Management 230 - Chapter 10
44) With reference to the team effectiveness model, which of the following is one of the key components of an effective team, included under the category of contextual factors? A) team efficacy B) climate of trust C) common purpose D) social loafing E) specific goals
Answer: B Explanation: B) Climate of trust is a contextual factor that affects the effectiveness of teams. Team efficacy, social loafing, specific goals, and common purpose are process related factors that affect the effectiveness of the team.
20) ________ teams are groups of employees who perform highly related or interdependent jobs and take on many of the responsibilities of their former supervisors. A) Critical B) Self-managed work C) Cross-functional D) Problem-solving E) Task
Answer: B Explanation: B) Self-managed work teams are groups of employees who perform highly related or interdependent jobs and take on many of the responsibilities of their former supervisors.
40) Which of the following is a key contextual factor influencing team effectiveness? A) team efficacy B) adequate resources C) abilities of members D) member flexibility E) social loafing
Answer: B Explanation: B) The four contextual factors most significantly related to team performance are adequate resources, effective leadership and structure, a climate of trust, and performance evaluation and reward systems that reflect team contributions.
61) When selecting team members, managers should consider ________ along with abilities, personalities, and skills. A) individual values B) individual preferences C) individual knowledge D) individual habits E) individual intelligence
Answer: B Explanation: B) When selecting team members, managers should consider individual preferences along with abilities, personalities, and skills.
9) Laski United is a rock group that has been around for 5 years and has just had their first #1 hit. This band would be best described as a ________. A) work group B) work team C) problem-solving team D) cross-functional team E) self-managed team
Answer: B Explanation: B) Work teams generate positive synergy through coordinated efforts. In an effort to achieve success, the band has had to realize that their collected efforts are more important than their individual efforts.
74) Which type of conflict is almost always dysfunctional? A) task conflict B) efficacy conflict C) relationship conflict D) resource conflict E) goal conflict
Answer: C Explanation: C) Conflict on a team isn't necessarily bad and can actually improve team effectiveness. Relationship conflicts, those based on interpersonal incompatibilities, tension, and animosity toward others, are almost always dysfunctional.
19) Self-managed teams typically consist of ________ employees. A) two to four B) four to eight C) 10 to 15 D) 20 to 30 E) 40 to 50
Answer: C Explanation: C) Self-managed teams typically consist of 10 to 15 employees.
31) Which of the following types of teams allows for collaboration between team members who are physically dispersed? A) problem-solving teams B) self-managed teams C) task teams D) virtual teams E) command teams
Answer: D Explanation: D) Virtual teams use computer technology to unite physically dispersed members and achieve a common goal.
64) A team that has a good plan, but is also willing to adjust their master plan and adapt when conditions call for it demonstrates high ________, an important variable in successful team processes. A) goal specificity B) goal congruency C) social loafing D) diversity E) reflexivity
Answer: E Explanation: E) Reflexivity is the team characteristic of reflecting on and adjusting the master plan when necessary. It is considered part of the process variables.
36) Virtual teams tend to be less task-oriented than face-to-face teams.
Answer: FALSE Explanation: Virtual teams tend to be more task-oriented than face-to-face teams.
80) When teams have too many members, cohesiveness and mutual accountability decline.
Answer: TRUE Explanation: When teams have too many members, cohesiveness and mutual accountability decline, social loafing increases, and people communicate less.
85) What is team efficacy? What can management do to increase team efficacy? Answer: Effective teams have confidence in themselves; they believe they can succeed. We call this team efficacy. Teams that have been successful raise their beliefs about future success, which, in turn, motivates them to work harder. The two ways in which management can increase team efficacy are: (1) helping the team achieve small successes that build confidence, (2) providing training to improve members' technical and interpersonal skills. Diff: 3 Type: ES Page Ref: 196 AACSB: Analytical Thinking Quest. Category: Concept LO: 10.4 Identify the characteristics of effective teams.
86) Discuss the impact of conflicts on effectiveness of teams.
47) All of the following can reinforce team effort and commitment except ________. A) group efficacy B) small-group incentives C) gainsharing D) group-based appraisals E) profit sharing
Answer: A Explanation: A) Group-based appraisals, profit sharing, gainsharing, small-group incentives, and other system modifications can reinforce team effort and commitment as long as those incentives are well designed.
26) Which of the following teams are more likely to be made up of employees from about the same hierarchical level but different work areas? A) problem-solving B) self-managed C) cross-functional D) task E) rapid action
Answer: C Explanation: C) Cross-functional teams are teams made up of employees from about the same hierarchical level but different work areas, who come together to accomplish a task.
76) In the case of a team, when each member's contribution is not clearly visible, ________. A) team efficacy tends to increase B) team cohesiveness tends to decrease C) motivation of the team members tends to increase D) team members tend to decrease their efforts E) mutual accountability of the team members tends to decrease
Answer: D Explanation: D) In the case of a team, when each member's contribution is not clearly visible, individuals tend to decrease their effort.
73) During an interview with one team member, you learn that several members of the team have had conflicts regarding the content of a task to which the team was recently assigned. Are these conflicts likely to be reducing the group's productivity? A) Yes, because interpersonal conflicts always hurt a team's performance. B) No, because conflicts based on personal animosity rarely affect team operations. C) Yes, because task-related conflicts lead to poor team decisions. D) No, because task-related conflicts usually benefit the performance of a team. E) Yes, because disagreements about tasks usually lessen groupthink.
Answer: D Explanation: D) Interpersonal conflicts are almost always dysfunctional but the conflict involved in this case is a task conflict. Conflict on a team isn't necessarily bad. On teams performing nonroutine activities, disagreements among members about task content (called task conflicts) stimulate discussion, promote critical assessment of problems and options, and can lead to better team decisions.
