Deck 9: Understanding Group and Team Performance

Question 1

Which of the following lists contains elements of the definition of a small group given in your book?

A) Shares a common purpose, consists of 2 to 15 people, interacts face-to-face
B) Members exert influence on others in the group, consists of 4 to 8 people with a formal leader
C) Shares a common purpose, consists of 3 to 15 people, members feel a sense of belonging, and they exert influence on each other
D) Has a formal leader, consists of 3 to 15 people, members feel a sense of belonging

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Jubair, Jeremiah, Cindy, Sean, and Russ meet once a week to prepare for their communication class. This is an example of a _____ group.

A) primary
B) study
C) therapy
D) focus

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Sara noticed that everyone looked up to her manager. He has a lot of influence on department decisions, and all of the workers knew he would listen to their suggestions. The importance and prestige Sara's manager has is an example of _____.

A) power
B) status
C) character
D) context

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Sarah observes that she usually keeps her theater group happy and that her friend Maureen offers the group encouragement. The patterns of communication observed by Sarah would be described as _____ roles.

A) task
B) social
C) individual
D) flexible

Question 5

Gretchen decides to join a study group. She attends the group for the first time and arrives about 10 minutes early for the meeting. She is surprised to see that no other group members have arrived. In fact, no one showed up until ten minutes past the posted start time. Gretchen realizes that arriving late is deemed appropriate behavior by the group. This would be an example of a group _____.

A) norm
B) role
C) status
D) power

Question 6

Which of the following is an individual role found in some groups?

A) Gatekeeper
B) Harmonizer
C) Recorder
D) Aggressor

Question 7

Leroy was recently elected to the position of chair of his department at the university. With regard to department business, Leroy now has which type of power?

A) Reward
B) Expert
C) Legitimate
D) Coercive

Question 8

Which of the following describes the concern of a bona fide perspective of groups?

A) Why only the boundaries of groups move.
B) Why only the contexts of groups change.
C) How people can only be effective in one group at a time.
D) How groups actually operate in real-world situations.

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of a primary group?

A) a focus group
B) a study group
C) a social group
D) a therapy group

Question 10

Which of the following is a characteristic of a primary group?

A) It exists to fulfill an agenda or goal.
B) Members have specifically assigned duties.
C) It is designed to solve a clearly defined problem.
D) It meets basic human needs.

Question 11

Natalie and her friends enjoy trying new foods, so they get together once a month to eat at a new restaurant. This group is an example of a _____ group.

A) study
B) social
C) focus
D) therapy

Question 12

Mikala often takes the minutes of the meetings; Gary often asks others to contribute new ideas; Keri offers pros and cons about the suggested solutions. All of these would be examples of _____ roles.

A) individual
B) procedural
C) social
D) task

Question 13

When working in a group, Alicia tends to manage conflicts between other group members, and she mediates disputes among group members. Alicia is filling the role of _____.

A) coordinator
B) orienter
C) initiator
D) harmonizer

Question 14

The admissions office on campus was concerned about the high percentage of freshmen who were opting to move out of the residence halls at the end of the fall semester. They decided to bring together random groups of students, and have each group discuss the residence halls. In what type of groups are the students participating?

A) Study groups
B) Problem-solving groups
C) Therapy groups
D) Focus groups

Question 15

A campus organization planning group is brainstorming possible themes for their homecoming float. The ideas are flowing freely, when Katie enters the group late. Without regard for the group's brainstorming session, she begins discussing her recent breakup with her boyfriend. Katie is playing which type of group role?

A) Individual role
B) Task role
C) Social role
D) Procedural role

Question 16

Clara thinks Carlo's idea for organizational outreach is impractical and cannot be implemented effectively. The discussion becomes heated and things seem to be getting out of control, so Chad suggests that the group take a break to rethink the issue. Chad is fulfilling which type of group role?

A) Individual role
B) Task role
C) Social role
D) Procedural role

Question 17

Carlos has been asked to participate in a study on the quality of food in the dorm cafeteria. He will be in the study with 20 other students and they will all be able to offer their opinions on the food. This is an example of a _____ group.

A) primary
B) study
C) problem-solving
D) focus

Question 18

Which of the following describes the difference between a team and a group?

A) Teams are structured deliberately to achieve a goal; not every group is highly organized.
B) Teams usually are created by an outside organization; groups are not.
C) Teams have a designated leader; groups do not.
D) Teams are only found in sports; while groups are found only in business.

