Question 1

Distributed leadership in teams makes every team member continually responsible for both recognizing when task or maintenance activities are needed and taking actions to provide them.

Accepted Answer

Distributed leadership means that every team member takes responsibility for recognizing and addressing team needs, whether they are related to task accomplishment or maintenance of team dynamics. This promotes a shared sense of ownership and fosters a collaborative and proactive team culture.

Question 2

The norming stage is part of the "critical zone" of team development, where successes create long-term gains while failures create long-lasting problems.

Accepted Answer

The norming stage is part of Tuckman's stages of group development, focusing on team cohesion and establishing norms, not specifically identified as a "critical zone" of development with the described consequences. The "critical zone" concept isn't a standard part of Tuckman's model.

Question 3

Increasing membership homogeneity in a team increases team cohesiveness.

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that increasing membership homogeneity (such as having similar backgrounds, interests, and values) in a team can lead to increased team cohesiveness. This is because members are more likely to feel a sense of commonality and shared identity, which can improve communication, collaboration, and trust within the team. However, it is important to note that too much homogeneity can also lead to groupthink and limited perspectives, so a balance between diversity and homogeneity may be ideal for team performance.

Question 4

Persons in a highly cohesive team are less likely to conform to the norms.

Accepted Answer

In a highly cohesive team, there is a strong sense of belongingness and conformity to the group's norms and values, which can lead to greater conformity and pressure to conform.

Question 5

The responsibility for task and maintenance activities belongs to the manager alone.

Accepted Answer

The responsibility for task and maintenance activities belongs to both the manager and their team, as it requires collaboration and effort from all members to ensure successful completion and upkeep of tasks.

Question 6

In terms of team productivity, the best-case scenario of a work team's performance norms and cohesiveness occurs with positive performance norms and high team cohesiveness.

Accepted Answer

Positive performance norms means that the team has agreed upon and is committed to achieving high levels of productivity and quality. High team cohesiveness means that team members are united and committed to the team's goals and to supporting each other. These factors working together can lead to a highly productive team.

Question 7

It is in the storming stage that people ideally begin to identify with other members and with the team itself.

Accepted Answer

In the storming stage, team members often experience conflicts and struggle with power dynamics as they try to establish their roles. Identification with the team and cohesion typically occur in later stages, such as norming and performing.

Question 8

By reinforcing the desired behaviours with rewards, leaders can help their teams in building positive norms.

Accepted Answer

By reinforcing positive behaviours with rewards, leaders can encourage their teams to adopt and maintain beneficial behaviors and create positive team norms.

Question 9

In the life cycle of a team, consolidation around task and operating agendas occurs in the performing stage.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the life cycle of a team,...

Question 10

In order to increase cohesion, a manager can induce agreement on team goals, increase interactions among members, reward individual rather than team results, or provide physical isolation from other teams.

Accepted Answer

Increasing cohesion involves inducing agreement on team goals, increasing interactions among members, and providing physical isolation from other teams, but rewarding individual rather than team results can actually decrease team cohesion by promoting competition over collaboration.

Question 11

A team that has achieved total integration at the performing stage of team development, will score high on the criteria of trust among members, feedback mechanisms, open communications, approach to decisions, and leadership sharing.

Accepted Answer

At the performing stage, a team has achieved total integration and high levels of trust, open communication, feedback mechanisms, a collaborative approach to decision-making, and shared leadership.

Question 12

In the life cycle of a team, the initial task orientation and interpersonal testing of individual members occurs in the forming stage.

Accepted Answer

This is correct as the forming stage is characterized by a focus on task orientation and interpersonal testing as team members get to know each other and begin to establish their roles and responsibilities in the team.

Question 13

A strong conformity to norms by members has a beneficial effect on team performance.

Accepted Answer

When team members conform to norms, it leads to better understanding, coordination, and cooperation among them, resulting in improved team performance.

Question 14

The norming stage of the team life cycle is characterized by a period of high emotionality, the identification of team boundaries and team roles, and the ability to handle membership disagreements in creative ways.

Accepted Answer

The norming stage is characterized by the development of close relationships and cohesiveness within the team, where members accept the team and its norms, and disagreements are handled positively. High emotionality and the identification of team boundaries and roles are more characteristic of the earlier "storming" stage.

Question 15

Firing a member from a team is the only way to impose sanctions on a member who has violated the norms of the team.

Accepted Answer

Firing a member from a team should be the last resort and other forms of sanction such as warning, suspension or demotion can also be considered before taking such a drastic step. It is important to provide feedback and coaching to the team member to help them understand the impact of their behavior and improve their performance.

Question 16

From a manager's perspective, the worst-case scenario of a work team's performance norms and cohesiveness occurs with indeterminate performance norms and indeterminate team cohesiveness.

Accepted Answer

The worst-case scenario from a manager's perspective is when a work team has low performance norms and high cohesiveness, as this combination can lead to the team being very unified in their efforts but in a direction that does not align with organizational goals or high performance.

Question 17

In the adjourning stage of the team life cycle, the team should ideally disband with the sense that important goals have been accomplished.

Accepted Answer

In the adjourning stage, the team should ideally have a sense of closure and satisfaction, having accomplished their goals and completed their task. Disbanding with this sense of accomplishment can help the team members transition smoothly to future assignments or projects.

Question 18

It is the sole responsibility of a team leader to minimize the occurrence of disruptive activities in a team.

Accepted Answer

While the team leader plays an important role in managing team dynamics and addressing disruptive behavior, it is not solely their responsibility. All members of the team are responsible for maintaining a productive and respectful work environment. It is important for everyone to communicate effectively, address issues as they arise, and work collaboratively towards team goals.

Question 19

Efforts to support the emotional life of the team as an ongoing social system are leadership activities.

Accepted Answer

Leadership involves not only focusing on the team's goals and tasks but also encouraging emotional support, communication, and teamwork among team members. Therefore, efforts to support the emotional life of the team as a social system are leadership activities.

Question 20

A performance norm defines the level of work effort and performance that team members are expected to contribute.

Accepted Answer

A performance norm sets standards for the level of performance and contribution expected from team members. It helps to clarify expectations and ensure that everyone understands their role in achieving the team's goals.

Quiz 17: Teams and Teamwork