Deck 10: Effective Decision Making and Problem Solving

Question 1

A "stand aside" is

A) a request by a group that a lone dissenter, despite remaining reservations, agrees not to prevent a consensus decision by the group.
B) a supermajority in a group of at least 75% agreement.
C) a method for implementation of a group decision.
D) a conflict-suppressing technique used by groups when a stalemate occurs.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

"What changes, if any, should be made in the priority process used to distribute parking permits on campus" is an example of a question of

A) fact.
B) value.
C) policy.
D) inference.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Force field analysis is a method used to

A) brainstorm solutions to problems discussed by a group.
B) analyze the causes of problems deliberated by a group.
C) plan implementation of a group solution or decision that addresses the ordeal of change.
D) establish criteria for evaluating a group's decision.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The Standard Agenda is

A) a direct outgrowth of John Dewey's reflective thinking process.
B) a relatively unstructured system for group decision making.
C) a structured group decision making system that initially addresses solutions to problems, then identifies the nature of the problem.
D) None of the above

Question 5

Rules for discussion when groups seek a consensus include

A) introducing conflict-suppressing techniques such as voting in order to maintain harmony in the group.
B) avoiding switching positions simply to sidestep conflict.
C) avoiding differences of opinion.
D) accepting agreement among members as valid even if it has occurred with little or no struggle or discussion.

Question 6

Majority rule may be advantageous when

A) issues are very important.
B) decisions must be made relatively quickly.
C) commitment of all members to the final decision is important.
D) satisfaction with the group process is important.

Question 7

Standard Agenda includes which of the following steps?

A) Problem analysis
B) Solution criteria
C) Solution implementation
D) All of the above

Question 8

True group consensus requires

A) commitment to the group decision.
B) member satisfaction with the decision-making process.
C) member satisfaction with participation in decision making.
D) All of the above

Question 9

As group leader, you are anxious to produce change in several areas. Before attempting to implement changes, you should consider primary factors that produce resistance to change, such as, changes are less likely to be accepted by group members when

A) the need for change affects individuals directly.
B) group members have had a part in decision making.
C) they threaten the security of group members.
D) the changes are open to revision and modification.

Question 10

Your group engages in discussion of a significant problem. It begins by considering possible solutions and finally chooses one of the alternatives. Your group exhibits which of the following paths to reaching decisions according to the multiple sequence model of decision emergence?

A) Unitary sequence
B) Complex cyclic
C) Solution oriented
D) None of the above

Question 11

You are asked by to accept a point of view because most people already do, as indicated on several national surveys using random samples of more than 1,000 subjects. This is a fallacy called

A) ad hominem.
B) correlation.
C) self-selected sample.
D) ad populum.

Question 12

"What are the advantages and disadvantages of a textbook rental program on campus?" is a question of

A) fact.
B) value.
C) policy.
D) disagreement.

Question 13

Recent rankings of U.S. colleges by U.S. News & World Report magazine used SAT/ACT scores, graduation rates, scholarship and grants availability, among others, to rank colleges. These serve as _______ for making such decisions?

A) problem analysis
B) causations
C) criteria
D) questions of policy

Question 14

PERT is a structured group process of decision making that

A) assists the group in establishing criteria for effective decisions.
B) provides step-by-step procedural ground rules for group decision.
C) identifies major ways to reduce resistance to change in groups.
D) None of the above

Question 15

Minority rule in groups can take which of the following forms?

A) Designated authority
B) Executive committee
C) Forceful faction
D) All of the above

Question 16

Margin of error

A) estimates the degree of sampling error accounted for by imperfections in selecting a sample for study.
B) is a random sample selected for a survey or study.
C) is a self-selected sample.
D) None of the above

Question 17

Proper brainstorming technique requires

A) immediate criticism of ideas as they are offered to avoid wasting time on dumb ideas.
B) recording only the very best ideas.
C) clarification of each idea as it is offered to avoid confusion.
D) withholding evaluation of ideas until brainstorming has been completed.

Question 18

Criteria for decision making and problem solving

A) are standards used to evaluate group decisions and solutions.
B) are unfailingly effective for producing optimum group decision making.
C) never vary from one group to another when discussing an identical problem or issue.
D) usually require some appropriate means of measuring the criteria.

Question 19

Which of the following is a significant disadvantage of majority rule in group decision making?

A) Group deliberations/discussions are too long.
B) Minorities are unprotected from the tyranny of the majority.
C) The quality of the group's decisions may suffer.
D) Decisions may be hasty.

Question 20

Which of the following is an advantage of the consensus decision-making process?

A) Full discussion of issues is likely.
B) Commitment from all group members to a final decision is likely.
C) Group satisfaction is normally high.
D) It takes relatively little time to achieve a consensus.

Question 21

The following can be said of creativity and problem solving:

A) Creativity is more inspiration than perspiration.
B) Creativity is spurred by challenges.
C) Creativity requires flexibility.
D) Creativity requires a high IQ.

Question 22

Research on virtual groups shows that

A) when group members have a long-term, shared history virtual group effectiveness decreases-familiarity breeds contempt.
B) when virtual group members work together long enough to receive training in media use, group effectiveness improves.
C) when time together permits the development of personal relationships in a virtual environment, group effectiveness improves.
D) they face many of the same challenges and have the same capacity for success as face-to-face groups.

Question 23

The 6-3-5 method of brainstorming involves 6 group members writing 3 ideas on a subject, passing these ideas to the member immediately to the right, who then builds on these ideas. This is done 5 times.

Question 24

Effective group decision making requires analysis and understanding of a problem before members search for solutions.

Question 25

Group discussions that follow some systematic procedure tend to be more productive than relatively unstructured discussions.

Question 26

A true consensus requires a unanimous agreement, commitment of all parties to defend the decision to outsiders, and satisfaction with the process used to make the decision and the degree of participation from all group members.

Question 27

A group should establish criteria for evaluating solutions to problems before solutions are suggested.

Question 28

Murphy's Law stipulates that anything that can go wrong likely will be avoided by a group.

Question 29

Consensus is a form of majority rule.

Question 30

As groups grow larger, consensus becomes easier to attain because you have more voices to support it.

Question 31

Framestorming is changing the framework for brainstorming before actually engaging in a brainstorming session by asking different questions.

Question 32

To provide structure and organization to all group meetings you should use parliamentary procedure.

Question 33

Primary criteria for evaluating information central to group decision making include: credibility of the information, currency of the information, information relevance, its representativeness, and the sufficiency of the information.

Question 34

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof.

Question 35

Research shows that creativity is more likely to flourish in a competitive environment than in a cooperative one.

Question 36

Research shows conclusively that nominal group technique is a more effective method of generating creative ideas in groups than is brainstorming.

Question 37

A key rule necessary for effective group brainstorming is that ideas should be evaluated as members offer them, so time isn't wasted on weak ideas.

Question 38

The proper brainstorming format should involve first an individual, then a group, followed by an individual brainstorming session.

Question 39

A supermajority is another form of consensus decision making.

Question 40

Reframing is the creative process of breaking a mindset by describing the problem from a different frame of reference.

Question 41

Most studies show that electronic brainstorming is the most effective method for brainstorming in small groups.

Question 42

There is no single, systematic discussion procedure that guarantees effective decision making and problem solving in small groups.

Question 43

There will be less resistance to change in a group when the change is open to revision and modification.

Question 44

Text messaging and email are examples of asynchronous communication.

Question 45

Text-only group discussions encourage low-status members to participate in discussions and to stand their ground more firmly on controversial issue than likely occur in face-to-face groups.