Question 19

Zorita is an excellent group member. At meetings, she always shares her research with other group members. Which task-oriented role does Zorita play, from this description?

A) The initiator role
B) The information-seeker role
C) The information-giver role
D) The opinion-giver role

Question 20

Team _____ provide(s) a way to talk about the behaviors that are expected of group members. For example, at the first day of cheerleading practice, the coach told the girls they were expected to be on time to every practice, to rehearse the routines at home, and to have fun.

A) ground rules
B) deviates
C) status
D) process conflict

Question 21

After Jennifer's group in her communication class had met twice, they finally began to get serious about selecting a topic for their project. Several of the group members wanted to do a project concerning the parking situation on campus, because they thought it would be easy to understand. Tyler, a member of student government, wanted to do a project on the use of student fees, because he had worked on that already and had a lot of information. Each person in the group had a favorite topic, and no one wanted to consider the other topics. Most of the discussion revolved around trying to persuade the others to choose a given topic. Which phase is this group experiencing?

A) Orientation
B) Conflict
C) Emergence
D) Reinforcement

Question 22

George, Paul, and Sue tend to sit together at meetings and seem to like telling stories to each other, sharing private jokes, and sometimes talking about other group members. The trio would be known as a _____.

A) group deviate
B) referent group
C) clique
D) blocker

Question 23

Which of the following is a characteristic of a group with low cohesiveness?

A) They stress individual accomplishment more than group accomplishment.
B) Everyone in the group is encouraged to participate.
C) They maintain and establish group traditions.
D) They set goals and establish guidelines.

Question 24

Which of the following correctly depicts the relationship between group cohesiveness and group productivity?

A) As cohesiveness increases, productivity increases.
B) As cohesiveness increases, productivity decreases.
C) When a group is too cohesive, productivity can suffer.
D) The relationship between productivity and cohesiveness is linear.

Question 25

If a person had the power to influence people by making them uncomfortable, he or she has _____ power.

A) legitimate
B) referent
C) expert
D) coercive

Question 26

The opposite of coercive power is which of the following?

A) Reward power
B) Legitimate power
C) Status power
D) Expert power

Question 27

Vlad is the leader of a group; he receives most of the messages from the group members, and he provides most of the information the group members receive. This is an example of a(n) _____ network.

A) all-channel
B) chain
C) wheel
D) clear-channel

Question 28

Teachers who use bonus points to get students to attend public speeches outside of class are making use of what type of power?

A) Referent
B) Coercive
C) Expert
D) Reward

Question 29

Which of the following accurately describes an all-channel network?

A) Groups use chat rooms for their meetings.
B) All members make comments to the high status members, but rarely to low status members.
C) The norms of the group include raising one's hand when one wants to make a comment or ask a question.
D) Everyone talks to everyone else and no cliques or subgroups emerge.

Question 30

Although Ali was quiet and spoke up rarely in his class project group, the group knew he was a pre-med major and respected his academic success. When the group decided to use the topic of genetic research for their project, they listened carefully to Ali's ideas on appropriate sources. Given these circumstances, what type of power does Ali have in his group?

A) Coercive
B) Referent
C) Expert
D) Reward

Question 31

When Morgan's teacher divided her class into groups, Morgan ended up in a group with four other people who were all strangers to each other. At first, they took turns introducing themselves and telling the others their majors. Although the discussion was pleasant, it was somewhat strained and uncomfortable. Morgan wondered who in the group would be motivated to work and who would be a slacker. This group is most likely experiencing _____.

A) primary tension
B) secondary tension
C) high cohesiveness
D) communication breakdown

Question 32

Which communication network is characterized by everyone talking to everyone else?

A) Wheel network
B) All-channel network
C) Chain network
D) Primary network

Question 33

Ian is a member of a smaller group of people within his group who formed a common bond among themselves. This smaller group is known as which of the following?

A) A wheel
B) A chain
C) A clique
D) A deviation

Question 34

The four phases of Aubrey Fisher's model of group communication are orientation, conflict, emergence, and _____.

A) reinforcement
B) attitude
C) hierarchy
D) assumption

Question 35

Laird's project group in his communication class selected the topic of improving services for nontraditional students on campus. Each member in the group had volunteered to talk to a different member of the university staff, and several members had volunteered to search the Internet for what other schools might be doing. Ricardo had volunteered to be moderator and was efficient at running the group meetings. On their fifth meeting, members of the group shared information they had gathered. What phase is this group experiencing?

