MGMT Ch. 13 Managing Teams

Which of the following is an accurate statement regarding status systems? A) Anything can have status value if others in the group evaluate it that way. B) Status is a weak employee motivator even though it has behavioral consequences. C) Status can only be formally conferred on individuals. D) Status systems are independent of aspects such as prestige and grading.

A) Anything can have status value if others in the group evaluate it that way.

Which of the following is a negative aspect of group norms? A) Being part of a group has the ability to increase an individual's antisocial actions. B) The most widespread norms are those related to dress codes. C) Groups become dysfunctional when they maintain strict norms. D) Norms do not influence employees' performance.

A) Being part of a group has the ability to increase an individual's antisocial actions.

Which of the following statements is true about group decision making? A) It generates more complete information and knowledge. B) It takes lesser time to reach a solution than it would an individual. C) It prevents any one minority from dominating or influencing the final decision. D) It is most suitable for matters that need to be critically evaluated.

A) It generates more complete information and knowledge.

A low-to-moderate level of task conflict consistently has a positive effect on group performance. What is the reason for this? A) It stimulates discussion of ideas that help groups be more innovative. B) It helps the organization identify employee skills gaps. C) It helps groups to alter the nature of the work according to the individual needs of team members. D) It helps groups members identify their individual strengths and weaknesses.

A) It stimulates discussion of ideas that help groups be more innovative.

Identify the key difference between work teams and work groups. A) Leadership is shared in work teams whereas it rests on a particular individual in work groups. B) Work groups have their own specific purpose, while the purpose of a work team is the same as that of the organizations. C) In a work group, performance is measured directly, while in a work team it is measured indirectly. D) In a work team, work is decided upon by the group leader, whereas in the work group it is decided upon by group members.

A) Leadership is shared in work teams whereas it rests on a particular individual in work groups.

________ conflict relates to the content and goals of the work. A) Task B) Process C) Relationship D) Network

A) Task

Which of the following suggestions will help reduce the effect of social loafing in groups? A) clearly identify individual responsibilities B) provide group rewards instead of individual rewards C) increase the overall size of the group D) form homogeneous groups to increase group cohesiveness

A) clearly identify individual responsibilities

In which of the following conflict resolution techniques are conflicts resolved by seeking an advantageous solution for all the parties involved? A) collaborating B) compromising C) forcing D) accommodating

A) collaborating

Groups that are determined by the organization chart and composed of individuals who report directly to a given manager are called ________. A) command groups B) task groups C) cross-functional teams D) self-managed teams

A) command groups

Research on conformity suggests that ________. A) conformity is a culture-bound behavior B) conformity tends to be higher in individualistic cultures C) conformity is a major problem in global teams D) conformity is higher in larger organizations

A) conformity is a culture-bound behavior

An organization brings together members from various departments such as marketing, accounting, human resources, and finance to form a team. This is an example of a ________ team. A) cross-functional B) temporary C) specific D) functional

A) cross-functional

The ________ stage in the group development process is complete when members begin to think of themselves as part of a group. A) forming B) storming C) norming D) performing

A) forming

An incentive system which appropriately recognizes team activities is an example of which of the following characteristics of effective teams? A) internal support B) unified commitment C) negotiating skills D) job design

A) internal support

The ________ stage of the group development process is one in which close relationships develop and the group becomes cohesive. A) norming B) forming C) storming D) performing

A) norming

Which of the following is considered to be the last stage of group development for permanent work groups? A) performing B) norming C) storming D) adjourning

A) performing

Which of the following types of conflict is based on how the work gets done? A) process conflict B) relationship conflict C) task conflict D) role conflict

A) process conflict

Behavior patterns expected of someone occupying a given position in a social unit is called a ________. A) role B) status C) profile D) persona

A) role

Individuals have the tendency to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually. Which of the following concepts relates most closely to this behavior? A) social loafing B) role conflict C) role ambiguity D) groupthink

A) social loafing

For a new project, David forms a team comprising of individuals from various functional departments. After a few days David observes conflicts within the group over who will control the group and what the group needs to be doing. This team is now in the ________ stage of group development. A) storming B) forming C) performing D) norming

