Ch 10 Flashcards
1) What is the primary purpose of a workgroup?
A) to generate positive synergy
B) to improve collective performance
C) to inculcate a climate of trust
D) to share relevant information
E) to enhance team efficacy
D) to share relevant information
2) A work team is characterized by ________.
A) the goal of sharing information
B) the presence of neutral to negative synergy
C) the availability of complementary skills among members
D) the individual accountability for outcomes and results
E) the mere accumulation of individual efforts
C) the availability of complementary skills among members
3) A team consists of employees from the same department who meet for a few hours each week to discuss ways of improving the work environment, but they do not have the authority to unilaterally implement any of their suggestions. This is most likely to be a(n) ________ team.
A) cross-functional
B) virtual
C) self-managed work
D) problem-solving
E) independent
D) problem-solving
4) Which of the following statements is true regarding self-managed work teams?
A) Self-managed work teams typically consist of forty to fifty employees.
B) Self-managed work teams typically manage conflicts well.
C) Members of self-managed work teams typically report lower job satisfaction.
D) Self-managed work teams are typically composed of employees from different departments who work independent of each other.
E) In the case of self-managed work teams, supervisory positions take on decreased importance.
E) In the case of self-managed work teams, supervisory positions take on decreased importance.
5) GoAir, a low-cost airline, has created a team made up of employees from production, planning, quality control, tooling, design engineering, and information systems to automate the company’s C-17 program. This team is most likely to be an example of a ________ team.
A) command
B) cross-functional
C) self-managed work
D) problem-solving
E) task
B) cross-functional
6) Which of the following types of teams allows for collaboration between team members who are physically dispersed?
A) problem-solving teams
B) self-managed work teams
C) task teams
D) virtual teams
E) command teams
D) virtual teams
7) The team effectiveness model classifies the key components of effective teams into three general categories: context, composition, and process. Which of the following variables belongs to the composition category?
A) adequate resources
B) conflict level
C) team efficacy
D) performance evaluation system
E) personality of team members
E) personality of team members
8) Which of the following statements is true regarding team composition?
A) A team’s performance is merely the summation of its individual members’ abilities.
B) High-ability teams find it hard to adapt to changing situations.
C) Agreeableness is the only personality dimension that aids the ability to work in groups.
D) In successful teams, members should be selected to ensure all the various roles are filled.
E) A high-ability team will function well irrespective of the deficits in the abilities of the leader.
D) In successful teams, members should be selected to ensure all the various roles are filled.
9) Which of the following is true with regard to the impact of diversity on team effectiveness?
A) High levels of diversity among team members benefit the group immediately
B) Diversity has no impact on team performance.
C) Leadership has a negligible role to play in diverse teams because the members manage themselves autonomously.
D) Elements of diversity are undesirable as they interfere with team processes in the long run.
E) Cultural diversity serves as an asset for tasks that call for a variety of viewpoints once the team has worked out its differences.
E) Cultural diversity serves as an asset for tasks that call for a variety of viewpoints once the team has worked out its differences.
10) Which of the following statements represents a strategy that is desirable for making effective teams?
A) Combining people with extremely high and extremely low abilities helps make a balanced team.
B) Individuals should ideally have one role in a team as multiple roles reduce their effectiveness and efficiency.
C) Diversity should be avoided as diverse teams involve a lot of conflict in day-to-day functioning.
D) If a natural work unit is larger, its size must be maintained for the nature of the job requires large teams.
E) The preference of individual members to work as a part of groups must be considered when forming teams.
E) The preference of individual members to work as a part of groups must be considered when forming teams.
11) Which of the following is not a common characteristic of an effective team?
A) The team has adequate resources.
B) The team has effective leadership.
C) The team has a climate of trust.
D) The team has a performance and evaluation system that reflects team contributions.
E) The team is the right size for the task—about 15-20 people.
E) The team is the right size for the task—about 15-20 people.
12) When individuals engage in ________, they coast on the group’s effort because their particular contributions cannot be identified.
A) task conflicts
B) gainsharing
C) retaliating
D) process gains
E) social loafing
E) social loafing
13) A software development firm has witnessed substantial growth and seeks to expand and reorganize its structure to meet the demands from clients in a better manner. HR has been given a clear directive that one of the major criteria for selection of recruits would be the candidate’s ability to function as a team player. This is because the company is revamping all its major functions from the traditional departmental model to an arrangement of flexible teams. Joe Sanchez, one of the firm’s oldest and most experienced employees, has demonstrated considerable ability in developing the best programs, but he prefers to work alone. The company does not wish to lose resources like Sanchez and others who lack the ability to work in groups, but teamwork is essential to its reorganization. Which of the following strategies will help rectify this problem?
A) encouraging the formation of more diverse teams
B) informing all employees that ability to work in teams will be a major determinant for promotions and bonuses
C) increasing the size of teams so the contribution of people like Joe will not affect team performance overall
D) applying merit-based compensation systems instead of gainsharing
E) encouraging employees like Joe to work more independently
B) informing all employees that ability to work in teams will be a major determinant for promotions and bonuses
14) Work should be performed by an individual if ________.
A) the work is complex and requires different perspectives
B) the work creates a common purpose or set of goals for the people in the group that is more than the aggregate of individual goals
C) the work is simple and does not require diverse input
D) several tasks that are interdependent are to be performed for completing the work
E) performing the work requires learning a new technology or understanding a new system
C) the work is simple and does not require diverse input
15) The work of your group would be better done in teams if the members of the team are ________.
A) independent
B) autonomous
C) individualistic
D) interdependent
E) reflexive
D) interdependent