A) Orientation
B) Conflict
C) Emergence
D) Reinforcement

Question 36

Which of the following is a collectivistic assumption?

A) The individual should work primarily for the group.
B) The individual should work primarily for the individual.
C) Planning should be done by group leaders.
D) Meetings are for sharing information with others.

Question 37

Leonard is a group member who holds a different opinion than the other group members, and the other members spend a lot of time talking to him to try to change his mind. Leonard would be known as a _____.

A) clique
B) group deviate
C) status-seeker
D) rewarder

Question 38

Which of the following is an example of primary tension?

A) After voting on the new bylaw, many of the group members split into groups to talk about why they agreed or disagreed with the decision.
B) Even though the group had been meeting for almost a year, they still couldn't agree on a leader.
C) At the first meeting of the study group, Sylvia and John were anxious about what was going to happen, since they didn't know anyone else in the group.
D) It was difficult to get everyone in Kim's work group to agree on the next project, so she decided to take a leadership role.

Question 39

Teachers who lower grades because of unexcused absences are using what type of power?

A) Referent
B) Coercive
C) Expert
D) Reward

Question 40

When a group becomes familiar with its members and the group task, this is known as the _____ phase of group development.

A) orientation
B) conflict
C) emergence
D) reinforcement

Question 41

The role you assume in a group may depend on who else is in the group.

Question 42

Individual roles are evident when someone focuses on the group rather than himself or herself.

Question 43

Tiffany looks up to her older sister and often asks her advice on personal matters. This is an example of referent power.

Question 44

Roles are standards that determine what are appropriate and inappropriate behaviors in a group.

Question 45

An attorney is an example of an individual who possesses expert power.

Question 46

Punishment is usually associated with legitimate power.

Question 47

Members have a strong degree of loyalty to one another in a highly cohesive group.

Question 48

While Kelly knows she can't let everyone go at three o'clock, her boss can because he is an officer at the company. Her boss's ability to influence behavior is an example of power.

Question 49

A group member with high status generally talks more than a low status member.

Question 50

Study groups exist to help group members learn new information and ideas.

Question 51

The communication network that features a central individual who receives and sends most messages is the all-channel network.

Question 52

According to your book, status and power are essentially the same thing.

Question 53

Noticing when someone breaks a norm can help you spot a norm.

Question 54

People who approach time from a monochronic perspective are more likely to do many things at a time and don't worry about deadlines or schedules.

Question 55

The chain pattern of group interaction is when a person receives most of their communication from a central person.

Question 56

One of the primary differences between a team and a group is that teams are more likely than groups to develop explicit rules for how the tasks should be accomplished.

Question 57

For a collection of people to be considered a group, individuals should have a sense of belonging to the group.

Question 58

A focus group is a group that meets to resolve an issue or overcome an unsatisfactory situation.

Question 59

A teacher or a supervisor is an example of a person who has legitimate power.

Question 60

Rules indicate what behavior is expected or preferred.

Question 61

If Carlos has power because people like him, he has _____ power.

Question 62

Explain the difference between a rule and a norm.

Question 63

Joanna's mother has decided that Joanna may drive the family car only after she has cleaned the upstairs part of the house. Joanna's mother is using _____ power.

Question 64

Explain the difference between monochronic and polychronic time perspectives.

Question 65

Explain the need for ground rules.

Question 66

The phase in which the group begins to solidify a common point of view is the emergence phase.

Question 67

A harmonizer, compromiser, and gatekeeper are all examples of _____ roles.

Question 68

Process conflict refers to disagreements about who does what.

Question 69

Briefly describe primary and secondary tension.

Question 70

What are task roles?

Question 71

The degree of attraction that members of a group feel toward one another and the group is _____.

Question 72

_____ refers to an individual's importance and prestige.

Question 73

_____ is a type of group that exists to resolve an issue or overcome an unsatisfactory situation.

Question 74

One example of secondary tension is when conflict occurs as a result of a struggle for leadership.

Question 75

Briefly explain two assumptions about groups that would be different between individualistic cultures and collectivistic cultures.

Question 76

What is the primary difference between a team and a group?

Question 77

What are individual roles?

Question 78

The phase in which a group is aware it is making progress is the reinforcement phase.

Question 79

Examples of _____ roles are giving and seeking information in order to help a group move toward its goal.

Question 80

What are the characteristics of a small group?