a result of direct influence or pressure

conversion

(pricate acceptance); when people change their attitudes and behaviors as a result of their won thinking about a subject

Three points of possible error regarding the transmission and receipt of a message

- the sender may fail to send a message -the message may be sent but it is inaccurate or distorted

A hidden profile

-A superior decision alt. -hidden from group members bc each member only has a portion of the information supporting

Drawbacks of group decision making in demonstrable tasks

-Groups are much more likely to succumb to the overconfidence bias, regardless of their actual accuracy -Groups are more likely to exacerbate some shortcomings displayed by individuals

Three types of inferences may be distinguished:

-Individual (as generated by a single team member) -shared (as generated by the group, who all possess the information) -collaborative (new information that can be inferred from individual members' information)

the ration model of group decision making:

-ORIENTING: Define the problems, set goals, plan the process, gather information -PLANNING: evaluate alternatives, interpret and exchange information,create and identify alternative courses of action -DECISION MAKING: choose among alt. by integrating different perspectives and opinions of team members, choose a solution -IMPLEMENTATION: adhere to solution -EVALUATION: monitor consequences, seek feedback

Knowledge becomes a strategic resource when leaders engage in:

-Proactive scanning (mindful and rich search efforts) -Knowledge adaptation (clever, improvisational solutions to problems) -Knowledge augmentation (challenging, changing and expanding knowledge)

The common information effect can be substantially reduced when leaders and teams actively use the following strategies :

-Redirect and maintain discussion focus on unshared information -communicate confidence -rank rather than choose - team reflexivity -approach the task as a problem to be solved, not a judgement -make team aware of information likely to be possessed by different individuals -build trust and familiarity among team members -use virtual teaming -minimize status differences - suspend initial judgement -consider decision alternatives one at a time

Types of conflict and work team effectiveness

-Relationship conflict can interfere with the mental effort and performance of team members, and can be detrimental to job satisfaction -benefits of trust formation within a group -Increased team conflict can lead to inefficient team restructuring -A team in conflict has lower levels of intergroup trust, which can lead to reductions in individual autonomy and fewer task interdependencies.

There are six key causes of self-limiting behavior in teams :

-The presence of someone with expertise -The presentation of a compelling argument -Lack of confidence in one's ability to contribute -Group sees decision as unimportant or meaningless -Pressure from others to conform to team's decision -A dysfunctional decision making climate

The overall objectives of these group decision rules:

-To find the alternative that the greatest number of team members prefer -To find the alternative the fewest members object to -Select the choice that maximizes team welfare

Abilene Paradox

-a form of pluralistic ignorance in which group members adopt a position because they feel other members desire it -team members don't challenge one another because they want to avoid conflict or achieve consensus

Self-limiting behavior

-a person's reluctance to air or defend their viewpoints -can lead to problems like the Abilene Paradox

Demonstrable task

-a task that has an obvious, correct answer

Relationship conflict

-a-type of conflict, emotional conflict, or affective conflict -involve disagreement based on personal or social issues -personal, defensive and resentful

Strategies for remedying or preventing unethical decision making:

-accountability for behavior -contemplation -eliminate conflicts of interest -create cultures of integrity -future self-orientation

Two keys consideration in terms of mental models that have about their actual work:

-accuracy of the model -degree of correspondence between member mental model

Task Conflict

-c type conflict, cognitive conflict -involve disagreements about the work being done

Team Mental model

-common understand that members of group share about how something works -develop though the process of team members sharing their specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities

Strategies for how to avoid the Abilene Paradox :

-confront the issue in a team setting -conduct a private vote -minimize status differences -utilize the scientific method -provide a formal forum for controversial views -take responsibility for failure

The following are lapses in behavior that often accompany Groupthink and thwart rational decision making:

-incomplete survey of alternatives -incomplete survey of objectives -failure to reexamine alternatives -failure to examine preferred choices -selection bias -poor information search -failure to create contingency plan

Strategies that do not work for reducing the common information effect :

-increasing the amount of time spent in discussion -separating review and decisions -increasing the size of the team -increasing information load -accountability -prediscussion polling

the need to be righ

-information dependence -informational influence

TMS is combation of what two things

-knowledge possessed by particular team members -awareness of who on the team knows what

Team learning

-learning from the environment -learning from newcomers and rotators -learning from vicarious vs in vivo experience -learning threat, change and failure

The type of conflict behavior (constructive versus destructive) in a team depends on :

-level of team power -likelihood that power determines success or failure for the team

how to avoid groupthink

-monitor team size -provide a face-saving mechanism for teams -risk technique -invite different perspectives -appoint a devil's advocate -structure discussion principles -establish procedures for protecting alternative viewpoints -identify a second solution alternative -beware of time pressure