4) Teams are an effective means for management to democratize organizations and increase employee motivation.
Answer: TRUE Explanation: Teams facilitate employee participation in operating decisions. Teams are an effective means for management to democratize organizations and increase employee motivation.
70) When teams are under acute stress, they are particularly likely to have ________. A) inaccurate mental models B) high team efficacy C) goal congruence D) a self-serving bias E) high reflexivity
Answer: A Explanation: A) Effective teams share accurate mental models, or knowledge and beliefs (a "psychological map") about how the work gets done. If team members have the wrong mental models, which is particularly likely with teams under acute stress, their performance suffers.
22) In a ________ team, the manager's job becomes more about managing outside the team. A) technical B) self-managed C) problem-solving D) task E) virtual
Answer: B Explanation: B) In a self-managed team, team members absorb many of the duties typically assumed by managers. A manager's job then becomes managing outside (rather than inside) the team.
39) Which of the following is not one of the key components of effective teams? A) team efficacy B) large size C) adequate resources D) member flexibility E) leadership and structure
Answer: B Explanation: B) The four contextual factors most significantly related to team performance are adequate resources, effective leadership and structure, a climate of trust, and performance evaluation and reward systems that reflect team contributions.
63) Members of successful teams put a tremendous amount of time and effort into discussing, shaping, and agreeing on ________, which then provides direction and guidance under any and all conditions. A) the level of individual contribution B) allocation of resources C) a common purpose D) allocation of roles E) developing team efficacy
Answer: C Explanation: C) Members of successful teams put a tremendous amount of time and effort into discussing, shaping, and agreeing on a purpose that belongs to them both collectively and individually. This common purpose, when accepted by the team, provides direction and guidance under any and all conditions.
56) Diversity of members includes all of the following except ________. A) age B) sex C) marital status D) race E) educational level
Answer: C Explanation: C) While marital status is an important element of the individuals life, it is not considered an important demographic for the diversity of the organization.
75) On teams performing nonroutine activities, ________ conflicts stimulate discussion, promote critical assessment of problems and options, and can lead to better team decisions. A) relationship B) efficacy C) resource D) task E) social
Answer: D Explanation: D) On teams performing nonroutine activities, disagreements among members about task content (called task conflicts) stimulate discussion, promote critical assessment of problems and options, and can lead to better team decisions.
42) Leadership is especially important in ________, in which different teams coordinate their efforts to produce a desired outcome. A) technical teams B) self-managed teams C) problem-solving teams D) management teams E) multi-team systems
Answer: E Explanation: E) Leadership is especially important in multi-team systems. Here, leaders need to empower teams by delegating responsibility to them, and then play the role of facilitator, making sure the teams work together rather than against one another.
65) Consistent with the research on individual goals, team goals should be ________. A) general B) difficult C) valuable D) objective E) challenging
Answer: E Explanation: E) Successful teams translate their common purpose into specific, measurable, and realistic performance goals. Specific goals facilitate clear communication. They help teams maintain their focus on getting results. Consistent with the research on individual goals, team goals should be challenging. Difficult but achievable goals raise team performance on those criteria at which they're aiming.
93) For creating good team players, an organization's reward system must be reworked to encourage competitive efforts rather than cooperative ones.
Answer: FALSE Explanation: For creating good team players, an organization's reward system must be reworked to encourage cooperative efforts rather than competitive ones.
84) Discuss the effect of team size on effectiveness of teams. Answer: Generally speaking, the most effective teams have five to nine members. And experts suggest using the smallest number of people who can do the task. Unfortunately, managers often err by making teams too large. It may require only four or five members to develop diversity of views and skills, while coordination problems can increase exponentially as team members are added. When teams have excess members, cohesiveness and mutual accountability decline, social loafing increases, and more people communicate less. Members of large teams have trouble coordinating with one another, especially under time pressure. Keep teams at nine or fewer members. Diff: 3 Type: ES Page Ref: 195 AACSB: Analytical Thinking Quest. Category: Concept LO: 10.4 Identify the characteristics of effective teams.
85) What is team efficacy? What can management do to increase team efficacy?
92) Myriam has been a standout team member at Amohalko Consulting for several years. She is always the first person to train new colleagues, share information, help resolve team conflicts, and master new and modern skills. Clearly, Myriam also does what in the organization? A) makes individual contributions B) seeks promotions and pay raises C) has a low level of trust in her teammates' abilities D) both A and C E) both B and C
Answer: A Explanation: A) As a standout employee, Myriam clearly knows that her individual contributions in her work are just as important as her contributions to the team effort.
88) Exercises that help individuals become team players include workshops on ________. A) negotiation B) individualism C) goal setting D) event planning E) recruiting
Answer: A Explanation: A) Communication and negotiation are important team necessities. Workshops help employees improve their problem solving, communication, negotiation, conflict-management, and coaching skills.
50) People scoring high on ________ are valuable in teams because they're good at backing up fellow team members and at sensing when that support is truly needed. A) conscientiousness B) positivity C) emotional stability D) agreeableness E) openness to experience
Answer: A Explanation: A) Conscientious people are valuable in teams because they're good at backing up other team members, and they're also good at sensing when that support is truly needed.
58) Diversity is an asset for teams where tasks ________. A) require a variety of viewpoints B) are simple C) involve emotional labour D) are highly technical E) required for completing the work are highly interdependent
Answer: A Explanation: A) Cultural diversity does seem to be an asset for tasks that call for a variety of viewpoints. However, in other circumstances, diversity seems to interfere with team processes in the short term.