A) storming

A social network structure refers to ________. A) the informal connections among individuals within groups B) the formal norms and rules of a group that members must abide by C) the extent of diversity in a formal group D) the varying skills and knowledge that the members of a group posses

A) the informal connections among individuals within groups

Which of the following traits is negatively related to group productivity and morale? A) unconventionality B) self-reliance C) independence D) sociability

A) unconventionality

Which of the following countries is most likely to assign status based on accomplishments rather than on titles and family history? A) China B) Australia C) Brazil D) India

B) Australia

Which of the following is a benefit of global teams? A) Communication problems are less likely in global teams. B) Global teams usually have a greater diversity of ideas. C) There is a greater trust among team members. D) Stress and tension are uncommon in global teams.

B) Global teams usually have a greater diversity of ideas.

Which of the following is true about social loafing? A) It is a common phenomenon in collectivist cultures. B) It is common in cultures that are dominated by self-interest. C) It is viewed as a positive characteristic in some cultures. D) It rarely occurs in Western cultures.

B) It is common in cultures that are dominated by self-interest.

________ are teams from the same department or functional area involved in efforts to improve work activities, though they are rarely given the authority to implement any of their suggested actions. A) Self-managed teams B) Problem-solving teams C) Virtual teams D) Cross-functional teams

B) Problem-solving teams

________ interact primarily to share information and to make decisions to help each member do his or her job more efficiently and effectively. A) Informal groups B) Work groups C) Work teams D) Self-managed teams

B) Work groups

In which stage of group development does the group focus its attention on wrapping up activities instead of task performance? A) storming B) adjourning C) forming D) norming

B) adjourning

In comparison to large groups, small groups ________. A) have shorter group tenure B) are faster at completing tasks C) have longer norming processes D) are better at obtaining diverse input

B) are faster at completing tasks

A work team ________. A) focuses on efficiency rather than collaboration B) has shared leadership roles C) measures performance based on its influence on others D) cannot be quickly refocused or disbanded

B) has shared leadership roles

Age, skill, and experience are examples of ________. A) formal status categories B) informal status categories C) reserved status categories D) external status categories

B) informal status categories

The acceptable standards or expectations that are shared by a group's members are referred to as ________. A) affiliations B) norms C) criteria D) morals

B) norms

Which of the following types of conflict is most likely to be dysfunctional? A) task conflict B) relationship conflict C) process conflict D) procedural conflict

B) relationship conflict

Which of the following refers to a prestige grading, position, or rank within a group? A) role B) status C) ownership D) membership

B) status

During the ________ stage of the group development process, a relatively clear hierarchy of leadership and agreement on the group's direction emerge. A) forming B) storming C) norming D) performing

B) storming

The temporary groups David talked about, created to achieve a special task and then disband, are known as ________. A) self-managed teams B) task groups C) command groups D) cross-functional teams

B) task groups

The ________ view of conflict management argues that conflicts must be avoided as it indicates a problem within the group. A) human relations B) traditional C) interactionist D) functional

B) traditional

Asch's experiment, which used lines of varying lengths to test group behavior, has shown the existence of ________. A) status systems B) workplace conformity C) social loafing D) role conflicts

B) workplace conformity

Which of the following is true about group decision making? A) Groups tend to foster equal participation in decision making. B) The pressure to conform is low when working in groups. C) Groups take more time to arrive at a decision. D) Groups usually make decisions based on incomplete information.

C) Groups take more time to arrive at a decision.

Which of the following is a drawback of global teams? A) They generate only a small pool of ideas when faced with problems. B) They do not foster the appreciation of multiple perspectives. C) They are characterized by greater potential for stereotyping. D) They are highly susceptible to groupthink.

C) They are characterized by greater potential for stereotyping.

