Deck 9: Top Performance Through Empowerment, Teamwork, and Communication

Question 1

Describe how extending decision making and activities generally handled by managers to employees can lead to employee empowerment.Provide a brief example.

Answer 1

Even among non-management staff,empowerment extends to decisions and activities traditionally handled by managers.Employees might be responsible for such tasks as purchasing supplies,making hiring decisions,scheduling production or work hours,overseeing the safety program,and granting pay increases.This can be an especially powerful tool in many healthcare environments.At Lebanon Valley Brethren Home,a long-term care facility in Pennsylvania,workers at all levels are empowered to do whatever it takes to improve the quality of their elderly residents' lives.Caregivers are responsible for the overall management of their households,including meals and housekeeping.They make decisions for individual residents ranging from sleep schedules to room lighting.

Question 2

MATCHING
Complete the following using the terms listed.
A.low-context culture
B.affective conflict
C.performing stage
D.cross-functional team
E.noise
F.team norms
G.encoding
H.self-managed team
I.grapevine
J.norming stage
K.team diversity
L.virtual team
M.cognitive conflict
N.external communication
O.listening
P.communication
Q.team cohesiveness
_____ a message means that the sender translates its meaning into understandable terms.

Answer 2

G

Question 3

MATCHING
Complete the following using the terms listed.
A.low-context culture
B.affective conflict
C.performing stage
D.cross-functional team
E.noise
F.team norms
G.encoding
H.self-managed team
I.grapevine
J.norming stage
K.team diversity
L.virtual team
M.cognitive conflict
N.external communication
O.listening
P.communication
Q.team cohesiveness
The _____ is an internal channel that informally passes information from unofficial sources.

Answer 3

I

Question 4

MATCHING
Complete the following using the terms listed.
A.low-context culture
B.affective conflict
C.performing stage
D.cross-functional team
E.noise
F.team norms
G.encoding
H.self-managed team
I.grapevine
J.norming stage
K.team diversity
L.virtual team
M.cognitive conflict
N.external communication
O.listening
P.communication
Q.team cohesiveness
During the _____,team members resolve differences,accept each other,and reach broad agreement about the roles of team leader and other participants.

Question 5

MATCHING
Complete the following using the terms listed.
A.low-context culture
B.affective conflict
C.performing stage
D.cross-functional team
E.noise
F.team norms
G.encoding
H.self-managed team
I.grapevine
J.norming stage
K.team diversity
L.virtual team
M.cognitive conflict
N.external communication
O.listening
P.communication
Q.team cohesiveness
_____ represents the variances in ability,experience,personality,or any other factor on a team.

Question 6

MATCHING
Complete the following using the terms listed.
A.low-context culture
B.affective conflict
C.performing stage
D.cross-functional team
E.noise
F.team norms
G.encoding
H.self-managed team
I.grapevine
J.norming stage
K.team diversity
L.virtual team
M.cognitive conflict
N.external communication
O.listening
P.communication
Q.team cohesiveness
A(n)_____ is a combination of workers from different functional areas;such as production,marketing,and finance.

Question 7

MATCHING
Complete the following using the terms listed.
A.low-context culture
B.affective conflict
C.performing stage
D.cross-functional team
E.noise
F.team norms
G.encoding
H.self-managed team
I.grapevine
J.norming stage
K.team diversity
L.virtual team
M.cognitive conflict
N.external communication
O.listening
P.communication
Q.team cohesiveness
_____ refers to the emotional reactions that can occur when disagreements become personal rather than professional.

Question 8

MATCHING
Complete the following using the terms listed.
A.low-context culture
B.affective conflict
C.performing stage
D.cross-functional team
E.noise
F.team norms
G.encoding
H.self-managed team
I.grapevine
J.norming stage
K.team diversity
L.virtual team
M.cognitive conflict
N.external communication
O.listening
P.communication
Q.team cohesiveness
The skill of receiving a message and interpreting its genuine meaning is _____.

Question 9

MATCHING
Complete the following using the terms listed.
A.low-context culture
B.affective conflict
C.performing stage
D.cross-functional team
E.noise
F.team norms
G.encoding
H.self-managed team
I.grapevine
J.norming stage
K.team diversity
L.virtual team
M.cognitive conflict
N.external communication
O.listening
P.communication
Q.team cohesiveness
The meaningful exchange of information through messages is called _____.

Question 10

MATCHING
Complete the following using the terms listed.
A.low-context culture
B.affective conflict
C.performing stage
D.cross-functional team
E.noise
F.team norms
G.encoding
H.self-managed team
I.grapevine
J.norming stage
K.team diversity
L.virtual team
M.cognitive conflict
N.external communication
O.listening
P.communication
Q.team cohesiveness
_____ is the extent to which team members are attracted to the team and motivated to remain part of it.