18) You are vice-president of a division of a large, multinational company that makes electronic equipment for consumers and the military. Your company has several teams and there are several managers managing those teams. Joan, your director of accounting, has created a team of seven employees from the accounts payable department who meet for three hours a week to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency and the work environment. This is an example of a ________ team. A) problem-solving B) self-managed C) cross-functional D) virtual E) task-resolution
Answer: A Explanation: A) Problem-solving teams share ideas or suggest how work processes and methods (such as quality, efficiency, and the work environment) can be improved. They rarely have the authority to unilaterally implement any of their suggestions.
10) After a successful 20 year career as a rock band, and 10 years apart, Laski United has reunited for a tour. Their lead singer, Chuck Corcoran, has returned to the band after a fairly successful solo album. In this scenario, Laski United could be most likely classified as a ________. A) work group B) work team C) problem-solving team D) cross-functional team E) self-managed team
Answer: A Explanation: A) Though when they started out they were probably a team, at this point, the members are functioning as a group, simply coming together to make money.
5) Which of the following statements best defines a work group? A) A work group's performance is generally greater than the sum of its inputs from individual members. B) A work group interacts primarily to share information, rather than to engage in work that requires joint effort. C) A work group consists of five or more people who work collaboratively. D) A work group has a positive synergy and no active group dynamics, resulting in greater outputs. E) A work group is a group comprised of 10 or more people who belong to the same department.
Answer: B Explanation: B) A group consists of two or more individuals, interacting and interdependent, who have come together to achieve particular objectives. A work group is defined as a group that interacts primarily to share information and to make decisions to help each group member perform within his or her area of responsibility. They have no need or opportunity to engage in collective work that requires joint effort. Their performance is merely the summation of each group member's individual contribution. There is no positive synergy that would create an overall level of performance greater than the sum of the inputs. With both work groups and work teams, there are often behavioural expectations of members, collective normalization efforts, active group dynamics, and some level of decision making (even if just informally about the scope of membership).
69) Which of the following is most likely to increase team efficacy? A) providing measurable goals B) helping the team achieve small successes C) improving the reflexivity of the team D) ensuring that team goals are challenging E) reducing the number of members on a team
Answer: B Explanation: B) Efficacy means that a team believes it can succeed in the job and goal that is placed before them. There are two ways to increasing efficacy: 1) provide training to improve skills and increase confidence, and 2) help the team achieve small, incremental successes.
66) According to the team effectiveness model, which of the following is a process variable that influences effectiveness of a team? A) leadership and structure B) team efficacy C) member flexibility D) performance evaluation and reward systems E) abilities of members
Answer: B Explanation: B) Process variables are events within the team that influence effectiveness. Team efficacy is a process variable that influences effectiveness of a team.
27) ________ teams are an effective way to allow people from diverse areas within an organization to exchange information, develop new ideas and solve problems, and coordinate complex projects. A) Self-managed B) Problem-solving C) Cross-functional D) Task E) Command
Answer: C Explanation: C) Cross-functional teams are teams made up of employees from about the same hierarchical level but different work areas, who come together to accomplish a task. They are an effective means of allowing people from diverse areas to exchange information, develop new ideas, solve problems, and coordinate complex projects.
32) Eva is not getting the results she needs from her database administration team. She believes that this problem is occurring because the administration team is a virtual team. Which of the following is one of the things that Eva should do to create an effective virtual team? A) conduct training for improving interpersonal skills B) allow more independence among members C) monitor progress of the team closely D) include peer evaluation in the appraisal system E) avoid publicizing team successes company-wide
Answer: C Explanation: C) For virtual teams to be effective, management should ensure that (1) trust is established among members; (2) team progress is monitored closely; and (3) the efforts and products of the team are publicized throughout the organization (so the team does not become invisible). The members should be highly monitored, and less independent. Training related to interpersonal skills will not be very effective in the case of a virtual team. Peer evaluation is not related to improving effectiveness of a virtual team.
77) Coasting on the group effort is termed ________. A) emotional labour B) cognitive dissonance C) social loafing D) positivity offset E) self-concordance
Answer: C Explanation: C) Individuals can engage in social loafing and coast on the group's effort because their particular contributions can't be identified. Effective teams undermine this tendency by making members individually and jointly accountable for the team's purpose, goals, and approach.
16) A team consists of employees from the same department who meet for a few hours each week to discuss ways of improving the work environment but they do not have the authority to unilaterally implement any of their suggestions. This is most likely to be a ________ team. A) cross-functional B) virtual C) self-managed D) problem-solving E) task
Answer: D Explanation: D) In a problem-solving team, members share ideas or suggest how work processes and methods can be improved; they rarely have the authority to unilaterally implement any of their suggestions.
13) The primary goal of a work team is information sharing.
Answer: FALSE Explanation: Information sharing is the primary goal of a work group. The primary goal of a work team is collective performance.
94) Teams that switch from a competitive to a cooperative system tend to immediately start making better-quality decisions.
Answer: FALSE Explanation: Teams that switch from a competitive to a cooperative system do not immediately share information and make rushed, poor-quality decisions.
14) In the case of a work team, individual efforts result in a level of performance greater than the sum of those individual inputs.
Answer: TRUE Explanation: A work team generates positive synergy through coordinated effort. The individual efforts result in a level of performance greater than the sum of those individual inputs.
41) Amohalko Consulting is an independent consulting firm specializing in offering financial advice to companies in need. Amohalko operates in an independent contractor fashion, providing name recognition to consultants as well as basic needs such as office space and computers but nothing much past that. Amohalko Consulting has been losing business over the last three quarters and the average stay of a consultant is less than one year. Most likely, Amohalko Consulting is suffering from which problem? A) inadequate resources B) poor leadership C) flawed structure D) climate of mistrust E) poor reward system
Answer: A Explanation: A) Amohalko is not providing its teams with sufficient resources to conduct their work. A scarcity of resources directly reduces the ability of a team to perform its job effectively.
