CH 1 : Small Groups as the Heart of Society

_____ groups always meet virtually.

Online support

Ad hoc committees are often called

task forces

An example of learning groups.

Cohorts

self-managed work teams (autonomous work groups) are

Groups of peers who manage their own work schedules and procedures within certain prescribed limits. They elect their own leader, who is a co-worker, not a supervisor or manager.

a disadvantage of small group work

If meeting time isn't used effectively, that waste can be very expensive.

Need for inclusion

It is an individual's need to belong and be acknowledged as a member of a group.

Need for control

It is an individual's need to feel competent and able to see his or her talents and abilities used to make a difference.

what is true about communication that is mediated via computers, telephones, and so forth?

It is socially and emotionally different from face-to-face communication.

an accurate statement about a standing committee.

Its membership is usually changed by election or appointment on a periodic basis.

In the context of ethical communication, which of the following is true of bad group members?

Members who are unable or unwilling to commit to a group.

true statement about task groups

They exist mainly to meet control needs.

Why do individuals willingly give up some freedom to be members of primary groups?

To avoid feelings of loneliness

Development and maintenance of identity

_____ are important functions that only groups can provide for individuals.

A group is a good choice for problem solving when _____.

a thorough investigative research is needed

Geographically distributed multinational groups _____.

always meet virtually

Professionally, the higher an individual moves in any organization, the _____.

individual will need to know how to behave in ways that are appropriate and helpful to the groups in the organization

Kevin is the leader of his group. However, he acts as a coordinator and not a boss. Kevin is the leader of a _____.

self-managed work team

an example of organizational groups

Committees

_____ among members is the essential feature of a group, regardless of the group's size or purpose.

Communication

a reason for most humans to belong to small groups

Humans are social beings with powerful genetic needs to belong to small groups.

According to Steven Beebe and John Masterson, the characteristics of teams????

Team rules are explicitly defined. Team member responsibilities are clearly spelled out.

Jennifer is the senior associate consultant in an international organization. For a recent global project, her team members have been sent to different countries to collect data. Separated by distance and time zones, Jennifer finds it hard to meet all her team members at the same place and listen to their reports. Identify the form of technology that is the best option for Jennifer and her team members to meet at the same time and discuss their project.

Teleconferencing and applications such as Skype

Keith is a member of a standing committee. He is responsible for recruiting new members and for screening the applicants' qualifications. Identify a true statement about Keith's standing committee.

The committee continues indefinitely.

According to Wil Schutz, what are motivations for human interaction?

The need for inclusion The need for openness The need for control

True or false: Improving group problem solving requires not only focusing on the rational side of human behavior but also knowing something about human feelings and behavior.

True

Identify when a group is a good choice for problem solving.

When group members can help each other correct one another's misinformation

Michelle is an editor for a firm. She and her team members have to work collaboratively and track the changes made on documents. Even though her team members live in the same city, most of them prefer to work from home. In this scenario, what form of technology is best suited for Michelle and her team?

Wikis and applications

lone wolf

a member who prefers to work alone because he sees others as less capable and effective. Ethics are the "rules or standards for right conduct or practice," or what is considered appropriate behavior in certain contexts.

standing committee is

a permanent committee, continues indefinitely.

Ad hoc committees are

created to perform one special assignment and then go out of existence.

secondary group

exist mainly to meet control needs.

support group

exist to help members understand and address personal issues or problems.

True or false: Lone wolves are those who follow and propagate what is considered appropriate behavior in different contexts.

false

True or false: Groups are purely either primary or secondary in their functioning.

false. No group is purely primary or secondary in its functioning

True or false: A committee is always empowered to select a plan, execute it, and make recommendations.

false. Occasionally, a special committee is empowered both to select a plan and to execute it, though in most cases problem-solving committees do not go beyond making recommendations. Instead, they are usually advisory, reporting to an executive or a board that has final authority and responsibility for deciding.

The first group that an individual encounters, which forms the foundation for other groups that follow, is the individual's _____.

family

Primary groups are

formed to meet the first two types of needs, inclusion, and openness. families, friendship groups, cliques, and sororities and fraternities

The participant-observer perspective is especially important for the _____.

group leaders

Individuals can be far more effective than groups in solving problems when _____.

group members have personality, procedural, or social problems

learning group

help members understand or control events in their lives and the world around them.

Communication

is the transactional process in which people simultaneously create, interpret, and negotiate shared meaning through their interaction.

Communication that is mediated, via computers, telephones, and so forth, is thought to _____.

lack social presence

George, Eric, and Donna met at a book fair and spontaneously became a small group. They started meeting every week to discuss their lives and spend quality time with each other. The primary group created by George, Eric, and Donna _____.

meets their interpersonal needs for inclusion and openness

small group communication

members of small groups simultaneously send and receive verbal and nonverbal messages—words, facial expressions, and so forth—to and from one another.

Groups can be far more effective than individuals at solving problems when _____.

no one person has all the information needed to solve a problem, but each member has some needed information

In group processes, it is unethical for members _____.

not to correct each other's misinformation and faulty reasoning

Marvin Shaw, an early small group theorist, defines a group as _____.

persons who are interacting with one another in such a manner that each person influences and is influenced by each other person

John, Sam, and Jack are drinking buddies. Every Friday night, they meet for a dinner. When they meet, apart from having a good time, they share their stories, try to avoid the feelings of loneliness, and acknowledge each other's ideas. The group formed by John, Sam, and Jack is a _____.

primary group

Organizational groups

problem-solving groups formed within the context of a larger organization.

Ron, Henry, Mike, and Sally work as a team on environmental issues. Recently, they started a project to combat global warming in their region. The group primarily meets to discuss the aim of their project and the measures to be taken to control global warming in their region. The group formed by Ron, Henry, Mike and Sally is a _____.

secondary group (task group)

Simone, Ben, Kelly, Mike, and Hassan are a group of peers. All members are highly trained and cross-trained. Each member is able to perform several tasks for the team. They manage their own schedules and procedures within certain prescribed limits. This scenario illustrates a _____.

self-managed work team

In the context of problem solving, groups tend to do much better than individuals when _____.

several alternative solutions exist, none of which is known to be superior

Eva, Smith, Betty, and Dan work as a single unit in which they perceive each other and are aware of each other as individuals when they interact. This scenario illustrates a _____.

small group

participant observer is

someone who is a regular member of the group and, at the same time, actively keeps an eye on the group and adapts to its processes and procedures.

Raul works for a local organization. His organization decides to create a permanent committee. When Bill is made a member of this committee, he has to follow the purpose and act in the area of freedom set by the organization. Bill is a member of a(n) _____.

standing committee

Frank is a member of a ten-person group. He meets weekly with the group to help members understand and address their personal issues or problems. Sometimes they refer to their group as a therapy or personal growth group. In this scenario, Frank and his group members are part of a _____ group.

support

Ethics

the "rules or standards for right conduct or practice."

Group problem solving is effective when _____.

the group members express themselves

Problem solving is more suitable for an individual than a group when _____.

there is a best solution, and a recognized expert is most qualified to determine that solution

committee

type of the secondary group that performs a specific service for an organization and is usually of two types: standing and ad hoc.

Effective small group work cannot be left to chance because _____.

when individuals come together, particularly from differing backgrounds, teamwork doesn't just happen

Wikis and applications similar to Dropbox allow group members to _____.

work collaboratively on documents and to track changes made by each member