Three key symptoms of groupthink:

-overestimation of the group -closed-mindedness -pressures toward uniformity

conditions for unethical behaviors

-rational expectations model -false consensus -vicarious licensing -desensitization

Collaborative problem solving

-requires that groups generate new information -make inferences that no individual group member could have inferred

In order to avoid the escalation of commitment to a losing course of action, best suggestions include:

-set limits -avoid the bystander effect -avoid tunnel vision -recognize sunk cost -avoid bad mood -external review of decision

Recommendations for team development - maximizing team performance through a TMS :

-work planning -optimizing human resource -monitoring stress and pressure -teams that will work together should train together -planning for turnover

(7) Key symptoms of groupthink take root and blossom in groups that succumb to the pressures of reaching unanimity. Which of the following is one of those symptoms? a. Members of the group regard themselves as invulnerable, morally correct, and exempt from organizational standards. b. The group's process of creating ideas and reaching decisions is balanced, and out-group member opinions are respected. c. There is a diversity of opinions within the group. d. Group members constantly discuss their reservations about the group's controversial viewpoint.

?

(7) a situational example of the false consensus effect is: a. Mitch has a tendency to overestimate the degree to which others share his views on ethical matters. b. Rachael has seen so many of her coworkers behave rudely to customers that she is no longer shocked by it. c. Carlos is more likely to express his prejudiced attitudes in his office, even though his coworkers' past behavior has established a non-prejudiced workplace. d. Jess feels that it is acceptable to participate in slightly unethical behavior if it could help her be more successful in her career.

A

Rational Expectations models

Also know as ration man model. People are fundamentally motivated to maximize their own utility.

(6) When a team consists of members who come from different functional areas, with different areas of expertise, different information, different priorities, and different perceptions of problems and opportunities, the __________ is exacerbated. a. saying is believing effect b. information dependence problem c. uneven communication problem d. indirect speech acts effect

B

(6) Transactive Memory Systems are the ways in which teams encode, store, and retrieve critical information necessary for doing their work. Of the following, select the best situational example of a Transactive Memory System: a. Melissa keeps track of all her own work files by an elaborate cross-referencing system. b. Thomas secretly stashes away all of the new business leads, so that he can follow up with them himself. c. Kaitlyn keeps records on customer satisfaction reviews, and Kaitlyn keeps records on product reliability, but neither are aware of this. d. Jessica has considerable experience in product engineering and Nathan has a background in product parts sourcing, and they are able to remember more about a new client because each knows the other's skill set.

C

(6)A team mental model is a common understanding that members of a team share about how something works. For example, a team might have a common understanding of how to assemble a computer. All of the following are TRUE about team mental models EXCEPT: a. they may be assessed in terms of how accurate they are. b. they may be assessed in terms of how much correspondence (agreement) there is among team members' mental models. c. they are developed instantly, naturally, and are immediately compatible. d. teams may have mental models about physical systems as well as social systems (such as how their group works).

C

(6)Message recipients often hear what they want to hear when receiving messages, and interpret the neutral facts about a topic in a way that is favorable toward their own opinions or position. This communication bias is known as: a. message distortion. b. indirect speech acts. c. biased interpretation. d. saying is believing.

C

(6)The illusion of transparency refers to what belief? a. The faulty belief that our thoughts and attitudes are more visible (transparent) than is actually the case. b. The faulty belief that we are more ethical and honest than we really are. c. The faulty belief that we can read others' minds. d. The faulty belief that our behaviors are in greater alignment with our attitudes than is actually the case.

C

Team longevity : Routinization versus Innovation trade-offs

Certain behavioral changes occur in teams that have worked together for more than five years -behavioral stability -selective exposure -group homogeneity -role differentiation The overly-routinized team hinders communication and obstructs innovation May be desirable to design teams whose primary objective is to act as innovation experts for the creation and transfer of the organization's best practices

Changing attitudes and behavior as a result of influence or pressure :

Compliance Conversion sleeper effect

(6) A team with a high adaptive capacity brings what capability to their organization? a. knowledge capacity b. ability to change or shift their strategy in the face of change c. team's capacity to assimilate new knowledge d. team's capacity to apply new information and knowledge

D

(6) An effective way to remedy the common information effect is to: a. consider the decision alternatives one at a time. b. increase the time needed for discussion. c. increase the size of the team. d. engage in pre-discussion polling.