72) According to studies, when team members share an accurate mental model, they ________. A) have an indifferent attitude toward their work B) have frequent interactions C) face acute stress D) work independently E) display increased social loafing tendencies
Answer: B Explanation: B) A review of 65 independent studies of team cognition found that teams with shared mental models engaged in more frequent interactions with one another, were more motivated, had more positive attitudes toward their work, and had higher levels of objectively rated performance.
62) Effective teams begin their work by ________. A) allocating roles to team members according to their personalities and preferences B) analyzing the team's mission C) developing a climate of trust among team members D) developing team efficacy E) discussing individual goals
Answer: B Explanation: B) Effective teams begin by analyzing the team's mission, developing goals to achieve that mission, and creating strategies for achieving the goals.
60) Which of the following statements is true regarding size of teams? A) Generally speaking, the most effective teams have 12 to 15 members. B) When teams have excess members, cohesiveness declines. C) As team size increases, social loafing decreases. D) When teams have excess members, mutual accountability increases. E) As team size increases, coordination problems tend to decrease.
Answer: B Explanation: B) Generally speaking, the most effective teams have five to nine members. When teams have excess members, cohesiveness and mutual accountability decline, social loafing increases, and more people communicate less.
17) Which of the following types of teams is most likely to be assembled to improve the efficiency of a company's production process? A) cross-functional B) problem-solving C) self-managed D) critical E) task
Answer: B Explanation: B) Problem-solving teams share ideas or suggest how work processes and methods (such as quality, efficiency, and the work environment) can be improved. They rarely have the authority to unilaterally implement any of their suggestions.
24) Jack, your director of manufacturing, has created a team of 11 employees from quality control. Jack gives the team members the responsibility of planning and scheduling their own work, and making operating decisions. Also, members of this team evaluate each other's performance. This is an example of a ________ team. A) problem-solving B) self-managed C) cross-functional D) virtual E) task-resolution
Answer: B Explanation: B) Self-managed work teams are groups of employees who perform highly related or interdependent jobs and take on many of the responsibilities of their former supervisors. These tasks are planning, assigning tasks to members, making operating decisions, taking action on problems, and working with suppliers and customers.
96) As compared to individual work, teamwork ________. A) involves fewer meetings B) takes more time C) needs less resources D) decreases communication demands E) decreases the need for conflict management
Answer: B Explanation: B) Teamwork takes more time and often more resources than individual work. Teams have increased communication demands, conflicts to manage, and meetings to run. So the benefits of using teams have to exceed the costs, and that's not always the case.
54) ________ suggests that attributes such as age or the date of joining should help us predict turnover. A) Employee mobility B) Organizational demography C) Residential mobility D) Demographic environment E) Population dynamics
Answer: B Explanation: B) The degree to which members of a work unit (group, team, or department) share a common demographic attribute, such as age, sex, race, educational level, or length of service in the organization, is the subject of organizational demography.
78) You are the manager of a software design firm that develops software programs for clients using teams of specialists. One of your most successful teams has been together for nearly five years. In the past, this team has performed effectively, and you have been very satisfied with the team's output. Recently, however, you have noticed a marked decrease in the team's performance. You investigate to determine the problem. After interviewing all seven team members, you determine that one of the team members performs routine administrative tasks that are rarely visible to any of the other team members. You suspect that this team member may be loafing off and lagging in his duties. You could most likely improve that team member's output by ________. A) encouraging him to work more independently B) making his work clearly visible to the other team members C) empowering the team member to make decisions D) providing him with administrative training E) giving him additional assignments to complete
Answer: B Explanation: B) This team member is engaging in social loafing. Effective teams undermine this tendency by making members individually and jointly accountable for the team's purpose, goals, and approach. Therefore, members should be clear on what they are individually responsible for and what they are jointly responsible for on the team.
6) Which of the following statements is true regarding a work group? A) Individuals working in a work group work on different objectives and are not dependent on each other. B) Work groups primarily engage in collective work that requires joint effort. C) Work groups do not generate any positive synergy through coordinated effort. D) Information sharing is not the primary function of a work group. E) The performance level of the work group is greater than the summation of each group member's individual contribution.
Answer: C Explanation: C) A work group consists of two or more individuals, interacting and interdependent, who have come together to achieve particular objectives. The primary function of a work group is sharing information. Work groups have no need or opportunity to engage in collective work that requires joint effort. So their performance is merely the summation of each group member's individual contribution. There is no positive synergy that would create an overall level of performance greater than the sum of the inputs.
30) Your company has recently landed a contract to design and manufacture a new state-of-the-art electronic device for the military. This will be a very complex project, requiring many different types of skills. Which of the following types of teams is most suited for the project? A) problem-solving B) self-managed C) cross-functional D) virtual E) task-resolution
Answer: C Explanation: C) Cross-functional teams are teams made up of employees from about the same hierarchical level but different work areas, who come together to accomplish a task. They are an effective means of allowing people from diverse areas to exchange information, develop new ideas, solve problems, and coordinate complex projects such as this one.
57) Which of the following statements is true regarding a culturally diverse team? A) Elements of diversity do not interfere with team processes. B) Culturally homogeneous teams have more difficulty learning to work with each other than culturally heterogeneous teams do. C) Generally, newly formed culturally diverse teams underperform when compared to newly formed culturally homogeneous teams. D) Cultural diversity within a team is not advisable for those tasks that call for a variety of viewpoints. E) Solving problems is more difficult for culturally homogeneous teams than it is for culturally heterogeneous teams.