Question 11

MATCHING
Complete the following using the terms listed.
A.low-context culture
B.affective conflict
C.performing stage
D.cross-functional team
E.noise
F.team norms
G.encoding
H.self-managed team
I.grapevine
J.norming stage
K.team diversity
L.virtual team
M.cognitive conflict
N.external communication
O.listening
P.communication
Q.team cohesiveness
________ are groups of geographically or organizationally dispersed coworkers who use a combination of telecommunications and information technologies to accomplish an organizational task.

Question 12

MATCHING
Complete the following using the terms listed.
A.low-context culture
B.affective conflict
C.performing stage
D.cross-functional team
E.noise
F.team norms
G.encoding
H.self-managed team
I.grapevine
J.norming stage
K.team diversity
L.virtual team
M.cognitive conflict
N.external communication
O.listening
P.communication
Q.team cohesiveness
Standards of conduct shared by team members that guide their behavior are called _____.

Question 13

Define cross-functional teams and explain the emphasis on communication.

Question 14

MATCHING
Complete the following using the terms listed.
A.low-context culture
B.affective conflict
C.performing stage
D.cross-functional team
E.noise
F.team norms
G.encoding
H.self-managed team
I.grapevine
J.norming stage
K.team diversity
L.virtual team
M.cognitive conflict
N.external communication
O.listening
P.communication
Q.team cohesiveness
_____ focuses on problem-related differences of opinion,and reconciling these differences to improve team performance.

Question 15

MATCHING
Complete the following using the terms listed.
A.low-context culture
B.affective conflict
C.performing stage
D.cross-functional team
E.noise
F.team norms
G.encoding
H.self-managed team
I.grapevine
J.norming stage
K.team diversity
L.virtual team
M.cognitive conflict
N.external communication
O.listening
P.communication
Q.team cohesiveness
_____ is a meaningful exchange of information through messages transmitted between an organization and its major audiences.

Question 16

Explain the key differences between employee stock ownership plans and employee stock option plans.

Question 17

MATCHING
Complete the following using the terms listed.
A.low-context culture
B.affective conflict
C.performing stage
D.cross-functional team
E.noise
F.team norms
G.encoding
H.self-managed team
I.grapevine
J.norming stage
K.team diversity
L.virtual team
M.cognitive conflict
N.external communication
O.listening
P.communication
Q.team cohesiveness
In a(n)____,communication relies on explicit written and verbal messages.

Question 18

MATCHING
Complete the following using the terms listed.
A.low-context culture
B.affective conflict
C.performing stage
D.cross-functional team
E.noise
F.team norms
G.encoding
H.self-managed team
I.grapevine
J.norming stage
K.team diversity
L.virtual team
M.cognitive conflict
N.external communication
O.listening
P.communication
Q.team cohesiveness
During the _____,team members focus on solving problems and accomplishing tasks.

Question 19

MATCHING
Complete the following using the terms listed.
A.low-context culture
B.affective conflict
C.performing stage
D.cross-functional team
E.noise
F.team norms
G.encoding
H.self-managed team
I.grapevine
J.norming stage
K.team diversity
L.virtual team
M.cognitive conflict
N.external communication
O.listening
P.communication
Q.team cohesiveness
A group of workers who are empowered with the authority to decide how its members complete their daily tasks is called a(n)_____.

Question 20

MATCHING
Complete the following using the terms listed.
A.low-context culture
B.affective conflict
C.performing stage
D.cross-functional team
E.noise
F.team norms
G.encoding
H.self-managed team
I.grapevine
J.norming stage
K.team diversity
L.virtual team
M.cognitive conflict
N.external communication
O.listening
P.communication
Q.team cohesiveness
_____ is some type of interference during the communication process that influences the transmission of messages and feedback.

Question 21

What are the advantages and drawbacks of virtual teams?

Question 22

Distinguish between cognitive and affective conflict.

Question 23

When Toyota was faced with serious quality problems and was forced to recall thousands of vehicles,the company quickly formed a temporary group of employees to brainstorm the problem.This is an example of a _______ team.

A)virtual
B)self-managed
C)problem-solving
D)cross-functional

Question 24

Tamika's company uses open book management,where employees can visit the company intranet and look up financial performance,design standards,and photos of coworkers.This sharing of information will ________ in employee empowerment and will have ________ on product quality.

A)result;no impact
B)result;a positive impact
C)not result;no impact
D)not result;a positive impact

Question 25

A team consists of a group of people with ________ skills and ________ are responsible and accountable for accomplishing team objectives.

A)complementary;all team members
B)complementary;team leaders
C)differing;all team members
D)differing;team leaders

Question 26

Describe two tips for enhancing listening skills.

Question 27

What does high-context culture mean? Provide an example of how an American business person should conduct business in a high-context culture.

