Deck 9: Group Dynamics and Team Effectiveness

Question 1

The trend toward greater use of teams in organizations has been reversed, and use of teams is now in decline.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The increase in use of teams in organizations is present in large organizations, but not small organizations.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

According to the textbook, a group is effective when it meets standards of quantity and quality.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

To be effective, groups must not only provide members with short-term satisfaction, but also facilitate their long-term growth.

Question 5

Functional work groups tend to operate more efficiently than work flow groups.

Question 6

Functional groups rely on horizontal communication to resolve work blockages.

Question 7

In work flow groups, work tends to flow more smoothly.

Question 8

Work flow groups promote the ability of the organization to adapt quickly.

Question 9

Norms are formed in the initiation stage of group development.

Question 10

Agreement on who will do what work occur in the differentiation stage of group development.

Question 11

A sense of group cohesiveness develops in the maturity stage of group development.

Question 12

A tendency to formalize group norms and procedures occurs in the integration stage of group development.

Question 13

All groups develop through the stages of group development in a stepwise, smooth fashion.

Question 14

Research shows that after an initial decline in productivity, a group's actual productivity rises as its size continues to increase.

Question 15

Increase in group size results in more chance of production blocking.

Question 16

"Social loafing" is an example of production blocking.

Question 17

Performance of group maintenance roles can contribute to decrease in productivity.

Question 18

Because group maintenance activities contribute to poorer performance in groups, managers should discourage members from spending time on them.

Question 19

A small group is more likely to experience synergy than a large group.

Question 20

Individuals who are high in conscientiousness or need for achievement are more likely to work hard in group settings.

Question 21

For a group to be a team, it must have at least sequential interdependence between members.

Question 22

In teams, members have the same skills and abilities.

Question 23

Managers have more discretion in forming teams than in forming groups.

Question 24

In general, functional heterogeneity is a highly valuable characteristic of groups.

Question 25

Centralization increases the productivity of groups in performing both simple tasks and complex tasks.

Question 26

An effective group is one that __________.

A) meets or exceeds production standards
B) provides short-term satisfaction to members
C) has members that can cooperate
D) all of the above

Question 27

The two basic ways to group workers in a production operation are
By__________.

A) functional and non-functional
B) functional and work flow
C) functional and reciprocal
D) reciprocal and sequential

Question 28

In a functional grouping, each group contains__________.

A) workers doing the same job
B) workers on the same line
C) workers with the same seniority
D) workers working on the same product

Question 29

In a work flow grouping, each group contains__________.

A) workers doing the same job
B) workers with the same set of skills
C) workers with the same seniority
D) workers working on the same product

Question 30

The structure that best helps workers keep their knowledge and skills sharp is__________.

A) functional
B) work flow
C) divisional
D) organizational

Question 31

The structure that tends to be the most cost-effective is__________.

A) functional
B) work flow
C) divisional
D) dependent on the situation

Question 32

Work tends to flow more smoothly in an organizational structure that is__________.

A) functional
B) work flow
C) divisional
D) lateral

Question 33

The structure that is the easiest to adapt to changing conditions is__________.

A) functional
B) work flow
C) divisional
D) lateral

Question 34

The stages of group development are, in order__________.

A) initiation, differentiation, integration, maturity
B) initiation, integration, differentiation, maturity
C) initiation, integration, maturity, differentiaton
D) integration, initiation, differentiation, maturity

Question 35

Members are most uncertain and anxious in the ______________ stage of group development.

A) Maturity
B) Differentiation
C) Integration
D) Initiation

Question 36

"Small talk" is most likely to occur in the _______________ stage of group development.

A) Maturity
B) Differentiation
C) Integration
D) Initiation

Question 37

Members often disagree about the purpose or goals of the group in the ______________ stage of group development.

A) Maturity
B) Differentiation
C) Integration
D) Initiation

Question 38

Members create norms and roles in the ______________ stage of group development.

A) Maturity
B) Differentiation
C) Integration
D) Initiation

Question 39

Groups reach consensus on the purpose and goals in the ______________ stage of group development.

A) Maturity
B) Differentiation
C) Integration
D) Initiation

Question 40

In group formation, the halfway point where group members often increase their input and production is called __________.

A) punctuated equilibrium
B) group equilibrium
C) performing
D) performing equilibrium

Question 41

Many group members perform as __________, a group maintenance role, by listening, agreeing, and accepting.

A) encouragers
B) harmonizers
C) standard setters
D) loafers

Question 42

Group roles and norms may become formalized in the ______________ stage of group development.

A) Maturity
B) Differentiation
C) Integration
D) Initiation

Question 43

Research on groups indicates that__________.

A) groups are often less productive than individuals working alone
B) groups are almost always more productive than individuals working alone
C) groups make decisions faster than individuals working alone
D) the potential productivity of groups is the same as the sum of the potential productivity of the individual members

Question 44

Process loss is caused by__________.

A) production blocking
B) time spent in group maintenance activities
C) social loafing
D) all of the above

Question 45

"Process loss" __________.

A) becomes larger with group size
B) becomes smaller with group size
C) stays the same with group size
D) is unrelated to group size

Question 46

The difference between group potential and group actual performance is called__________.

A) process blocking
B) process loss
C) process inversion
D) process reversal

Question 47

The opposite of process loss is__________.

A) empowerment
B) production blocking
C) social loafing
D) synergy

Question 48

Synergy can be gained through__________.