Answer: C Explanation: C) Evidence indicates that elements of diversity interfere with team processes, at least in the short term. Cultural diversity does seem to be an asset for tasks that call for a variety of viewpoints. But culturally heterogeneous teams have more difficulty learning to work with each other and solving problems. Although newly formed culturally diverse teams underperform as compared to newly formed culturally homogeneous teams, the differences disappear after about 3 months.
43) Not only is a climate of trust important within a team but so is ________. A) that teams have complete trust in their supervisor B) that trust levels are balanced in favour of the hardest working individuals C) that trust levels are symmetrical and balanced between team members D) that team members trust one another but are suspicious of the supervisor E) that teams form a coalition against other teams within the organization
Answer: C Explanation: C) Imbalanced trust levels or trust levels that exist only between certain team members can mitigate any performance advantages of a high overall level of trust.
97) Work should be performed by an individual if ________. A) the work is complex and requires different perspectives B) the work creates a common purpose or set of goals for the people in the group that is more than the aggregate of individual goals C) the work is simple and does not require diverse input D) several tasks that are interdependent are to be performed for completing the work E) performing the work requires learning a new technology or understanding a new system
Answer: C Explanation: C) Simple tasks that don't require diverse input are better left to individuals, whereas complex tasks that require diverse input are best accomplished by teams.
51) Teams that are composed of people who score high on ________ are more creative and innovative. A) emotional stability B) agreeableness C) openness to experience D) extraversion E) conscientiousness
Answer: C Explanation: C) Team members scoring high on openness to experience communicate better with one another and throw out more ideas, which makes teams composed of open people more creative and innovative.
2) One of the dangers of teams is that ________. A) someone might be a slacker B) the same people end up doing all the work C) team members can be swayed by fads D) they are not truly effective E) There are no dangers of teams.
Answer: C Explanation: C) Team members, as humans, can be swayed by fads, peer pressure, and herd mentality that can lead to biased decisions.
90) Evidence shows that teams that switch from a competitive to a cooperative system do not immediately ________. A) make poor decisions B) make rushed decisions C) share information D) have conflicts E) distrust each other
Answer: C Explanation: C) Teams that switch from a competitive to a cooperative system do not share information and they tend to make rushed, poor-quality decisions. The low trust typical of the competitive group will not be readily replaced by high trust.
53) Which of the following terms indicates the degree to which members of a work unit (group, team, or department) share a common attribute, such as age, sex, race, or educational level? A) demographic environment B) residential mobility C) organizational demography D) population dynamics E) employee mobility
Answer: C Explanation: C) The degree to which members of a work unit (group, team, or department) share a common demographic attribute, such as age, sex, race, educational level, or length of service in the organization, is the subject of organizational demography.
49) With reference to the team effectiveness model, what does the personality factor of team composition focus on? A) members' knowledge and skills B) members' leadership qualities C) members' conscientiousness and openness to experience D) members' role allocation E) members' cultural and demographic diversity
Answer: C Explanation: C) The personality aspect of team composition states that personality significantly influences individual employee behaviour. Teams that rate higher on mean levels of conscientiousness and openness to experience tend to perform better. Abilities of members, allocation of roles, and diversity of members are other factors of team composition. Leadership and structure is a contextual factor.
7) Which of the following statements is true regarding a work team? A) Today, work teams are rarely used in organizations. B) Work teams are less flexible than traditional departments. C) Work teams generate positive synergy through coordinated effort. D) Work teams are less responsive to changing events than are traditional departments. E) Work teams impede employee participation in decision making.
Answer: C Explanation: C) Today most of the organizations use teams. Teams are more flexible and responsive to changing events than traditional departments or other forms of permanent groupings. A work team generates positive synergy through coordinated effort. Teams facilitate employee participation in operating decisions.
11) Teams differ from groups because ________. A) teams have no limits on the number of members, while groups have a restricted membership B) members of teams work independently of each other, while those in groups show greater dependence on each other C) members of teams work toward individual goals that may or may not be related, while groups have a common goal D) teams are constructed to be purposeful (symbiotic) in their member interaction E) teams have a no fixed duration, while groups have a fixed duration
Answer: D Explanation: D) Both work groups and work teams may generate ideas, pool resources, or coordinate logistics such as work schedules; for the work group, however, this effort will be limited to information gathering for decision makers outside the group. Whereas we can think of a work team as a subset of a work group, the team is constructed to be purposeful (symbiotic) in its member interaction.
68) Alberto's team is evaluating and developing the database for the water pollution data of three cities. He wants to improve the team efficacy of his team. Which of the following actions can Alberto take to increase team efficacy before the project starts? A) plan a team outing for the team members B) make sure that his team is not comprised of more than nine people C) spend considerable time evaluating team members and allocating proper roles for each D) provide software and database training for all the team members E) create team goals that are very challenging
Answer: D Explanation: D) Efficacy means that a team believes it can succeed in the job and goal that is placed before them. There are two ways of increasing efficacy: 1) provide training to improve skills and increase confidence, and 2) help the team achieve small, incremental successes.
67) Effective teams have confidence in themselves and believe they can succeed. This confidence is called ________. A) social facilitation B) goal congruence C) social loafing D) team efficacy E) self-serving bias
Answer: D Explanation: D) Efficacy means that a team believes it can succeed in the job and goal that is placed before them. There are two ways to increasing efficacy: 1) provide training to improve skills and increase confidence, and 2) help the team achieve small, incremental successes.
91) Which of following statements is true regarding a reward system that attempts to create good team players? A) The reward system should encourage competitive efforts. B) Rewards given to individuals should be based on peer evaluation. C) The reward system should ignore individual contributions. D) Performance-based rewards could include a bonus based on achievement of team goals. E) The reward system should discourage cooperative efforts.