Question 28

Explain some challenges associated with e-mail.

Question 29

Under __________,employees receive stock shares or the value of the stock upon retiring or leaving the company.

A)treasury bills
B)stock certificates
C)ESOPs
D)stock options

Question 30

List the five stages of team development in the order in which they typically occur.What is the role of the team leader in each stage?

Question 31

What is meant by team cohesiveness?

Question 32

Explain the importance of the storming stage of team development.

Question 33

Maurice is a member of a semi-permanent team that performs the day-to-day functions of the organization.Maurice is a member of a(n)________ team.

A)self-managed
B)work
C)problem-solving
D)cross-functional

Question 34

All of the following are used to empower employees EXCEPT ________.

A)giving them decision-making authority about company relocation
B)rewarding them based on company performance
C)giving them decision-making authority about hiring decisions
D)sharing company information

Question 35

Describe the communication process.How does noise interfere with the communication process?

Question 36

In many companies,shared decision-making authority extends to all of the following EXCEPT ________.

A)purchasing supplies
B)determining individual working hours
C)overseeing the safety program
D)selecting members of the board of directors

Question 37

Define team norm and provide an example.

Question 38

Giving employees responsibility and authority to make decisions about their work is called ________.

A)communication
B)teamwork
C)empowerment
D)top-down management

Question 39

Explain the four types of listening behaviors.

Question 40

Which of the following statements is CORRECTregarding stock option plans?

A)They are offered only to top-level executives and members of the board of directors.
B)If the stock price increases,employees are likely to exercise their option to purchase the stock.
C)The company holds the stock for the benefit of the employees.
D)Stock options are provided as a retirement benefit.

Question 41

Joan wants to encourage interaction among her team members and is planning to move to an open office space without cubicle walls.Joan is trying to promote ________.

A)empowerment
B)team norm
C)team cohesiveness
D)external communication

Question 42

Team norms are ________ and ________ standards of behavior.

A)formal;written
B)informal;written
C)formal;unwritten
D)informal;unwritten

Question 43

Alec and Sal are city council members who vehemently disagree over a new zoning ordinance.Their arguments have become personal,and other council members are irritated and avoiding meetings.Alec and Sal need to resolve their ________ conflict.

A)cognitive
B)mutual
C)affective
D)internal

Question 44

Lauren's team members feel attracted to the team and motivated to remain part of it.Lauren's team can be characterized as ________.

A)informal
B)formal
C)verbal
D)cohesive

Question 45

At a celebratory gathering in a restaurant,Al presents his team members with personal thank-you notes in appreciation for their hard work on a project.Al and his team are in the ________ stage of team development.

A)adjourning
B)performing
C)norming
D)storming

Question 46

During which stage of team development does agreement about the role of the team leader and other participants occur?

A)forming stage
B)norming stage
C)storming stage
D)performing stage

Question 47

Shanta belongs to a team that meets using information technology because they are dispersed across the country.Shanta belongs to a ________ team.

A)problem-solving
B)self-managed
C)cross-functional
D)virtual

Question 48

Teams at Google come from many different countries,with skills ranging from creativity to communication to search engine optimization.This is an example of team ____________.

A)development
B)cohesiveness
C)diversity
D)level

Question 49

Kara's team is engaged in problem solving and appears focused on accomplishing tasks.Kara's team is likely in which stage?

A)forming stage
B)norming stage
C)storming stage
D)performing stage

Question 50

Starr works in the bakery at Whole Foods Market.As part of a ________ team,she shares in the responsibility of managing her department's work schedule and ordering baking supplies.

A)self-managed
B)problem-solving
C)virtual
D)cross-functional

Question 51

During the forming stage,what is the role of the team leader?

A)providing time for members to become acquainted
B)encouraging participation
C)clarifying team roles
D)facilitating task accomplishment

Question 52

Which of the following statements is correct regarding team conflict?

A)It should be avoided at all costs.
B)It often improves team performance.
C)It will be reduced if the team is diverse.
D)It rarely occurs in most teams.

Question 53

Pin-yuan is trying to promote the cohesiveness of his team.Which of the following would LEAST likely improve his team's cohesiveness?

A)encouraging his team members to work from home
B)redesigning their work space
C)increasing the interaction between team members
D)encouraging team members to socialize during and after working hours

Question 54

Kellie is the leader of a problem-solving team.She is encouraging every member of the team to openly express differences and work through conflicts.Kellie's team is likely in the ________ stage.

A)norming
B)performing
C)storming
D)forming

Question 55

Tom is an operating room nurse and notices the head surgeon is exhausted and disoriented.Tom decides to speak up,even though his actions defy the team ________ that surgeons outrank nurses.

A)theory
B)belief
C)norm
D)standard

Question 56

Jonas' team has reached agreement about the role each member is expected to play.Jonas' team has reached the ________ stage.

