OB Chapter 8

During a group meeting, Nadia comments, _____. She is performing a maintenance role. A. "What is the real issue here? We don't seem to be going anywhere." B. "Let's accept and praise the various points of view." C. "We can do this. We've met difficult goals before." D. "Last week we decided to table this agenda item. Are we ready to address it again?" E. "A goal of 150 per week sounds reasonable."

B

Phil is part of a newly formed work group. He has been introduced to all the group members, but he still feels like he cannot trust them. The group has not yet chosen a leader, and Phil feels unsure about his exact role within the group. According to Tuckman's five-stage model of group development, which of the following stages is Phil's group currently in? A. norming B. forming C. storming D. performing E. adjourning

B

Recent research shows that in the forming and storming stages of team development, teams perform better when members exhibit which of the following personality traits? A. low level of openness B. high tolerance for uncertainty C. high level of extraversion D. low tolerance for uncertainty E. low level of agreeableness

B

The ______ keeps the group headed toward its stated goals. A. evaluator B. orienter C. compromiser D. encourager E. coordinator

B

Teams are task groups that have matured to the _____ stage. A. forming B. storming C. norming D. performing E. adjourning

D

Group members tend to be uncertain and anxious about such unknowns as their roles, the people in charge, and the group's goals during the _____ stage. A. forming B. storming C. norming D. performing E. conforming

A

Groups transform individuals into functioning organizational members communicating and enforcing ______ expectations. A. role B. identity C. formal D. behavioral E. competency

A

Harriet is an active member of the large Freshman Orientation board. There are five separate teams on this board, and they all want Harriet as a member because she is good at keeping the team on track. Which of the following behaviors does Harriet exhibit? A. She helps plan and organize work; monitors progress; and provides constructive feedback. B. She communicates effectively, listens to teammates, and accepts feedback. C. She expects the team to succeed and cares that they produce high quality work. D. She possesses the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to contribute meaningfully to the team. E. She submits complete and accurate work.

A

Jeff says _____. He is performing a task role. A. "What are we trying to accomplish and how fast can we do it?" B. "Let's hear from those who oppose this plan." C. "You two agree more than you realize." D. "Bill, we haven't heard from you yet. What do you think?" E. "Karen, you make a very good point."

A

Linda wants to leave her company. No one ever seems to do what they say they will do. In addition, her manager's expectations seem to change from one day to the next. Linda is missing A. contractual trust. B. trust of the disclosure. C. trust of capability. D. trust of expertise. E. trust of justice.

A

Meghan is a member of a group that raises money for a homeless shelter. She feels that the group spends too much time arguing the merits of different fundraisers and needs to make a decision. She calls for a vote at today's meeting. Meghan has taken on the role of A. energizer. B. evaluator. C. elaborator. D. initiator. E. recorder.

A

Norman is elected president of the debate club. He is known as a team player. That means that Norman is A. committed, collaborative, and competent. B. committed, controlled, and collaborative. C. controlled, capable, and content. D. committed, capable, and competent. E. committed, capable, and consistent.

A

Which of the following is not a benefit of virtual teams? A. easier to establish team cohesion B. reduced real estate costs C. reduced work-life conflicts for employees D. improved brainstorming E. ability to share knowledge of diverse markets

A

Which of the following is not a characteristic of high-performing teams? A. focusing on group dynamics B. shared responsibility C. having a common purpose D. open, honest communication E. rapid response

A

Which of the following is not a group maintenance role? A. someone who clarifies pertinent values B. someone who mediates conflict through reconciliation or humor C. someone who serves as a passive audience D. someone who evaluates the quality of group processes E. someone who helps resolve conflict by meeting others halfway

A

Which of the following is not a task role? A. encourager B. energizer C. recorder D. elaborator E. information seeker/giver

A

Which of the following statements about groups is not true? A. People who do not conform to group roles are given high status by the group. B. People often play multiple roles in their lives. C. Both task and maintenance roles are important to group effectiveness. D. Leaders can help groups function effectively by stepping in to perform roles the group has not undertaken on its own. E. Individuals frequently play more than one role in a group.

A

Which of the following statements is not true about group development? A. Tuckman's theory of group development stages has been strongly supported by empirical testing. B. All the stages of group development are not necessarily of the same duration. C. Effective groups and teams go through a maturation process. D. All the stages of group development are not necessarily of the same intensity. E. The storming stage may be particularly long, depending on the goal clarity and commitment and maturity of members.

A

A person in the ______ role will encourage all group members to participate. A. compromiser B. gatekeeper C. commentator D. encourager E. harmonizer

B

Communication trust is A. trust of character. B. trust of disclosure. C. trust of capability. D. trust of expertise. E. trust of justice.