Answer: D Explanation: D) In order to create good team players, an organization's reward system must be reworked to encourage cooperative efforts rather than competitive ones. This doesn't mean individual contributions should be ignored; rather, they should be balanced with selfless contributions to the team. In order to encourage cooperative efforts, the reward system can include a bonus based on achievement of team goals.
89) Which of the following techniques can be used for increasing effectiveness of teams? A) Implement a reward system that encourages competitive efforts. B) The appraisal system should take into consideration peer evaluation. C) Avoid giving promotions and pay raises for individual contributions. D) Training should be provided to those candidates who lack team skills. E) The reward system should discourage cooperative efforts.
Answer: D Explanation: D) In order to create good team players, an organization's reward system must be reworked to encourage cooperative efforts rather than competitive ones. This doesn't mean individual contributions should be ignored; rather, they should be balanced with selfless contributions to the team. Training should be provided to those candidates who lack team skills.
71) If team members have similar mental models, then it means that the team members have similar ________. A) roles within the team B) self-efficacy C) knowledge and skills D) beliefs about how the work gets done E) attitudes towards social loafing
Answer: D Explanation: D) Mental models indicate knowledge and beliefs of team members about how the work gets done. If team members have different ideas about how to do things, the team will fight over how to do things rather than focus on what needs to be done.
23) According to a study of 45 self-managed factory teams, ________ improved for both individuals and the team as a whole when ________ were dependent on input from teammates. A) attitudes; economic rewards B) economic rewards; performances C) performances; attitudes D) performance; economic rewards E) economic rewards; attitudes
Answer: D Explanation: D) One study of 45 self-managing factory teams found that when members perceived that economic rewards such as pay were dependent on input from their teammates, performance improved for both individuals and the team as a whole.
55) According to the concept of organizational demography, if team members have dissimilar experiences, it will lead to ________. A) increased employee satisfaction B) decreased level of conflicts C) higher employee motivation D) higher employee turnover E) higher team efficacy
Answer: D Explanation: D) Organizational demography suggests that attributes such as age or the date of joining should help us predict turnover. The logic goes like this: Turnover will be greater among those with dissimilar experiences because communication is more difficult. Conflict and power struggles are more likely and are more severe when they occur. Increased conflict makes membership less attractive, so employees are more likely to quit.
25) Research suggests that when members feel confident to ________ without fear of punishment, ________ can be beneficial and boost team performance. A) speak up; training sessions B) complain; training sessions C) complain; conflict D) speak up; conflict E) speak up; gossip
Answer: D Explanation: D) Some research indicates that self-managed teams are not effective when
87) You need to hire an analyst for an important project team. It is essential that the new employee work well on the already established team in order to meet the project's challenging deadlines. The most talented candidate doesn't have any team experience and when asked in the interview about his team experience he replied, "I prefer to work alone. I'm much more efficient alone." What should you do? A) Hire him and train him. B) Hire him and hope that he learns. C) Hire him and redesign the job. D) Look for a different candidate. E) Hire him and assign him a mentor.
Answer: D Explanation: D) The candidate should not be hired. Creating teams often means resisting the urge to hire the best talent no matter what. The project has looming deadlines, so training isn't an option. Hoping that he'll learn is too much of a risk to the project, and not fair to the existing team. Redesigning the job is not an option.
33) Janice is your director of sales. Since her team members are located in Europe, Asia, and North America, she has decided to use instant messaging to tie her team members together in order to develop a marketing strategy for a new product line. This is an example of a ________ team. A) problem-solving B) self-managed C) cross-functional D) virtual E) task-resolution
Answer: D Explanation: D) Virtual teams use computer technology to unite physically dispersed members and achieve a common goal. Janice has created a virtual team.
29) Which of the following statements is true regarding a cross-functional team? A) A cross-functional team is made up of employees from different hierarchical levels. B) A cross-functional team is made up of employees from the same department. C) Today, cross-functional teams are rarely used in well-established organizations. D) In the case of a cross-functional team, the early stages of development are typically very short. E) Cross-functional teams are used for developing new ideas and coordinating complex projects.
Answer: E Explanation: E) Cross-functional teams are made up of employees from about the same hierarchical level but different work areas. Today cross-functional teams are widely used in several organizations. Cross-functional teams are an effective means of developing new ideas and coordinating complex projects. Their early stages of development are often long, as members learn to work with diversity and complexity.
46) In addition to evaluating and rewarding employees for their individual contributions, management should consider using ________ to reinforce team effort and commitment. A) personalized incentives B) consistent wages for all team members C) individual performance evaluations D) fixed hourly wages E) profit sharing
Answer: E Explanation: E) In addition to evaluating and rewarding employees for their individual contributions, management should modify the traditional, individually oriented evaluation and reward system to reflect team performance. Group-based appraisals, profit sharing, and gainsharing are examples of team reward systems.
21) Which of the following statements is true regarding self-managed work teams? A) Self-managed work teams typically consist of 40 to 50 employees. B) Self-managed work teams typically manage conflicts well. C) Members of self-managed work teams typically report lower job satisfaction. D) Self-managed work teams are typically composed of employees from different departments who work independent of each other. E) In the case of self-managed work teams, supervisory positions take on decreased importance.
Answer: E Explanation: E) Self-managed work teams are groups of employees (typically 10 to 15 in number) who perform highly related or interdependent jobs and take on many of the responsibilities of their former supervisors. Supervisory positions take on decreased importance and are sometimes even eliminated. Self-managed teams do not typically manage conflicts well. Members of this team report higher levels of job satisfaction than other individuals.