D

(6)The common information effect is best described as the tendency for groups to: a. spend too long attempting to reach consensus on a problem. b. consider and implement solutions that other groups have used rather than experiment with novel solutions. c. want to delay making important decisions, even when they have all of the relevant information necessary to make a decision. d. discuss and consider information that they all have in common more than unique information (that only one person in the group may be aware of).

D

(7)The two psychological explanations for group polarization are: informational influence and normative influence. Informational influence is best described as the need __________; normative influence is best described as the need __________. a. to have power (influence) over others; to fit in with the group b. for cognition; for emotion c. to be right (accurate); to be liked (accepted) d. to be liked (accepted); to be right (accurate)

c

Team Communication

communication among team members is subject to biases that afflict even those with the best of intentions

Cross-functional teams

composed of people from multiple disciplines, functions, and divisions who have different areas of expertise. -The performance advantages of these teams are often not realized because the team experiences conflict

(7)Which situation best illustrates the escalation of commitment? a. A marketing manager fails to state the disadvantages of a product, and only states the positive benefits of that product. b. A marketing manager does not give credit to a team member whose idea was instrumental for the product development. c. A marketing manager makes decisions using a majority voting technique, and does not listen to the minority viewpoint. d. A marketing manager continues to promote a specific brand, despite clear evidence that the brand is losing market share to competitors.

d

(8) A team that has a large representational gap has: a. inconsistent views and mental models about the definitions of the team's problem or task. b. success in enticing other team members to adopt their position. c. a majority of members who privately agree with the minority. d. disagreements about how to approach a task and who should do what.

d

Process conflict

disagreements center on task strategy and delegation of duties and resources

Information redundancy

how equally distributed specific information is among decision makers

common information effect

how much a given fact influence a group decision is not the fact itself, but how many people happen to be aware of this fact prior to a group discussion

messing tuning

how senders tailor messages for specific recipients -example: people give longer and more elaborate street directions and instructions to people whom they presume to nonnatives or unfamiliar to the city

representational gaps

inconsistent views in the way people define or approach a problem. -greater the representational gaps, the more teams disagree about a task

decision fatigue bias

making decision, especially complex organizational decisions, requires a great deal of mental resources

Mental models

mental representations of the world that allow people to predict, understand and solve problems in a given situation

Social Determinants

most people want others to approve of them, accept them and respect the.

need to be like

normative influence

Saying is believing(SIB)

occurs when a speaker tunes a message to suit an audience and, in the course of tuning the message, the speaker's subsequent memories and impression about the topic change

Proportional conflict

occurs when team members have different ideas about the amount and type of conflict that exists within their group

Groupthink

occurs when team members place decision consensus above all other decision priorities

vicarious licensing

people are more likely to express prejudiced and immoral attitudes when their group members' past behavior has established non-prejudiced credentials

perspective-taking failures

people are remarkably poor at taking the perspective of others, -example: people who are privy to information and knowledge that they know others are not aware of still acts as if others are aware of it

Absorptive capacity

person's ability to: -transform new knowledge into use-able knowledge -adapt their strategy in the face of change and upheaval

Biased interpretation

recipients often hear what they want to hear when receiving messages.

Team power

refers to the control of resources that enables a team to influence others in the organization

Perceptual conflict

refers to the extent to which there is team agreement (or not) surrounding perceived conflict

Types of distinct conflict

relationship, task, process

Risky Shift vs Cautious Shift

risky-occurs when a group collectively agrees on a course of action that is more extreme than they would have made if asked individually Cautious-a shift in both choice and approach when making decisions as a group

Tacit Corrdination

synchronization of members' actions based on assumption about what others on the team are likely to do

Illusion of transparency

that people find it impossible to put themselves in the position

Psychological determinants

the cognitive and motivational facts that propel people to continue with a chosen course of action

uneven communication problem

the fact that in virtually any group handful of people do the majority of the talking

Project Determinants

the objective features of the situation.

conformity pressure

the press you feel when you feel the need to conform with others/a group

Group polarization

the tendency for group discussion to intensify group opinion, thus producing more extreme judgments that might be obtained by pooling individual's views separately

false consensus

the tendency for people to believe that others shared their own views, when the fact they do not.

Confirmation bias

the tendency for people to consider evidence that supports their, hypothesis, or desires and disregard or discount evidence that refutes their beliefs

Overconfidence bias

the tendency for people to place unwarranted confidence in their judgements

indirect speech acts

the ways in which people ask others to do things

Framing Bias

when give the identical problem with the same options worded in terms of "deaths," the majority of respondents choose the risky course of actions.

desensitization

when someone first crosses the line of appropriate behavior, that person may experience a range of negative feelings and emotions