B

Formal groups perform two basic functions: __________ and __________. A. personal; interpersonal B. organizational; individual C. task; maintenance D. roles; norms E. forming; adjourning

B

Pietro is assigned to a team in his environmental science class. He is not comfortable with Sam, the team leader, but is not completely sure why. Which of the following behaviors would not build trust? A. if Sam demonstrates professionalism B. if Sam keeps information to himself C. if Sam is available and approachable D. if Sam gives credit and recognition to team members E. if Sam acts consistently

B

Which of the following is an individual function of a group? A. coordinate interdepartmental efforts B. satisfy the person's need for affiliation. C. implement complex decisions D. socialize newcomers E. accomplish complex, interdependent tasks

B

Which of the following statements about norms is not true? A. Norms are shared phenomena and may apply to the group, team, or organizational level. B. Norms are typically written down and discussed openly by groups. C. Norms clarify behavioral expectations. D. Norms help group members avoid being embarrassed. E. Norms clarify central values and the unique identity of a group.

B

Which of the following statements is true about Tuckman's five-stage model of group development? A. Tuckman's five-stage model of group development has limited practical application. B. The five stages are not necessarily of the same duration or intensity. C. The five stages of group development represent the punctuated equilibrium model. D. The five stages model establishes periods of stable functioning until an event causes a dramatic change in norms, roles, and/or objectives. E. The five stage model includes forming, storming, elaborating, evaluating and energizing.

B

Which three roles are especially important to groups? A. energizer, harmonizer, gatekeeper B. initiator, orienter, energizer C. coordinator, procedural technician, gatekeeper D. compromiser, commentator, evaluator E. opinion seeker/giver, standard setter, initiator

B

XYZ Inc. brings together specialists from production, marketing, and finance from around the world, and gives each such team the power to make its own decisions. This implies that the firm is creating a(n) _____ team. A. centralized B. cross-functional C. authoritarian D. dependent E. parallel

B

_____ are deliberate plans that outline exactly what the team is to do, such as goal setting and defining roles. A. Charters B. Team performance strategies. C. Team adaptations D. Strategic plans E. Agendas

B

A feeling of team spirit is sometimes experienced during the _______ stage because members believe they have found their proper roles. Group cohesiveness, defined as the "we feeling" that binds members of a group together, is the principal by-product of Stage 3. A. forming B. storming C. norming D. conforming

C

A person who clarifies key issues for a group has taken on the role of A. evaluator. B. initiator. C. information seeker/giver. D. elaborator. E. orienter.

C

A(n) _______ helps guide behavior as well as avoid and overcome conflict. A. strategic plan B. agenda C. charter D. contract E. norm

C

In which stage of the group development process do group members resolve their power struggles so that something can be accomplished? A. forming B. storming C. norming D. conforming E. performing

C

Lana is frustrated with her OB project group. She frequently asks: "What's the problem with our group? We don't seem to be getting anywhere." This is a(n) ____ function. A. peripheral B. informal C. task D. maintenance E. formal

C

Michele is a freelancer who works with a publishing company on an editorial team. She resides in Connecticut, while the company is based in Illinois. Michele attends team meetings via Skype and is in constant email contact. This is an example of a(n) ____ team. A. internet B. intranet C. virtual D. cross-functional E. self-managing

C

Sean is questioning his team's effectiveness. He asks himself "Is the group performing less than, equal to, or greater than the sum of its parts?" Once he thinks this through, he recognizes that two people are not contributing at all. What can be done to guard against social loafing? A. Use hybrid rewards. B. Assure equity of effort among group members. C. Increase group size. D. Hold both individuals and the group accountable. E. Hold individuals accountable.

C

Teams with high levels of ______ and ______ deal with task conflict better than those without these characteristics. A. extraversion; need for power B. need for power; agreeableness C. openness; emotional stability D. need for affiliation; openness E. need for achievement; extraversion

C

Tracy has been part of a work group for some weeks now. She has slowly become well-acquainted with the other members and even made some new friends. Although in the beginning there were a few arguments and fights, they were resolved with time and Tracy feels a definite sense of team spirit that gets her excited about work. According to Tuckman's five-stage model of group development, which of the following stages is Tracy's group experiencing? A. norming B. storming C. performing D. adjourning E. forming

C

Veronica just accepted a job at QuizBiz. She left a large company that offered big bonuses for salespersons who exceeded their quotas. At QuizBiz, the individual bonuses are smaller, but there are team rewards as well. This is known as a _____ reward system. A. team B. project C. hybrid D. distributive E. discretionar

C

What has been shown by research to reduce social loafing? A. providing group rewards B. allowing groups to choose their own members C. providing hybrid rewards D. choosing group membership based on personality type E. using an autocratic leadership style

C

______ groups are assigned by organizations or managers, while _______ groups form when the members' purpose of getting together is friendship or a common interest. A. Organizational; individual B. Departmental; divisional C. Formal; informal D. Focus; interest E. Task; maintenance

C

______ is a reciprocal belief that another person will consider how their intentions and behaviors will affect you. A. Justice B. Ethics C. Trust D. Integrity E. Compassion

C

A ________ is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable. A. formal group B. informal group C. mature group D. team E. virtual team

D

The team is generating a lot of ideas on how to approach the management case study problem. Everyone seems to have a plan. Joe stands up and says, "I will make a list on the board of all of our ideas." Joe is acting as A. orienter. B. energizer. C. elaborator. D. coordinator. E. recorder.