52) Teams that consist of team members that score ________ are more likely to perform poorly. A) high on conscientiousness B) high on openness to experience C) high on emotional stability D) low on extraversion E) low on agreeableness
Answer: E Explanation: E) Teams that rate higher on mean levels of conscientiousness and openness to experience tend to perform better, and the minimum level of team member agreeableness also matters; teams perform poorly when they have one or more highly disagreeable members.
48) The team effectiveness model classifies the key components of effective teams into three general categories: context, composition, and process. Which of the following variables belongs to the composition category? A) adequate resources B) conflict level C) team efficacy D) performance evaluation system E) personality of team members
Answer: E Explanation: E) The personality of team members is a key component that affects the effectiveness of teams and it belongs to the composition category.
35) One advantage of cross-functional teams is that they are easy to manage.
Answer: FALSE Explanation: Cross-functional teams are not easy to manage. Their early stages of development are often long, as members learn to work with diversity and complexity. It takes time to build trust and teamwork, especially among people from different backgrounds with different experiences and perspectives.
34) You are a member of a team of eight individuals from the same department who meet for a few hours each week to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency, and the work environment. You are most likely a member of a self-managed work team.
Answer: FALSE Explanation: Problem-solving teams are typically composed of 5 to 12 hourly employees from the same department who meet for a few hours each week to discuss ways of improving quality, efficiency, and the work environment. Members share ideas or suggest how work processes and methods can be improved; they rarely have the authority to unilaterally implement any of their suggestions.
81) Task conflicts are almost always dysfunctional.
Answer: FALSE Explanation: Relationship conflicts are almost always dysfunctional. On teams performing nonroutine activities, disagreements among members about task content (called task conflicts) stimulate discussion, promote critical assessment of problems and options, and can lead to better team decisions.
79) Teams composed of highly agreeable people are more creative and innovative.
Answer: FALSE Explanation: Teams composed of people who score high on openness to experience are more creative and innovative. Open team members communicate better with one another and throw out more ideas, which makes teams composed of open people more creative and innovative.
12) Work groups typically generate more positive synergy than do work teams.
Answer: FALSE Explanation: There is no positive synergy in a work group that would create an overall level of performance greater than the sum of the inputs. A work team, on the other hand, generates positive synergy through coordinated effort.
98) Teamwork takes more time and often more resources than individual work.
Answer: TRUE Explanation: Teams can be costly. Teamwork takes more time and often more resources than individual work. Teams have increased communication demands, conflicts to manage, and meetings to run. So the benefits of using teams have to exceed the costs, and that's not always the case.
99) Teams should be used when tasks are interdependent.
Answer: TRUE Explanation: Using teams makes sense when there is interdependence between tasks-the success of the whole depends on the success of each one, and the success of each one depends on the success of the others.
8) ________ results in a level of performance that is greater than the sum of the individual inputs. A) Synergy B) Positive affect C) Emotional labour D) Cognitive dissonance E) Emotional dissonance
Answer: A Explanation: A) A work team generates positive synergy through coordinated effort. The individual efforts result in a level of performance greater than the sum of those individual inputs.
45) Araceli is a team member in a large corporation. She never speaks in team meetings because she has seen members talk behind each other's back after the meetings. Members are constantly monitoring the other members' work, looking for mistakes to point out in a meeting. According to the information provided, which contextual factor is most likely hindering the success of Araceli's team? A) adequate resources B) climate of trust C) team structure D) performance evaluations E) leadership
Answer: B Explanation: B) Araceli doesn't contribute because she does not feel like the group has a climate of trust. Interpersonal trust facilitates cooperation, reduces the need to monitor each other's behaviour, and bonds members around the belief that others on the team won't take advantage of them.
1) Which of the following helps explain the current popularity of teams? Teams ________. A) are easier to manage B) better utilize employee talents C) are less expensive D) promote socialization and cohesion E) increase the speed of decision making
Answer: B Explanation: B) As organizations have restructured to compete more efficiently, they have turned to teams as a way to optimize employee talents.
28) The Boeing Company created a team made up of employees from production, planning, quality control, tooling, design engineering, and information systems to automate shims on the company's C-17 program. This team is most likely to be an example of a ________ team. A) command B) cross-functional C) self-managed D) problem-solving E) task
Answer: B Explanation: B) Cross-functional teams are teams made up of employees from about the same hierarchical level but different work areas, who come together to accomplish a task. They are an effective means of allowing people from diverse areas to exchange information, develop new ideas, solve problems, and coordinate complex projects.
59) Generally speaking, the most effective teams have ________ members. A) two to four B) three to five C) five to nine D) 10 to 15 E) 15 to 20
Answer: C Explanation: C) Generally speaking, the most effective teams have five to nine members.
3) Compared to traditional departments, teams tend to be less flexible and less responsive to changing events.
Answer: FALSE Explanation: Teams are more flexible and responsive to changing events than traditional departments or other forms of permanent groupings.
15) Discuss the difference between a work group and a work team. Answer: A work group is a group that interacts primarily to share information and to make decisions to help each member perform within his or her area of responsibility. There is no positive synergy that would create an overall level of performance that is greater than the sum of the inputs. A work team generates positive synergy through coordinated effort. Their individual efforts result in a level of performance that is greater than the sum of those individual inputs. Diff: 3 Type: ES Page Ref: 187 AACSB: Analytical Thinking Quest. Category: Concept LO: 10.2 Contrast groups and teams.
16) A team consists of employees from the same department who meet for a few hours each week to discuss ways of improving the work environment but they do not have the authority to unilaterally implement any of their suggestions. This is most likely to be a ________ team.