Which of the following is an example of a formal group? A) people who assemble in the company library to read B) a group of employees attending a colleague's wedding C) a functional department in an organization D) a group of employees who meet after work to play basketball

C) a functional department in an organization

A group of permanent employees who work towards providing solutions to clients on a regular basis reports directly to David. This group can be called a ________. A) self-managed team B) task group C) command group D) cross-functional team

C) command group

Large groups consistently get better results than smaller ones, when the group is involved in ________. A) groupthink B) routine tasks C) problem solving D) long-term projects

C) problem solving

Which of the following refers to independent formal groups whose members, in addition to their regular jobs, take on traditional managerial responsibilities, such as hiring, planning and scheduling, and evaluating performance? A) command groups B) task groups C) self-managed teams D) cross-functional teams

C) self-managed teams

Research evidence suggests that teams typically outperform individuals when ________. A) one or more members are allowed to dominate the other team members B) projects are short-term and need quick solutions C) tasks require multiple skills, judgment, and experience D) tasks are simple and do not involve critical thinking

C) tasks require multiple skills, judgment, and experience

Which of the following is true about the effectiveness of individual decision making over group decision making? A) Individual decisions tend to be more accurate. B) Individual decisions are better when dealing with complex issues. C) Individuals tend to be more creative than groups. D) Individual decisions are made faster than group decisions

D) Individual decisions are made faster than group decisions

________ occurs when a supervisor earns less than his or her subordinates. A) Job enrichment B) Groupthink C) Role ambiguity D) Status incongruence

D) Status incongruence

Conflicts can be resolved by withdrawing from them or suppressing them. This conflict management technique is known as ________. A) compromising B) forcing C) accommodating D) avoiding

D) avoiding

Leadership is very important to effective teams. In most cases, effective team leaders act as ________. A) autocrats B) regulators C) controllers D) facilitators

D) facilitators

Which of the following stages in group development involves defining the group's structure and leadership? A) norming B) storming C) performing D) forming

D) forming

The type of conflicts that support group goals and improve performance are called ________. A) planned conflicts B) strategic conflicts C) natural conflicts D) functional conflicts

D) functional conflicts

A work group ________. A) encourages open-ended discussions and active problem-solving meetings B) works intensely on a specific goal using their positive synergy C) measures performance directly by assessing collective work outputs D) has no need or opportunity to engage in collective work that requires joint effort

D) has no need or opportunity to engage in collective work that requires joint effort

The ________ of conflict management argues that some conflict is absolutely necessary for effective organizational performance. A) traditional view B) conservative view C) human relations view D) interactionist view

D) interactionist view

The ________ stage of group development is complete when the group structure solidifies and the group has assimilated a common set of expectations of what defines correct member behavior. A) storming B) forming C) performing D) norming

D) norming

T/F: A manager attempts to resolve a conflict by seeking an advantageous solution for all the parties involved. This conflict management technique is called accommodating.

F

T/F: A problem-solving team brings together experts in various specialties to work together on various organizational tasks.

F

T/F: An individual's role in a group is not defined by the internal structure of the group.

F

T/F: Global teams are associated with high levels of groupthink.

F

T/F: Groupthink occurs only when group members have a negative image of the group or the leader.

F

T/F: Self-managed teams function in an independent and informal manner.

F

T/F: Small groups consistently get better results than larger ones when the groups are engaged in problem solving.

F

T/F: Social loafing is consistent with collectivist cultures.

F

T/F: Task groups are permanent teams that take on special projects.

F

T/F: The human relations view of conflict held that conflict must be avoided because it indicates a problem within the group.

F

T/F: Work teams interact primarily to share information and to make decisions to help each member do his or her job more efficiently and effectively.

F

T/F: A group's performance potential depends to a large extent on the individual resources its members bring to the group.

T

T/F: A self-managed team is a formal group of employees who operate without a manager and are responsible for a complete work process or segment.

T

T/F: A team that uses technology to link physically dispersed members in order to achieve a common goal is called a virtual team.

T

T/F: Formal groups are work groups that are defined by the organization's structure and have designated work assignments and specific tasks directed at accomplishing organizational goals.

T

T/F: Groupthink has the ability to undermine critical thinking in the group and harm the quality of decision making.

T

T/F: In global teams, cohesiveness is often more difficult to achieve because of higher levels of mistrust, miscommunication, and stress.

T

T/F: In the group development process, the forming stage is complete when members begin to think of themselves as part of a group.

T

T/F: One negative aspect about group norms is that being part of a group can increase an individual's antisocial actions.

T

T/F: Social loafing is the tendency for an individual to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually.

T

T/F: Strategies such as avoidance, forcing, and compromise are used to resolve high conflict levels.

T

T/F: Under some conditions, high levels of conflict are conducive to high levels of group performance.

T