A)forming
B)norming
C)storming
D)performing

Question 57

James' company has an unwritten rule that implies all managers must attend team meetings,no matter what projects they're working on.This informal standard of conduct is an example of team ________.

A)roles
B)norms
C)cohesiveness
D)conflict

Question 58

Which stage of team development is marked by conflicts over the team's mission and the roles of team members?

A)norming stage
B)forming stage
C)performing stage
D)storming stage

Question 59

During the performing stage,team members ________.

A)focus on solving problems
B)get to know one another
C)clarify their roles and expectations
D)resolve differences among them

Question 60

Danny works for a home electronics store and is a member of a team created to increase communication among various departments.Danny has networked with new people and now has strong contacts for each department when he needs them.Danny is a member of a ________ team.

A)work
B)problem-solving
C)cross-functional
D)virtual

Question 61

Alissa and Jen like to send e-mail back and forth discussing their families and work-related issues.They are engaging in ________ and ________ communication.

A)informal;written
B)informal;oral
C)formal;written
D)formal;oral

Question 62

Lucy is a manager who regularly communicates company news with her employees via e-mail.This is an example of a(n)________ communication channel.

A)formal
B)informal
C)nonverbal
D)oral

Question 63

Countries like the United States which tend to rely on explicit written and verbal messages are considered ________ cultures

A)external
B)diverse
C)high-context
D)low-context

Question 64

The communication _______ composes the message.

A)sender
B)receiver
C)channel
D)context

Question 65

Office e-mails are a form of ________ communication.

A)informal
B)written
C)formal
D)nonverbal

Question 66

Feedback ________.

A)helps determine whether a message was correctly interpreted
B)is generally verbal in nature
C)is usually ambiguous
D)helps lower the noise level

Question 67

Bill is listening to one of his fellow team members speak at a meeting.He believes she is just trying to get the team leader to adopt her idea.Bill is being a(n)________ listener.

A)offensive
B)cynical
C)polite
D)non

Question 68

Japan is considered to be a ________ context country and thus,Japanese businesspeople place importance on ________ communications.

A)high;both verbal and nonverbal
B)low;both verbal and nonverbal
C)high;explicit verbal
D)low;explicit verbal

Question 69

________ listening is the basis for effective communication.

A)Active
B)Cynical
C)Polite
D)Nonverbal

Question 70

Concerning the grapevine,all of the following statements are correct EXCEPT:

A)The grapevine is a frequent source of information for employees.
B)Grapevines convey information rapidly.
C)The grapevine is an informal communication channel.
D)Information on the grapevine is wrong most of the time.

Question 71

What is considered to be the biggest problem with email as a form of business communication?

A)using company email to send personal messages
B)e-mail is too informal for companies to convey a professional image
C)e-mail technology is still limited
D)email overload or too much email

Question 72

Denise uses lots of gestures and facial expressions when communicating.These are examples of _____________ communication.

A)informal
B)oral
C)formal
D)nonverbal

Question 73

Thomas announced to his accounting team that the company's financial reports should be completed "by next week." Subsequently,members of his team had completely different ideas about when the reports were due.At which stage of communication are the team members?

A)providing feedback
B)message encoding
C)understanding the context
D)message decoding

Question 74

All of the following are examples of formal communication EXCEPT:

A)the employee benefits handbook
B)a telephone call with a customer
C)the grapevine
D)a letter to a supplier

Question 75

Marcie's marketing team disagrees on the way to advertise a product based on their past experiences.However,all members are attempting to reconcile their differences to produce an effective marketing strategy.Marcie's team is experiencing ________ conflict.

A)cognitive
B)mutual
C)internal
D)affective

Question 76

________ percent of the typical manager's day is spent engaged in communications.

A)Less than 25
B)About 50
C)About 75
D)More than 75

Question 77

Which of the following is considered an upward communication channel?

A)completing an employee survey
B)giving employees policy manuals
C)posting notices on bulletin boards
D)reporting news in company newsletters

Question 78

Morgan works for an advertising agency and has presented her client with ideas for new commercials.After the presentation Morgan asks for ________ to determine if the clients correctly understood her message.

A)a decoded message
B)a channel
C)feedback
D)less noise

Question 79

Kathy sends an e-mail to her assistant requesting information for an upcoming meeting.Since her team is working on a variety of projects,Kathy is very specific about the materials she needs in order to avoid confusion.As the sender,is Kathy is ________.

A)providing a context for the message
B)encoding the message
C)decoding the message
D)eliminating the message's noise

Question 80

Kevin is listening to a voice message left by his manager,but he cannot understand most of it due to his manager's cell phone breaking up.Kevin calls back his manager for the complete message since he cannot effectively communicate with this type of ________.

A)grapevine
B)noise
C)nonverbal communication
D)conflict