37) Describe and discuss self-managed work teams. Answer: Self-managed work teams are groups of employees (typically 10 to 15 in number) who perform highly related or interdependent jobs and take on many of the responsibilities of their former supervisors. Typically, this includes planning and scheduling of work, assigning tasks to members, collective control over the pace of work, making operating decisions, taking action on problems, and working with suppliers and customers. Fully self-managed work teams even select their own members and have the members evaluate each other's performance. As a result, supervisory positions take on decreased importance and may even be eliminated. Diff: 3 Type: ES Page Ref: 188-189 AACSB: Analytical Thinking Quest. Category: Concept LO: 10.3 Contrast the five types of teams.
38) What are some special challenges that virtual teams face? For virtual teams to be effective, what should management ensure?
38) What are some special challenges that virtual teams face? For virtual teams to be effective, what should management ensure? Answer: Virtual teams may suffer from less social rapport and less direct interaction among members. They aren't able to duplicate the normal give-and-take of face-to-face discussion. Especially when members haven't personally met, virtual teams tend to be more task-oriented and exchange less social-emotional information. Not surprisingly, virtual team members report less satisfaction with the group interaction process than do face-to-face teams. For virtual teams to be effective, management should ensure that: (a) trust is established among team members (research has shown that one inflammatory remark in a team member e-mail can severely undermine team trust); (b) team progress is monitored closely (so the team doesn't lose sight of its goals, and no team member "disappears"); and (c) the efforts and products of the virtual team are publicized throughout the organization (so the team does not become invisible). Diff: 3 Type: ES Page Ref: 190-191 AACSB: Analytical Thinking Quest. Category: Concept LO: 10.3 Contrast the five types of teams.
39) Which of the following is not one of the key components of effective teams?
83) How does climate of trust improve effectiveness of teams? Answer: Interpersonal trust among team members facilitates cooperation, reduces the need to monitor each other's behaviour, and bonds members around the belief that others on the team won't take advantage of them. Team members are more likely to take risks and expose vulnerabilities when they believe they can trust others on their team. Diff: 3 Type: ES Page Ref: 193 AACSB: Analytical Thinking Quest. Category: Concept LO: 10.4 Identify the characteristics of effective teams.
84) Discuss the effect of team size on effectiveness of teams.
86) Discuss the impact of conflicts on effectiveness of teams. Answer: Conflict on a team isn't necessarily bad. Teams completely devoid of conflict are likely to become apathetic and stagnant. Thus, conflict-but not all types-can actually improve team effectiveness. Relationship conflicts-those based on interpersonal compatibilities, tension, and animosity toward others-are almost always dysfunctional. However, on teams performing nonroutine activities, disagreements among members about task content (called task conflicts) stimulate discussion, promote critical assessment of problems and options, and can lead to better team decisions. Diff: 3 Type: ES Page Ref: 196-197 AACSB: Analytical Thinking Quest. Category: Concept LO: 10.4 Identify the characteristics of effective teams.
87) You need to hire an analyst for an important project team. It is essential that the new employee work well on the already established team in order to meet the project's challenging deadlines. The most talented candidate doesn't have any team experience and when asked in the interview about his team experience he replied, "I prefer to work alone. I'm much more efficient alone." What should you do?
82) The team effectiveness model identifies three categories of key components making up effective teams. What are these three categories? Give examples of each category. Answer: The key components making up effective teams can be subsumed into three general categories. a) The first category is related to the resources and contextual influences that make teams effective. The four contextual factors that appear to be most significantly related to team performance are the presence of adequate resources, effective leadership, a climate of trust, and a performance evaluation and reward system that reflects team contributions. b) The second category relates to the team's composition. It takes into consideration the abilities of team members, their personalities, size of the team, and preferences of team members. c) Finally, process variables reflect the things that go on in the team that influence effectiveness. These include member commitment to a common plan and purpose, establishment of specific team goals, team efficacy, establishment of mental models, a managed level of conflict, and minimization of social loafing. Diff: 3 Type: ES Page Ref: 192
AACSB: Analytical Thinking Quest. Category: Concept
95) Explain how organizations can create team players. Answer: The primary options managers have for trying to turn individuals into team players include: a) Selection: Some people already possess the interpersonal skills to be effective team players. When hiring team members, in addition to the technical skills required to fill the job, care should be taken to ensure that candidates can fulfill their team roles as well as technical requirements. Many job candidates don't have team skills. This is especially true for those socialized around individual contributions. When faced with such candidates, managers basically have three options. The candidates can undergo training to "make them into team players." If this isn't possible or doesn't work, the other two options are to transfer the individual to another unit within the organization, without teams (if this possibility exists); or don't hire the candidate. In established organizations that decide to redesign jobs around teams, it should be expected that some employees will resist being team players and may be untrainable. Unfortunately, such people typically become casualties of the team approach. b) Training: On a more optimistic note, a large proportion of people raised on the importance of individual accomplishments can be trained to become team players. Training specialists conduct exercises that allow employees to experience the satisfaction that teamwork can provide. They typically offer workshops to help employees improve their problem-solving, communication, negotiation, conflict-management, and coaching skills. Employees also learn the five-stage group development model. c) Rewards: The reward system needs to be reworked to encourage cooperative efforts rather than competitive ones. Promotions, pay raises, and other forms of recognition should be given to individuals for how effective they are as a collaborative team member. This doesn't mean individual contributions are ignored; rather, they are balanced with selfless contributions to the team. Examples of behaviours that should be rewarded include training new colleagues, sharing information with teammates, helping to resolve team conflicts, and mastering new skills that the team needs but in which it is deficient. Diff: 3 Type: ES Page Ref: 197-198
AACSB: Analytical Thinking Quest. Category: Concept