D

Which of the following is an organizational function of a group? A. fulfill the need for affiliation B. reduce anxieties C. build self-esteem D. coordinate interdepartmental efforts E. provide an opportunity to test perceptions of social reality

D

________ are powerful forms of social control that influence group and member behavior. A. Group and team cohesiveness B. Common identities C. Outcomes D. Group roles and norms E. Cross-functional rules

D

A commentator will record and comment on group processes/dynamics, while a(n) _____ will evaluate the quality of group processes. A. orienter B. evaluator C. encourager D. compromiser E. standard setter

E

As part of a workgroup, Bob's main job is to resolve conflicts between other group members. Whenever there is an argument, he tries to figure out a solution that benefits both parties, or he quickly defuses the tension with some jokes. Which of the following roles is Bob performing within his workgroup? A. coordinator B. orienter C. evaluator D. energizer E. harmonizer

E

Carol takes over as CEO of Sandstorm Jeans, a company on the verge of bankruptcy. She institutes radical changes and eliminates 35 percent of the positions. Even after this, the remaining employees resist her ideas. This represents the ____ stage; it is a time of testing. A. norming B. conforming C. forming D. performing E. storming

E

During group meetings, Patty feels that everyone should have their say whenever the group makes an important decision. She makes sure that every group member gets the chance to put forth his or her own ideas during the meeting. Which of the following maintenance roles is Patty performing? A. harmonizer B. encourage C. compromiser D. standard setter E. gatekeeper

E

In a self-managed team A. management retains the planning, scheduling, and monitoring activities, but allows teams to staff themselves. B. leadership is centralized. C. there is no accountability. D. managers are entirely absent from team processes. E. leadership responsibilities often shift as members step up.

E

Kelly is a member of the community service group of her sorority. Traditionally, they pick a charity and run one fundraiser. Kelly suggests a new approach. In addition to the charity work, she wants to establish a new goal—that the members mentor inner-city children. Kelly is acting as A. energizer. B. coordinator. C. procedural technician. D. information seeker. E. initiator.

E

The ____ stage is often characterized by a climate of open communication, strong cooperation, and lots of helping behavior. Cohesiveness and personal commitment to group goals help the group achieve more than could any one individual acting alone A. forming B. storming C. norming D. conforming E. performing

E

What is the difference between formal and informal groups? A. Informal teams get together socially; formal teams do not. B. The purpose of a formal group is for friends to get together at a regularly schedule time. C. An informal group is assigned by an organization or its managers to accomplish a specific purpose. D. An informal group is a committee whose members share a common goal. E. A formal group is assigned by an organization or its managers to accomplish specific goals.

E

A follower is a person who A. does not contribute to the group. B. always listens to the team leader. C. mediates conflict through reconciliation. D. serves as a passive audience. E. evaluates group processes.

D

As part of a work team in his office, it is Larry's job to make photocopies of relevant materials and hand them out to the team members during meetings. Which of the following task roles is Larry performing in his work team? A. coordinator B. orienter C. evaluator D. procedural technician E. recorder

D

Claire takes on the role of ______; she tends to mediate conflict through humor. A. follower B. gatekeeper C. commentator D. harmonizer E. compromiser

D

Effective teams A. require minimal collaboration during the first and second stages of projects. B. accept that no changes are needed in response to demands put on the team. C. do not impose specific strategies and responsibilities. D. incorporate the right mix of skills and talents. E. do not restrict team member by imposing charter and processes.

D

In a study of executives from 300 companies, the most desirable soft skill named was A. interpersonal skills. B. social skills. C. managerial skills. D. teamwork. E. functional knowledge of the business.

D

Sarah and Bill were recently hired at the local manufacturing plant. Before being hired, they were interviewed by the team members with whom they were going to work. The team contained members from various areas of the manufacturing process. As part of the training process, Sarah and Bill met the other team members a number of times, and learned how to perform several administrative tasks, including scheduling work assignments for the team. Sarah and Bill's new team is an example of a(n) ______ team. A. project B. advisor C. virtual D. self-managed E. centralized

D

______ trust addresses the question: "How effectively do people meet or perform their responsibilities and acknowledge other people's skills and abilities?" A. Character B. Contractual C. Disclosure D. Competence E. Expertise

D

A person in the encourager role will A. foster group solidarity by accepting and praising various points of view. B. encourage all group members to participate. C. serve as a passive audience. D. mediate conflict through reconciliation or humor. E. evaluate the quality of group processes.

A

As a manager, Laurel has established a new work group to tackle a particular project. She has introduced all the members to each other and the group has elected a leader. However, lately Laurel has noticed that some group members are procrastinating on their duties. Two cliques have formed within the group and they are frequently arguing with and challenging the group leader's opinions. Which of the following stages of group development process is Laurel observing? A. storming B. forming C. performing D. norming E. adjourning

A

_________ teams are created with members from different disciplines within an organization, such as finance, operations, and R&D. A. High extraversion B. High introversion C. Self-managed D. Virtual E. Cross-functional

E