A) social facilitation
B) group maintenance activities
C) within-group competition
D) all of the above

Question 49

All of the following are characteristic of a group EXCEPT?

A) members identify with each other
B) members share common norms
C) members are highly interdependent
D) members feel that their membership is rewarding

Question 50

Which of the following differentiates a team from a group?

A) teams use work flow grouping
B) teams are comprehensively interdependent
C) teams have members that are not interchangeable
D) all of the above

Question 51

Compared to traditional hierarchical structures, team-based structures often __________.

A) have less trouble communicating
B) have less trouble with employee turnover
C) produce more new and innovative ideas
D) get products to market faster

Question 52

A task in which the group's performance is the sum of the contributions of the members is called__________.

A) conjunctive
B) disjunctive
C) distributive
D) additive

Question 53

A tug-of-war is a ______________ task.

A) Additive
B) Disjunctive
C) Conjunctive
D) cannot be determined

Question 54

For high speed and accuracy on simple tasks, a group communication network of _____________ is best.

A) chain
B) Y
C) circle
D) wheel

Question 55

For high speed and accuracy on complex tasks, a group communication network of _____________ is best.

A) chain
B) Y
C) circle
D) completely connected

Question 56

Information is most evenly distributed in a ______________ communication network.

A) chain
B) Y
C) circle
D) completely connected

Question 57

The most highly saturated network is (a)__________.

A) chain
B) Y
C) completely connected
D) wheel

Question 58

Satisfaction of members is likely to be highest in a ___________ network.

A) Chain
B) Completely connected
C) Circle
D) Wheel

Question 59

The best size for a group is__________.

A) 3 - 5 members
B) 5 - 7 members
C) 7 - 12 members
D) depends on the task

Question 60

Teams with members with different skills or backgrounds are high in__________.

A) functional homogeneity
B) functional heterogeneity
C) personal homogeneity
D) personal heterogeneity

Question 61

Heterogeneity in personality is helpful for a team__________.

A) for all dimensions of personality
B) for dimensions of personality such as conscientiousness
C) for dimensions of personality such as extroversion
D) never

Question 62

Which of the following types of teams is most likely to exhibit low performance?

A) a team that is highly culturally heterogeneous
B) a team that is highly culturally homogeneous
C) a team with a moderate level of cultural heterogeneity
D) this cannot be predicted

Question 63

Studies of group performance indicate that group goals should be__________.

A) general and difficult
B) specific and difficult
C) general and easy
D) specific and easy

Question 64

To have the best effect of setting difficult goals, managers should__________.

A) provide only positive feedback
B) pair goal achievement with incentives
C) reward all group members the same
D) encourage people to "do their best"

Question 65

Generally, compared with cooperative group rewards, competitive group rewards__________.

A) are seen as more equitable
B) can pit members against each other
C) are best used when interdependence is low
D) all of the above

Question 66

When task interdependence is low, a manager should__________.

A) use cooperative rewards for productivity
B) use competitive rewards for productivity
C) increase task interdependence
D) create a semi-autonomous work group

Question 67

Employee evaluation models based on a forced ranking system are considered to be often inaccurate because the supervisor often __________.

A) uses group feedback as a measure
B) gets to involved in the performance evaluation procedure
C) doesn't pay attention to everyone
D) lacks objective data

Question 68

The degree to which members of a group stick together is called its__________.

A) cohesion
B) interdependence
C) homogeneity
D) heterogeneity

Question 69

A cohesive group is more likely to exist when__________.

A) members are heterogeneous
B) members have mixed motives
C) the group is large
D) cooperative group rewards exist

Question 70

To increase cohesion of a group, a manager can__________.

A) add new members to the group
B) isolate the group from other people
C) use competitive group rewards
D) buffer the group from outside threats

Question 71

Important group lessons can be learned from analyzing the al-Qaeda's behavior. For instance, to increase group cohesion, the al-Qaeda used the __________ factor.

A) shared attitudes
B) agreement
C) external threat
D) isolation

Question 72

Group productivity will be highest when__________.

A) group cohesiveness is high and productivity norms are high
B) group cohesiveness is moderate and productivity norms are high
C) group cohesiveness is high and productivity norms are low
D) group cohesiveness is moderate and productivity norms are low

Question 73

Senior members of a work group telling a new employee to "take it easy" most likely reflects a group with__________.

A) high cohesiveness and high productivity norms
B) high cohesiveness and low productivity norms
C) low cohesiveness and high productivity norms
D) low cohesiveness and low productivity norms

Question 74

Low group cohesiveness coupled with weak productivity norms is likely to result in what level of performance?

A) high
B) moderate
C) low
D) cannot predict

Question 75

The opposite of group cohesiveness is__________.

A) group homogeneity
B) group heterogeneity
C) group conflict
D) group ineffectiveness

Question 76

When group members differ from each other in their opinions about how to reach goals, this is called:

A) cognitive conflict
B) goal conflict
C) mixed motives conflict
D) interpersonal conflict

Question 77

When group members disagree on goals, it is called__________.

A) cognitive conflict
B) work conflict
C) mixed motives conflict
D) interpersonal conflict

Question 78

The kind of conflict that is most divisive for a group is__________.

A) cognitive conflict
B) personality conflict
C) conflict over leadership
D) mixed motives conflict

Question 79

What constitutes a group? How can one tell if a group is effective?

Question 80

Explain the two basic ways that groups can be organized, and summarize the advantages and disadvantages of each.